Today I want to get into my favorite strategies to get bigger muscles. I’m going to unveil my 3 favorite training strategies to get big and strong fast, and if you want this to work optimally you need to do all three!
These 3 training principles combined will give you the maximum strength and aesthetic results.
Here are the three steps:
Compound Progressive Strength (Part 1 of 3)
This one is first for a reason. You absolutely need to start tracking your compound lifts if you want to get huge in a hurry.
Compound progressive strength means that you are making small and incremental improvements to the most important compound lifts each and every single workout!
Oh my how easy and important this is, and yet so few guys actually consistently do this!
The beauty of compound progressive improvements is that it guarantees you will get bigger and stronger. Increasing all of the major lifts by a good 50 lbs. in 3 months will no doubt yield tremendous size gains.
What I do is a keep a workout journal and I make sure to track all of my compound lifts each and every workout. Then the next time I go in the gym and perform the same lift I look at my little workout log and make sure that I try to add another rep to my regimen with the same weight, or even better yet I add 5-10 total lbs. and do the same reps I did last workout.
As you start to push yourself it will get harder and harder to improve each workout, but the important thing is that you are TRYING to improve each workout and get stronger and you know exactly how much you have to lift to do this.
You will be surprised how hard you can push yourself with this strategy!
So what are these magical lifts you need to track? Here is a short list of the “must track” lifts, but ideally you should track your entire workout including machine work and aim to improve each workout.
- Bench press (Barbell and dumbbell variation)
- Incline bench (Barbell an dumbbell variation)
- Barbell squat
- Front squat
- Deadlift
- Weighted pull-ups
- Overhead press (Standing)
- Dumbbell shoulder press
- Heavy row exercises (Barbell, dumbbell, 1-arm, etc.)
Those are the big ones and I recommend doing all of these at least 1 time per week for maximum strength and size gains. These exercises work your largest and strongest muscle groups and will be amazing for progress.
Time Under Tension (Part 2 of 3)
Now that we got the heavy lifting underway its time to maximize another crucial component for muscle growth and that is “time under tension.”
My favorite strategy to get both big and strong is to follow up the heavy compound lifts with some type of “time under tension” training as it’s the perfect compliment to compound lifting.
I notice that I can get the best muscle pump and squeeze doing time under tension training with a machine, but you can also do TUT with dumbbells and barbells.
If I do a workout with 2 compound exercises I try to match that with 2 exercises TUT training.
This gives me the best of both worlds. The lifting strategy here is a little different however as you want to make sure you are going at least 30 seconds under tension and the muscle is firing away the entire time (meaning you aren’t resting at the top or bottom of the movement).
Some of my favorite time under tension exercises include seated row machine, pectoral fly machine, lateral pull-down, triceps rope extension, ez bar curl on the machine, and seated dip machine.
X Factors (Part 3 of 3)
The third category is what I call the “x factors” to getting big. This one won’t necessarily get you stronger on the compound lifts, but we already cover that the best way humanly possible with part 1.
The x factor is doing some type of resistance band or isometric training at night. This is what pro bodybuilders are famous for as they flex and pose the muscle they trained late at night before they go to bed.
There are actually 3 ways to work a muscle group. Holding a flexed position and feeling that deep burn in the muscle belly is called “isometrics.”
I will do resistance band and isometrics of the muscles I trained that day at night for a little extra jolt of growth!
For example, if I do a heavy back and biceps workout full of compound lifts and time under tension, then that night I will pump up my arms with the resistance band and do some isometrics for my biceps and back.
This is one of the best X factors you can do for visual aesthetic results and the great thing is hardly anybody does this.
These are my top 3 training hacks for getting both bigger and stronger. Let me know what you think of these and feel free to share your thoughts in the YouTube comments! I read every single comment.
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