Building muscle and strength requires a positive energy balance, which means that you must take in more calories than you burn out daily. You need roughly 2,800 calories to build a pound of muscle, largely to support protein turnover, which can be elevated with training. By following these amazing tips, you’ll be able to build muscle mass and gain strength more efficiently and quickly.
Your body can build at most around about 227g of muscle each week, so if you eat too many extra calories trying to build more muscle, you will gain excess fat, too. “We would suggest consuming an extra 250 to 500 calories per day”. If you gain fat easily, stay on the lower end of the range, and if you find it difficult to gain weight in general, aim for the higher end of the range. It will take a bit of trial and error to find the right amount of additional calories to build muscle and stay lean.
In addition, research suggests that consuming lean protein 15 to 20 minutes before, during, and within one hour of working out may help improve muscle gain. “Since you are probably not going to be eating a steak or chicken breast at the gym, a protein drink or supplement may be beneficial immediately before, during, or after workouts, but is not necessary”.
However, it’s not all about protein. “It’s about eating many meals that meet your calorific expenditure and provide you with the nutrition as part of a healthy, balanced diet that will help you to build muscle, lose fat and get stronger”. Here are simple tips to help you get on track…
Here is The 4-day split program which is an excellent way to build muscle. Here is how to implement it into your training.
How To Build Muscle And Strength: The 4-Day Split Routine
Strength and muscle building can help and support the other. You can hardly build strength without muscle, just as you can’t build muscle without strength. But still, there are differences.
When we talk about hypertrophy, it is important to remember that everybody is different. Two people can be on the exact same program and experience different results. However, the underlying principles of hypertrophy, like strength training, are universal.
Some athletes get jacked using bodyweight movements, or just by looking at the weights, whilst others have to work twice as hard to put on the same amount of muscle. This is an important reminder.
You can choose to follow the practices of the biggest guy or fittest female in the gym, but the methods that work for them might not work at all for you.
Once you understand the principles then you can adapt and apply the right methods in order to find the best way for you.
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What is Hypertrophy?
“Hypertrophy is simply the increase in the size of an organ or tissue through the enlargement of the cells that comprise it”.
A hypertrophy program is designed not to increase strength or improve athletic performance (although there is an overlap, of course), but to primarily cause muscular growth by increasing the size of your muscle fibers.
Remember, the 4-Day Split Program is not designed to improve strength or power. This program is strictly for the purpose of gaining serious muscle size.
Use this plan for 6 – 8 Weeks, then change in order to stop the muscles from getting too used to a certain workload.
The 4 Day Split Program is a killer. You do not use heavyweights, but you won´t need them.
How To Build Muscle: 4-Day Split Routine
- Day 1 – Back and Biceps
- Day 2 – Chest and Triceps
- Day 3 – OFF
- Day 4 – Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
- Day 5 – Shoulders, Traps, and Forearms
- Day 6 – OFF
- Day 7 – OFF
| Day 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Back and Biceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Deadlift | 2 | 5 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Wide Grip Pull Up or Lat Pull Down | 3 | 10-12 |
| Barbell Row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Seated Cable Row or Machine Row | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| EZ Bar Preacher Curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Seated Dumbbell Curl | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Day 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest and Triceps | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Bench Press | 3 | 6-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Chest Dip | 3 | AMAP* |
| Cable Crossover or Pec Dec | 3 | 12-15 |
| Machine Press or Dumbbell Bench Press | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| EZ Bar Skullcrusher | 3 | 8-12 |
| Two Arm Seated Dumbbell Extension | 3 | 8-12 |
| Cable Tricep Extension | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Day 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quads, Hamstrings and Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Squat | 3 | 6-10 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 15-20 |
| Hack Squat or Dumbbell Lunge | 3 | 8-12 |
| Leg Extension | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Stiff Leg Deadlift | 3 | 8-12 |
| Leg Curl | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Day 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shoulders, Traps, and Forearms | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Seated Barbell Press | 3 | 6-10 |
| Seated Arnold Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| Hammer Strength Press or Smith Press | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Upright Row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Barbell Shrug or Dumbbell Shrug | 5 Minutes | Burn |
| Seated Barbell Wrist Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
| Barbell Static Hold | 5 Minutes | Burn |
*AMAP = As many as possible.
Barbell Static Holds. Instead of performing reps you simply hold the bar as long as possible.
How To Build Muscle: 4-Day Split Routine
If you enjoyed learning about the 4 Day Split Program, check out these articles on German Volume Training and the Upper/Lower Body Split.
Why is Recovery Important?
An important goal of every training session is to break down muscle. Without recovery, a significant portion of that work might be a waste of time. So, what exactly happens during recovery? That’ll depend on the person and activity, but generally, four different things are happening while you’re resting.
Synthesis of protein: This is what leads to muscle growth. During recovery is when the most muscle is built, because muscle protein synthesis increases by 50% four hours after a workout (like resistance training).1
Rebuilding of muscle fibers: Microtears in muscle fibers are a normal part of the exercise, happening when we put a strain on our muscles. Recovery allows these fibers to heal and become stronger during that process.
Fluid Restoration: We sweat (and lose a lot of fluid through exhaled air).2 Hydrating before, during, and after a workout is important, because these fluids help deliver nutrients to organs and muscle through the bloodstream.
Removal of metabolic waste products: Acids (via that pesky little proton associated with lactate) accumulate during a workout, and recovery gives the body time to restore intramuscular pH and re-establish intramuscular blood flow for oxygen delivery (among other things).
Try the 4 Day Split Program!
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