There are many benefits of training with a routine to gain muscle mass quickly, which go beyond looking good and being able to lift weights. Whether your goal of getting stronger is due to aesthetic or health motivations, there are five key exercises that you should focus your training on:
- Dead weight.
- Squats
- Dominated.
- Bench press.
- Shoulder press.
Compound exercises work multiple muscle groups at the same time
Each exercise is a compound movement, which means you work multiple muscle groups rather than exercises that target isolated muscles, such as bicep curls.
Working multiple muscle groups in this way makes these movements more effective for building strength as you work more muscles and multiple joints through wide ranges of motion. This allows you to move more weight than with isolation exercises, and progressively overload your muscles to gain muscle mass.
It is crucial to train with progressive resistance, that is, gradually challenge the muscles by increasing the weight or the repetitions performed.
Routine to gain muscle mass twice a week
When it comes to structuring a routine to gain muscle mass, experts often recommend performing all five movements twice a week , but using different rep and weight schemes.
Session 1: 12 repetitions of each exercise for 5 series , with a moderate weight that allows you to perform the exercises with the proper technique. The last couple of reps of each set require a little more effort.
Session 2: 8 repetitions of each exercise for 5 sets, but this time with greater weight . Make sure you maintain the proper position at all times. If you need to lose weight, do so, as it is much more important to perform the movements correctly and avoid injury.
Sets of 8-12 reps are considered best for hypertrophy (muscle growth). Training with lower rep sets is usually done when the focus is strength, and higher reps are generally designed with fat loss in mind.
What you do in the gym is just one part of your muscle building goals – recovery, diet, and nutrition also play a role (you will build muscle faster if you exceed your daily calories, but you will also likely gain some grease).
Ultimately, however, you have to be patient and consistent . Building muscle is a slow process, so you should work with a routine to gain muscle mass in the long term. These are the exercises that you should include in your workouts.
Dead weight
There are several different types of deadlifts and all of their variations work different muscle groups . We explain how to do the conventional movement:
- With your feet hip- width apart directly under the bar, rotate your hips and knees and place your hands on the bar, shoulder-width apart, just in front of your shins.
- Make sure your back is straight , pull your shoulders back and activate your core, holding it tight to create tension.
- Using the strength of your legs , pull the bar from the ground, keeping it close to your body at all times, moving up your shins and onto your knees as you extend your hips.
- Work up to the hips until you are upright, and fully extend your hips and knees .
During this exercise, never pull the weight with your back and always keep it straight ; If you cannot hold this position, you must stop the movement and start again concentrating on its execution.
Lowering the bar should also be done carefully and with control . It’s about reversing the movement you just did: move your hips back and lower the bar following the same path you followed to lift the bar.
Barbell squats
There are several ways to squat, but experts recommend doing them with a barbell across your upper back . We explain how to do them:
- Lower your head under the bar and place it on your upper back , supporting it with your hands. Lift the bar from the stand and take a step or two back. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, keeping your weight on your heels and mid-foot.
- Bring your elbows forward under the bar to keep your spine straight and prevent you from sliding forward.
- Keep your core tight and chest up at all times; a good way to do this is to choose a point above eye level to focus. Take a deep breath and fill your lungs with air as you begin to go down.
- To perform the squat, move your hips and sit as if you are in a chair. The ideal would be to descend until the hip is below the knee, but each body is unique and will move differently.
- As you reach the squat, keep your core tight and chest up to push the bar up and fully extend your hips and knees to return to the starting position.
Dominated
Pull-ups work slightly different muscle groups depending on the position of the hand , but they work the body more than most people realize. We explain how to do them:
- Jump up and grab the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your palms facing outward.
- Hanging from the bar, create a slight C shape with your body . You should squeeze your legs together, keep your core, back and lats tight, and your shoulders back.
- Keep your gaze straight ahead and pull your body toward the bar until your chin is past it.
- Carefully lower yourself back to the starting position , keeping your body tense throughout the movement to avoid rocking, and repeat.
If you still can’t pull off a pull-up without help, try using a large resistance band that hangs from the bar (place your knees or one foot inside the band).
Bench press
The bench press is a really effective compound movement, primarily targeting the shoulders, triceps, and pecs . These are the indications to perform this exercise correctly:
- On a bench, lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes directly under the bar. Keep your core, feet, legs, and glutes taut and tight. Push your feet toward the ground and place your hands on the bar wider than shoulder width apart.
- Once you are in the correct position, you are ready to bench press.
- Carefully lift the bar from the rack and straighten your arms, with the bar suspended directly above your chest.
- Lower the bar toward your chest in a very controlled motion , without touching the bar. To push the bar up again, keep your elbows close to your body, without widening them, and push the bar up until your arms are fully extended and stable.
Military press
Like all these exercises (except chin-ups), the military press can be performed with different equipment , but the most common is to do it with a barbell . We explain how to do it:
- Place your hands on the bar at approximately shoulder height , swing your elbows, and rest the bar resting on the front of your shoulders. Raise the bar and take a step or two back.
- Your feet should be hip-width apart , and your core, legs, and glutes should be tight and tight, but make sure you’re not using your legs to lift the bar; you’re going to use upper-body strength, but your legs, glutes, and core must be tight to maintain stability.
- Now is the time to push the bar up , above your head until your arms are fully stretched.
- Pause for a second at the top to stabilize and complete the rep , and then carefully lower the bar back to the starting position.