1\OPTIMISE YOUR REPS
Do 2-4 sets per exercise, with 8-15 reps, to boost your testosterone and growth hormones for bigger muscles and more fat-burning.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
2\ LOWER YOUR WEIGHTS
Put your heavy load down and continue an exercise with a lower weight once muscle fatigue sets in. You’re aiming for muscle failure so that during rest, maximum repair will be required – which will give maximum results. It’s a great plateau-busting option.
TOM EASTHAM, PERSONAL TRAINER
3\ GO BACK TO BASICS
Training with free weights is better than using machines, as they engage your core-stability muscles while you train.
JORDAN YUAM, HOLLYWOOD PERSONAL TRAINER
4\ WORK OUT IN THE EVENING
Rather than the morning. Training after 6pm earns you bigger muscle gains than if you train before 10am.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
5\ BOOST YOUR GRIP STRENGTH
Your pinching power is equal to approximately 20 per cent of your maximum strength, so practise pinch lifts. Hold two barbell plates together and lift them to knee height, pause for around three seconds, then return to the start position. Do three sets of 10-12 reps.
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
6\ ADD PILATES TO YOUR ROUTINE
Including Pilates in your training enables you to lift more weight. And lifting more weight means more muscle. Just two Pilates sessions a week will enable you to perform more push-ups than those who don’t give it a go.
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE
7\ SCHEDULE YOUR RECOVERY
It takes up to seven days for muscles to recover and add size. Training a muscle group before this is likely to do more harm than good. You have fully recovered 48 hours after any soreness has gone. You can train other muscle groups while one group recovers, but should always leave at least five days between training the same muscle or muscle group.
JAMES KING, PERSONAL TRAINER
8\ COMBINE EXERCISES
Perform lunges and biceps curls simultaneously, and combine shoulder presses with cardio exercises. You’ll work all of the major muscle groups in your body in one session and build more muscle in less time.
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE
9\ ALWAYS TEST YOUR STRENGTH
In order to grow and gain size, your body needs to become increasingly comfortable with heavier sets. Load a bar with about 40 per cent more weight than you could normally lift (make sure you have a spotter) and bust out a few hardcore lifts at the end of each session to prepare your body for what’s coming down the track.
JORDAN YUAM, HOLLYWOOD PERSONAL TRAINER
10\ EMBRACE VARIETY
Instead of always doing three sets of 8-10 reps, occasionally reduce the weight and attempt four sets of 15 reps. Men who vary their rep counts increase their bench strength by 28 per cent and their leg-press strength by 43 per cent in two months. The upshot of this is greater month-on-month muscle gain.
JOURNAL OF STRENGTH & CONDITIONING RESEARCH