The Secret to Building Muscle Fast (According to Science)
- DiscoverPT
- Dec 5, 2023
- 3 min read
You don't need to spend countless hours in the gym to build muscle.
What is the secret to building muscle fast? How can I optimize growth in order to improve my ability to gain lean muscle mass?
Lifting incorrectly can still provide results but it is not the BEST way to grow muscle and can still lead to tissue injury.
Based on our current knowledge, lets take a look at the perfect parameters you should use to build muscle.
#1 Frequency secrets to building muscle fast
Training each body part 2 times per week appears to be optimal. For instance, you should lift biceps on 2 separate days within a week. Make sure to rest 48-72 hours between lifting biceps to ensure adequate recovery.
"Each muscle group should be trained 2 to 3 days per week with at least 48 hours separating the same muscle group. For example, if you worked out your legs on Monday, you'd have to wait until at least Wednesday before working out those muscles again."
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
#2 Volume
According to research, 10-20 sets per week of each muscle group seems to be within the optimal range. Ten sets is likely the "minimal effective volume" while 20 sets is the "maximal recoverable volume".
As an example, you should lift around 8 sets of biceps per session, two times per week in order to optimize growth.
#3 Intensity
How hard should I lift? RIR is a measure of repetitions in reserve. Meaning, how many QUALITY repetitions do I have left within a set before "failure".
Best research indicates that being within 1-3 repetitions of failure is ideal. Newbie lifters (1st year) may only need to come within 6 RIR.
Check out my article: Exercise Prescription for a Long Life
#4 Repetitions
There are no real wrong answers on this one. You can lift 5 repetitions to 20+ repetitions and still gain equivalent muscle size. However, lifting 5 repetitions will increase your likelihood of injury because of the increased mechanical stress.
Above twenty repetitions will likely tire you out do to the excessive demand on your cardiac and central nervous system demand.
8-12 repetitions seems to be the sweet spot for rep ranges.
#5 Tempo
Don't slam the weights and slow down. If your goal is to powerlift and become stronger, than this discussion changes completely.
The evidence supports slow, eccentric contractions to maximize muscle growth. An eccentric contraction is the elongation of the muscle tissue.
For instance, lowering a bicep curl is an eccentric contraction. This contraction would ideally take 2-5 seconds.
#6 Rest
Rest between sets is very important when attempting to change your muscle fibers to primarily Type I.
Type I fibers are "fast twitch fibers" that grow during muscle hypertrophy training. Type II fibers are "slow twitch fibers" that grow during endurance training such as running or cross-fit.
To build Type I fibers, 2-3 minutes of rest between sets is best. Smaller muscle groups like deltoids, biceps, etc. may only need 90 seconds to recover while large muscle groups like quadriceps, hamstrings, etc. may take 3-4 minutes of rest.
Quick Guide
Conclusion
These are only a few parameters necessary to optimize muscle hypertrophy and growth. Most of us starve ourselves when attempting to form new habits. Unfortunately, being in a caloric deficit is the worst way to build muscle. Adequate nutrition is vital in maximizing muscle growth while reducing fat gain.
If your goal is to just lose weight, check out my article:
Other factors including sleep, periodization, overload principles, exercise choice, and individualistic goals play a large role in optimizing your training.
If you need consultation with your health journey, visit us at:
Find us on Facebook:
Comments