Muscle Building
More Steps:
Rule Number 7 (know the leg strength formula): The formula is known as the 3-2 rule, which means that you should be able to do leg curls with about two-thirds the amount of weight you use for a leg extension. Training the legs this way helps prevent a strength imbalance between the hamstring (the muscle that runs down the back of the thigh) and the quadriceps (the large muscle on the front of the thigh). An imbalance in the leg muscle can lead to lower back and knee problems.
Rule Number 8 (be a groupie): If you are looking to gain strength and size, fitness experts recommend training four to six times per week, and targeting different muscle groups on different days. As for which muscle groups you train together on any given day, there is no right or wrong answer. Some lifters train the chest and triceps together on one day, back and biceps the next. The reason being chest exercises like the bench exercises like seated rows stress the biceps. Others train the chest and back on the same day, since these two muscle groups oppose each other, and training them together helps keep them equally strong. But if you are looking simply to tone your muscles, work the entire body three times a week,using different exercises in all three workouts.
Rule Number 9 (understand the sets theory): Here is a surprising fact, for a guy who is out of shape or has not lifted weights before, doing even one set of each exercise will produce strength gains, especially at the beginning. It is also a useful, time efficient strategy for maintaining the strength you already built. However, if you are trying to build a lot of muscle or enhance sports performance, doing just one set isn’t enough. Reason is when you are performing an exercise, some of the muscle fibres of a muscle group don’t fire until a significant load has been placed on them. This usually happens on the third set. So its a question of investment and return, if you want serious muscle, you have to take weight lifting seriously. But if you just want to stay in shape, one or two sets will probably do the trick.
