Building Muscle – How hard should you train?

• Tweet
• Pin It

When you see a person in shape, you know they’ve worked hard to achieve that physique. But how hard is enough to build muscle or to get similar results?

Training hard to build muscle can be compressed into 3 things—progressive overload, time under tension (TUT), and good form.

Let me explain.

Progressive Overload

Progressive Overload is the most effective way to build muscle and it’s also the “hard” part of building muscle.

It requires you to increase the intensity of your workouts over weeks and months. The main reason is that, as you get stronger, you need to increase the intensity to match the stimulus needed to build muscle.

Progressive overload can be done by increasing the number of repetitions of a set of an exercise, for example, from 10 repetitions of bicep curls to 12 repetitions, or by increasing the weight.

Through progressive overload, you provide the stimulus to constantly build muscle for weeks and months.

That’s why consistency is key.

Time Under Tension (TUT)

TUT is about maximizing the tension during a set. For example, at the top of a bicep curl, you would hold for about a second and squeeze the bicep. Another example is at the top of a dumbbell press.

The point is to squeeze out as much tension as possible at the peak of a movement. This extra tension maximizes the engagement of the target muscle, therefore leading to better muscle-building performance

Good Form

It is equally important to have good form. Without it, you risk injury, and with an injury, you can’t build muscle. But good form is also important for maximizing muscle growth.

With good form, you maximize the involvement of the target muscle group. For example, many people make the mistake of swinging their arms during bicep curls. This reduces the engagement of the biceps and increases the engagement of the shoulders.

To maximize muscle growth of a target muscle, you need to maximize the involvement of that target muscle. That can only be achieved with good form.

How to “Feel” Like You’re Training Hard

Now that we’ve covered what you need to do to train hard and build muscle, we need to make sure that YOU know that you’re training hard.

Results don’t just magically appear. They take time and that time costs patience. But there’s one surefire way to assure you that you’re on the right track while you wait.

Mind-To-Muscle Connection

Mind-muscle connection is all about feeling the burn. What better way is there to know you’re maximizing muscle engagement than to feel it?

TUT & good form are a step in the right direction but the mind-muscle connection seals the deal.

To create a mind-muscle connection, you need an internal focus. Rather than mindlessly lifting weights, or lifting weights purely to get stronger, you focus on the tension throughout each movement. 

Not just at the peak this time. The entire movement.

Side note: It may seem strange but try closing your eyes while practicing mind-muscle connection. It helps to focus on the tension more clearly.

With a strong mind-muscle connection you assure yourself that your muscles are properly engaged and that you’re doing your best to build muscle.

Wrap up

With that, you now know how hard you should train in the gym. Surprisingly it’s only 4 things:

1. Progressive Overload
2. Time Under Tension (TUT)
3. Good Form
4. A Mind-To-Muscle Connection

Combine these tips with comprehensive guides on exercise techniques and a solid diet plan, and you’ll be well on your way to maximizing muscle growth.

Author Bio:

Imran is the founder and main editor of MuscleDense.com. He’s not your typical blogger. He’s the kind that buries himself knee-deep into research studies, books and even experimenting (safely) on himself. Imran’s purpose is to provide valuable information to beginners and even more seasoned lifters in an easy-to-understand way.

• Tweet
• Pin It