We get a lot of different people train with us here at Exclusive, and with it that brings a lot of different goals. We get those looking to lose fat, those looking to tone up, and some simply looking to be healthier. Another popular goal we see is people looking to build some muscle and size, also referred to as “bulking up”. There are lots of well-known tips and tricks that most people will be aware of and try, with by far the most popular simply being to “eat more!”. However, to really efficiently bulk, there are a few little ingredients that can go a long way to making a big difference, and many are simply unheard of, or experts are just unaware of them. Here then, are my 3 not so known secrets to bulking:
- Complexes = time with the bar
There is a difference between time spent at the gym, or time spent next to the bar, then time spent actually under/holding/with the bar. This is also not to be confused with total reps. Here, I mean exactly what I say – TIME, and without break. And there is no better way to do this than introducing complexes to your programme. What is a complex, I hear you ask. Quite simply it is this; a series of lifts performed back to back, one lift leading directly onto the other, with all reps of any lift being completed before moving on to the next, all without the bar leaving your hands. If that doesn’t sound bad enough, all these lifts will usually be big, compound exercises. Try this one for starters – Deadlift, Bent over Row, Clean, Front Squat, Push Press, Good Morning, Back Squat. All back to back without putting the bar down. Start out at about 5 reps for each exercise, and try not to cry mid-way through… - Squats
For anyone who has read my previous articles, you will know all about this. Squatting heavy weights releases testosterone. Squatting heavy weights builds mass. You can do as many high-rep bicep curls as you want, it’s not going to add nearly the same amount of pure, dense muscle as squatting (heavy, did I mention that?) will. Whether front squats or back squats, these should be included in any bulking programme... - Get Stronger!
This may seem obvious, but believe me people overlook this aspect of bulking way too much. There is a huge difference between size and strength. But we are talking about adding mass here. Strength training will add mass and density to muscle. It will also allow you to do your higher rep work on heavier weights. The key to strength? Lift heavier weights, and try to do them for more reps. I don’t necessarily mean more reps in one set. You can do 1 or 2 reps per set if you want. You just want to do a lot of them, and make sure the bar is loaded. Simple!
Of course, the above will all help, but that alone isn’t going to lead to a perfect “bulk”. There are many factor that must be brought together into a programme. And that’s exactly why we are here, to put all the pieces together so you don’t have to. So fancy a bit of a winter bulk before the trim down for summer? Call us now and let’s get started!
