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Overview
We all have our reasons for going to the gym. And muscle hypertrophy, or growth, is one of the main ones. To build lean, dense muscle, you must progressively overload your muscles to enhance muscle fiber recruitment. How do you do that? Increasing a muscle's time under tension, the volume of your workouts, rest periods between sets or the rest between workouts are essential elements to efficiently build thicker, more dense muscles.
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Tips and Warnings
Negative reps can result in intense muscle soreness. So stretch thoroughly after your workouts and incorporate foam rolling into your routine to reduce muscle soreness. And only perform negative training once per week. Then train with a lower percentage of your one-rep max during your second workout of same muscle groups. Always have a spotter when performing negative reps — don't attempt them alone.
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What Do YOU Think?
What are your fitness goals? Are you trying to build dense muscle? What's your current plan? What do your workouts look like? Is there anything else you would add to this list? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
Image Credit: emiliozv/iStock/Getty Images
1 of 9
Overview
We all have our reasons for going to the gym. And muscle hypertrophy, or growth, is one of the main ones. To build lean, dense muscle, you must progressively overload your muscles to enhance muscle fiber recruitment. How do you do that? Increasing a muscle's time under tension, the volume of your workouts, rest periods between sets or the rest between workouts are essential elements to efficiently build thicker, more dense muscles.
Image Credit: boggy22/iStock/Getty Images
Overview
We all have our reasons for going to the gym. And muscle hypertrophy, or growth, is one of the main ones. To build lean, dense muscle, you must progressively overload your muscles to enhance muscle fiber recruitment. How do you do that? Increasing a muscle’s time under tension, the volume of your workouts, rest periods between sets or the rest between workouts are essential elements to efficiently build thicker, more dense muscles.
Image Credit: boggy22/iStock/Getty Images
1. Focus on the Negative
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2. Turn Up the Volume
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3. Match Your Reps to Your Goals
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4. Take Time to Rest
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5. Choose Compound Exercises
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6. Eat More Protein
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Tips and Warnings
Negative reps can result in intense muscle soreness. So stretch thoroughly after your workouts and incorporate foam rolling into your routine to reduce muscle soreness. And only perform negative training once per week. Then train with a lower percentage of your one-rep max during your second workout of same muscle groups. Always have a spotter when performing negative reps — don't attempt them alone.
Image Credit: vladans/iStock/Getty Images
Tips and Warnings
Negative reps can result in intense muscle soreness. So stretch thoroughly after your workouts and incorporate foam rolling into your routine to reduce muscle soreness. And only perform negative training once per week. Then train with a lower percentage of your one-rep max during your second workout of same muscle groups. Always have a spotter when performing negative reps — don’t attempt them alone.
Image Credit: vladans/iStock/Getty Images
9 of 9
What Do YOU Think?
What are your fitness goals? Are you trying to build dense muscle? What's your current plan? What do your workouts look like? Is there anything else you would add to this list? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
Image Credit: emiliozv/iStock/Getty Images
What Do YOU Think?
What are your fitness goals? Are you trying to build dense muscle? What’s your current plan? What do your workouts look like? Is there anything else you would add to this list? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
Image Credit: emiliozv/iStock/Getty Images
