How To Build Size And Strength

2. Which supplements should you consume ?

Only the ones that you are deficient in. Get regular blood work done to find out which elements of nutrition are missing from your body and only supplement those.

 

3. For added size you need more quality calories. So how to go about that ?

Break your current 5-6 meal plan into 7-8 meal plan. Consume small portions before you slowly increase the volume of each meal.

 

4. Legs need volume to grow.

sk me since I am still somewhat plagued with the “Chicken leg syndrome” but I have made quality progress in the last year or two. Each set of any of your leg workout variations should have a minimum of 20 reps.

 

5. Never skip on your warmup.

Take as long as it takes and include mobility drills. Also, start with a body weight exercise for that relevant muscle. For example, on chest day, start with push-ups.

 

6. Solid food triumphs shakes, any day.

Try to get as much of your macros from actual food than protein shakes or supplements.

 

7. Don’t always go heavy.

Hypertrophy is all about training with an moderate intensity for the required Time Under Tension. For upper body its 30-50 secs and lower body its 50-70 secs.

 

8. Never stop learning.

No matter who or what is your source, keep learning. Hire a coach or search for research articles or work under a mentorship program.

 

9. Learn to deal with your stress better.

Whether its physical or mental stress, eliminate any source that is stressing you. I highly recommend Psychiatric counseling in some cases as life just gets too difficult to cope with at times. And no, talking to a friend or your mother doesn’t count. They have emotional prejudices which leads to biased judgement. A counselor simply acts like a mirror, reflecting your true nature and helping you deal with them. After all, if you are not 100% into your training and you are distracted by worries, then say goodbye to your gains.

 

10. Make sure you get plenty of Sodium (salt) and water in your system, everyday.

No, salt intake doesn’t lead to water retention. In fact the truth is the very opposite. You need Sodium to main high levels of intracellular fluid and lesser extracelluar fluid. Also, increased water intake reduces water retention. Just make sure to sip water throughtout the day and not gulp all of it at once.