Best weight lifting program for muscle gain

So how can we achieve the best of both worlds? For those new to bodybuilding, the goal should be to develop as much balanced muscle size as possible. For those already over-sized bodybuilders? Consider a switch to power lifting or strongman - or redesign your program and pay attention to detail on the finer points of muscle building.

Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weights

To get large you must first get strong. But to become a well-proportioned bodybuilder this maxim comes with two important caveats.

First, the exercises you use must fully target all muscle groups.

Second, form and muscle stimulation must not be sacrificed for impressive poundages.

What Ronnie might be implying here is that bodybuilders often want it all but are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices, and that their quest for huge muscles is often fruitless in light of the inadequately light weights they choose to lift.

They are pumpers rather than lifters. Bottom line: men like Ronnie are huge primarily because of the huge weights they lift; their training intensity and brute strength is matched only by the impressiveness of their physical development.

When a muscle is subjected to an unaccustomed overload - assuming proper form is followed - it has no choice but to grow. Genetic limitations aside, we are only restricted in our growth by the amount of weight we lift using good technique.

While some people are naturally stronger than others, our muscular systems all respond in the same manner: through adaptation to stress. Once a muscle has adapted to a particular stressor (say 250 pounds on the bench press) it has no need to continue its fight to survive this imposed overload. It adapts and stops growing.

However, by increasing the weight, changing the angle of resistance or some other training variable this muscle then has to change its physiological structure to overcome this new stressor. It has no choice but to get stronger and grow.

Caveat 1: Choose Your Weapons Wisely

To gain strength throughout the physique it is imperative that all muscle groups are trained to the fullest extent with a wide selection of exercises. As we are only as strong as our weakest link, it is the so-called smaller exercises that can help to strengthen us for the multi-joint compound movements that ultimately create real power and size gains.