Five Classic & Successful Methods to Force Muscle Growth

This is probably a very unlikely topic for a woman to write about — but I love to increase my strength and add muscle.

Over the years, I’ve tested many theories and always returned to the basics.

Multi-joint exercises are the way to go; even Arnold can vouch for that.

But sometimes, we need a little bit of added depth for that extra ‘push’ which makes muscles grow faster.

I’m ambitious here in the hope that some women will enjoy this post and use these methods (as well as the men), but as usual, I don’t have to convince men to begin lifting weights.

Commit to adding these functions to your weekly training — but be patient. Remember that muscle grows outside of the gym through rest and nutrition.

More isn’t always better — it’s always quality over quantity.

Here goes.

One: Use different forms of tempo

I wrote a post about this here, in which science tells us that a slow tempo isn’t better or worse than the normal range.

But what I’d like to highlight here is that ALL forms of tempo within your training are essential.

A slow and focused tempo is excellent for beginners because we must perform the movement properly to activate the necessary muscles.

Suppose you work with smaller muscle groups, like the biceps, triceps, and calves.

It helps to use less weight and complete more repetitions to get the volume required for growth. Do try both slow and fast tempos for the added burn!

If you are slowing down the movement — use the six-second rule during the entire phase. Proceed with caution if you do have an injury.

Two: Get in the necessary repetitions by using this trick

I use a very successful trick to force muscle growth beyond failure.

I always have a couple of different weights near me. When I cannot perform more repetitions with the heavier weight, I move on to the lighter one.

It’s one of the best ways to get in more repetitions.

If you are experiencing a plateau phase, it gives you the added edge to push past it without too much-added effort.

Think about weights in terms of volume.

Lifting that little bit more — be it repetitions or even adding one kilogram of weight makes a massive difference to your growth over the long term.

How many reps? Do as many as you can!

It has no end; growth will result in those small incremental changes.

Three: Don’t forget about adding sets

Why not add another set to your training program?

Throughout my 25 years of training, I have found that more than three sets are required. Growth happens during the fourth set and beyond.

I’ve even tried my luck with ten sets of just two exercises.

Those exercises are usually one multi-joint and one isolated exercise. It’s a great way to focus on muscles lagging in strength and size.

Remember that sometimes you get to a point where doing more sets doesn’t provide many benefits. The bodybuilding community terms this as junk volume weight training.

Only do up to 30 weight training sets in any muscle group for seven days.

Save the added sets as a ‘teaser’, which you would do perhaps once a month or once every two months — but not something you should do daily.

Four: Adding enough load

All of us — beginners and advanced trainers- must add more weight to the bar or equipment.

Soon enough, your muscles become accustomed to the same old weight each week.

This produces stalls in muscle growth and can be highly frustrating for beginners and advanced trainers.

Don’t dismiss any minor changes.

For instance, you can only add 500g or one kilogram to a bar.

That’s perfectly fine, and it’s one of the best ways to increase your strength and size whilst performing the necessary repetitions.

However, we still need to perform adequate reps for growth.

Five: Focus on your form at all times

A good rule of thumb is that it’s time to stop and move on when your form is starting to diminish.

Don’t sacrifice injury to perform more reps. It’s not worth it.

Instead, either lower the weight or stop.

One thing to focus on is your ‘mind and muscle’ connection.

Focus on the movement in your mind and feel the sensations during the lifting and lowering phase.

A full-body connection is required to become more aware of your form and increase your chances of growth.

Growth occurs if you focus on the following five points during your workouts.

It has taken me several years to understand the importance of these points and how each has a part in muscle growth.

As a younger person, I did some silly things — we all do.

But as you mature and see results from focused, concentrated movements, nutrition and recovery, you realise just how important it is to focus on what works (and not be sidetracked by shiny object syndrome!).

So I always divert back to the classic movements and the basics of weight training.

You can’t go wrong if you do the same thing.

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This article was originally written for Medium, although some content has been updated.