Lifting is my chosen movement to train my muscles. I use general lifting principles and whatever tools are available: my bodyweight (always), rings, barbells, dumbbells, whatever. Master the basics. Make number go up.
Fundamental Lifts
These 5 categories cover all of the major muscles. Compound lifts hit more muscles than isolations.
- Pull - lats, traps, biceps, rear delts, forearms (e.g. Pullup, Row)
- Push - chest, triceps, front delts (e.g. Dip, Pushup, Bench, OHP)
- Squat - glutes, quads, hams (e.g. Squat, Bulgarian, Lunge)
- Hinge - glutes, hams, low back (e.g. RDL, Deadlift, Clean)
- Core - abs, obliques, trunk (e.g. Plank, Side Plank, Bird Dog, Leg Raise)
Training
Progressive overload is the only way to build muscle (strength, power, speed, size, endurance). Measure progressive overload by tracking your lifts and seeing if numbers are going up. If they are, then you are verifiably building muscle.
- Add reps (same weight), e.g. pullups 0 -> 2
- Add weight (same reps), e.g. squat 95x5 -> 135x5
- Add speed (quicker tempo or shorter rest) -> e.g. pushup 5x10 with 2min rest -> 1min rest
Other tips:
- Form: Perfect every rep. Quality over quantity. Non-negotiable. Correct form targets the right muscles.
- Track progress every time you lift to see if the numbers are going up (good) or down (bad).
- Volume:
- Sets: 5–20 total sets per week. 5 is the general recommendation for maintenance of muscles, you may require less.
- Reps: 1–30 for strength/power/speed; 30+ for endurance
- Program: There is no perfect program, but they are still helpful to stay consistent. Try to keep one for 2+ months to see if numbers go up. Some people undertrain, some overtrain, but the bigger issue is usually recovery.
- Recovery: If numbers aren’t going up, you may not be recovering enough.