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Coach Lawson: bodybuilding breakdown

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Claude Lawson
  • 27th Special Operations Force Support Squadron
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  If muscle building is the goal with your bodybuilding program, you want to be able to train each body part with as much resistance as possible. This is best accomplished with basic exercises and high levels of intensity while maintaining strict form to avoid injuries.

When it comes to building muscle mass, the longer you've been weight training, the more muscle mass you will build and the stronger you will become. With that said, you will also need more rest and recovery time.

When you're just starting out and trying to build muscle, you can train more often which builds endurance muscle (lean, slim muscle) and your body doesn't need as much time to recover from each workout, depending on training split, volume and intensity levels.

You want to target the following

Sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Low training volume, 3 - 6 working sets per body part.
Train intensely - take most workout sets to positive failure.
Recover - this one is crucial and is the most overlooked component of building muscle mass.

Basic exercises
  • Squats or leg presses
  • Barbell or dumbbell bench presses
  • Barbell or dumbbell shoulder presses and dumbbell upright rows
  • Barbell and dumbbell curls
  • Dips and lying tricep extensions
  • Standing calf raises
  • Deadlifts and pull ups
Stick to these basic exercises for three to six high intensity sets, get some quality nutrition, lots of protein, plenty of rest and you'll start seeing results for your efforts.

Below is an intermediate bodybuilding schedule that would fit with this routine and help you build muscle quickly.

A solid training split is very important. Without one, you're guaranteed to over train and build little, if any, muscle mass.
  • Day 1 - chest and shoulders
  • Day2 - legs and abs
  • Day 3 - rest
  • Day 4 - back
  • Day 5 - rest
  • Day 6 - arms
  • Day 7 - rest
Depending on muscle growth, your recovery ability, genetics, strength, training volume and intensity, you may be giving yourself too much recovery time on a routine like this and will need to adjust accordingly. You may only need five days of rest between body parts.

This is a good basic routine, but you always need to make changes to any routine to make it work best for you.

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