Increasing Muscle Mass
Updated on Wednesday 10/08/2003

Q. From SDO sent on 9/20/2003: I'm female 5'6" and I have lost 100 lbs through dedicated diet and exercise. At 145lbs, having lost all the extra weight, I begin to weight train with gradually heavier and heavier weights to tone up excess skin.
My problem is my flat butt and narrow thighs. I need to know what to do to increase the mass in my glutes SO BADLY I can't stand it! I want the most big voluptuous butt my genetics can stand. I've been doing squats, leg lifts, leg presses you name it for about 4 months now. Should I just continue to increase the weight or is there more I can do.

You need to make sure you are changing the reps at least every 6 weeks. Try 20 reps, 18 reps, 15 reps, 12 reps, 10...... and on and on to see which reps range give you the best results. Are you performing any deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts, back extensions, etc?

Q. From David sent on 8/16/2003: hi bob, i had acl recon 4 months ago now(hamstring graft). im doing plenty of leg press,ham curls,squats,lunges. cycling,rowing,gentle jogging. is there anything else i should be doing to increase stabiltiy in my knee to be able to get back to play soccer?

A. David, it looks like you are on the right track.

Q. From Kathryn sent on 8/11/03: Does strectching before and after excerise help with muscle development and if so, coudl you please explain this to me?

I appreciate any advice you can offer.

A. No, stretching before and after exercise will not help with muscle development. 

Q. From Leonard sent on 8/02/2003: i am 16 years old, i have lost 4 and a half stone after going on a radical diet and doing heavy weights. i started at 14.8 and went down to 10 which is what all my skinny friends are.
i know to gain muscle you need to eat more to get the proteins needed, but i am afraid of gaining the weight again, so could u tell me what i should do about that. i understand you cant give me a daily diet to follow as you do not know who i am or what i specifically need, if you can understand that.
what i am asking is for you to tell me how to gain the muscle mass without gaining weight in a fat sense. i understand u put on weight when u gain muscle but i want to put on muscle mass not fat, so i am worried of doing that.
i own a bar bell and dumbells up to 50kg, i can lift about 30 kg with no problems in reps of 10 but only for a short time. can you tell me some exercises to help chest and any arm muscle mass. preferably biceps.

A. The best thing for you to do is increase your calorie intake. Every week take a body fat test. If your body fat increases, decrease your calorie intake slightly. Keep playing with the calorie intake until you find the right amount of calories.

Q. From Michael sent on 7/30/2003: i haven't been able to raise my max in a long time, i am stuck around 200-210.  when i first started working out i weighed 135 lbs, then i jumped to 150 in about a month.   haven't gained any more weight for about a year, and my max stopped going up too, i do pyramid work outs for a couple weeks and then change to repping for a couple weeks.  i would like to gain more weight and raise my max some can you help.  i am 16 6'0"...if that helps you any

A. You need more variety in your training. Search the internet for workouts and try them all for about 6 weeks each. Do not get stuck on one style. Keep records on the routines you make the best gains with and then rotate between the routines that gave you the best results.

Q. From Jason sent on 7/24/2003: I am 6' 2", 21 years old, weigh 210, bench about 330 and squat about 360.  Recently I have made the decision to enter the sport of body building.  My goal is to gain about 30 more pounds over the next year or so.  Is there any advice you can offer besides what I have already read in your responses to others about gaining muscle, especially in the arms and legs?  I currently own Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, are there any other books you would recommend for body building?  I plan to start using Creatine in the fall in order to maximize my work out intensity, I have and plan on working out about 3 hours a day (2 sessions).  What are your thoughts/recommendations on Creatine use and my current work out time.

A. Arnolds book is outdated. Creatine is a good mass builder but don't expect to get the same gains one would get from anabolic steroids. If you are a natural lifter, you want to make sure you do not over train. Do you plan on training 3 hours a day every day?? If so, you will over-train, especially if you are a natural weight lifter. Most books that are written on bodybuilding are written by bodybuilders who are on anabolic steroids, but they always seem to leave this fact out. A book worth looking into is Fred Hatfields Bodybuilding and Scientific Approach. 

Q. From Ryan sent on 7/14/2003: Hi,I am 13 years old and want to build good upper body strength.I have a bench a barbell,weights, and dumbells.Are there any workout routines you can give me to accomplish my goal.

A. You should read my article on building a workout routine. It is located in the article archive and It should answer all of your questions.

Q. From Eric sent on 7/13/2003: working out at on an intense work out program 2-3 times a week, how long until noticable results

A. Eric, this depends on a lot of variables such as level of fitness, exercise history, genetics, etc. Most see results in about 3 months, but it all depends on the variables above.

Q. From Todd sent on 7/12/2003: how do you now when you gain muscle can you add your weight or something to see how much muscle you are gaining.

A. The best way is through body fat testing. This will give you an idea of how much muscle vs. fat you have put on.

Q. From Scott sent on 7/11/2003: hey bob, im 17 and i am only about 5 ft 9 in i have been that since 7th grade. i am pretty defined in my chest but i want to get bigger i have found i didnt really have to do much to get where im at unlike my bicepts wich need a lot of work . my question is my pecks dont seem to be increasing in size and i have been doing a lot of consistant resistance training. how can i increase my chest size ? my maximum is about 180 and im not a very heavy guy i just broke 145 pounds this last month and i eat like a pig i eat lots of high protien foods such as tuna with no additives and protien shakes what can i do to increase my weight so i can increase my maximum bench press weight

A. You should eat a lot of everything if you want to increase your body weight. You also need to give me more information on your current routine if you want me to give you an educated answer. I don't know what type of reps, sets, exercises, rest, you currently perform, so I cannot give you any advice on the topic.

Q. From James sent on 7/3/2003: Hi,
I've had a six pack for quite a while now. But I've recently discovered that they have become REALLY uneven. My left middle ab is much larger and higher (towards my heart) then my right middle ab. My question is pretty simple, how do i fix it?! What side should I do my sit ups towards? Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
James

A. Since your ab is one muscle it is more of an issue of genetics than anything else. What you could do is try to increase the muscle mass of the entire abs and see if the problem corrects itself. If you look at current bodybuilding magazines you will see a lot of un-symmetrical body parts.

Q. From Manish sent on 7/1/2003: Hi!bob I am 15 years old,my hieght is 5.3inches and my weight is only 43kgs.My chest is only 29" so tell me what should i do to increase my body weight and hieght,chest size.My shoulders look very small but all my friends shoulders are very broad I am very thin.Allmost all of my friends are 5.9inches tall i fell very embarrsed in front of them.Please help me with your wonderful suggestions

A. You answer lies in increasing your calorie intake and starting a strength training program.

Q. From Gail sent on 6/28/2003: I am a 47 year old female, weighing at 178 lbs.  I have started working out five times a week, for a month now. I use the treadmill everyday for 40 minutes, which sometimes I feel is to long. Would you recommend that I use the treadmill at an incline for a shorter length of time?  

Every other day, I weight train. I target the upper body and then the lower body. Sets and reps - 3/15. Stretching before the workout. My problem is I have more weight from the waist up. With skinny thighs and legs. I am trying to get an overall workout so that I can develop the musles in my thighs and calves. What excerise would you recommed to accomplish this overall goal. By following your advice, how long would it take for me to see more muscle tone? I understand that every one's body is different.

My food intake is three times a day, and no late evening meals after eight o'clock.

A. For your first question, I would suggest you eliminate the 40 minute aerobic session on the treadmill for 10 minutes of HIIT training on the treadmill or bike. For your second question, how long have you been performing 3 sets of 15? You should train with rep ranges from 15 to 8 for the first year or two and then from 15 to 1. The higher the reps the lower the intensity. The higher the intensity the more calories you will burn and the better fat loss. 

Q. From Patricia sent on 6/26/2003: I'm 41,5'3,wiegh145.All my life l ran 115,until my last child who is now 10.(l've had 7 kids)I eat very little,never have been a big eater.I walk for an hour to an hour and a half almost every day,alot of uphill walking.Can't seem to get rid of my stomach and fat on my back.I'm not a junk food eater and as l said, l eat very little.So my question is,what is a good exercise routine that will get rid of my fatty areas,OR JUST THE FAT PERIOD?I'd love to get into a wieght routine,but need somone to lay out a realistic plan for me.Would appreciate advice.Thanks.p.s.I'd like you explanation about the diet bit also.I'm on a very limited income,can;t afford expensive foods etc.I do love my potatoes,meat and veggie supper type of thing.Eat no bread don't drink pop.Anyway i'd appreciate your advice.

A. Well, walking is ok, up hill a little better, but you must increase the intensity or your body will not have a reason to adapt. As for a workout schedule, you should read my article in the article archive titled "beginners guide to building a workout....". As for your diet, try to eat five small meals a day and cut back, not out, on the simple carbohydrates such as potatoes. 

Q. From David: hello bob, thanks for taking the time to anser my question. I am 5'11" and weigh about 200 pounds.  I have been working out for about two years, but have just recently decided to get serious by making workout plans, set reps, and ext. I am the type of person that does not have to try very heard to gain wait. So do i still need to eat lots of caleries, and carbohydrates, to get the most musle mass, if so what are some good things to include in my diet

A. If you eat too many calories you will put on some body fat. Eat enough calories so that you are gaining weight slowly.

Q. From Mitch: Hi Bob, My leg workout consists of: leg press,squats,leg extentions and seated leg curls. Can't seem to get any size in the inner thighs. What can I do? Foot positions?
Different exercises? Rest of the quad builds fine.
Thanks, Hey great website!

A. The best exercise for that area would be the hip joint adduction. This is the exercise where you sit on the machine with your legs open and you squeeze your legs closed.

Q. From Di: I am a 48 year old active woman and mother of five.  Kids' ages range from 28 to 12.  After giving birth to each child, I never had any problems going right back to the same shape (I am 5'2" and weigh 115 pounds).  I was happy with that until I got cancer and had to have a complete abdominal hysterectomy.  That was five years ago.  I have a large scar that hangs over, kind of folds over on my belly (Under bikini underwear even).  The surgery cut was from hip bone to hip bone across.  I do not feel good about it.  What kind of excersice could I do to get rid of this pocker of fat, excess skin, whatever it is?  I started to have lower back pain and ended up with two ruptured disks, and so sit ups are a little painful.  Do you have any suggestions on how to rid myself of this unsightly mess on my belly?  Appreciate your advice.  

A. The first thing to do is find out whether it is a pocket of fat or excess skin. Depending on whether it is fat or skin will determine what needs to be done. You may want to check into getting a tummy tuck if it is excess skin. Since it is impossible to spot reduce fat, performing a 100 sit-ups a day will not get rid of the fat on your belly, if it is fat. You will need to lose fat overall if it is a fat problem. Are crunches also painful? 

Q. From James: ive been weightlifting for a while now and everything is good but i would like to increase the mass in my bicep. I know i should be taking in a lot of calories which i have just started doing but what exercises are good and should i be doing high weight low reps and low weight high reps?

A. You should be doing both high reps and low reps. Try this, perform some low rep drop sets, about 5 reps. I have had good results with a lot of clients using the low rep drop sets. Also try some high reps drop sets as well. You need to try the different rep ranges and see which ones you respond better two. Try 6 weeks at each rep range. 

Q. From Rude: hey, i am a soon to be ninth grader and i was wondering if u can help me gain muscle mass over the summer i am not fat but i dont have that much muscle on me. Is it possible for me to get cut and toned by christmas.If so how would i go about doing that because i dont know a thing about building musle mass or what excercises i should do to get cut. i have read almost every page in this web site but i am still clueless as to how to gain muscle mass.

A. Whether or not it is possible to get those results depends on a lot of variables. In order to build muscle mass you must eat a lot of food in order to have the available calories to support muscle growth. In addition, you must start a progressive resistance routine. Check out the article archives and read the foundation building routine article.

Q. From Aaron: hey bob,
i think ur website is great. i have a great workout routine but there's something worng with it. I do the chest exercices but i don't get a good burn or pump. i don't feel anything in my chest area. i really want to bulk up my chest. i do the incline and decline presses and flys but i don't feel anything. (my gym has only dumbbells so i do all my chest exercices using dumbbells. could this be restricting the growth of muscle in my chest.) could u help achieve a bigger chest. and another thing could u tell me some good lower body excercices to really build muscle(with dumbbells).

Thanks a lot i really appreciate it.

P.S.
are there any good lower chest exercices

A. A good burn or pump is not a sign of a good workout. Results are a sign of a good workout. If you want a good burn, perform 25 rep max drop sets. What do you mean by "I don't feel anything in my chest area"? You will need to find a place with a barbell if you want to put on a lot of mass. Exercises like the bench press, squat, and deadlifts will put on muscle mass. 

Q. From Crystal: Iam a 34 year old female 4'10" tall weighing 130 lbs. I would like to weight 110 lbs. also build body mass, I have had several surgery on my stomache, cross and up and down. I can build muscle in my legs and arms but not in the stomache nor can I lose weight. I have tried every thing from watching what I eat to not eating at all. I am now going to a gym, walking the tread mill and a few other things but I still can not lose the weight, please tell what I am doing wrong. 

A. I need more information, for example how were you watching what you ate? Also, what type of exercise are you doing in the gym? What type of surgery did you have on your stomach? 

Q. From Mike: Hey Bob, I need some help.  I am 14 years of age and I am benching 150.  I have not been able to reach a new max for about a month now.  I think I am on a plateu and I think i know why.  I have not been able to get enough calories everyday.  This is resulting in me burning muscle every time I work out.  I have been only getting about 2000 calories and I need about 3000 because all of the physical activity I do.  If possible could u create a diet for me that will allow me to get 3000 calories everyday.

A. Mike, I doubt you are catabolizing muscle and that the cause of your plateau is your diet. I would suspect it has more to do with your current lifting routine. What does you daily training look like?

Q. From Moi: hi i am a 14 year old and summer is about to start,and i wanted to start lifting weights so that when i enter high school next year i could be built. i was wondering what excercises i could do over the summer so that by the time school starts again i will not only have a hard chest and abs my arms will be cutand very toned? right now i have a gut but you can see the out line of a six pack coming and i have achest with some muscle in it but mostly fat. I have been working on my chest and now i can finally do a small pec dance. is there anyway you can help me?


P.S.: i also what to hve toned cavles and thighs.

A. I don't think three months will be long enough to add very much muscle. Getting cut and toned will require a low body fat percentage and therefore you will need to watch your eating habits. Since you are only 14, you should not cut your calories since this may stunt your growth. If I were you I would just concentrate on putting on muscle mass. Check out my article section for more articles on training.

Q. From Levatino: Bob I have been trying to get started seriously in building muscle mass what can a I try to achieve my goals? I am a naturally big person but I want muslce size and strenght.

A. The biggest mistake I see people make when trying to increase muscle mass is not taking in enough calories. In addition, they try to follow a popular body builders routine. 

First of all, to build muscle you will need to eat a lot of calories. Next you will need a good progressive overload resistance routine. You will need to experiment and see what rep ranges work best for your. I found that I am able to gain more mass by performing lower reps. The best method I found for myself is performing low rep drop sets. I will perform 5 reps and drop the weight and perform another 5 reps. I then drop to 4 reps in two weeks, 3 reps in two weeks, and then do some higher reps such as 10 - 15. Try to use cybernetic periodization where you base your daily exercise on how you feel. If you are having a day where the weight feels heavy, do a light workout. 

Q. From Colin: Hey Bob, My name is Colin and I want to build Muscle Mass.  I'm about 115 lbs. and 5'5" and I can bench 155 lbs.  I want to build muscle mass but usually when I work out, my muscle just gets "cut" and I want that good bulk look.  I'm a wrestler and I have a real fast metabolism so you can imagine I'm pretty lean.  Could you please help me by tell me the kinds of sets and reps I should do!

A. Colin, the sets and reps will depend on your genetics, so I suggest you experiment with different reps and sets. To cover all the ends, perform reps from 20 to 1. In addition, you will need to take in excess calories if you want to add size.

Q. From Veronica: My friend and I have a bet and I says that muscle weights more then fat but he says fat weights more then muscle, so could u please e-mail me back with the answer.

A. Veronica, a pound of fat and a pound of muscle weigh the same, but muscle is denser and therefore takes up less room.

Q. From Aaron: My name's Aaron and 1'm 15 years old.
I want to start weight training so i can increase my muscle mass but the thing is i am a comlete total beginner to this. I don't know hot to create a training routine or what kind of food i should eat and how much. I've visited many sites but it's all confusing. I've seen your page where it lists how to excercise different parts of the body(the anatomy page) and i found that informational. But i still can't understand how to make it my routine. All i know is i want to work 4 times a week for 12 weeks and hope to get results. What is over training? Can supplements like whey protein help me? Could you please help me? Thank You very much. This is all greatly appreciated . Again thank u very much.

A. See my article titled "Beginners Guide To Building a Workout; The Foundation Building Routine".

Q. From Alice: I completely tore my acl and avulsed my mcl in left knee-
One year ago.  I have been very frustrated with how to build my butt and thighs since i seem to have worsened the knee problem by doing squats and lunges. I have just begun to put weights on ankles and door floor exercises but wonder if i can build real muscle by this method.

I am 54 and have been seriously working out for about 9 months.  I can bench press 75 lbs for 4 sets 8 reps and have made other considerable gains in upper body but am frustrated about what to do for my bottom half.

A. Worsened the condition with squats? Usually squats are used as a rehab for knee problems. I highly suspect you were performing your squats with poor form, letting your knees drift over your toes. I see this all the time. I would advise staying away from lunges until your knees are better. I would consider finding someone in your area that can teach you how to squat properly. In addition, you can perform deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts, good morning, etc to work the butt, hamstrings, and and lower back. By the way, where do you reside? I may be able to find someone in you area to help you get the correct form.

Q. From Cameron: I want to increase the muscle in my chest and get good pecks. What is the best way to do this.  I have heard that heavy
weight will do it the best.  Also what is the best exercise to increase your vertical.  But please let me know.  I am 14 and can bench about 190 lbs.  Pleadse tell me how to do this I really want to build up my chest so please let know ASAP.

Q. To build your chest you will need to perform chest exercises such as the bench press, dumbbell presses, flys, etc. Whether or not heavy weight is best depends on your genetics. There are a lot of bodybuilders who workout with 10 to 15 reps. It would be impossible to perform that many reps with a heavy weight. I would suggest you perform reps ranging from 15 to 1 and see which rep ranges give you the best results. Squats are a good exercise that will help you increase your vertical. You should train for both strength and rate of force development.

Q. From Ashley: Hi my name is ashley and i have a problem. I'm 15 and i wll be turning 16 in the first week of june and my height is  around 5'3 5'4 and i my weight is almost 130 pounds?? Am my fat?? My belly is starting to get bigger. I wanna have a flat stomach but i dont wanna lose my D'S though. I also wanna have a bigger and healthier buttocks, nice legs and thighs. Can u please recommmand me anything that can solve these problems?? I was thinking about running but I'm afraid I'm going to lose me D'S though. My friend heather wants to know are there any excrises that can increase ur her breast size and make them more perkier. THANK YOU!!!!

A. What is your body fat percentage? That is the only way I can tell if you are fat or not. You can lose fat without losing your "D's". Breast size is determined by genetics. I don't think you need to worry about it. You would need to lose an extreme amount of fat to lose your "D'S". You can build the muscle under the fat which will have a tightening effect and make them "perkier". Lift weights and perform some HIIT training and you will be able to lose the fat and keep the muscle. 

Q. From Jacob: Hey Bob, how are you doing? I am 16 years old, 6 foot and 150 lbs. I have a question on how to increase the muscle in my arms. I am the quarterback for my football team and I can by far throw the ball a lot harder and more accurate than anyone. However, my problem is that when I go one game with throwing the ball with as much velocity as I do, my arm is sore for a week and I can barely throw for a whole week. What can I do to help build up the strength in my arm to last longer? Also, I have heard that doing squats is harmful to the knees, is this true? And sometimes when I do squats I recieve pain in my lower back, am I doing it wrong, or too much weight? Another thing with squats is that I am sort of puzzled about what to do with the bar, do I rest it on my neck or hold it slightly above with my hands? Thanks a lot, your response is greatly appreciated.

A. You should perform some shoulder exercises and make sure you warm up properly before throwing the ball. Exercises that work the shoulders are PNF movements, bench presses, side raises, front raises, etc. 

As for squats, no they are not harmful for the knees. Knee injuries are extremely rare in Olympic Weightlifting, and they use extremely low squats. I would have to see you squat in order to know why you are receiving a pain in your back. You may be possibly leaning over too much or have a weak back.  You rest the bar on your back.

Q. From Sharon: hi bob i want to gain muscle in my glutes because my but is flat what do i need to do?  also i can not get rid of my lower abdominals what can i do?

A. You need to work your glutes with deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts, squats, hamstring curls, etc. Are you referring to the fat on your abdominals?

Q. From James: Hello.  I am a 22 year old male who has been training with weights for two years now.  I am 6'1, and weigh 160 lbs, fairly lean.  I have experimented with many different training programs, from high to low volume and of varying intensity.  My goal is to increase muscle mass until I reach a lean 180 to 190 lbs.  I have several questions:  

I would like to know what training volume you recommend for optimal muscle gain, and also what rates of strength and weight increases are reasonably expectable.  

Do you have an opinion on the principles of training to failure, and of periodization?

Finally, do you recommend staying with a target weight for all working sets, or working up so that the target weight is used on the last set?

A. Since everyone is different, an optimal volume for you would be different than the next guy. In addition, if you are planning on using steroids, this adds another variable into the problem of training volume. There are a few recommendations, but adjust them to fit your training style. You can perform one heavy day and one light day a week for each body part. Try to get your workout over within an hour. As you increase the intensity, make sure you decrease the volume. Watch for signs of over-training and make adjustments accordingly. As for the gains in strength to be expected, it is impossible to say since everyone is different. 

As for training for failure, we would need to discuss the definition of training till failure. True muscle failure would be to tear the tendon from the bone, or some other injury that caused failure. Do we training to failure to mean the last rep is performed with good form, cheating, etc? As you can see it can get tricky. I think training to failure is not needed. If you look at the heavier weight powerlifters and Olympic Weightlifters, you will see they are both strong with huge amounts of muscle mass and most do not train till failure. 

I like periodization and think it is a good concept, but you have to adjust it to your specific goals. For developing maximum hypertrophy, I would suggest a cycle where you would perform reps from 15 to 1. I would suggest working the following rep ranges for 4 weeks each: 15,12,10,8,5,3,1. Of course only dropping below 3 reps for compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and the bench press. I would also employ a lot of drop sets, supersets and other bodybuilding techniques. 

Q. Thank you for your information as well as your time. I just need help on my stomach. I am quite fit, swim 2 1/2 kilometers at least four times a week and am not overweight. I am in my mid forties but because I have had numerous childbirths, my stomach is streched and although I have done lots of excersizes, not much helps. I also lift weights once or twice a week so am quite tonedl Do you have any tips on reducing the stomach?It`s so out of proportion compared to the rest of my body and I do eat healthy.thank you, Sandra

A. Is your problem area mostly fat or stretched skin? If it is fat, than you can easily lose the weight here by performing a combination of HIIT training and weight training in addition to your healthy eating. If there is some excess skin, you may be able to tighten the area by building up the ab muscles. You can do this all kinds of abdominal exercises. 

Q. From Joshua: I was a div. 2 baseball player for three years, now I am a college baseball coach. I have taken up lifting in my spare time. I can't build up my calfs. They are extremely scrawny and will not grow. Please help me. I'm embarassed to wear shorts. Please help me Bob. 

A. What you need to do is find the rep ranges that work best for building your targeted muscles. Try rep ranges from 15 to 1 and see which produce the desired results.