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Get Ripped: 5 Incredible Muscle-Building Workouts

Ambika Taylor March 25, 2021 Health Comments Off on Get Ripped: 5 Incredible Muscle-Building Workouts 302 Views

Let’s face it – it’s been tough to keep on top of fitness in the last few months. Between pandemic restrictions, the weather, and the general mood, the winter made many of us a bit less motivated to stay fit.

But summer’s around the corner and it’s time to get a handle on things. There’s no time like the present to get started working on chiseling out those muscles to have something to show off as it gets warmer.

Need some inspiration? Well, this guide is here to help. Read on for the top 5 muscle-building moves that will help you get ripped and ready for summer.

Table of Contents

Muscle-Building Basics

Before we get into the moves, let’s talk fundamentals.

If you’re looking to build muscle, you’ll want to focus on different body parts on different days. This will enable you to give recovery time to each area in between sessions, which is a vital part of muscle growth. In strength training, you should give each muscle group at least 24 hours to recover, though 48 hours is preferable.

This could mean focusing on the lower body one day, the upper body the next, and then taking a rest day. Rinse and repeat.

You’ll also want to focus on major compound lifts and supplement them with auxiliary lifts that work other parts of the same muscle groups. You’ll need some basic equipment to do these. If you want to save on costs, check out your local used fitness equipment store.

Lastly, emphasize quality over quantity – aim for no more than 10 reps of each of these moves.

1. The Front Squat

The barbell front squat is one of the indisputable kings of strength moves. It puts heavy emphasis on the glutes and quads, our two largest muscles, as well as engaging to some degree nearly every other muscle group in the body. Loading from the front gives you a greater range of motion and upper body engagement than the standard squat.

If you want to build muscle, this move belongs in your routine.

2. The Bench Press

The bench press is the best move for building strength in your chest, triceps, and the front of your shoulders. You can adjust your grip and the angle of your bench to vary the way that you work the muscles.

Using a barbell is the best way to focus on muscle growth, but if you want to engage your stabilizer muscles (which is good for overall fitness), you can use dumbbells instead.

3. The Conventional Deadlift

The deadlift is ideal for building muscle in the posterior chain – that’s all the muscles running up the back of your body.

The conventional deadlift can be quite challenging for beginners. If you want to work your way up to it, try starting with the Romanian deadlift. This modification is easier on your lower back and places more emphasis on your hamstrings – still a great strength move.

4. The Overhead Press

The overhead press is optimal for working the bulk of your shoulders as well as your upper back and chest muscles. It also engages your core muscles for stabilization.