Gain Lean Muscle Mass

When it comes to the ability to gain lean muscle mass, there is nothing more effective than lifting weights. This is a fact few would ever dispute. However, not every person is able to lift weights. Some people may not have access to a gym and might be able to afford a home gym. Where does this leave them? They have an excellent alternative in the form of body weight exercises.

As the name implies, body weight exercises involve simply lifting the body as a means of gaining lean muscle mass. Some body weight exercises may be more complicated than others, but most are fairly easy to perform. Hence, they are highly recommended to those that wish to help enhance their physique without the need for any extra equipment or devices.

The three most basic body weight exercises one can perform are the pushup, squat, and crunch. The pushup completely and totally works all the muscles in the upper body. The squat will do the same for all the muscles in the lower body. Abdominal crunches will work wonders in terms of their ability to tighten and strengthen the core muscles. Working just these three body weight exercises every day will completely and totally transform a person's body in a manner quicker than most realize possible. Gain Lean Muscle Mass

There is one bit of confusion people have regarding body weight exercises. Namely, they hear how super high numbers of reps are needed to gain lean muscle mass. They read about people performing 500 pushups, 500 squats, and 200 sit ups. Honestly, there are people that can do these high numbers of reps and they are in incredible physical shape. However, it is thoroughly inaccurate to assume that low reps will not help in the goal to gain lean muscle mass.

Most people will start out performing 10 reps of all three of these basic exercises. In time, they will add to them as their muscular endurance increases. Remember, just as weightlifting should never be a race to add more poundage, bodyweight exercises should never be a race to add more reps. Such a process can lead to overtraining and injury and should be avoided.

There are also many variations that one can perform with the traditional body weight exercises. For example, those opting to change their hand position (closer together, further apart, one-handed, clapping, etc) will change the stress of the exercise and this will alter the specific muscles it works. Also, it can make the exercise more intense which will add to its ability to be effective. Gain Lean Muscle Mass