5 Best Ways to Build Strength in the Gym (The Brutal Truth)
Everyone wants to be strong nowadays. That’s understandable, considering that there’s a lot of benefits to being strong.
You can use it to flex on people, perform well in a sport, and even in
case of an emergency or self-defense situation.
In this article, I’m going to cover the five best ways to build strength.
1. Put In the Work
Do you want to build strength? You have to put in work. This method should seem fairly obvious but unfortunately, it’s not.
Out of all the best ways to build strength, this is the most critical. Most
people today think that they can dream about getting whatever they want, (in this case being strong) and just walk off into the sunset. Or take a “magic pill”
IT DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT! There is literally no way to get around hard work if you want to be strong. Even if you have the perfect diet, personal trainer, and supplements, if you don’t work HARD in the gym, you won’t get any results.
This is the foundation of building strength.
2. Use the Big Four Lifts
The big four lifts are a one of the best ways to build strength. But what are they? The big four are:
- Bench Press
- Back Squat
- Deadlift
- Power Clean
So, why these? These four lifts are the staples of overall strength, and the best way to build strength. This is widely understood in the lifting world, as people primarily ask you what your bench, squat and deadlift are to get a
feel for how strong you are.
Not a lot of people utilize or even know about the power clean, but we’ll go over that here.
Bench Press
The bench press is a staple for upper body strength. It works your chest, triceps, and front deltoids. Of course, there are variations but the best one to use is the classic bench. No wide or close grip. You are actively increasing your upper body strength when you bench.
The bench press is the tell for how strong your upper body actually is, and there are even studies to back that. Plus, you’re also getting tons of other benefits with this, such as a V-Taper look, stronger triceps, and just flexing on people when you have a higher bench than them.
Back Squat
The back squat is considered a posterior chain movement, meaning it works everything from your calves to your back. The squat primarily strengthens your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, and this is where you’ll feel it after the lift if you do it properly.
The barbell back squat is considered to be the king of all lower body exercises, and it should be treated as such.
They make your legs look great, and for the athletes reading this, they also make you jump higher and run faster.
Just make sure and do a full squat when you perform this lift, it doesn’t count if you don’t go to at least a 90 degree angle with your legs.
Deadlift
The deadlift is really good at crushing your ego, or shooting it through the roof. This exercise is the alpha of all exercises. Whenever I set a new PR deadlifting I feel really, really good. This is probably due to the deadlift boosting testosterone, something every guy needs to have if he wants to get anything done.
But should you do it with a hex bar, or an Olympic bar? For me, I like the hex bar better because it puts less strain on my back, and it also lets you lift more. I’d use the hex bar if you’re an athlete of any kind. If you’re a bodybuilder, or a power lifter that has to use the Olympic bar in
a competition or something, I’d definitely go with that.
Think about when someone asks how much you can lift. Imagine their reaction when you say “oh like around 500, but I should be doing better.” Deadlifts also get you STRONG as hell. It’s one of the best way to build strength.
Powerclean
The powerclean is a very underrated and underused exercise with an insane amount of upside. The powerclean is one of the best exercises to build speed and strength. Why? Because it works almost every muscle in your body. It primarily develops power, which is directly related to strength. There’s a reason it’s called the “power clean.”
This will put slabs of muscle on your traps, glutes, hamstrings and abs. It will also get you faster and more explosive. This is an athletes dream exercise, and lifters of all kind should at least try it once.
3. Low Reps High Weight
Another one of the best ways to build strength is to workout with low reps and high weight. Why is that? Low reps with high weight increase muscle mass, which leads to an increase in strength and speed, too.
I’m not saying to do your 1 rep max every time, but definitely don’t do more than 10-12 reps if you plan on getting stronger. High reps plus low weight equals endurance, and low reps plus high weight equals strength gains. But remember, it’s 100% okay to warm up with light weight and high reps, just don’t overdo it.
The low reps high weight method is also backed by science. Sets from 1-4 reps at 80% of your one-rep max increases your strength an incredible amount. The US National Library of Medicine says:
“Training at 80% 1RM induced greater strength gains, which has been
Frontiers in Physiology, May 29th 2017
demonstrated repeatedly”
I’m a big facts guy, so if the National Library of Medicine says something true and backed by science, I’m definitely gonna take that into account; especially for fitness and training industry when there’s so many myths surrounding it.
All in all, if you want to get strong, you need to do lower reps with higher weight. I would recommend the 1-5 rep range, and for above 80% of your one-rep max.
4. Eat Right
Another one of the best ways to build strength is to eat right. One of the biggest mistakes a lot of lifters make is not eating right. This goes for powerlifters and bodybuilders.
They’ll usually not eat enough, or eat way to much that they’re strong but fat. In order to actually gain strength and build muscle, you need to consume enough calories that you can put on muscle, but not have a gut.
When I was fairly new to lifting, I thought I could eat nothing and still gain muscle and get stronger. I believed that I could put on slabs of muscle while shredding fat.
This was a very stupid mistake. I actually lost weight and barley built any strength at all. I ended up wasting two months of the offseason to make ZERO gains. I didn’t get strong at all.
As soon as I realized that I was losing muscle mass and not getting stronger I knew I had to make a change. What did I do? I tried seriously bulking for the first time. I put on 10 lbs of muscle in just 2 months (I was only 14 at the time, and adults will definitely gain more). Fat didn’t really appear
on my body either, because I was lifting while eating at a caloric intake.
Track Your Calories!
It’s common knowledge in the fitness world that if you are at a caloric intake, you will gain weight. If you are at a caloric deficit you will lose weight. If you want to maintain weight, eat your caloric requirements daily.
This is called your metabolic rate.
To find your metabolic rate, simply weigh yourself, and multiply that number by 15. For example, if you were 200 lbs, your metabolic rate would be 3,000 calories a day. (200×15=3,000).
It is essential that you track your calories daily, otherwise, you’ll either severely overeat, or under eat. Most people end up undereating. There are many simple free apps that track your calories for you, such as Fitbit, MyFitness pal, Macros, etc.
Seriously, track your calories. If you’re really serious about getting stronger and in shape, this is a must do. It’s not even that hard either, you just take 5 extra minutes a meal calculating out what you ate. Only the dedicated and disciplined are successful.
If you have trouble with hunger later in the day, leading you to eat more calories than you should be eating, try intermittent fasting. Just skip breakfast, have some coffee and sparkling water to blunt your appetite, and then start eating during lunch time.
To wrap it up, find your metabolic rate, and eat more than your metabolic rate. I’m serious about tracking your calories too. You need to do this if you want to make any sort of gains.
5. SARMS and Supplements
SARMs For Building Muscle
First off I’m gonna start by saying if you’re under 18, I don’t recommend taking SARMS. It’s 100% up to you, but it’s much safer as an adult. SARMS are one of the best ways to build strength.
Now, SARMS help your muscles grow without any of the common side effects of steroids. The science behind SARMS is that they bond skeletal muscle androgen receptors while avoiding organs and cell receptors.
Wait, in English please? Basically, they help your muscles grow safely without any of the bad side effects from regular steroids.
Using these, you can pack on 15-20 lbs of muscle in just a few months!
Why Should You Consider Them?
SARMs are a new highly selective anabolic compound, that bind to androgen receptors in skeletal muscles particularly. This means you can get steroid-like effects, without many of the negative side effects that they often have.
As you can see, SARMs are just incredible for gaining muscle, which is obviously going to lead to an increase in strength. Like I said before, these are one of the best ways to build strength.
Supplements for Building Muscle
Supplements are one of the best ways to build strength. Your body can only do so much, so why not help yourself out by taking a few safe supplements?
Protein Powder
Protein powder is great at helping you get a high protein intake for your day. It gives you energy and helps repair your muscle. I recommend using the whey 100 protein, and taking one scoop in the morning, and one after your workout. Protein powder is also very safe to use, as long as you don’t take in a huge amount per day.
Creatine
Creatine makes you stronger, bigger, and increases your muscle endurance. In fact, Mayo Clinic says:
“Oral creatine use might allow an athlete to do more work during reps or sprints, leading to greater gains in strength, muscle mass and performance.”
Creatine is generally safe to use for teenagers and adults. There are studies saying “take creatine” and studies that don’t recommend it. Literally everyone I’ve talked to that’s taken creatine, including myself, was fine after taking it. In fact, we had made tons of progress in our strength gains and muscle gains.
When using creatine, you will want to intake more water because creatine pumps water into your muscles. Aim to drink at least a gallon a day. I recommend using creatine monohydrate.
Pre Workout
Taking a pre workout supplement is a phenomenal way to enhance your strength, speed, and endurance while working out.
Most pre workouts contain caffeine to increase energy, beta alanine to improve blood flow to the muscles, and a ton of other ingredients that will make it easy to blast through your personal records.
Tips to Gain More Mass – The Secret Weight Training Experts Uses to Build Muscle
Are you still looking for tips to gain more mass? Are you aware that this is an essential part of any kind of workout regimen? When it comes to mass gaining, protein is still the king of all muscle mass-building nutrients. You should go towards one of the best mass gainer products, that help you to gain more mass and muscles. you can be sure that you will not gain mass unless you are ingesting the right amount of protein. For this reason, a lot of bodybuilders and athletes take protein supplements before they hit the gym.
So, What Are the Best Supplements to Gain Muscle Mass?
First of all, you should consider taking multi-vitamins. Take the daily recommended dosage of every supplement you’re using. These can include creatine, glutamine, and prohormone stimulators. If you don’t want to take supplements or if you are just getting started then take a multivitamin every day. If you want to build more mass then you have to make sure to increase the intensity of your mass gaining workout.
Cardio Workouts:
Another important tip to gain mass is to do high-intensity cardio workouts. Cardio increases the metabolic rate, which helps you burn more calories, thus helping you lose weight. Remember that if you don’t burn the excess fat then you can’t lose the extra weight.
Lift Weights:
One of the most important tips to gain muscles mass is to lift heavyweights. This is not only effective but you will be rewarded with awesome results. Make sure you always lift with proper form. The first two tips to mass gain are also important. You need to eat right as well.
To gain mass, you have to find what works for you. I’ve found that intense weight training mixed with plenty of cardio is very effective. Also, keep in mind to eat right and get plenty of protein. Make sure you also include plenty of vegetables in your diet for mass gain muscles mass.
These are some basic tips to gain mass and keep it that way. Remember that your goal is to gain muscle mass. Don’t do too much in the first two weeks and ease into it. The most important factor is giving your body breaks between workouts. You should also make sure you are eating right while training. The more you work out the more muscle mass you will gain.
Do Properly:
If you want to mass gain, then make sure you do everything properly. Follow all of the instructions and follow every rule of weight training and cardio training to gain the maximum possible mass. If you don’t do anything different then your routine is going to remain the same for a long time.
You must keep in mind though that it takes a lot more time for you to gain mass than it does for you to lose it. You should never expect to see results overnight. Even if you are doing everything correctly you may not see results in the first week or so. Just remember these tips to gain more mass and stay consistent. In no time at all, you will start seeing some great gains in the size and strength of your muscles.
Best Ways to Build Strength: Conclusion
To wrap it up, make sure you follow the advice in this article if you are serious about getting strong. Work hard, use the big four lifts, use low weight and high reps, eat right and track your calories, and take some sort of muscle gaining supplement. That is, the 5 best ways to build strength