How to Gain 60 Lbs. of Muscle Mass
Gaining 60 lbs. of muscle mass isn't easy. It takes a great deal of work, dedication and time. If you can gain a solid 2 lbs. of muscle a month, an excellent growth rate, it will take you two and a half years to put on 60 pounds. If you're up to the challenge, however, you'll be rewarded with a physique that few have achieved.
Instructions
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Determine your 1 rm. The term "1 rm" means "one repetition maximum." It's the amount of weight you can lift for one rep of a particular lift, such as a curl, a bench press, or a clean and jerk. Load the barbell with what for you is a hefty load, and do as many reps as you can. Calculate your 1 rm for that exercise based on the number of reps you can perform. The "Resources" section provides links to online calculators that will do the math for you. Your 1 rm is an important benchmark that will help you determine how much weight you should be using and how many reps to do. As you make progress your 1 rm increases.
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Pump iron. Putting on 60 lb. of muscle mass takes a tremendous amount of work. It's a long-term project that requires an intelligent application of the principles of bodybuilding. For maximum size, you'll want to do low-weight / high-rep sets. However, in the beginning, use high-weight / low-rep sets to build up your strength. When you first start lifting weights, you make rapid progress as your body grows accustomed to handling the weight and balancing the forces required to complete a rep. This is a good time to concentrate on gaining raw strength. After a month or two, switch to low-weight / high-rep sets. "High-weight" is weight closer to your 1 rm. "Low-weight" is well under your 1 rm.
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Eat right. To put on a lot of muscle, you must eat a lot of food. Your diet must contain high-quality protein, lots of green, leafy vegetables and sufficient fiber to keep your digestive system working smoothly. To accommodate the sheer volume of food required, many bodybuilders eat five or six meals a day. Shakes made with whey protein are an excellent way to make sure you're getting enough protein.
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Tips & Warnings
When you start out, do a conventional three-days-a-week routine (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). After two to four months, you can move to a six-days-a-week split routine (upper body on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; lower body on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday).
Never use free weights without a spotter.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo courtesy of Free Range Stock
