We are a society with a “more is better” attitude. More money, more convenience, more luxury…more, more, more! However, when looking to build muscle, sometimes more is less. One of the major reasons that trainees fail to build the physique they desire is they do too much in the gym! They either do too many sets, work out for too long, or train too many days per week. The result? OVERTRAINING…and with it, little to no gains in size or strength (and in severe cases, muscle loss, illness, and/or depression). I feel that the problem lies in most of our bodybuilding publications. We see the professionals looking freaky and massive, and read how they train twice per day and do 20 or more sets per body part! Many figure, “if that’s how they got that massive, the same principals must work for me!” What many fail to realize, however, is that because of steroids, growth hormone, and ideal genetics, the pros are able to train far more than most without suffering any ill effects. In fact, their bodies thrive on it! That is not the case for the genetically average, drug free trainee. Trying to follow the routine of a pro bodybuilder will spell disaster for most of us, leading many down a road of frustration, and some to even quit altogether! So, what is the ideal way to train for maximum gains in size and strength? Well, there are several effective ways to train, but to list them all goes beyond the scope of this column. However, there are some general rules that should be followed by the drug free bodybuilder:

1) Train no more than 4 days per week.

2) Train no more than 2 days in a row.

3) Workouts should last no more than 60-90 minutes.

4) Work sets for larger muscle groups should be between 7 and 10.

5) Work sets for smaller muscle groups should be between 5 and 7.

6) Mostly free weight compound movements should be used.

7) Rep ranges between 4 and 20+ should be explored.

8) Strict form should be used.

Combine the above guidelines with a proper diet, sufficient rest, and a solid supplementation program, and you will build the best physique that your genetics has to offer.