In the age of social media, it can be hard to sort the genuine lifting advice from all the misinformation. But in a recent post, three-time Mr. Olympia winner Frank Zane has cut through the noise with three simple rules for anyone looking to build bigger, thicker muscles.
Zane famously trained with lighter weights during the early years of his career, but after incorporating heavier lifting into his training, Zane went on to win three Mr. Olympia titles.
And though he was nicknamed ‘The Chemist’ thanks to his obsession with supplements, the progressive overload approach he recommends is all about spending time in the gym.
Only introduce one of these changes at a time. Combining all three at once represents a significant jump in training volume or intensity and could increase your risk of injury.
Frank Zane’s 3 Simple Rules to Build Muscle
1. Add Repetitions
‘Gradually add more repetitions to your sets before increasing the weight,’ Zane says.
This advice is aimed at lifters who focus more on adding weight than refining their technique.
Zane recommends tracking your progress through the number of repetitions you can perform, rather than just loading up another plate.
That means if you start with six reps, you should try and build up to eight, 10 or even 12 reps before you add more weight.
This allows your muscles and joints to adapt to the load and allows you to perfect your technique, which helps to prepare them for being exposed to something heavier.
2. Increase the Weight
‘When you can comfortably perform a set number of repetitions, increase the weight,’ Zane explains.
Only once you’re truly comfortable with a set weight should you add more. From there, drop back to the lower end of the rep-scale and work your way back up, gradually easing your muscles into the greater tension they now have to contend with.
3. Adjust Sets
‘Increase the number of sets for each exercise to enhance intensity,’ he adds. ‘Do supersets.’
For most lifters, three sets per exercise is the default. It allows you maintain quality across your sets while still achieving a good amount of volume. But Zane believes there are better ways to manipulate your training for greater results.
Adding in additional sets for certain exercises helps to boost weekly volume, while supersets can make workouts more efficient and allow you to complete more work without adding heaps of time onto your sessions.
If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.
Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? CLICK HERE to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.
