Weight Gaining Tips by: David Di Cristo

Your body is a reflection of what is required to cope with everyday life. Think about it for a minute, your muscles are the size and strength they are because that is what is required from them; no more no less. Assuming that you are feeding your body adequately, your muscles have grown in strength and size to adapt to the sets and reps you endure them to. Your muscles are saying to you, "hey! I don't need to grow anymore, I'm comfortable now". This is something you don't want, if you are looking to increase muscle size.

Think of your muscles like a child playing with a new toy. Initially, the child is overwhelmed with excitement but as most of us know, this excitement wears off, the toy is dumped and the child looks for a new toy. If you don't subject your muscles to variety, it becomes accustomed and muscle growth will stagnate. I have seen guys in the gym who perform the same exercises using the same weight on the same day each week; period. Sure they're strong and motivated but they look as they did a year ago. Please don't make the same mistake. The key is variety. Cause the ultimate confusion for them by changing your workout every 6-8 weeks. Here are a few weight gaining tips you may consider:

• Change your grip (e.g., wide grip to narrow vice versa)
• Change the tempo
• Use supersets, compound sets, pre-exhaust, post-exhaust
• Increase the number of reps
• Perform a completely different exercises
• Vary the angle of the bench
• Negative reps
• Increase or decrease rest times
• Use the push and pull workout

Also, if you train by yourself and if you are not using a portable music player then do so. Not only does music motivate you, it also can make you much more focused. Play your favorite music even if it's "Rocky" (yes, it maybe corny but it will give you the tingles down your back!). Squeeze that last rep out. Sure it's painful but here are a few tips to make things easier:

• Did you know that sexual thoughts reduce pain by 10%? So next time think about your favorite sexual fantasy just before and during your last killer rep.
• Also, if you are in a mixed gym, why not use the opposite sex to your advantage. During a grueling set, scan the gym for an attractive person and imagine that person watching you. You'll be amazed by this psychological effect. Your animal instincts begin to take over and you'll exert every effort to give 150%.
• Why count from 1 to say 10 during a set. You are better off to count backwards or count in multiples (e.g. one, two, three, four, five. Then repeat, one, two, three, four, five). Try it!