What is the smart approach to increase muscle mass? The smart way to increase muscle size is by having some basic knowledge of how muscles grow, there are 2 types of muscle growth and these are called Sarcoplasmic and Myofibrillar. Fluid builds up within your muscles when you lift in high volume and high reps, this gives the impression of fast muscle growth. When you lift for lower reps the growth comes from an actual increase in muscle tissue. If you want to increase muscle size then the best way to do this is by utilizing both ways.

High Reps and High Fatigue for an Increase in Fluids Within the Muscle

I know it sounds weird to increase the fluid (sarcoplasm) within a muscle, but this is legitimate growth. Our bodies or comprised largely of water so this is a legitimate way to get larger muscles. The main fear from this type of growth is it will not last. The fact is this is a good way to cause initial quick growth, you then train properly with the right rep range to keep it.

High Tension With Low Reps Produce Muscle Fiber Growth

You may think that focusing on muscle growth this way should be the best way to gain muscle mass all round. You need to realize that growing muscles this way is a slow affair. If you just did low rep training it would take years to see a noticeable increase in muscle size. With this type of growth you get denser and more firm muscles. It tones up your muscles and looks more defined. Another benefit is that this also makes the muscles much stronger than just increasing size through fluid increase.

A Scientific Approach is to Simply Alternate Between Both Types of Training

The smart way to increase muscle size is to mix the two approaches together, spend 3 months doing one technique, then 3 months doing the other, and repeat until you are the desired size. You should not alternate between the two daily because this way your body will just end up being confused. When you try to be a “jack of all trades” your body responds by not adapting to either style of training very well.

Keep It Simple If You Want

If you aren’t rushed to increase muscle size as quickly as possible, you can focus in the middle rep range year round. Doing five reps in five sets is an effective workout. As time goes on you will steadily see your muscles grow. The nice thing is that you will also gain strength the whole time as well. The best way to continue this approach is to have 2 exercises for each part of your body and do five sets of five reps for each. The rest period between sets should be small and you want to use quite heavy weights. This is how you increase muscle mass systematically.