The key to great muscle building workouts is obviously one that will reap the most muscle gains in the shortest space of time. So we ask the question what does it take for a workout to make a great Workout to gain lean muscle mass?!


There are many things -which when combined- makes a workout that really does build muscle mass better than anything else.

Of all the workouts I did over the years -some good and some downright awful!- there are a few things which have always been the best thing to build muscle mass for me. These being Intensity, Compound lifts, a 6-10 rep range and short in duration.

Quite frankly, any workout that follows this format always built muscle mass to my body.

Best Muscle Building Workout Tips

Intensity in your Workout

Intensity has to be the most disregarded thing I see in the gym these days. Too often when I walk into the gym I see people without a bead of sweat rolling from their foreheads talking and pushing the odd weight here and there which I find astounding!

Personally, I think intensity is one of the most vital things in a workout to build muscle. I don't believe that the weight lifted or repetitions you do are as important as being absolutely exhausted after 35-45 minutes of lifting weights.

Intensity can be increase by shortening your rest periods between sets to fewer than 35 seconds. You can even group exercises together for example bench press and barbell rows straight off together without rest. This is what is known as super-setting.

Compound Weight lifting Exercises

Compound exercises should be the foundation of any good muscle building workout as they build lean muscle mass better than another type of movement if done with a heavy weight and with good form.

If you are doing a four day a week workout every day I would include at least two compound lifts but no more than three for the sheer stress they place on your body. For example day 1 & 3 should have Bench press, Rows and Deadlights and Day 2 & 4 should have Squats and Lunges.

Rep Range

There are a few rep ranges which do different things to the muscles of the body. 1-5 are really for increasing strength. They are primarily used in the workout programs of weight lifters and all other types of athletes who require speed, strength and power.

From my own experience, these are not good for building muscle. I spent whole summer training in this rep range and while my strength went through the roof I only ended up putting on 1kg of muscle mass which was probably made up a bit of body fat so not great muscle gains to be had here.

The 6-10 rep range has always been the one to pack on the slabs of lean muscle mass fast. Training in this rep range with heavy compound exercises, a great diet and adequate recovery I would expect to gain 5-8 lbs per months of muscle for the first few months of training.

Duration of your Muscle Building Workout

A gain muscle workout is best when it is short and concise. What's great about this also is that the intensity can be kept high due to all the exercises having to completing in such as short space of time.

I would keep all weightlifting workouts under 35 minutes so that the intensity is high and also so you get the nutrition you need so that your muscles won’t be breaking down which is what can happen from extended sessions.