Building Muscle

by Renooka Maharaj
(Trinidad, West Indies)

If I wanted to build my legs and arms, how often should I work these parts?

Aaron's Reply...

Short Answer:

2-3 days a week.

Long Answer:

Your legs and arms are major parts of your body - and just about your entire body! The only part that you didn't mention is your core.

If you're just starting out, lifting 2 - 3 days a week is fine. Heck, if you're doing high intensity training and getting really sore from your workouts, once a week lifting will be fine.

To get the best results, use a medium to high rep range. Doing 8 - 12 reps for 2 - 4 sets will focus on building your muscles bigger (muscle hypertrophy), and allow you to make the most productive use of your time.

Any more than 12 reps and you'll be building endurance in your muscles, not size. And lifting around 4 - 6 reps will build strength, not size.

So, lift 2 - 3 times a week with 8 - 12 reps per set.