Q: I'm a 24-year-old accountant and I'm so skinny I seem to swim in all of my business suits. How can I develop big muscles from my weight training? - D.C.C., Butte, MT

A: It sounds as if what you're looking for is more muscular bulk, so your goal should be to train with weights and work the largest muscles of your body, which are your legs and back. Whether your resistance-training goals are toning, endurance, or strength, and no matter whether you choose to use a weight machine, free weights, or both, overload is the one training principle that is common to all. This strength-training theory states that the muscles of the human body will adapt to increases in stress by becoming stronger and bigger. Every time you lift a heavy weight, you are in effect overloading the body with more weight than it can handle. Hence, your muscles become stronger and larger.

To overload your muscles safely you have to exercise them continuously against a resistance greater than what you normally encounter in day-to-day activities. This resistance is progressively increased once your muscles start to get accustomed to the new weight load, thereby creating a new overload situation.

Caution: Overload is an intermediate concept. Until a sufficient strength base is reached, beginners should keep the workouts light and easy so that the joints, muscles, and tendons can fully adapt to these new stresses. Otherwise you could be inviting an injury that will set you back in your training.

To add more muscular bulk to your body, keep the repetitions low (four to six), using the heaviest weight you can lift for three, four or five sets, depending on how much time you have to spend.

Source: fitlinxx.com