Level Up Your Gains: make muscle faster with these 5 essential techniques

By Fayeque Mir: April 9 2025

Hey everyone! A warm welcome from the team here at Life Advice. If you've been hitting the gym for a bit and you're ready to make your workouts even more awesome and see some cool changes, you've come to the right place! We're going to talk about some next-level techniques that you can try to really challenge your muscles and get you closer to your fitness goals. Let's get ready to pump it up!

Intensify with Supersets

Feeling like your usual sets are getting a little too comfortable? Try supersets! This involves performing two exercises back-to-back with little to no rest in between. You can pair exercises that work opposing muscle groups (like biceps and triceps) or exercises that target the same muscle group from different angles (like doing a preacher curl and then a hammer curl). Supersets increase the intensity of your workout, save time, and can lead to greater muscle fatigue and growth. For example, do a set of 8-12 bench presses immediately followed by 8-12 bent-over rows. Rest for a short period, then repeat. It’s not easy, but you’ll thank yourself later on once you start making crazy gains.

Push Past Failure with Drop Sets

Ready to really challenge your muscles? Drop sets involve performing an exercise to failure (the point where you can't do another rep with good form), then immediately reducing the weight and continuing for more reps. You can do this for 2-3 drops in weight. Drop sets recruit more muscle fibers and can significantly increase muscle hypertrophy (growth). It's important to use this technique sparingly as it's very tiring for your muscles. However you’ll see excellent growth in a really short time. Remember to always make sure your form stays good even as you get tired.

Feel the Burn with Pulsing!

Pulsing involves performing small, controlled movements at the end range of motion of an exercise. This keeps tension on the muscle for a longer period and can really enhance the feeling of your muscles working. Pulsing increases time under tension, which can lead to more muscle growth and improved muscle endurance. For example, at the top of a bicep curl, instead of fully lowering the weight, do small, quick up-and-down movements for several reps before completing the full range of motion for the next rep.

Isolate and Exhaust with Isolation Holds!

Sometimes, focusing on one muscle group and really making it work is key. Isolation holds involve holding a muscle in its contracted position for a period of time at the end of a rep. This technique maximizes time under tension in the targeted muscle, leading to increased strength and growth in that specific area. For example, at the peak of a lateral raise, hold your arms out to the sides for a few seconds before slowly lowering them.

Strategic Rest-Pauses for More Reps!

Want to lift heavier for more reps? Rest-pause sets can help. Choose a weight you can lift for a few reps (maybe 3-5). Perform those reps, then rest for a very short period (around 15-30 seconds). Then, try to squeeze out a few more reps with the same weight. Repeat this rest-pause cycle for a set number of total reps. This technique allows you to overcome fatigue and perform more total reps with a heavier weight than you could with a standard set. Be mindful of your form, especially during the later reps when you're tired.

Remember:

These techniques are most effective when you have a solid foundation of proper form and consistent training. Always listen to your body and pay attention to pain and fatigue. Don't push through sharp pain, and don't overdo these advanced techniques. Incorporate them strategically into your routine, not every single workout. Remember to always prepare your body with a dynamic warm-up before intense sessions and cool down with stretching afterward to help prevent injury. Finally, your progress also depends heavily on eating a balanced diet that supports muscle growth and getting enough quality sleep for recovery.

Ready to push your limits and see some serious progress? Incorporate these techniques thoughtfully into your training, and you might just surprise yourself with the results!