Everyone who has been training for more than five minutes knows you need a solid foundation of strength to build an appreciable amount of muscle.
However.
I am the first to admit building that aforementioned foundation involves more than slapping plates on the bar in a broadly linear fashion.
There are exceptions, of course.
For example, I was proud as punch of being able to front squat 90kg for a solid set of five after approximately one year of serious training. Right up until I started training with a guy who had been told to bulk up by his ice hockey coach, then proceeded to grossly exceed my front squat numbers within a month (despite having never lifted a weight in his life) by adding weight every single workout.
But that guy is not most people.
Moreover, the older you get (and by “old” I mean north of 25), the harder it becomes as work and personal responsibilities mount, detracting from your ability to train and recover.
Hence, a more nuanced approach is generally required to keep things moving in the right direction.
There are many options, and it will probably take a good deal of trial and error to find the one that’s right for you based on your experience, fitness, available time to train, and so on.
Alternatively, you could just find and pay someone to spin you something up. As I did for one of my loyal Phil Tyreman Letter subscribers to deliver the correct balance between volume and intensity, which prompted the following response:
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“[redacted] sounds like EXACTLY what I need.”
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No, I am not going to tell you what I prescribed.
Mostly because he pays me for this info but also because what I told him to do was based on a comprehensive understanding of his circumstances and capabilities, built over several months of us working together closely.
To get what he has got, become a subscriber here (but make sure to read all the info carefully, so you come in with your eyes fully open):
https://philtyreman.co.uk/information/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman