THE GYM COMMANDMENTS

To get bigger, stronger or leaner, you must master the basics of training. Adhere to these ten rules from the best in the business and build a better body

1 Prioritise Compound Lifts

Compound exercises, where there is movement at two joints so you work multiple muscles groups, should be the cornerstone of any workout programme whether you're training for size, strength or fat loss. “The bench, squat and deadlift offer the most return on investment for your time and effort, and in order to get bigger, you have to get stronger,” says Ben Esgro, an NCSA-certified strength and conditioning specialist.

2 HAVE A CLEARLY DEFINED GOAL

“Without a clearly defined and challenging physique goal, you're never going to get the results you want,” says Ultimate Performance founder Nick Mitchell. “The best transformation candidates I have ever worked with are women wanting to get into shape for their wedding. Why? Because they have a laser-focused goal. You need the same to make major changes to your body.”

PERFORMANCE UPGRADE

Stack your odds of staying on track with your plan by scheduling all your sessions for the week ahead. On a Sunday, get out your work diary and “book in” your workouts, with the first session scheduled for Monday. Starting your week positively will massively increase your chances of sticking to your weekly workouts.

3 GO LIGHTER WITH ISOLATION LIFTS

To grow a muscle to its maximum potential, you must hit it with isolation moves - but that doesn't mean lifting super-heavy. “Take the arms: your triceps and biceps take a pretty solid pounding every time you train your chest and back, so direct arms training requires a smarter approach,” says leading physique coach John Meadows. “Lifting lighter and prioritising getting a good pump - through perfect range of motion and controlled time under tension - will work the muscle fibres far more effectively. And the better you can isolate a muscle, the bigger it will get.”

4 Keep Tension on Your Muscles