Build strength to build muscle, fitness and burn fat. To see improvements physically with aesthetics and fitness requires you to build strength. 

This is the foundation of what will allow you to improve your overall physical performance by gaining more power, speed and force. Think of a car with a 1 litre engine vs a car with 8 litres, the acceleration and force produced with a 8 litre car will give you greater fitness with more muscle, speed, power, strength, endurance, and fat burn. Building strength will set you up for total fitness. Gaining strength will give you more muscle building potential as you will be able to lift heavier weights for more reps. This is what will build your body, sculpting your physique with greater muscle mass using more calories to fuel which will keep your body fat level healthy. 

The key to improvements physically with performance and aesthetics comes from focusing on building strength. 

0.5kg per week of lean muscle gain is what can be done if you are in your first year of training. From then onwards providing that you are consistent and lifting more weight then the rate of muscle growth that can be achieved naturally will decrease. 

New to training male individuals 0.7-0.9kg of muscle gain per month. A total of 9-11kg in first year of training. 

Second year male individuals 0.3-0.4kg per month. A total of 4.5kg-5.4kg by the end of the second year of training.

Third year + male individuals up to 2.2kg-2.7kg per year.

Fourth year + male individuals up to 0.9kg per year.

Females can divide muscle gain estimates in half.

Takeaway Tips:

1. To build muscle, strength, fitness and burn fat you will need to lift heavier weights. Using a single set rep range such as 8-12 reps will limit progress. Include sets that will build your strength at 1-5 reps alongside sets of 8-12 reps on your lifts. Getting stronger with sets of 1-5 reps will enable you to lift more weight at 8-12 reps which will help you build more muscle, strength, fitness and burn fat.

2. Depending on your current body fat levels, assessment: (www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/body-adiposity-index-calculator.aspx) Look to maintain, gain or lose 0.5-2kg per month of weight. If you are at healthy level of bodyfat on the body adiposity test then either look to:

• Maintain weight and lift more weight for more reps with compound lifts such as Overhead Press, Deadlifts, Back Squats and Bench Press. This will build muscle, strength, fitness and burn fat in your body.
• If you’d like to build muscle look to gain 0.5-2kg per month of weight whilst lifting more weight for more reps on your compound lifts. 
• If you’d like to burn fat then look to lose 0.5-2kg per month of weight whilst lifting more weight for more reps on your compound lifts. 

3. If you’d like to build muscle, fitness and burn fat you will need to lift heavier weights. Using a single set rep range such as 8-12 reps only will cause a plateau. Spend time building your strength, lifting heavier weights at 1-5 reps as well 8-12 reps. This will enable you to lift more weight at 8-12 reps which will help you build more muscle, strength, fitness and burn fat. Complete 10 sets per week with deadlifts, squats, overhead press, flat bench press and leg raises to work the entire body.

4. Make sure you are tracking your workouts, you should know how many reps you have completed with how much weight lifted. You will plateau when you do not track performance, increases in load and reps over time will lead to the results that you are looking for.