You want to achieve muscle weight gain and you want to do it now. You've likely heard how much hard work it will require, and you're getting mentally prepared to get to the gym four or five times a week for more than an hour per session.

You've been misinformed. Conventional wisdom is dead wrong.

With a properly-constructed workout, you can get better results with just three short workouts per week. By better, I mean that you can build muscle up just as quickly as with the long, conventional workouts, but you also get several additional benefits:

* You will build muscle mass quickly and burn fat at the same time

* You will burn more calories as a result of a 15-minute anaerobic workout than in a 60-minute cardio workout

* You can increase your explosive power

* You can increase your your overall fitness level and anaerobic threshold

* You will increase your joint strength and flexibility

* You will increase your core without doing core-specific exercises

These techniques are not secrets, but aren't widely used. These short workouts are based on intervals, which is nothing new. Intervals have been used successfully for quite a few years. But how you apply those intervals will be the key to success. That's why it's so important that you research a proven plan if your goal is muscle weight gain.

The two primary types of interval training you'll find in good plans are high intensity interval training (HIIT) and Tabata training. HIIT sessions are generally used for the aerobic sessions, and 15 minutes will replace 45 to 60 minutes of traditional aerobic activities.

Tabata training is just one form of strength training using intervals and compound exercises that will have your muscles screaming in 20-second sets. You can also generously apply in functional exercises, kettleball training, sports-specific exercise and more to keep your sessions interesting. But prepare for effort -- you can't build muscle up unless you put forth maximum effort during your workouts.

But these types of workouts aren't for the squeamish. You must already have a base level of fitness before you try them, and your joints must be healthy to start. Anyone over the age of 60 should seriously consider getting checked out before attempting interval training. When you're ready, put your game face on and get to work. You'll love the results!