Training
Here's what you need to know...
- If your goal is to build bigger muscles and you already have a good strength base, then chasing personal bests won't build significant muscle mass.
- Heavy weights are not that important for hypertrophy. The weight you actually move has less to do with the resulting hypertrophy than you might think.
- Before you increase the weight, you should increase the range of motion, change the tempo or use methods to increase your training sets to stimulate new muscle growth.
- Burnout sets and higher volume protocols are good alternatives to increasing weight.
- The experienced exerciser knows when to deviate from their program and what their body needs during a training session.
- The goal should be to make the weights feel heavier than they actually are.
Pure, unmistakable muscle gains
Training for a sport or to increase performance is different than training for muscle mass. Ironically, many exercisers want bigger muscles but are hindered by continually striving for new maximum weights.
If they had to choose, most men training in a gym would prefer aesthetic muscle mass over strength. They would rather look like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, even if it meant they could never bench press more than 100 kilos for the rest of their lives. And yet, they'll chase the max weights for a repetition and avoid more effective hypertrophy techniques.
If your primary goal is aesthetic muscle mass - big, impressive muscles - then this message is for you. Ready?
Heavy weights aren't that important if you want to get more muscular. The ultimate goal is to damage your muscles in the weight room and grow them through nutrition and recovery. The weight you use in an exercise has less to do with this than most people are willing to believe.
How strong do we really need to be?
Let's take a step back and look at this issue objectively. Most people want to move insane amounts of weights, and for good reason: there's nothing that feels better than a solid personal best on one of the big basic exercises.
And when it comes to the big basic exercises - think squats, deadlifts and overhead presses - there should never be an upper limit to our desire for strength. But is there a basis for this?
Strength and conditioning experts will always encourage a beginner to aim to move a certain factor of their bodyweight - for example, 1.5 times bodyweight for deadlifts for a beginner. Many non-competitive exercisers want to get stronger for health reasons - to improve the health of their joints and increase their bone density - and they use strength as an indicator of their progression. And, of course, many also want to get stronger for ego reasons.
However, as far as the health side of things goes, the question is whether your lifespan will really be greater if you can bench press a maximum weight of 150 kilos instead of 125 kilos? Maybe. It makes sense to think about this. But there has to be a point where it's okay to just maintain strength.
Coming back to the pursuit of muscle mass, does training with heavy weights and a constant focus on increasing weights really improve results if the only goal is to make the body more muscular than it was before? If you are an advanced exerciser, then the answer is "no".
Sure, it helps stimulate the nervous system and the release of testosterone and growth hormone, but scientific research suggests that sets with higher repetitions can produce similar hormonal responses.
Lee Haney has always said that it's about stimulating the muscles, not destroying them. If you are already at a level where your strength is nothing others would laugh at, then it means you have successfully developed a solid base. Assuming that you are striving for muscle mass and muscle development, it is then time to use other methods.
The myth of progression
People always quantify "progression" as increasing the load they use to perform a given exercise with the same number of repetitions. There's nothing to argue about here, but it seems like people don't realize that increasing load is not the only form of progression, which is especially true when it comes to training for muscle mass.
Let's look at a typical set of 10 repetitions of a given bodybuilding exercise. Before you increase the weight by 5 to 10% the following week, there are a few other ways to achieve progression:
- Increased range of motion: increasing the range of motion will add more time under tension with the same load as before. Examples of this would be split squats with the back leg elevated or deep squats if you are used to performing squats only to the point where the thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Change the tempo: It is definitely more challenging if you add a slow eccentric or negative phase to each repetition you perform. Paused repetitions, 4 second negative repetitions and other changes in tempo can generate a whole new stimulation for a working muscle. This is particularly effective with pressing exercises.
- Methods to extend a set: The rest/pause method, ladder sets, cluster methods and 1.5 reps are just a few ways to achieve progression with weights that are nowhere near your max weight.
If your goal is to get muscular, it's useful to change your mindset. All of the above points describe a progression. "Muscular" and "strong" have some overlap, but in many ways they are not the same thing. Becoming muscular and bulky is different and requires a different mindset.
4 tips for building mass
If you've been focusing on performance for a long time, have built a good strength base and are ready to build some "bodybuilder muscle", then here are four strategies that will help you do so.
Tip 1 - Focus on the mind-muscle connection
Many people have no idea how important it is to build a connection with the weights as they move them. They go through the motions on the dumbbell bench press with weights that challenge their strength and they try to use good technique so that you feel the movement "in your chest."
The truth is that you can use light sets and increased mental focus to achieve the same thing. You can avoid going to muscle failure with 55 kilo dumbbells on the incline bench press and use 35 kilo dumbbells instead. There is a good chance that after a while you will be more muscular than you have been all these years.
The goal should be to make the weights feel like they are heavier than they really are. You'll still feel the same sore muscles for three days once you get the hang of it. The same rules apply to many other exercises including split squats, side raises and flying movements.
Tip 2 - Use high volume weeks
Performing sets of 6 to 8 repetitions week after week will not get you what you want. This type of training becomes redundant and the nervous system will respond less and less to it. In this case, "high volume" means more sets of more exercises that include more repetitions.
Take a basic exercise like squats or presses and use a scheme with higher reps/shorter rests between sets. This could be something as simple as 6 x 10-12 with short rest intervals or something more advanced and challenging such as a Gironda 8 x 8 approach, the 10 x 10 German Volume Training method or ladder sets, none of which use more than 70% (and that's being generous) of the maximum weight.
It's important to remember what the goal is here. These workouts should challenge and exhaust the muscles appropriately to stimulate growth during recovery.
Tip 3 - Use burnout sets
Even during weeks where you are working with heavy sets of 3 reps, after your last work set you should reduce the weight to about 60% of what you were using before, and perform as many reps as possible with that weight. This should end up somewhere in the range of 15 to 20 reps.
This represents a good finish, but more importantly, bornout sets can be a good way to increase lactate levels and stimulate the pituitary gland to release more growth hormone. In addition, such a set gives your condition a kick in the butt.
Tip 4 - Train intuitively
This is a simple rule: don't become a prisoner of your training program.
It's easy to see the training session you have planned as a pile of paperwork on your desk that needs to be completed before the day is over. Paperwork left on your desk means you haven't done your job.
However, if you're doing your reps without focus, feeling pain in one or two joints and basically not getting anything worthwhile out of your workout, then there's no point in doing that workout at all. We all have training sessions where nothing seems to go right. It's easy to just go through the motions on that bad training session, even if you don't feel anything in the target muscles.
It's a true sign of training maturity to deviate from your program and do what your body needs to get the most out of a training session. It could be something as small as forgoing dips and replacing them with French presses. Maybe on squat day you feel like you really have the right 'groove' - so why not do an extra set or two? Take advantage of the times when you feel great and pay attention to the times when you don't.
Training intuitively also sometimes means ignoring the amount of weight you're moving and focusing on nothing but the scheme and stimulation (see tip #1). Don't even count the reps, just go by feel.
This is the reason you will occasionally see experienced bodybuilders in the weight room doing isolation workouts with extremely light weights. This is a valuable concept that you should not disregard.
By Lee Boyce | 12/19/14
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/overlooked-key-to-muscle-growth
Here's what you need to know...
- Each of these program upgrades will significantly improve the results you get from your training.
- Think you're already focused and training hard? Try ladders, time limits, the 25 method or rest/pause squats. You may have to redefine the term "hard work" after this!
Get better results from your training sessions. All you need to do is select one or more of these "hacks" and incorporate them into your training plan.
1. the "personal challenge" method
This concept can take many different forms, but the underlying idea always remains the same: you increase intensity by removing a familiar comfort while you exercise. This can mean anything from shorter rests between sets, fewer warm-up sets, not using a weightlifting belt, using a wider range of motion than usual, not using talcum powder, to training without music (or on your own).
Such challenges will make you more adaptable and psychologically stronger. There is no particular benefit to using this method in any structured way or on an ongoing basis. Instead, you simply choose to give up one of your usual comforts for the duration of an exercise or training session.
If you do this, be aware that it may be necessary to reduce the weights initially. For example, if you always use a weightlifting belt, you shouldn't expect to be able to handle the same weights without it. This is perfectly fine. Over time, your weights will increase without a belt and when this happens, your weights with a belt will increase as well.
2. compensatory acceleration training
One of my first mentors was powerlifting legend Fred "Dr. Squat" Hatflield, the first person to squat 1000 pounds in an official competition. Fred was always way ahead of his time. In fact, he was one of the first to question the point of things like low-fat diets and aerobic exercise back in the eighties.
One of Fred's most ingenious contributions is a training method known as Compensatory Acceleration Training or CAT. When left to our own devices, most of us move a given weight with the least amount of effort possible. This tendency is completely normal and is not a sign of laziness. What Hatfield pointed out was that the more tension you put on a muscle, the more muscle fibers are activated, which naturally leads to better results. By performing the easy part of the movement at normal speed, we are unnecessarily robbing ourselves of adaptive stress.
A better approach is to use maximum effort throughout the range of motion of the exercise. In other words, you compensate for the stress-reducing effect of better leverage ratios by accelerating the weight in that portion of the movement. In short, you move the weight (through the concentric part of the movement) very quickly.
The only thing to be aware of is that you need to reduce the speed before reaching the end position of the movement to prevent unnecessary stress on the joints and to avoid the bar flying off your back in the case of squats.
This minor problem can be easily solved by using chains and/or bands to slow down the speed towards the end of each repetition, while still allowing you to use maximum acceleration throughout the range of motion.
3. ladders
I don't know the early origins of this fantastic technique, but I do know that kettlebell pioneer Pavel Tsatsouline deserves credit for popularizing it. Best used for hypertrophy training, ladders are the best way I know of to add a lot of volume quickly.
Here's how the whole thing works: You use a weight in the range of 75 to 85% of your current max weight and start with one repetition. For set 2, you perform 2 repetitions. For set 3, perform 3 repetitions. Continue doing this until you reach a number where you are within 1 to 2 repetitions of muscle failure. This is a ladder. Depending on your goals, time constraints, etc., you can perform one to three ladders, expecting a reduction of one set per ladder.
Volume accumulates like crazy with this method. See for yourself:
Set 1: 1 repetition
Set 2: 2 repetitions
Set 3: 3 repetitions
Set 4: 4 repetitions
Set 5: 5 repetitions
Within five light and fast sets, you have already performed 15 repetitions. Add a sixth set and you're up to 21. Even better, you don't need dedicated warm-up sets, as the first few sets of low reps already do the trick. Ladders work particularly well with bodyweight-only exercises such as pull-ups or dips, but can also be used with almost any barbell exercise.
4. rest/pause
Sometimes you will overlook a method simply because it is so simple. The rest/pause method is one such case. You perform more repetitions than you normally could by inserting short (3 to 10 seconds) recovery pauses between repetitions when the accumulation of fatigue requires it.
The exercise where the rest/pause method is most commonly used is squats and Super Squats Author Randall Strossen popularized this method through his 20 repetition squat program. In Super Squats, Strossen has the exerciser perform 20 repetitions with the maximum weight for 10 repetitions. You may wonder how this is possible. Through rest/pause. You simply pause with the bar on your back and take a few breaths between reps.
I've always been skeptical about performing 20 reps with a real 10RM weight. After all, if you do 20 reps with that weight, it's technically your 20RM weight, right? But regardless, this method will ultimately significantly increase the number of reps you can perform with any given weight. And that, my friend, means better and faster gains.
5 Same But Different
Specificity is necessary, but problematic at the same time. Not enough specificity and you won't make progress. Too much and you'll fall victim to stagnation and overuse injuries. Fortunately, there is a simple solution.
Let's say you focus on squats and you use a program that has you doing squats three times a week. The reason for this is that a higher squat frequency will result in faster gains. While I agree with this, I would use at least three different types of squats instead of the same squat variation in each training session.
And by "different" I don't necessarily mean radically different. For example, I would use different types of bars and/or positions of the bar. Right now, I rotate between low-bar squats performed with a curved bar and high-bar and low-bar squats performed with a standard barbell bar. These three different types of squats all contribute to leg strength and hypertrophy, but the small variations of each exercise reduce the risk of overuse injuries. These variations also make squat training more interesting as I have something different on the program every day.
This approach can take many different forms. You can use different grip widths or foot spacing, different equipment, different ranges of motion or different execution speeds of the repetitions. The list of potential possibilities is almost endless, but the central idea is that you change something about the exercise without changing the fundamental essence of that exercise. If you do this, the benefits will increase and the disadvantages will decrease. So you can only win!
6. give it your all on the last set
Question: This is your last set, so why would you stop just before reaching muscle failure? This is the simplest idea on my list, but also one of the most effective. I have often advised against training to muscle failure, but the exceptions to this are if this is your only set or your last set of an exercise. In both cases, you might as well give it your all. Doing this not only provides superior training stimulus, but also boosts your confidence for future workouts.
If you are currently performing 5 sets of 5 reps on the bench press, you should try to complete more than 5 reps on your last set if possible. Training to muscle failure escalates fatigue, which could affect your performance on subsequent sets, but in this case there are no subsequent sets - so why hold back? No matter what training program you use, you should leave no stone unturned on the last set.
7. time limits
There are a number of ways to implement this simple hack, but regardless of how you do it, better progress in less time will be the result.
You can set a time limit for an entire training session or simply one or more exercises within a training session. I love using what I call "timed single reps" on exercises like power punches and deadlifts. Once you have performed your warm-up sets, perform 10 single reps at around 85 to 90% of your current maximum weight in such a way that you perform one repetition every full minute.
This will focus your mind and often improve your performance. In addition, this approach takes away the fear of a given weight, because how heavy can a weight really be if you can do 10 repetitions in 10 minutes?
As an added modification, I often try to perform my 10 single reps in less than 10 minutes to give myself a head start and boost my confidence for future workouts.
When you first try this method, you'll notice that you don't have enough time to put things off, think of reasons to stop performing the exercise, or overly focus on any fatigue you may feel. One minute is just enough time to take a sip of your workout drink, align the bar, take a deep breath and then perform the next single repetition. If you're short on time, lazy or easily distracted, time limits will become your new best friend.
8 Mandatory and optional exercises
When I set up training programs for my clients, I almost always differentiate between mandatory exercises and optional exercises. The mandatory exercises provide the most value for the effort and even if my client never does the optional exercises, not much is lost.
If you look at any intelligently planned training session, you can almost certainly assume that the earlier an exercise appears in the routine, the more important it is. To implement this idea, all you need to do is draw a horizontal line under the first two or three exercises. Everything above the line is performed, everything else is designated as "maybe".
In my experience, once you have warmed up and performed the mandatory exercises, you will most likely perform the optional exercises as well. But to reiterate, if you don't, that's perfectly fine too. The whole idea is about stress reduction. By reducing the stress of seeing a long list of exercises in front of you, you are much more likely to start exercising. And when you do start exercising, you're much more likely to finish.
9. the 25 method
I've been aware of this and similar methods for a long time, but they've only really become popular in recent years. The concept is simple and effective: you perform 25 repetitions with a given weight in any manner of your choosing.
This could mean anything from 5 x 5 to 10-8-7 to 7-6-5-4-3 - whatever you want. There are a few guidelines regarding the initial choice of weight, and progression strategies, which I'll look at below.
Initial load selection: An initial weight that allows you to perform at least 6 reps on the first set is recommended. I would like to add that a weight that allows more than 10 reps on the first set will probably be too light, but as you will see in a moment, the progression strategy will correct this error over time.
And speaking of progression, it's worth noting that there are at least two possible options. Some recommend increasing the weight by 2 to 3% if the number of repetitions on the first set can be increased by 2 or more. For example, if in a given bench press training session you perform 5 sets of 5 repetitions with a weight of 95 kilos, each subsequent training session in which you can perform 7 or more repetitions on the first set (regardless of what happens on the following sets) requires an increase in weight on the following training session.
Another progression strategy I like is to increase the load when you are able to reduce the total number of sets you need to perform your 25 reps. Let's say your last session of shoulder presses at 70 kilos looked like this: 6-6-5-4-4. If you can perform your 25 reps in 4 sets or less during your next training session, then you've earned an increase in weight for the following session.
There are a number of reasons why I like these methods. The first is that it puts the focus on production rather than how the production comes about.
Secondly, this method makes it necessary for you to earn your weight gains rather than doing them haphazardly. It enforces discipline and maturity - qualities that most of us seem to lose the moment we step into the gym.
Third, no matter what progression strategy you use with this method, you will be forced to use the same weight at least twice before increasing it. In other words, you must first demonstrate increased performance with a given weight before moving on to a more difficult challenge.
From Charles Staley | 10/01/13
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/ways-to-upgrade-your-workout
Here's what you need to know...
- Tension is the key to hypertrophy. Stop being a stickler when it comes to range of motion. Increase the time under tension and grow.
- If you can't feel a muscle working, then isolation training can improve your mind-muscle connection. It will also improve muscle recruitment during multi-joint exercises.
- Stop thinking that anything beyond 3 repetitions is cardio training. Build muscle using wider repetition ranges.
Performance and body appearance
Despite my focus on performance, I also want to look muscular and lean. The same goes for my clients.
I've had the opportunity to work with a lot of great bodybuilders, both amateur and professional. I worked with Amit Sapir for a few years - starting when he was still an amateur and ending when he won his professional license.
I trained Patrick Bernard, an IFBB pro in the 212-pound class, as well as a young female athlete in the figure class who won her class.
You can learn from anyone who trains hard - bodybuilders, powerlifters, athletes, CrossFitters, Olympic weightlifters, etc. If you close your eyes to any training modality, you will miss out on a lot.
Having said that, here are three things I've learned while working with bodybuilders - including conventional rules that need to be broken.
1 - Always use full range of motion
Form is important. Good technique equals better performance. If you're competing in sports like Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman and CrossFit, a repetition that isn't complete or done according to the rules doesn't count.
It was always hard for me to accept half squats, bench press reps that were not done to full extension of the arms and the like. But I've changed my mind.
Why you should break this rule:
Partial reps or "incomplete reps" can be very effective. Here are the reasons why:
- The first guy I ever trained who had over 80 centimeters of thigh circumference was a bodybuilder who always went halfway down on his squats (thighs parallel to the floor) and on some reps he stopped even higher up and yet he still had monstrous thighs! I also noticed that probably the best Olympic weightlifter, Ilya Illyin, performs squats in a similar way. It is also common for Chinese Olympic weightlifters to perform quarter squats or quarter front squats after the primary squat workout has been completed.
- One of my clients, IFBB Pro Patrick Bernard, has amazing triceps, although he never goes through the full range of motion on close grip bench presses, always ending the movement 3 to 5 centimeters above the chest and just before the position with fully extended arms. In dips, he only performs the upper half of the movement and in bench presses he ends the movement 3 to 5 centimeters before the arms are fully extended. He can perform these exercises over the full range of motion without any problems. He bench presses 205 kilos using the competition style, but when he trains he generally only uses half to two-thirds of the range of motion.
- I worked with Alex Raymond for a while and he didn't perform tricep presses through the full range of motion due to an elbow injury. Despite this, triceps were one of his best muscle groups. He also finished the upward movement on shoulder presses before his arms were fully extended and he only lowered the bar or dumbbells to the level of his mouth - but he still had amazing shoulders.
- Some of the guys with the biggest biceps I've ever seen are the ones who only use the middle range of motion on curls and keep the muscle under constant tension.
- Even though Patrick Bernard uses a full range of motion on his squats, he only performs leg presses through a very short range of motion. As a result, he has amazing vastus medialis development.
Partial repetitions are common, if not the norm, in bodybuilding. This was shocking to me at first, but after analyzing this, I realized that for a bodybuilder, the purpose of performing an exercise with weights is simply to put tension on a muscle to make it grow.
It doesn't really matter what the exercise looks like as long as it puts the muscle under optimal load/tension. Bodybuilders have empirically found that performing certain exercises over only a portion of the range of motion is what works best for their goals.
Bodybuilders tend to use relatively high repetition numbers while still relying on fairly heavy weights. This is something that can take its toll on the joints and reducing the range of motion can give the joints a break.
I'm not saying you should start by avoiding a full range of motion execution on every set of every exercise. After all, performing the big basic exercises through full range of motion involves a greater amount of muscle mass and reaching the stretched position increases growth stimulus by activating the mTor pathway.
But if you're focusing on constant tension, it's perfectly fine to train only in the portion of the range of motion that keeps the target muscles under load.
Here are some examples of how you can incorporate partial repetitions into your training:
|
Exercise |
Training range |
Purpose |
|
Bench press |
End the movement a few centimetres before fully extending the arms |
Maintains constant tension on the chest muscles, prevents excessive involvement of the triceps, reduces strain on the elbows |
|
Tight bench press |
2.5 to 5 cm before reaching the chest, until just before full extension of the arms |
Makes working with a narrow grip safer for the shoulders, prevents excessive involvement of the chest |
|
Incline bench press |
2.5 to 5 cm before reaching the chest, up to 2.5 to 5 cm before full extension of the arms |
Maintains constant tension on the chest muscles, prevents excessive strain on the shoulders |
|
Dips |
The shoulders are in the lower position above the elbows |
Allows the triceps to do most of the work while reducing the load on the shoulders |
|
Shoulder press |
Bar/dumbbell no lower than mouth height, up to 2.5 to 5 cm before full extension of the arms |
Keeps constant tension on the deltoids, prevents takeover by the triceps, reduces the load on the shoulders in the lower position |
|
Squats / front squats |
From thighs parallel to the floor to 2.5 to 5 cm before full extension of the legs |
Keeps the quadriceps under constant tension and reduces the involvement of the gluteus and leg extensors |
|
Leg presses |
Push down to just before reaching 90 degrees of knee flexion |
Increases vastus medialis stimulation and reduces stress on the hips and lower back |
|
Curls (biceps) |
From just before full elbow extension to just before reaching maximum contraction |
Keeps the load on the biceps by preventing excessive involvement of the shoulders and trapezius, reduces the load on the elbows |
|
Tricep press |
Go from full flexion to about 3 cm before reaching full extension |
Reduces the load on the elbows, keeps the triceps under constant tension |
|
Romanian deadlift |
Go as far down as possible but only three quarters of the way up |
Keeps the hamstrings under constant tension, reduces the risk of possible lumbar hyperextension |
I would not use partial repetition training exclusively. It's more of a support technique. I certainly wouldn't use it if I wanted to train with heavy weights and low reps as it defeats the purpose of the exercise.
Partial reps are best reserved for training with moderate to high reps (8 to 20). If you decide to use this technique, you should perform at least one exercise for each muscle group through the full range of motion. Train using full range of motion most of the time, but know the value of partial repetitions and don't shy away from using them if they fit your goals.
2 - Don't waste time with isolation exercises
Strength athletes often make fun of isolation exercises. I have done this too. And at the same time, I was someone who extolled the vital importance of a good mind-muscle connection.
This may not seem like a contradiction...until you realize that the best way to improve a lousy mind-muscle connection is to isolate the muscle.
Why you should break this rule:
Learning to feel a muscle will make it easier to stimulate growth. Isolation gives you the ability to feel individual muscles working.
Isolation training can even be used as a tool to improve the recruitment of a muscle so that you can better stimulate it with multi-joint exercises.
If you can't feel a muscle working during an exercise, then you can't stimulate it optimally. The more you can feel a muscle working, the better the recruitment of that muscle and the stronger it will grow.
Simply "thinking" about a muscle while performing an exercise or trying harder to feel the muscle working will not make a difference in most cases. If you can't feel your pecs working during the bench press, then you won't feel them working any better if you think about them.
This is where isolation training can help you. By learning to isolate and contract a muscle while generating maximum tension with that muscle, you will gradually improve your capacity to recruit that muscle. The better you can recruit a muscle, the easier you can integrate it when performing multi-joint exercises.
A few years ago, having just transitioned from Olympic weightlifting to regular strength training/bodybuilding, my shoulder muscles were so dominant that no matter what I did, I couldn't get my pecs to grow. I could bench press 180 kilos but still had a flat chest.
To "reprogram" my pec recruitment, I performed more isolation exercises and pre-fatigue training. It wasn't long before I could feel my chest during every variation of the bench press. My chest was catching up in its development compared to my shoulders and at one point I had to use the same strategy for my shoulder muscles as my chest had become dominant compared to my shoulders!
Sure, it sounds better to preach performing the classic big basic exercises than using isolation exercises. Squats, bench presses, deadlifts, shoulder presses, power thrusts...all of these make you sound hardcore.
But the truth is that any resistance exercise can build muscle mass. Isolation exercises simply do this to a lesser extent because there aren't as many different muscles involved. But if you train them hard, they will work too.
However, the biggest benefit of isolation exercises is still that you can increase your capacity to recruit a lagging muscle, and by increasing this capacity you also improve your chances of optimally stimulating that muscle during the big basic exercises.
Isolation training is motor learning - learning to maximally recruit and contract a muscle. Even though most of your training should revolve around the big basic exercises, isolation may be necessary to solve a problem with muscle groups that are lagging behind in their development.
In this case, isolation training on its own or as part of a pre-fatigue superset (where the isolation exercise is performed before the multi-joint exercise) can help solve the problem by increasing your capacity to recruit a muscle and optimally integrate it into a large multi-joint exercise.
3 - To get stronger, keep the reps low
I love low reps. If we were training based on what we enjoy, I would never do more than 3 reps per set, while most of my training would consist of single reps and sets of 2 reps. And I did indeed do this for quite a long time.
Pure strength athletes tend to stick to low reps (1 to 5) in their workouts. Sometimes you might go up to 6 to 8 reps, but that's usually with isolation training. Bodybuilders, on the other hand, will use any repetition range to stimulate growth - low (1 to 5), moderate (6 to 10), high (12 to 20) and even very high (more than 20).
Why you should break this rule:
Strength athletes who are so focused on simply moving heavier and heavier weights are depriving themselves of some potential gains. Because while it's true that the nervous system is the key factor when it comes to strength, it's ultimately the muscles that move the weight.
And all else being equal, the more muscle you have, the stronger you will be.
An increase in strength in the lower repetition range (say 2 to 5 reps), will also transfer to the maximum weight for a repetition (1RM weight) and make you generally stronger than an increase in strength in a higher repetition range (8 to 12 reps). But if you get stronger in each repetition range, then you will be stronger overall.
Bodybuilders understood a long time ago that, provided they work hard, they can make any muscle grow with pretty much any type of repetition range. If you train consistently and try to get progressively stronger in the repetition ranges you use, then your muscles will grow regardless of whether you do 3 reps or 20 reps.
When I incorporated a slightly higher repetition range (5 to 10) into my training, I built more muscle faster. Now that I'm looking to build some muscle mass again after some medical issues, I've incorporated some work in the higher repetition range (up to 10 reps, even on the big multi-joint exercises) into my training and I'm noticing a difference in terms of growth.
And if I only train heavy once a week, I'm still getting stronger, even though I'm doing less "pure strength training".
A good approach could look something like this:
Week 1-3
- Day 1: Pull training session, sets of 10 repetitions
- Day 2: Push training session, sets of 10 repetitions
- Day 3: Leg training session, sets of 10 repetitions
- Day 4: test * (1 leg, 1 pull, 1 push), sets of 3 repetitions
Week 4-6
- Day 1: Pull training session, sets of 6 repetitions
- Day 2: Push training session, sets of 6 repetitions
- Day 3: Leg training session, sets of 6 repetitions
- Day 4: test * (1 leg, 1 push, 1 pull), sets of 2 repetitions
Week 7-9
- Day 1: Pull training session, sets of 3 repetitions
- Day 2: Push training session, sets of 3 repetitions
- Day 3: Leg training session, sets of 3 repetitions
- Day 4: test * (1 leg, 1 push, 1 pull), sets of 1 repetition each
* Day 4 of each week is a "test" day where you perform a heavy set to make sure you don't lose the feel for using near-maximal weights. For example, over the course of 5 to 6 sets, work your way up to your 3RM weight on front squats (legs), bench presses (press) and deadlifts (pull).
Bodybuilders will often use even wider repetition ranges, but the above represents an excellent compromise for goals that are both performance-based and aesthetically based. It will help you get stronger while building more muscle.
By Christian Thibaudeau | 07/07/14
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/break-3-rules-build-more-muscle
Here's what you need to know...
- If you're a strength athlete, walking is the easiest and most useful way to improve your body composition without compromising your performance or gains.
- Walk 3 to 6 hours a week to burn fat and increase your work capacity. Use an incline and never hold on to the treadmill handles.
- Walk 4 to 10 times a week. Aim to burn 300 kcal if you are a beginner. A little more advanced? Aim to burn 400 kcal. And also aim for 500 kcal if you are advanced.
The perfect counterpart to training with weights
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become a staple of conditioning. But what about another simple but highly effective fat-burning activity - walking at a consistent intensity?
The fact is, for the typical strength athlete who is muscular, trains regularly with weights and wants to get a little more defined, walking is a perfect complement to a rigorous weight training program.
10 benefits of walking
1. it does not increase training stress
Unlike metabolic conditioning or HIIT, walking places very little training stress on the body. However, if you combine more intense cardio training with several days of weight training each week, the body can quickly enter a state of overtraining.
It is difficult to overtrain by walking. It does not accumulate much stress, so you can walk for a long time. Leg dermatitis might be the biggest concern, but as long as you pay attention to the incline, don't keep the volume extremely high and wear sensible shoes, you shouldn't have any problems.
2. walking is restorative and could aid training recovery
You will feel better, not worse, after walking and the effects are immediate. Walking increases blood flow, which will help you recover from injuries and heavy workouts.
Some say that walking has a slight positive effect on the nerves in the spine, which helps the nerves to adjust optimally so that they can transmit their electrical impulses ideally. Have you ever heard someone say that walking helps to relieve sore muscles and that previously stiff muscles feel better afterwards? Now you know why.
3. it burns a lot of fat and almost no muscle
Walking is a low-intensity workout, which means it burns a higher percentage of fat. Of course, you won't burn much fat if you walk for 10 minutes, but if you walk briskly on a treadmill with some incline for 4 to 8 hours a week, you will burn a significant amount of fat.
The fact that it doesn't harm the muscles is probably the biggest aesthetic benefit for bodybuilders. High-intensity training, especially cardio training, uses glucose as an energy source. Normally this is not a cause for concern as the body can use its glycogen stores (stored carbohydrates) to provide glucose.
However, if you follow a calorie-restricted diet and exercise with weights, glycogen stores can be depleted more easily. If you also add intense cardio training, the body will release cortisol to help convert amino acids into glucose, which can then be used as an energy source.
These amino acids can come from your hard-earned muscle tissue.
This is certainly a problem for a strength athlete, because whatever form of energy stores you have, your body will burn more of the specific energy that you have the largest stores of. Most people have considerable amounts of body fat and the body burns this fat quickly as soon as they become physically active.
However, a muscular and moderately lean person will have more muscle than fat. The body will see muscle as "excess energy storage" and will prefer to burn this muscle to meet its calorie needs for exercise.
4. it does not cause muscle fiber conversion
Walking stimulates type I muscle fibers and motor units and not type II muscle fibers and motor units. HIIT training may stimulate type II muscle fibers, but it tends to convert these fibers into muscle fibers with medium strength and better aerobic capabilities (type IIa) instead of stronger, larger and more powerful muscle fibers (type IIb or IIX).
A 30 second interval may seem short for a cardio workout, but it is long for someone focused on strength and power and the body will adapt accordingly.
5. it can build aerobic fitness and work capacity
Trunk walking won't turn you into a marathon runner, but it will build VO2 max.
Walking at a speed of 6 km/h on a treadmill with the incline set - without holding on to the handles - is not as easy as it may seem. If done regularly, it can often push a more muscular man's VO2 max into the 50+ range, which is usually ideal for weight-trained individuals performing demanding weight training sessions.
In terms of work capacity, a fit person should be able to exercise at a moderate pace for a long period of time. Walking helps to build this ability.
One criticism that is often made is that strength athletes often only train their phosphagen energy system (short duration, high intensity) and nothing else. In other words, this means that if these people have to work continuously over a longer period of time, they will not be able to cope. Walking takes care of this problem.
6. alleviating stress
Walking can be a great way to calm down, collect your thoughts, think about your problems (or escape them) or talk to other people. The truth is that walking usually makes you feel better and life looks better again.
7 It's functional
The term "functional" can have different meanings, but one meaning is that something mimics or enhances activities of daily living. Walking could be by far the most functional activity a person can do, as getting around is crucial for human survival.
8. it puts minimal strain on the body and it's hard to do it wrong
Walking is easy and puts minimal strain on the body and even if you suffer from tender knees or back pain, walking should not exacerbate these conditions. It might even help to alleviate these problems.
The biggest mistake you can make on the treadmill is to hold on to the handles of the treadmill, especially if you are walking uphill.
If you hold on to the handles and lean back, you effectively eliminate the incline because your body is then back at a right angle to the running surface - which is exactly what happens when you run on a straight track with no incline.
9 It's better for strength athletes than running or racing
There are benefits to running or jogging, but strength athletes are often better off avoiding them. Many strength athletes find that their strength and explosiveness diminish when they go jogging regularly. And the heavier you are, the more strain running puts on your body. In this context, I would like to point out that I am not talking about sprints here.
10 It works fast
The theory behind cardio on an empty stomach is that the body only has small amounts of carbohydrates and will use fat as an energy source. I agree with this premise and walking is the perfect form of exercise to achieve this.
The point where people mess this up is when they try to perform HIIT cardio in a fasted state, which isn't particularly smart as they will burn a lot of muscle - always assuming they have a useful amount of muscle mass in the first place.
The only downside
Walking is time consuming. To burn fat, I would recommend three hours of walking a week as an absolute minimum, with six hours being ideal.
You won't be able to read while walking at the pace I recommend. But watching TV, chatting or listening to music, podcasts or audio books is a good way to pass the time.
Most people spend more than 3 to 6 hours a week in front of the TV. You can just as easily watch TV on a treadmill and get slim at the same time.
When should you walk?
Timing is super important when it comes to walking. If you just want to be fitter and healthier, then you can walk whenever you want. The total duration doesn't even have to be continuous at a stretch. If you want to burn fat, then the best time to walk is in the morning before breakfast.
The second best time to walk is right after a hard training session with weights - resistance training will burn a large amount of glycogen, so your body will have to resort to body fat when you walk afterwards - and the third best time is any other time.
What should you do?
Walk briskly. Combine this with occasional inclines. Walk for a reasonable amount of time. An incline is an excellent way to increase the amount of calories you burn. Find a level on the treadmill where you burn 8 to 10 kcal per minute. Since you are only walking, any muscle catabolism will be minimal.
You should be able to complete the training session in one go without stopping. If you can't do this, then the resistance is probably too high.
Walk for 30 minutes or longer for cardiovascular benefits and an increase in calorie expenditure. Certainly walking a mile (about 15 minutes) is better than nothing, but it's the 3, 4 or 5 miles that will really burn some fat, which is especially the case if you do this regularly.
What you should keep in mind
- Most strength athletes can do the beginner program without any problems.
- The slightly advanced program is best for the majority of strength athletes.
- The advanced program is a good program to work your way up to - especially if you weigh less than 90 kilos.
- It is much better to start with a program that is a little easier and then work your way up than to start with a program that is too hard. You should not even come close to exhaustion with these training programs. If this happens anyway, then you have started with a program that is too intense.
- Do not start in the middle of a program. Start at the beginning of the program even if you think it is too easy. If you fail week 1 of the beginner program, look in the mirror, declare yourself unfit and move your butt!
- The recommended training frequency is four times a week. If you want to go more often, you can simply repeat one of the days that week - whichever one you want.
- Note that there are often slight changes in speed, incline or time. So take a close look at the training sessions and follow the program. Small changes will add up to significant changes over time.
- Never hold on to the treadmill - never.
- Warming up is generally not necessary, but if you feel you should warm up, then do so.
- This program is designed for a treadmill, so I can give precise recommendations on speed and incline and you don't have to worry about the weather.
- Walking outside is great, but the big downside is that there are no controlled inclines, which is especially true if you live in flat country. You can compensate for this by walking with a 5 to 20 kilo weight vest or a suitably heavy backpack to increase the level of difficulty.
Choose your level
- Beginner: Have trouble walking at 5.3 km/h (3.5 mph) on a 5% incline for 45 minutes.
- Intermediate: Have trouble walking at 6.5 km/h (4 mph) on a 5% incline for 45 minutes, but can successfully complete the beginner program.
- Advanced: Can walk at 6.5 km/h (4 mph) on a 5% incline for 45 minutes.
Note: This program should be read as follows: km/h @ incline in percent for X minutes. 5.3 @ 4% 40' means 5.3 km/h at 4% incline for 40 minutes.
Beginner training program
|
|
Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
|
Week 1 |
4,8@1% 30' |
4,8@1% 30' |
4,8@1% 30' |
4,8@1% 30' |
|
Week 2 |
5@1% 33' |
5@1.5% 33' |
5@1% 33' |
5,1@1% 33' |
|
week 3 |
5,1@1.5% 35' |
5,1@2% 35' |
5,1@1.5% 35' |
5,2@1.5% 35' |
|
Week 4 |
5,2@1.5% 37' |
5,2@2.5% 37' |
5,2@1.5% 37' |
5,4@1.5% 37' |
|
Week 5 |
5,4@2% 39' |
5,4@3% 39' |
5,4@2% 39' |
5,6@2% 39' |
|
Week 6 |
5,6@2% 41' |
5,6@3.5% 41' |
5,6@2% 41' |
5,8@2% 41' |
|
Week 7 |
5,8@2% 43' |
5,6@4% 43' |
5,8@2% 43' |
5,9@2% 43' |
|
Week 8 |
5,9@2% 45' |
5,6@4.5% 45' |
5,9@2% 45' |
6,1@2% 45' |
Week 9 and after: Move on to the more advanced program.
Do cardio training at least four times a week and a maximum of six times a week. It is okay to do two cardio workouts in one day for a maximum of 6 workouts per week if needed.
Try to burn at least 300 kcal in each cardio session if you choose not to walk.
Training program for the slightly more advanced
|
|
Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
|
Week 1 |
5,6@2% 35' |
5,6@2% 35' |
5,6@2% 35' |
5,8@2% 35' |
|
Week 2 |
5,8@2.5% 37' |
5,8@3% 37' |
5,8@2.5% 37' |
5,9@2.5% 37' |
|
Week 3 |
5,9@3% 40' |
5,8@4% 40' |
5,9@3% 40' |
6,1@3% 40' |
|
Week 4 |
6,1@3% 42' |
5,8@5% 42' |
6,1@3% 42' |
6,2@3% 42' |
|
Week 5 |
6,2@3% 44' |
5,8@6% 44' |
6,2@3% 44' |
6,4@3% 44' |
|
Week 6 |
6,4@3% 45' |
5,8@7% 45' |
6,4@3% 45' |
6,6@3% 45' |
|
Week 7 |
6,6@3% 45'+ |
5,8@8% 45'+ |
6,6@3% 45'+ |
6,7@3% 45'+ |
|
Week 8 |
6,7@3% 45'+ |
5,8@9% 45'+ |
6,7@3% 45'+ |
6,9@3% 45'+ |
Week 9 and after: Switch to the advanced training program.
Perform cardio training at least four times a week and a maximum of eight times a week. If necessary, it is okay to do two cardio workouts in one day for a maximum of eight workouts per week.
Try to burn at least 400 kcal in each cardio session if you choose not to walk.
Advanced training program
|
|
Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
|
Week 1 |
6,7@2% 35' |
6,4@5% 35' |
6,7@2% 35' |
6,9@2% 35' |
|
Week 2 |
6,7@2.5% 38' |
6,4@6% 38' |
6,7@2.5% 38' |
7@2% 38' |
|
Week 3 |
6,9@3% 41' |
6,4@7% 41' |
6,9@3% 41' |
7,2@2% 41' |
|
Week 4 |
6,9@3.5% 43' |
6,4@8% 43' |
6,9@3.5% 43' |
4.6@2% 43' |
|
Week 5 |
7@4% 45' |
6,4@9% 45' |
7@4% 45' |
4.6@2% 45' |
|
Week 6 |
7@4% 45'+ |
6,4@10% 45'+ |
6,4@4% 45'+ |
4.6@2% 45'+ |
|
Week 7 |
7,2@4.5% 45'+ |
6,4@11% 45'+ |
7,2@4.5% 45'+ |
7@2% 45'+ |
|
Week 8 |
7,2@5% 45'+ |
6,4@12% 45'+ |
7,2@5% 45'+ |
7@2% 45'+ |
Do cardio training at least four times a week and a maximum of ten times a week. If necessary, it is okay to do two cardio workouts in one day with a maximum of ten workouts per week.
Try to burn at least 500 kcal in each cardio session if you choose not to walk.
Conclusion
Fashionable energy system workouts and complex lactate workouts are fun and definitely effective, but they are not essential if you want to get in good shape. The fact is, if you want to get lean, you need to look no further than your legs. Walk, train with weights and the slimness will come.
By Tim Henriques | 08/31/11
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/get-ripped-get-walking
An advanced full body workout plan
Here's what you need to know...
- Three things cause muscle growth: mechanical tension, metabolic stress and muscle damage. You need all three to build muscle optimally.
- Perform only three major multi-joint exercises per training session. For each exercise, you will perform strength-focused work (5 x 5), mass-focused work (4 x 10) and pump training (3 x 20). During the second half of the plan, you will change the set/repetition scheme to train heavier.
- This is a 4 week program split into two week cycles. It can be done again after an off-load week.
The 3 mechanisms of muscle growth
Three things cause muscle growth. The problem is that most people leave at least one of these out, leading to slow gains and frustration.
To maximize muscle growth, the three key mechanisms that set the stage for hypertrophy are: mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and what most people would call "muscle damage". If you really want to build muscle, then you need to stimulate all three mechanisms.
Progressive full body training - an overview:
This training plan takes care of all three muscle growth mechanisms on every single training day.
- You will train the whole body in every training session. Each day will include one lower body exercise, one upper body press exercise and one upper body pull exercise. You will therefore only perform three exercises per training session.
- For each exercise, you will use three different repetition ranges to fully exhaust the motor units you are targeting. For example, with squats you will use 5 x 5 for pure strength, 4 x 10 for hypertrophy and then 3 x 20 as pump training. This will cover all three mechanisms of muscle growth.
- For each exercise, you will perform all the heavy strength sets first. So you will do 5 x 5 (5 sets of 5 reps) for the lower body exercise, then for the upper body push exercise and finally for the upper body pull exercise.
- During the next round, you will perform 4 x 10 for the same exercises, completing all four sets before moving on to the next exercise.
- During the last round, you will perform 3 x 20 for all three exercises.
For each round, the weight will be reduced to use the appropriate higher repetition ranges. This ensures that the muscles targeted in each workout session experience sufficient tension, metabolic stress and structural damage - all combined with ample volume to induce maximum muscle growth.
Yes, this is tough, but keep in mind that this program is intended as short-term hypertrophy intensive training. In addition to this, you will have a non-training day after each training session as you only train every other day. Obviously, your diet, recovery and training nutrition must fit.
The exercises
Day 1
- A1 - Squats (classic squats, box squats or front squats)
- A2 - Incline bench press (dumbbells, barbell, wide grip or close grip)
- A3 - Pull-ups (regular grip, neutral grip or wide grip)
Day 2
- A1 - Deadlift (conventional, trap bar or sumo)
- A2 - Flat bench press (barbell, dumbbells or floor press)
- A3 - Inverted Row (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G28qN9FCKE)
Day 3
- A1 - Reverse lunges (barbell front squat or dumbbells)
- A2 - Overhead press (barbell, dumbbells or landmine press(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G28qN9FCKE))
- A3 - Pull-ups (regular, close grip or rings)
Split cycle
The weeks are split into two phases to ensure that you use progressively heavier weights over the course of the four weeks.
Week 1-2
|
|
Exercise |
Sets |
|
|
A1 |
Squats |
5, 4, 3 |
5, 10, 20 |
|
A2 |
Incline bench press |
5, 4, 3 |
5, 10, 20 |
|
A3 |
Pull-ups |
5, 4, 3 |
5, 10, 20 |
Remember that you perform 5 sets of 5 repetitions of squats, then 5 sets of 5 repetitions of incline bench presses and then 5 sets of 5 repetitions of pull-ups. Then repeat the sequence with the last repetition pattern (4 x 10) and finally with the last repetition pattern (3 x 20).
Week 3-4
|
|
Exercise |
Sets |
|
|
A1 |
Squats |
6, 4, 3 |
3, 8, 15 |
|
A2 |
Incline bench press |
6, 4, 3 |
3, 8, 15 |
|
A3 |
Pull-ups |
6, 4, 3 |
3, 8, 15 |
Now we will change the set and repetition ranges. First, perform 6 sets of 3 repetitions for exercises A1, A2 and A3. This is followed by 4 sets of 8 repetitions for each exercise. Complete the training session with 3 sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise.
How long can you use this program?
The four-week cycle can be performed twice for a total duration of 8 weeks.
Unload for one week after the first four week cycle. Also, choose other exercises for the second four-week cycle, such as front squats instead of classic squats. After 8 weeks, it is advisable to switch to a more traditional approach for at least 6 to 8 weeks before doing another round of this plan.
By Kyle Arsenault | 09/18/15
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/how-to-trigger-size-gains-every-workout
