Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can improve fitness surprisingly quickly. Studies in which HIIT training was performed on an ergometer found improvements in fitness after two weeks that would normally take six months to achieve.
Paul Falcone and colleagues from the Muscle-Pharm Sports Science Institute in Denver found that calorie expenditure was higher during HIIT training performed on a hydraulic weight machine compared to workouts of equal duration that included either endurance training or strength training. The HIIT program included repeated intervals on a hydraulic weight machine for 20 seconds at maximum effort, followed by 40 seconds of rest. All workouts were 30 minutes in length.
HIIT resistance training programs can simultaneously increase strength and endurance.
(Journal Strength and Conditioning Research, published online in January 2015)
For beginners training with weights, most studies show that one set is just as effective as multiple sets for increasing strength and power. However, this is highly controversial. Critics say that most of these studies were poorly controlled and not enough attention was paid to the intensity of the training programs. For maximum training performance, the Gods Rage series and GodMode are recommended.
A Brazilian study using untrained young men as subjects found that five sets per exercise with weights during a six-month training program was superior to one set and three sets on several measures of strength. However, at the beginning of the study, the group performing 5 sets was significantly stronger than the other groups, even though the subjects were randomly assigned to the groups.
Training studies are inherently difficult for scientists. When estimating the practical significance of training studies, we must consider factors such as the training levels of the subjects, unintentional bias in the study design, and monitoring of the training sessions
(Journal Strength Conditioning Research, published online in January 2015)
Testosterone is crucial for muscle hypertrophy and the effects of training. Muscle protein synthesis increases after training with weights. The extent of this process depends on the presence of anabolic hormones, training status, the intensity of the training session and the presence of nutrients such as protein and key amino acids such as leucine. Testosterone levels vary throughout the day. They are higher in the morning and continue to decline progressively throughout the day until bedtime.
A study conducted in Malaysia found that average daily testosterone levels were higher after training with weights throughout the day. The increases in testosterone levels after weight training were similar regardless of the time of day.
(Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 29: 151 - 158, 2015)
Recovery, regeneration and optimal support with supplements and food concentrates
are crucial for muscle growth.....
Training is often referred to as the cause of muscle growth, but a closer
look reveals that training only damages the muscle fibers. The subsequent
recovery and optimal nutrition ensure growth. The body merely reacts to the
demands placed on it. This means that the breakdown and build-up of muscle protein and muscle fibers
is an alternating process. If you understand this cycle, you can maximize
muscle growth. This includes the targeted minimization of muscle damage and the
maximization of regeneration. The following recovery methods should help you to
optimize muscle growth. Stick to these methods and you will soon
see increased strength and muscle mass.
1) Glutamine after getting up
During the night (increasingly during the "wake-up process"), the body releases the hormone
cortisol, among other things. Although cortisol has important functions in the body, it is rather disadvantageous for bodybuilders
as it breaks down muscle protein. This reaction can be counteracted by taking
glutamine immediately after getting up. Glutamine is an amino acid that supports
muscle building in various ways. Firstly, it is an important source of energy
for the digestive and immune systems. When the body is in a catabolic (= muscle breakdown)
metabolic state, muscle tissue is broken down. This can be avoided by taking glutamine in the morning
.
We recommend 5 grams of glutamine immediately after getting up.
2) Protein-rich breakfast with carbohydrates
After getting up, the body needs a complete meal that contains all nutrients.
In addition to your normal breakfast, you should have a protein drink - preferably whey protein
. Whey protein is a very quickly available protein and can be available to the muscles (in amino acid form) after just 20-30 minutes
. If no whey protein is available
, the following protein sources are interesting: eggs, low-fat quark or cottage cheese!
A bowl of oatmeal is also recommended. Oatmeal is ideal because it provides
complex carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed by the body. This has several
advantages:
1) Long-term energy and therefore longer-term regeneration!
2) No signs of fatigue or loss of performance due to low blood sugar levels, as is the case when
consuming quickly available carbohydrates in the morning!
We recommend a breakfast consisting of 60 grams of carbohydrates and 60 grams of protein.
3) Take a carbohydrate/protein supplement before training
A protein shake before training is one of the most important things to promote muscle growth
. It provides the body with the necessary amino acids before training, which is very important for
muscle growth. If the muscles do not have enough carbohydrates stored
(in the form of glycogen), you may lose muscle mass. Furthermore,
carbohydrates stimulate the release of insulin, which provides a very anabolic boost. It is important
that the drink contains the right ingredients and is consumed at the right time.
We recommend a mixture of low-glycemic carbohydrates (e.g. banana or
oatmeal) together with an easily digestible protein source.
We recommend a combination of 40 grams of carbohydrates and 40 grams of protein 1 hour before training!
4) Substances to improve muscle volume
In addition to carbohydrates & protein supplements before training, you should also consume glutamine,
creatine and plenty of water to ensure hydration of the body and muscle cells
. Glutamine and creatine transport and store water in the muscles. As the
functional mechanism is different for both substances, the muscles can
still absorb water using glutamine even if the water storage by creatine has already been fully
exhausted. Theoretically, this means further stretching of the fascia sheath of the
muscles, which in turn supports muscle growth. Drinking plenty of water
before training (approx. 1 liter 90 minutes before training) can also improve blood volume and the pump in the
muscles.
We recommend taking 3-5gr creatine, 5gr glutamine and a liter of water 90min before training
!
5) Consume a carbohydrate/protein shake after training
Immediately after training, you should consume a mixture of high-glycemic carbohydrates
and easily digestible protein. Similar to the drink before training,
this mixture serves to immediately supply the muscles with amino acids. Immediately after
training, the enzyme activity in the muscles is higher than at any other time of the day! It is therefore
very important to supply the muscle directly with quickly digestible carbohydrates such as dextrose,
maltodextrin, Vitargo, amylopectin or other waxy maize starch. These
forms of carbohydrate are very highly glycemic, i.e. they are absorbed very quickly and
suppress cortisol production, which inevitably occurs after training.
We recommend 30 grams of whey protein and 40 grams of easily digestible carbohydrates.
6) The post-workout drink should contain creatine.
After training, it is important to supply the body with creatine again. This has 2 main advantages
:
1) The muscles absorb the creatine more effectively and quickly after training
2) Creatine absorption is optimized by the insulin increase due to the carbohydrate/
protein intake.
The bottom line is that creatine is absorbed much better and can be transported into the muscles
.
We recommend 3 grams of creatine together with the carbohydrate/protein shake!
7) After training you should supplement with insulin mimetics!
Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the body! On the one hand, it promotes the introduction of
nutrients (e.g. protein, carbohydrates, glutamine or creatine) into the muscle cell. On the other
hand, numerous anabolic processes within the muscle cells are stimulated by insulin. The
more insulin is produced by the pancreas after training, the better for
muscle building. The release of insulin is effectively stimulated by fenugreek, ALA or taurine.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of insulin is improved. This product also improves the
absorption of creatine, glucose and amino acids.
We recommend 300- 600mg Fenugreek, 1000mg ALA or 3gr taurine!
8 ) The post-workout drink should contain HMB or leucine
HMB is a metabolic product of the amino acid L-leucine. Leucine in turn can counteract the
training-related breakdown of muscle cells and repair damaged muscle cells
. Despite these positive effects, we haven't heard much about HMB in recent years
why is that? The reason is that HMB only works in high doses, which most
ambitious athletes do not take! HMB only works from 3gr per day. If this is too
expensive for you, supplement with leucine.
We recommend 4gr HMB or 4gr leucine immediately after training!
9) Take antioxidants
After training you should also take your daily load of antioxidants to minimize
muscle damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize the free
radicals and thus reduce damage to the cell membranes, which can slow down regeneration after
training. At the same time, free radicals also have a negative effect on
hormone production, which can also be offset by taking antioxidants
.
We recommend 400 I.U vitamin E or 500mg vitamin C!
10) Have a protein shake before going to bed
During the night, the body starts to break down muscle protein in order to burn it as a source of energy
. This is why you should have a protein shake
before going to bed, especially during the build-up phase. In this case, a 4-component protein with a high casein content
or pure casein is recommended. Because casein is metabolized very slowly by the body, it provides a long
time supply of amino acids that continuously nourish the body.
We recommend 30 grams of protein powder in the form of 4-component protein, micellar casein or
casein caseinate. It is best to combine this with an easily digestible protein source (e.g. quark)
.
Each step helps your body to recover from hard training sessions and build
muscle mass. At the same time, this is not financially affordable or time
feasible for everyone. Even if not all recommendations can be implemented, it makes sense to integrate at least a
few recommendations into your daily routine. Especially for those who have problems building
muscle mass, it is particularly important to increase your protein intake, especially before and
after your training session.
Pay attention to your body's signals and concentrate on regeneration. You
will be amazed at how much difference this can make in terms of body strength gain and
muscle gain!
Many strength athletes follow the general recommendation to drink a protein shake after training
.
A great recommendation!
It is clear that after training, the muscles have been damaged by the "training work"
. Now it is a matter of repairing these damaged muscles with protein
and here the body needs the "building material" protein! In addition, you can
refine your post-workout shake with fast-digesting carbohydrates and creatine
as these are utilized more effectively after training.
However, these recommendation(s) are only half the battle when it comes to effective
muscle building. The time before training is at least as important. If you
consume the right foods or food supplements before training
, you will have more motivation and strength during training. This
allows you to train much harder and build muscle mass even better.
In addition, with the right supplementation before training you can initiate an "anabolic phase",
i.e. a muscle-building phase. This also ensures improved
regeneration.....
Basically, the time before training (pre-workout phase) consists of two phases:
Phase 1: 1 - 2 hours before training
Phase 2: 15 - 30 minutes before training
The first phase should be a solid meal. The second phase is the supplementary phase, in
which the motivation to train should be increased.
Phase 1 (1 - 2 hours before training)
1) Consume slowly digestible carbohydrates!
To ensure a longer-lasting source of energy, you should consume slowly digestible carbohydrates 1 - 2 hours before training
. Slowly digestible carbohydrates
prevent a rapid drop in energy levels or blood sugar levels and thus provide
a long-term source of energy before training! Quickly digestible carbohydrates are
rather out of place here, as they provide quick energy - but your blood sugar level will be in the "cellar" by the middle of the workout
at the latest and you will lose your energy reserves.
As a result, you will naturally have less strength and therefore less motivation.
The following carbohydrate sources are particularly suitable for phase 1:
- brown rice
- long grain rice
- wholegrain pasta
- oat flakes
These slowly digestible carbohydrates naturally take a while to provide energy
. You should therefore give your body enough time to utilize them! If
you get hungry quickly, you should eat them at least 1 hour before training.
For everyone else, the rule is 2 hours before training!
2) Eat fruit!
Fruit is an excellent source of energy before training! As fruit contains (almost) only
fructose, the body has to produce little to no insulin to absorb this
energy source. A low insulin level has the advantage that the
body can burn fat better during training. In addition, a piece of fruit can be a good
"jump start" for before training, which also provides vitamins!
The following types of fruit are particularly suitable:
- apples
- pears
- oranges
- bananas
3) Consume protein!
Of course, no meal is complete without protein! The amino acids contained in
protein are particularly important in the pre-workout phase, as they ensure a positive
nitrogen balance during training. A positive nitrogen balance ensures that protein synthesis is maximally
stimulated; and the better the protein synthesis, the better you build muscle mass!
The following protein sources are ideal for phase 1
- chicken
- turkey
- egg white
- tuna
- skimmed milk
For people who are pressed for time, a protein shake is of course also suitable for before
training to supply the muscles with the necessary amino acids!
Basically, you should consume 20 - 40 grams of protein in solid (food) or liquid (protein shake /
skimmed milk) form 1 - 2 hours before training!
Phase 2 (30 - 45min before training)
If you have eaten your pre-workout meal 2 hours before training,
you can assume that part of it has already entered your bloodstream. Now it's time to
increase your desire to train.
For this you need supplements such as
- Caffeine (100 - 400mg)
- L- Arginine (4 - 6gr)
- Creatine (2 - 4gr)
- Beta Alanine (3 - 6gr)
- L- Tyrosine (1 - 3gr)
For people who want to go "harder", they should of course use ready-made
training boosters. These contain all the ingredients that are guaranteed to improve your training motivation
!
However, training boosters are also an individual sensation. That's why not every
training booster works the same for everyone. In other words, just because your training partner thinks a training booster
is "good" does not necessarily mean that you will also think it is "good". The rule here is
"The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
