Training
Bench presses with an underhand/reverse grip (palms facing the head) train the lateral and middle head of the triceps - the middle area of the resistance curve. With free bench presses with reverse grip, you will find it difficult to hold the bar throughout the movement. You'll end up focusing too much on just moving the weight - continuously trying to stabilize the weight instead of loading your triceps.
The solution? The multi press. Yes, really. Give the multi press a shot and you won't have to worry about stabilizing the weight, which is a good thing for this application. You'll be able to keep your elbows close to your body and overload your triceps tremendously - especially in the eccentric (lowering) part of the movement.
You should pay attention to the following:
- Don't move the bar all the way down to your chest. Finish the downward movement slightly above the chest to ensure that your triceps are continuously under tension.
- After a few warm-up sets, perform 3 to 4 heavy sets of 6 to 8 repetitions.
Tip: Be careful when reducing your calories
Is your HEC under control? It better be. Here's the explanation why.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-be-careful-cutting-calories
By Dr. Jade Teta
Anyone who says that calories don't matter has absolutely no credibility. And anyone who says that calories are all that matter is even more untrustworthy.
If you only focus on calories, then you can get into trouble. When you reduce calories, you usually see some short-term benefits. These initial results can be tempting. But think of it like a metabolic credit card. You get short-term benefits, but there are long-term penalties that you have to pay later. Hunger, Energy and Cravings (HEC for short) is your key to working with, rather than against, your metabolism.
If your HEC is in the green zone, then your metabolic system is in balance. And if this is the case, then you are more likely to achieve a calorie deficit without even consciously trying. So it's not about throwing your calories out the window - it's about balancing your metabolism first and then taking care of the calories when needed.
The quality of calories matters - and not just the calories
Certain calories affect the HEC in different ways. A donut and a chicken breast both have 250 kcal, but which of these will make it more likely that your HEC will be in balance?
And yes, studies have shown that replacing carbohydrates with the same amount of protein leads to greater fat loss, better maintenance of muscle mass and less likelihood of weight gain.
Tip: Never do sit-ups with twists
Stop doing them. You're just begging for trouble. Here's the reasoning
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-never-do-twisting-sit-ups
By: Clay Hyght, DC
Many people perform sit-ups or crunches with twists to work both the rectus abdominus (the six-pack) and the side abs. Killing two birds with one stone? Makes sense, of course, but there's a problem.
When you do sit-ups or crunches through the full range of motion, your lower back doesn't stay flat on the floor - your lumbar spine rounds forward, which is called flexion. The problem is that spinal flexion puts a lot of pressure on the intervertebral discs. But there is a specific movement that is even more dangerous for the discs than flexion: flexion combined with rotation. Unfortunately, this is exactly the movement you perform when you do sit-ups or crunches with rotation.
Flexion with rotation puts posteolateral (backward and sideways) pressure on the nucleus pulposus - the gel-like inner part - of the discs, which is exactly the kind of stress that tends to cause herniated discs. Unless you want to herniate a disc - and experience the numbness, tingling and killer pain that comes with it - you should avoid twisting sit-ups and any other movement that combines spinal flexion with rotation.
Tip: Substitute side bends for lateral abdominals
There is a better option. Find out which one.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-replace-the-abdominal-side-bend
By Dr. John Rusin
It's easy to go wrong with standing side crunches for side abs, which is why this exercise can easily become a risky component of a core workout program. The average gym-goer has no idea what a neutral spine position entails, let alone being able to use an acute range of motion that targets the deep-seated abdominal muscles.
Before we start increasing the weights and working towards disc trauma repetition after repetition, shouldn't we master the basics first?
Master the isolated hold first
If you want to perform side bends, you should make sure that you only load unilaterally, which means that you only hold a dumbbell in one hand and not in both (as you have probably seen many times before).
Keep your hips and knees aligned with your spine, contract your core and activate all the muscles around it to prevent your core from bending to the side. Only when you have mastered this isolated hold with flawless technique and form can you dare to try side bends.
The alternative: Tempo side plank crunches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-2bw3DsS2Y
Tempo side plank crunches can produce a lot of tension without any real weight: During side planks, the muscles of the core - including the lateral obliques and transverse abdominis - are activated to stabilize the spine. The other primary stabilizer - the gluteus medius - is activated to connect the hips and abdominal region.
Hold this position using a strong and maximum muscle contraction for 20 seconds while consciously tensing the muscles to the maximum.
After you have earned the right to progress this exercise, you can incorporate precise crunches to the side with a slow lowering of your lower hips to the floor and an explosive side bend back to the neutral position.
Tip: Simplify your deadlift
Everything you need to know about the deadlift in one sentence. Really.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-simplify-the-deadlift
By: Mark Rippetoe
Deadlift the most basic and obvious exercise in barbell training - the exercise with the greatest carryover to movements in daily life and the easiest of all the basic exercises to learn. I can teach you how to perform deadlifts perfectly in one (admittedly long) sentence:
You stand behind the bar with your feet spaced like a vertical jump, with your toes pointing outwards and your shins 3 cm away from the bar, grab the bar with a slightly wider grip than your foot spacing, with your knees still extended, then bend your knees forward and slightly to the side until your shins touch the bar, push your chest up until your back is straight, take a deep breath and pull the bar up your legs until you are standing upright.
Do you see? One movement describes the whole thing. A good teacher can of course help you with the details, but our 1 set deadlift description covers a lot of important information. If you follow it correctly and intelligently, it will result in a perfect deadlift set every time.
Tip: Stop doing excessive cardio.
If you have to do tons of cardio to get lean, then your diet is going wrong. Here's a little reality check.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-stop-doing-excess-cardio
By: Paul Carter
You need some cardio, but probably not as much as you think. If you need to do a lot of cardio, then your diet is no good, stupid.
Cardio - whether it's steady intensity or interval style - is important in body recomposition. Using it in comparison to your training with weights at a moderate level is far better than overdoing it with cardio to achieve body recomposition.
Function generates form
Remember that your function will generate your form. The more cardio you do at a consistent intensity, the more your body will adapt to these demands. Over time, you will therefore probably look more like someone who does a lot of cardio at a consistent intensity.
Interval training, on the other hand, tends to be more anaerobic in nature and can be done in short bursts which, unlike steady state cardio, can increase your resting metabolic rate for a good period of time after the workout.
Both have their pros and cons. But unless your goal is to look like a jogger, you should limit your steady-state cardio to a few 30-minute sessions per week. Make sure you work hardest on your diet to get leaner. A few weeks of repeated cardio workouts at a consistent intensity can get you out of stagnation. But more often than not, you probably need to address your diet instead.
Always remember that if you have to do a lot of cardio to stay lean, your diet sucks - period.
Tip: Vary your repetition ranges for new growth
Bodybuilding consists of more than 3 sets of 10 reps. If hypertrophy is your primary goal, then you need to read this tip.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-vary-rep-range-to-grow
By Brad Schoenfeld, PhD
The optimal number of repetitions for hypertrophy-oriented training is an ongoing topic of debate in fitness. Although the research is in no way conclusive, there is evidence that a moderate repetition range (approximately 6 to 12 repetitions per set) is best for maximizing muscle growth.
This is often referred to as "bodybuilding style training" as it involves the ideal combination of mechanical tension, muscle damage and metabolic stress - the three primary factors involved in hypertrophy gains.
The problem is that most exercisers seem to think that all training should be performed in this repetition range, which results in them always sticking with the same load parameters. This is a false assumption.
Train heavy too
Maximum muscle development is built on a foundation of strength. This requires at least some of your sets to be performed in the low repetition range (1 to 5 reps per set).
Stronger muscles allow you to use heavier weights and thus achieve greater muscle tension in the moderate repetition range, which optimally stimulates hypertrophy. By increasing muscle tension without compromising metabolic stress, you lay the foundation for increased growth.
There is also a time for higher reps
At the other end of the spectrum, high repetition sets (in the range of 15 to 20 repetitions per set) also have their place in a hypertrophy-oriented training program. Provided you are working at or near your maximum weight for your repetition ranges, lower intensity sets will help you increase your lactate threshold - the point at which a rapid accumulation of lactic acid begins in your working muscles.
The problem with lactic acid is that at a certain point, accumulation impairs muscle contractions, which reduces the number of repetitions you can perform.
Technical note: It's actually the H+ ions of lactic acid that accelerate the onset of muscle fatigue, not the lactic acid itself.
Here's the good news: Training with higher repetitions increases muscle capillary density and improves muscle buffering capacity, both of which help delay the accumulation of lactic acid. As a result, you will be able to maintain a longer time under tension with a given hypertrophy-oriented load. In addition to this, you will develop a higher tolerance to a higher volume of work - an important component for maximizing hypertrophy.
Vary your repetition ranges over time
Optimal muscle development is achieved by varying your repetition ranges over time. This is best calculated using a structured periodization system. Both undulating and linear periodization approaches can work depending on your goals. Regardless of which scheme you use, you should make sure that it covers the full spectrum of load ranges.
Sure, hypertrophy training is probably best achieved with sets in the moderate repetition range, but higher and lower intensities are still important for optimizing your muscle development.
Tip: Improve your speed on pull-ups
If your goal is to build more muscle, use this tempo to achieve better results.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-improve-your-tempo-on-pull-ups
By: Dr. John Rusin
An underutilized method for increasing muscle strength release and growth-stimulating time under tension is to use specific tempos during your pull-ups. To recruit the maximum number of rapidly contracting muscle fibers, you should make the concentric contractions (as you pull your body up) as explosive as possible as your chest approaches the bar.
Hold the contraction at the highest point of the movement and consciously tighten the muscles hard to maximize the time under tension and the release of force in the shortened state of the biceps, latissimus and upper posterior chain. Control the eccentric part of the movement.
The tempo I recommend for strength and hypertrophy is X012:
- Explode as your chest moves toward the bar.
- Hold the contraction at the highest point of the movement.
- Take two seconds to lower your body.
- Perform the next repetition at the lowest point without pausing.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-reverse-grip-smith-press
From: Paul Carter
I believe that Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR Training) is a valuable tool that all strength athletes should know how and when to use. I can't think of an ambitious athlete who couldn't find a reason to use this type of training at some point.
It was sometime in 2008 when I first heard about BFT training and my reaction was similar to most reactions of this type.
"Is that safe? That can't be safe and harmless!"
"You'll never catch me doing that!"
"What a ridiculous way to train."
I believe that BFR training back then was presented more as towards those notorious bodybuilding "shock methods". It was presented at best as a way to supplement your current training and at worst as a novel stimulus that could potentially help you achieve gains that you could never have achieved otherwise.
Now that I think about it, at worst it was presented as a badge of honor by the pioneers who first used this method. Why? Because the bandages they used back then (usually knee bandages) were way too tight and the localized pain was much worse than necessary (and as you know, bodybuilders love pain as a badge of honor). Done correctly, BFR training should be about as painful as a normal work set of 15 reps to muscle failure.
The point is that at the time, I didn't know how restricting blood flow to the muscles could be a solution to any bodybuilding problem. I thought that there were many other ways to provide stimulus.
Looking back, I see that the problem was that I didn't fully understand how BFR training worked, nor did I understand why and when anyone should use such training. What makes a BFR workout so unique is that it can produce muscle gains that are virtually identical to the gains you can achieve with traditional high load training. However, when using a BFR workout, you are working with weights that are far below what you would traditionally use in most situations.
So BFR training is no better than high load training. However, its real advantage is that you can achieve the same results using lighter weights. You're probably wondering why on earth you would use the same weights that people who just want to tone their body use. When I found out that a BFR workout worked this way, I asked myself the same question. Yes, I was training primarily to maximize my hypertrophy and build muscle, but I also enjoyed being strong and liked the feeling of holding heavy weights in my hands.
However, as with many things (or all things), context matters and years later I have found myself in many situations where a BFR workout saved my ass. The situations I'll list here have occurred most frequently, but I also have situations that I suspect will recur until one day I make the decision to stop training.
Isolation training during competition preparation
BFR training can be particularly useful during the final weeks of a race preparation diet if used correctly. Of course, you should be able to maintain a good portion of your off-season performance, but you will also be so lean that your joints simply won't be as stable and resilient as they were during the off-season.
The simple fact of being able to use BFR training for my isolation exercises after the basic exercises has made my race preparation much more enjoyable. More enjoyable in the sense that I was able to minimize many of the training aches and pains I had previously experienced (such as tendonitis). In my opinion, BFR training has played an important role in keeping me healthy during my last two race preparations.
Once you get the hang of BFR training, it's easier physically. Those last sets of each training session in a well advanced race prep can be really tough and as crazy as it may sound, it can sometimes be easier to finish a sub-body training session with leg extensions a la BFR than without.
While smart training planning has helped me maintain about 90% of my off-season strength during contest prep, I feel that replacing some of my volume with lighter weight BFR squats has helped keep my joints healthy enough for such strength feats.
In addition to this, BFT training has helped me to a certain extent to avoid exhausting my mental willpower too early during a training session in advanced competition preparation. Successfully completing a leg training session in advanced competition preparation requires tremendous willpower and heavy weights sometimes feel particularly daunting in this situation. Having the option to pull the BFR card during this time can help maintain adequate training stimulus without depleting willpower.
Additional off-season volume
Interestingly, BFR training can also be used during the off season. I've had off-season front squat workouts where my knees were acting a little strange after squats, so I opted to pull the BFR card during subsequent isolation training to reduce the absolute load on my knees.
On other occasions, my main exercise was so exhausting that I opted for BFR training for my secondary exercises afterwards to alleviate the mental stress of moving heavy weights. All in all, pulling the BFR card is a way to ensure I hit my training volume while preventing me from compromising my recovery too much.
In addition to this, BFR training can be a great way to add volume to your training. For example, if you include 4 sets of direct bicep training in your program, then using BFR Training for this additional volume can help you better acclimate your connective tissue to the new demands.
Another benefit of BFR Training is that it causes less muscle damage compared to traditional training (1). It is much easier to recover from BFR training than from traditional training and this can be very useful during the first few weeks of extra volume.
So far so good, right? Perhaps you are now a little more interested in learning a little more about BFR training. In the following sections, I will discuss the different aspects of the practical execution of BFR training.
The right equipment
I have used everything from bands, knee wraps and medical blood tourniquets for BFR training. Most of us start with knee wraps or bands as these are readily available and almost everyone has them. These are a good start, but there are some limitations.
For example, you need a training partner to help you put them on your arms and it is also difficult to get the right pressure consistently. In addition, you need wider bands for the legs than for the arms. This can make knee supports too wide for the arms and bands too narrow for the legs.
Medical tourniquets were initially my choice for the arms and I used them in combination with knee supports for the legs. However, the problem with medical tourniquets was that they wore out quickly.
They are simply not made for the hundreds of repetitions you do with them week after week and will quickly lose their integrity. It has happened to me several times that they have disintegrated during a set. For this reason, I always had at least 3 pairs of these dust bands on hand.
This was the case until recently when I ordered a pair of BFR bands from a company whose advertisements I continuously saw on my cell phone. My biggest question was whether these bands would last, as my arm training at the time consisted of ¾ BFR training. But even after 5 months of training, these bands are still as good as new.
Putting on the bands
Now that you have your BFR bands to hand, you can get started. The confusion about whether more is better is something we should address immediately. If you put the bands on a little tighter than recommended, there is a good chance that you will achieve a lower training effect. Furthermore, this can make a training method that is normally safe and harmless potentially dangerous.
Using the good old 1 to 10 scale, I would recommend most people start with a 6 on their upper arms and a 7 on their legs in terms of band tightness. It is worth mentioning that you should also apply the bandages to your thighs when using them for calf training.
Once applied, the supports should not be so tight that they feel uncomfortable. Remember that we only want to reduce venous blood flow while maintaining arterial blood flow into the muscle (this is why the pump is so great - the blood flows into the muscle but cannot drain out.
Your fingers and toes shouldn't go numb during the workout and you shouldn't feel any pain. You should just feel something strange wrapped around your arm and your first set should feel almost normal.
Let's start the workout
The pace of the workout should be similar to what you would use in a traditional workout with weights. This means a powerful concentric movement and a controlled eccentric movement where gravity is not in control.
You may find this difficult at first as the localized pain will be similar - if not more - to the 15th repetition of a set. Over time this will improve and for this reason you should use the same weight for the first few workouts while focusing on the correct technique of the repetitions.
When it comes to choosing the correct weight, it is best to start with a low weight (and for beginners this weight may seem very low) until you get used to BFR training. This is basically the advantage of BFR training.
A good rule of thumb is to choose a weight with which you can perform 15 repetitions without bandages and only use 40% of this weight. Over time you will be able to increase, but the weights used in BFR training should never be anywhere near what you would use in traditional strength training. For example, I can do 8 to 10 reps of barbell curls with 40 to 50 kilos, but I usually just use an empty Olympic bar for BFR curls.
The most common method for BFR training is the 30, 15, 15, 15 series. Your first set consists of 30 repetitions with 30 seconds rest between this set and your first set of 15 repetitions.
This set and repetition scheme has been used repeatedly in the past in some of the most important studies on BFR training. However, there are a few modifications I've made during my nearly 10 years of BFR training. Here are two of my favorite schemes besides the old scheme I just mentioned:
The 30,15,15,15+ scheme
This is almost the same scheme as the classic one, but if you feel that you have a few more reps than usual in reserve, then you can do more than 15 reps on the last set.
For me, if I've been able to do more than 20 reps on the last set during the last few workouts, it's a sign that I'm not just having a good day, but that it's time to increase the weight slightly. This is a good way to achieve an autoregulation style progression in a BFR workout. The 20,20,20,20 pattern For some people, the 30 repetition set is quite taxing and they find it difficult to get above 12 repetitions on the last sets. This is the case even when the weight is appropriate, as I have seen this myself with others I have instructed. This seems to be especially the case with larger lower body muscles.
With the 20, 20, 20 scheme, the total number of reps is similar and my personal experience has been that the second cluster set is slightly higher quality than with the traditional volume distribution. So the 20, 20, 20, 20 pattern is more balanced and allows for more quality training.
If you find that you are dropping from 30 reps on the first set to 12 reps on the second set, then before you adopt the 20, 20, 20, 20 pattern, make sure that you have not simply tightened the band too tight (i.e. a degree of tightness of 6 to 7 out of 10, no pain, no numbness, no tingling and no purple discoloration of the extremities).
Summary
In this article I have given you some reasons to consider BFT training and shown you what such training should look like. So the next time you find yourself in one of the many potential situations I mentioned above that are typically associated with pain, you now have a new tool at your disposal.
For me, BFR training has proven to be very useful and practical over the last decade. This type of training is often misunderstood as dangerous, impractical or a new trend that will quickly pass. In reality, BFR training is a scientifically well-researched and safe training tool that has been in use for more than a decade and is unlikely to disappear anytime soon for the reasons mentioned above.
I hope you make some serious gains and hope that this article has helped to improve the quality of your BFR training sessions.
References:
- Sudo, M., Ando, S., Poole, D. C., & Kano, Y. (2015). Blood flow restriction prevents muscle damage but not protein synthesis signaling following eccentric contractions. Physiological Reports, 3(7), e12449. http://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.12449
Source: https://3dmusclejourney.com/blood-flow-restriction-training/
In the first part of this article, I presented 14 alleged laws of strength training that many trainers consider to be essential, but which in my view do not deserve this categorization. In this second part, I will discuss the remaining "almost" laws of strength training before finally presenting what I consider to be the 8 "real" laws of strength training.
15 - You must periodize your training
Periodization is essential for training success, right? The Russians swear by it and American sports scientists have spent a lot of time and effort planning detailed training cycles of varying lengths. So periodization must be a must for success, right?
The fact is, periodization is debated in the scientific literature and studies don't tend to show much difference in gains with different periodization models (Kiely 2012, Issurin 2010).
If you are in tune with your body, have a basic amount of common sense, and are familiar with the basics of program design, then you don't really need to periodize your training.
But let me illustrate this statement a little first. What is periodization anyway? It is planning. How can any sane exerciser not follow some form of planning when exercising? Even the biggest moron in the gym knows what his "essential" exercises for chest and biceps are.
The vast majority of respectable exercisers plan their training splits, their training frequency, their exercise selection and their exercise sequence. Based on nutrition and biofeedback, these exercisers tend to vary their intensity and volume on any given day, but their methods include some structure and planning.
For this reason, every respectable exerciser periodizes their workouts. But do you really need an annual plan full of cycles and phases? The vast majority of bodybuilders do not, which is especially true for the best bodybuilders.
Furthermore, life tends to force you into cycles and phases. Stress, new jobs, vacations, injuries, parties, vacations, work, deadlines, new relationships and travel force exercisers to vary their training program.
In addition, periodization does not allow for spontaneous adjustments and can be too rigid. Chuck Vogelpohl was notorious for taking his dynamic effort to the extreme - once he warmed up, he couldn't resist moving heavy weights. And would you want to tell him he's not training properly?
16 - You need to unload and/or fluctuate your training stress
Some exercisers lack overconfidence, which means they never get into a state of overreaching or overtraining. These people don't need unloading weeks. Some exercisers always push themselves to their limits and are prone to overdoing it. These people can benefit greatly from unloading.
But there are also exercisers who intuitively know how hard they should train. They may have reached a slight overreaching on Friday, but after a training-free weekend they are fit to train again on Monday. They make continuous progress due to the fact that they use just the right amount of frequency, volume and intensity for their body week after week, even though they never take a week off training or have a de-load week.
17 - You need to train often
I'm a big fan of HFT (high frequency training). But is it really absolutely necessary? Some of the best gains I've made have come with a HIT program. I did a full body workout every 5 days consisting of heavy basic exercises like squats or front squats, deadlifts or sumo deadlifts, bench presses or close grip bench presses and pull-ups or rowing. I got damn strong and built up a lot of muscle. Mike Mentzer was able to achieve great results with irregular, intensive full-body training and the same is true for many other strong exercisers.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to spend all day in the gym to see results. If more aspiring exercisers knew that they could in fact make amazing gains by working out just six days a month, then more people would probably choose resistance training. However, the prerequisite is that you do it right - no weak isolation exercises are allowed. Go all out on the big basic exercises every five days and you'll see amazing results.
18 - You must do full body workouts or you must do split workouts
The vast majority of bodybuilders split up their training. Many powerlifters also use split programs. Total body workouts work for many individuals, but no single system is ideal for every individual and every goal.
In contrast, neither Olympic weightlifters nor strongmen nor athletes split their workouts. They are the ones who get amazingly toned through daily full body workouts. Split training programs work for many individuals, but no single system is ideal for every individual and every goal.
19 - You need to perform multiple sets
Scientific research clearly shows that multiple sets outperform single sets when it comes to building strength and muscle mass (Krieger 2009, Krieger 2010, Rhea et al. 2002). However, you should look at it this way:
Let's say a trainee performs one exercise per training session and does squats on Monday, bench presses on Wednesday and deadlifts on Friday. He performs five sets per training session.
Let's say that another trainee performs one set of 5 basic exercises on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Both trainers complete 15 sets per week. Do you really think there would be much difference in terms of mass and strength?
Apart from a few warm-up sets, Dorian Yates only performed one set to muscle failure and he had one of the best bodies in the history of bodybuilding.
The first set is by far the most important, while each subsequent set is less and less important. And if you end up training your muscles from more different angles through more exercises performed, then one could argue that you might get better results with one set protocols compared to multiple set protocols.
20 - You need to consistently give it your all and push yourself to your limits
If you don't give it your all in every training session, then you won't make progress, right? Maybe not. Many experts believe that overdoing it will hold more exercisers back than underdoing it. Leaving one repetition in the tank, using less demanding exercises and using dynamic effort training allows exercisers to train more often by protecting their nervous system and joints from severe overload.
Pavel Tsatsouline advises exercisers to "grease the groove" and stop obsessing about maximum performance on every set of every single exercise.
Let's say you train 5 days a week and never go to muscle failure on close bench presses with chains, inverse rowing with elevated feet, front squats with chains, heavy kettlebell swings and farmer's walks. You will be very fit, very strong and very muscular and your joints will thank you for it.
Conclusion
I definitely don't want to tell you that you shouldn't do the things mentioned in the 20 points above. However, some of the principles listed will be more or less important depending on your genetic makeup and your goals. Just keep in mind that these 20 things can be nice to do, but are absolutely not a must for your success.
Below, I'll cover the things you need to do to ensure optimal gains when strength training.
The essential rules that every successful strength athlete follows
1 - Train consistently
Consistency is the name of the game and the strength athlete who trains week after week will make steady gains in strength and muscularity over time.
The exerciser who trains twice a week for 52 weeks of the year will see better long-term results than the exerciser who trains five times a week for only 20 weeks a year. You can't just go to the gym once in a while and expect to see progress. You can't achieve real results if you only train sporadically throughout the year. Short bursts of training can be effective in certain circumstances, but in the end it's consistency that counts.
2 - Train both hard and smart
Training hard is good. Training smart is good. Combine these two approaches and you get the best of both worlds.
You have to train hard, but you don't have to kill yourself at every training session. Push yourself in every training session, but it's damn important that you listen to what your body is telling you and that you make adjustments when needed. You also need to experiment to find out what works best for you and what doesn't work for you. Even though some "dummies" seem to train haphazardly, many are actually amazingly intelligent and/or intuitive when it comes to sensible training programs.
3 . Stimulate the muscles of the entire body
You need to perform the big basic exercises to stimulate body-wide muscle growth, but you also need to specialize certain muscle groups to compensate for weaknesses.
If a muscle is never activated, it won't grow. To get a muscle to grow, you need to stimulate it regularly. Deadlifts stimulate a lot of muscles throughout the body. The forearms, trapezius, latissimus, retractors of the shoulder blades, back extensors, gluteus, hamstrings and even the core and quadriceps muscles are activated during heavy deadlifts. This helps explain why deadlifts are such a great exercise. However, if you only trained deadlifts, your pecs, shoulders and biceps wouldn't even come close to their full hypertrophy potential. Make sure your training programs regularly include enough exercises that work the entire body in combination.
And here's something else that should be common sense: If you want to achieve maximum muscle mass in one muscle group, then you should make sure to get strong on the exercises that cause the highest activation of that muscle. Hip thrusts, for example, cause the strongest activation of the gluteus, so even if you train squats and deadlifts every week, it makes sense to include this exercise in your program if maximum gluteus mass is your goal. Similarly, if hypertrophy of your posterior shoulder muscles is the goal, shoulder presses will not be enough. You will need to include some targeted training that targets the posterior shoulder muscles in your program.
4 - You need to increase your core strength - especially with multi-joint exercises
Progressive overload is the most important aspect in the world of strength training. If you start a strength training program and don't manage to get stronger, then you won't build much muscle mass. You will need to use heavier weights and do more repetitions over time.
Bodybuilders don't always train heavy as a percentage of their 1RM weight, but most successful bodybuilders have focused on building strength in the basic exercises for at least a few years early in their training career.
Strength is the foundation for improvements in other areas such as speed production. You need to be able to do something at moderate speed before you can do it fast. When it comes to strength endurance, you need to be able to do something once before you can do it repeatedly. So simple strength cannot be ignored.
As you become more experienced in the weight room, you should see dramatic strength gains in squat variations, deadlift variations, upper body presses and upper body pulls compared to when you started. And if you want to get good at anything - be it squats, be it deadlifts, be it bench presses, be it power cleans or even Turkish get-ups - then you need to perform these exercises consistently to find the right groove with the neurological activation patterns and maximize motor learning. If you don't do this, you will miss out on unrealized progress.
5 - Warming up is essential
If you don't take your warm-up seriously, it will ultimately and inevitably end in disaster.
You can't just walk into the gym, load up the bar with a bunch of weight plates and force a heavy max repetition. And even if you do manage to force that one nasty repetition, your risk of injury will be astronomical. Depending on your condition and history of injuries, some exercisers may need up to 20 or 30 minutes of general warm-up and mobility training to feel ready for the workout, while others may only need 5 minutes. But everyone needs to get the blood flowing to prepare joints and muscles for moving heavy weights.
Some lighter exercises like hip thrusts and variations of rowing don't require much specific warm-up. Once you've done your general warm-up and completed the sets of your first exercise, you don't need to warm up again for subsequent exercises for the same muscle group. Beginners who ignore the warm-up will learn the hard way to take this component of training more seriously.
7 - Use good form - at least most of the time
Proper exercise form is important, but there are also times to use some momentum and less rigorous exercise form to be able to move slightly heavier weights.
If you go to any gym, you'll typically see exercisers working out at one end of the technique spectrum or the other. Some exercisers are very strict about maintaining optimal technique and never use significant weights due to their dedication to a robotic technique. On the other hand, you also see exercisers who would make better progress if they reduced their weights and stopped relying on momentum and training partners to finish each of their repetitions.
There is certainly some wiggle room when it comes to an acceptable and efficient form of exercise execution. It has even been shown that a light swing can increase muscle activation. Your form will also diminish somewhat if you test your max weights at strategic times throughout the year. A true max single repetition will never look like something out of the textbook. If it does look like that, then you could have used more weight.
However, most of the time you need to be very strict with your form of exercise execution and you need to find the right form of exercise execution on different exercises for your body. This is especially important with the bigger exercises like squats and deadlifts, where the risk of injury is inherently higher than with exercises like dumbbell curls. Not paying attention to your technique will result in pain and injury, which will stall your progress.
7 - Your daily nutritional habits are responsible for your progress
The best training program in the world can't make up for a poor diet. Your hard work in the weight room can be completely worthless if you're sloppy with your diet.
If you want to build a muscular body and perform at your best, you need to take your diet seriously. You need to eat the right amount of calories and the right mix of macronutrients for your goals and physiology. You don't have to be perfect at this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but if you eat a lot of junk every day then you won't reach your potential and you won't see useful gains in strength and muscle.
Strategic supplementation with protein powder and essential fatty acids is very helpful when it comes to improving recovery and preparing the body for growth.
8 - Sleep well and avoid potential stress
If you don't sleep well and are mentally stressed around the clock, your physiology will work against you.
Some people need more sleep than others and some can function well on less sleep, but you should still pay attention to your sleep (quality and quantity) and prioritize it. Make a serious effort to get enough sleep consistently if you are serious about getting results. If you don't, then you will hinder yourself in your pursuit of strength and hypertrophy.
As for stress, your goal should not be to eliminate stress completely, but to optimize it. It's good to be challenged in life, but there is a fine line between eustress (positive stress like a good training session) and dystress (negative stress like a 65-hour work week with unbearable coworkers). Aim to stay in the eustress zone most of the time. Take a step back and analyze your life choices and habits. This is an area where many exercisers can make adjustments that lead to immediate results.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/20-almost-laws-of-strength-training
By Bret Contreras
Stop wasting 25% of your strength training sessions. Here's a better way to unload and give your recovery a boost
Offload weeks are used by strength athletes to boost recovery and accelerate progress. The basic idea is to continue training but use lighter weights, reduce volume or use different exercises. I, for one, don't like de-loading weeks. Most people don't know how to unload properly anyway. As a result, they basically waste a week of training.
The basic problem is the power of words. When people "unload", in their mind it means they take it easy with training for a week. And in a way, that's how it's supposed to be. But most exercisers end up cutting their workouts too much or cutting the wrong variables.
The result? If you unload every fourth week, you're basically spending 25% of your training sessions not stimulating anything. An off-load week should allow you to recover, but it should also have an impact on your progress that goes beyond simple recovery and supercompensation.
Let's say you vary your training in some way every fifth week (after a 4 week block). Now, during the first week you may not be able to train hard as you are still getting used to the ins and outs of your new plan. When you start a new program, the first week is usually the worst of the entire training block.
So let's say you unload during the last week of a block, and you have a below average workout during the first week of the next block. Now you have 50% of your training weeks that are suboptimal.
A better way
Why not use the fact that the first week of a new plan is likely to be less effective to your advantage? Unload during that week instead of during the last week of a training block.
This week now becomes an introductory week. Use a lower level of demands to get used to the new program and perfect each training session. You will recover from the previous block while taking the next block easy.
Now you're not wasting anything. You will also finish each block strong, which will help you to have a more positive attitude than if you finish a block with an easy week.
Tip: Train one-arm dumbbell snatches
Boost your power and improve your athleticism with this explosive exercise you can do in any weight room
By Eric Bach
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-dumbbell-snatch
Snatches build world-class power and a thick trapezius. The problem is that most exercisers sit in a constant kyphotic position, looking more like the Hunchback of Notre Dame than an athlete. Combined with a workout dominated by pressing and poor mobility/stability, barbell snatches can lead to shoulder pain.
One-arm dumbbell snatches are the perfect middle ground. You get explosive hip extension plus unilateral overhead strength in a more shoulder-friendly position. As an added benefit, one-arm overhead training forces your quadratus lumborum (a muscle that helps stabilize the core) to come into play and also trains your lateral obliques.
Bonus: Unlike barbell snatches, you can do this exercise in any gym.
One-arm dumbbell snatch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgHeP2vGwIY
- Start with a dumbbell between your legs in a hanging position.
- Move the dumbbell upwards with momentum, with the force coming from your hips and fully extending your hips.
- Move your elbow far up and catch the dumbbell overhead with your knees slightly bent.
Tip: Perform squats with weight plates
Correct your valgus knee collapse and you will improve your gluteus recruitment and be able to move heavier weights during squats. This exercise will help you do just that.
By Joel Seedman, PhD
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-plate-squat
By eliminating valgus knee collapse (an inward buckling of the knee), you will immediately improve gluteus activation and function. When the knees and feet collapse inward or turn inward, the gluteus loses significant contractile ability. To avoid this, imagine screwing your feet into the floor and pushing your knees outwards so that your ankles and knees are locked.
Also, when doing lower body exercises, imagine that you are "spreading" the floor with your feet. Apart from increasing the activation of the larger gluteus maximus, resisting adduction also increases the recruitment of the smaller hip muscles. A simple exercise that will help you address valgus knee collapse is squats with weight plates.
Squats with weight plates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G_V96p0dxg
Using a stance that is slightly wider than your shoulder width, take one or more 20 kilo weight plates (stacked on top of each other) in your hands and place the weight between your legs and perform squats. To place the weight plates between your legs you will have no choice but to spread your knees. This is an excellent preparatory exercise to perform before heavy squats to internalize an efficient squat pattern.
Tip: Lose more fat, stop training in a fasted state
It turns out that cardio training in a fasted state leads to less fat loss and increases the risk of muscle loss.
Christian Thibaudeau
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-lose-more-fat-stop-training-fasted
People believe that exercising without food means less readily available energy, leading to a depletion of energy reserves (fat and glycogen) to provide the required training energy. In theory, this would lead to increased fat loss. In fact, studies have shown that you mobilize more stored fat when you exercise in a fasted state. But that's not the whole story.
Fat loss is not about what happens during the training session, it's about what happens in response to your training throughout the day. What happens to your resting metabolic rate during the 24 hours after your workout? What will the hormonal milieu look like as a result of your training session? And what will the effects be on your muscle mass?
What happens during the training session?
Advocates of training in a fasted state would claim that you will have more training energy as adrenaline and noradrenaline levels rise more during a fasted state workout. In reality, however, training in a fasted state (especially if it has been going on for a while) has been shown to decrease both your work capacity and your mental tolerance for physical work. This results in less effective training sessions.
What happens to your energy expenditure at rest?
A study by Paoli et al (2011) compared 36 minutes of cardio exercise at 65% of maximum heart rate in a fasted state and a non-fasted state. An analysis of the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) concluded that more fat was used as an energy source in the fasting state, but the opposite was true after the exercise session. In fact, fat utilization over a 24-hour period after exercise was significantly higher in the group that had not exercised in the fasting state.
In the fasted state, the subjects burned a little more fat during the 36 minutes of the exercise session, but they burned less fat during the 24 hours after exercise. The end result was that more fat was used within 24 hours when the exercise session was NOT performed in the fasted state. This was confirmed by the fact that oxygen consumption remained higher in the non-fasting group over 24 hours (higher oxygen consumption means more fat burning, as oxygen is needed for the aerobic energy pathway that uses fat).
Here is the conclusion of the study "When moderate endurance activity is performed to lose fat, fasting before exercise does not increase fat utilization. Instead, activity after a light meal is advisable."
Of course, you can continue to cite the many studies that show that cardio exercise in a fasted state during exercise sessions burns more fat, as this is true. However, the point is that cardio training in a fasted state results in lower resting energy expenditure (fewer calories burned at rest) and lower overall fat utilization over a 24-hour period.
What about the hormonal response?
Exercisers know the catabolic effects of cortisol on muscle tissue. We fear it because it can break down muscle so that it can be used as an energy source, making it harder to build muscle when cortisol levels are high. But cortisol also performs a useful function during exercise: it mobilizes stored energy.
When you exercise, cortisol is responsible for making energy available. The more you have to rely on stored energy (muscle glycogen or body fat), the more cortisol you will release. And the more cortisol your body releases, the longer it will take for your cortisol levels to return to normal after training. As long as cortisol levels are elevated, your body is in a catabolic state. So if your body produces too much cortisol during your training sessions - which is likely to happen if you do cardio training in a fasted state - then your risk of losing muscle mass will be higher and building muscle will obviously be much harder.
And then there's the fact that fasted cardio increases AMPK more than non-fasting cardio. When AMPK levels are high, this has a negative effect on protein synthesis. Cardio training in a fasted state therefore makes it harder for you to build muscle.
So why do competitive bodybuilders do it?
I hate to play the chemical comparison game because it can't explain everything, but in some cases it can. Today, pretty much every competitive bodybuilder worth their name uses chemical assistance. Even bikini class competitors use this stuff.
Using a chemical support helps exercisers avoid the problems caused by cardio training in a fasted state. Who cares about elevated cortisol levels when using anabolic steroids that increase metabolism throughout the day and reduce the effects of cortisol? What do you care about elevated AMPK levels if you are in a continuous anabolic state? And why would you care about a reduction in metabolic rate over 24 hours if you're using stimulants like clenbuterol or thyroid hormones?
I'm not saying that chemically enhanced bodybuilders have it easy or that they don't work hard. I'm just saying that in some cases like this, the limitations that apply to natural exercisers may not apply to these exercisers.
Tip: Used rollouts with resistance bands for your abs
As if the ab wheel wasn't hard enough - we're making it even more challenging.
By Ben Bruno
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-try-band-resisted-rollouts-for-abs
Ab wheel rollouts are a great exercise when it comes to working the front core, but they quickly become quite easy for strong exercisers. Unless you're doing sets of 30+ reps, you need to make this exercise more challenging and heavier.
You can do this in a number of different ways, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. One way is to switch to standing rollouts where you start from the feet instead of the knees, but this can lead to injury. Using a weight vest also works, but too much weight will change the leverage ratios in a way that makes maintaining good form difficult and puts more stress on the shoulders than the core.
The best option: rollouts with resistance bands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSm3emO-fYE
This variation offers a significant additional challenge compared to using bodyweight without changing leverage ratios or compromising your ability to move freely. In addition to this, it offers adapted resistance - they are lighter at the point of full extension where you are weakest. It also takes the strain off the shoulders when they are at their most vulnerable position. Rollouts with resistance bands are usually performed with a straight forward resistance band so that the resistance is primarily in the direction of movement. While this is fine, angling the band 45 degrees while you continue to perform the movement as normal creates a new challenge.
You are still moving purely on the sagittal plane, but you must simultaneously resist the pull to the side by the band, forcing you to stabilize on the frontal plane and the transverse plane to resist rotation and lateral flexion, thereby working the lateral muscles of the midline and the muscles responsible for midline rotation.
I call these exercises "anti" rollouts because they train anti-extension, anti-rotation and anti lateral flexion at the same time.
Anti-rollouts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAoSO0c2lGg
This exercise is much harder than it looks. The band will have a tendency to pull you towards its anchor point, especially when you reach the point of full extension, so it is important that you make sure you move back and forth in a straight line.
If you don't have a training partner to watch out for this, it's helpful to use a reference point in front of you to help you stay on a straight line. You can easily increase or decrease the level of difficulty by using an anchor point for the band that is further to the side or less to the side of you. The further away this is from your side, the more difficult the exercise becomes.
Tip: Perform the Russian Fighter pull-up program
This simple plan involves increasing your pull-up repetitions. You only need a few minutes a day
By Dan John
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-russian-fighter-pull-up-program
Pavel Tsatsouline introduced me to the Russian Fighter pull-up program. It's a multi-week program that involves increasing the number of repetitions. For 6 days a week, you perform 5 sets of pull-ups with a very specific repetition pattern. If you manage a maximum of 5 repetitions, you do the following:
The 5RM Russian pull-up program
- Day 1:5, 4, 3, 2, 1
- Day 2:5, 4, 3, 2, 2
- Day 3:5, 4, 3, 3, 2
- Day 4:5, 4, 4, 3, 2
- Day 5:5, 5, 4, 3, 2
- Day 6:No training
- Day 7:6, 5, 4, 3, 2
- Day 8:6, 5, 4, 3, 3
- Day 9:6, 5, 4, 4, 3
- Day 10:6, 5, 5, 4, 3
- Day 11:6, 6, 5, 4, 3
- Day 12:No training
- Day 13:7, 6, 5, 4, 3
- Day 14:7, 6, 5, 4, 4
- Day 15:7, 6, 5, 5, 4
- Day 16:7, 6, 6, 5, 4
- Day 17:7, 7, 6, 5, 4
- Day 18:No training
- Day 19:8, 7, 6, 5, 4
- Day 20:8, 7, 6, 5, 5
- Day 21:8, 7, 6, 6, 5
- Day 22:8, 7, 7, 6, 5
- Day 23:8, 8, 7, 6, 5
- Day 24:No training
- Day 25:9, 8, 7, 6, 5
- Day 26:9, 8, 7, 6, 6
- Day 27:9, 8, 7, 7, 6
- Day 28:9, 8, 8, 7, 6
- Day 29:9, 9, 8, 7, 6
- Day 30:No training
Take a break for a few days and then test your new maximum number of pull-up repetitions.
What if you can do more than 5 reps?
If you can do more than 5 reps, increase the weight. Use your maximum weight for 3 repetitions. So if you can do 3 reps with 7.5 kilos on your belt, just follow the 12 day program below. Use the same weight for all 12 days.
- Day 1:3, 2, 1, 1
- Day 2:3, 2, 1, 1
- Day 3:3, 2, 2, 1
- Day 4:3, 3, 2, 1
- Day 5:4, 3, 2, 1
- Day 6:No training
- Day 7:4, 3, 2, 1, 1
- Day 8:4, 3, 2, 2, 1
- Day 9:4, 3, 3, 2, 1
- Day 10:4, 4, 3, 2, 1
- Day 11:5, 4, 3, 2, 1
- Day 12:No training
Take a break for a few days and then test your new maximum number of repetitions for pull-ups with this weight.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-dont-use-deload-weeks-use-intro-weeks
By Christian Thibaudeau
Don't have a plan for where to start with your pre-workout diet? This article will explain what you should eat before your workout and which supplements are best for this period.
Serious exercisers need massive amounts of energy and focus for their intense training sessions. The right pre-workout nutrition and supplementation fulfills this purpose in the most efficient way.
However, the pre-workout phase is also a time to promote muscle growth. To achieve this type of muscle growth with intense efforts in the weight room, protein synthesis must be continuous, especially before, during and after training.
Muscles are either in an anabolic or catabolic state. To experience ongoing muscle gains, the rate of muscle protein synthesis (the anabolic state) must continually exceed the rate of protein breakdown (the catabolic state).
You must make every effort to ensure that you are consuming the right nutrients at the right times if you want to achieve continuous muscle growth. The pre-workout period is the ideal time to prepare your body for peak performance, fat burning and post-workout recovery. This article will show you how to achieve this.
Why pre-workout nutrition is important
There is often confusion when it comes to pre-workout nutrition. Many exercisers think that meals consisting of whole foods are completely sufficient. However, while whole foods are important, they are only part of the equation. This raises the question of supplements. What are the best options and what specific ingredients are available?
As a dedicated exerciser, you may be wondering how you can get the most out of your workout with the help of innovative pre-workout supplementation. Below you'll find a detailed overview of the best pre-workout essentials you need to give your training intensity a boost and optimize the growth process.
The meal before training
Before you consume an effective pre-workout product, the all-important pre-workout meal needs to be addressed first. Aside from training energy, this meal also helps to delay or prevent muscle protein breakdown. In fact, studies show that training on an empty stomach more than doubles nitrogen loss due to protein breakdown (11, 14)
To maximize your performance and maintain muscle, it is essential to eat a solid meal within the last 2 hours before training. Poor pre-workout nutrition can lead to excessive cortisol release during exercise, which can result in suboptimal fat oxidation as well as muscle loss (11).
Whether it's an early morning cardio session or an abdominal training session after getting up, you should always eat something beforehand. No more cardio or resistance training in a fasted state!
The right pre-workout supplementation fills the tank to boost training energy, delay the onset of fatigue and increase muscle growth. The pre-workout meal does not have to be excessive: about 400 kcal, consisting of 70% low-glycemic carbohydrates (vegetables and oatmeal) and 30% low-fat proteins (egg white and chicken breast).
Since fat takes the longest to digest, a pre-workout meal must be low in this nutrient. A perfect pre-workout meal could consist of 100 grams of oatmeal, a banana and 6 egg whites.
The pre-workout supplement
A pre-workout formula consisting of the right high-performance ingredients is essential for muscle building. Taking a suitable pre-workout product before the first repetition of training maximizes strength, provides energy for longer endurance, increases fat oxidation, improves focus and minimizes muscle breakdown (increased muscle growth).
The days of exercisers simply eating a meal before a workout and expecting to dominate the iron are over. Today, it is undeniable that a proper pre-workout product can significantly improve focus, reduce fatigue and increase energy to a greater extent than a regular meal can.
Important requirements
Stay away from products with questionable ingredients and an excessive list of artificial substances. Instead, opt for a product that contains ingredients with scientifically proven effects and is free of useless fillers.
Avoid so-called proprietary blends, where you don't know how much of which active ingredient you're getting. In a proprietary blend, the exact amount of ingredients contained in the final product is not stated, but usually a large number of different ingredients are thrown together. Often the most effective ingredients are contained in such small doses that the effect and the price-performance ratio will be minimal at best.
What you should look for in an effective pre-workout product
A superior pre-workout product includes a whole range of performance nutrients in appropriate dosages. Below you will find a list of the most effective ingredients found in the best pre-workout products.
Creatine
Creatine supports training performance on many different levels. By increasing ATP (adenosine triphosphate, which is crucial for energy production) production within muscle cells, creatine helps you to increase your training intensity over a longer period of time (13). Creatine monohydrate remains the most popular and recommended choice due to its proven effects.
Beta-alanine
Beta-alanine works synergistically with creatine. This active ingredient is a precursor of the lactic acid buffering amino acid carnosine. It has been shown that low carnosine levels in the muscle drastically reduce training performance (9).
Supplementation with beta-alanine saturates the muscles with carnosine. This improves anaerobic performance and reduces muscle fatigue.
Burn fat and increase your focus
Pre-workout boosters are also popular due to their stimulating and fat-burning effects, which result from stimulating compounds such as caffeine. Different types of caffeine and compounds that work synergistically with caffeine stimulate lipolysis and thermogenesis, improve focus and deliver a variety of performance benefits.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a cornerstone of all good pre-workout supplements, used by millions of people worldwide as a universal stimulant and performance enhancer.
Caffeine has been shown to increase blood circulation to increase the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to working muscles. In addition, caffeine reduces exercise-induced pain, increases resistance to fatigue, increases fat oxidation and improves mental focus (8).
Although caffeine is primarily considered a pre-workout substance, it can also enhance exercise performance by promoting an increase in glycogen uptake by up to 66% for up to 4 hours after exercise (1).
Particular attention should be paid to the amount of caffeine consumed before training. Depending on individual tolerance, between 200 and 300 mg of caffeine is usually required to reap the benefits mentioned above. Higher doses can lead to nervousness, restlessness and nausea.
Maximize the pump
Optimizing energy, burning fat and stimulating the mind are key features of an excellent pre-workout product. But we must not forget the pump. The pump supports muscle growth as a catalyst. The pump also provides a psychological edge. Pump makes the exerciser feel more muscular and invincible, giving them the feeling that they can move more weight than ever before.
The pump can be enhanced in many ways and a good pre-workout product will include a wide range of pump ingredients. Below we'll take a look at the best and most proven of these compounds.
Arginine
The benefits of arginine are not limited to muscle pumps. Once converted into nitric oxide in the body, arginine dilates blood vessels, allowing more nutrients and more oxygen-rich blood to reach working muscles. Arginine can also boost immune function and improve kidney function. This makes it potentially effective in supporting the healing of muscle tissue and the elimination of excess water from the body (19)
Arginine also helps the body process creatine and nitrosigns, stimulating the production of exercise energy and increased muscle growth. By stimulating the release of insulin, arginine allows more pre-workout ingredients such as amino acids and high molecular weight carbohydrates to reach the muscles.
Thus, different forms of arginine can stimulate the synthesis of new muscle tissue, support regeneration and the regulation of metabolism and help to burn body fat (3).
Arginine ethyl ester
Arginine ethyl ester is produced through a process known as esterification. This esterified form of arginine is absorbed more efficiently in the small intestine and has a higher bioavailability than regular arginine.
Arginine HCL
In Arginine HCL, arginine is bound to a hydrochloride molecule to improve absorption in the digestive system (20). Faster absorption allows arginine to enter the bloodstream faster for maximum results. Because the hydrochloride molecule produces a neutral pH, arginine HCL in powder form tastes better than other forms of arginine when mixed with water.
Arginine alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG)
In arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, arginine is bound to the nitrogen intermediate alpha-ketoglutarate. Compared to arginine HCl, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate has a significantly better bioavailability and is absorbed by your body better and in larger quantities than regular arginine. This results in a significantly stronger effect and a lower amount of active ingredient.
Arginine pyroglutamate
Arginine pyroglutamate has a higher bioavailability than many other forms of arginine. Due to its pyroglutamate component, arginine pyroglutamate can cross the blood-brain barrier and thus increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain (21). As a result, arginine pyroglutamate can also promote learning ability and memory.
It has also been shown that arginine pyroglutamate in combination with the amino acid lysine can increase the body's release of growth hormone by several percent for up to 8 hours (10).
Nitrosigne
Nitrosigne, which is technically inositol stabilized arginine silicate, has a higher bioavailability than many other forms of arginine and has additional muscle-building benefits. When combined with heart-healthy potassium silicate, Nitrosigne not only produces a superior pump, but also strengthens the walls of the arteries and keeps them flexible.
In addition to improving blood flow and cardiovascular efficiency, Nitrosigne can significantly reduce exercise-induced lactic acid buildup, inflammation, cramping and muscle pain, allowing you to train harder and longer, as well as recover faster from strenuous workouts (18).
Oxystorm
Oxystorm® is a proprietary extract from the plant Amaranthus hypochondriatus, also known as "red spinach". Of all plants, Amaranthus hypochondriatus contains the highest proportion of organic nitrate, which at 9 to 10% is up to 500% higher than beetroot. In addition, Oxystorm contains 8 to 14% potassium, which supports optimal hydration of the muscles during training. Scientific studies have shown that Oxystorm increases blood flow and endurance.
Citrulline malate
The amino acid citrulline malate is known to produce a pump that literally breaks the skin and leads to significant muscle gains (14). Similar to beta-alanine, citrulline minimizes lactic acid production to increase training energy.
The rate at which supplemented amino acids can be utilized by muscles is a predictor of increased exercise performance. Citrulline increases the utilization of amino acids present in the blood to ensure a continuous supply of amino acids to the muscles when they are most needed.
Glycerol
Glycerol is the "backbone" of triglycerides (fats) where the fatty acids are linked together. Glycerol is not stored in the body as body fat, but is converted into glucose and used as a source of energy. Glycerol has traditionally been used not by bodybuilders but by endurance athletes for whom optimal hydration is an essential part of their sport.
Due to its strong osmotic properties, glycerine has been shown to be an effective hydrating agent that draws fluid into the muscles and bloodstream where it is retained for long periods of time (2). This is of interest to bodybuilders, as optimal hydration plays a crucial role in achieving a skin-bursting pump.
Glycerol is used by strength athletes to dilate blood vessels, improve vascularity and achieve a maximum pump. Hydromax is a stable form of glycerol available in a convenient powder form. With a glycerol content of 65%, Hydromax leads to a condition known as hyperhydration, which significantly improves muscle function. Swelling of the muscle cells stretches the muscle cell membrane to a degree that activates long-term muscle growth. Taking it in combination with a creatine product can significantly enhance the positive effects of glycerol (2).
BCAAs
Whether used for strength training or endurance training, the BCAAs leucine, isoleucine and valine are the most valuable amino acids for increasing protein synthesis before, during and after training.
Shifting the ratio of catabolism to anabolism in the direction of muscle protein synthesis has clear therapeutic benefits for strength athletes (5). Taken before training, BCAAs keep muscles in an anabolic state.
According to scientific research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, BCAAs serve as the primary amino acids used during intense training sessions (15).
This study found that a combined intake of creatine, citrulline, whey protein, caffeine and BCAAs before exercise over a three-week period significantly increased aerobic and anaerobic performance, exercise volume and lean body mass. Advertise BCAAs here
Maintaining performance and promoting muscle growth
The pre-workout meal is at the center of pre-workout nutrition. The correct intake of solid food during the last two hours before training is crucial for increasing the level of muscle glycogen stores and protein synthesis.
However, as the training session progresses, energy reserves can begin to dwindle and catabolic processes (training with weights) can begin to inhibit protein synthesis. This is where a good pre-workout formula, consisting of energy-supplying and muscle-building components, comes into play.
Pre-workout nutrition is one of the most important times to consume training nutrients. A formula that includes high-potency components such as BCAAs, creatine, citrulline, glycerol, caffeine, beta-alanine, arginine and other high-performance compounds guarantees that every training session will be a killer workout.
In addition, such a formula can counteract muscle breakdown due to the catabolic nature of intense training. The result: more energy and, most importantly, greater muscle gains.
References
- American Physiological Society. Post Exercise Caffeine Helps Muscles Refuel. [Online] http://www.the-aps.org/mm/hp/audiences/public-press/archive/08/24.html - retrieved on 11.4.16
- Beis, L. The effects of creatine and glycerol hyperhydration on running economy in well trained endurance runners [Online] http://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-8-24 - retrieved on 3.5.16
- Besset, A., et al. Increase in sleep related GH and Prl secretion after chronic arginine aspartate administration in man. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh). 1982;99(1):18-23.
- Bloomer RJ, et al Dietary supplement increases plasma norepinephrine, lipolysis, and metabolic rate in resistance trained men . J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2009)
- Dodson, W., Protein and Amino Acid Supplementation for Resistance Training. [Online] https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5q0844bz#page-1 - retrieved on 11.4.16
- Examine.com. Octopamine. [Online] https://examine.com/supplements/octopamine/ - retrieved on 3.5.16
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Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/important-preworkout-nutrition
