Training

Dec 13, 2018

Intensity is everything - build new muscles with the help of intensity techniques

Bodybuilder and competition trainer Cliff Wilson explains the concepts of training, load and volume to help you optimize your training and maximize your results.

How varying intensity techniques can lead to new muscle growth

All my life I wanted to have a cool nickname. In high school, I even went so far as to try to give myself the nickname C-Dub. That was definitely not a proud moment for me. But when I was talking to a friend at my gym recently, I learned that the majority of the people at my gym already had a nickname for me.

I was thrilled at first, but that changed when I found out what my nickname was. My awesome new nickname is now "That crazy guy." As in, be careful, get out of this crazy guy's way when he's doing walking lunges. Apparently, people at my gym think I'm crazy because of the level of intensity with which I work out. This isn't quite the cool nickname I had envisioned, but I'll take it.

I don't expect the average gym-goer to understand the need for ever-increasing intensity, but too many bodybuilders and competitors in the figure class don't either. It doesn't matter how advanced you are. If you always do 4 sets of squats of 10 reps with the same weight on leg day and make no effort to increase the intensity of your training sessions, then your body will make no effort to increase the amount of muscle mass.

Just because a training session gives you a pump does not mean that you have stimulated new muscle growth. This is particularly important for experienced exercisers. After an exerciser has trained consistently for many years, it takes extreme measures to achieve significant improvements.

When it comes to training, the word intensity can have different meanings. When putting together a training program, intensity must be increased and decreased in all forms to achieve gains without overtraining. Knowing the body's response to varying degrees of intensity will allow you to use many different methods to increase your muscle growth.

The load (the training weight)

The load - also known as the training weight - can be expressed as a percentage of the 1RM weight (the maximum weight with which you can perform one repetition of an exercise with clean form). Training with weights of both light and heavy weights will induce hypertrophy, which is the primary mechanism for increasing muscle size (1). A common debate among exercisers centers on whether it is better to train with lighter or heavier weights.

Training with weights at around 85% of 1RM weight until muscle failure - or close to muscle failure - has been shown to best stimulate hypertrophy (1). Although the greatest gains can be observed when using moderate weights, lighter and heavier weights must be used to maximize the full muscle building potential. This is due to the fact that there are two different types of hypertrophy that occur during resistance training (2).

The first is called myofibrillar hypertrophy and is an increase in the number and size of actin and myosin filaments in muscle tissue (2). This type of hypertrophy is accompanied by strength gains as it involves an increase in contractile tissue (2). Although you can't completely isolate one type of hypertrophy from the other, myofibrillar hypertrophy primarily occurs during training with heavy weights and low repetitions (2).

Those who have just started training will experience tremendous gains in strength with only small gains in hypertrophy regardless of the weights and repetition ranges they use. These strength gains can be primarily attributed to neural adaptations, as previously untrained individuals may have difficulty activating their motor units (1).

The second type of hypertrophy is called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and represents an increase in sarcoplasmic and other non-contractile proteins within the muscle cells and is primarily induced by training with light weights and high repetitions (2). This type of muscle growth, although not accompanied by strength gains, is the primary reason why bodybuilders tend to be more muscular than strength athletes.

To achieve continuous muscle gains over an extended period of time, progressive overload must be used. Simply put, you need to move heavier weights if you want your muscles to keep growing. This is true regardless of what repetition ranges and weights are used. Increasing your maximum weight for both high and low repetition ranges should be the ultimate goal for any training program, as this is the best way to ensure continued growth.

One of the reasons that moderate repetition ranges produce the greatest gains in muscle tissue could be related to the fact that moderate weights allow the use of a relatively heavy weight with more time under tension. This combination seems to allow for a balance between large amounts of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

Too many bodybuilders still mistakenly believe that heavy weights with low repetitions should be used to build muscle and that light weights with high repetitions should be used to burn fat. Too often I meet new clients who have been training with this misconception for years. Using only light weights during contest prep is a great way to lose muscle, and in addition to that, you're missing out on a lot of potential muscle growth if you never train with lighter weights during the bulking phase. A solid training program should include heavy, moderate and light weights to maximize overall muscle hypertrophy.

This also applies to contest preparation and will help you maintain your muscle mass or even build muscle while dieting. Training with weights should build and maintain muscle tissue. Use cardio training for fat loss. When discussing load and intensity, it is most important to note that each set is performed to a point that is at least very close to the point of muscle failure. A light weight that is only used for a few repetitions will not accomplish much. If your training session is not demanding, then you are not training at high intensity.

Volume

The term volume in training refers to the total amount of work done in a given training session. However, the term volume is most commonly used to describe the number of sets performed during a training session. Training volume has been a very sensitive topic for many in the bodybuilding community for years.

Many High Intensity Training (HIT) advocates such as Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer claim that 1 to 4 sets to failure per muscle group are needed to stimulate maximum muscle growth, while others, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, claim that maximum muscle growth can be achieved by performing 20 to 25 sets per muscle group. With such conflicting views on training volume, it can be difficult to know how much volume is appropriate.

Although high-volume and low-volume training programs have been shown to be effective in practice, if maximizing muscle growth is the primary goal, high-intensity, high-volume training programs must be used. Although it has not yet been fully proven, studies conducted in humans provide indirect evidence of hyperplasia following high-intensity, high-volume strength training (3). Hyperplasia is another form of muscle growth that differs from hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of existing muscle cells, whereas hyperplasia is an increase in the number of muscle cells.

The endocrine system, which is responsible for the release of hormones within the body, is also sensitive to training volume. Varying the amount of work performed from training session to training session can be used to manipulate the endocrine system and create an optimal hormonal environment. Using high volume with multiple sets of multiple exercises can increase serum testosterone levels and optimize adrenal hormones (4).

Although high-volume training can be very effective, it comes with the risk of overtraining. Additional volume can increase the release of anabolic hormones, but adding too many sets to training too often can have the opposite effect. Volume-related overtraining will ultimately lead to a reduction in the release of lutenizing hormone and lower levels of free testosterone (5).

With volume-related overtraining, cortisol also becomes a problem. Small increases in cortisol levels during training can lead to growth hormone release and signal the body that repairs need to be made, but if volume training is continued for too long and not used cyclically, then this can cause cortisol levels to rise too high and remain high, which can lead to a chronic catabolic response to cortisol.

Apart from the risk of overtraining, high-volume training has another disadvantage. Resistance training in general has been shown to upregulate androgen receptors for 48 to 72 hours after training (5). Unfortunately, high-volume training will initially downregulate androgen receptors before upregulation occurs.

This initial downregulation can be prevented by consuming a protein/carbohydrate mix before and after training. If you've read my previous articles, then you'll already know the benefits of a protein/carbohydrate mix before and after training. This is just another good reason to include these shakes in your nutrition plan.

When it comes to the topic of training volume, it's best to keep an open mind. Too many people are caught up in the mindset that they should never do more or less than a certain amount of sets. Keep in mind that increasing the volume of your workouts is one of the easiest ways to get into a state of overtraining, but that increasing the volume is also a way to stimulate new muscle growth. High volume phases should be used to maximize muscle growth, but low volume phases must also be incorporated into the training program to ensure that your body can keep up with the demands you place on it.

Conclusion on intensity, load and volume

When determining the level of intensity for an effective training program, volume and load are the first two things that need to be addressed. Incorporating varying levels of both weight used and number of sets can be difficult, but doing so will allow you to prevent overtraining and maximize your genetic potential. These variations can also fluctuate from one muscle group to the next depending on your individual weak points.

Once you have determined the load and volume of your training, there are two more points that we will look at below.

The rests between sets

The pauses between sets are something that most bodybuilders rarely change. As with repetition ranges and the number of sets used during training, most exercisers find what they like best when it comes to rest length and tend to stay within their comfort zone. However, rests between sets are another tool that can be used to increase the intensity of your workout.

The length of rest between sets is directly related to how much energy your muscles will have available when the next set begins. It takes about 3 minutes for your muscles to recover after a set to the point where they have nearly 100% of their ATP and CP (creatine phosphate) levels, which are the two primary sources of energy for working muscles.

This will allow the use of near maximal weights on almost every set. For this reason, strength and power athletes rest long between their training sets. Long rest intervals in conjunction with heavy weights should be incorporated into every bodybuilder's program, as this will help achieve the ultimate goal of progressive overload.

Shorter rest intervals between 60 and 90 seconds allow for 85 to 90% recovery of ATP and CP levels (5). Shorter rest intervals have been shown to have a greater impact on growth hormone levels than longer rest intervals. Keeping rest intervals short works well when training for hypertrophy with moderate to light weights and high repetitions with higher volume. Studies show the most dramatic increase in growth hormone levels with sets of at least 10 repetitions combined with rest intervals of 40 to 60 seconds (7).

Shorter rest intervals have the advantage of allowing you to do a higher volume per training session for a shorter duration. Growth hormone and testosterone levels reach their highest levels after 60 to 90 minutes of training and then drop again quickly. If training continues for too long after reaching this point, hormone levels can drop below normal at rest and even remain below normal for several days (8, 9).

I'm not a fan of staring at the clock until the start of my next set, but too often I see bodybuilders with extremely variable rest intervals. Too much chatter and too much texting on the cell phone are the main culprits here. It's simply not necessary to change your Facebook status from "training straight biceps" to "training straight triceps" during training.

It's unacceptable for soccer or basketball players to talk or text while training - so why should it be any different for bodybuilders? All this distraction will rob you of your focus and intensity. There is no need to use a stopwatch, but timing your rests appropriately between sets will make it necessary for you to focus on what you are doing. Leave the distractions in the locker room and your workout will reach a new level of intensity.

Muscle failure

Even though training to muscle failure is different from the other forms of intensity we've talked about so far, I think it needs to be addressed here. When you go to the point of momentary muscle failure, you can use both light and heavy weights. When performing a set this way, you simply continue the set until you reach the point where you can no longer perform another repetition in good form without assistance. When most people think of a really intense workout, the first thing that comes to mind is performing a lot of sets to muscle failure.

This is the reason that whenever the topic of training intensity is discussed, training to muscle failure is often a point that is emphasized. Like the other forms of increasing intensity, training to muscle failure is a very hotly debated topic in the bodybuilding community. Many advocates of training to muscle failure believe that a set that is not performed to muscle failure is a wasted set. Others avoid performing a set to muscle failure because they fear it could lead to overtraining. Both groups have valid concerns that need to be addressed.

The rationale for using training to muscle failure is that if some motor units exhaust and fail during a set, other motor units must be recruited to continue the activity. The problem with this rationale is that, given this rationale, one should be able to train to muscle failure with very low resistance and achieve large gains in hypertrophy and strength.

As already mentioned, this is not the case in reality. It is well known that moderate to heavy weights must be used to achieve maximum hypertrophy (10). Many studies have shown that training to muscle failure produces gains that are superior to the gains that can be achieved by not training to muscle failure. Although it has been shown that training to muscle failure is more effective, stopping the set shortly before reaching muscle failure can also produce large amounts of muscle growth.

This is due to the fact that overload is the primary determining factor when it comes to muscle growth - not muscle failure itself. Continuously moving heavier and heavier weights across all different repetition ranges will overload the muscles and force adaptations. This is easier said than done, as anyone who has been training with weights for many years knows. Increases in strength do not always occur at a constant rate, but rather in spurts with periods of stagnation. This is one of the reasons why training to muscle failure is effective.

At a certain point in training, optimal gains can be achieved by performing sets to the point of momentary muscle failure (11). Training to muscle failure may also be the best way to increase the intensity of a training session. As soon as a training session begins, testosterone and growth hormone levels rise during the first few minutes.

How much the levels of both hormones increase is directly related to the intensity of the workout. The intensity of the workout is the primary determinant of the amount of growth hormone your body will release, while the duration and volume of the workout have little to do with growth hormone release(12). For this reason, training to muscle failure can be an excellent way to increase the intensity of your training and use the induced release of anabolic hormones to your advantage.

One disadvantage of training to muscle failure is that it is very demanding on the central nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for activating motor units during training. Although muscle tissue may be able to recover from many sets performed to muscle failure, this is unfortunately not the case with the nervous system. Some programs in which all work sets are to be performed to muscle failure will definitely lead to overtraining.

Training programs must therefore include both sets performed to muscle failure and sets performed close to muscle failure in combination with phases during which no set is performed to muscle failure. Many of the benefits of training to muscle failure can be achieved by performing a set close to the point of muscle failure. Performing the set 1 to 2 repetitions before reaching muscle failure will allow sufficient stimulation of the muscle fibers while sparing the nervous system a lot of stress.

It is important to note in this context that overtraining caused by high intensity has completely different effects than overtraining caused by high volume. The main difference between these two causes of overtraining is the effect that overtraining has on the endocrine system. In high-intensity overtraining, catecholamines - also known as fight or flight hormones - show an increased response to exercise. And although overtraining induced by too high a training volume will lead to a reduction in testosterone levels, overtraining induced by high intensity has no effect on testosterone levels (13).

The ultimate goal of any training program is to push your body as hard as possible without causing overtraining. Bodybuilders are always at the threshold of overtraining and it seems that the effects of exceeding this threshold are less devastating if a higher intensity and less volume is used.

Let's summarize everything

These techniques for increasing intensity are different from descending sets or supersets. Although the latter are excellent techniques for increasing intensity and should definitely be used from time to time, the principles of load, volume, rest intervals and muscle failure need to be adapted in your training with weights to ensure consistent growth over many years.

These aspects of training are not independent of each other and if one is adjusted, all others must be adjusted accordingly. Appropriate levels of intensity will vary greatly from person to person depending on genetic predisposition, diet and use of performance enhancing compounds. Those who have chosen to remain steroid-free bodybuilders have chosen a more difficult path.

Steroid-free bodybuilders need to be much more aware of the effects of each of these points, as banned performance-enhancing compounds can compensate for many errors or deficiencies in training. Make sure you take a close look at the intensity level of your training. In my experience, most exercisers convince themselves that they are exercising more intensely than is actually the case.

Many exercisers have no problem going from set to set with very short breaks between sets. Many exercisers have no problem moving heavy weights or performing many sets. However, you will also find that very few people have the determination to go all out in every aspect of the word "intensity". Doing so requires a level of planning and pain that most are unwillingÄ to take on.

References:

Chandler, T. J., Brown, L. E., Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance, 2007, 52-53p.
Zatsiorsky, V. M., Kraemer, W. J., Science and Practice of Strength Training, 2006, 50p.
Abernethy, B., The Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement, 2005, 151-152p.
Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 63p.
Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 114-116p.
National Academy of Sports Medicine, Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional: Course Manuel, 2008, 332p.
Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 58p.
Garret, W. E., Kirkendall, D. T., Exercise and Sport Science, 2000, 152p.
Kreider, R. B., Fry, A. C., O'Toole, M. L., Overtraining in Sport, 1998, 153p.
Frohlich, M., Pruess, P., Current Results of Strength Training Research: An Empirical and Theoretical Approach, 2005, 80p.
Fleck, S., Kraemer, W., Designing Resistance Training Programs, 1997, 20p.
McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., Katch, V. L., Essentials of Exercise Physiology, 2006, 410-411p
Chandler, T. J., Brown, L. E., Conditioning For Strength and Human Performance, 2007, 119p.

Sources:

By Cliff Wilson

Dec 12, 2018

10 rules to build muscle without getting fat

Building muscle without getting fat is not complicated, but many exercisers are forever searching for the best new method or secret. The truth is, there is no such secret. The right method or tip can help, but the real way to get more muscular, stronger and leaner lies in solid principles followed with ruthless consistency.

1 - Set realistic goals

Far too many young exercisers come into the gym expecting that a four-week training cycle will transform them from a pubescent boy into "The Rock" Dwain Johnson. Of course, they won't achieve this goal and will either search for relevant articles on the internet or throw in the towel altogether.

The muscle building process is a journey, not a sprint. You need patience and a reasonable idea of what you can achieve and in what time frame. Fitness author Alan Aragon has developed a clear list of the maximum rate of muscle gain:

Beginners: 1 to 1.5% of total body weight per month
Somewhat advanced: 0.5 to 1% of total body weight per month
Advanced: 0.25 to 0.5% of total body weight per month

Let's put these numbers into action. Let's say Ben is a busy guy who hasn't exercised much so far. He weighs about 70 kilos, is 19 years old and has the hormone profile of a young bull (huh?). If Ben trains hard 3 to 5 times a week, does everything right with his diet and regenerates adequately, here's what he can expect:

Year 1:

Ben weighs 70 kilos with a body fat percentage of 14%.

70 kilos x 0.1 = 700 grams per month x 12 months = 8.4 kilos per year
70 kilos x 0.15 = 1.05 kilos of muscle per month x 12 months = 12.6 kilos per year

If Ben does everything right, he can be anywhere between 78.4 and 83.6 kilos after a year of training. We will take 80 kilos as an approximate average.

Year 2:

Ben weighs 80 kilos.

80 kilos x 0.0075% = 0.6 kilos per month or 7.2 kilos of muscle per year.

Ben is still building muscle at an impressive rate and now weighs about 87 kilos.

Year 3:

Ben weighs 87 kilos.

87 kilos x 0.0025 = 0.2176 kilos per month or 2.61 kilos per month.

After three years of intensive training, Ben now weighs 198 kilos with a body fat percentage of 15%. This sounds good for three years, but young exercisers rarely have the foresight to look three years into the future.

Genetic outliers and steroid users can expect to build 2 to 3 pounds of muscle per month as true beginners, 1 to 2 pounds of muscle per month as somewhat advanced, and about 0.5 pounds of muscle per month as more advanced. Water weight and fat will add a few more pounds to your total weight, but it takes a lot of time to build lean muscle even if you're doing everything right.

Adjust your expectations to reality and commit to the long term. Building muscle without gaining fat is not a one-night stand but a long-term relationship.

2 - Get lean and build lean muscle

The biggest mistake exercisers make? Trying to build mass before they're lean enough to make the most of the extra calories they're eating. Generally speaking, men should aim for a body fat percentage of around 12%, while women should be in the 17% to 21% body fat range. A good indicator that you are on the right track is that you have some abdominal muscle definition before you try to bulk up.

If you go through a 'dirty' bulking phase or try to bulk up when you are too fat, then you will face a variety of problems:

Fat hyperplasia - Your body will increase the number of fat cells as a result of excess calorie intake. This makes it easier to store fat in the future and harder to lose fat here and now.
Reduced insulin sensitivity - You make it harder for your body to convert food into energy. You will find it easier to build fat and struggle to build lean muscle.
Developing bad habits - Sure, it's fun to eat junk food occasionally. But a mass-building phase is no excuse to stuff all kinds of junk into you like an idiot with the self-control of a 14-year-old pubescent boy visiting his first porn site. It's harder than you might think to break these habits.

Ignore this advice at your own peril. Sure, you'll build mass faster, but that mass will consist of life preservers over your jeans, not an armor of muscle over your chest. Get lean and keep your diet "clean." Progress will be slower, but you'll build big muscles instead of a big belly.

3 - Maintain a moderate calorie surplus

In a perfect world, eating more food would directly correlate with more lean muscle mass. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. Unlike those who use banned performance-enhancing compounds and therefore have a 24/7 increased rate of protein synthesis, steroid-free exercisers need a moderate calorie surplus to prevent too much body fat build-up.

For this reason, you need to calculate your calorie needs and aim for 300 to 500 kcal above maintenance calories. You will find dozens of equations on the internet that will help you calculate this value and these formulas are all quite similar. Here is a simple one:

Body weight in kilos x 33 = maintenance calorie intake
73 kilos x 33 = 2,409 kcal per day

So to build muscle, this hypothetical person should consume 2,700 to 2,900 kcal per day.

If you build fat easily, you should aim for a value at the lower end of the spectrum. If you have a faster metabolism, then you should aim for 2,900 kcal or slightly above. You'll have to experiment to see what works best for you, but you'll end up near this range.

This reasonable increase in calorie intake is equivalent to one or two protein shakes and one or two bananas above the maintenance calorie amount. Alternatively, those extra calories could be an extra sweet potato and a chicken breast a day - but not a 1,200 kcal burger from the nearest fast food joint.

4 - Set your macronutrient intake

Calories are most important when it comes to building muscle, but the composition of macronutrients is also important.

Protein

Keep it simple. Aim for a good 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. There doesn't seem to be much benefit to consuming more protein as a steroid-free exerciser. Of course, if you're struggling to get your calorie intake down, feel free to consume more protein. Just be aware that it won't have any additional benefits, at least for your muscle gains.

Carbohydrates

If you have followed rule two and are already lean enough at the start of the mass-building phase, carbohydrates are your best friend when it comes to building lean muscle. Carbohydrates have a protein-sparing effect, which means that they can prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue. Similar to saving money, a penny saved is a penny earned. Think of carbohydrates as the key to maintaining the muscle you've already built while encouraging further muscle growth.

Men with a body fat percentage of 7% to 12% and women with a body fat percentage of 17% to 19% should aim for 4 to 5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight.

Men with a body fat percentage of 12 to 15% and women with a body fat percentage of 19 to 21% should aim for 3 to 4 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. If you have a higher body fat percentage, get lean first.

Fat

The rest of your calories should be consumed in the form of fat. And yes, there are exceptions. Some exercisers do better on a higher fat diet. But in general, too many exercisers suffer from carbohydrate phobia. As a result, they remain leaner and weaker than they could be.

5 - Sleep 7 to 9 hours a night

Your body needs rest - especially if you want to build muscle and stay lean. A 2010 study found that even 14 days of 5.5 hours of sleep per night vs. 8.5 hours of sleep per night reduced fat loss by 55% and increased lean body mass (muscle) loss by 60%. All this happened in just 2 weeks.

And chronic sleep deprivation? Numerous studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation increases cortisol levels while simultaneously decreasing the release of testosterone and IGF-1. When you consider all of this together, a lack of sleep seems to promote a loss of muscle mass.

Make sure you get 7 to 9 hours of sleep if you're serious about building muscle. Put away your cell phone and turn off Netflix. This is the lowest hanging fruit for bodybuilders (can't translate that literally, dear comparison) and the easiest way for most exercisers to get more muscular, stronger, leaner and healthier.

6 - Pay attention to progressive overload

If you're not controlling, you're just guessing. Most exercisers tread water for years. They train bench presses with 85 kilos and 5 x 5 and then go straight on to barbell curls. Same thing the next day. The same weight. The same volume. And they make minimal progress...for years.

To build muscle, you need to push your body beyond what it's doing right now. The simplest solution is to take a notebook to the gym and write down your workouts. Aim to get a little better every time you set foot in the gym.

Find a good training program like 5/3/1. Without progression, there is no progression. Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. Document your workouts, assess your progress and increase the weight on the bar to put more stress on your body.

7 - Underpin your strength base

If you are a beginner, getting stronger is the most important thing you can do. Training purely for strength in combination with a muscle building diet will build thick layers of muscle mass simply because your body is not used to the stressful environment of proper training.

Strength is important for those who have been at it for a while, but the mechanisms for hypertrophy are slightly different. Once you have built a sufficient strength base, heavy training will help you build muscle through two mechanisms.

First, building more strength will allow you to progressively move more weight at a higher volume. For example, you could progress from 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 35 kilo dumbbells to 45 kilo dumbbells and 10 sets of 3 repetitions on the bench press. This gradual increase will lead to a much stronger overload stimulus.

Secondly, heavy training will improve muscle fiber recruitment. Using hypothetical numbers, you could go from recruiting (weird word choice... maybe another word?) 40% of the muscle fibers in your pecs to 70%. The more muscle fibers you recruit, the more muscle fibers you can train.

So strength is still important for advanced exercisers. But instead of being the primary mechanism for building muscle, heavy training will allow you to improve your muscle fiber recruitment to use more muscle fibers during training and improve your work capacity for exhausting more muscle fibers.

Beginners need to train heavy to build muscle. Experienced exercisers need to train heavy to make all subsequent training more effective.

8 - Chase the pump

Chasing the pump just because Arnold said it feels like an orgasm is no longer bro-science - it's science.

Brad Schoenfeld, a scientist who specializes in muscle building, has found three main components to building muscle:

Mechanical tension (heavy weight training)
Metabolic damage (the pump)
Muscle damage (muscle soreness)

Mechanical tension is covered by heavy strength training and limited muscle damage should be a by-product (and not the focus) of light progressive overload. In many cases, the best results can be achieved by performing a heavy exercise and then generating metabolic stress (the pump).

If you train with moderately high repetitions and short rest intervals, then the longer lasting muscle contractions will generate an occlusion effect and short rest intervals will further contribute to this effect because they do not give the blood enough time to drain from the muscles. As a result, by-products of muscle concentrations remain in the muscles, activating the mTOR pathway (a key regulator of growth) while increasing the activity of satellite cells (precursors of muscle cells).

In short, this means training with heavy weights at the beginning of the workout and then performing 2 to 3 exercises with 8 to 15 repetitions per set, longer eccentric phases (negative repetitions) and incomplete recovery between sets for a good pump.

9 - Train to muscle failure...occasionally

Training to muscle failure can give you a rapid growth spurt - if done correctly. By exhausting every possible muscle fiber and continuing sets to the point of mechanical muscle failure, you're generating an insane amount of metabolic stress and muscle damage for future muscle growth.

But how can you safely train to the point of muscle failure? Use light weights in the range of 30% of your maximum weight. Choose your exercises carefully. Use cable pulls, machines and a few bodyweight exercises. No deadlifts or snatches please.

Aim for muscle failure without excessive bending. Some momentum is fine. Aim to target a muscle towards the end of a training session with a 2 x 50, 3 x 30, or 3 x 20 repetition scheme.

Here are a few exercises that are good for training to muscle failure:

Chest: bench press on the machine
Latissimus: Rowing with supported chest
Biceps/forearms: machine curls
Quadriceps: single-leg leg presses, leg extensions, goblet squats
Triceps: Tight push-ups until muscle failure
Leg curls: leg curls on a stability ball
Gluteus: one-legged hip thrusts
Trapezius: 2 minute farmer's walk

10 - Plan for the long term

You can follow an aggressive fat loss plan and change your appearance quite quickly, but building muscle is a completely different story. It takes months and years of hard work - not days or weeks.

Most exercisers fail in their efforts not because of a lack of knowledge. They fail because of a lack of strength of character, a lack of tenacity and a lack of consistency. You can't build muscle for a month, watch your abs dwindle and then move on to a definition phase. If you're dead serious about building muscle, give it your all for six months.

Remember that the muscle building process is a slow process - you won't build more than 1 to 1.5 kilos of muscle per month if you do everything right with diet and training and get plenty of rest and recovery.

The goal should remain the goal

Stick to your muscle building diet, ditch inconsistent training and take your recovery just as seriously as anything you do in the gym. And most importantly - strive for your goal. If you're willing to pay the price, you'll be rewarded with a stronger, leaner and more muscular body.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/10-rules-for-building-muscle-without-getting-fat

By Eric Bach

Dec 11, 2018

Arm training for natural bodybuilders

Some people can build huge arms regardless of how they train. They simply have the perfect genetic predispositions for massive arms...or they use tons of performance-enhancing substances and build muscle just by brushing their teeth. The steroid-free, genetically average exerciser, on the other hand, has to work a little harder and smarter to build their arms. Does this sound familiar? Then this is the guide for you.

The basics of muscle building

As part of his groundbreaking research, Brad Schoenfeld described the primary mechanisms for muscle growth. You need to understand all three of these to build really big arms.

1 - Mechanical tension

Mechanical tension is achieved by using substantial weights and performing the exercises through the full range of motion for a period of time. The time your muscles spend under tension generates mechanical tension in the muscle. The longer the time under tension, the more significant the mechanical tension.

So train heavy, use slow eccentric repetitions (negative repetitions) and get strong like a bull. The stronger you are, the greater your ability to recruit muscle fibers. And the more muscle fibers you recruit, the more muscle fibers you can fatigue and force to grow again.

2 - Metabolic stress

At this point we are talking about the pump. When you train with longer duration sets, short rests between sets and moderately heavy weights, lactic acid (lactate), hydrogen ions, creatinine and other metabolic products and waste products of muscle contractions accumulate in your muscles. As your muscles are under constant attack, the accumulated blood cannot drain away, resulting in occlusion (an accumulation of blood in the muscle).

3 - Muscle damage

You know that intense and deep-seated muscle soreness you feel when you've done squats for the first time in ages? This is muscle damage, which is often the result of a breakdown of muscle fibers and a subsequent inflammatory reaction. This can signal adaptation and stimulate the supply of regenerative resources to repair and rebuild the damaged tissue.

How do you use this information to build more muscular arms? Well, training that only focuses on mechanical tension will make you brutally strong, but won't maximize your muscle growth. This is the reason why elite level weightlifters are not as muscular as bodybuilders. If you only train for metabolic stress and/or muscle damage, then you might look 10 kilos heavier when you come out of the gym, but without a sufficient strength base you won't really get more muscular.

10 things you need to do to build big arms

1 - Build a sufficient strength base

You don't have to train like a powerlifter and always chase your max weights, but a decent strength base will help you generate enough tension and make pump training with high reps more effective. Here are a few strength levels you should aim for:

Bench press: 1.5 x bodyweight
Squats: 2 x bodyweight or front squats 1.75 x bodyweight
Deadlift: 2 x bodyweight
Pull-ups: 12 repetitions through full range of motion. (This will help you estimate your relative strength)

Also practice close grip bench presses, dips, dips on rings and overhead presses with heavy weights. Keep the close grip at around 35 centimeters or further to avoid too much stress on your wrists and elbows.

2 - Train for the pump

The ideal range for building muscle is 8 to 12 repetitions when using moderate weights. This combines mechanical tension and metabolic stress. In addition, you should occasionally intersperse sets with even higher repetitions - 15 repetitions or more. Occasionally go to absolute muscle failure to exhaust every last muscle fiber. Add unfamiliar exercises or training methods to your workouts. The goal is to cause moderate muscle damage - not to destroy your arms so badly that you can't open the car door after the workout.

3 - Vary your grip

Sticking with the same grip session after session, month after month is a mistake. This is a problem if you want to build muscular arms. Without variety, you overuse the same movements and recruitment patterns. Your arms adapt to this consistent load. A lack of variety can lead to desensitization to training stress, elbow overload syndromes and unbalanced development.

Even if you can't completely isolate a muscle within a muscle group, you can give your elbows a break from redundant movement patterns and stimulate stagnant muscle fibers. Here is a brief overview of different hand positions and how they will affect your training response.

Wide grip

A wide grip - a grip that is at least 5 centimeters wider than shoulder width - places slightly more demand on the short head (inner area) of the biceps. The short head works harder with the arms in front of your body - as is the case with Scott curls, for example.

Tight grip

A close grip - anything narrower than shoulder width - puts more strain on the long head of the biceps. As far as the grip position on a barbell is concerned, you should choose a grip that is about 5 centimeters narrower than a shoulder-width grip. Anything narrower could put undue strain on your wrists.

The long head is the primary supinator responsible for rotating your palms away from you and the key to a high biceps peak. Dumbbell incline bench curls work well as the elbows drift behind the body and put the long head of the biceps under maximum tension.

Shoulder wide grip

A shoulder wide grip puts equal stress on the short and long head of the biceps. If you always train in this range, then you would be better advised to add tighter and wider grip positions to your training for a few weeks.

Neutral grip

A neutral grip (thumbs up, palms facing each other) will work the brachialis harder, which is located underneath the biceps, contributes to the thickness of the arms and pushes the biceps upwards, making them appear larger. Exercises such as hammer curls or pinwheel curls (hammer curls across the body https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21eLS5ZNBxQ) at a slow pace work well.

Pronated grip

An overhand grip will put more stress on the brachioradialis and pack some mass onto your forearms. Training with reverse curls will stimulate growth in the forearms, which will lead to better development of the arms as a whole.

4 - Challenge your triceps hard

Quickly tighten the first muscle you think of when you hear the term arm workout. You tensed the biceps, right? Well, the biceps really only play second fiddle when it comes to pure mass. One of the best steps to building bigger arms is to spend more time training your triceps. Your triceps are made up of three separate muscle heads:

Long triceps head: this is the largest of the triceps muscles, which responds well to seated French presses with a SZ bar(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yeg3nrxt22A)
Lateral head of triceps: the lateral head of triceps is worked hard by exercises such as cable tricep presses or dips where your arms are on the side of your body.
Middle head of the triceps: The middle head of the triceps is trained in most triceps exercises. You can specifically train the middle head of the triceps by using an underhand grip (palms facing upwards), as with cable tricep pulls.

With the anatomy of your triceps in mind, it's best to train with a selection of different exercises. Use close bench presses and dips as your basic exercises.

5 - Long limbs? Perform more isolation exercises

Longer-limbed exercisers often struggle to move heavier weights than shorter-limbed exercisers due to a greater range of motion - a mechanical disadvantage. Being tall has its advantages, but moving heavy weights is rarely one of them.

It boils down to longer lever arms. Compared to stubby-limbed exercisers, the lever arm of long-limbed exercisers is further away from the torso. Performing additional isolation training such as incline bench curls and overhead tricep presses on the cable pulley can lead to better muscle growth.

6 - Perform a horizontal pull exercise every day

Adding a horizontal pull exercise (a variation of rowing) to every training session will improve your ratio of pulling to pushing exercises and your shoulder health. It will also help you build a strong neck and add a lot of extra volume to your forearms and biceps.

You can add a rowing variation like inverse rowing to your workout to warm up your shoulders before an upper body session. On lower body days, you can add a rowing variation for extra volume at the end of the workout.

This is good practice for two reasons. First, almost everyone can use some extra horizontal pulling volume to compensate for the chronic bad posture of a rounded back that is so prevalent in our modern society. Secondly, more horizontal pulling leads to a stronger training stimulus for your biceps, brachialis and brachioradialis. Even though these muscles are only secondary muscles in rowing, the increased volume will contribute to growth in your arms - not to mention your posterior shoulder muscles, trapezius and rhomboids.

The only caveat? Keep the intensity low and vary the rowing exercise. Your body won't be happy if you're doing heavy rowing bent over to muscle failure four days a week.

7 - Control the negative repetition

One of the most common pain points among exercisers is a sore elbow. For many, this is because they approach curls as they would a deadlift max attempt and lose control of the weight on the downward movement, putting more strain on their tendons than their biceps.

Keep the actual goal in mind. When it comes to isolation training, your goal is to maximize the mind-muscle connection, get a pump and stimulate the muscles - not perform contorted biceps curls with maximum weight for a dozen Instagram followers.

Slow down the negative repetition and you'll strengthen the connective tissue that supports your sore elbows. This will protect the joints, while a slower eccentric tempo will simultaneously increase micro-traumas in the muscle fibers, stimulating new growth. Take 3 to 5 seconds for the eccentric phase and pause at the lowest point of the movement when your muscles are stretched (maintaining tension in the muscle).

8 - Make a REAL effort to grow

We all know those 60 kilo guys (or those 45 kilo gals) who work out tirelessly in the gym, but despite regular arm training can't even fill out the sleeves of a size S t-shirt.

The reason for this? These exercisers need to become more muscular overall. If you want to grow any muscle, you need to focus on building muscle from head to toe and increasing your body weight. You need to maintain a caloric surplus and overload all large muscles. This will stimulate the muscle growth you want on your arms and everywhere else.

9 - Use brutal compound sets

If your growth is stagnating, then add compound sets to your training. Compound sets (which should not be confused with supersets, which train opposite muscle groups), pair two exercises together that work the same muscles and are performed without rest between exercises.

Here's an example:

Pull-ups with close grip: 6-8 repetitions
Dumbbell incline bench curls: 10-12 repetitions
60 seconds rest and then two more reps

Compound sets generate an intense amount of metabolic stress. Because there are only short rests, the muscle does not have enough time to remove all the lactate, which stimulates the release of growth hormones and other anabolic growth factors. The second exercise of the compound set recruits muscle fibers that were not recruited during the first set. By recruiting more muscle fibers, you will stimulate another growth stimulus as long as your recovery is sufficient.

10 - Add more variety

When it comes to isolation training, adding more variety to your workouts may be just what your doctor ordered for rapid growth of stubborn muscles. If your body is not used to an exercise, then your muscles will be more ineffective and fatigue faster. This leads to more metabolic stress, which will result in the recruitment of dormant muscle fibers and an increased training response. Here are two options:

Isometric training

When it comes to hypertrophy, isometric training recruits the largest motor units and improves neural drive, which will help you feel maximum tension in the muscle. This will not only increase your strength at the angle at which you perform the isometric hold, but also improve your mind-muscle connection based on the maximal conscious contraction.

Descending sets

Descending sets work by first recruiting as many muscle fibers as possible and then challenging them with a high volume until they swell, giving you a huge pump and the stimulation you need for new growth. To do this, reduce the weight by 20 to 30% after a heavier set and perform as many repetitions as possible. If you are a real masochist, reduce the weight again by 20 to 30% and perform as many repetitions as possible.

Bonus: Give yourself a break!

Have you been training your arms several times a week for months or years without a break and without making any real progress? Remember that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Try this instead: Do no direct arm training for 4 to 6 weeks and then annihilate your arms for 4 to 6 weeks with a higher volume approach while reducing volume in other muscle groups.

If you're training non-stop but still not getting results, then your body has been desensitized to the stimulus you're exposing it to or you're not allowing yourself enough time to recover.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/arm-training-for-natural-lifters

By Eric Bach

Dec 10, 2018

Bodybuilding for strength athletes

More muscles, more weight

Despite all the neurological factors that contribute to strength, the fact remains that it's the muscles that move the weight once the bar is loaded.

When I was powerlifting I was a big advocate of training the actual competition exercises and becoming efficient at them. It's the law of specificity: we get better at the things we train repeatedly. However, there comes a point when technique is no longer an issue. When you eventually reach a plateau, your primary obstacle might be something as trivial as needing more muscle mass to move the weight.

It's true that you can often simply eat more to be able to move a heavy max weight on bench presses, deadlifts or squats. However, this often also means a loss of relative strength and simply building up layers of fat to achieve better leverage ratios. Do you know what else can give you the same leverage ratio benefits? More muscle mass.

It's time to jump on the growth bandwagon

Strength athletes don't often have long training cycles where their focus is strictly on hypertrophy.

s strictly on hypertrophy and I'm not sure why that is. They treat training for hypertrophy - or "bodybuilding" training - in much the same way that Hollywood treats monogamy. They don't take it seriously and they don't stick with it long enough.

A few sets of tricep presses on the cable machine with high reps at the end of a training session is not hypertrophy training. I'm talking about a few months of new personal bests and building a whole new level of muscle that you can work with afterwards.

The more muscular you become, the more you will increase your maximum strength potential when you go back to a maximum strength training cycle. It makes a lot of sense to put the three big strength exercises second for a few months of the year. During this time, you should focus on exercises that are similar to these exercises and where increases carry over to your performance on the competition exercises, but are more focused on building total body muscle mass.

The right way and the wrong way

There is a right way and a wrong way for strength-focused exercisers to perform this type of training. The right way includes the following:

Exercise selection that aims to improve your performance on competition exercises via mechanical similarity.
Replacing low repetition training with higher repetition training.
Improving stability in the kinetic chain.
Addressing the muscles that are the weakest link in your squat, bench press and deadlift chain.

No article can be comprehensive enough to address every exerciser's personal weak points, but I can tell you what most exercisers should be doing for hypertrophy. And this will not only help you build more muscle, but also give you the potential for higher competition weights. Let's take a closer look.

Mechanical similarity

It makes no sense for a powerlifter to spend months working on leg curls to improve their deadlift performance. Similarly, it doesn't make sense to train leg presses to improve squat performance. Each exercise chosen during a hypertrophy cycle must have some similarity to the competition exercises if there is to be any carryover. These exercises will not be exactly the same, of course, but they should resemble one of the three competition exercises in powerlifting.

Heavier weight, higher reps

The first thing a competition-level powerlifter should do is ditch their lazy mantra of "anything over 5 reps is cardio".

Sets of 8 all the way up to 20 reps are what will give you the most growth potential. There's a reason bodybuilders regularly train in this repetition range - it simply works. No one is going to get muscular with single reps or sets of 2 or 3 reps.

Of course, this doesn't mean you should train with light weights. I'm not sure why people think that moderate or higher repetition ranges mean light weights. Training with high reps using the heaviest weights possible will build mountains of muscle. Arnold already said this and he should know a thing or two about this...

Improving stability

The saying "you can't fire a cannon from a canoe" often makes people think of lower body strength, but I also think of stability in this context. The less stability you have - both in terms of your technique and the muscles that provide stability - the less weight you will be able to move.

Improving stability is also great for injury prevention. Stability means that the muscles that stabilize your joints are large and strong and that the actual stabilizing muscles that work antagonistically with the primary muscles are also large and strong.

The exercises

Let's take a look at some exercises that should be included in a strength athlete's hypertrophy program.

Chest day

Dumbbell flat bench press with palms facing inwards

When I was learning how to bench press correctly for powerlifting, this was the exercise that helped me the most in learning the correct elbow movement. If you bench press with your elbows out to the side, sooner or later you can expect an injury to the rotator cuff or pectoral muscle. Pulling the elbows towards the body, at least to some degree, will allow you to load the upper back and latissimus as support for the bench press movement.

Dumbbell bench presses also give your joints a break as you are not restricted to the range of motion of a barbell. Your shoulders, elbows and wrists get a little more range of motion when using dumbbells. For the powerlifter who suffers from sore shoulders and elbows - which is pretty much all powerlifters - taking a break from the barbell and using dumbbells can alleviate some of these issues.

Lastly, bench pressing with dumbbells means that the stabilizers have to work a little harder due to the balancing of the dumbbells. During the hypertrophy phase, the dumbbell flat bench press with palms facing inwards can provide a lot of value for your efforts. For this exercise, I like to use sets of 8, 15 and 25 repetitions, performing each set to muscle failure and using the heaviest weights possible for each set.

Seated dumbbell press

There are a lot of powerlifters who should focus a little more on overhead presses. I've never seen anyone move heavy weights on the bench press who has tiny shoulders. That's why it's important to pay some attention to the shoulders.

Use dumbbells to train the stabilizer muscles as well and use high reps in the range of 15 to 20 reps per set. This forces you to avoid using weights that are too heavy - and apart from that, the shoulder muscles are largely made up of slowly contracting muscle fibers. You can also experiment a little with the angles of this exercise in terms of the incline of the bench you use. However, you should not turn this exercise into dumbbell incline bench presses and then call them dumbbell shoulder presses.

Lying band pull-apart(https://youtu.be/OqMv7YEiNWA)

Band pull-aparts are an excellent upper back exercise that is also great for improving shoulder health, upper back stability and bench press tightness. A great way for powerlifters to incorporate this exercise into their training program is to perform it on the same plane of motion as standard bench presses - lying on a flat bench with retraction of the shoulder blades.

Hold the contracted position for three seconds. This will generate stability and help you balance the pushing versus pulling work on bench press day.

Strict hammer curls

Most powerlifters don't think they need bicep training. But strong forearms and strong biceps will help you bench press. How? These muscles stabilize the elbow joint. Neglecting bicep training is a great way to end up with terrible elbow pain - which is common among powerlifters, but they still don't realize the real reason.

However, this exercise is not those macho hammer curls with no end of momentum that you see in many exercisers who use ultra-heavy dumbbells and generate virtually no tension in the biceps and brachialis.

Instead, you should start this exercise with the dumbbells at the front of your legs. This prevents deflection at the start of the movement, meaning that all the tension is generated by the forearms, brachialis and biceps. To add some pain to the workout, you will perform sets of 30 repetitions here.

Back day

Dumbbell rowing without grip aids

Having a strong grip is important for deadlifts. You can't move weight in the deadlift that you can't hold. Unfortunately, the fact is that grip training is boring. By removing the grip aids and working with higher repetitions, you kill two birds with one stone. This is a very effective hypertrophy workout for the upper back where you simultaneously train your grip with a few sets where you give it your all. Perform 20 to 30 repetitions here.

Deficit deadlift with straight legs(https://youtu.be/C6AC8AvwePw)

This is my main exercise for improving my deadlift performance and this exercise is possibly one of the best exercises for developing the posterior chain.

A lot of people think this is an exercise for the hamstrings, but if you use heavy weights then you will learn the brutality that this exercise generates for the back extensors, latissimus and the entire upper back. This is an exercise for the entire back. If your strength increases on this exercise, don't be surprised if your strength increases on the deadlift.

I use a mixed grip for this exercise, but you can also perform this exercise with a hook grip or grip aids to avoid that annoying spinal twist that can come from a mixed grip. Keep the reps slightly lower than most other hypertrophy exercises. When fatigue sets in, it's all too easy to round your back and end up with too much spinal flexion.

Leg day

Hackenschmidt squats with a pause

If your quadriceps are a weak point, then you should make this exercise your best friend. I wish I had used this exercise during the years I was powerlifting and pulling quadriceps strain after quadriceps strain.

Unlike classic barbell squats with pause, where you can "sit" on your quadriceps to some extent and reduce the load somewhat, Hackenschmidt squats with pause will keep you in a very intense isometric contraction at the lowest point of the movement. There will be no relief whatsoever, especially if you don't cheat and don't put the equipment down on the safety rest. Your vastus medialis will be begging for mercy.

The other great thing about this exercise is that if your deadlift performance is weak at the lowest point of the movement, the increased muscle mass and strength of the quadriceps should solve that problem.

Hack squats will also give your hips and lower back a little break. A lot of strength athletes don't realize how overworked these areas can become when doing deadlifts and squats every week. How many times have you heard of a strength athlete taking a break and then setting new personal bests in deadlifts or squats?

Fatigue in these muscle groups is the primary reason for simply not being able to exceed a certain weight or suffering from too many bad training sessions in a row. So don't worry if you take a break from barbell squats for 8 to 12 weeks. You will continue to push your quadriceps and posterior chain muscles hard on back day and leg day.

Split squats

With split squats or lunges (an alternative), we build up the muscles involved in squats while also improving our knee and ankle stability. We also take time out here to ensure that the muscles and joints that play a supporting role are addressed.

There is no need to become a bikini bunny and use light dumbbells. Grab some heavy dumbbells and do a few sets of 15 to 20 reps, giving it your all. Everything from your quadriceps to your hamstrings will be toasted.

The program

Day 1 - Bench/chest day

Dumbbell flat bench press with palms facing inwards: 1 set of 6 reps, 1 set of 15 reps, 1 set of 25 reps
Rest for 3 minutes between sets
Dumbbell shoulder press sitting: 2 x 15-20+ reps.
Band pull-apart lying: 4 sets with as many repetitions as possible with 3 second holds
Strict hammer curls: 3 sets of 30 reps.

Day 2 - Legs/knee bends day

Hackenschmidt squats with rest: 2 x 10 reps or 1 x 20+ reps until muscle failure
Split squats: 2 x 15-20 reps.

Day 3 - Back/cross lift day

Dumbbell rows without grip aids: 2 x 20-30 reps.
Deficit squats with straight legs: 1 x 6 reps, 1 x 10 reps.
Rest 3 minutes between sets

I haven't listed a ton of exercises here because the purpose of this program is to set personal bests, build the most muscle used in the three competitive powerlifting exercises, and build the most stable base you can work with.

This doesn't mean you can't add a few more exercises to create a more well-rounded, personalized training program. It's up to you to find and address your personal weak points. But if you make these exercises the basis of your training for 8 to 12 weeks, this is a good start.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/bodybuilding-for-strength-athletes

By Paul Carter | 07/31/17

Dec 07, 2018

Sex, training and athletic performance How does your naked time affect your training sessions?

Here is a brief summary:

Many people believe that sex reduces performance in the gym and other sports. Fortunately, this is an oversimplification of the actual facts.
Having sex while you work out could boost your performance.
Women could benefit from pre- and post-workout orgasms.
Alongside good nutrition, sex is one of the best aids to recovery
Sex with cuddling afterwards has more benefits than a "solo act"

Is sex killing your gains?

In my younger days, I had a few guiding principles - short quotes or sayings that kept me focused in my pursuit of muscle and strength.

They may sound a little embarrassing, but if you consider that I spent the hours before workouts watching scenes from Conan the Barbarian and Dune - the Desert Planet on VHS tapes, you'll understand them better.

Here are a few of them:

"Steel is strong. Flesh is stronger." -Thulsa Doom from Conan

"Fear kills the spirit." - Paul Atreides from Dune

"Sex is for lovers, not strength athletes." - A crazy exerciser from my gym

I can live with the first two. It's the last saying that bothers me the most. I wish I could travel back through time to my 20-year-old self to smack him with a dumbbell and then beat up the guy who told me that.

Sex and performance

There's a long history of ancestral training knowledge that warns against sex. The whole thing goes along the lines of "don't have sex during the night before the big game because it will make you weak."

So you can probably see where Mr. Stupid got his idea about sex and muscle gains. The problem, however, is that not only does this take all the fun out of life, but it also goes against intuition in many ways.

There is a delicate balance between training and recovery. You train to stimulate the body. You break down tissue, you release hormones, you stimulate and stress the body and force it to adapt.

The body adapts by releasing anabolic hormones to counteract the catabolic nature of the stress hormones. This is the reason we consume our protein after a workout, spend time in the sauna, treat ourselves to a massage and make sure to get good sleep.

Now guess what else puts the body in a parasympathetic relaxed state, quickly suppresses stress hormones and floods the body with healing hormones like oxytocin? Yes, that's right, an orgasm.

The science of the big "O"

Here's an explanation of how an orgasm works in the context of sex. There is the arousal phase during which desire builds. This encompasses everything that comes about before physical contact and what we call eroticizing.

This anticipation phase seems to be associated with both a strong release of certain stress hormones (catecholamines and cortisol) and an activation of the dopamine circuit in the brain. This phase also appears to increase testosterone levels in some studies.

The research in this area is far from clear and conclusive and there appears to be individual variation. For example, some women showed a reduced cortisol response during this arousal phase, while others showed a stronger stress response or no stress response at all.

When things escalate towards sexual activity, most of the changes we see are changes in the brain. One notable hormone whose levels rise with physical contact is oxytocin, which has many positive effects. It is most involved in feelings of bonding and attachment and correlates with lower levels of stress hormones.

Once orgasm arrives, this is met with many changes in the brain and two very notable hormonal responses. Oxytocin levels quickly reach their maximum level and also drop quickly after orgasm if no physical contact (e.g. cuddling) is maintained.

The other hormone that is released is prolactin. If there is one hormone that can be considered the hormone of orgasm, it is prolactin. In both men and women, prolactin levels rise rapidly after orgasm. The extent and duration of the increase is greater in men, which means that men release a greater amount of prolactin and that their prolactin levels remain elevated for longer.

The current consensus is that prolactin is responsible for the non-stimulatory phase that follows orgasm. This desensitized phase includes a loss of erection, reduced desire for sex and, most famously, drowsiness.

Is sex the best pre-workout formula for women?

Women seem to suffer much less from this insensitive phase, which may also be responsible for the fact that some women can have multiple consecutive orgasms. When they do experience this insensitivity, it doesn't last as long. All of this is regulated by prolactin.

There are also several other changes after orgasm. Studies conducted with women using imaging techniques (fMRI) have shown that the brain undergoes a number of fascinating changes after orgasm. These include increased activity in areas associated with relaxation, touch, reward, memory and pain sensation.

Clearly, orgasm in women is a fairly reliable tool for reducing sensitivity to pain. This effect can last for hours after orgasm. Along with this effect comes reduced anxiety and less activity in the parts of the brain associated with anxiety and what scientists describe as a trance-like state.

While I don't have a double-blind study to cite at this point, I would love to see a study that examines whether these changes in the brain will result in increased best performance when training with weights in women.

Less fear, less anxiety, better trance-like focus and higher pain tolerance? Sounds like the optimal mental state. Could orgasm improve athletic performance in women? There's no research on this topic yet, but it sounds very likely to me at least.

Sorry guys, but there are no similar studies on the male brain during orgasm. However, it looks like a reduction in fear, anxiety and pain reduction are specifically female.

What about a "solo act"?

There are differences between masturbation and sex. Masturbation is a solo endeavor and therefore we would expect less of the cuddling hormone oxytocin to be released. This is indeed the case. Masturbation is also generally not as stimulating and satisfying as real sex, so we would expect prolactin release to be lower. And this is also the case.

Can I have too many orgasms?

What about the frequency of orgasms? Are there any potential disadvantages here in terms of health and fitness?

There are two areas of potential concern here. One is the use of erotic stimuli. These appear to reliably increase testosterone levels in men. In fact, visual erotic stimuli before exercise can increase strength and performance.

In one study, experienced exercisers watched a 4-minute long sad, funny, aggressive, motivational or erotic video clip. Their hormone levels were measured before, during and 15 minutes after the video. After the video, they performed a heavy squat workout where they worked their way up to their 3RM weight.

The erotic movie produced a testosterone response and strength gains similar to the responses to the aggressive movie, but without an increase in cortisol levels.

The other observation has to do with abstinence. Even though erotic stimuli and anticipation of sex can increase testosterone levels, it looks like testosterone levels drop again after orgasm. This would not be a surprise as high prolactin levels are known to suppress testosterone secretion.

When I worked in primary care, one cause to rule out in men with low testosterone levels was a prolactinoma (i.e., a prolactin-secreting tumor). The scientific literature is inconclusive in this area. Some information suggests that short prolactin spikes, such as those that occur after orgasm, may have a positive effect on the cell receptors associated with testosterone production.

Abstinence

A small study conducted with men showed that abstinence from orgasms increased resting testosterone levels and enhanced the increase in testosterone levels from sexual anticipation. This study also showed that testosterone levels did not drop during the days following orgasm, and showed that testosterone levels increased when another orgasm was delayed for seven days.

Other studies show mixed results in this area, with some showing that increased sexual activity with orgasms increased testosterone levels, while others showed that testosterone levels decreased or remained unchanged.

This is often the case with hormone levels. They are highly variable from person to person and are sensitive to many external factors related to the timing and design of the study (e.g. if scientists are watching from another room, then this can easily increase stress hormones and decrease testosterone levels).

These types of influencing factors are often difficult to eliminate.

Sex and athletic performance

I've made a few theoretical predictions so far based on the changes in the female brain during an orgasm, but is there any scientific data showing that sex enhances or hinders exercise performance?

The October 2000 issue of the Clinical Journal Of Sports Medicine summarizes the research in this area better than more recent studies.

Basically, this review and other studies show that there are no reductions in performance associated with sex. However, most of the studies looked at sex 8 to 12 hours before a sporting event.

These studies also did not control for the vigor of sexual activity and they also tend to ignore the "inverse U" hypothesis of sports psychology. Clearly, a 2-hour sex session with multiple orgasms the morning before an important game could very well be a problem.

The inverse U hypothesis suggests that there is an optimal state of relaxation, alertness, focus and anxiety in relation to performance. And as you can imagine, this is again a very individual matter.

An athlete who is excited and overly concerned about the big game might indeed benefit from the clarity and relaxation that an orgasm can provide. On the other hand, this athlete should probably avoid erotic stimulation without an accompanying orgasm.

Unfortunately, there are no studies that allow us to investigate these speculations.

However, a little experimentation of our own would probably be a pleasurable endeavor for most people.

Rest and regeneration

We know with near certainty that sex supports rest and regeneration. An orgasm is one of the most relaxing activities there is. We don't need science to tell us how satisfying such an experience can be, but fortunately science supports our intuition.

The changes in the brain after an orgasm are very relaxing. Dopamine levels drop and serotonin levels rise. This is the hallmark of a satisfied and relaxed physiology. We can expect fewer cravings, better psychological well-being, less mental worry and a better focus on the present moment.

Hormonal activity also supports rest and relaxation. Levels of stress hormones including cortisol are generally lower in this situation (the cortisol response can be variable, which is especially true for women). Oxytocin levels are elevated and can be kept high with plenty of cuddling after sex. This gives us a feeling of support, suppresses cravings and helps us to achieve a general sense of well-being.

Prolactin has the greatest influence and this influence is far more pronounced in men. This is probably the factor involved in the ability to fall asleep more easily after an orgasm and the reason why men suffer more from this stereotypical behavior than women. As mentioned earlier, some research suggests that this transient prolactin surge has a positive effect on testosterone levels, which is not the case with chronically high prolactin levels.

All of this makes sexual activity an ideal recovery method for those who put their bodies under increased training stress.

A short summary

These types of articles are the most difficult to write as the scientific evidence is far from clear. I have tried to focus exclusively on human studies. Unfortunately, there are very few randomized controlled trials in this area. The studies that do exist often have inherent problems associated with the fact that a very sensitive topic is being studied under laboratory conditions.

What you will find in this article are my interpretations and extrapolations based on what is available in the scientific literature on the subject. Here are some possible conclusions that you can use in your training:

Sex is extremely relaxing and restorative. Enjoying a good orgasm after a strenuous training session could aid your recovery between workouts.
Guys, don't turn to the other side straight after sex. Cuddle up. This could lower your cortisol levels and aid your recovery. Plus, your partner will love it
Girls, there is some evidence that you could benefit from orgasms before and after exercise. The changes that an orgasm brings with exercise could help you get more out of your training session. The hormonal effects after exercise could also aid your recovery.
Men could experiment with erotic stimuli without sex before training. This could lead to strength gains and an increased release of testosterone.
Guys, good sex after training could be a superior recovery strategy. A good orgasm will lower cortisol levels and help you relax.
Although there is no conclusive evidence that sex affects athletic performance, it probably depends on many factors. Experiment with different strategies that optimize your mental state, but don't gnaw away at your physical resources.
There is some evidence that abstaining from sex for 5 to 7 days in men could increase testosterone levels and boost performance. Training hard during the week and saving the fun for the weekend might make sense.

One thing we know for sure is that healthy and fit people have better sex lives and are less likely to suffer from sexual dysfunction. And they also look better during actual sex.