Weight Training F Period
Weight Training and increase in Muscle Mass and Tone
The entire concept of Weight Training is based on the fact that your body adapts primarily to the stress in the Muscles and nervous system called SAID principle { Specific Adaptation to Imposed demand }.
And how do your Muscles adapt? By increasing Muscle fiber size. There is no Muscle hyperplasia though. So the number of fibers is fixed, the size can change many times over.
The Overload Principle
By nature human body wants to rest. Any amount of work and your body feels uncomfortable. In weight training, when you constantly exert your body to additional stress, it increases its strength so that it easily lifts the resistance the next time when it encounters stress.
Bottom Line - Give the body a workload it doesn't know and it will respond with bigger and stronger Muscles over and over.
So when do you grow?
You grow when you rest. The workout itself destroys your muscles. Therefore you need quality nutrition and rest to ensure that your body adapts by growing stronger and muscular by next workout.
Basics of any Weight Training Program
1. Use heavy Weights
2. Focus on Compound Movements
3. Free Weights are better than Machines
4. Train less than 1 hour per day and only 3-4 days a week.
5. Train both Upper and Lower Body
6. Stay focused. Stop the blame game and stick to the plan.
7. Cycle your workouts to prevent plateau and boring workouts
8. Measure your body every 2 weeks.
9. Perform Aerobic Exercises 3 times a week
10. Avoid Overtraining and Under training at all costs.
11. Pass the Patience and Persistence Test. Nothing gets done without these 2 qualities.
1. Use heavy Weights
Isn't it Obvious? Training with heavy weights is the only way your Body realizes it needs to GROW. Train heavy but train smart. Lift the maximum weight you can under near-perfect form. You need to SHOCK your body in to thinking that it better grow if it needs to keep lifting these heavy weights. This IS is the best way to Build quality physique. Period!
2. Focus on Compound Movements
Compound movements are exercises which involve the largest muscle groups and hence hits maximum muscle fibers. This in turn will lead to a faster Muscle gain than isolated exercises. The 3 best moves are Bench Press, Dead lifts and Squats. They should be part of your every weekly workout plan. Also train Major Muscle Groups first in your workouts as they require more energy and concentration. Also bigger moves use smaller muscles for assistance so tiring small muscles will affect your big 3 moves.
3. Free Weights are better than Machines
Arnold Schwarzenegger calls it the Gravity Principle. He says that although body does not know what kind of resistance it is working against {weather its free weight s or machines} you will see your biggest muscle gains by overcoming the pull of gravity and working in multiple planes {unlike machines which work only in one plane}. This may be because that Free Weights train whole-body as compared to machines designed for isolated muscle exercises. Not to mention free weight exercises simulate real-life movements.
The Journal of Strength and Conditioning says that the 3 big exercises mentioned above produces maximum amount of testosterone [ the ultimate anabolic hormone } when done with Free Weights like Barbells and Dumbbells. Although Machines have the advantages of being safer, easier to use and have design flexibility, Free Weights should always be your first choice.
4. Train less than 1 hour per day and only 3-4 days a week.
There are 2 scientific reasons for this. Its a fact that your testosterone production production falls after 50-6- mins of training and cortisol { a catabolic hormone } levels rise after 45-60 mins of training.
I have always found it hard to concentrate hard after 1 hour of training. It does become hard to concentrate as your energy levels are down too. Remember I am talking about training with high intensity here. You can add Variety in your Training later.
5. Train both Upper and Lower Body.
You think its obvious isn't it? or did you think otherwise? Either way let me explain this with a 3 part answer.
First - Proportion. Nothing looks bad on a muscular guy with big chiseled chest than chicken legs.
Second - If you don't train your legs with Squats then you are not utilizing the biggest anabolic exercise there is. Your results WILL be slow.
Third - Weak legs and hamstrings are a sure way to get injured when you do Deadlifts, rows and your Sports skills will be diminished tremendously.
Case Closed.
6. Stay focused. Stop the blame game and stick to the plan.
A good Muscular physique is the result of weeks and months of hard work day after day week after week in both the gym and at the kitchen table.
7. Cycle your workouts to prevent plateau and boring workouts
Every workout works but nothing works forever. That's why I constantly add new workouts for you in the Weight Training Workouts section.
8. Measure your body every 2 weeks.
Feedback is the breakfast of champions. Measure your body every 2 weeks. Measure weight, chest, arms and Waist. Make course corrections if necessary.
9. Perform Aerobic Exercises 3 times a week
You cannot exercise hard enough if you are panting out of breath. Add 20 minutes of aerobics 2-3 times a week and see how your Muscular endurance improves.
10. Avoid Overtraining and Under training at all costs.
Just follow the formula mentioned in Rest and Recuperation Section and you will be fine.
11. Pass the Patience and Persistence Test. Nothing gets done without these 2 qualities.
Just do It!
