We are a society that lives by the attitude: "More is better„.
More money, more comfort, more luxury - more, more, more! However, when it comes to building muscle, sometimes less is more. One of the main reasons athletes fail to build the body they want is because they exercise too much in the gym: they do too many sets, exercise too long, or exercise too many days a week.
The result? Overtraining!
This leads to little or no progress in strength or muscle building and, in the worst case, even to muscle loss, illness and / or depression.
Many strength athletes do not realize one thing: every time we train, our recovery capacities are "overwhelmed" to a large extent. The body must first “heal” before the muscles can grow. This does not only apply to the muscles, but also to the central nervous system.
Your body doesn't just need to repair the microtrauma that occurs in muscles during exercise. It also restores hormone and neurotransmitter balance, rebooting the immune system, and removing free radicals from the body system.
I have a feeling that the root of this problem lies in most of the bodybuilding magazines published these days. In the photos we see the professionals with their crazy and massive bodies and read how they train twice a day, six times a week, with 20 or more sets for each muscle group.
As a result, most readers think, "If that's the way you build such massive muscles, then the same principles will surely work for me too." Wrong!
You need to understand that because of an oversupply of all kinds of resources, professionals can train far more than most other bodybuilders. In addition, they are genetically optimally predisposed and probably do not have to worry about an eight-hour job.
In fact, a professional's body really unfolds during training.
However, this is not the case with strength athletes who have an average genetic potential for building muscle, do not take doping substances and have a regular job during the week. Trying to follow a pro bodybuilder's routine will only bring disaster for most of us. Many will get frustrated, and some will even stop bodybuilding altogether.
So what is the optimal training path to achieve maximum progress in strength and muscle building? To show all the ways would go beyond the scope of this article. However, there are some general rules that I believe a natural bodybuilder should follow to avoid overtraining and to optimize progress:
RULE NO. 1
Do not exercise more than four days a week
There is simply no need to exercise more than four times a week. Some athletes who have little recovery potential might be better advised if they actually only plan three training days per week. Do your workouts on the days that suit you best. Just make sure you follow rule number 2 as well.
RULE NO. 2
Do not exercise for more than two days in a row
My experience and that of the athletes I've trained with say: After two training days in a row, you need one or two days off. I can observe again and again that strength and muscle endurance decrease significantly after training intensively for two days in a row.
I also noticed something else: If the average athlete trains three or four days in a row, the immune system is compromised. This makes you more prone to illness and injury. Remember: our muscles don't grow during exercise, but at home when we relax.
RULE NO. 3
The workouts should not last longer than 80 to 90 minutes.
It has been scientifically proven that after this period of time, testosterone levels begin to drop and cortisol levels begin to rise dramatically. This weakens the body, as it becomes more difficult for it to reach an anabolic, i.e. growth-inducing, state once the workout is finished.
There's no reason a session should last longer than a good hour. If it does, it is probably because you are doing too many sets and / or exercises. Or you just spend too long in the studio chatting with your sports colleagues.
RULE NO. 4th
Never do more than 10 sets for large muscle groups.
If you focus 100 percent on your mental and physical performance in every work set, there is no reason to do more than this. Those who do twelve, 15, or 20 sets for large muscle groups are obviously not training very hard. Because a really hard training body couldn't hold out so many sentences. Once you've stimulated a muscle to grow, even more sets won't stimulate the muscle any further. This would only limit your ability to recover from the workout.
RULE NO. 5
The number of work sets for medium muscle groups should ask between five and six.
See rule number 4.
RULE NO. 6th
Above all, do compound exercises with free weights.
I have nothing against machines and cable stations. Undoubtedly, compound free weight exercises are best for building muscle. In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, bodybuilders developed huge bodies using nothing but barbells and dumbbells.
The balance and focus required for free weight training will result in more muscles and muscle fibers being activated. The nervous system is also stimulated more than with machine or cable training.
The most muscular bodybuilders around you will point out that they built their mass through basic exercises such as bench press, deadlift, squat, front press, bent-over row, barbell curls and triceps extension while lying down.
There is nothing wrong with exercising on machines or on cable pulleys. However, if you want to build really big muscle, then free weights should be the cornerstone of your program.
RULE NO. 7th
Do between six and twelve repetitions for most work sets
Studies have shown that lower repetitions (one to five) are more likely to build strength, while higher repetitions (13-20) increase muscle endurance. That doesn't mean you won't be able to gain muscle by doing this. These rep ranges are only suboptimal if your primary goal is hypertrophy.
Performing between six and twelve reps will keep muscle fibers under tension for optimal time and put enough weight on them to stimulate growth.
In the work sets, you should put the fibers on fire enough that you will experience momentary muscle failure somewhere between the sixth and twelfth sets.
RULE NO. 8th
The right training technique is an absolute must
Using the right technique will ensure that you are stimulating the appropriate target muscle in each case. On the other hand, if you only throw the weights upwards when doing lateral lifts or barbell curls, you are cheating yourself, so to speak, and will not stimulate muscle growth.
Some athletes train this way because they want to give the impression that they are stronger than they actually are. Convince someone who can do fake curls weighing 70 pounds to do the exercise with the right technique.
You will then find that he may barely be able to curl at 50 pounds.
If someone does six repetitions of curls with a 50-pound dumbbell and with proper technique, they will stimulate significantly more growth in their biceps than someone who does six repetitions of the same exercise but uses 70 pounds and just raises the dumbbell .
Once you hit failure using the right technique, it's okay if you use - to a reasonable extent - momentum to expand the set a little.
Combine these rules with proper diet, adequate rest, and reliable supplements, and you will develop the best body your genetic potential has to offer!