A workout split (also called a “training split” or simply a “split”) provides order to your lifting schedule over the course of a week. There are splits that train your entire body, head to toe (or traps to calves) in each session, some splits work each individual body part on its own, and then there are various combination in between.

We’ll break down the most common splits and help you to determine which is best suited for your goals.

Perfect Splits 

• Common Workout Splits
• All Roads Lead to Rome
• Linchpins of Adaptation
• How to Choose the Best Split For Your Goal
• Build Up to It

Common Workout Splits

Put simply: A workout split is jargon for how you divvy up your week’s worth of training. Just like there are a multitude of exercises to choose from, there are plenty of different training splits to set the framework of your training week. While some splits share overlapping benefits, or hindrances, each might be the right choice depending on your specific goal, individual needs, and other deciding factors.

Body Part

As the name implies, this split is characterized by focusing on a specific body part or muscle group with each workout. Although many variations on the body part split are possible, the “bro split” is most widely known — a week typically looks like:

• Monday: Chest (Monday is “international chest day, of course)
• Tuesday: Back
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Arms
• Friday: Shoulders
• Saturday: Abs (or rest)
• Sunday: Rest or Cardio

Focusing on one body part at a time allows for a variety of exercises. For example, one might hit bench press, incline bench, and cable crossovers on chest day; or barbell curls, hammer curls, and a variety of direct triceps training as an arm workout. Typically, each body part receives a single training session per week. 

This is a popular split among bodybuilders — competitive and hobbyists — as a body part split delivers more volume to the muscle, which is a requirement for hypertrophy (or muscle growth). 

Upper/Lower

This is a two-way split. All upper body lifts are performed on day one and all lower body lifts are done on day two. The upper/lower split is commonly repeated twice per week, which would allocate four days to lifting and three days of “rest” (either non-lifting activity or total rest).

For high-frequency devotees, advanced trainees, and those pushing for short periods of over-reaching, the upper/lower split can be repeated three times per week with a single rest day. The upper/lower split, therefore, allows either two or three workouts per major muscle group each week.

Trainees will perform fewer exercises per muscle group per workout compared to the body part split. Instead of doing three to four chest exercises, you may perform two. However, because you’re training your entire upper body and lower body twice (or, in extreme cases, thrice) weekly, the overall volume stays about the same.

Push/Pull/Legs

This is another common option for physique-focused lifters, as well as those prioritizing strength. On day one, the lifter hits upper body pressing movements and triceps accessory exercises — bench press, overhead press, skull crushers, etc.

Day two includes upper body pulling — deadlifts, rows, pulldowns, curls, and company. All lower body training is reserved for day three, which is essentially “leg day” for training the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

The push/pull/legs split may be repeated twice per week, which would allow a single day for “rest,” or it can be performed with a rest day between each workout. Major muscle groups are trained once or twice per week in the push/pull/legs split. 

Chest & Back/Legs/Shoulders & Arms

Here’s a unique three-way split. One advantage it offers is the ability to integrate agonist-antagonist supersets, a time-efficient programming technique that alternates exercises which target muscle groups on directly opposite sides of the body (like chest and back). For example, you’d perform one set of bench presses followed by a set of rows.

This split is commonly performed once or twice per week. Therefore, each muscle group is directly trained once or twice per week. You should recognize, however, that shoulder and arm muscles tend to get “bonus” training volume because they are indirectly trained and unintentionally recruited during the chest and back workout. 

Total Body

Whole-body routines aren’t technically “splits,” because they don’t divide training by body part or movement pattern. All major muscle groups are trained each session. Whole-body training is a relatively common way to train for serious athletes and beginners alike.

Three whole-body workouts per week is standard, but some lifters get by with two or four, depending on their recovery ability. As you might expect, training the entire body doesn’t leave much time for “fluff,” redundancy, or isolation work.

Whole-body routines tend to emphasize big multi-joint exercises with minimal accessory exercises. While some trainees hit whole-body workouts four or more times per week, the typical whole-body training frequency is three times per week with 24 hours or more recovery between sessions.

All Roads Lead to Rome

If you are consistently hitting the iron and training each muscle group hard — even just once or twice per week — you are virtually guaranteed to make gains. (1)(2) (Your diet needs to be in check, too.) Although many variables play relatively smaller roles, the major drivers of adaptations to resistance training are intensity, or the amount of weight lifted, and weekly volume (the total number of sets and reps). (3)

Broadly, your workout split is a method of determining frequency. Frequency can be defined as the total number of workouts per week or, in this case, the total number of sessions each muscle group is trained per week. (2)

Working on adding muscle mass or boosting strength? Dozens of training studies indicate that per-muscle-group training frequency does not significantly affect hypertrophy and strength when intensity and volume are held constant.(2)(4)(5)(6) Meaning, if all else is equal, your split shouldn’t “theoretically” matter.

More interested in fat loss? Simply adding resistance training is likely to improve body composition. (7) This effect is robust enough to occur in the absence of dieting and across a wide range of programming variables (e.g. volume, intensity, frequency of exercise). (7) Though, dialing in your diet would only expedite and enhance your progress.

It does seem any road will get you to ancient Rome, but wouldn’t you prefer to arrive looking more like a Spartan than an Athenian? (Historical spoiler alert: Yes, you would.)

For exceptional results, simply “making gains” isn’t enough. You’re looking for the most efficient path to the best possible improvement, and you’re going to need the best possible workout split for your needs. 

Linchpins of Adaptation

Many factors certainly interact to determine the effectiveness of a program. For hypertrophy — building more muscle — volume (weekly sets x reps) appears to be the most important programming variable to maximize. (3)(8)

Training intensity (weight/load or nearness to muscular failure) is the crucial driver when strength is the priority. (9) Volume earns an honorable mention, as it is a more important determinant of strength adaptations than frequency. (4)(5)(6)

For fat loss goals, volume and intensity interact to stoke the metabolism during training and burn extra calories after training via the EPOC phenomenon. (10) Training major muscle groups regularly during periods of dieting can even accelerate improvements in body composition by promoting fat loss and muscle gain. (11)

Let’s consider how specific workout splits can help you to maximize the key variables for your goal. 

How to Choose the Best Split for Your Goal

If you want to use a body part split, push/pull/legs, or chest & back/legs/shoulders & arms split but can only get to the gym twice per week, you’re going to leave body parts neglected and potential gains unrealized.

The first question when identifying an ideal workout split should be, “How many strength training workouts per week am I able to realistically perform?” Don’t force a square peg into a round hole. Your training split will only be effective to the extent to which it gets done.

If you can only train once per week, you’re on the full-body split. End of conversation. Go train everything, enjoy your workout, rest a lot, and come back again next week. There’s simply no other effective option for these desperate times.

If you can train twice per week, whole-body routines and upper/lower splits are potential options. This is how you can make the best of a near-minimal situation.

If you can train three to four times per week, your options open up to at least one cycle of any of the common splits except the body part split. To avoid neglected areas, body part splits should be reserved for trainees who can commit at least five days per week in the gym.

Ultimately, if you can train six days per week, the world of splits is your oyster. Once you’ve explored your schedule demands, you know your potential split options. Now, it’s time to identify the linchpin programming features for your training goal — the most essential determinants of success and identify a training split that maximizes them. 

Workout Splits for Hypertrophy

As previously established, weekly volume is a key determinant of muscle growth. Although training frequency does not seem to affect outcomes when volume is equal, a split program that facilitates more volume each week may be more effective for hypertrophy. (2)(3)(8)

So, how much volume per muscle group should one shoot for? And how can they best achieve this target? Expert consensus maintains a minimum of 10 sets per muscle group in the six to 20 rep range is a viable target for hypertrophy training. (12)

Although there is potential for even more significant improvement if the additional volume is achieved, no more than 10 sets per muscle group should be programmed in a given session. (12)

From here, deciding your split is about simple arithmetic and a slight personal preference. A lifter can hit the base recommendation of 10 sets by training with a body part “bro” split. Note that 10 hard sets per body part won’t tickle — especially on leg day with (presumably) 10 sets for quads, 10 for hamstrings, 10 for calves.

Intermediate and advanced trainees can typically tolerate a body part split because they will get a whole week to recover before hitting the same muscle group again. The downside is that this split can quickly hinder volume progression if the 10 sets per day maximum warning is observed.

Whole-body split practitioners can get away with doing a moderate volume (e.g., three to four sets) of everything three days per week. This quickly becomes a long and arduous workout but can be accomplished more efficiently if agonist/antagonist or alternate peripheral superset techniques are employed.

Split training is popular among bodybuilders and likely for a good reason. A whole-body approach has been marginally less effective for hypertrophy than a volume-equated split routine. (13)

Hitting the gym four or six times per week on an upper/lower split can be very effective for hypertrophy. However, seeing too many “leg days” on the schedule can be demoralizing for a specific subset of the lifting population (i.e., the would-be skippers of leg day). And no split is effective if you’re skipping out on it. 

The push/pull/legs or chest & back/legs/shoulders & arms splits are also highly effective for hypertrophy. Mentally, each day has a target — to “pump and annihilate” a given muscle or muscle group. These splits have the added advantage of facilitating time-saving and effective agonist/antagonist superset techniques. 

Workout Splits for Strength

Compared to a volume-matched split routine, a whole-body routine at four sessions per week frequency has been shown to result in superior strength gains. (13)

Now, the differences in strength improvement between groups were small and failed to reach “statistical significance” for most measurements. But this finding is odd, considering that meta-analyses have reported “no difference” between volume-equated training when training frequency is manipulated. (4)(5)

Perhaps there are neurological or endocrine benefits to the whole-body training stimulus? We don’t know. But we do know this — strength training is largely intensity-driven.

A split that gives each workout a defined focus anecdotally allows the lifter to perform with higher intensity. So, if your intensity has been slipping toward the end of your whole-body routine, it’s time to consider a split.

A movement pattern-based split like push/pull/legs works great for some. For others, upper/lower provides each workout with enough focus to maximize each lift.

Workout Splits for Fat Loss

Whole body routines tend to focus on multi-joint exercises targeting large muscle groups. To train all major muscle groups in one session, whole-body workouts are to be longer in duration. These features may be beneficial to those with body composition or fat-loss goals.

Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) describes the increased metabolic activity, or calorie burn, that occurs following exercise. Higher intensity and longer duration resistance training or interval training tend to stimulate greater EPOC.

Although the practical benefits of EPOC have been questioned, some research has reported a  greater than 10% boost in resting metabolic rate at 14-hours after whole-body strength training. This equated to an extra 168 calories burned on average, which is quite relevant when added up over several days per week. (10)

The whole-body strength training EPOC workout wasn’t a walk in the park — four sets of five exercises (squat, chest press, pulldown, shoulder press, and split squat) were performed for 30 seconds each (6-7 reps) at 80% of the lifters’ one-repetition maximum with one-minute rest between each movement. The majority of fit lifters will require 48 to 72-hours of recovery after a workout of similar intensity and volume.

Combined with a high-protein, calorie-reduced diet, whole body strength training produces superior results to dieting or lifting alone. (11) Three sessions per week were enough to elicit this effect. But don’t turn your whole-body workout into a cardio session.

The use of heavy loads (e.g. heavier than 80% 1RM), at least intermittently, is also suggested during a dieting phase. As bodybuilders in “cutting phases” know well, heavy strength training can help to protect lean mass during periods of calorie deficit.

For body composition and fat loss, the whole-body approach checks all of the boxes. Ideally, hit all major muscle groups three days per week with at least 48 hours between sessions. If you’re able to train more often than three days per week, steady-state aerobic exercise or HIIT workout may be programmed on non-lifting days. 

Building Up to It

You’ve seen many recommendations for training volume and intensity in this article, but it’s prudent to gradually increase training volume and intensity instead of diving head-first into a drastically different training program.

A good rule of thumb is to limit increases in weekly set volume to 20% of previous regular volume per month. (12) For example, a lifter who previously trained with eight sets of chest exercises per week might gradually increase to 10 sets over the course of the next four weeks.

For lifters who are not accustomed to high intensity training, it’s also sensible to gradually expose your body to heavy weights over time (e.g. 2 to 4% increase per week). Deloads may be programmed as needed.

Split it or Hit it

Deciding on a training split doesn’t need to be overly complicated. It comes down to knowing your training goal, determining how often you’ll consistently show up to train, and establishing the framework for your program. Once you identify the “perfect” split for your lifestyle and training goals, you’ll be well on your way to consistent gains and progress.

References

1. Androulakis-Korakakis, P., Fisher, J. P., & Steele, J. (2020). The minimum effective training dose required to increase 1RM strength in resistance-trained men: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 50(4), 751-765.
2. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., & Krieger, J. (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(11), 1286-1295.
3. Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(11), 1073-1082.
4. Ralston, G. W., Kilgore, L., Wyatt, F. B., & Baker, J. S. (2017). The effect of weekly set volume on strength gain: a meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 47(12), 2585-2601.
5. Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Davies, T. B., et al. (2018). Effect of resistance training frequency on gains in muscular strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 48(5), 1207-1220.
6. Brigatto, F. A., de Camargo, J. B. B., Machado, Y. B., et al. (2022). Does split-body resistance training routine performed two versus three days per week induce distinct strength and morphological adaptations in resistance-trained men? A randomized longitudinal study. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 2(1).
7. Wewege, M. A., Desai, I., Honey, C., et al. (2021). The effect of resistance training in healthy adults on body fat percentage, fat mass and visceral fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 1-14.
8. Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Krieger, J., et al. (2019). Resistance training volume enhances muscle hypertrophy but not strength in trained men. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 51(1), 94.
9. Lasevicius, T., Ugrinowitsch, C., Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2018). Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(6), 772-780.
10. Greer, B. K., O’Brien, J., Hornbuckle, L. M., & Panton, L. B. (2021). EPOC comparison between resistance training and high-intensity interval training in aerobically fit women. International Journal of Exercise Science, 14(2), 1027.
11. Miller, T., Mull, S., Aragon, A. A., et al. (2018). Resistance training combined with diet decreases body fat while preserving lean mass independent of resting metabolic rate: a randomized trial. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 28(1), 46-54.
12. Schoenfeld, B., Fisher, J., Grgic, J., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30.
13. Bartolomei, S., Nigro, F., Lanzoni, I. M., et al. (2021). A comparison between total body and split routine resistance training programs in trained men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(6), 1520-1526.

Feature Image: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock

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Our guest is Andrew Coates. Andrew is a coach, writer, and podcast host. He works with athletes and gen-pop clients with a focus on education and enjoyment.

Our guest is Andrew Coates. Andrew is a coach, writer, and podcast host. He works with athletes and gen-pop clients with a focus on education and enjoyment.

This means their training, diet, and lifestyle are sustainable for long-term progress. 

In recent years, Andrew has successfully branched out to become a prolific content creator. In this episode, we discuss how he juggles coaching 35+ hours a week with weekly podcast episodes, writing articles, and posting on social media daily. We also explore how this has opened up multiple opportunities for him.

If you are interested in expanding your impact within the fitness industry and want practical tips to help you achieve it, this episode is a goldmine.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post How to Build a Brand in the Fitness Industry appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Then, you matured and life changed.

Today, you tackle high-level work projects. You have family functions to attend. The days of training six days a week for two hours each session are long gone. Now, you’re lucky if you lift two days a week for an hour.

Years ago, you were young with little responsibility. You wanted to pack on muscle, shed fat, and gain superhuman strength. You trained six days a week for two hours at a time. You felt invincible.

Then, you matured and life changed.

Today, you tackle high-level work projects. You have family functions to attend. The days of training six days a week for two hours each session are long gone. Now, you’re lucky if you lift two days a week for an hour.

The pounds have crept on. You feel lazy and tired. The thought of being in the gym for two hours is as painful as watching grass grow. You need an iron-clad training plan that gets you in and out of the gym in four hours or less each week so you can dominate every day.

If only there was someone who could concoct the magic potion that enabled busy lifters to maintain strength and protect muscle, while they shed stubborn fat.

Well, behold! I present to you the 4-Hour Fat Loss Elixir for Busy Lifters.

Put a Strangle Hold on Your Muscle

The first instinct for some lifters is to trade lifting sessions for hours of slow, boring, steady-state cardio. I understand because I’ve been there.

Four years ago, I lost 14 pounds in a year. Ten came from fat and the remaining four were stolen from muscle. You may think four pounds isn’t much, but on an athletic 5’9” and 170lb frame, it’s massive.

Imagine lining up four lean, mouthwatering 16oz steak filets. Now, picture those filets as thick slabs of muscle on your back, chest, shoulders, or arms.

It’s the difference between you having a “skinny fat” body versus a muscular body.

It’s the difference between you having enough muscle to fill out a medium versus a large sized t-shirt.

Learn from my blunders. If you want to reveal a lean and muscular body, don’t skimp on weights.

A caloric deficit is required for you to lose body fat. You must burn more calories than you consume. When you’re in a caloric deficit, maintaining strength and muscle are key. When you consume less calories, your body wants to snatch energy from any available source. Sometimes, it wants to feast on muscle.

Don’t let this happen. Your body needs a reason to protect your hard-earned muscle. Lifting weights is the solution. In a fat loss phase, if you consistently practice the three mechanisms for muscle growth, you’ll keep a muscular physique as you shed fat. What are they?

Mechanism 1: Mechanical Tension

This is the process of progressive overload or an increase in strength over time. You need to generate as much force as possible through a full range of motion.

Rarely does this require someone to perform their one-rep max on a lift. You should perform reps in the range of 3-5. Contract the correct muscles and lift the weight with maximal force every repetition.

Mechanism 2: Muscular Damage

Do you need to torture your muscles into oblivion? No!

You can accomplish muscle damage in various ways. Create muscle damage with the use of a slower tempo on the eccentric (unloaded) portion of an exercise, an angle change to target a different part of a muscle, an increase in weight, or stretching a muscle under tension.

Mechanism 3: Metabolic Stress

Here, you chase the pump. It’s that time at the end of a set when your muscles become exhausted and you feel a deep burn.

Plus, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Lifters with a higher ratio of muscle to fat have increased resting energy expenditures.³ Therefore, even when you don’t have a ton of time, you’ll burn more calories while doing nothing because you made lifting a priority.

The best approach for you is to lift to protect your muscle. Use your diet to shed fat. If you need a reminder, repeat this message to your yourself or go old-school and write it 100 times on a chalkboard like a kid sent to detention:

“I will lift weights to build and protect my muscle. I will use my diet to shed fat.”

Protect Your Muscle With Heavy Days

The first two ingredients in your elixir are separate lower and upper body heavy training days. The goal is to maintain or (in some cases) build strength.

Below is your concoction for heavy days:

• CNS activation
• Primary strength movement
• Antagonist strength movement
• Primary support exercise for the strength exercise
• Secondary support exercise for the antagonist strength movement

Each session begins with an explosive movement to activate your central nervous system (CNS). CNS activation prepares your nervous system for the imposed neurological demands in the proceeding strength-based exercise. Jumps, throws, and slams are perfect examples.

Next, advance to your primary strength movement of the day. The movement makes your body more responsive to building and protecting muscle by improving your neural efficiency. Why is this important for you?

Neuromuscular adaptions to heavier loading allow contractions to be forceful and efficient. This means that we can use more of the full potential of our existing muscle mass.¹ This results in higher testosterone levels, a greater capacity to build muscle in the future, and a better-looking body

Each session ends with a support exercise for your strength movements. It gives you the opportunity to train the muscles responsible for maximizing each movement pattern. Since your CNS has been activated, take advantage of what’s called post tetanic potentiation (PAP).

When your muscles produce a maximal effort, it increases the capacity of the nervous system to recruit muscle fibers during subsequent efforts. If you begin with a heavy lift, the remainder of the workout will be more effective because you can recruit more muscle fibers.⁴ For the support exercises, use heavy/moderate weight.

Protect Your Muscle With Light Days

The next two ingredients in your fat loss elixir are two separate lower and upper body light training days. The goals for these days are to provide your CNS a break and force lactate production to release growth hormone for fat loss.

Remember, you’re busy and stressed with work and family matters. When you train with heavier weights, it places an immense amount of stress on your body and CNS. Give each ample recovery time from the intense neurological demands of heavy lifts.

The solution is the inclusion of two lighter weight days. Lighter weights don’t require use of your CNS. For these sessions, teach your muscles to flex and keep them under constant tension. You’ll fix underdeveloped muscles and build a better mind-muscle connection.

Your ability to maintain constant tension for at least 40 seconds forces lactate production which leads to the release of growth hormone. Growth hormone regulates whole body metabolism, and physical exercise is the most potent stimulus to induce its secretion in humans.²

Since we need to maintain tension longer on these days, the reps are 12 or more with shorter rest periods between exercises. You’ll remain focused, elevate your heart rate, and burn more calories because you’re training more muscles in less time.

Plus, you must hit muscle failure on some exercises. Muscle failure is the signal for creating muscle growth and protein synthesis. Sure, your goal isn’t to pack on muscle. However, stimulating the process of protein synthesis during a fat loss phase increases your body’s ability to maintain muscle. Failure will be achieved by extending sets with the use of two methods: drop sets and rest/pause.

1. For drop sets, you train close to failure. Then, drop the weight anywhere from 15 to 25% and perform as many reps as possible until failure.
2. On rest/pause sets, you also train close to failure. Then, you rest for 10-15 seconds. Once time has passed, you knock out more reps until failure.

Below is your concoction for lights days:

• Reps of 12+
• Failure
• Unilateral exercises
• Antagonist supersets

When life gets crazy and trips to the gym are inconsistent, your muscles become fragile. Do you feel like one arm or leg is weaker than the other? Maybe you have a tough time flexing your muscles on one side of your body.

When one side is weaker than the other, it makes you feel like you’re not getting enough from your workouts. Regain your muscle with unilateral movements and feel invincible again. Unilateral refers to a movement where each side is training independently.

Unilateral training helps you fix muscle imbalances, improve your explosiveness and athleticism, and add variety to your workouts. Each light day begins with a unilateral superset.

You’ll perform antagonist supersets so you can crush multiple muscles at once without a decrease in strength. This method consists of pairing two exercises of opposing muscle groups in a superset (two exercises performed consecutively). There is a brief rest between the exercises and moderate rest after a set of both have been completed.

Your Training Plan

Day 1 – Heavy Lower Body Day

1. Vertical Jumps – 3 x 5, rest 60 sec
2. Front Squats – 5 x 3-5, rest 2-3 min
3. Barbell RDL – 4 x 6-8, rest 90-120 sec
4. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat – 3 x 8-10 per leg (slow eccentric), rest 75-90 sec
5. Lying or Seated Hamstring Curl – 3 x 8-10 (rest/pause on the last two sets), rest 75-90 sec

Day 2 – Rest

Day 3 – Heavy Upper Body Day

1. Incline Plyo Push Up – 3 x 5, rest 60 sec
2. Incline Barbell Bench Press – 5 x 3-5, rest 2-3 min
3. Pendlay Row – 4 x 6-8, rest 90-120 sec
4. Dips – 3 x 8-10 (slow eccentric), rest 75-90 sec
5. Supinated Pull Ups or Supinated Lat Pulldown – 3 x 8-10 (rest/pause on the last two sets), rest 75-90 sec

Day 4 – Light Lower Body Day

1. DB Reverse Lunge – 3 x 12 (per leg), rest 45 sec
2. Weighted Single Leg Hip Thrust – 3 x 12 (per leg), rest 60-75 sec
3. Leg Press – 3 x 12-15 (rest/pause on the last two sets), rest 60 sec
4. Leg Extensions – 3 x 12-15 (drop set on last two sets), rest 30 sec
5. Cable Pull Through – 3 x 12-15, rest 60 sec
6. Hanging Leg Raises – 3 x 12-15, no rest*
7. Kettlebell Swings – 3 x 20-25, rest 60 sec*

*Finisher for the session

Day 5 – Rest

Day 6 – Light Upper Body Day

1. One Arm DB Z Press – 3 x 12 (per side), rest 30 sec
2. Split Stance Single Arm Row – 3 x 12 (per side), rest 60-75 sec
3. Incline DB Flyes – 3 x 12-15 (drop set on the last two sets), rest 30 sec
4. Incline DB Reverse Flyes – 3 x 12-15 (drop set on the last two sets), rest 60 sec
5. Lean Away Cable Curls – 3 x 12-15 (3 second peak contraction), rest 30 sec
6. Tricep Pushdowns – 3 x 12-15 (drop set on the last two sets), rest 60 sec
7. Shrug Row – 3 x 15 + 10 sec hold on last rep, rest 30 sec
8. Incline Lateral Raises – 3 x 15 + max partials, rest 60 sec

Day 7 – Rest

Your Best Approach to Muscle

Life is short. Don’t spend an eternity in the gym. Each workout should take you no more than an hour. Take four to six weeks and use this plan so you can feel invincible again. You deserve the chance to dominate work, rest, and play every day, in every way.

References:

1. Helms, Eric, Andy Morgan, and Andrea Valdez. The Muscle & Strength Pyramid: Training. United States: Muscle and Strength Pyramids, LLC., 2019.

2. Ignacio, Daniele Leão, Diego H. Da S. Silvestre, João Paulo Albuquerque Cavalcanti-De-Albuquerque, Ruy Andrade Louzada, Denise P. Carvalho, and João Pedro Werneck-De-Castro. “Thyroid Hormone and Estrogen Regulate Exercise-Induced Growth Hormone Release.” Plos One 10, no. 4 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122556.

3. Rolfe, D. F., and G. C. Brown. “Cellular Energy Utilization and Molecular Origin of Standard Metabolic Rate in Mammals.” Physiological Reviews 77, no. 3 (January 1997): 731–58.

4. Thibaudeau, Christian, and Paul Carter. Maximum Muscle Bible. Saint-Raymond, Que´bec: F. Lepine Pub., 2016.

The post The 4-Hour Fat Loss Elixir For Busy Lifters appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Realistically, we need to have a more nuanced conversation about the merits and drawbacks to both high and low-load approaches to hypertrophy. From there we can come up with some straightforward and practical recommendations that can be implemented into our training.

Mechanisms Of Muscle Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is a term used to describe muscle growth. Essentially there are three primary drivers of muscle hypertrophy. Mechanical tension, volume, and metabolic stress.¹

It was previously thought that muscle damage was a significant contributor to muscle hypertrophy. Although in limited circumstances it may act as a proxy to muscle growth; recent research shows the relationship does not appear to be causal or even reliably correlated.²

Hypertrophy is observed in individuals in an overtrained state who have accrued copious amounts muscle damage and yet, they may even lose LBM (lean body mass). Conversely, there are several instances where an individual experiences minimal delayed onset muscle soreness while continuing to build muscle mass.

I do not believe muscle damage should be written off as entirely unimportant but because it is not a direct mechanism the topic of muscle damage it will not be covered extensively in this article. My personal stance on this is that if you’re never sore and simultaneously not making any progress it might mean you need to train harder. But beyond that, I don’t believe it’s a metric to reliably base your training decisions on.

Mechanical Tension

Mechanical tension is where a stretch is applied to a muscle under load.¹ As a 2011 paper found, “It is believed that mechanical tension disturbs the integrity of skeletal muscle, causing mechanochemically transduced molecular and cellular responses in myofibers and satellite cells.”³

The degree of mechanical tension is dependant on the load and the time under tension or the amount of stretch being applied to the muscle. Utilizing a combination of these factors that preferences a range in which all are optimized is likely to produce superior hypertrophic adaptations.³

This brings up the important topic of exercise selection. From a practical standpoint, the exercise selected largely dictates load prescriptions. For example, dumbbell chest flys versus barbell bench press will require dramatically different load selection based on the mechanical differences inherent in each movement.⁴

Since volume is one of the primary contributors of muscle hypertrophy, there is a clear benefit to preferencing compound exercises which allow for greater volume load and mechanical tension.^{1, 5}

In addition to increasing the mechanical tension applied to the musculature, lifting heavy loads recruits high threshold motor units that would not be accessible at lower intensities.⁶ These findings have in some instances lead to an over-application of this approach—lifting too heavy too often.

However, since hypertrophy is a complex adaptive response, it is not mediated by one single mechanism. Rather, mechanical tension is simply one aspect of a concomitant matrix that produces muscle growth.¹

The fatigue cost associated with repeated bouts of high-intensity resistance training is robust and if left unchecked can lead to overtraining.^{7, 8, 9}

Research demonstrates a significant benefit to the mindful inclusion of heavy loads as part of a resistance training protocol to maximize the hypertrophic response. In an attempt to prevent overtraining, effective program design must manage the frequency of high-intensity bouts and the associated fatigue.

Volume

Volume refers to the number of reps multiplied by number of sets completed (volume = reps x sets). As a stand-alone metric, volume does not provide much insight into the intricacies of a program. The simple reason being equal volumes may have a variety of different adaptive responses.

For example, the higher intensities prescribed to person A more closely resemble that of a strength program. The more voluminous prescription for person B more closely resembles a hypertrophy program.

I understand this is a bit of an oversimplification, but it’s sufficient to demonstrate my point. Both volumes are identical, and in both cases, 24 total reps were completed. However, as I mentioned previously the adaptive response in each case is quite different.

For this reason, it’s common to see coaches use volume load which is calculated by multiplying the total number of reps by the load.¹⁰ In the table below you can see although volume and relative intensity is identical; volume load is 20% greater for Person A than for Person B.

Research has consistently shown that higher volumes produce greater hypertrophic gains compared to lower volume interventions.¹¹ This is likely due to a combination of increased muscle tension, metabolic damage, and hormonal responses to resistance training.¹

A 2019 paper found “muscle hypertrophy follows a dose-response relationship, with increasingly greater gains achieved with higher training volumes.”¹² Essentially, more volume equates to greater gains so long as the athlete can sufficiently recover.

This leads into the next item up for discussion which is MRV also known as maximum recoverable volume. This is a term coined by Dr. Mike Israetel to define the maximum amount of volume an individual can sustain before overtraining.

This is an important concept because as with most things that work well, more is often thought to be better. However, this dose-response relationship to hypertrophy is mediated by your ability to recover and continue subsequent training sessions of a productive nature.⁸

A 2018 paper titled “Effects Of Different Intensities Of Resistance Training With Equated Volume Load On Muscle Strength And Hypertrophy” found that “leg extension exercise performed at 30% 1RM until failure similarly increased quadriceps muscle volume compared to high-intensity exercise (80% 1RM) and was superior to a 30% 1RM non-failure condition.”¹³

Essentially what this means is that the intensity range at which we can build muscle is much larger than was previously assumed, approximately 40-80% 1RM.¹³ These findings also “indicate that the lowest [resistance training] intensity (20% 1RM) was suboptimal for maximizing muscular adaptations.”¹³

Although there is a wide spectrum of volumes and intensities that can induce productive adaptations, it’s important to be cognizant of where those rough boundaries exist and not venture unnecessarily too far in either direction.

Volume also has an inverse relationship with intensity.¹⁴ What this means is that as intensity increases, volume necessarily decreases. This is also why you can squat 65% for 10 reps but 100% for only 1 rep and is depicted in the graph below.

A question I sometimes get is: “If increased volume decreases intensity, how can you maximize mechanical tension and volume simultaneously?” This is an excellent question, and although you may not truly be able to maximize both simultaneously you can certainly come close to optimizing them.

Mechanical tension is not just the load being lifted, it’s also accumulative tension. This means even though you’re not lifting your 1RM, as the reps and sets progress, the voluminous training session induces significant mechanotransduction.¹

Metabolic Stress

Metabolic stress seems to have a large impact on muscular hypertrophy either directly or indirectly. A paper by Dr. Brad Schoenfeld found “Metabolic stress manifests as a result of exercise that relies on anaerobic glycolysis for ATP production, which results in the subsequent buildup of metabolites such as lactate, hydrogen ion, inorganic phosphate, creatine, and others.”¹

Although lower loads lifted for high repetitions (15+) may not be sufficient to maximally recruit high threshold motor units, it can induce significant metabolic stress.¹ Thus, there appears to be a clear benefit to incorporating higher repetition ranges at lower loads to take advantage of the metabolic stress pathway to hypertrophy.

Practical implementation of both low and high-intensity protocols vary dramatically. In a 2018 paper by De Souza et al, in order to produce similar hypertrophic responses with low loads the subjects were forced to take each set to muscular failure.¹³ This presents some very real limitations to this type of training due to the associated fatigue cost.

For instance, taking an isolation exercise like the leg extension to failure will create a significant hypertrophic response, however, the fatigue generated will likely be manageable. Compare that with a barbell squat taken to failure and the axial loading will result in more systemic fatigue which may also increase risk of injury.¹⁵

The fatigue generated from such a stressful training session may also bleed into subsequent training sessions, potentially having a negative impact on downstream performance. Beyond that, the psychological cost of training at this level of effort is extraordinarily taxing, and likely not sustainable for long periods. Thus exercise selection, sequence, undulation, and frequency of implementation should be considered when designing a program.

De Souza and colleagues also found that higher intensities not taken to failure are at least equally effective at eliciting a hypertrophic response during training.¹³ This is reflected by the recommendations made by Helms et al for natural bodybuilders where training intensities between 70-80% 1RM make up the majority of the intensity spectrum utilized.¹⁶

This again boils down to context. When looking at a single set, any intensity taken to failure will elicit a greater hypertrophic response than not taking the set to failure. This occurs because failure maximizes the combination of mechanical tension, volume, and metabolic stress accrued during the set.¹

However, there is a strong correlation between the incidence of overtraining when an athlete exceeds their load/volume thresholds.¹⁷ Thus, training to failure as a primary strategy of program design is ill-advised and likely to result in injury and overtraining.

Endocrine Response To Resistance Training

Resistance training results in a cascade of endocrine responses that help facilitate the synthesis of muscle mass. Several questions still exist regarding the long term significance of acute alterations in hormones post-exercise. One paper found “Higher volumes of total work produce significantly greater increases in circulating anabolic hormones during the recovery phase following exercise.” ¹⁸

Ahtiainen et al attempted to determine the hormonal response to heavy resistance training with equated volume. The only difference in protocol between control groups was group A was instructed to do 4 sets at 12RM, where group B followed the same protocol but with a weight they could only complete 8 reps, and the remaining reps would be forced reps.

After measuring serum testosterone, free testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone, and blood lactate; both groups showed significant increases in concentration post-training.¹⁹ However, the forced rep group had a higher concentration upon measurement than the 12RM group. There is also evidence suggesting that training age of the athlete influences hormonal response to training.

One paper found that trained subjects demonstrated lower responsiveness in hormone values (total testosterone, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, cortisol, and sex hormone-binding globulin) post resistance exercise.²⁰ Therefore, we can speculate that the endocrine response to resistance training is likely attenuated over time.²⁰

This may at least in part explain the requirement of higher volumes in trained athletes to stimulate myogenesis.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a hormone that, along with growth hormone (GH), helps promote normal bone and tissue growth and development. Although the mechanism by which mechanical load modulates IGF-1 expression is unclear, there is emerging evidence in support of this observation.²¹

The image below is a visual represents of a dose-response relationship between volume, load, and endocrine response to resistance training (ie. greater loads and volumes resulting in a larger acute elevation). As mentioned previously, it’s still unclear how acute elevations in anabolic hormone concentrations impact long term outcomes.

However, if the acute elevations in anabolic environment resulting from resistance training are frequent enough and at a large enough magnitude, it would be reasonable to assume they would be reflected in downstream gains.

Since there is a lot of conjecture with regard to the relationship between long term outcomes and acute elevations in anabolic hormones, I would not spend much time attempting to alter your biochemistry. Simply focus on the variables that have been well established to cause muscle growth and let your body sort the rest out on its own.

Training Frequency and Fatigue Management

All progress in training is predicated on adequate recovery, allowing for subsequent bouts of training that over time yield a positive adaptive response. The repeated bout effect is a sports science concept that describes the bodies adaptive response to stressors resulting in increased resiliency.²²

There is a limit to the rate of our adaptive ability and exceeding this limit can predispose you to injury and reduced performance.⁹ Fatigue management, therefore, is a fundamental tenant of every effective training protocol. The SRA (stimulus recovery adaptation) curve charts the adaptive process to resistance training and is depicted in the image below.

There are three main points to highlight here. The first is that exercise generates fatigue, the magnitude of which is determined by several factors but primarily volume and load. The second point is that if you wait too long before introducing another training stimulus adaptive dissolution occurs.

This means you regress because subsequent training exposures were either insufficiently overloading, insufficiently frequent, non-specific or a combination of these. The third point is as you accumulate fatigue through overloading training sessions your ability to express athletic performance declines temporarily.

Knowing this, frequency of training plays a significant role in the proper application of various loading strategies. For instance, if you were to do 10×10 squats to failure, you may not be able to train legs for a whole week. So, when looking at the magnitude of the stimulus produced in a vacuum it’s huge which is positive.

But the fact that you can’t train legs for an entire week likely makes the opportunity cost of this strategy a poor trade-off. In most cases frequencies higher than 1x per week are required to really optimize muscle growth. Thus, a phasic structure and effective program design can help prevent the exacerbation of a single pathway, manage fatigue, and also potentiate future gains.

Practical Takeaways And Recommendations

With regard to the compound lifts, the majority of your hypertrophy gains will likely come from the following recommendations:

• Reps: 6-15
• Sets: 4-8
• Intensity: 60-80%
• Rest: 2-3 minutes

However, this does not exclude the implementation of low load training taken near or to absolute muscle failure. It simply means that it needs to be applied intelligently. Since the physiological and psychological fatigue generated from taking sets to absolute muscular failure is significant as well and an all-around terrible experience I would use it in moderation.

Its implementation would likely be most effective for smaller muscle groups or exercises that are limited in the amount of load that can be lifted (ie. bicep curls, tricep press downs, calf press, DB shoulder press, etc).

Implementing a phasic structure that emphasizes specific adaptive pathways can be very effective. The ideal structure would be based on each phase potentiating subsequent phases. Thus one potential approach could be a linear periodization model where volume starts high and declines over time as intensity rises. An example of which is below:

• Phase 1: Metabolic (high volume, low load)
• Phase 2: Volume (moderate volume, moderate load)
• Phase 3: Mechanical Tension (moderate volume, moderate to high loads)

Below is an example of a similar workout adapted to each phase to give you an idea of what your training might look like:

As you can see from the sample workouts, each phase may look relatively similar. This brings me to an important point—complex training isn’t synonymous with effective training. The basics are what produce the bulk of your results anyway, and no matter how amazing it would be to find “hacks” that yield better progress it generally doesn’t work that way in practice. Your best bet is to use the complete spectrum of reps, sets, and intensity ranges while still maintaining the bulk of your work within the guidelines mentioned above.

The use of tactics such as giant sets, rest-pause sets, supersets, negative sets, etc can be useful in eliciting metabolic stress. These can be implemented at your desecration, but I would recommend either using them on multi-joint machine-based exercises or isolation exercises with free weight or machines. This will help limit the amount of fatigue you can generate from this type of training while still producing a significant stimulus.

Hopefully, this clears up some of the confusion and offers some practical application for implementing various loading strategies into your hypertrophy program. Lift big.

References:

1. “The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application“, The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research”, LWW.

2. Flann, Kyle L, et al. “Muscle Damage and Muscle Remodeling: No Pain, No Gain?” The Journal of Experimental Biology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 15 Feb. 2011.

3. “The Use of Specialized Training Techniques to Maximize“, Strength & Conditioning Journal.” LWW.

4. “A Biomechanical Comparison of the Traditional Squat“, The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. LWW.

5. Krieger, James. “Single vs. Multiple Sets of Resistance Exercise for Muscle Hypertrophy: A Meta-Analysis”, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1 Apr. 2010.

6. “Training-Induced Changes in Neural Function : Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews”, LWW.

7. Kajaia, T, et al. “THE EFFECTS OF NON-FUNCTIONAL OVERREACHING AND OVERTRAINING ON AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTION IN HIGHLY TRAINED ATHLETES”, Georgian Medical News, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2017.

8. “The Fitness-Fatigue Model Revisited: Implications for… ” Strength & Conditioning Journal, LWW.

9. BANISTER, Eric, et al. “Dose/Response Effects of Exercise Modeled from Training : Physical and Biochemical Measures”, The Annals of Physiological Anthropology, Japan Society of Physiological Anthropology, 8 Feb. 2008.

10. Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “A Comparison of Increases in Volume Load Over 8 Weeks of Low-Versus High-Load Resistance Training”, Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, Kowsar, 1 June 2016.

11. Krieger, James. “Single vs. Multiple Sets of Resistance Exercise for Muscle Hypertrophy: A Meta-Analysis”, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1 Apr. 2010.

12. Schoenfeld, Brad J, et al. “Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men”, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Jan. 2019.

13. Lasevicius, Thiago, et al. “Effects of Different Intensities of Resistance Training with Equated Volume Load on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy”, European Journal of Sport Science, vol. 18, no. 6, 2018, pp. 772–780.

14. “The Science and Practice of Periodization: A Brief Review : Strength & Conditioning Journal”, LWW.

15. “The Effect of Fatigue on Multijoint Kinematics and Load… : Spine”. LWW.

16. Helms, E R, et al. “Recommendations for Natural Bodybuilding Contest Preparation: Resistance and Cardiovascular Training”, The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2015.

17. Foster, Carl. “Monitoring Training in Athletes with Reference to Overtraining Syndrome”, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1 July 1998.

18. Gotshalk, L A, et al. “Hormonal Responses of Multiset versus Single-Set Heavy-Resistance Exercise Protocols”, Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology = Revue Canadienne De Physiologie Appliquee, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 1997.

19. Ahtiainen, Juha P, et al. “Acute Hormonal Responses to Heavy Resistance Exercise in Strength Athletes versus Nonathletes”, Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology = Revue Canadienne De Physiologie Appliquee, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2004.

20. “Hormonal Responses to Resistance Exercise in Long-Term…“, The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, LWW.

21. Bamman, M M, et al. “Mechanical Load Increases Muscle IGF-I and Androgen Receptor MRNA Concentrations in Humans”, American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2001.

22. McHugh, Malachy P. “Recent Advances in the Understanding of the Repeated Bout Effect: the Protective Effect against Muscle Damage from a Single Bout of Eccentric Exercise”, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2003.

The post Is Lifting Heavy Weight Important For Building Muscle Size? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What are ascending reps?

Ascending reps are simply sets of increasing reps, with the same weight, until a total number of reps are completed. You can also work back down again (pyramids) or repeat the sets (waves), but more on this later.

For example, instead of performing 5 sets of 5 reps, you could do:

Assuming that building strength and muscle ranks highly among your training priorities, then you may be interested to learn about ascending reps (also known as ladders).

What are ascending reps?

Ascending reps are simply sets of increasing reps, with the same weight, until a total number of reps are completed. You can also work back down again (pyramids) or repeat the sets (waves), but more on this later.

For example, instead of performing 5 sets of 5 reps, you could do:

• Set 1 – 1 rep
• Set 2 – 2 reps
• Set 3 – 3 reps
• Set 4 – 4 reps
• Set 5 – 5 reps
• Set 6 – 5 reps
• Set 7 – 5 reps

Or even:

• Set 1 – 1 rep
• Set 2 – 2 reps
• Set 3 – 3 reps
• Set 4 – 4 reps
• Set 5 – 5 reps
• Set 6 – 6 reps
• Set 7 – 4 reps

You’ll notice immediately that ascending reps calls for a higher number of total sets to be performed, however, due to the fact that the first 2-3 sets are very sub-maximal, you’ll be able to get away with a considerably shorter rest period, and as such, the total time taken to perform 7 ascending rep sets should be around the same time it takes to perform 5 straight rep sets.

If you’re concerned that all the low rep sets will have minimal effect on building muscle, then fear not.

When it comes to building strength and muscle, total volume at a certain percentage of your 1 rep max (1RM), is what counts—reps and sets are merely a way of organizing training load.

Although there are rules that need to be adhered to (more on this in the programming section), using ascending reps allows you to hit the total volume required to build muscle and strength while only using high-quality reps.

Why Use Ascending Reps?

Have you ever felt like your first set with the working weight is way more challenging and exhausting than it needs to be?

I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that when a set feels like this, it’s likely that rep quality has suffered, and when rep quality suffers, so can results—but using ascending reps totally eliminates this problem.

On paper, this protocol may not look that appealing—it surely looks like you’ll be getting more and more fatigued as the sets go on, and therefore rep quality would suffer.

Actually, it’s the total opposite. As the sets go on, the weight will actually feel lighter and the reps will become much easier.

This can be explained by the phenomenon of post-activation potentiation where a muscle is able to produce more force as a result of a previous contraction. Following a muscular contraction, a muscle is both fatigued and potentiated and as long as the fatigue dissipated first, the muscle will be left in a potentiated state, and capable of producing more force.

Since the first few sets of ascending reps are lower rep, fatigue is going to be very low, which means the potentiation effect is almost immediate.

Ascending Reps Produce Increased Motivation

Another benefit of ascending reps is the increase motivation.

When you move heavy weights with greater ease, the brain will consider this a tremendous success, and as a result, will reward you with a hit of dopamine. Instead of feeling more and more fatigued, you’ll actually be more aroused (not that kind) and more stimulated.

Furthermore, the change in stimulus from set to set will keep you alert, so if you’re someone who gets bored easily during the main exercises, ascending reps are a fantastic way to stay focused and switched on.

How to Program Ascending Reps

As previously mentioned, ascending reps can be used for both size and strength, and here’s what you need to know about programming ascending reps.

Ascending reps work best with large compound barbell exercises, such as squat variations, deadlift variations, presses, and bench press.

I’ve also found it works very well with weighted chin-ups and pull-ups (assuming that you can do 10+ strict reps with your body weight)

Ascending rep sets can be set up in three different ways:

1. Ladders – Start with low reps and add reps until all reps are complete.
2. Waves – Start with low reps and work up to a higher-rep set, then repeat.
3. Pyramids – Start with low reps and work up to higher-rep sets, then finish off with a few lower rep sets.

Setting your strength parameters when using an ascending rep format will help you reach your goals, whether it be the desire to gain size or strength.

When training for strength, there should be an upper limit of around 6 reps per set. If you’re able to perform more than this, then it’s an indication that your working weight may be too light.

On the flip side, you’ll know if you’re using a weight that’s too heavy if you’re unable to obey the “Rule Of 3 Singles.” (See below.)

Ladder (15 reps): 1/2/3/4/5

• Set 1: 1 rep
• Set 2: 2 reps
• Set 3: 3 reps
• Set 4: 4 reps
• Set 5: 5 reps

Wave (12 reps): 1/2/3/1/2/3

• Set 1: 1 rep
• Set 2: 2 reps
• Set 3: 3 reps
• Set 4: 1 rep
• Set 5: 2 reps
• Set 6: 3 reps

If the first set of 3 feels easy, then you can put the weight up for the second wave.

Pyramid (25 reps): 1/4/4/5/5/4/3

• Set 1: 1 rep
• Set 2: 4 reps
• Set 3: 4 reps
• Set 4: 5 reps
• Set 5: 5 reps
• Set 6: 4 reps
• Set 7: 3 reps

When training for size, you can use any number of reps per set, but bear in mind that if you are going to start with lower rep sets (i.e. 1 or 2), then you will need to perform more overall sets.

Additional Rep Scheme Examples

Ladder (30 reps): 3/4/6/8/9

• Set 1: 3 reps
• Set 2: 4 reps
• Set 3: 6 reps
• Set 4: 8 reps
• Set 5: 9 reps

Wave (40 reps): 3/3/6/8/3/3/6/8

• Set 1: 3 reps
• Set 2: 3 reps
• Set 3: 6 reps
• Set 4: 8 reps
• Set 5: 3 reps
• Set 6: 3 reps
• Set 7: 6 reps
• Set 8: 8 reps

Pyramid (50 reps): 3/5/7/10/10/7/5/3

• Set 1: 3 reps
• Set 2: 5 reps
• Set 3: 7 reps
• Set 4: 10 reps
• Set 5: 10 reps
• Set 6: 7 reps
• Set 7: 5 reps
• Set 8: 3 reps

Feel free to switch the number of reps around for each set.

You can also switch the method up each week, for example:

• Week 1 – Pyramid
• Week 2 – Ladder
• Week 3 – Wave

Ascending Reps Progression

During each session, you’re aiming to either use more weight or perform more total reps, as per the table below:

Unless you’ve used a weight that was too light in your initial session, refrain from increasing both weight and sets from session to session, as that’s a very easy way to burnout.

The Rule Of 3 Singles

You may find that you have sessions when you can’t increase the reps from set 2 and the first set wasn’t enough to wake you up and the body needs longer to prepare.

While this is absolutely fine, take note of the following:

If you need more than 3 singles before you’re ready to start increasing the reps, then this likely means one of two things:

1. You’re using too much weight.
2. You’re still fatigued from your previous session.

If this happens, then either lower the working weight, or drop the exercise completely, and focus on recovering properly.

The post How to Use Ascending Reps to Build Size and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

These can be a great place to start, but all beginners and many intermediates run into the same fundamental problem. They don’t have a pre-existing understanding of nutrition and exercise and therefore have no way to evaluate the quality of the information being shared.

A common trend is to look to the professionals who have accomplished a great deal in an attempt to learn from their experience. But this poses an additional problem since even accurate information applied incorrectly will be ineffectual.z

This article will explore critical aspects of the development of an athlete and mechanisms of hypertrophy to elucidate the unseen pitfalls of following the advice of professionals. We will then summarize the findings to come up with practical, actionable steps to improve your own training and hypertrophic gains.

Understanding the Novice Body Building Athlete

It’s common among novice athletes to see increases in work-set load during every session. This can go on for weeks and even months as the athlete is developing.¹ There are several reasons for this.

The first is an inability to exceed the athlete’s recovery capacity which is commonly observed in novice athletes. Due to the relative inexperience of the athlete, motor skills are undeveloped which prevents the use of heavy loads.² Thus positive adaptations in strength primarily result from improved motor performance.³

The increased difficulty in exceeding the trainee’s recovery capacity means that common features in more advanced program designs such as deloads are inappropriate. Additionally, percentage-based programs that take a non-linear approach to load progression become ineffective since the rate of adaptation is rapid and unpredictable.

For this and several other reasons, research on youth and novice athletes often recommend higher repetition ranges to increase exercise exposure, improve skill acquisition, and indirectly manage load.^4,5

During the initial training process auto-regulation is an effective method to adapt each training session to the athletes level of preparedness.⁴ However, since novice athletes cannot accurately assess difficulty, the efficacy of this method relies exclusively on the guidance of an experienced coach.⁶

As trainees progress from novice to advanced, training variables shift significantly. A 2004 study by Kraemer et al. found: “The resistance training program design should be simple at first for untrained individuals but should become more specific with greater variation in the acute program variables during progression.”⁷

These findings are in line with the larger body of research showing the high adaptive potential of novice athletes compared to their advanced counterparts who require greater specificity and structure.

Due to undeveloped motor ability, the novice lifter should avoid loads or repetitions in reserve approximating failure to minimize risk of injury.⁷ Even loads as light as 45-50% 1RM have been shown to significantly increase muscular strength in novice lifters⁷ due to improved motor learning and coordination. Beyond that, the volume requirements are much lower for novice lifters than advanced.⁷

For this reason, it’s often recommended that 2-6 exercises are implemented per workout.⁸ A meta-analysis determining the dose-response relationship for strength development found: “Untrained participants experience maximal gains by training each muscle group 3 days per week. Four sets per muscle group elicited maximal gains in both trained and untrained individuals.”⁹

Distributing volume across more exercises can allow you to maintain higher volumes without accumulating excessive specialized fatigue and produce greater hypertrophic responses. ^10,11 This can be a valuable approach since the work capacity of a novice lifter is significantly lower than advanced athletes.^7,12,13

Training frequency is also an important factor, with novice lifters typically requiring less recovery time between training bouts when appropriate loads are selected.^14,15 Research on training frequency seems to support the recommendation of three sessions per week.⁷

Since the intensity often prescribed to a novice lifter is between 45-50% 1RM the athlete can maintain a high frequency of exercises to increase exposure and improve technical proficiency.³

The use of androgenic-anabolic steroids and other pharmacological interventions is a stark reality in sports.¹⁶ As several studies have found, the impact of these substances can be dramatic.¹⁷

Unsurprisingly, the use of sports supplements can dramatically impact hypertrophy, strength, recovery, speed/power, and several other athletic qualities.¹⁷ The use of sports supplements for athletic development is a highly complex subject and one that I am not qualified to speak on.

Suffice it to say that training and nutrition protocols differ between natural and enhanced lifters. Therefore, training tactics and strategies used by enhanced athletes have diminished application to natural athletes and especially novices.

Understanding the Principles of Hypertrophy

Although there are several factors mediating the hypertrophic responses, by and large, the two most significant are mechanical tension and volume.¹⁸ Mechanical tension can be thought of as stretch under load (intensity of 1RM), and volume, in this case, can be calculated as:

Volume = Reps x Sets x Load¹⁸

General Guidelines For An Intermediate Lifter:¹⁸

• Intensity: 60-80% 1RM
• Repetitions: 6-15
• Rest Between Sets: 2-3 minutes for compound exercises
• Sets Per Exercise: 6+
• Proximity To Failure: 2-3 RIR (repetitions in reserve)

General Guidelines For A Novice Lifter:⁷

• Intensity: 45-50% 1RM
• Repetitions: 10-12
• Rest Between Sets: 2 minutes
• Sets Per Exercise: 2

Close Proximity to Failure Should Be Avoided

As you can see there is a substantial difference in what can generally be deemed an effective protocol for novice and intermediate lifters. This gap only increases as the lifters become more advanced.

Studies consistently show that higher volumes produce greater hypertrophic responses than low volume interventions.¹⁸ An important consideration is that advanced athletes have developed a greater tolerance to both volume and intensity that a novice lifter simply does not have.⁷

There is also a significant observable difference between a novice lifter and a professional bodybuilder. An elite professional bodybuilder is likely close to their absolute genetic potential.¹⁸

Because of this, extra emphasis needs to be placed on selecting the appropriate exercises to perfect their physique. Novice lifters, on the other hand, are quite literally the farthest possible distance away from their genetic limit.

This distinction is critical to make because while a professional bodybuilder may emphasize specific exercises or body parts, the primary concern of a novice lifter should simply be to build as much muscle mass globally as possible. This means emphasizing compound movements where load and volume intersect for optimal hypertrophic adaptations.^7,18

To the advanced lifter, rear deltoids may be a weakness, but to a novice lifter, everything is a weakness. By understanding this we can apply the principle of overload effectively to produce superior adaptive responses.

Understanding the Overload Principle

The overload principle states that training must become progressively harder in order to elicit positive adaptations.¹⁹ Commonly used practices to induce overload and progressive adaptations are to increase volume and/or intensity. ^18,19

When we look at the potential overload stimulus presented by various exercises it presents a definitive case for preferencing compound movements like bench press, squats, deadlift, pull-ups, etc. over supplementary exercises.¹⁸

For example, let’s compare the dumbbell chest fly to the barbell bench press. Since we know that mechanical tension and volume are the primary drivers of hypertrophy we can determine with ease which will transmit better outcomes.

Volume = Reps x Sets x Load

Bench Press Exercise:

• Reps: 8
• Sets: 6
• Load: 345lb

Total Exercise Volume: 8 x 6 x 345 = 16560lb

DB Chest Fly Exercise:

• Reps: 8
• Sets: 6
• Load: 50lb (per DB)

Total Exercise Volume: 8 x 6 x 100 = 4800lb

The figures above represent my individual training values, however, the relative scale to a novice athlete would be similar. In the example above, the barbell bench press accrued 3.45 times as much volume as the DB chest fly exercise at similar relative intensities. The absolute mechanical tension was also significantly higher in the barbell bench press since the load was also 3.45 times higher than the DB chest fly.

This does not mean the DB chest fly is a useless exercise. I’m simply using an anecdote to convey that a hierarchy does, in fact, exist within exercise selection based on their ability to present an overload stimulus.¹⁸ Thus exercises that present greater potential for overload should form the foundation of the training program in both novice and advanced athletes.²⁰

The difficulty for novice lifters to exceed their recovery capacity is multifactorial. Some primary influences are muscle size, strength, and motor control. More muscle means more contractile tissue to repair following an intense bout of resistance training.¹⁸

Training with heavier loads requires greater motor control and generates more localized damage to contractile tissue while increasing stress on the peripheral nervous system which increases recovery requirements.¹⁸ In practice, this is reflected by the common body part split approach to bodybuilding adopted by many pros.

A squat workout of an advanced athlete generates substantially more homeostatic disruption compared to a squat session of a novice.²¹ So although it may be more practical for an elite bodybuilder to have just one leg session per week, it’s entirely inappropriate for a novice.

The stimulus to fatigue relationship shows a clear preference for the higher frequency of training exposures in novice lifters.⁷ The same extrapolations can be made for many other training strategies observed in advanced athletes that have little practical application to novices.

Considerations and Practical Recommendations For a Novice Athlete

It has been demonstrated that intensities as low as 45-50% of 1RM show robust improvements in strength. Since most of the strength development of a novice is a result of improved motor learning, emphasis should be placed on developing technical mastery of the main compound lifts during this period.

Individual training sessions should focus on 4-6 compound exercises done for 2-3 sets each for roughly 8-12 repetitions per set to increase skill practice and optimize the adaptive response.

Since the novice will find it difficult to exceed their recovery capacity a higher frequency of training should be adopted to improve skill acquisition and training exposures. Developing a single full-body routine and repeating it 3-4 times per week is a viable option in this circumstance. Conversely, adopting a traditional bodybuilding split where each muscle group is only trained once weekly is unlikely to yield optimal results.

The rate of adaptation for a novice is rapid and unpredictable. As such, programs that apply a non-linear approach to load/volume alteration and the inclusion of deloads are inappropriate. In this case, a simple linear progression of load, volume, or both over time is better suited.

Because novice lifters are generally lacking in everything, their programs should be more general in nature. As the athlete develops over several months and years training should progress congruently and become more specific. This means for a novice the vast majority of training should be based on compound exercises.

Mechanical tension and volume are the two primary drivers of hypertrophy. As such, to maximize progress a program should emphasize the use of compound exercises that allow for maximum accruement of volume and intensity. Supplementary exercises should (at least in the initial stages of training) be limited or excluded unless specific circumstances dictate otherwise.

The efficacy of autoregulating novice lifters is dependent on the presence and guidance of an experienced coach, and should otherwise be avoided.

In closing, I want to clarify that I think it’s important to learn from the experts. But it’s equally important to understand the context in which the advice was given.

Lift Big!

References:

1. Hoffman, Jay R., et al. “Comparison Between Linear and Nonlinear In-Season Training Programs in Freshman Football Players”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 17, no. 3, 2003, pp. 561–565., doi:10.1519/00124278-200308000-00023.

2. Wulf, Gabriele, et al. “Motor Skill Learning and Performance: a Review of Influential Factors”. Medical Education, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2010.

3. Rutherford, O M, and D A Jones. “The Role of Learning and Coordination in Strength Training”. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1986.

4. “Flexible Nonlinear Periodization in a Beginner College Weight Training Class: The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research”. LWW.

5. Dahab, Katherine Stabenow, and Teri Metcalf McCambridge. “Strength Training in Children and Adolescents: Raising the Bar for Young Athletes?” Sports Health, SAGE Publications, May 2009.

6. Steele, James, et al. “Ability to Predict Repetitions to Momentary Failure Is Not Perfectly Accurate, Though Improves with Resistance Training Experience” PeerJ, PeerJ Inc., 30 Nov. 2017.

7. Kraemer, William J, and Nicholas A Ratamess. “Fundamentals of Resistance Training: Progression and Exercise Prescription”. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2004.

8. “Comparison of the Effect of Various Weight Training Loads on Strength”. Taylor & Francis.

9. Rhea, Matthew R, et al. “A Meta-Analysis to Determine the Dose Response for Strength Development”. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2003.

10. Borst, S E, et al. “Effects of Resistance Training on Insulin-like Growth Factor-I and IGF Binding Proteins”. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2001.

11. Paulsen, Gøran, et al. “The Influence of Volume of Exercise on Early Adaptations to Strength Training”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2003.

12. Kraemer, William. “A Series of Studies-The Physiological Basis for Strength Training in American Football: Fact Over Philosophy”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 1 Aug. 1997.

13. Kraemer, W J, et al. “Influence of Resistance Training Volume and Periodization on Physiological and Performance Adaptations in Collegiate Women Tennis Players”. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2000.

14. Häkkinen, K. “Neuromuscular Fatigue and Recovery in Women at Different Ages during Heavy Resistance Loading”. Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 1995.

15. “Designing Resistance Training Programs, 4E”. Google Books, Google.

16. panel Heiko Striegela Rolf Ulrichb Perikles Simonc, Author links open overlay, et al. “Randomized Response Estimates for Doping and Illicit Drug Use in Elite Athletes”. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Elsevier, 8 Sept. 2009.

17. Sinha-Hikim, Indrani, et al. “Testosterone-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy Is Associated with an Increase in Satellite Cell Number in Healthy, Young Men”. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1 July 2003.

18. “The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training: The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research”. LWW.

19. Kraemer, W J, et al. “Physiological Adaptations to Resistance Exercise. Implications for Athletic Conditioning.” Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 1988.

20. Campos, Gerson E R, et al. “Muscular Adaptations in Response to Three Different Resistance-Training Regimens: Specificity of Repetition Maximum Training Zones”. European Journal of Applied Physiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2002.

21. Kajaia, T, et al. “THE EFFECTS OF NON-FUNCTIONAL OVERREACHING AND OVERTRAINING ON AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTION IN HIGHLY TRAINED ATHLETES”. Georgian Medical News, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2017.

The post You Shouldn’t Train Like the Pros to Build Muscle appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Start focusing less on the what and consider the how instead. What you do in the gym is the tool that will enable you to get bigger, stronger, and leaner. Just like any tool you also need to know how to use it. You might have the sledgehammer, but do you really know how to swing it?

Lift With Intention

The barbell bench press is a tool you can use to build up your pecs, but there’s a difference between just bouncing as much weight off your chest as possible versus lifting with the intention to stimulate maximum muscle growth.

Your muscles are on the inside of your body and have no idea how much is being lifted on the outside—and they don’t care how much you want them to grow no matter how often you whisper sweet nothings to them.

What your muscles do know is what tension is and how much force is being put through them—and that’s about it. This primal muscle knowledge is what ultimately triggers a cascade of events that lead to hypertrophy and muscle growth.

When you are trying to build muscle the load you have on the bar is irrelevant to a degree—that is unless you’re still able to squeeze on every repetition and maintain tension. Very few can truly do this without sacrificing either weight or execution.

Progressive Overload With Perfect Execution

Although progressive overload is important, and you should always be striving for a minor increase in weight or reps each week, doing this at the expense of making every repetition count will produce far from optimal results. Every repetition is an opportunity to get better.

The art of the perfect repetition is something professional coaches and physique athletes often won’t speak about. That’s because the perfect rep is hard to verbalize or film, and quite frankly it is not as interesting as sharing a new exercise or training plan. Perfecting your execution impacts everything and could be the one simple thing holding you back right now.

The weight you use is less important than the tension and force you can get through the target muscle. Therefore, exercise selection is important because the right tool can align you properly to receive the best stimulus for that muscle to grow. This is also why picking just a few of the right tools versus half a dozen exercises with average execution will always achieve superior results.

We all have different limb lengths, leverages, and movement capabilities. Picking just a handful of exercises that feel good to you, no matter anyone else’s opinion, is always a good place to start. Pick exercises that help you ‘find’ and load the muscle optimally. Exercises that position and align you poorly are a sure-fire way to add stress to the wrong areas, leading to inflammation and injury over time.

Stop Adding, Start Deleting

Before you start adding to your routine with the hope that you’ll stumble on a magic exercise or formula, instead think what you can delete. What are you not getting the most of right now? There’s nothing wrong with variety if it can keep you entertained and motivated to train.

Pick just a handful of exercises with the right profile and then consider the quality of every repetition first, before thinking of what you can start adding.

“Employ a quality-first approach before adding unnecessary quantity.”

One of the biggest differences between the elite and the average gym goer is that the elite know how to execute every repetition with the highest level of concentration and intensity.

They know how to make even the lightest of warm-up sets look as hard as possible. They care less about attaining the most impressive numbers only to achieve the most impressive physiques. Success leaves clues.

Consider the Feel

Every exercise will have a different feel to it. While some are better at applying load to the muscle in a shortened and fully contracted position, others are better at loading the lengthened or stretched position.

For this reason you can’t always go by how much of a squeeze you can get on every rep. But if you can’t feel the muscle working and consciously contract it during the set, then it might be an idea to hold auditions for an exercise that will.

A clunky painful feeling is not a feeling that should ever be accepted—a smooth repetition with a good connection is. If there’s something you’re doing right now that doesn’t fit these criteria, then delete it.

This approach goes beyond just performing an exercise with correct technique while limiting injury, and it also goes beyond what many refer to as developing the “mind-muscle connection.”

Very few can physically or mentally make this connection, but if you can get your head around it then it will truly unlock the muscle-building potential of any future exercise or training plan you follow. The information here is probably something you already know, but how often do you think about it and then apply it? Well, now is the time to start.

The post Eliminate Poor Reps to Build More Muscle appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

To remedy this (as an ectomorph) I’ve subjected myself to rigorous training methodologies starting with five hour-long sessions of calisthenics with my coach JR of Beastmode to powerlifting style training at Harbor Fitness with eventually a mix of bodybuilding and powerlifting which results in the off-season powerlifting and in-season hybridization. One tool that has served me well and has provided compliments during my stage presence is the implementation of blood flow restriction (BFR) bands.

BFR is the use of a band, knee wrap, or any similar apparatus to create a tourniquet-like effect in the intended muscle. The key phrasing here is tourniquet-like, not an actual tourniquet. Using this restriction prevents the venous return of blood out of the target muscle. In this article, the focus is on the legs.

What to Look For In Blood Flow Restriction Bands

There are two options here: either budget-friendly knee wraps or elbow wraps or designated bands, which may cost more. I am not sponsored by any of the aforementioned and as such I do not have recommendations.

However, I highly suggest that you read reviews and look at the materials used to make the wraps or bands for durability. In addition, those with allergies to certain materials, please check to make sure that you won’t have issues with the materials in the band style you choose because you will be wearing them anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, typically.

Choose a reputable powerlifting store for wraps—they have better quality products available, overall.

What to Wear When Using Blood Flow Restriction Bands

There are three options here: loose-fitting cotton clothing, compression shorts, or leggings. I recommend not having the bands directly on your skin as you can be subjected to folliculitis, a skin condition that causes inflammation of the hair follicles causing raised bumps on the skin or ruptured follicle roots that leave black marks on the skin. For some athletes this is non-existent, but if you have sensitive or dry skin avoid skin-to-band contact on the legs.

Loose fitting clothing is generally a good choice and seems to be appropriate in between for those who powerlift and those who typically do not like extra tight clothing. Lastly, tights or compression shorts are great as they often have moisture-wicking fabric and help to keep the band in place.

How to Place the Blood Flow Restriction Bands

For BFR band training in the legs, there is a carryover of placement, proximal to the working muscle, and distal from the working muscles insertion.

1. Regardless of the plan of action for what to wear, these bands are going to be very close to the inguinal area.
2. For men, I suggest wearing support briefs to hold your man parts so it’s easy to shift things over when placing the band. Go as high as you can, right about where the tensor fascia latae lies. This is going to feel, at first, very claustrophobic and very uncomfortable. My word of advice: suck it up. This is only for a maximum of 60 minutes.
3. For women, placement is the same, however, disregard the shifting of genitalia. To avoid chaffing, lotion your legs prior to placing the BFR bands with a light lotion or an oil that is kind to the skin, like vitamin E.
4. Securely wrap until there is a feeling of tightness—you should feel blood rushing through your veins constantly throughout the wearing process. This is not a tourniquet so complete occlusion of vasculature is not the goal, just restriction.
5. I suggest adjusting the bands throughout your workout as your legs engorge with blood. Do not tighten more as you progress in your workout or you will risk numbness, tingling, or cyanosis.
6. Do not use BFR bands use if you’re pregnant, have high blood pressure, diabetes, varicose veins, or other vascular diseases.

Exercise Choice with Blood Flow Restriction Bands

Exercise choice for leg training will depend on your anthropometrics, what you respond best to, and what keeps tension on working muscles. Therefore, I will only suggest exercises that have worked for me and how I choose to do a split.

• Adduction Machine
• Leg Extension Machine
• Leg Curl: Lying, Cable, and Seated
• Hack Squat Machine
• Leg Press
• Front Squat
• Romanian Deadlifts

I do two days of quadriceps and two days of hamstrings, respectively, such that the first day is light and second day is heavy. Tempo, time under stress, and positioning play a large role in the effectiveness of bands.

A sample workout on my banded quad day looks something like this :

1. Warm-Up with Walking Lunges: 4 sets of 8 reps each leg, unweighted
2. Adduction Machine: 4 sets of 12 reps, ascending weight
3. Leg Extension Machine: 6 sets of 6 to 12 reps, ascending weight
4. Weighted Lunges (in place): between sets of leg extensions maintaining the same weight until the last set as you will you increase approximately 10-15lbs, until failure
5. Barbell Front Squat: 3 sets of 6, heavy

This example split for quads isn’t for the faint of heart and, despite the brevity, the very nature of this split is grueling and time-consuming such that it might require the 60 minutes as previously mentioned. The goal isn’t to spend hours in the gym if you can focus on what works and use tools that assist in focusing on the target muscle.

Make the Reps Count

Each and every rep counts. The stress you place on your muscles during full range of motion should be emphasized and maintaining a peak contraction is of utmost importance. A warning to the wise: delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is real and taking a deload week is not only beneficial but essential with BFR training.

Taking a week off from the bands is recommended after about four weeks of consistent use. Your legs need enough time to adapt and need enough recovery time in order to grow sufficiently. BFR training is great, and it isn’t just a fad. Lift with love my friends!

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You have read the latest articles on what the best training program is to meet your goal and after six weeks have little to show for it. Does this sound familiar?

I remember one summer watching the Superman movie “True Man of Steel,” and thinking, “Man, I want to look that jacked.” I found a program for size; most of the exercises had three to four sets and 10-15 reps, which, if you look at any of the research does correlate with hypertrophy.

After two months of working out, I had little to show other than the fact that I hated lifting weights for more than five reps.

What did I do wrong?

I showed up to the gym four days a week consistently, I did the workouts as written, and I did all right, from my perspective, on nutrition. Why didn’t I get better results?

Sets and Reps Are Only Half The Story

We know that a correctly designed program with all the right exercises and sets and reps is only half the story. The other half is the effort you put in.

Hypertrophy can happen in two ways: lifting heavy weights for lower reps and lifting lighter weights for higher reps.

Both ways will trigger a stress response that will create hypertrophy. Where people go wrong is forgetting about the intensity at which you should be performing each set.

Whether you are lifting heavy or light, you need to be lifting at an intensity that will trigger a response.

For example, if you are doing a barbell bench press for 4×5 at 205lbs ask yourself, “On a scale of 1 to 10, where one is I-could-keep-benching-forever and ten is I-could-not-get-any-more-reps, how hard is this set?”

If every set you lift is at an intensity of 5 or a 6, you will feel like you did work, but your results won’t be amazing. You have to lift at an intensity of 8 or a 9 consistently if you want to add significant muscle mass.

Without the right amount of effort, you are wasting your time.

Measure Your Effort: 1. RPE Scale

Go back to the RPE (rated perceived exertion) scale:

• 1-5: Too many reps to count. Nice warm up.
• 6: Could have gotten at least 5 more reps.
• 7: Could have gotten 3-4 more reps.
• 8: Could have maybe gotten 2 more reps.
• 9: Could maybe get 1 more rep.
• 10: Could not have gotten another rep.

As stated above, your working sets, the ones that count, need to be at that 8 to 9 level.

I find this method to work the best for 90% of my clients.

Measure Your Effort: 2. Lift Based Off Percentage

If you are more analytical and like tracking numbers, then base your working sets of your 1 rep maxes.

• 100% 1 rep
• 95% 2 reps
• 90% 3 reps
• 85% 5 reps
• 80% 7 reps
• 75% 10 reps
• 70% 12 reps
• 65% 15 reps

For example, if I am doing 4×5 and my 1RM is 205lbs, I would want my working set weight to be in the 185 to 195lb range.

Measure Your Effort: 3. Volitional Fatigue

Volitional fatigue is the point in a set when you can no longer perform reps with proper form. This means you could maybe do a few more reps but would have to sacrifice form or cheat to complete the reps.

All working sets should be done to or just before volitional fatigue. This method is the one I use the least because it requires such a high level of body awareness.

To see results you have to put in the effort. Showing up and going through the motions is not good enough. Yes, it is better than doing nothing, but if you are looking to see consistent improvement, you have to push yourself to an uncomfortable place.

The best program is only the best if you put in the effort needed to make you the best.

The post Effort Determines Outcome appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

A brief scan across the internet will make you believe that simply shifting your rep scheme from 6-8 reps to 10-12 will some how magically “trick” your body into believing that you are now trying to build muscle, as opposed to trying to get stronger.

There still seems to be a lot of confusion these days between the worlds of strength training and hypertrophy training, and how the two are interconnected—similar yet completely different at the same time.

A brief scan across the internet will make you believe that simply shifting your rep scheme from 6-8 reps to 10-12 will some how magically “trick” your body into believing that you are now trying to build muscle, as opposed to trying to get stronger.

But it’s not that simple.

The differences between strength training and hypertrophy start deep inside our bodies, at the physiological level.

If we can first have a base level understanding of the mechanisms involved in the two, and then how our individual bodies are genetically predisposed to respond to one versus the other, then we can really take an educated approach to our training, and ultimately bridge the gap between strength training and hypertrophy.

Strength and Hypertrophy, Defined

To get there though, we must first start with defining what strength and hypertrophy are.

Webster’s Dictionary defines the two the following ways:

1. Strength
   • The state or quality of being physically strong.
   • The capacity of an object or substance to withstand great pressure
2. Hypertrophy
   • The enlargement of an organ or a tissue from the increase in the size of its cells.

Based on the definitions alone, we can reiterate what we may already know: strength means you can lift heavy stuff and hypertrophy means lifting heavy stuff makes your muscles get bigger.

In order to understand why this happens, let’s start by discussing kids who lift before they hit puberty. While we probably all knew the kids who seemed to have a natural six-pack and were already cut up, they probably didn’t look all that big.

When a kid starts lifting weights or performs resistance training before the reach a pubescent age, they are taking advantage of their neural pathway’s capacity to be educated to fire appropriately.¹

This is just a fancy way of saying they are “teaching the nerves within their muscles on how to fire appropriately, causing them to increase in strength through maximizing their body’s capabilities.²

While this might cause them to see an increase in strength, they likely won’t see a very significant increase in their hypertrophy. Why is this?

The answer is simple—hormones.

Yes, those things we all remember controlling our lives for what seemed like an endless amount of time.

Hormones, especially testosterone stimulated by gonadotropin releasing hormones, are what give individuals the capacity to increase in size (sometimes for better or worse).³

The age-old question now is why don’t all who have adequate testosterone levels see the same increases in size? Unfortunately, this is more of a matter of genetics than anything else. There are a number of theories about why muscles increase in size secondary to resistance training.

Below are the three most common beliefs:

1. Resistance training causes a sustained increase in the blood flow that muscles receive, causing the muscle fibers to essentially swell.
2. Resistance training causes an increase in the number of muscle fibers, creating more fibers in response to the demands of their loads.
3. Resistance training causes an increase in the diameter of muscle fibers themselves.

The most up to date research we have available shows us that these first two theories really have no real holding. While blood flow does increase in response to resistance training, this is not sustainable for our cardiovascular system and would cause our hearts to be under an insane amount of stress.⁴

This is why choosing to take that post-gym swole picture would look a lot better within the first fifteen minutes rather than an hour later. Our cardiovascular system is able to regulate back to a state of homeostasis, rather than being under a prolonged stress.

In terms of increasing the number of muscle fibers that we have, that’s really not possible. Genetically, we have a pre-determined set of muscle types (Type I, Type IIa, Type IIb, and some even say Type IIx).⁵

The Role of Muscle Fibers

The number of muscle fibers we have is part of the reason that not all individuals see a massive increase in terms of hypertrophy. Those who have more muscle fibers available are going to see better results when are performing resistance training, thus taking advantage of their natural production of testosterone.

While this one factor, there are two others to consider.

The first is type of muscle fibers an individual has available. If an individual has predominately Type I muscle fibers, also referred to as slow-twitch, they will have a lesser capacity to pack on size.⁵

Because these muscle fibers are designed more for endurance, they will be unable to have more rapid increases in size and load capabilities as those that are Type II, especially Type IIb and Type IIx.⁵

These fibers are able to take advantage of our creatine-phosphate (CrP) system to a much high degree, benefiting from the increases in size associated with training within this system’s zone.⁶

In terms of how testosterone affects these muscles, research has produced a couple of main theories but the physiology community has widely accepted that the bio-chemical mechanism is rather poorly understood. The best efforts have led many to accept that testosterone increases fractional protein synthesis, allowing proteins to assist the muscles in growth through recovery.³

The Strength Gain

Now, in terms of individuals who gain strength but maybe see less hypertrophy for their efforts, there are several key factors to consider.

First is the SAID principle and this applies to anyone who is performing resistance training, or training of any kind (SAID stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands). This translates to saying that the human body is pretty incredible and will respond favorably to the demands, or load, with regard to resistance training.

When an individual takes part in a resistance training program, they will still see an increase in size even if they may not see the same increase in muscle “swelling” as their friends who are doing the same program. While the increase in hypertrophy may not be there, the increase in strength will happen. Regardless of whether or not their muscle fibers have the same growing capacity as others, they are still capable of taking advantage of proper neural pathway firing.

Additionally, for individuals who are looking to increase strength, it is important to use proper muscle recruitment. This is especially important when performing dynamic exercises such as the bench press, deadlift, and back squat.

For example, when fixing one’s feet and focusing on externally lifting at the hip joints, the lateral musculature of the hips provide an added level of stability that will help an individual lift more weight than they would otherwise be capable.

The same premise applies when getting into a true hip-hinged, braced-core position at the starting point of a deadlift. The stronger and more activated the core, the more stability will be added during the lift and the less reliability there will be on the lumbar back muscles, which will generally be a week point along the posterior chain.

This is not to say that individuals who are more apt to witness hypertrophy will have less of a capability to get strong because there are some very bug, very strong people in the world. Watch 30 seconds of any strongman event and that will become evident very quickly.

Choose Your Programming Carefully

Programming for either goal, or both, can be tricky and involve careful consideration with a trained professional. For less advanced individuals, starting with a high-rep, low-weight period, through a full range of motion at different joint angles, will allow for a true boost in the firing capabilities of the muscles.

It is for this reason that any time a program is new to an individual, especially a more novice lifter, they see a rapid increase in strength over the first six or so weeks. Their muscles are being educated and just like us, our muscles love to learn and will respond and grow.

After this point, the training really depends on the goal. If someone is looking to compete in a strength competition, there will be a long strength cycle that will involve multiple taper periods within the cycle. For those aiming for hypertrophy, there will be a more prolonged cycle that will see a larger amount of volume throughout the training period.

No matter what the goal, or whether you’re training for strength or hypertrophy, you will never be able to completely eliminate one from your training, your program must always include both. But hopefully after today, you have a better understanding of how the two work independently and together to help you reach your goal.

References:

1. Neural adaptation to resistance training

2. Strength training in children and adolescents: raising the bar for young athletes?

3. Understanding How Testosterone Affects Men

4. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training

5. Skeletal muscle fiber type: influence on contractile and metabolic properties

6. The creatine-phosphocreatine system: there’s more than one song in its repertoire

The post Bridge the Gap Between Strength and Hypertrophy appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In fact, it was the first training program to put any significant muscle on my frame. Up until that point, the standard 3×10 and 5×5 programs I’d followed had failed miserably. To this day I still revisit BMT with clients that need a plateau busting mass gain routine.

Big Man Training (BMT) was the name of the program the strength and conditioning coach at my first professional rugby club put me on when they needed to add some size on my frame as fast as possible. It worked.

In fact, it was the first training program to put any significant muscle on my frame. Up until that point, the standard 3×10 and 5×5 programs I’d followed had failed miserably. To this day I still revisit BMT with clients that need a plateau busting mass gain routine.

Big Man Training Is German Volume Training with a Twist

BMT has a few striking similarities with German Volume Training (GVT). Firstly, it is a high-volume routine with a total repetition target of 100 reps per exercise. Secondly, it revolved around big compound lifts. A typical session, back in my rugby playing days revolved around lifts like squats, bent over rows, bench presses, and military presses.

While GVT requires you to hit 100 total reps following a 10×10 set and rep scheme, BMT takes a slightly different and, in my opinion, superior approach. The framework is 100 reps total and is as follows:

• Set 1 – 20 reps
• Set 2 – 20 reps
• Set 3 – 15 reps
• Set 4 – 15 reps
• Set 5 – 10 reps
• Set 6 – 10 reps
• Set 7 – 10 reps

Why BMT Superior to GVT?

GVT is undoubtedly a highly effective program. It has helped thousands of guys build muscle. It does, however, have some drawbacks from both a physical and psychological perspective. BMT addresses these issues while still delivering a potent, high volume growth stimulus.

With GVT you generally use about 60% of your 1-rep max for your sets. This equates to about your 20-rep max. You use this weight for all your sets. As a result, the first 3-4 sets are pretty easy. Fatigue gradually accumulates, and the sets get hard—really fricking hard!

From about set 7 on it is a truly brutal workout. The problem is that many of those early sets really didn’t provide much of a growth stimulus.

Ensure Effective Reps

I have written on this topic before. Some reps are more effective than others when it comes to hypertrophy. In general, the magnitude of muscle building effect from repetition is higher as you approach failure. This doesn’t mean reps a long way from failure are a complete waste, but they are not as powerful a growth stimulus on a rep by rep basis.

Research seems to indicate that being further than 4 reps from failure is a bad idea when training for size. You get a bit of fatigue, some joint wear, and tear, but little muscle building stimulus. This makes sets more than 4 reps from failure a really bad return on investment if maximum muscle is your goal.

Given you are stopping set 1 in a GVT session about 10 reps shy of failure then, it is providing no real muscle building effect. All it really does is create some fatigue which gradually accumulates until the sets get hard enough to be effective muscle builders. In a GVT session, this is usually around 5 sets in. So, of your 10 total sets, only 5 of them are truly efficient muscle builders.

With BMT, every set is a muscle builder. Like GVT you use about 60% of 1RM. The difference is that this means you are hitting, or getting close to failure, on every set. As fatigue accumulates, the repetitions required reduce to match this and ensure that every set provides a potent hypertrophic effect.

It Can Get Boring

As I mentioned earlier, GVT does work. That is as long as you don’t die of boredom! The most common complaint I hear from people doing GVT is that it is mind-numbingly boring. Doing 10×10 on the same exercise with the same weight isn’t very exciting.

Sure, it can be effective, but if you are not excited and motivated to push yourself then you will get sub-par results. This is a universal truth of training. Even the most scientifically “perfect” program will be ineffective without the required motivation and effort needed to yield results.

BMT solves this issue. Every set is a challenge so you have to stay focused. The three different repetition ranges work fantastically well to keep you motivated. The simple change in reps helps.

Also, as you are grinding out reps towards the end of your second 20-rep set, you know you will get the reward of dropping down to 15 reps for the next set. Likewise, as your muscles are burning towards the end of set four, you can console yourself with the fact that you “only” have to gut out 3×10 afterward.

Maximizing the Benefits of BMT

BMT is a highly effective muscle building plan, period. But, to get the most bang for your buck I think where you place it within your periodized plan can magnify your results. I have found it to work best when placed after a period of more traditional bodybuilding work. It provides a novel and extremely effective stimulus after a sustained period of work in the 6-12 rep range.

Reverse linear periodization where intensity (as a percent of 1RM) reduces, but volume (sets x reps x load) increases over subsequent phases is an excellent periodization scheme for hypertrophy. As such, I suggest you utilize BMT as the final higher rep, higher volume phase in a bulking cycle. For example:

• Phase 1 (4-6 weeks): 3×6-10
• Phase 2 (4-6 weeks): 4×10-12
• Phase 3 (4-6 weeks): BMT
• Phase 4 (4-6weeks): A strength focused block (e.g., 5×5)

When your training is set up in this manner, each phase builds on the last to potentiate your results. As the body adapts, you provide a new, slightly different stimulus. Each phase increases training volume (a key driver of hypertrophy) which provides a continuous growth stimulus.

Then, by the end of the BMT phase when your body is becoming accustomed to high training volumes, you switch to a lower volume strength phase to allow your body to “re-sensitize” to high volumes and develop higher strength levels. The increased strength levels then, mean you can handle heavier weights in subsequent bodybuilding style bulking phases.

Exercise Selection for BMT

As with GVT, I am a proponent of using multi-joint exercises as the foundation of your training. However, I don’t think this should be exclusively limited to barbell exercises. For high rep leg training especially, I am a fan of utilizing machine based compound lifts for BMT.

For example, 20-rep deadlifts are not a good idea. The same can be said of back squats for the vast majority of lifters. So, to train the quads and hamstrings I prefer using machine hack squats and leg curls.

For the upper body, high rep barbell rowing can often get pretty ugly, too. The lower back fatigue tends to compromise form and increase injury risk. As a result, chest supported machine rows are my preference. As for pull-ups/chin-ups, I haven’t met anyone who can hit the BMT sets/rep scheme with sustained good form. For this reason, I use pulldown variations instead.

Getting the Best of Both

Compound barbell lifts are phenomenal muscle builders. So, over the years I have refined the BMT workout structure to get the best of both. I achieve this by programming squat and deadlift variations first with a rep scheme best suited to the specific lift.

Then follow this with BMT on machine-based compound lifts for the legs to get an optimal muscle building workout in. In practice, this plays out in the following fashion:

Work up to 6RM on a barbell compound lift (think of this as your strength performance indicator lift). Then, do accessory work for the muscle groups using the BMT set/rep structure.

An example BMT session:

1. Front Squat – Work up to 6RM
2. Hack Squat – BMT
3. Lying Leg Curls – BMT
4. Calf Raises – BMT

Hey, I hope you are enjoying this article and find value in utilizing these concepts to build lean muscle. Writing about this stuff is a hobby for me. What I do all day, every day is coaching people. Both in-person and online. Evaluating, researching, and refining my craft to provide more value to my clients. If you’d like to work with me then, please get in touch here to find out about my coaching services.

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When it comes to those of us who strength train, we often choose a camp to stick our flag in—it is never just strength training. We often label ourselves as either: a powerlifter, a bodybuilder, a Crossfitter, or an Olympic lifter. For powerlifters who want to be successful, you need to be, at least, bi-partisan when it comes to these camps. If you’re a powerlifter who wants to get to the top of their potential then you absolutely need to take a course in bodybuilding.

The reason this separation amongst strength sports or activities exists is due to the community that each one offers. It can be hard to accept, or incorporate, ideas from another area when your current group is grounded upon certain principles.

There is actually a lot of crossover in how each of these activities should be trained, but it is rare to find one group admitting that they are using another’s golden ideas for their own success in their own sport.

Composition Matters

Powerlifting is a very niche sport or hobby for most of us. The other sports above seem even more niche again–so much so that some of their principles and training styles seem incredibly alien to us. That is, until you actually examine the top level people in those sports.

Take Arnold Schwarzenegger as a prime example–growing up in Austria he did many competitions involving powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting so much so that when he began bodybuilding he attributed his thick musculature and strength to these sports.

A closer example to home would be Dan Green, it only takes one look at him to see that if he spent some time refocusing his training he would make a pretty impressive bodybuilder. There seems to be a shift amongst the top powerlifters to a more bodybuilding style of life, but the point is that in order to to reach your full potential, whether that be a world class level like the two examples mentioned or just as good as you can be, you will need to incorporate some bodybuilding style training in your powerlifting regimen.

Powerlifting is about getting strong. Why should I care about body composition?

This is a very fair question and yes, you can focus on strength gain and just pile on the weight. But what you need to ask yourself is if you would like to just get stronger or truly reach your potential?

Briefly mentioned above was how one of the best powerlifters on the planet, Dan Green, manages to look incredibly muscular while also being incredibly strong. This is due to how you are most likely to achieve your strongest total and strongest lifts while holding the most muscle mass you can with a body fat percentage of 10-15% for men and about 20% for women.

If you compete at the top of your weight class, you’re not wasting any weight by being there but it also means that you might fall right in the middle of your weight class. If this works better for you then it means the improved total will counteract any concerns by not being lighter, and any thoughts of coming in heavier won’t apply because you will be less efficient at that weight.

This leads on to questions of what weight class is best for you as an individual. You are better off just going for the weight, not weight class, that you can maintain the above body fat percentage at with the most amount of muscle.

By not being ridiculously lean, that is <10%, you don’t risk on losing any performance benefits. Being exceptionally lean will result in you eating less and therefore having less energy but also, you are likely to experience some hormonal issues because fat is imperative for human functions.

We are not made to walk around exceptionally lean all year round. This is why bodybuilders maintain at higher body fat percentages during their offseason–it is just too hard and too uncomfortable to maintain the lower body fat percentage year round.

As far as body composition goes, you don’t need to focus on getting striations between your pec minor and pec major but you should definitely focus on building as much muscle mass as possible, without increasing your fat mass too much, or at all.

Improve Your Powerlifting

To get really, really good at powerlifting you need to do the obvious things like learning the technique, practice the movements, and build a good deal of strength. This is your foundational work. A heck of a lot of powerlifters do this and do it well, but there is a massive difference between those that do this minimum and those that achieve the upper echelons of their classes.

It definitely takes more.

The ones who reach the top of their game are the ones who take that foundational strength and then grow further and reach beyond. A top class powerlifter will know, or at least their coach will, that in order to get to the top they need to build muscle because a bigger muscle, while not necessarily stronger, has more potential for strength.

You might think “surely if I’m strength training I will gain more muscle mass anyway?” And you’d not be wrong–but there is a caveat. Strength training will provoke the same hypertrophy response as bodybuilding work with equal volume will.

For example, if you took one group doing 3 sets of 10, and another doing 10 sets of 3 (with the sets of 3 being higher weight). This will also seriously increase your fatigue. This means that by the time you start growing muscle you’re too exhausted to really spend any time on improving or increasing that muscle mass.

Grow Your Muscle Mass

If you’re a complete beginner to powerlifting or even just weight training in general, you should spend the early part of your training career focusing on how to do the big three lifts, but not just with sets of max weights. As we’ve established, this will only grow you minimal muscle and you won’t be able to achieve much from your current muscle mass for long.

With a focus on good technique, our beginner should have a training plan that incorporates at least one day of a hypertrophy focus on one, or maybe even two, of the big three exercises–with one training day that focuses on strength and getting used to hitting higher numbers.

By separating the days out you can focus on training the big lifts under scenarios that are close to a competition–heavy singles—which is of vital importance because without including maximal or sub-maximal lifts in your training, you may find yourself scared or in need of a massive psyche up to get the big lifts going on the platform. Approaching competitive, single lifts this way can be mentally and psychologically fatiguing.

The hypertrophy days are then free to let you build up some muscle without getting yourself absolutely shattered in the process. A beginner should spend a good portion of their initial training focusing on building great technique and getting used to heavier loads while also building a terrific foundation of muscle mass.

The intermediate powerlifter should have already gone through this phase–they’d pretty much have to in order to reach an intermediate level. But in terms of their training past this point a few considerations will have likely arose:

1. Weaknesses and imbalances – the difference between most intermediate and elite lifters is that they have a sticking point with one, or more, of their lifts.
2. Injury History – sadly, most powerlifters suffer from at least wear and tear injuries by this point.
3. Training History – what the lifter is used to in terms of exercise selection, volume, and intensity.

Once the above points have been considered you might find that they all stem from an over-development of powerlifting muscles and an underdevelopment of certain muscles and groups that aren’t really affected by powerlifting, such as the lats, calves, biceps, and rear delts.

While on this point, a very common issue for powerlifters is shoulder discomfort. This can be caused by the over-training of the pectoral muscles and front delts from benching without sufficient work done on the rear delts and lats to balance it out.

An intermediate powerlifter is likely to compete fewer times per year than a beginner, they have competition experience and may now have goals focused around bigger, less frequent competitions. This means that they are likely to spend a good chunk of the year, two thirds to three quarters may be, focusing on good solid muscle building.

This will allow them to reach that sweet spot of 10-15%/20%-ish body fat while also training away any postural issues made by powerlifting, with the added bonus of an improvement in all-around performance by fixing the weaknesses they might have.

The remaining third or quarter of the year is likely to fall into the competition season. This time will be spent focusing turning all of that strength potential in the new, bigger muscles into hardened actual strength. This portion of training will be almost purely powerlifting based with a much, much smaller focus on hypertrophy work.

How to Start Training for Hypertrophy

Most powerlifters reading this will have read all about how to gain strength, so you know how to do that. But you’ve plateaued, you’re here now, reading this because you know you need to increase your muscle mass and get a bit leaner to really perform.

Some of you might be inclined to just pick up a dumbbell and start curling and lateral raising–that’ll help to an extent, but what do you do week to week, and not just in a session? This is where most strength athletes make their mistakes.

They assume all they need to do is throw in some assistance work. You must understand, however, the assistance work needs to be targeted and measurable, otherwise you will just be spinning your wheels even further.

You can definitely increase your training volume by adding in variations of the big three lifts. The variations may even help with the movement patterns you struggle within your lifts, but in terms of hypertrophy, they’ll elicit a different response from your muscles.

More strength throughout the whole muscle and movements involved is never a bad thing in powerlifting. In fact, the majority of the hypertrophy work you will commit your time to will be variations of the big three with things like:

• Incline bench press
• Highbar/low bar squat (depending on your main one)
• Romanian deadlifts
• Stiff legged deadlifts

But after you’ve accounted for these you will then need to include exercises for the lagging body parts mentioned above, particularly the lats and rear delts. Adding in some rows, pull-ups, lateral raises, and rear delt extensions will do your posture and any shoulder or neck niggles you have no end of joy. Don’t disregard these assistance movements and you’ll move and feel better while also be able to get really, really strong.

The Role of Nutrition

This is another point where powerlifters can steal a few tips from bodybuilders. To get lean means you need to maintain your current muscle mass while losing any excess (more than 10-15/20% here) body fat, and this is something bodybuilders specialize in better than anyone.

The intricacies of diet are vast, so much so that there really isn’t a blanket answer here. Let us assume that you follow the training suggestions above. The beginner who is looking at gaining some solid mass in their first few years of training will want to eat in a slight deficit which will fuel them for their training–gaining muscle mass and strength is imperative at this stage.

Depending upon your starting point you will either be fairly lean or just generally a bit heavier by the time you reach the intermediate stage. It isn’t a bad thing to be a bit over the 12-15% body fat range at this point. You’ve still got your whole powerlifting career ahead of you.

If you decide here to cut down to the peak performance body fat range then it would be a good idea to eat at just below maintenance. This will decrease your body fat while giving you enough energy to train sufficiently, all while keeping hold of most, if not all, of your hard earned muscle mass.

After this point, your nutrition depends on how lean you are, and whether or not you want to try to add more muscle mass or maintain where you are. To gain a bit more you’re best to eat in a slight deficit as above. If you want to maintain then you will want your calories to stay at maintenance as this will give you enough energy to train and allow you to stay in the optimal body fat range.

Bodybuilding Is Worth It

Powerlifters can learn an awful lot from bodybuilders and the bodybuilding lifestyle in general. Ignoring what they do or even ridiculing aspects of their training can be detrimental to your own training. If you want to get anywhere above intermediate it is highly likely that you will need to go bipartisan with your training and include plenty of that bodybuilding stuff in it.

The benefits of including bodybuilding will get you more muscular, leaner, stronger and, most importantly, help you become a better performer on the platform.

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