Exercise intensity is paramount when training for mass. The more the body approaches the end of its capacity, the better for muscle building, but such an effort should always be carried out with reason, so as not to overdo it in the other direction. Also, do not immediately throw yourself into the deep end - the training plan is supposed to be demanding, but also safe for health.
Training for mass - Which exercises with weights are best
Training is supposed to force the body into positive overload, that's what it supports building muscle mass. Muscles contract under the influence of electrochemical discharges that occur in the cells, and the best way to provide such stimuli is to train regularly. Over time, this effort is endured better and better, and even when the exercises are very exhausting, the body can cope with them, although this is not so much due to larger muscles as to more efficient communication in the nervous system.
This is because training develops not only the muscles themselves, but also the motor skills. The body responds better to pain and effort, can take on more challenges, and becomes stronger. However, it requires constantly new stimuli, which is why no professional sticks to exactly the same exercise plan for years.
How to arrange a good training plan?
Training with a low number of repetitions causes muscle fibers to hypertrophy, making them stronger and bigger. With a higher number of repetitions, more than 12 in one series, the muscle fibers become better at utilizing the oxygen supplied to the cells, more capillaries are formed, more blood reaches the muscles and, as a result, the muscles are able to store more glycogen. On the other hand, when a workout contains 8 to 12 repetitions in one series, an intermediate effect is achieved.
You can combine these three types of series in one training cycle. For example, first you give heavy series and then lighter series, so that the tired body can cope with the whole plan. You can also train in cycles, once training one muscle group with heavy loads, then with lighter loads. Still another way is to train for a few weeks with heavy loads, and then switch to smaller loads, but with more repetitions.
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If your training is primarily focused on building muscle mass, your plan must include compound exercises, exercises with free weights and exercises with heavy weights. Compound exercises force as many as two joints to work out - that's bench pressing, for example. Heavy weights are forcing muscles into maximum tension. On the other hand, the advantage of free weights is that they activate all muscles and engage even very deep muscle fibers - on machines, the movement is simpler and therefore less effective.
Training to your maximum potential
Training to exhaustion is obviously not about extreme exhaustion of the body. On the contrary, overtraining is the road to injury, not impressive muscles. It's simply about forcing the body to work really hard, so that you no longer have the strength for the next repetition - then you take a break to let your muscles rest.
This type of training is good if you perform series of medium or high number of repetitions, but if you want to build mass on the basis of short series, such an effort is unlikely to work. During heavy training, maximum tension is created in the muscles, but this does not lead to better utilization of oxygen by muscle fibers, which is very important when building mass.
Full range of motion not so important.
When you exercise in such a way as to lift and lower the weight over the longest possible movement path, you don't use more muscle fibers at all, you just use them more often, and that's it. So in weight training, the movement doesn't have to be very wide at all, it's much more important to perform the movement with great effort - hence the need to use heavy weights. If the load is high enough, only 60-80 percent of the movement is needed to reach the goal.
Compensatory acceleration
This is an extremely important technique when building mass. Under this term is lifting a heavy weight with maximum speed and force. The best option when building mass is a weight at about 70-80 percent of the individual's maximum capacity, for a series with one repetition. If the weight is less, there will be a drop in power because the load is insufficient, but with weights that are too heavy there will also be a drop in power because the movement will be too slow.
In training for endurance and sculpting, training quickly and with short rests is ideal, but with systematic building muscle mass This solution is not very beneficial. When the muscles are tired, they do not contract as well as they should, because they are too tired. That's why mass exercises are performed first when the muscles are rested, and ensuring adequate rest will make them work at their maximum capacity during the next series. Intervals between series should be about 60 seconds when the load is medium, with a very heavy load about three minutes will be needed, but not more, because then a dangerous cooling of the muscles will occur.
Rest is very important
Many people training for mass neglect recovery, and as a result they do not achieve the results they had planned. Rest between training sessions is essential, so it's worth considering other activities as well - a long bike ride right after a workout or an all-night party doesn't help rebuild tired muscles. That's why sometimes it's better to let another workout go rather than unnecessarily overtraining your muscles - they won't respond properly to the effort anyway. Another solution then is to train with a lighter load.
One must eat well
Diet affects whether muscle mass grows at the right rate. Food is not only energy, but also building blocks for tissues, so if the diet is properly composed, the mass will increase faster. A good diet consists of 25 percent protein, 60 percent carbohydrates and 15 percent fat. These proportions may vary slightly depending on your physique, but the general rule of thumb for composing meals is this. Check out the effective weight loss supplement and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy, while fats, on the other hand, are needed to allow vitamins to dissolve in them and enter the bloodstream. Fat also provides energy, but it's good for a weight loss diet to be dominated by fats of plant origin, so you need to limit the intake of such products as butter or fatty meat, and instead reach more often for olives, corn, nuts. Some fish are also a good source of fat.
Then there are proteins, which are the most talked about when building mass. Protein products need to be consumed every day, but you can't overdo this ingredient, because too much protein doesn't increase muscle volume at all, it only increases body fat. Protein is worth getting from fish, lean meat, legumes.
Valuable meals must also provide all the necessary vitamins on which the body's biochemical reactions depend - the body will not make vitamins on its own, which is why the type of food is so important. The same is true of minerals - meals must provide such elements as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, selenium, fluoride, iodine.
Drink plenty of water when training
Water is as important for muscle mass as food. You should drink at least six glasses of pure water every day, but the frequency of fluid intake also matters - you should drink throughout the day, smaller amounts, so that the water is well distributed through the body. It is mandatory to drink water before, after and during training.