Build Large Muscles» weight training

The Unexposed Secrets of Muscle Building

fitness — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:16:59 +0000

How does one build chest muscles? Building chest muscle is one of the primary concerns of those who are interested in competing in amateur or professional bodybuilding competitions. The reason for this is the chest constitutes one of the main muscle groups that need to be improved aesthetically; and so aside from strength training, isolating this particular muscle area is a must for those who want to sculpt.

Strength training may also be employed, aside from specific weight training regimens. What are taken into consideration with strength training? One must be familiar with the terminology, too. Form is the specific type of exercise that is put into practice to introduce resistance to the skeletal muscles. Regimens employ different forms; combinations of forms are determined by the objectives of the body builder. Rep, also known as repetition, is the number of cycles of a particular form of training, while a set is a particular number of cycles in a particular combination of forms. The other important component of training regimen is tempo: the speed at which an exercise is performed has different consequences for the body and specific muscle groups.

According to a common trend in body building, if one wants to build chest muscle, then a specific training for that muscle area with sets that range from five or six to around twelve or thirteen repetitions per specific set are adequate. Such a routine would be able to increase the muscle size and would also build endurance in the body. The studies suggest that the number of repetitions may vary between eight and fifteen. The sets per particular training session should range from four to eight sets of eight to fifteen repetitions.

Now, how about the period of relaxation between sets? It has generally been accepted that there are no particular figures that could encompass every kind of metabolism and body type. Though, figures reveal that the time period between repetitions and sets of chest-sculpting exercise may vary between two to five minutes. These figures are included on the basis of results provided by them.

For the duration between the sets, varies from exercise to exercise meant for specific parts which includes: five to ten seconds to build strength, four to eight seconds to build power, twenty to sixty seconds for hypertrophy or muscle building, eighty to one hundred fifty seconds to increase the endurance of the body builder. Now, one may try all types of duration, so that there would be balance.

Now, if you are already trying out the suggest durations, then one should also know that there is such a thing as “progressive overload”. It works this way: muscles were made to support the skeletal system; but they may be trained to lift and resist increasingly heavy forces, in the form of weights or other types of resistance-inducing equipment. Progressive overload should be tried only with the help of trained professionals, or with fellow bodybuilders that have already passed through the initial phases of progressive overload.

Muscle Building

Reshaping Your Body And Burning Fat By Strength Training: Part 1

fitness — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:38:45 +0000

Nina Redza asked:

As a woman, I have never hesitated to walk into a free weight room, pick up a set of 25lbs dumbbell, stand there right in the middle of the badly lit floor and just start lifting. Never mind the stares I get all around me (95% are usually men). My focus is to get my muscles pumped, walk out of the room with a tight body and take pride in the discipline that I have developed over the years. It’s a solitary sport and not many can take the repetitive motion of this chosen path but for those few who have, it is an extremely rewarding path to take. Extremely rewarding.

What exactly is strength training? According to Wikipedia, it is “the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles”. Basically, it means that when you lift weight, your muscles will get stronger and grow in size. How much they grow depends on a number of factors such as: how heavy you lift, how often you lift in a week, how well you plan your diet and most importantly, how much rest you get.

How does a muscle grow bigger? When you lift a weight that the body is not accustomed to and create muscular contractions, you cause microscopic tears (microtrauma) to the muscle fibres. When this happens, the body repairs itself within a period of 1-3 days by adding more fibres in anticipation of another ‘traumatic’ session of weight training. The result is known as hypertrophy. During the repair phase, it is crucial that you consume sufficient nutrients like complete proteins and carbohydrates (simple and complex) to speed up the healing and growth process. Training without good nutrition will not get you the results you want.

The beauty of strength training is its ability to shape your body according you your goals and desires within your genetic limitation, of course. Why would you get into weight training?

These are some of the common reasons:

1. To build strength in general

2. To firm flabby body parts (for most women: the “batwings” and thighs)

3. To assist an athlete’s perfomance in his or her chosen sport

4. To assist in fat loss

5. To build confidence

6. To add sufficient muscle tone without looking like a bodybuilder

7. To be a bodybuilder

8. For medical reasons (physiotherapy)

There are many other reasons but the 8 mentioned above are pretty much the general reasons for picking up a dumbell. It is usually easier to convince a man to start training with weights than it is a woman. Why? Because many women have been fed the notion that lifting dumbells will cause them to hypertrophy beyond recognition. The most common answer you will even hear is “Oh, I don’t want to lift weights because I don’t want to grow big muscles.”

This is a myth that has been circulating for many years and has been passed down from generation to generation. The truth is, women do NOT have enough of the growth hormone (testosterone) that is required to build the muscle size that a man is capable of. Women’s ovaries and adrenal glands produce only about one-seventh of the amount of testosterone that men do. Biologically and chemically, it is virtually impossible for women to attain even a third of the strength and muscle development that men possess. So why do women bodybuilders have large muscle development?

Many of these women have exceptional genetic ability to develop their bodies they way they have. Even then, with strict dieting and heavy training, they can never equal the level of their male counterpart. For many female bodybuilders who look like men, the have resorted to ingesting steroids, which are basically testosterone, to enhance their muscle development in an unnatural way. These women will eventually develop ****** hair, enlarged voice boxes and aggression.

For the rest of us, strength training will give us the curves and **** shape that make us look like the women we see in fitness magazines. For the men, having a set of visible six pack abs will not only protect you from the many cardiovascular diseases that are associated with excess belly fat, as a bonus, you will also look aesthetically pleasing. Ladies love **** abs on their men!

Muscle Gain

Ways to Improve Your Body Strength

fitness — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:08:55 +0000

Steven A Johnson asked:

There are many different types of trainings to get your body fit. Depending on what you want from your body is how you base your work out plan. I am going to be talking about weightlifting, weight training, body building, and resistance training. Anyone can do any of these activities, you just have to set your mind to it and stick with it.

Weightlifting is the basic activity of lifting the weights. If you just want a basic exercise program this is the one for you. Lifting weights can help you loose weight and change the shape of your body. Lifting weights will change the look and tone of your body if done correctly. By doing this activity you raise your metabolism, strengthen your muscle tone, strengthen your bones, and raise your confidence and self esteem.

Weight lifting is basically you setting goals to make yourself look and feel better. You are doing this at a steady pace, usually on your own or with a friend.

Weight training is the activity that involves the use of the actual weight. This is not for competing purposes, most people use weight training to help their performance in a different sport. People who do this type of training aren’t only lifting the weights. They can use to put around their ankles and run, to increase their speed. Also putting a weight on your chest and doing sit ups, this increases muscle mass in the abdominal area. Boxers put weights around their wrist and jog and punch the air to improve speed and agility. There are many other ways you can use the weights other than lifting.

Resistance training is even broader type of training than weight training because resistance can be supplied by weights, punching bags, machines, jump ropes, rubber strands and anything else that has to do with exercising. The number one result in the type of training is just getting physically stronger. A type of resistance training is called strength training. It basically focuses body strength and has nothing to do with appearance of the muscle size.

Bodybuilding is a more of a sport. The main goal of this sport is to get your muscles as large as they possibly can. Bodybuilders don’t only want their upper body bigger like most other people that work out. They want their entire body to be bigger and bulkier. They want every muscle proportionate, as well as minimize body fat and become even stronger than they already are. Contrary to what most people believe it is not the strength that a body builder is trying to prove, it is the size. To become a body builder you would need to weight train, increase your caloric intake by at least double daily, and get lots of rest between workouts. This sport takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Some benefits of bodybuilding include: reduced body fat, increased muscle mass, relieves stress, much more daily energy, builds confidence, builds strength for sports, more appeal to the opposite ***.

Power lifting is also a sport; this sport is about pure strength. This sport that consists of three events: The squat, bench press, and dead lift. Power lifters are very strong because they focus on developing that capacity exclusively. Power lifting is also no where near as popular as weightlifting. Reason being, there is not a very high level of competition as in weight lifting. These athletes main goal is to become the strongest man/woman in the world. When power lifting it is not important on what the technique is or how it looks, as long as the weight is lifted. Power lifters do not only lift weight they can lift anything from tree trunks to pulling semi-trucks.

Muscle Growth

An Alternate to Classical Weight Training

fitness — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:18:49 +0000

Escalating Density Training

During my recent talks in Bellaria Italy, a theme developed which reflects what I consider to be a problem in the way that most people think about resistance training. In particular, during one roundtable discussion on EDT training, I fielded numerous questions about the so-called “correct” number of sets, reps, rest duration, etc., etc., for EDT workouts.

Finally, I saw the underlying problem behind the various questions I was fielding: the attendees were focusing too much on the means of optimal weight training and not enough on the ends. As I thought about it, virtually ALL resistance training systems and philosophies focus on means, often to the total exclusion of the ends.

Case in point: HIT training. HIT (which stands for “High Intensity Training”) revolves around the performance of only one (or sometimes two), all-out sets to failure, as opposed to the more conventional methodology of several sets per exercise. Thus, the defining feature of HIT is the use of an unusual set of means.

Another example of a popular training system that focuses on means is Power Factor Training. This system advocates the use of restricted range of motion (for example, performing leg presses over the last 6 inches of extension only) in order to allow for the use of heavier loads. Again, the salient feature of this system is the means rather than the ends.

Enter Escalating Density Training

As I described to my lecture audiences in Italy, when I set out to codify the training system I had been gradually developing over the course of several years (the system that eventually came to be known as Escalating Density Training, or EDT for short), I eventually arrived at an arresting premise: in resistance training, the ends must dictate the means.

This realization struck me as profound, because it’s the exact opposite approach that virtually all other systems are based on! So in other words, what I became focused on is this question: “How can I organize sets, reps, rest intervals, etc., in such a way that I can perform the most amount of work possible in a pre-determined time frame?” (which in EDT parlance, we call “PR Zones”).

In the process of asking this question, a fundamental truth emerged: work capacity is a function of managing (rather than seeking) fatigue.

This principle is universal in the lives of all successful people in all fields of endeavor. It is the hallmark of all effective people. In his excellent book Leadership, Rudolph Giuliani states that one of his primary objectives was to get as much done as possible in the first hour of the day, while his energy was still high.

This is a strategy that I have used in my own professional life for many years, and maybe you have too. The point is simple: effectiveness, whether at the office, at home, or in the weight room, is a function of managing energy.
EDT manages energy expenditure in the following seven ways:

1) Antagonistic Pairings:

Sherrington’s Law states that when a muscle contracts, it’s antagonist must relaxó otherwise, no movement would occur. Therefore, if the trainee performs a set of leg extensions in between two sets of leg curls, each muscle group recovers faster as a result of the work performed by it’s antagonist. In EDT, three type of antagonists are recognized:

True Antagonist: For example, pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi

Bilateral Antagonist: When using unilateral exercises (such as dumbbell rows for example), the left side becomes the ìantagonistî for the right side, and vice versa.

Proximal Antagonist: In some regimes of EDT training, two distal muscle groups are trained together in the same PR as a way to manage fatigue. For example, leg curls and incline presses.

2) Optimal force-velocity relationship:

In the body composition aspect of EDT training, trainees are advised to select a weight that can be lifted 10 (but not 11) times – in other words, a 10RM weight. Most importantly, each PR Zone starts with sets of 5 with this 10RM weight – exactly the opposite of what most training systems recommend.

The rationale? By selecting a moderate weight and lifting it acceleratively (See point # 7 on CAT training below), we strike a balance between force and speed which results in the highest possible motor unit recruitment and work output.

3) The Chronological Governor (PR Zones):

Most automobiles have a “governor” which sets a limit on how fast the vehicle may be driven. This is designed to protect both the vehicle and yourself. EDT training uses a similar device, called the PR Zone, to limit the amount of high intensity work you perform in an exercise session.

Typically, EDT workouts feature 2-3 PR Zones, usually 15 minutes in duration. Note that most exercise systems provide you with a certain number of exercises, sets, and reps, and then you perform that workout, regardless of how long it takes to complete. EDT employs the opposite approach: you first set the time limit, and then perform as much work as possible within this time frame.

4) Definitive Progression Targets:

Unlike most training systems, EDT workouts provide a specific performance goal for each PR Zone. You start the workout knowing exactly how much time you have and exactly what must be accomplished. This provides focus and clarity each and every workout.

5) The Distraction Principle:

During an EDT workout, you’ve always got one eye on the clock and the other on your training log. There’s little time to consider how tired you are, what you’ll eat for lunch afterward, or any other distracting thoughts.

6) The Conscientious Participation Principle:

Workout by workout, each individual finds the best set-rep-rest strategy to permit a maximal performance. Slow-twitch dominant exercisers often find that higher reps and shorter rests result in the best performances. Fast-twitchers, just the opposite.

There are a number of individual factors that determine optimal exercise performance for each person, and EDT provides the flexibility to capitalize on individual talents and predilections.

Consider this analogy: water, being flexible and adaptable, always fills the shape of it’s container. Most systems are more like ice however – it only fits if you’re the right container!

7) CAT: Compensatory Acceleration Training

This phrase was coined by Dr. Fred Hatfield, the first man to officially squat 1000 pounds in competition. The central premise is that you move the weight quickly, and compensate for momentum by accelerating the weight even faster.

The body is hard-wired to accelerate heavy objects, and training styles should reflect this reality. After all, if you had to move a 100 pound box from the floor onto a high shelf, would you move slowly in order to maintain continuous tension, or would you move it with as much speed as possible?

When you run a one mile course, your rate of energy expenditure is greater than if you walk that same course – in other words, you did more work per unit of time. Similarly, when you move a weight a certain distance, a faster execution results in greater work per unit of time. Forget about Super Slow training – it only applies to Tai Chi molasses wrestling events.

Static Versus Dynamic Systems

Another shortcoming in most training systems is that they are static. In other words, “Here’s the program, now go do it.”
The problem with this approach is that everyone is different. Not only that, but each individual has different needs at different points in their lives. Most training systems prescribe a particular exercise/set/rep/rest/tempo recommendation for everyone.
A select few do a little better by tailoring these parameters for the individual exerciser. EDT takes it a step further by enabling the exerciser him or herself to participate in the design of the workout.

Even further, the exact parameters of each workout often change in accordance to the trainee’s innate experience and understanding about what it will take to beat the pervious best numbers. Interestingly, the flexibility just described does not blur the basic structure of the system.

The Perfect Training System

In fact, there is no singular “perfect” system, in any field of endeavor. However, the “best” systems are dynamic, flexible, and respect the established principles that are known to guarantee a successful outcome.

In the field of resistance training, EDT dynamically conforms to the end-users needs from workout to workout while at the same time ensuring the stringent application of the established principles of athletic training.

Learn more about Escalating Density Training

About the Author

His colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results. His counter-intuitive approach and self-effacing demeanor have lead to appearances on NBC’s The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show.
Currently, Charles competes in Olympic-style weightlifting on the master’s circuit, with a 3-year goal of qualifying for the 2009 Master’s World Championships.