Principles of effective weight gain

Principles Of Effective Weight GainBy Gary Matthews
It's an unfortunate reality that throughout the years there hasbeen a growth of strength training techniques without anyscientific proof to back them up. As in life, and in trainingthe simplest is always the best. Have a look at the factspresented in this outline of weight gain principles and make upyour own mind.
Here are a few Scientific Guidelines for strength training thathave always been around but are not followed by many trainingsystems these days.
1. Limited Energy Level
A strength-training program should be short and simple as youonly have a limited amount of energy per training session.
Scientific studies reveal that blood sugar levels (energy)start to deplete after 30 mins, so exercise selection and thetime taken to perform them is crucial.
What you should be aiming for is stimulating as many musclefibres in the shortest period of time available.
Your blood sugar levels deplete after high intensity training(usually between 20 - 30 minutes) and remember that you needenergy to recuperate after the workout.
The trick is to give yourself a high intensity workout beforeyour blood sugar level depletes, and then you will have givenyour body the exercise that it requires to gain the maximumamount of muscle possible.
2. Progressive Overload
Progressive Overload is the main exercise principle you need tobe aware of in order to get the results that you're after withstrength training.
The two most important points are:
· Complete your exercise with perfect technique · Push to total failure when doing a set and overload theweight on the bar progressively. (Overload your targetedmuscles to beyond what there used to)
Basically this means that when the body is stressed by highintensity training beyond its normal demands, the body willadapt to these new demands of improved strength.
When I say "normal demands," I mean what level ofstress/strength your body is used to now.
An example: The set that you performed last week using the sametechnique and weight, your body will now have adapted to. If youstay at this level your muscles will not become stronger orbigger, so this is where the Progressive Overload plays a majorpart.
Once your muscles have adapted to a particular weight thenit'll be time to overload them further (add more weight, speed,repetitions). You'll need to keep on repeating this process ofoverload if you want to become stronger.
Remember to always use GOOD TECHNIQUE. Technique must never besacrificed for extra load.
3. Training Frequency
The sad reality is that the popular high volume type oftraining that you find in bodybuilding books and magazines (andused by the stars) is irrelevant to the majority of thepopulation and has a shocking failure rate.
What is good for Joe Star is probably not good for you.Everybody has different genetics; most of us have poor geneticsand are not taking steroids like the stars.
The only way the majority of us can make any gains at all is toperform short intense workouts followed by long periods of restso that we don't overtrain.
4. Over-Compensation
Many studies conducted around the world have shown clearly thatrecuperation from strength training requires far more rest timethan previously thought.
Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions,followed by the required amount of time to recover and becomestronger is necessary for you to increase your functionalmuscle.
Here's what you need to do - allow your body enoughrecuperation time for over compensation to take place, so thatthe muscles can adjust to their new strength and growth.
5. Exercise selection for intensity
I can't stress enough of how exercise selection is absolutelycrucial. There are only a few exercises that you really need toperform. These exercises consist of multi-joint movements.
These particular exercises are far superior to that ofisolation exercises (working 1 muscle group at a time) becauseyou are required to use more muscles from every muscle group.
By using these exercises your whole body will be worked hard.
6. Visualization
Over my 20 years in the industry, I've noticed that this areais by far the most neglected by mainstream health and fitnessprofessionals...
Most books or courses concentrate on the physical side ofmuscle gain or fat loss and completely neglect the mental sideof things.
By training your mental state as well as your physical body youcan even further progress in muscle growth.
Strength Training Strategies
Here we discuss the training strategies to gain the maximumamount of muscle in the shortest time possible.
1. Training Frequency
The two main components of strength training are the intensityof the exercise and the recovery after the exercise.Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions,followed by the required amount of time to recover and becomestronger is what is needed to increase functional muscle sizein the shortest period of time.
The latest research has repeatedly shown that musclesover-compensate (become stronger) up to a week after theprevious workout, provided that the muscles are trained tofailure.
Remember it's not the training volume but the intensity andrecuperation that are important when it comes to gains instrength and muscle.
2. Exercises Per Session
Tests under strict gym conditions have revealed that you'veonly got a limited amount of (readily available) energy to usefor a weight training session. Blood tests on individuals havealso revealed that blood sugar levels (available energy) dropdramatically after 20 to 30 minutes of high intensity training.
As we only have a short period of time to train before ourblood sugar level drops, "Exercise Selection" is crucial. Wehave to use Multi-Joint or Compound movements, as these offerthe most training stimulus for the available amount of time. Inother words, we can train many muscles simultaneously and thususe our energy more efficiently.
Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during asession are what most people are capable of. All the mainstructures of the body are worked hard during this time.Working on these big compound movements has a knock-on effectthroughout the whole body; there is no need for specializationtechniques or isolation movements.
The fact is, the whole body is worked hard, rest andrecuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercisesession we push out a few more reps than before with the sameweight, then we have gotten stronger i.e. more muscle.
3. Number of Sets per Exercise
After performing one complete set a compound exercise to totalfailure, it should be just about impossible to generate thesame force and intensity for another complete set of the sameexercise.
If you're able to generate the same force and intensity forthis second set then it'll be pretty obvious that not enougheffort has been put into the first set. Thus you'll have toraise the intensity level you put out for the first set.
If you give the first set 100% effort and work the exercisehard to total failure (eg. you cannot move the bar after thelast rep) then there will be not more requirement for furthermuscle stimulation on that specific exercise.
If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is moreeffective then you're wrong! The latest research shows thatsingle set training is as beneficial as multiple set training.Training one set will decrease the chances of over-training. Itwill also allow you to save more energy for other exercisesrequired during the workout.
4. Number of Repetitions per Set
The development of muscle and strength is interrelated, italways has been. Strength training Sessions produce increasesin strength that is equal to increases in functional muscle.(You’ll become stronger and grow muscle).
Cycling intensity through changes in repetitions and weightthroughout a ten-week program is an effective way to maintainprogression and avoid training plateaus (slumps in strength).
Repetitions can be cycled, the higher repetition range willstimulate the slow twitch muscle fibres and promote endurance.Moving further down the scale, the lower repetition range willactivate the fast twitch muscle fibres and increase strengthand muscle size.
Gary Matthews has been a gym instructor for over twenty years.He has trained people from athletes to bodybuilders. Hisprofessional career began in the Royal Australian Air Forcewhere he was employed as a Fitness Instructor. His dutiesconsisted of training recruits in various disciplines includingstrength training and conditioning techniques.
This trainer from "down under" believes in using scientificprinciples for training. Gary says that "as in life, intraining: the simplest is always the best." He believes instrength training programs that are short and simple, but withmaximum intensity.
Gary is the author of several ebooks, including "Maximum WeightLoss in Ten Weeks" - the complete ebook and time-saving solutionfor burning away unwanted fat, and "Maximum Weight Gain in TenWeeks" - easy-to-use and follow techniques that serve as aguide to muscle growth without having to "live in the gym".
Visit Gary’s website at http://www.maximumfitness.com/
About the Author: Gary is the author of several ebooks,including "Maximum Weight Loss in Ten Weeks" - the completeebook and time-saving solution for burning away unwanted fat,and "Maximum Weight Gain in Ten Weeks" - easy-to-use and followtechniques that serve as a guide to muscle growth without havingto "live in the gym". Visit Gary’s website athttp://www.maximumfitness.com/
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