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Workout Details


Attitude Science Diet Training Tips Articles Guestbook	At first I was going to put all these items on seperate pages, but I realized that would lead to quite a bit of redundancy. The numbers of sets and reps you do defines whether you are doing volume or intensity training, which determines how long you need to rest between sets, and possibly even workouts. Also covered are speed of contraction, injury prevention, and anything else I can think of (or you think of and let me know!). Sets & Reps Intensity training is achieved by low reps on the order of 2-6, and Volume covers everything above that. Sure, some people would argue differently, and so be it. It's a subjective matter, and I give you these numbers only as a guideline. If you want to experience growth, you should subject your muscle to a certain quantity of stress. And while lifting very heavy weights is a lot of stress, doing a one rep maximum once is hardly conducive to growth. In fact, I've read of studies that indicated more growth hormone was release by multiple sets as opposed to one. Personally, I wouldn't leave the gym feeling very satisfied after only one rep, or one set for that matter. So how many sets should you do? One way of going about deciding how many sets you should do is to aim for a total number of reps, say 40. If you do sets of 4 reps, do 10 sets, and if you do sets of 10 reps, do 4 sets. Ok, ok, 10 sets of 4 reps is a little overkill, but you get the idea, right? Well, that sounds like if you are training for intensity, you should at least do several sets on the order of 6-8. But plenty of people can gain great deals of muscle doing only one heavy set to failure. Hey, whatever works for you, stick with it!! If you're just starting out, you'll have to experiment to determine what works and what doesn't. One key point to remember: if you're trying a new program, give it at least 3 weeks of dedication before you decide it doesn't work for you and change your routine again. One last consideration I'd like to mention is that lower reps stimulate fast-twitch fibers more, whereas higher reps stimulate slow-twitch fibers more. Fast-twitch fibers have more growth potential than fast-slow fibers. Muscle is (for the most part) roughly 50/50 of each. Some (hams, outer calf and abs) have more fast-twitch, and training should focus on lower reps more. Others (inner calf) are mostly slow twitch. For best results, both fast and slow twitch fibers should be stimulated. Speed of Execution Speed of contraction is probably the most under-emphasized aspect of training. Most any article or book I read (that is of any value) recommends contraction speed on the order of 4-10 seconds for one complete rep. This usually breaks down to something like 4 seconds to lower the weight, no pause, and 2 seconds to lift the weight. I can't recall the last time I saw anyone lifting at these speeds in my gym! You can't lift nearly as much weight (at first) with such slow and deliberate movements, but in the long run you'll build a lot more muscle. I often wonder what posesses people to lift the way they do. Some must thing higher speed=greater intensity or something! I think a lack of education is to blame for most of these people, but I'm sure a fair chink can be attributed to bloated egos. You have to forget about what you look like lifting less weight, you aren't there to impress anyone, just build bigger muscles and get stronger! Bottom line here is, slow it down! Try lowering a weight for 4 full seconds, it feels brutally slow! But if it works, why not do it? Give it a try. Duration of Workout From time to time I hear people bragging (if you can call it that) that they spend 3 hours in the gym. That's just plain stupid. Not only do you end up dragging your feet, you burn out your nervous system, and start tearing down your precious muscles! Studies have shown that after about one hour of training, hormonal levels become vary unfavorable. Testosterone drops and your testosterone/cortisol ratio is horrible. After training, it takes about one hour for your testosterone levels to normalize, so if you must spend hours a day in the gym, break it up so it's never more than one hour at a time, with at least one hour rest between sessions. Another good measure is to limit the total number of sets you do. Of course, with various intensity/volume levels, your number of sets will vary as well, that's why it's easiest to say that you shouldn't be there more than one hour. Number of sets should probably fall between 10 and 25 working sets per workout (i.e. 3-10 sets per muscle, 3 muscles). Rest & Recuperation Obviously your recovery profile, both short term and long term, will differ depending on how many sets and reps you do. If you do lower reps, meaning heavier weight, you should take more rest between sets(4-5 minutes). And even though your muscles may feel ready after a few short minutes, your nervous system may take even longer to recover. If you do lighter weights, your nervous system isn't nearly as taxed, and you should be ready for another set in 1-3 minutes. Just as your nervous system takes longer to recover after a heavy set, it also takes longer after a heavy workout. Often times you'll read about some super, killer workout that involves drop set, forced reps, or whatever. But they'll also tell you to only do it once every few weeks. The fact is doing intense workouts like these takes it's toll on the body, and without time to recuperate, can quickly lead to burnout. Intensity vs. Volume So which is better? More reps or fewer? More intensity or more volume? Well, the best program uses both. Intensity is great for growth, but can more quickly lead to burnout, so should be alternated with volume training. I would recommend at most three weeks of training for any muscle group, followed by at least two weeks of volume. This is of course subjective. Some people can handle more, some less. Personally, I don't go more than two weeks really heavy. Volume training has plenty of benefits as well, aside from just targeting the other 50% of your muscle fibers which shouldn't be neglected. It's slightly more cardiovascular, and trains your muscles to work harder longer. I would guess it achieves this by possibly developing better energy storage, increasing the number of mitochondria in the muscle cells, and possibly improving the whole energy transport system. Volume training also tends to bring out the vascularity a little more. Intensity can bring quick strength increases and muscle growth, but some argue that volume training results longer lasting growth. If nothing else, this is true by the fact that intensity may soon lead to overtraining and bring your progress to a halt. Or worse, and injury could keep you out of the gym for weeks at a time. The fact is, best results are obtained by incorporating both styles into your training program. This way you get the benefits of both worlds and then some. Train with intensity for strength increases, quick growth of fast-twich fibers, boost your ego. Train for volume to recuperate from intensity, develop slow-twitch fibers, increased endurance, vascularity. You could use all sorts of training splits to include both types of training. You could train your hold body with intensity for 1, 2, or 3 weeks followed by 1, 2, or 3 weeks of volume. You could make any program longer, what ever feels right to you. Another option is work legs with intensity while you work your upper body with volume and vice versa. Or split it up further into quads, chest and triceps with intensity while you train hams, back, biceps and shoulders with volume. You may also want to keep in mind that certain muscles like hams respond better to intensity and should be trained as such more often than other body parts. Out of all these options, I would most recommend one where you take at least one full week off a month where you train only with volume. This gives your nervous system a much needed chance to recuperate! Never limit yourself to only one training style, otherwise you ignore half your muscle fibers, and risk stagnation, burnout, or both. Avoiding injury Another thing you want to do as a bodybuilder, is avoid injury. Injuries can set your training back months, and you may be reminded of it for years! I've had some shoulder injuries in my time, and they suck! You pretty much can't do any decent weight with your upper body at all. So avoid them at all cost! Here's a list of tips to avoid injury: perform reps in strict form don't use a weight you can't safely handle, and if you do, have a spotter nearby don't overextend a joint with a lot of weight (don't squat to low, or let your arms go back to far on overhead triceps extensions) don't overtrain! avoid overuse injuries by switching exercises every 6 weeks at least don't use mostly/exclusively isolation exercises as this doesn't develop supportive muscles. perform exercises in an unstable environment (bench with feet up, use a swiss ball) perform exercises specifically for supportive muscles, i.e. rotator cuff movements use wraps and belts unless doing max weights. stretch regularly
Last Modified: February 10, 2000	Exercise is not without its risks and this or any other exercise program may result in injury. To reduce the risk of injury in your case, consult your doctor before beginning this exercise program. The advice presented is in no way intended as a substitute for medical counsulation. The developer of Muscle101.com disclaims any liability from and in connection with any information conveyed on this web page. As with any exercise program, if at any point during your workout you begin to feel faint, dizzy, or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a physician.
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