Go for the pump! No pain no gain! You have probably heard those kinds of mottoes in the gym. It's like the only way to become bigger. It's understandable, every time you workout in the gym, you see body builders doing exactly the pump method and high repetition exercises. And as you stare at their huge arms, you finally made up your mind that what they do must be the only way to successfully build massive muscles.
For many years, phrases such as the one above have been passed down from generation to generation of weight lifters. And you know, just because they are old, it doesn't mean they are right.
No Pain No Gain.
It's a slogan that totally resonates among muscle heads. But despite its alluring integrity, this statement quite contradicts the science of muscle growth. The amount of pain you feel after each training session has reasonably nothing to do with the formation of new muscle fibers. It just explains how damaged your muscle fibers are. And if the damage is too great, the pain is too great too (this leads to a slow recovery), while if the pain is moderate, then the damage is moderate to (and this leads to a faster recovery).
This one resonates among muscle heads communities. That pain in your muscles after a training session makes you feel like you have accomplished a good job. Yes, a little bit of pain is an important indication of induced hypertrophy (in short, you've accomplished an excellent exercise), but too much soreness decelerates recuperation time; which results in extended periods of rest and failure to carry out well on succeeding workouts (something you wish to avoid when attempting to get big).
Opt for the Pump.
Another statement that appears true for muscle heads is the renowned "pump". But this idea is very incorrect. What essentially occurs during the pump is that you flood your muscles with blood alone! No more, no less. As soon as the blood goes back to where it was, so is the muscle to its original size. But wait, bodybuilders have done it for centuries, then why are they big? Well... that's just an easy answer for veteran gym rats. And it's either genetics, pharmaceutics (yap, we're talking about steroids), or they are just too hard workers that efficiency is not a problem for them.
Low Repetition Does Not Develop Size.
In connection with the last misconception, doing exercises using high repetitions (25 reps per set), is another horrible way to build muscle size. Merely utilizing 80 to 100 % of your representative max will activate type IIb muscle fibers, which are the ones responsible for building size and strength. That's why higher repetition exercises only trigger type I fibers, leading to restricted gains (unless, naturally, you're preparing to develop stamina while leaving muscle mass aside.).
In connection with the last misconception, executing exercises by utilizing high repetitions is another ridiculous belief roaming around. Merely using 80 to 100 % of your rep max will stimulate type IIb muscle fibers, which are the ones responsible for establishing size and strength. That's why higher reps workouts just trigger type I fibers, the ones responsible for stamina rather than strength and size. So if ever you're trying to build stamina, high repetitions are ideal, but if you want to build size and strength, then low repetitions are the best. As a conclusion, below is a sentence that sums up everything we have actually discussed up until now:
You do not need to work harder, but SMARTER.
So, no matter what your training objective is, always make certain that what you do is backed up by scientific research and principles. Otherwise you're actually going to mess up your training and end up with the very same outcomes all over once again (as long as injectable stuff and genetic makeups are out of the picture).
For many years, phrases such as the one above have been passed down from generation to generation of weight lifters. And you know, just because they are old, it doesn't mean they are right.
No Pain No Gain.
It's a slogan that totally resonates among muscle heads. But despite its alluring integrity, this statement quite contradicts the science of muscle growth. The amount of pain you feel after each training session has reasonably nothing to do with the formation of new muscle fibers. It just explains how damaged your muscle fibers are. And if the damage is too great, the pain is too great too (this leads to a slow recovery), while if the pain is moderate, then the damage is moderate to (and this leads to a faster recovery).
This one resonates among muscle heads communities. That pain in your muscles after a training session makes you feel like you have accomplished a good job. Yes, a little bit of pain is an important indication of induced hypertrophy (in short, you've accomplished an excellent exercise), but too much soreness decelerates recuperation time; which results in extended periods of rest and failure to carry out well on succeeding workouts (something you wish to avoid when attempting to get big).
Opt for the Pump.
Another statement that appears true for muscle heads is the renowned "pump". But this idea is very incorrect. What essentially occurs during the pump is that you flood your muscles with blood alone! No more, no less. As soon as the blood goes back to where it was, so is the muscle to its original size. But wait, bodybuilders have done it for centuries, then why are they big? Well... that's just an easy answer for veteran gym rats. And it's either genetics, pharmaceutics (yap, we're talking about steroids), or they are just too hard workers that efficiency is not a problem for them.
Low Repetition Does Not Develop Size.
In connection with the last misconception, doing exercises using high repetitions (25 reps per set), is another horrible way to build muscle size. Merely utilizing 80 to 100 % of your representative max will activate type IIb muscle fibers, which are the ones responsible for building size and strength. That's why higher repetition exercises only trigger type I fibers, leading to restricted gains (unless, naturally, you're preparing to develop stamina while leaving muscle mass aside.).
In connection with the last misconception, executing exercises by utilizing high repetitions is another ridiculous belief roaming around. Merely using 80 to 100 % of your rep max will stimulate type IIb muscle fibers, which are the ones responsible for establishing size and strength. That's why higher reps workouts just trigger type I fibers, the ones responsible for stamina rather than strength and size. So if ever you're trying to build stamina, high repetitions are ideal, but if you want to build size and strength, then low repetitions are the best. As a conclusion, below is a sentence that sums up everything we have actually discussed up until now:
You do not need to work harder, but SMARTER.
So, no matter what your training objective is, always make certain that what you do is backed up by scientific research and principles. Otherwise you're actually going to mess up your training and end up with the very same outcomes all over once again (as long as injectable stuff and genetic makeups are out of the picture).
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