subject: Training Intensity Techniques For Optimum Muscle Growth [print this page] To begin, a note on training lethargy - how many times have you walked into a gym, and noticed the relative 'inactivity' of most of the guys who are supposed to be training? These same people are usually the ones who complain most about lack of progress, have been 'training' (if you can call it that) for years, but look as though they've never seen a weight in their lives, and stand slack-jawed when somebody comes in and starts training intensely.
If you actually want to progress, standing around talking and occasionally throwing in a half-hearted set of concentration curls is NOT the way to do it! Sure, the gym can be a place to socialise, but if you're doing nothing but talking, you're neither going to get fitter or induce any muscle growth, so your probably better off down the pub. I could understand if there were a lot of distractions like loads of Marla Duncan look-alikes in the gyms; on this note its unfortunate that weight-training is not more popular with the ladies, especially in the U.K.
LADIES! - You will not become masculine if you eight train "naturally" - training with weights will only enhance and perfect your body if done correctly! OK, now onto the rest of the article, in which I will describe various techniques that can be interspersed throughout your training cycle to enhance muscle growth and break through plateaus.
This is a training strategy that allows you to continue an exercise well past the point of muscular failure via the use of exercise weight decreases during the set. For example, say your doing dumb-bell curls with 60-pound weights and reach failure after several repetitions. You would then pick up a pair of 50- or 45-pounders, and continue again to failure. Following this, you could then pick up a pair of 30 pounders and continue again to failure.
Take note that there are no rest periods between weight drops, and three decreases in weight is often enough to completely 'fry' the muscle. This technique can be successfully applied to a variety of exercises, such as triceps extensions (machine and free-weight), curling movements, bench presses, leg press, leg extensions and curls etc. In the bench press, two spotters are required to remove plates quickly as you temporarily rack the weight between drops, allowing the absolute minimum rest time. This strategy will really put you in the growth (and pain) zone.
Rest - Pause
This technique allows the use of heavy weights in a given exercise for the greatest number of repetitions possible. Using the bench press as an example, say you were capable of pressing 300 pounds for 4 reps. You would complete such a set, rack the weight and rest for around 15-20 seconds, and then grind out another couple of reps, rest and then repeat the procedure again. This is great for providing maximal growth stimulation to the muscle with the heaviest weights possible, but remember, you'll need at least one spotter.
Training Intensity Techniques For Optimum Muscle Growth
