Have you ever questioned why so many bodybuilders and weightlifters that have been working out for the last two or three years look the same and have not progressed noticeably? Minimal changes have been accomplished when it comes to improving the physical look or gaining strength; they look like they just started training last week.
Of course, many of them will tell you that are not seeking any kind of change as long as they can squeeze in the workouts with their busy schedules and they’re happy, and some complain, that they‘re “doing their best" to build muscles and gain strength, but it’s not working for reasons beyond their limits!
That’s fine if this is what you want; just have your daily workout taken care of within your busy schedule and you’re not seeking muscle gain. But just in-case if you change your mind or YOU do want to look different so people can notice that you do exercise and get compliments moreover, because you want to have a better physique and stronger body where you can lift more and lift heavier with exercises such as pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, bench press, squats then continue reading. And that also goes for the frustrated bodybuilders and weightlifters who should reassess their workout performance.
Manipulate your Repetitions for Muscle and Strength Gain
Understanding the science of repetitions and their effects on the human body can go a long way in improving your strength and the way you look too. And repetition is one the most basic parameters in designing an effective workout.
The human body prefers to stay in the same comfortable-zone without much change and this comfortable zone is called homeostasis for many reasons one of them is survival. So if workouts for the last 3 years are performing the same number of repetitions (like 10 reps because it’s your lucky number) or until you reach failure, then stop right now and promise yourself NOT to do that again and to approach your workouts with more planning and purpose!
One of the methods to make your body in constant adaptation is to change your repetitions every 3-4 weeks as an example. Many respected fitness experts and coaches agree that certain numbers of repetition can have different physiological effects on the body where it’s always forced to adapt and progress.
The following repetition numbers are meant to be applied as a general guideline based on the individual’s needs or goals…
For gaining strength: 1-5 repetitions
For muscle hypertrophy(building muscle size): 6-12 repetitions
For strength endurance: More than 12 repetitions.
So, which best method you should follow? Again, depends on your goal, but you should take advantage of all the different schemes because they all have physiological effects and benefits, for example, you can stimulate various muscle fibers like Type I and II and also refresh or give your nervous system a break.
So if your goal is for example is gaining strength then you should train following the 1-5 repetition scheme for several weeks (2-6 weeks, it depends how quickly your body can adapt). After the prescribed time period you should follow different repetition scheme for 1-2 weeks and then another repetition scheme for another 1-2 weeks. Afterward, you can have few days of active rest before you get back for your strength repetition scheme.
Although, following this kind of routine is simple many trainees don’t bother to follow it, either because of ignorance or laziness. So next time before you workout, grab a small notebook (No, memorizing your workout routine in your head most likely will lead to disappointment) and get organized by recording your workout routines in order to follow your progress.
Believe me; it is very rewarding to see you’re making progress with lifting heavier weights or performing more repetitions, especially after a long time of reaching a plateau and all that because you’re not doing this randomly anymore.
Founder of how-to-exercise.com , Mohamad Alodah, BA Health Promotion, American University, is an ISSA certified personal trainer with many years of experience specializing in strength training, diet, kinesiology and anthropological nutrition. Mohamad has perfected customized programs to motivate individuals to achieve their goals in strength and endurance building, overall fitness improvements, alignment, flexibility, and weight loss. how-to-exercise.com reveals the secrets that have been most successful for proven results.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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