EXTENDED REST BETWEEN WEIGHT-LIFTING SETS COULD HELP MUSCLES GROWTH

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have found that extended rest intervals between sets of weight-lifting could help with muscle growth.

The findings, published in Experimental Physiology, go against the conventional belief that favours shorter periods of rest. The study highlights that short rest intervals may actually impair the processes that control muscle growth.

16 males completed resistance exercises interspersed by either one minute or five minutes of rest. Muscle biopsies were obtained at 0, 4, 24 and 28 hours post-exercise and analysed to determine myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) and intercellular signalling.

In the early part of recovery, the increase in MPS from resting levels was two-fold greater in those with longer rest periods. They saw a 152% increase, versus 76% increase in those with short rest intervals.

Dr Leigh Breen, from the University of Birmingham, explained, "With short rests of one minute, though the hormonal response is superior, the actual muscle response is blunted. If you're looking for maximised muscle growth with your training programme, a slightly longer interval between sets may provide a better chance of having the muscle response you're looking for."

The team recommend that novices starting out on weight training programs should take sufficient rest, of at least 2-3 minutes, between weight lifting sets.

Dr Breen added, "Over time, they may need to find ways to push beyond the plateau of muscle building that commonly occurs, and so may gradually decrease their rest periods. For experienced lifters, it's possible that they may not experience the same blunted muscle building response to short rest intervals, particularly if they have trained this way for a prolonged period and adapted to this unique metabolic stress. Nonetheless, similar recommendations of 2-3 minutes between sets should help to ensure maximal muscle growth in well trained individuals."

The research team are currently following up the investigation with a longer term study to see effects over a number of months, and further research into how individuals can maximise their training outcomes by manipulating variables, such a rest, in their training.

Journal Reference:

1. James McKendry, Alberto Pérez-López, Michael McLeod, Dan Luo, R. Dent, Benoit Smeuninx, Jinglei Yu, Angela. E. Taylor, Andrew Philp, Leigh Breen. Short inter-set rest blunts resistance exercise-induced increases in myofibrillar protein synthesis and intracellular signaling in young males. Experimental Physiology, 2016; DOI: 10.1113/EP085647

FOUR RULES TO BUILDING MUSCLE

The hardgaining skinny-guy's guidelines for packing on size.


Are you the guy who’s always being over-powered on the field? Are you the pick-up games last pick? Have you been grinding out hard work in the gym for hours on end with no results to date? Chances are, you’re a classic example of an ectomorphic-hardgainer. 

Your genetics have built you lean and that’s how you stay. But have no worries, with a little patience, persistence and training-by-the-rules, you’ll be well on your way to living large(r).


RULE 1: Go Big or Go Home

Heading to the gym to lift just for the sake of lifting won’t get you anywhere faster. You’ve got to go with the exercises and movement patterns that give you more bang for your buck. “Far too many guys spend time working on isolation exercises searching for hypertrophy,” says Colorado-based certified trainer and fitness writer, Jeremey DuVall. You want to program your workouts with moves like the deadlift, squat and overhead press. “Bigger exercises require more muscle recruitment and make for a more efficient workout," he adds. John Annillo, CSCS of Training for Warriors agrees, “Your body works as a unit, so drop the isolation exercises and train it like one. The more muscles (or joints) that are working during any given exercise the better.” Trainer, fitness writer/model Parker Cote also believes "big moves" are especially important for beginners saying, "it's the best way to expedite the mass gain process."


Workout Recommendation

Make the squat the primary exercise in your leg workouts. (3-5 reps, 6-8 reps) The deadlift in your back workouts. (3-5 reps, 6-8 reps) Overhead presses in your shoulder workouts. (3-5 reps, 8-12 reps) And barbell bench presses for chest. (3-5 sets, 10-12 reps)




RULE 2: Rest and Relax

When you’re going big and tossing around heavier weight, recovery is what’s going to give you the gains you need. Another component to this is how you're actually programming your workouts. "Supersets and other circuit-style techniques are excellent for fat loss, but when trying to gain lean muscle, it is beneficial to have longer rest periods," says Cote. Blowing through your sets will slow the mass building process—you need to preserve your strength for bigger lifts and heavier loads. “To maximize each set focus on resting longer (3-5 minutes), so your muscles are ready to fire at 100% with each rep,” Annillo advises.


Workout Recommendation

Assuming you're training with heavier weight at lower reps and lighter weight at higher reps follow this rest period guide:

10-12 reps, rest 3 minutes
6-9 reps, rest 4 minutes
5 reps and under, rest 5 minutes

RULE 3: Get More Sleep

“Real progress lies in the recovery stage—not the actual time in the gym,” says DuVall. This means get in the gym, work hard, and get to bed. "Both the quantity and quality of your sleep will play into how much testosterone you produce, how your muscles repair, and how you pack on the pounds," Annillo says. Yes, we’re going back in time to the days of “bed times.” “You destroy muscle in the gym and build muscle at night," says celebrity trainer Jay Cardiello. So get your 8 hours.


Recovery Recommendation

Take 10 minutes or so to practice some relaxing yoga poses, prepare a cup of caffeine-free chamomile tea and you’ll be good to go.




RULE 4: Eat to Get Big

While we're not giving you carte blanche to raid the fridge and eat everything in sight, you will need to eat more than you’re used to. “Eat something every couple of hours, upping your intake of calorie dense foods, downing healthy carbs right after your workout, and having a casein protein before bedtime," Annillo says. And to get the most out of your food, opt for high calorie, dense options. “Peanut butter and avocados provide a big boost of fat and calories to your daily totals,” says DuVall.


Eating Recommendation

Start yourself out by adding small things to your current diet. If you eat two pieces of toast in the morning with a protein shake, add an additional slice, or add a piece of fruit. Peanut butter sandwiches are also a great option as meal add-ons. If all this fails, then go ahead and raid the fridge and eat everything in sight.



By Mike Simone - MensFitness

BUILD MUSCLE WITH GLUTAMINE

Glutamine remains the supplement of choice for many bodybuilders. Glutamine is an amino acid that can be found naturally in lots of foods such as beans, meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. Glutamine is also an important component of protein powders and is one of the twenty non-essential amino acids found in the body. 




Glutamine is the most common amino acid that is in skeletal tissues and makes up just over 60% of amino acids in muscles. And this is why Glutamine is so important for building muscle.

Glutamine for Building Muscle

Glutamine is distributed throughout the body and plays an important role in protein metabolism. In the eyes of someone that is trying to gain muscle, the strength of glutamine is its ability to reduce the amount of muscle deterioration that occurs as a result of intense physical training. Not being able to replace the high levels of glutamine used up during intense exercise could result in greater status to illness due to a weakening of the immune system. In addition, glutamine 'stolen' from the muscles to maintain the immune system must be replaced to keep those muscles in 'building' mode.




Supplementing with Glutamine

People wanting to build muscle can therefore benefit from supplementing with glutamine each day, preferably taken post-workout to enhance its recuperative effects. Glutamine is a classed as a non essential amino acid. Non essential means the body produces it naturally, not that it is not essential. Just over 60% of our glutamine is found in the skeletal muscle, with the remainder occupying in the lungs, liver, brain and stomach. Glutamine has a unique molecule structure with two nitrogen side chains. This structure makes glutamine the primary transporter of nitrogen in the muscle cells, crucial for supporting muscle growth.





Glutamine Research

Recently, glutamine has gained importance through research demonstrating its unique contribution to protein synthesis (muscle growth), anti-catabolic breakdown functions (prevents muscle tissue breaking down) and muscle building hormone elevating properties. Due to these effects, glutamine plays an important part in your body by aiding recovery of muscle cells. The immune and digestive systems crave glutamine. The digestive system often struggles to get enough glutamine to cope with the high protein diet of a for example a bodybuilder. The other main cause of glutamine depletion is intense physical exercise. When a person undertakes in intense physical activity (working out) more glutamine is required than the total amount produced by the body. If the body cannot get the required glutamine needed from the bloodstream it must revert to the storage facility, the muscles. The body will now break down the glutamine stored in the muscles and send it into the bloodstream. It's under these circumstances that glutamine supplementation is required.


by JonTaylor

MUSCLE BUILDING: Intensity Is Everything

Building New Muscle With Intensity Techniques & Rest Periods And Failure




Part 1 - Building New Muscle With Intensity Techniques

Bodybuilder and contest coach Cliff Wilson explores the concepts of training load and volume, helping you to optimize your training and maximize results.

How varying intensity techniques can lead to new muscle.

All my life I have always wanted a cool nickname. In high school I even went so far as to try to give myself the nickname C-Dub. This was definitely not a proud moment for me. But recently, after speaking with a friend at my gym I was informed that the majority of the people at my gym already had a nickname for me.

Initially I was excited, but that changed when I found out what my nickname was. My great new nickname is now “That Crazy Guy”. As in, “Be careful not step in front of That Crazy Guy while he’s doing walking lunges.” Apparently, some people at my gym feel that I am crazy because of the level of intensity that I train with. This is not exactly the awesome nickname I had in mind, but I’ll take it.




I don’t expect the average gym goer to understand the need for ever increasing intensity, but too many bodybuilders and figure competitors fail to understand this as well. It doesn’t matter what level of training you are at. If you always do 4 sets of 10 reps on the squat with the same weight every leg day and make no effort to increase the intensity of your workout, your body will make no effort to change the amount of muscle you have.

Just because you get a pump from a workout does not mean you stimulated muscle growth. This is especially important for seasoned lifters. After someone has been training consistently for years it takes extreme measure to make significant improvements.

When it comes to training the word intensity has many different meanings. When putting together a training, program intensity in all forms need to be raised and lowered to make gains without overtraining. Knowing the reactions that the body has to varying levels of intensity will allow you to use many different methods to increase muscle growth.

Load

Load during a set can be expressed as percent of your 1RM (1 Rep Maximum). Lifting weights using both light and heavy loads will induce hypertrophy, which is the primary mechanism of increasing muscle size (1). One very common debate among lifters is whether it is better to lift with lighter loads or heavier loads.

Lifting weights that are approximately 85% 1RM to muscular failure or near muscular failure have been shown to stimulate hypertrophy best (1). Even though the greatest gains in muscle growth are seen with moderate loads, heavy and lighter loads must be used to maximize full potential. This is due to the fact that there are two different types of hypertrophy that occur with resistance training (2).

The first is called myofibrillar hypertrophy. Myofibrillar hypertrophy is an increase in the number and size of the actin and myosin filaments within muscle tissue (2). This type of hypertrophy is accompanied by strength gains since it involves an increase in the contractile tissue (2). Although you cannot completely isolate one type of hypertrophy over another, myofibrillar hypertrophy primarily occurs when lifting with heavy loads for low reps (2).

Those new to lifting should note that they will notice huge increases in strength with little increases in hypertrophy no matter what rep ranges or loads are used. These strength gains are primarily due to neural adaptations, as previously untrained individuals may have difficulty activating their motor units (1).

The second type of hypertrophy is called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is an increase of the sarcoplasm and other non-contractile proteins within muscle cells and is primarily induced by lifting light loads for higher reps (2). This type of growth, although not accompanied by any strength gains, is the primary reason why bodybuilders tend to be more muscular than strength and power athletes.

To continue making muscular gains over long periods of time progressive overload must be applied. To put it simply, if you want to keep growing you have to lift heavier weight. This holds true no matter what rep ranges and loads are used. Increasing your max weight for both high rep and low rep sets should be the ultimate goal for any training program as this is the best way to assure continued growth.

One of the reasons moderate rep ranges produce the greatest gains in muscle tissue may be because the moderate loads allow for the use of heavy weights with more time under tension. This combination seems to strike a balance between inducing large amounts of both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

Too many bodybuilders are still under the misconception that heavy weights for low reps should be lifted to build muscle and light weights for high reps should be lifted to burn fat. Too often I meet new clients that have been working under this assumption for years. Lifting only light weights during a contest diet is a great way to lose muscle and a lot of potential muscle growth is missed out on by never lifting lighter weights in the offseason. A solid weight training program should include heavy, moderate, and light loads to maximize total muscle hypertrophy.

When dieting for a contest this still holds true and will help you retain or even gain muscle while dieting. Weight training should build and preserve muscle tissue while on a contest diet. Let diet and cardio take care of the fat loss. Most importantly when discussing load and intensity is carrying each set to a point that is, at the very least, close to muscular failure. A light load that is only lifted for only a few reps will do no good. If your workout isn’t challenging then that is not training intensely.




Volume

Volume during training refers to the total amount of work performed within a given workout. Most often though, the term volume is used to describe the number of sets performed during training. Training volume has been a very sensitive subject to many in the bodybuilding community for years.

Many high intensity training advocates, such as Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer, claim only 1-4 sets to failure per body part are needed to stimulate maximum muscle growth. While others, such as Arnold Swarzenegger, claim that maximum growth will occur by doing 20-25 sets per body part. With such opposite views on training volume, it can be difficult to know how much volume is appropriate.

Although both high and low volume training programs have been proven to be effective, if maximizing muscle growth is the primary goal, then high intensity, high volume training programs must be used. Although it has not been fully proven, research on humans provides indirect evidence for hyperplasia after intense, high volume strength training (3). Hyperplasia is another form of muscle growth that differs from hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is an increase in the size of existing muscle cells, whereas hyperplasia is an increase in the actual number of muscle cells.

The endocrine system, which is responsible for hormone release within the body, is also sensitive to training volume. Varying the amount of work from workout to workout may be used to manipulate the endocrine system and create an optimal hormonal environment. Serum testosterone levels can be increased and adrenal hormones can be optimized by using high volumes with multiple sets of multiple exercises (4).

Although high volume training can be very effective it does come with the risk of overtraining. Adding extra volume to training sessions can cause an increase in anabolic hormones but if too many sets are added too often then it can have the opposite effect. Volume related overtraining will eventually lead to a decrease in lutenizing hormone and free testosterone (5).

Cortisol also becomes an issue with volume-related overtraining. Small cortisol increases during training can lead to growth hormone release and can signal to the body that repairs need to be made, but if high volume training is continued for long periods of time and not cycled it can cause cortisol levels to rise too high and stay there, leading to chronic catabolic responses to cortisol.

Besides the risk of overtraining there is another down side to high volume training. Resistance training in general has been shown to upregulate androgen receptors for 48-72 hours after the workout (5). Unfortunately, high volume workouts will initially downregulate androgen receptors prior the upregulation.

This initial downregulation can be avoided by having a protein/carb mixture pre and post-training. If you have read my past articles you already know the benefits of having a protein/carb mixture before and after training. This just adds another good reason to include these shakes in your nutrition plan.

When discussing the subject of training volume its best to keep an open mind. Too many people get locked into thinking that they must not ever go above or below a certain number of sets. Keep in mind that increasing the volume of your workouts is one of the easiest ways to overtrain, but adding volume is a great way to stimulate growth. Periods of high volume should used to maximize growth, but periods of low volume must be incorporated to ensure that your body can keep up with the demands you are placing on it.

Conclusion

When setting the intensity level for an effective training program, the volume and load used are the first two things that must be addressed. Incorporating varying levels of both the amount of weight used and the number of sets performed can be difficult, but doing so will allow you to prevent overtraining and maximize your genetic potential. These variations can also fluctuate from one body part to the next depending on your individual weak points.

Once you establish the load and volume of your training, there are still two more points that I will address in part II. For now, just make sure the next time you walk into the gym make it a point to scare someone with your intensity. If you do this regularly you can call the promoter of your next show and tell him to go ahead and engrave “That Crazy Guy” on your first place trophy.

References:

    Chandler, T. J., Brown, L. E., Conditioning for Strength and Human Performance, 2007, 52-53p.
    Zatsiorsky, V. M., Kraemer, W. J., Science and Practice of Strength Training, 2006, 50p.
    Abernethy, B., The Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement, 2005, 151-152p.
    Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 63p.
    Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 114-116p.





Part 2 - Rest Periods And Failure

Natural bodybuilder Cliff Wilson explores the impact of rest periods and training to failure, helping you to train better and maximize your time in the gym.

How varying intensity techniques can lead to new muscle.

Read Part 1: Intensity Is Everything: Building New Muscle With Intensity Techniques.

“I think I’m gonna throw up!” My young training client said in a panicked voice as he was gasping for air. He had just finished a brutally hard set of squats. I couldn’t help but laugh because not more than 5 minutes ago he had bet me that he trains legs harder than anyone I’ve ever met. I could tell by the sickly look on his face that he knew had lost that bet.

We were only 4 sets into the workout but we had been working at a blistering pace. On the last set I literally had to drag him to the upright position. “I am not used to taking so little rest between sets and I’ve definitely never taken squats to failure before.” He said. We made it though one more set before he went to the bathroom to revisit his pre-workout meal.

I actually see this happen a lot. New clients always brag to me about how hard they train but once we get into the workout you’d think that it was their first day. It is not always that they do not train intensely on their own but rather they do not vary their training enough. Too many bodybuilders find a training style that they prefer and very rarely stray from it.

The human body is extremely adaptive, and if it is not challenged with new stimulus it will not continue to change. In part one, I discussed the importance of varying the volume and load of your workouts while not overtraining. To put together a plan that constantly challenges you with new forms of high intensity training there are other factors that must also be addressed and controlled.




Rest Periods

Rest periods between sets are something that most bodybuilders rarely change. As with rep ranges and the number of sets used during training, most lifters find what they like best and tend to stay within that comfort zone. Rest periods are yet another tool that can be used to raise the intensity of your training.

The amount of rest taken in between sets is directly related to how much energy will be available to your muscles when the next set begins. It takes about 3 minutes after a set for muscles to recover nearly 100% of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) and CP (creatine phosphate), which are the two primary energy sources for a working muscle.

This will allow near maximum weights to be used for nearly every set. This is why strength and power athletes take very long rest periods between sets. Taking long rest periods with heavy loads should be incorporated into every bodybuilder’s routine as this will help with the ultimate goal of progressive overload.

Shorter rest periods between 60-90 seconds, will allow for approximately 85-90% recovery of ATP and CP (1). Short rest periods have been shown to have a greater impact on growth hormone levels than long rest periods. Keeping breaks short works great when training for hypertrophy with moderate to light loads for high reps and more volume. Studies show the most dramatic increases in growth hormone with sets that are at least 10 reps combined with rest periods between 45- 60 seconds. (2)

Shorter rest periods also have the advantage of allowing more volume in a workout with less duration. Growth hormone and testosterone levels peak 60-90 minutes into training and fall quickly thereafter. If exercise continues too far beyond this point hormone levels can fall below normal resting levels and can actually remain lower for a few days. (3, 4)

I am not an advocate of looking at the clock with a dead stare until my next set, but too often I see bodybuilders take rest periods that are all over the place. Too much talking and texting is most often the culprit. There is no need to change for Facebook status to “Blasting Bi’s and Tri’s” right in the middle of your workout.

It is not acceptable for football or basketball players to text or talk on the phone during practice, so why should bodybuilding be any different? All of these are distractions that will rob you of your focus and intensity. There is no need to break out the stop watch, but appropriate timing between your sets will require paying attention and focusing on the task at hand. Leave the distractions in the locker room and your training will skyrocket to a new level of intensity.




Failure

Although failure is a little different than the other forms of intensity discussed here, I feel it needs to be addressed. When training to the point of momentary muscular failure heavy or light loads can still be used. It is simply continuing a set to the point where another rep cannot be completed with good form without assistance from a spotter. When most people think of really intense training, the first thing that usually comes to mind is lots of sets to failure.

This is why whenever the topic of training intensity is discussed, failure training is often the point of emphasis. Just like the other forms of increasing intensity, training to failure has been a very heated topic in the bodybuilding community for decades. Many advocates of training to failure feel that a set not taken to failure is a wasted set. Detractors of failure training avoid taking any sets to failure for fear that it will lead to overtraining. Both groups have valid concerns that need to be addressed.

The rational for training to failure is that during a set, as some motor units fatigue and drop out, other motor units must be recruited for continued activity. The problem with this rational is that, by this rational, one could simply be able to exercise to failure with very light resistances and produce large gains in hypertrophy and strength.

As discussed earlier, this is not true. It is well known that heavy to moderate loads must be placed on muscles to achieve maximum hypertrophy. (5) Training to the point of failure has been shown in many studies to produce gains that are superior compared to when sets are terminated early. Although training to failure has been shown to be more effective, stopping sets just short of failure can also produce large amounts of growth.

This is because overload is the primary determinant for muscle growth, not failure. Continually lifting heavier resistances for all different rep ranges will overload muscles and force adaptations. This is easier said than done as anyone that has lifted weights for many years knows. Increases in strength are not always steadily moving up at a constant pace rather increases seem to ebb and flow. This is one of the reason why taking sets to failure is effective.

At some point in training, optimal gains are produced by taking sets to the point of momentary muscular failure. (6) Failure also may be the best way to increase the intensity of a workout. Once a training session begins, testosterone and growth hormone (GH) levels will increase within the first few minutes.




How high levels of both hormones go is directly related to the intensity of training. Intensity of exercise is the primary determinant for how much GH your body will secrete, while duration and volume have little to do with GH secretion (7). For this reason, training to failure can be a great way to increase the intensity your training and to take advantage of the increased anabolic hormone release.

One disadvantage of training to failure is that it is very taxing on the central nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for activating motor units during exercise. Although muscle tissue may be able to recover from taking many sets to failure, the nervous system will not. Some programs that call for all working sets to be taken to failure will definitely lead to overtraining.

Workouts must contain both sets to failure and sets close to failure along with periods of time where no sets are taken to failure. Many of the benefits of failure training can be had by taking a set very close the point of failure. Stopping a set 1-2 reps just short of failure will allow for sufficient fiber stimulation while sparing a lot of stress on the nervous system.

One thing to note is that high intensity overtraining has a much different affect than high volume resistance overtraining. The main difference between the two causes of overtraining is the effect it has on the endocrine system. With high intensity overtraining, catecholamines, which are the fight or flight hormones, actually show an increased response to training. Also, while volume related overtraining will cause a decrease in testosterone levels, intensity related overtraining will leave testosterone levels unaffected. (8)

The ultimate goal of any training program is to push as hard as possible while not overtraining. Bodybuilders are always tip toeing on the brink of overtraining and it seems that if that line is crossed the effects will be less detrimental if more intensity and less volume is used.

Putting It All Together

These intensity boosting techniques are different from those such as drop sets and supersets. Although those are great intensity boosting techniques and should definitely be used from time to time, principles of load, volume, rest periods, and failure must be adjusted in your weight training to ensure constant and steady growth for years.

These aspects of training are not independent of each other, and if one is adjusted all other must be adjusted accordingly. There is a reason nobody sprints a marathon. Appropriate levels of intensity will vary greatly from person to person depending on genetics, diet, and whether or not steroids are involved. Those who have made the choice to be natural bodybuilders have chosen a difficult road.

Natural bodybuilders must be more conscious of every single one of these points since drugs will not make up for the flaws within their training.  Be sure to take a hard look at the intensity level of your own training. In my experience, most lifters convince themselves that they are training more intensely than they actually are.

Many people have no problem going from set to set with very little rest periods. Many people have no problem lifting heavy weights or doing a lot of sets. You’ll find though, that very few people have the determination to strive to be great in every aspect of the word intensity. Doing so takes a level of planning and pain that most are not willing to go through.

My young training client returned from the restroom looking pale as a ghost. Sweat was still dripping off of him. I expected him to say that he was going to head on home. Instead he looked at me with a smile and said, “Man, what a great workout. I need to do this every week. So what’s next?” I knew then that this kid was going to do just fine at his show.

References

    National Academy of Sports Medicine, Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional: Course Manuel, 2008, 332p.
    Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2008, 58p.
    Garret, W. E., Kirkendall, D. T., Exercise and Sport Science, 2000, 152p.
    Kreider, R. B., Fry, A. C., O’Toole, M. L., Overtraining in Sport, 1998, 153p.
    Frohlich, M., Pruess, P., Current Results of Strength Training Research: An Empirical and Theoretical Approach, 2005, 80p.
    Fleck, S., Kraemer, W., Designing Resistance Training Programs, 1997, 20p.
    McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., Katch, V. L., Essentials of Exercise Physiology, 2006, 410-411p.
    Chandler, T. J., Brown, L. E., Conditioning For Strength and Human Performance, 2007, 119p.

By Cliff Wilson - muscleandstrength

Get Big, Not Fat: A Better Approach To Bulk And Build Muscle

It's time to stop packing on extra fat while bulking! Learn how to dial in your nutritional plan and make amazing gains without adding unneeded pounds of fat.

Every bodybuilder wants to get big. Unfortunately, in their zeal to get big many bodybuilders overeat and end up big alright, big and fat. Some bodybuilders seem to go from training for a bodybuilding contest to training for an eating contest once their season is over. Obviously, this is not a recipe for success. If you really want to win your next show, the time to do it is in the offseason.

You will need to add as much size as possible while keeping fat gain under control because trying to diet off 50lbs before a contest is not the best strategy. You will have to cut calories too low and for too long to get all that weight off, and will inevitably lose some of that hard-earned muscle. You will probably not even be able to get as lean as you could have because dieting as long and as hard as it takes to lose 50lbs. for a show spells disaster for your metabolism. Sometimes even those with the best intentions to stay lean during the offseason can’t seem to do it.  So is it possible to add maximum size while staying lean? YES!

Let’s look at the typical offseason of a very ambitious bodybuilder. As soon as his last show is over he begins laying out the perfect diet to add size without getting too heavy. Once he has laid down the perfect plan he will tell no less than three people “By next year I’m gonna be huge, bro!” He will probably gain only about 1-2 lb. per week with his plan.

Slowly he will make great gains and after about 3 weeks he’ll be about 6lbs. heavier. Everything is going well until he finds out he has to go to his cousin's wedding. At the reception he’ll have a few drinks and enjoy himself for an evening. He hasn’t cheated in 3 weeks so he thinks it is ok. The next morning his weight has jumped 2lbs. He goes right back on the diet and gains another 3lbs. over the next two weeks.



Then it is his son’s birthday and he makes a pig of himself at the party. “It’s the offseason I should enjoy it” he thinks. Because of this he puts on another 3lbs. If you are doing the math our bodybuilder is only 5 weeks into his offseason and he has put on 13lbs. Things usually continue at this rate and before he knows it he is 50-60lbs. over contest weight. The problem with the typical offseason diet is that your mistakes on your diet become compounded by the fact that the next day you go back to eating a diet that will also make you gain weight.

There is a simple answer to this problem. Cut calories. Many competitors never cut calories during the offseason for fear that it will interrupt the “awesome gains” they have been making. The mantra of “you’ve gotta eat big to get big” is more often used as an excuse to pig out than an actual effective method of putting on size. Not all of the fears about cutting calories are wrong, because if done too drastically and for too long it impedes progress. But, keeping fat under control does involve cutting calories.

I am not talking about going into a full on contest diet but systematic and well planned increases and decreases will allow you to keep making gains uninterrupted and help keep body fat to a minimum. When on a diet the first few weeks are always the easiest. You lose fat very easily and don’t lose muscle size or strength. This is because when calories and carbs are high fat burning hormones are as well.

One of these hormones is T3. T3 is a thyroid hormone that helps regulate body temperature. It helps your cells take the carbs and calories that you eat and efficiently turn them into energy and heat. This means that when T3 levels are high, calories are less likely stored as fat and are more likely going to be used as energy. When calories are restricted for prolonged periods the body will try to conserve energy by dropping T3 levels, allowing less calories to be used as energy and heat. This is one of the reasons why people on contest diets often complain about feeling cold.

Also helping to control energy expenditure is the hormone leptin. Leptin increases thermogenesis by reacting with the sympathetic nervous system. Leptin also works with the central nervous system to control eating drive. When leptin levels are high it is a signal to your body that you do not need to consume additional calories. Having high leptin levels just may help you cut down on some of those “bonus calories” that always seem to find their way into your diet. Although leptin levels tend to be primarily raised and lowered in relation to body fat, you can cause increases and decreases by overfeeding and underfeeding.



When you drop calories your body does not react immediately to adjust your metabolism. So for the first couple of weeks your metabolism is still running at full capacity with levels of T3 and leptin remaining high. This allows you to lose plenty of fat without having to lower calories to drastically low levels. After a couple of weeks your body will adjust and losing at the same rate will be difficult.

If this were a contest diet you would continue to grind it out at a slower pace or lower calories further, but this is the offseason and fat loss is not the primary goal. Your goal is only to keep body fat in check while continuing to gain size, so you will want to bring calories back up before this shift in metabolism occurs. This way you can continue right on your way getting stronger and gaining muscle while occasionally keeping body fat levels from creeping to high.

Most bodybuilders have concerns about cutting calories in the offseason for fear that it will interrupt muscle growth and they will not be as big at their next show. Now of course staying leaner in the offseason will help you be leaner on show day but it will also allow you to step on stage with more muscle as well. When you bring calories down for only short spurts your anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone remain high.

Also, as long as carbs are not lowered to far for too long 
insulin sensitivity will remain high. This means that during the periods of lower calories your body will continue to use calories for muscle growth while losing some excess adipose tissue. A drop in carbs during these low calorie periods may even lead to an increase in growth hormone levels due to the lower circulating glucose levels in your bloodstream. These lower calorie spurts must not be too long nor should the decrease in calories be too severe or you run the risk of slowing muscle growth. This risk is precisely the reason you will be more muscular on stage using this method of gaining size.

Severe and prolonged calorie restriction has been proven to lower growth hormone levels, lower testosterone levels, and cause a major increase in amino acid breakdown. Not surprisingly though, severe and prolonged calorie restriction is exactly what needs to be done in order to lose 50-60lbs. in time for a show. By keeping your body weight within 20-25lbs. of contest weight you will not have to resort to any drastic measures. Meaning everything you gain in the offseason you will keep.

Another reason to stay lean in the offseason is that testosterone and growth hormone levels are not only affected by calorie intake but also body fat levels. Chronically high body fat levels will lead to lower testosterone and growth hormone levels. This, of course, is not the best situation when trying to pack on mass. Also, extremely high levels of excess fat can even lower androgen receptors. So not only do you have fewer hormones available to promote muscle growth but the hormones that are available have fewer receptors to bind to. This doesn’t mean you won’t build muscle with an excess of body fat, but muscle growth will be far from maximum levels.

To build your own offseason diet with spurts of high and low calories you must first determine an approximate maintenance calorie level. This should be a calorie level that will allow you to maintain your current weight. Individual metabolisms can vary greatly from person to person. Two people with identical body weights can have drastically different maintenance calorie levels so finding yours may take a little trial and error. Once you have determined your maintenance calorie level you will want eat approximately 400-600 calories above that.

For example a bodybuilder with a maintenance level of 2800 calories should be eating between 3200-3400 calories. This will allow you to make steady gains without gaining too quickly. Stay on this high level of calories for 2-3 weeks. After 2-3 weeks you will want to drop calories down to 400-600 calories below you maintenance level. Using our same example, our bodybuilder who was eating between 3200-3400 calories should immediately drop his calories down to 2200-2400 calories. Keep this lower calorie level for 1-2 weeks then go immediately back up to the high calorie level for another 2-3 weeks. Keep repeating this cycle for as long as you wish to keep gaining size.



The length of time you should be on a particular calorie level is dependent on individual metabolic rates. If you tend to store body fat easily you will not want to make your gaining phase too lengthy. You will also want to make your diet phase closer to 2 weeks. One last point that should be addressed is the amount of protein, carbs, and fat that should make up your calories. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question since some people tolerate carbs very well while others get chubby just looking at a bowl of pasta.

With each of my clients I start with making sure I have enough protein and fat in their diet to support growth then I fill in the rest of the calories with carbs. I suggest you do the same. When cutting calories you should reduce calories primarily from carbs and fat while leaving protein high, which will further ensure that the weight you lose will not be muscle tissue.

Cheating on the diet should be kept to a minimum or else you will find you will be spending more time on the cutting portion than the gaining portion. It does take some willpower to be able to diet when there is no immediate need, but if you follow this gaining and cutting calorie schedule it will be worth it to those that want to win badly enough.

Champions are made in the offseason. It is those who treat the offseason with a sense of urgency that will rise to the top. You cannot change your genetics or how many years you have been training, but in bodybuilding there are only two things you can control: (1) how hard you work, and (2) how smart you work. Following this plan will give you an advantage in both categories.

By Cliff Wilson - muscleandstrength

References:

• Porte, D., Sherwin, R.S., Baron, A., Ellenberg, M., Rifkin, H., Ellenberg and Rifkins Diabetes Mellitus, 2003, 129p.
• Di Pasquale, M.G., Amino Acids and Proteins for the Athlete: The Anabolic Edge, 2008, 49p.
• Negi, C.S., Introduction to Endocrinology, 2009, 89-93p.
• Davies, T.F., A Case Based Guide to Clinical Endocrinology, 2008, 257p.
• Kraemer, W.J., Rogol, A.D., The Endocrine System in Sports and Exercise, 2005, 308-309p.
• Elkins, R., HGH: Human Growth Hormone, 1999, 13-15p.
• Kang, J., Bioenergetics Primer for Exercise Science, 2008, 155p.
• Kumar, S., O’Rahilly, S., Insulin Resistance: Insulin Action and Its Disturbances in Disease, 2005, 402-405p.

Explosive Lifting for Muscle Hypertrophy

The term ‘tempo’ is used to define the speed of movement of weight-training exercises. More specifically, it is the rate of movement of the weight or limb involved in any strength-training exercise. Most bodybuilders might change their exercise selection, sets, reps and rest periods, but the one variable that has been largely overlooked— and which may significantly impact training results— is the tempo or speed at which the exercise is performed.



For years, the standard repetition speed has been to lift ‘up’ or concentrically in 2 seconds and lower the weight eccentrically in 4 seconds in a slow, controlled manner for optimal muscle mass. Some top trainers have even taken this type of training a step further and developed SuperSlow training. The interesting fact is that there is no research to validate that this tempo is the optimal pace for increasing muscle hypertrophy.

According to a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, lowering the weight slowly may not be the best way to increase muscle mass and strength. In the study, male and female subjects were assigned to train for 10 weeks using either slow- or fast-velocity eccentric training while lowering the weight. At the end of the study, the group who trained with fast eccentric contractions had the greatest increase in muscle hypertrophy. Muscle hypertrophy of the type IIB fibers (fast-twitch fibers) increased from 6 percent to 13 percent in those subjects. The ‘slow’ group did not experience any gain in muscle mass.1

This was not the only study to show that training with fast eccentric contractions is best for increasing muscle mass. In a follow-up study by the same research group, researchers compared fast and slow training in a group of 12 untrained men who exercised both arms, three days per week for eight weeks. The men trained one arm using a fast velocity, while they did the same number of repetitions for the other arm at a slow velocity. At the end of the study, type I muscle fibers (slow-twitch, aerobic fibers) increased in size by an average of 9 percent, with no significant difference between fast or slow training. The change in fiber area after training for the type II fibers was greater in the fast-trained versus the slow-trained arm. In addition to greater increases in type IIB fibers, the fast eccentric contractions group increased strength more than the slow contractions group.2 These studies demonstrate that lifting explosively can enhance the recruitment of type II muscle fibers, which are more prone to muscle hypertrophy. What about explosive lifting, concentrically?


New Study: Explosive Weightlifting Induces Muscle Hypertrophy Greater Than Traditional Weightlifting

Researchers from Brazil conducted a new study that should raise awareness that bodybuilders need to incorporate some explosive lifting into their routine. Researchers took two groups of men and had them perform all exercises with an equal work output. The exercises were performed with rest intervals of 90 seconds between sets. The men were divided into a fast, explosive concentric group with a normal eccentric phase, or traditional weight training with 2-3 seconds ‘up’ and the weight lowered in 2-3 seconds. The explosive group performed all exercises moving the weights as fast as possible in the concentric phase, and took 2-3 seconds to complete the eccentric phase. The

concentric action was performed in approximately 1 second. The traditional weight-training group spent 2-3 seconds in the concentric phase and 2-3 seconds in the eccentric phase. Here are the results of the study after 10 weeks of training:

Strength: Training-induced gains in strength were similar between groups; however, explosive lifting induced significantly greater development in muscle power.

Muscle Size: Explosive lifting was more effective than traditional weight training for increasing muscle size. Both training regimens led to significant increase in arm muscle thickness; however, the results obtained by the explosive lifting group were greater than traditional weight training. Additionally, only explosive lifting was effective for improving leg muscle size.

The protocols used in the study involved the same resistance training exercises with an equal work output, and the only difference between the two methods was the speed at which the exercises were performed. It was demonstrated that a high-velocity power training program appears to be more effective in improving muscular hypertrophy than traditional resistance training.13 This seems to contradict the current practice of many trainers, especially bodybuilders, who typically employ low-velocity contractions in their training.



Why Lift Fast And Explosive for Muscle Hypertrophy?

In order to induce hypertrophy, either the exercise intensity or volume must be increased. Most bodybuilders perform enough sets, but may have difficulty increasing training intensity to make additional gains in strength and size. Since the amount of weight cannot be increased, an alternative to increasing the intensity must be implemented.

Moving the weight at a higher speed implies using more power, and more power translates directly to a higher intensity. Speed training provides an alternative path to the progressive resistance principle, which states that in order to induce muscle hypertrophy, one has to constantly keep increasing the weight used. Muscle hypertrophy is defined as an increase in muscle mass that is related to two factors: the amount of workload employed and the tension developed during muscle contraction.3 Most bodybuilders focus mainly on workload or the amount of sets utilized during their training routine to increase muscle hypertrophy, seldom changing repetition speed. Speed training may develop motor unit recruitment patterns different from traditional weight training, thus potentiating better gains with subsequent regular training cycles.

According to world-renowned strength coach Dr. Verkhoshansky, the tempo of resistance exercise has a significant effect on the development of muscular strength (because of fast-twitch fiber enhancement). Dr. Verkhoshansky reported that a combination of different movement tempos produce superior gains in strength, compared to a set tempo. In that 10-week study, men who trained with a combination of tempos produced a 48-pound increase in strength, but using a standard tempo pace only resulted in a 36-pound increase in strength.4 The results of the study demonstrate the importance of changing repetition speed during a training cycle.

The amount of weight lifted depends on the laws of physics. Simply, FORCE = MASS X ACCELERATION. This means the amount of force you generate during weightlifting can be increased by lifting more weight or lifting the same amount of weight at a faster speed. If you are performing the same number of reps with the same amount of weight but lifting with more acceleration, you are producing more force— and this means larger central nervous system activation. This is not a new concept. A study in 1954 by Bigland-Ritchie and Lippold demonstrated that the faster a weight is accelerated through a lift, the more nervous system activation is required for the movement.5 The more motor units or muscle fibers that are activated in a repetition, the greater the activation in the central nervous system. This represents an increase in training intensity.

During muscle contraction, motor units or muscle fibers are recruited in relation to the force generated by the muscle. For example, during slow muscle contractions, type I fibers are recruited, but as workload increases, more type IIA and finally, IIB fibers are recruited. This is a basic tenet of motor unit recruitment. What is unique about eccentric contractions is there some evidence that the size principle could be altered or even reversed during certain types of movements— specifically those that contain an eccentric (muscle-lengthening) component— such that fast-twitch motor units are recruited before slow-twitch motor units. It is possible that a preferential recruitment of fast-twitch motor units is influenced by the speed of the eccentric contraction, and can only occur using moderate to fast speeds.

When examining the potential for hypertrophy between muscle fibers (i.e., slow type I and fast type II), there are differences. In general, type IIB muscle fibers have the greatest potential for muscle hypertrophy, yet are the last fibers recruited during a lift. This is a basic flaw in the SuperSlow training principles. With low force or slow activities, type I fibers are activated first and as the exercise becomes more fatiguing, type IIA and then type IIB fibers are recruited later. When using fast explosive exercises, faster-twitch motor units are activated and more hypertrophy can occur. Hypertrophy will only occur in those muscle fibers that are overloaded, so that fast-twitch fibers must be recruited during training for hypertrophy to occur.6

Most bodybuilders do not train explosively and can benefit from incorporating explosive multi-component plyometric or speed resistance movements into their training regimen. For example, most bodybuilders experience increases in type IIA fibers during resistance training studies, with no changes in type IIB fibers.7 This may be partially due to using high-volume (i.e., 5-8 sets) and high-repetition (i.e., 10-15 reps) training. However, incorporating plyometrics and other explosive lifts may cause additional muscle growth of IIB fibers.

There have been numerous studies that have documented increases in type IIB fibers after explosive weight training8, 9 and plyometrics.10, 11 When male subjects performed plyometric training for three days a week for eight weeks, this resulted in significant increases in type IIB fiber hypertrophy and peak power production. The plyometric training consisted of vertical jumping, bounding, and depth jumping.12



Type IIB fibers are utilized during high force-generating movements. Just remember, at any given speed, the force production of the muscle increases with the percentage of fast-twitch fibers and, conversely, at any given force output, the velocity increases with the percentage of fast-twitch fibers. For example, look at the thighs of 100-meter sprinters compared to distance runners. World-class sprinters have legs that would make some bodybuilders jealous. Sprinters train fast and explosively, utilizing a lot of type IIA and type IIB fibers during training, compared to distance runners— who rely mainly on type I fibers. Sprinters train in the gym the way they run… fast and explosive.

A typical sprinter trains with explosive squatting, lots of plyometric jumps, and bounding exercises. Training specificity states that you should weight train like you perform in your competitions. For example, basketball players were assigned to either train with traditional weight training or traditional weight training plus explosive, eccentric plyometrics for six weeks. While both groups had increases in their vertical jump at the end of the study, the group that trained with weight training and plyometrics increased their mean overall vertical jump by 8 percent. Thus, high-force eccentric training can possibly increase gains and muscle power by increasing muscle size.

In conclusion, many bodybuilders and fitness-oriented athletes would benefit from adding a few explosive exercises such as plyometrics to their training regimen. In competitive athletics, when all other factors are equal, power is the deciding factor between winning and losing. The ability to generate concentric and eccentric force over a range of contraction velocities is often a critical determinant of athletic success. For years, weight training was considered to slow an athlete down and make him inflexible. Fifteen years ago, the University of Nebraska started training their football team using only explosive Olympic lifts and squats. Performing explosive lifts such as power cleans, jump squats, and depth jumps recruits entirely fast-twitch motor units. The training effect produced a stronger, faster and more mobile athlete— and a winning record. Now, virtually all football teams incorporate Olympic lifts for explosive strength and power. Incorporating these movements into your training routine will increase size and strength beyond traditional weight training.



By Robbie Durand

References:

1. Paddon-Jones D, Leveritt M, Lonergan A, Abernethy P. Adaptation to chronic eccentric exercise in humans: the influence of contraction velocity. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2001 Sep;85(5):466-71.

2. Farthing JP, Chilibeck PD. The effect of eccentric training at different velocities on cross-education. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2003 Aug;89(6):570-7.

3. Glass DJ. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy and atrophy signaling pathways. Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2005 Oct;37(10):1974-84.

4. Verkhoshanskii IuV, Biru AA. Patterns in the long-term body adaptation of the athlete to physical loads] Fiziol Cheloveka, 1987 Sep-Oct;13(5):811-8.

5. Bigland-Ritchie B./Lippold O. 1954 The Relation Between Force, Velocity, and Integrated Electrical Activity in Human Muscles. J Physiol,123, 214-224.

6. Shoepe TC, Stelzer JE, Garner DP, Widrick JJ. Functional adaptability of muscle fibers to long-term resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2003 Jun;35(6):944-51.

7. Jurimae J, Abernethy PJ, Quigley BM, Blake K, McEniery MT. Differences in muscle contractile characteristics among bodybuilders, endurance trainers and control subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol, 1997;75(4):357-62.

8. Hakkinen K, Pakarinen A, Kraemer WJ, Hakkinen A, Valkeinen H, Alen M. Selective muscle hypertrophy, changes in EMG and force, and serum hormones during strength training in older women. J Appl Physiol, 2001 Aug;91(2):569-80.

9. Hakkinen K, Kraemer WJ, Newton RU, Alen M. Changes in electromyographic activity, muscle fibre and force production characteristics during heavy resistance/power strength training in middle-aged and older men and women. Acta Physiol Scand, 2001 Jan;171(1):51-62.

10. LaStayo PC, Woolf JM, Lewek MD, Snyder-Mackler L, Reich T, Lindstedt SL. Eccentric muscle contractions: their contribution to injury, prevention, rehabilitation, and sport. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 2003 Oct;33(10):557-71.

11. Lindstedt SL, Reich TE, Keim P, LaStayo PC. Do muscles function as adaptable locomotor springs? J Exp Biol, 2002 Aug;205(Pt 15):2211-6.

12. Potteiger JA, Lockwood RH, Haub MD, Dolezal BA,  Almuzaini KS, Schroeder JM, Zebas CJ. Muscle Power and Fiber Characteristics Following 8 Weeks of Plyometric Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Volume 13, Number 3, 275-279, 1999.

13. Nogueira W, Gentil P, Mello SN, Oliveira RJ, Bezerra AJ, Bottaro M. Effects of power training on muscle thickness of older men. Int J Sports Med, 2009 Mar;30(3):200-4.