This One Principle Will Make Muscle-building Much More Effective
Here’s a simple way to improve the efficacy of your muscle-building training and to make sure that your efforts lead to more muscle growth. Train hard. This means you have to take your sets very close to failure.
Training to Failure Is Not The Only Answer:
Training to absolute failure (reaching a point where you literally cannot complete another rep) has its limitations.
1. Risk of Injury: Pushing yourself to complete reps with poor form significantly increases your risk of injuries.
2. Diminishing Returns: Studies suggest that training close to failure (within 2-3 reps of failure) offers similar muscle growth benefits as absolute failure, with a lower risk of injury.
3. Central Nervous System Fatigue: Absolute failure can lead to excessive fatigue of the central nervous system, impacting your recovery and muscle-building potential.
Mechanical tension is the key to muscle growth:
In simple terms that means that there is an involuntary slowing of the rep speed. When you start a set of 10 reps, the first rep goes up fast. As does the second and third. If it’s a true 10 rep max, then the weight will start slowing down around 6 or 7. You need to train to at least that point.
But some people only go to that point and then they stop.
When the reps start slowing down (no matter how hard you push) you’ll know you’re getting close to where you need to be. But you have to keep going.
You’re usually going to end up doing 2 to 3 of those slower reps before you end your set.
If you want to stimulate muscle growth, that is it.
That’s the number one principle. Achieving true mechanical tension by training hard enough and taking your working sets close enough to failure.
If you are leaving more than 2 reps in the tank that set was probably a waste. And you don’t have time to waste.
Most people should do far fewer sets than they think. They should make the sets harder.
You’ll get better results in less time with fewer aches and pains.
They will also experience less decrease in testosterone and energy levels. The results would rather be muscle-building.
For people serious about building muscle effectively, click here to learn more
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