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If you clearly understand and apply the principles involved in natural
bodybuilding, you will experience very rapid muscle gains. However, over a long
term, eventually a 'sticking point' or plateau in your training may be reached.
It is at this point in training that further muscle gains can sometimes appear
almost impossible. Sticking points are almost always a direct result of
overtraining. More often than not, this plateau can be overcome with a brief
layoff.
The reasons for such a "plateau" in muscle gains can vary. Applying some of
these simple strategies below should quickly produce further muscle gains. Most
guys mistakenly assume, when reaching a plateau, that their maximum muscular
potential has been reached. That is simply not the case. Your true potential is
incredibly high. Very few guys come close to even "scratching" their limits.
Now. Taking a brief layoff, is the first recommendation when experiencing a
sticking point in your training. After returning to regular training, if you
are still unable to increase your muscle size, two further strategies can be
applied to produce bigger and better gains.
Increasing the current resistance on the exercise you are stuck on can stimulate
extra muscle growth. This increase should not exceed more than twenty percent.
For example, if you are using 100 pounds in a barbell curl for ten repetitions,
the weight should be increased to 120 pounds. Adjusting the weight like this,
will more than likely reduce your performance ability to three or four
repetitions. However, if you perform all sets with maximum intensity of effort,
the number of repetitions you are able to perform will quickly increase to ten
or more.
Sometimes, an increase of poundage is not safe, due to the current level of
weight already being used. In such cases, adding extra weight can pose a threat
to your safety. So instead. Replace the exercise with an alternative. The
change of exercise need not be drastic. For example. If you have reached a
plateau in the bench press, you could replace it with the incline dumbbell
press. Or, parallel dips. The alternative exercise should be included in the
routine for three to four weeks. After this period, the regular bench press can
used once again. You should notice significant gains very quickly after doing
so.
If you are still unable to increase your muscle gains after applying these
strategies and taking a brief layoff, overtraining is usually the cause.
Instead of having another layoff, the number of sets you perform and the
frequency of your workouts should be reduced. Overtraining results from the
amount of exercise performed. Level of intensity is never the cause.
To compensate for overtraining, the amount of exercise performed should be
reduced by approximately thirty percent. If you are currently exercising three
times a week, your frequency should be reduced to two times a week. If you are
currently training with ten total sets in a workout, that number should be
reduced to a total of seven. Look. I have never seen or heard of anyone who
after applying these strategies failed to make further muscle gains. Any
exceptions are usually due to poor nutritional habits or not training with
enough intensity of effort. Period.
Trent
Brook is the Author of "Huge Gains Fast - How to Get More Rock-Hard
Muscle Mass In A Month Than You Now Get All Year. His "Huge Gains
Fast" muscle building program is an easy-to-follow system so simple
and understandable it's fully explained to you in just 4 easy steps!
The Revised Edition is now available online at his website, http://www.hugegainsfast.com
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