Sure
there are lots of boo-boos you can make in the
gym that will short change your efforts to build
the massive body you're after. But one factor
stands out above all the rest from my observations
of all the iron jungles I've visited in my travels...OVERTRAINING!
NOW
WAIT ONE SECOND!
Before
you smirk and move on to the next article thinking
this one doesn't apply to you, stay with me for
just a bit and see if some of my descriptions
of overtraining don't seem a little...shall we
say "too familiar."
You
see, although it's a basic principle of muscle
growth, about 80 - 90% of all lifters today forget
that muscle is built after the gym, when your
body has a chance to recover from the intentional
"damage" you caused, and rebuild stronger
for the next planned "attack."
And
hey, who can blame them?
I mean,
with the "pump" you feel in your muscles
from your workout, it's obvious that your muscles
are growing right before your eyes, right?!
WRONG!
Those
extra bulges you see in the mirror after getting
off the bench press are only temporary periods
of increased blood and water flow to the muscles.
Give it 30 minutes or so and they'll be right
back at the starting line.
Don't
get me wrong...I'm not saying you shouldn't work
hard in the gym. An intense workout is key to
stimulating your muscles to grow.
But
the truth is that it probably doesn't take as
much effort as you think to make them grow!
The
bottom line is this...when you stress the muscle
beyond its ability to recover from your workout,
the muscle will NOT get bigger...period.
With
that in mind, here are a few of the most common
reasons for overtraining and how to overcome them:
REASON # 1: "Didn't I see you do that
yesterday?!"
Everything
must comply with Mother Nature's ground rules,
and that includes your muscles. Following an intense
workout, your muscles go through a pretty specific
timeline for recovery and growth.
In
fact, it takes about 3 whole days for your body
to simply break down and excrete the damaged tissue
from your workout...then another 3-4 days to rebuild
the tissue to where it can effectively grow stronger
for the next targeted workout.
Break
out your calculators here!
If
applied biology (yes, I am a "nerd"
after all) states that your muscles require 6-7
days to fully repair and grow from a targeted
workout, then why is it that so many guys are
hitting the bench press 2-3 times a week?!
Don't
get caught in the "more is better" trap!
Target each body part only once per week with
an intense, focused workout and you'll see renewed
growth in your lagging parts.
REASON #2: "Did I just
see a vein pop out of your forehead?"
What's
the most common phrase heard around the gym today?
No, it's not "Dude...check out the aerobics
instructor!", it's...
"C'mon
man! One more rep!"
Normally,
this kind of motivation is a welcome aid for someone
who needs a little extra "vocal urging"
to get the bar up.
But
when it's accompanied by a "helping hand"
from a spotter who really ends up doing 100% of
the work for you half way through that last repetition
(as your head nearly explodes from excess strain)...you've
got problems!
"Forced
reps" are mistakenly seen as the only way
to train by many misinformed bodybuilders today.
Again, I have to refer to scientific evidence
to make a point...
You
see, once you can no longer lift the bar on your
own, your muscle fibers have literally quit working
and any additional "forced reps" will
only risk injury and greatly increase your recovery
time!
While
it's advisable to have a spotter for safety reasons,
reach failure on your own and then rack the bar.
REASON #3: "Haven't I seen
you do this same routine since 8th grade?"
You've
heard that "variety is the spice of life",
well variety is also a main ingredient in building
new muscle.
Sure
we all have our "favorite" exercises
that make our muscles just pop out of our skin.
But the fact is, your muscles can get "used"
to the same old workout if done too regularly.
Fortunately,
it's not too hard to throw them a curve ball.
Break up your routine each week by either performing
totally different exercises for the same muscle
groups, changing positions (e.g.- wide-arm vs.
close-grip; incline vs. flat bench; etc.), or
changing the order in which you perform your sets.
By
changing your routine, you end up placing more
stress on different parts of a muscle group each
time you work out, you can add more emphasis on
a muscle that didn't get a good workload the "last
time", and it simply makes your workouts
more enjoyable.
Well,
there you have it!
Now
do your muscles a favor and give them the precious
support they need for optimum recovery and I promise
you'll be amazed at the results in the mirror!
---
Jeff
Anderson (better known in the bodybuilding community
as the "Muscle Nerd") is the creator
of Optimum Anabolics, the ground-breaking new
bodybuilding program that has taken the entire
industry by storm!
Click here for more information on Jeff's controversial
new mass-building principles!
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