Gaining muscle mass: basic principles
Bodybuilding exercises can be very diverse. Long chain or short chain, intensity of contraction, number of chains on the same muscle group, rest time, concentric contraction, eccentric, static or plyometric scale, pre-stress, body weight or overload... Lots of parameters that can be modified to target targets different muscle. For muscle mass development, what are the basic principles?
What happens in the muscle?
Muscle size depends on two main components: the type and importance of the number of muscle fibers, and the amount of fat cells (adipocytes) present.
In general, weight training stimulates the proliferation of muscle fibers. On the other hand, this process is accompanied or not by an increase in local fat reserves.
So we are talking about increasing fat mass or increasing fat mass.
3 main elements that will affect the shape of your muscles, namely:
1 / Type of exercises performed during bodybuilding sessions
2/ Amount of “pure” cardio exercises per week
3 / food
If your goal is to develop your muscle mass by reducing fat cell stores, then you will have to play on these three criteria:
> The exercises will be purposeful and precise during weight training sessions. At least 3 hours per week.
> It is necessary to do cardio sports regularly (swimming, running, cycling, elliptical trainer, etc.). At least 3 hours per week.
> A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, dried fruits and proteins (white meat). Low in artificial sugars (cakes, sweets, etc.), in fats (charcuterie, fatty meats, etc.). Don't overeat. Eat healthy in reasonable quantities!
What are bodybuilding exercises?
During weight training sessions, the accuracy of the exercises will improve the effectiveness of your workouts.
series :
Short series (about 10 moves) is preferred. This means that you should feel really hard in the last 3-4 moves of each series. To do this, adapt the intensity of the muscle contraction (weight, initial muscle stress, change in rest times, etc.).
number of strings:
At least 6 sets per muscle group.
brain attack :
Efficiency will be ideal in the middle stroke (the middle position between the stretched muscle and the short position of the muscle).
shrinkage type:
We recommend changing the type of shrinkage. Even if this is true, dynamic concentric contraction (towards muscle shortening) is most recommended for developing muscle fiber count, it would also be better to do plyometric exercises (push-ups, squats, etc.) etc). In fact, our muscles are primed to be so versatile!
shrinkage speed:
Feel free to change the movement speed. Slow pace is recommended but fast workouts will allow you to gain strength.
Body weight or overload?
The payload (weight, jackets, etc.) must be adapted to your capabilities. If you are only able to lift the bar 3 times on the bench, you may need to lose some weight. In fact, we said earlier that it's recommended to aim for sets of 10 movements. The load must be adjusted accordingly. During this series, the muscles will inevitably get tired. Then reduce the additional fees.
Body weight exercises are quite effective contrary to what we sometimes hear. To increase the difficulty, reduce the rest time between each series and use the pre-exhaustion! For example, in the push-up position, get down on your arms and do not move for 10 seconds and then continue straight with a series of 10 movements at a slow speed.
Number of sessions/week:
3 to 4 sessions of 1 hour per week are recommended.
What muscles?
Prefer muscle chain exercises. why ? A set of single-leg squats are more natural to the body than the analytical exercises for strengthening the hamstrings on the machine. It also helps avoid muscle imbalances.
Precautions
Strength exercises put a lot of stress on joints and tendons. The injury will stop you for several months. That is why we recommend respecting a very important principle: the principle of progressivism!
In fact, many athletes do not respect this very simple principle. Then we regret a large number of injuries, especially among beginners.
Ask yourself the right questions. When was my last training: a few days, a few months, several years, never? Is my body used to a lot of stress at once? Are some joints really brittle?
Listen to your body because sometimes small pain becomes big pain!
Respect the comfort phases and above all one key word:
PRO-GRE-SSI-VI-TE!