PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD/RESISTANCE

(WARNING: BEFORE EMBARKING ON ANY FITNESS PROGRAM, CONSULT WITH A PHYSICIAN AND USE EXTREME CAUTION. EACH INDIVIDUAL IS AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF HEALTH AND WHAT IS SAFE FOR ONE PERSON MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR ANOTHER. CONSULT WITH YOUR FITNESS PROFESSIONAL FOR PROPER FORM AND GUIDANCE. FOLLOWING ANY OF THESE TIPS IS AT THE SOLE RISK OF OF THE READER.)

BUILDING MUSCLE ISN’T AS SIMPLE AS EATING A LOT OF FOOD AND PUTTING ON WEIGHT. THE BODY WILL EASILY STORE EXCESS ENERGY (CALORIES) AS BODY FAT, BUT MUSCLE REQUIRES A REASON TO GROW – A STIMULUS AS TO WHY IT WOULD NEED TO BECOME LARGER. FAT AND MUSCLE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS, AND ONE CANNOT BECOME THE OTHER. PUTTING A MOUNTAIN OF CALORIES INSIDE THE BODY MAY CAUSE YOU TO SEE AN INCREASE IN BODY WEIGHT, AND WITH THAT YOU MAY SEE A SMALL INCREASE IN STRENGTH, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THE ACTUAL MUSCLE FIBERS ARE GROWING. THE BODY IS ALL ABOUT EFFICIENCY. IT PERFORMS IN THE MOST EFFICIENT MANNER, AND WILL ADAPT TO ITS ENVIRONMENT. IF YOU OVEREAT, IT WILL ADAPT BY STORING CALORIES IN ITS AMPLE FAT CELLS ALL OVER THE BODY. IF YOU WANT TO GROW THE MUSCLES (A STATE CALLED HYPERTROPHY), THEN THE BODY NEEDS TO SEE A REASON WHY IT WOULD NEED TO INCREASE MUSCLE SIZE, WHICH IS A VERY METABOLIC PROCESS FOR THE BODY AND REQUIRES A LOT MORE ENERGY TO MAINTAIN THIS NEW MUSCLE GROWTH.

THINK OF IT THIS WAY: IMAGINE YOU ARE LOOKING AFTER A GROUP OF PUPPIES (THINK OF THESE AS YOUR MUSCLES), AND YOU ADD A COUPLE MORE PUPPIES INTO THE GROUP. NOW MORE FOOD IS NEEDED TO SUSTAIN THE WELLBEING AND GROWTH OF ALL THE PUPPIES. THIS IS THE SAME SORT OF PROCESS WITH THE MUSCLES.

THE STIMULUS FOR MUSCLE GROWTH ISN’T MORE FOOD (ALTHOUGH THIS WILL HELP AS YOU’LL FIND OUT WITHIN THE OTHER TIPS BELOW), IT IS THE STRESSES APPLIED DURING WEIGHT LIFTING THAT WILL SIGNAL TO THE BODY TO BEGIN GROWING THE MUSCLES LARGER. AS MENTIONED EARLIER; THE BODY WANTS TO BE EFFICIENT (USE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF ENERGY TO PERFORM AS TASK), SO IN ORDER TO GAIN MUSCLE YOU NEED TO BE REGULARLY CHALLENGING THE BODY AGAINST RESISTANCE.

THIS MEANS THAT WHEN IN THE GYM, YOUR WORKOUTS SHOULD ALL BE AIMED AT PUSHING THE BODY (MUSCLES) BY PROGRESSIVELY TRYING TO INCREASE THE WEIGHTS BEING LIFTED. I’M NOT SAYING TO ALWAYS TRY TO LIFT THE HEAVIEST WEIGHT YOU CAN, BUT RATHER TO ALWAYS BE TRYING TO INCREASE TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE INCREMENT UP. TAKE THE BENCH PRESS FOR EXAMPLE: IF YOU WORK YOUR WAY UP TO BE ABLE TO LIFT 80KG FOR 10 REPS BUT THEN CONTINUE TO LIFT THIS WEIGHT AND NOT TRY TO ADD SMALL INCREMENTS OF WEIGHT IN THE WORKOUTS THE FOLLOW, YOUR MUSCLES WILL SOON ADAPT TO THE RESISTANCE (80KG) AND BECOME MORE EFFICIENT AT PERFORMING THE SAME TASK. IT’S ONLY THROUGH A CONSISTENT EFFORT OF FORCING THE MUSCLES TO HAVE TO WORK AGAINST SLIGHTLY HEAVIER LOADS EACH WEEK (OR HOWEVER OFTEN YOU’RE ABLE TO). IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE, AND NOR SHOULD IT BE, A BIG AMOUNT EACH WEEK. IF YOU’RE ONLY ABLE TO ADD A FEW KG TO YOUR BENCH PRESS EVERY OTHER WEEK, THEN WITHIN 3-4 MONTHS YOU’LL HAVE ADDED CLOSE TO 20KG, WHICH IS 25% MORE WEIGHT THAN YOU STARTED WITH! IT’S THIS APPROACH TO SMALL, FREQUENT INCREASES IN WEIGHT BEING LIFTED THAT WILL AT LEAST PUT YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK FOR MUSCLE GROWTH.