If you train an exercise for at least 10 reps, and more specifically above 15 reps, the musculature that is being worked will “fatigue” and shut down (if truly a max, or very close to it) because it has basically run out of fuel. You will feel “tired”, and will feel a “pump” in the muscles that you are working. And although you just worked “hard” and if you performed a repetition max (trained to failure) you will believe that you stimulated the muscle into a growth state as much as possible. Well, this isn’t actually the case, because the “actual muscle” – the myofibers; the “contractile elements of the muscle” that you were working still have the ability to continue to perform more reps even if you’ve reached true muscular failure. In other words the body still has the ability to recruit more fibers – but it can’t. It can’t because the components that supply the contractile elements with the fuel mixture (fuel + oxygen), and remove the waste products, can’t meet the demands of the “length” of the work that you are asking it to do. So, the body shuts down due to the build-up of toxic by-products as a consequence of basically running out of fuel – demand has exceeded supply. Yes, it is much more detailed than this, but this explanation is accurate. So, you haven’t really done a whole lot to the actual muscle, but you have put the body in a state where it will generate more of the “stuff” (mitochondria, capillaries, glycogen bound with water, and sarcoplasmic fluid to name a few) that supports the muscle that you already have.
You create tension in your muscles anytime you flex them. The harder you flex, or are forced to flex, the more tension you create. When you lift your arm to scratch your nose, your bicep flexes. Since you’re only lifting the weight of your arm it won’t flex very hard – you won’t create much tension. It you do this right now, even though the bicep “balls-up” it’ll be soft, which is the result of a low level of tension. Now if someone asks you to show them your muscle (your bicep – most aren’t going to ask to see you flex your quads), you’ll flex your bicep hard – very hard if you’re trying to impress and it’ll feel harder than when scratching your nose. For the sake of simplicity let’s call the “showing me your muscle” scenario voluntary tension; you’re creating tension without any external resistance making it contract.
SH (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy)is where the muscle is measurably bigger because there is more “stuff” inside the muscle. As mentioned above this “stuff” is mostly support “structures” and fluid – Sarcoplasmic fluid – hence the name. All of these support structures help to supply the fuel and carry away the byproducts that allow the actual contractile elements – the myofibers – to do the work. So it only makes sense that since they are “giving out first” – they (the support structures) will be the “things” that the body makes more of so that it can get better at doing this particular task. Almost all of the measurable increase in size is from this additional “stuffing”. There is very little increase in any of the actual contractile elements – the muscle itself. And this is because there isn’t significant tension – the weight isn’t heavy enough to cause “damage’ to the actual myofibers.
To create SH you need to develop high levels of fatigue without much concern for creating high levels of tension. You need to perform sets (usually one to three can do the job) of 10 reps or higher. You also need to keep the rest intervals short; one to two minutes. Working in this rep range with such a short rest interval doesn’t allow for the use of relatively (as compared to 8 reps and below) heavy weights – so there isn’t much tension generated. And if you could create enough tension with this relatively “light” weight your muscles would “run out of gas” before it can do any substantial damage to the myofibers. You’re creating a lot of fatigue, but not much tension. “But John, I can make up for this by “flexing” – right?” Wrong. “Flexing” or creating what I termed voluntary tension, actually works against creating tension when working at higher rep ranges due to the fact that the additional flexing fatigues you faster than not flexing. This occurs when you pass a certain rep count -- in my experience past anywhere from 5 to 7 reps. This varies with individual genetic fiber makeup, and training history. So, again you are creating even more fatigue – and less tension.
On the other hand, MH is where the muscle is measurably bigger as a result of an increase in the size and number (yes, for those who have a “background” -- in the actual number) of fibers.
With this type of hypertrophy there is very little gain in the amount of “stuffing” (support structures). To create MH you need tension – a lot of tension. The creation of peak tension has been shown to produce widespread microcellular damage to individual myofibers causing them to grow in cross-sectional diameter. And remember how you create tension – it’s how hard the muscle needs to “flex”. Well, when you’re straining against a weight that you can barely lift one time – you’re creating about as much tension as possible. You would have to do this over and over and over again anywhere from 8 to 15 sets of one rep to be able to get a significant hypertrophy response. I generally don’t recommended this as a methodology to achieve MH because although you may be able to tolerate this once in a blue moon, doing so every workout will literally tear your joints apart (as well as cause negative effects on the nervous system and endocrine system). But, it is possible to train continually in the one to four rep range (or doing “singles” but without a truly max weight) over a long period of time without the joint destruction mentioned above as long as the rep target is “cycled” from workout to workout. And this is exactly what Olympic lifters do. You’ll notice particularly at the lighter weight classes that Olympic lifters are muscular – “rock hard” in their appearance but not overly large – as in the case of a bodybuilder. This is important because this “rock hard” but “not bloated” look is the result of pure gains in myofibular mass with little gain in the way of the “support structures” or the “stuffing” of the muscle that I have alluded too. Of course I am assuming that both “models” (Olympic lifter and bodybuilder) are both low enough in bodyfat percentage that you can “see” all the musculature. Creating pure MH is a very, very slow way to increase the measurable size of a muscle -- but it also takes the longest to lose if a layoff or inconsistent training is forced upon a trainee.
To stimulate that maximum amount of “functionally usable” muscle size in the shortest amount of time you need create within your body high levels of tension combined with high levels of fatigue. This combination will stimulate increases in the actual myofibers (real muscle tissue) along with the “stuffing” to help support (as it’s supposed too) the newly acquired muscles’ function, repair, and growth. Stimulating gains in MH and SH simultaneously will make you big as fast as possible with the “size” gains being functional. To pull this off you need to create fatigue but not at the expense of losing a high level of tension. Perform multiple sets (generally three to five) of 5 to 8 reps with relatively short rest intervals (three minutes) that still allow you to use nearly a max weight (within a rep of failure) for all of your working sets. And you must create voluntary tension with every rep that you perform. To describe this in another way, you need to get a “pump” while using heavy weights for low reps. In all honesty; I have seen great mass developed at the lowest end of this range without the “relatively short rest intervals”; with rest intervals in the five-minute range. This is the time honored five sets of five reps training protocol.
By now, you may have figured this one out. To generate as much absolute strength (for one exertion, or one exertion performed many times) you must create as much tension as possible with as little fatigue as possible. This is exactly the same as how you would train to create “pure” MH, but with the intention of teaching the body how to recruit more of the myofibers it already has.
Train in the one to four rep range for many sets. How many? Most of the time you should stay around five, but there may be times when you could possibly increase this for a short period – if you are trying to specialize on a particular lift. And, you must avoid fatigue like the plague by taking long rest intervals – at least five minutes – and possibly even longer dependent on fiber composition and training experience. The one to four range allows for the use of very heavy weights creating maximum “involuntary tension”. And you must “flex” as hard as possible on each rep that you perform to create as much “voluntary tension” as possible. You won’t believe what employing this “tension combination” does in this rep range to a trainees one rep max until you actually try it for awhile. I mentioned above how the creation of tension helps to stimulate the actual myofibers to hypertrophy, but at these lowest rep ranges its greatest effect is neurological -- it teaches the body to recruit – or activate – more of the fibers that it already has. And if you want to lift the heaviest weight that you possibly can, you must learn to recruit as many myofibers as possible.
Creating as much fatigue as possible during a training session by performing high reps and relatively light weights – getting a great pump with light weights --will make you big – fast. But the size won’t contribute significantly to functional strength, and you’ll lose the size quickly if training gets even somewhat inconsistent. Basically you will become a big water weenie.
Creating the combination of as much fatigue and tension as possible while performing in the five to eight rep range – get a good pump with heavy weights -- will make you bigger, and functionally stronger. This is the way to go for the fastest gains in “real” size.
Creating as little fatigue as possible and as much tension as possible --get no pump -- by working with very heavy weights -- below five reps, will make you bigger. But, this is the slowest of processes for getting bigger, but will elicit the fastest gains in absolute strength
You create tension in your muscles anytime you flex them. The harder you flex, or are forced to flex, the more tension you create. When you lift your arm to scratch your nose, your bicep flexes. Since you’re only lifting the weight of your arm it won’t flex very hard – you won’t create much tension. It you do this right now, even though the bicep “balls-up” it’ll be soft, which is the result of a low level of tension. Now if someone asks you to show them your muscle (your bicep – most aren’t going to ask to see you flex your quads), you’ll flex your bicep hard – very hard if you’re trying to impress and it’ll feel harder than when scratching your nose. For the sake of simplicity let’s call the “showing me your muscle” scenario voluntary tension; you’re creating tension without any external resistance making it contract.
SH (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy)is where the muscle is measurably bigger because there is more “stuff” inside the muscle. As mentioned above this “stuff” is mostly support “structures” and fluid – Sarcoplasmic fluid – hence the name. All of these support structures help to supply the fuel and carry away the byproducts that allow the actual contractile elements – the myofibers – to do the work. So it only makes sense that since they are “giving out first” – they (the support structures) will be the “things” that the body makes more of so that it can get better at doing this particular task. Almost all of the measurable increase in size is from this additional “stuffing”. There is very little increase in any of the actual contractile elements – the muscle itself. And this is because there isn’t significant tension – the weight isn’t heavy enough to cause “damage’ to the actual myofibers.
To create SH you need to develop high levels of fatigue without much concern for creating high levels of tension. You need to perform sets (usually one to three can do the job) of 10 reps or higher. You also need to keep the rest intervals short; one to two minutes. Working in this rep range with such a short rest interval doesn’t allow for the use of relatively (as compared to 8 reps and below) heavy weights – so there isn’t much tension generated. And if you could create enough tension with this relatively “light” weight your muscles would “run out of gas” before it can do any substantial damage to the myofibers. You’re creating a lot of fatigue, but not much tension. “But John, I can make up for this by “flexing” – right?” Wrong. “Flexing” or creating what I termed voluntary tension, actually works against creating tension when working at higher rep ranges due to the fact that the additional flexing fatigues you faster than not flexing. This occurs when you pass a certain rep count -- in my experience past anywhere from 5 to 7 reps. This varies with individual genetic fiber makeup, and training history. So, again you are creating even more fatigue – and less tension.
On the other hand, MH is where the muscle is measurably bigger as a result of an increase in the size and number (yes, for those who have a “background” -- in the actual number) of fibers.
With this type of hypertrophy there is very little gain in the amount of “stuffing” (support structures). To create MH you need tension – a lot of tension. The creation of peak tension has been shown to produce widespread microcellular damage to individual myofibers causing them to grow in cross-sectional diameter. And remember how you create tension – it’s how hard the muscle needs to “flex”. Well, when you’re straining against a weight that you can barely lift one time – you’re creating about as much tension as possible. You would have to do this over and over and over again anywhere from 8 to 15 sets of one rep to be able to get a significant hypertrophy response. I generally don’t recommended this as a methodology to achieve MH because although you may be able to tolerate this once in a blue moon, doing so every workout will literally tear your joints apart (as well as cause negative effects on the nervous system and endocrine system). But, it is possible to train continually in the one to four rep range (or doing “singles” but without a truly max weight) over a long period of time without the joint destruction mentioned above as long as the rep target is “cycled” from workout to workout. And this is exactly what Olympic lifters do. You’ll notice particularly at the lighter weight classes that Olympic lifters are muscular – “rock hard” in their appearance but not overly large – as in the case of a bodybuilder. This is important because this “rock hard” but “not bloated” look is the result of pure gains in myofibular mass with little gain in the way of the “support structures” or the “stuffing” of the muscle that I have alluded too. Of course I am assuming that both “models” (Olympic lifter and bodybuilder) are both low enough in bodyfat percentage that you can “see” all the musculature. Creating pure MH is a very, very slow way to increase the measurable size of a muscle -- but it also takes the longest to lose if a layoff or inconsistent training is forced upon a trainee.
To stimulate that maximum amount of “functionally usable” muscle size in the shortest amount of time you need create within your body high levels of tension combined with high levels of fatigue. This combination will stimulate increases in the actual myofibers (real muscle tissue) along with the “stuffing” to help support (as it’s supposed too) the newly acquired muscles’ function, repair, and growth. Stimulating gains in MH and SH simultaneously will make you big as fast as possible with the “size” gains being functional. To pull this off you need to create fatigue but not at the expense of losing a high level of tension. Perform multiple sets (generally three to five) of 5 to 8 reps with relatively short rest intervals (three minutes) that still allow you to use nearly a max weight (within a rep of failure) for all of your working sets. And you must create voluntary tension with every rep that you perform. To describe this in another way, you need to get a “pump” while using heavy weights for low reps. In all honesty; I have seen great mass developed at the lowest end of this range without the “relatively short rest intervals”; with rest intervals in the five-minute range. This is the time honored five sets of five reps training protocol.
By now, you may have figured this one out. To generate as much absolute strength (for one exertion, or one exertion performed many times) you must create as much tension as possible with as little fatigue as possible. This is exactly the same as how you would train to create “pure” MH, but with the intention of teaching the body how to recruit more of the myofibers it already has.
Train in the one to four rep range for many sets. How many? Most of the time you should stay around five, but there may be times when you could possibly increase this for a short period – if you are trying to specialize on a particular lift. And, you must avoid fatigue like the plague by taking long rest intervals – at least five minutes – and possibly even longer dependent on fiber composition and training experience. The one to four range allows for the use of very heavy weights creating maximum “involuntary tension”. And you must “flex” as hard as possible on each rep that you perform to create as much “voluntary tension” as possible. You won’t believe what employing this “tension combination” does in this rep range to a trainees one rep max until you actually try it for awhile. I mentioned above how the creation of tension helps to stimulate the actual myofibers to hypertrophy, but at these lowest rep ranges its greatest effect is neurological -- it teaches the body to recruit – or activate – more of the fibers that it already has. And if you want to lift the heaviest weight that you possibly can, you must learn to recruit as many myofibers as possible.
Creating as much fatigue as possible during a training session by performing high reps and relatively light weights – getting a great pump with light weights --will make you big – fast. But the size won’t contribute significantly to functional strength, and you’ll lose the size quickly if training gets even somewhat inconsistent. Basically you will become a big water weenie.
Creating the combination of as much fatigue and tension as possible while performing in the five to eight rep range – get a good pump with heavy weights -- will make you bigger, and functionally stronger. This is the way to go for the fastest gains in “real” size.
Creating as little fatigue as possible and as much tension as possible --get no pump -- by working with very heavy weights -- below five reps, will make you bigger. But, this is the slowest of processes for getting bigger, but will elicit the fastest gains in absolute strength
No comments:
Post a Comment