There are conflicting opinions about gaining muscle mass: some people say that muscles grow from heavy weights, others say that muscles grow from repetition of exercises.
Because of ignorance, it is difficult for beginners to create a training plan. A qualified trainer helps to orientate in order to determine the number of repetitions and weight of equipment.
What does fast muscle growth depend on?
Biochemical processes that are triggered by sports activities are the answer how to increase muscle growth.
When an athlete lifts projectiles, the muscles get micro-tears. A chain of processes is set in motion in the human body to repair the damage and stimulate muscle fiber synthesis.
It affects how tired the muscle fibers are: the number of repetitions should be so many that the muscles work close to the limit. The main thing is to maximize protein synthesis and observe the recovery period.
How to train efficiently?
When exercising with a heavy apparatus, several repetitions are enough for an athlete. To achieve significant results with light weights you will have to train longer.
How many reps to do for muscle growth (in one approach):
2 to 6 – with heavy apparatus;
6 to 20 – with medium weights;
20 to 25 – with light weights.
Gradually the muscles adapt, it will be necessary to increase the load. But when you lift heavy weight it is difficult for the athlete to increase it further, in addition the load on joints increases. While working with light weights an athlete needs to repeat more – each approach turns out to be long, and this is exhausting.
The optimal variant is from 8 to 12 reps at a moderate pace. The risk of injury is reduced and it becomes easier to gain weight. Another important factor is the time the muscles are under load. It is better to train in the range of 20-60 seconds.
Changing the intensity of the training cycle is the right way to build muscle
The program is developed with a mentor. As an example:
- A cycle of 6 weeks: two weeks of strength exercises, the next two weeks of muscle volume increase, then the development of endurance.
- training by days: the first day – workout of the upper body, the second day – lower body, the third and the fourth day – volume increase.
Some more recommendations to increase muscle growth:
- Watch your diet – increase the consumption of protein, and after exercise, do not forget about carbohydrates;
- do exercises that involve several muscle groups;
- Dose the intensity of your workouts.
