There are a lot of ideas out there about the best repetition range for building muscle mass. Some people focus on heavy weights and low reps. Others focus on low weight and high reps. While both methods work it is a little more complicated than that. Building muscle is about creating an overload which forces the muscle to adapt by growing. This is achieved by a combination of tension on the muscle and the total volume of work being performed.
Heavy Weights & Low Reps
Extremely heavy weights, 90%+ of your one rep max, done for low reps (1-5) certainly has the tension that you need but volume is low. As a result, more strength is produced than mass. As an example, both powerlifters an olympic lifters spend most of their time in the 1-5 rep range and while they do develop muscle mass it is not on the same level as a bodybuilder.
Light Weight & High Reps
Weights below 60% of your max is great for building muscular endurance. Anything above 13 reps will build capillary density and improve lactic acid tolerance all of which are great for endurance. Unfortunately there is not enough tension on the muscle to produce maximum growth. Some mass will be achieved but it will be primarily red cells and sarcoplasm. This missed the fast-twitch white muscle cells, which have the greatest potential for growth.
Moderate Weight & Medium Reps
Bodybuilders, through years of trial and error, found the ideal repetition range long ago. Moderately heavy weight that can be done from 6-12 repetitions, is what they intuitively gravitated to. The weight is heavy enough that it produces enough muscular tension. It also allows for enough volume that lactic acid and human growth hormone(HGH)is produced. This mixture of tension and HGH seems to be the magic elixir which causes growth.
Does this mean that we should stick to this range exclusively if our goal is to build and preserve muscle mass. No. Your body will adapt to a particular range in as little as three workout. While beginners can stick to this range for a quite a while, as you adapt is becomes harder and harder to progress. And since progression is the key to overload you will quickly plateau. Simply putting in more and more effort, eventually will lead to burnout and over-training.
So what is the answer?
The answer is variety and change. If you find yourself hitting the proverbial wall, one or more acute variables in your workout should change. Perhaps he reason you are unable to progress on your regular workout is simply because you are just not strong enough!!! In that case doing some work in the 1-5 rep range could be just what you need. Or perhaps the reason you are stalling out is because you don't have the muscular endurance. In which case some work in the 13+ rep range would be called for.
Putting It All Together
A great solution is the classic Light/Medium/Heavy workout. An example of a three days a week full body workout might look like this.
Monday- Light
Wednesday - Medium
Friday - Heavy
Monday - Medium
Wednesday - Light
Friday - Medium
As you can see there are two medium workouts for each of the light or heavy. This is sort of an undulating periodization twist on an old school idea.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Best Cardio For Weight Loss - An HIIT Training Routine to Burn Belly Fat Fast
Below is a very good aricle about the benefits of doing high intensity cardio. HIIT is a no brainer. not only is it more effective in burning body fat than steady state aerobics, but it does is a fraction of the time. Enjoy the article.
________________
By Dave Martens
No matter how overweight you may be, an HIIT training routine will help burn off that belly fat fast. I feel that it is the best cardio for weight loss. Yes, weight loss can be done by combining diet, steady state cardio and strength training, but HIIT will up your fat burning ability to the next level.
What is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. The basic principle of HIIT is working your body hard and fast for a short burst, then giving it a bit of a rest with an active recovery period. For instance, sprinting for 30 seconds then jogging or walking for 1 minute would be a standard rep set. You would repeat this process a number of times to get the best workout.
Benefits of HIIT
HIIT training offers many important benefits. Your legs will be worked hard with a HIIT workout. Unless you want bulging leg muscles, you shouldn't need to do strength training for your legs if you perform HIIT training a few times a week. And HIIT increases your body's fat burning potential. Doing the intense intervals causes fatty acids to be released into the bloodstream. HIIT training also increases the level of HGH in your system. HGH is a hormone that promotes fat burning yet preserves muscle. To top it off, HIIT training creates an after-burn effect (EPOC) which lets your body burn more calories for hours after you have finished exercising.
Weaknesses of HIIT
HIIT is not a perfect system. A big disadvantage is that this cannot be done every day. It is easy to over train your body if you're doing strength training for your leg muscles in addition to HIIT. If you have worn your muscles out the day before, you should engage in a slower, steady state cardio workout instead.
Sprint Interval Length
You can vary some of the stages of your HIIT training routine for a more effective workout. First - change the length of your sprint intervals. Doing shorter intervals of between 15 and 30 seconds gives you more of a chance to exert yourself while sprinting. This increased exertion will help release more HGH into your system. And a shorter sprint interval releases more fatty acids into your bloodstream as well.
Working harder for longer than 30 seconds requires more effort. The longer intervals will burn more calories. And exerting yourself for a longer period depletes the level of glycogen (carbohydrates) in your system, encouraging your body to burn more fat after you have finished your workout.
Recovery Length
The length of your recovery period is also important in HIIT training. This is the lower exertion part, walking or jogging, of your workout that gives your muscles a moment to recoup. You spend a certain amount of recovery time relative to the amount of sprint time. If your sprint interval is 30 seconds and your recovery interval is also 30 seconds, you have a 1:1 ratio. If instead, your sprint interval is 15 seconds and your recovery interval is 45 seconds you have a 3:1 ratio.
The more time you give your body to recover compared to your sprint intervals (a ratio of 2 or 3:1) the more effort you will be able to give in the next sprint. The more exertion, the more HGH your body can release. And giving yourself a longer recovery interval will reduce the risk of over-training your muscles.
Using a shorter ratio of sprint to recovery results in glycogen depletion, lactic acid buildup and a more efficient after-burn effect. The risk of over-training is increased though.
Best Cardio For Weight Loss
I think that the best cardio for weight loss combines various HIIT training routines to give you all of the benefits, a strong HGH release, fatty acid release, calorie burning and glycogen depletion. Your workout should start with the short sprint and long recovery ratio part of the HIIT routine. A sprint of 15 seconds and then recovery period (walking or jogging) of 45 seconds is appropriate. This is the method that will release fatty acids and increase the level of HGH into your system. I do a 2 minute warm up, then perform this HIIT routine 8 times, for a total of 10 minutes.
The second part of my workout is 25 minutes of steady state cardio (an exercise bike or light paced jogging). This allows your muscles to remain active, and still have a recovery period. Steady state cardio burns off the fatty acids that you have released into your bloodstream with the first HIIT portion of your workout.
The final portion of your workout is doing long interval HIIT with short recovery intervals. This depletes the glycogen in your body, which then means you will burn more fat once you have finished your exercise. I combine 1 minute of sprinting intervals with one minute of jogging or walking. You won't want to exert yourself so much for the sprint intervals here as your muscles will already be tired. This final portion should be about 10 minutes as well.
This gives you a complete 45 minute HIIT training routine that I think is the best cardio for weight loss. Following this routine a few times a week will burn off belly fat quickly, no matter what your weight loss goal may be.
About the Author: Dave provides no-nonsense "best of the best" diet and exercise tips to lose fat and build lean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. These are Not Your Average Fitness Tips. Read more of Dave's fitness tips for a great HIIT workout and download a FREE copy of his Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time.
http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Martens
________________
By Dave Martens
No matter how overweight you may be, an HIIT training routine will help burn off that belly fat fast. I feel that it is the best cardio for weight loss. Yes, weight loss can be done by combining diet, steady state cardio and strength training, but HIIT will up your fat burning ability to the next level.
What is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. The basic principle of HIIT is working your body hard and fast for a short burst, then giving it a bit of a rest with an active recovery period. For instance, sprinting for 30 seconds then jogging or walking for 1 minute would be a standard rep set. You would repeat this process a number of times to get the best workout.
Benefits of HIIT
HIIT training offers many important benefits. Your legs will be worked hard with a HIIT workout. Unless you want bulging leg muscles, you shouldn't need to do strength training for your legs if you perform HIIT training a few times a week. And HIIT increases your body's fat burning potential. Doing the intense intervals causes fatty acids to be released into the bloodstream. HIIT training also increases the level of HGH in your system. HGH is a hormone that promotes fat burning yet preserves muscle. To top it off, HIIT training creates an after-burn effect (EPOC) which lets your body burn more calories for hours after you have finished exercising.
Weaknesses of HIIT
HIIT is not a perfect system. A big disadvantage is that this cannot be done every day. It is easy to over train your body if you're doing strength training for your leg muscles in addition to HIIT. If you have worn your muscles out the day before, you should engage in a slower, steady state cardio workout instead.
Sprint Interval Length
You can vary some of the stages of your HIIT training routine for a more effective workout. First - change the length of your sprint intervals. Doing shorter intervals of between 15 and 30 seconds gives you more of a chance to exert yourself while sprinting. This increased exertion will help release more HGH into your system. And a shorter sprint interval releases more fatty acids into your bloodstream as well.
Working harder for longer than 30 seconds requires more effort. The longer intervals will burn more calories. And exerting yourself for a longer period depletes the level of glycogen (carbohydrates) in your system, encouraging your body to burn more fat after you have finished your workout.
Recovery Length
The length of your recovery period is also important in HIIT training. This is the lower exertion part, walking or jogging, of your workout that gives your muscles a moment to recoup. You spend a certain amount of recovery time relative to the amount of sprint time. If your sprint interval is 30 seconds and your recovery interval is also 30 seconds, you have a 1:1 ratio. If instead, your sprint interval is 15 seconds and your recovery interval is 45 seconds you have a 3:1 ratio.
The more time you give your body to recover compared to your sprint intervals (a ratio of 2 or 3:1) the more effort you will be able to give in the next sprint. The more exertion, the more HGH your body can release. And giving yourself a longer recovery interval will reduce the risk of over-training your muscles.
Using a shorter ratio of sprint to recovery results in glycogen depletion, lactic acid buildup and a more efficient after-burn effect. The risk of over-training is increased though.
Best Cardio For Weight Loss
I think that the best cardio for weight loss combines various HIIT training routines to give you all of the benefits, a strong HGH release, fatty acid release, calorie burning and glycogen depletion. Your workout should start with the short sprint and long recovery ratio part of the HIIT routine. A sprint of 15 seconds and then recovery period (walking or jogging) of 45 seconds is appropriate. This is the method that will release fatty acids and increase the level of HGH into your system. I do a 2 minute warm up, then perform this HIIT routine 8 times, for a total of 10 minutes.
The second part of my workout is 25 minutes of steady state cardio (an exercise bike or light paced jogging). This allows your muscles to remain active, and still have a recovery period. Steady state cardio burns off the fatty acids that you have released into your bloodstream with the first HIIT portion of your workout.
The final portion of your workout is doing long interval HIIT with short recovery intervals. This depletes the glycogen in your body, which then means you will burn more fat once you have finished your exercise. I combine 1 minute of sprinting intervals with one minute of jogging or walking. You won't want to exert yourself so much for the sprint intervals here as your muscles will already be tired. This final portion should be about 10 minutes as well.
This gives you a complete 45 minute HIIT training routine that I think is the best cardio for weight loss. Following this routine a few times a week will burn off belly fat quickly, no matter what your weight loss goal may be.
About the Author: Dave provides no-nonsense "best of the best" diet and exercise tips to lose fat and build lean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. These are Not Your Average Fitness Tips. Read more of Dave's fitness tips for a great HIIT workout and download a FREE copy of his Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time.
http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Martens
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
You're wasting your time working out!!!
That is, if you still haven't cleaned up your diet. There is an old adage that still holds true, 'you can't out train a bad diet'. No matter how hard to workout, you can always eat more calories than you can possibly burn in the gym. Don't believe me?
Let's take a little test, shall we. First lets eat an extra value meal from an average fast food restaurant. A cheeseburger, medium fries and a medium soft drink will run between 1,000 to 1,800 calories!!!
So how long will you have to exercise in order to burn that many calories? First, lets start with the treadmill, going at 3.5 miles an hour. You will likely burn from 250 to 350 calories in an hour depending on your weight. That means it will take you anywhere from 3-5 hours to use up that entire meal.
But what about a stair climber you say? That will burn about 500 to 700 calories in an hour. So it will only take you 2-3 hours. Weightlifting? Try 3.5-5.5 hours. When you multiply that by 3 meals a day, 365 days a year that is 3285 hours or 131 days working out. By now I'm sure you are realizing how impossible that is. There has to be a better way you think! Fortunately there is.
It's called self control. If you are able to cut out just 500 calories a day, you can lose a pound a week(one pound equals 3,500 calories). Over the course of a year that is 52 pounds of fat. Just skipping the fries and cola should easily cover the 500 calories.
Am I saying that exercise is unimportant? No! Exercise is vital to build strength, muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness and overall health. But what I am saying is you don't want to be stuck on the 'treadmill' of exercising in an attempt to counteract your overeating.
Let's take a little test, shall we. First lets eat an extra value meal from an average fast food restaurant. A cheeseburger, medium fries and a medium soft drink will run between 1,000 to 1,800 calories!!!
So how long will you have to exercise in order to burn that many calories? First, lets start with the treadmill, going at 3.5 miles an hour. You will likely burn from 250 to 350 calories in an hour depending on your weight. That means it will take you anywhere from 3-5 hours to use up that entire meal.
But what about a stair climber you say? That will burn about 500 to 700 calories in an hour. So it will only take you 2-3 hours. Weightlifting? Try 3.5-5.5 hours. When you multiply that by 3 meals a day, 365 days a year that is 3285 hours or 131 days working out. By now I'm sure you are realizing how impossible that is. There has to be a better way you think! Fortunately there is.
It's called self control. If you are able to cut out just 500 calories a day, you can lose a pound a week(one pound equals 3,500 calories). Over the course of a year that is 52 pounds of fat. Just skipping the fries and cola should easily cover the 500 calories.
Am I saying that exercise is unimportant? No! Exercise is vital to build strength, muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness and overall health. But what I am saying is you don't want to be stuck on the 'treadmill' of exercising in an attempt to counteract your overeating.
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