- Joined
- Jul 7, 2009
- Messages
- 1,344
so. figured that since i started a thread with advanced advice. i would also start one with basic ones.
and for this i will start by giving people a concept that has been lost through out the years. and one that i personally started to gain.. aproximately 300% faster by understanding and adapting to this concept. this is not anything new. in fact most good coaches understand and uses this concept. and you can read about it in most old books on the subject. yet it is forgotten
mind into muscle
no im not talking about the force or some weird ass chi power. im talking about focus!
the reality is this: while building strenght. is usually done by doing very few reps with close to 100% intensity.
building mass/size is done by having a lot higher time under tension (please repeat the word tension 3 times in your head!)
now tension. what is this? well basicly it is the muscle contracting due to your brain telling them to. "but then why do i need the weights?"
actually you don't!
by simply tensing your muscles with more and more force. they will actually grow! no shit! you don't need the weights!
"puuh saved that money for the gym membership!"
well no.
you see.
by adding weight. you force your muscles to tense up. and by increasing the weight more tension is needed.
but here is the thing. and please! pay close attention! you do not grow from lifting more weights. you grow from tensing more!
now i have trained in different gyms all around the world. and a thing that happens repeatedly. is people doing the stuff without the intention and the focus that needs to be there!
when you see people curl they just lift the weight. the dont focus on that biceps!
another thing i see all over the place. is people doing the lifts way to fast. like they get something from running through their workout.
it is called TIME UNDER TENSION!
by appreciating this fact and incorporate it in your training. a thing will happen! your muscles starts to fatique alot faster with the same weights! but this is temporary. and eventually your strenght and size will grow.
so here is the quoes to remember for the gym!
DO NOT! just lift the weight from A to B. see it as you controlling the weight. and focus on the muscle being targeted.
try and tense the muscle as much as possible!
try and keep tension in the targeted muscle EVEN when it is stretched out. in the example with curls. that would be when the arms are stretched out. trust me! this makes it a completely other exercise!
do the negatives slowly and controlled. its actually here size is being build the most!
always do full range of motion!
never lift more than you can control! this leads to cheating. and this override effect where the muscles are less engaged in the exercise (ever seen strong men doing PRs? and how the technique is never 100% clean. well thats the cheating we want to avoid. we don't win by lifting more but by gaining more) actually i considered writing a whole article on this subject alone. called "your body or your ego"
now just to avoid the biggest discussions with the gym rats luring around this forum.
yes. hypertrophy does also increase your strenght. however not at the same rate as pure strenght training.
and yes strenght training does increase size. however not at the same rate as bodybuilding.
and this is not the most beneficial aspect of training.
however in these days i see it as the most forgotten one! and i think people have had more than enough of the:
do crossfit!
do no carbs
low carbs
no fat
low protein
no meat
only meat
do 5x5
do fullbody
etc etc.
so this is what im offering people to try out. and if you haven't done this yet. and if you are one of the people claiming they can't gain. this might very well be it.
and trust me. 3 months with this gives you a new body!
and for this i will start by giving people a concept that has been lost through out the years. and one that i personally started to gain.. aproximately 300% faster by understanding and adapting to this concept. this is not anything new. in fact most good coaches understand and uses this concept. and you can read about it in most old books on the subject. yet it is forgotten
mind into muscle
no im not talking about the force or some weird ass chi power. im talking about focus!
the reality is this: while building strenght. is usually done by doing very few reps with close to 100% intensity.
building mass/size is done by having a lot higher time under tension (please repeat the word tension 3 times in your head!)
now tension. what is this? well basicly it is the muscle contracting due to your brain telling them to. "but then why do i need the weights?"
actually you don't!
by simply tensing your muscles with more and more force. they will actually grow! no shit! you don't need the weights!
"puuh saved that money for the gym membership!"
well no.
you see.
by adding weight. you force your muscles to tense up. and by increasing the weight more tension is needed.
but here is the thing. and please! pay close attention! you do not grow from lifting more weights. you grow from tensing more!
now i have trained in different gyms all around the world. and a thing that happens repeatedly. is people doing the stuff without the intention and the focus that needs to be there!
when you see people curl they just lift the weight. the dont focus on that biceps!
another thing i see all over the place. is people doing the lifts way to fast. like they get something from running through their workout.
it is called TIME UNDER TENSION!
by appreciating this fact and incorporate it in your training. a thing will happen! your muscles starts to fatique alot faster with the same weights! but this is temporary. and eventually your strenght and size will grow.
so here is the quoes to remember for the gym!
DO NOT! just lift the weight from A to B. see it as you controlling the weight. and focus on the muscle being targeted.
try and tense the muscle as much as possible!
try and keep tension in the targeted muscle EVEN when it is stretched out. in the example with curls. that would be when the arms are stretched out. trust me! this makes it a completely other exercise!
do the negatives slowly and controlled. its actually here size is being build the most!
always do full range of motion!
never lift more than you can control! this leads to cheating. and this override effect where the muscles are less engaged in the exercise (ever seen strong men doing PRs? and how the technique is never 100% clean. well thats the cheating we want to avoid. we don't win by lifting more but by gaining more) actually i considered writing a whole article on this subject alone. called "your body or your ego"
now just to avoid the biggest discussions with the gym rats luring around this forum.
yes. hypertrophy does also increase your strenght. however not at the same rate as pure strenght training.
and yes strenght training does increase size. however not at the same rate as bodybuilding.
and this is not the most beneficial aspect of training.
however in these days i see it as the most forgotten one! and i think people have had more than enough of the:
do crossfit!
do no carbs
low carbs
no fat
low protein
no meat
only meat
do 5x5
do fullbody
etc etc.
so this is what im offering people to try out. and if you haven't done this yet. and if you are one of the people claiming they can't gain. this might very well be it.
and trust me. 3 months with this gives you a new body!
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