Despite the fact that free bodybuilding information abounds on the Internet, many trainees still continue to use training methods that do not provide a focused, efficient growth stimulus for their muscles. Perhaps the problem stems from too much information. Many people simply do not know who to believe, with all the mixed signals sent out by so-called experts. Follow a few simple tips to increase the efficiency and productivity of your bodybuilding workouts.
Proper Warm-Ups
Warming up properly increases your strength for the sets that follow. “3-D Muscle Building” authors Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman recommend doing two warm-up sets–one with 50 percent of your working set weight and the other with 75 percent.
Compound Exercises First
Doing your compound exercises first engages more muscle fibers, leading to more muscle growth. Examples of compound exercises include deadlifts and squats for legs, pull-ups for back, bench presses for chest, military presses for shoulders, barbell curls for biceps and weighted dips for triceps.
Reps and Cadence
The six-to-12 repetition range works best for inducing hypertrophy or muscle growth. Control your rep speed or cadence by lowering the weight in three or four seconds to engage more muscle fibers and develop a mind-to-muscle connection.
Failure and Progression
Training to failure means stopping each set at the point where you can no longer do a controlled repetition. This technique challenges the Central Nervous System and forces muscles to respond by growing. Train progressively by adding weight incrementally (5 to 10 lbs. at a time) as you get stronger.
Add Drop-sets
Adding drop-sets to isolation exercises can help to finish off a muscle group by targeting hard-to-reach, endurance-component muscle fibers. To do a drop-set, perform one set of an exercise to exhaustion, then lower the weight and do another set to exhaustion with no rest between the two.
NA Sets
NA (negative-accentuated) sets mean lowering the weight to a slower-than-normal, six-second cadence on every rep. This technique causes micro-tears in the muscles that elevate fat burning for up to 72 hours afterward.
X-reps
Add x-reps to the last set of any exercise to get more muscle growth stimulation. To do x-reps, perform 6- to 10-inch mini-reps or partials at the spot just below the mid-point of the repetition range for any exercise. You pump out eight to 10 of these pulsing reps to finish any set.
Super Cardio
“Super Cardio” means doing cardiovascular exercise immediately following your weights workout, in order to force the body to utilize fat stores for energy. You can walk on the treadmill, ride the exercise bike or use the elliptical machine at a low to medium pace for at least 30 minutes following resistance training.
About this Author
Andrew Bennett enjoys exploring health and fitness through his personal workouts, as well as researching the latest about the subject. As a natural body builder, Bennett enjoys the ongoing pursuit of health and wellness in all aspects of life. He writes articles, blogs, copy, and even award-winning screenplays.
