Encyclopedia of bodybuilding. Pharmacology, training, nutrition
We talked about how to build your training process in the section. Now let's talk about planning it. First, let's understand what muscle volume is.
We have already partially touched on the question of what affects muscle volume. However, in order to competently construct training methods that contribute to maximum strength, it is necessary to understand in detail what muscle volume is and what its components are.
So, the total volume of muscles is most influenced by the number and volume of each of them. And also a significant contribution to muscle volume is made by the intercellular substance (a set of connective tissue and blood vessels), which serves as a kind of layer between muscle cells. Do not forget that muscle volume is also influenced by fat deposits, however, in this article we will not consider this factor, because The goal of bodybuilding training is minimal fat content, not fat accumulation.
Muscle volume and its components in percentage terms
In accordance with the information given in the medical publication “Biological Chemistry” (authors B.F. Korovkin and T.T. Berezov), human muscle mass consists of 70-80% water and 20-30% dry matter. in the form of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. And the proteins in the dry residue are in the following ratio: 35% - contractile proteins; 45% - sarcoplasmic proteins; 20% are proteins of contractile tissue.
But the above values are mass fractions, not volume fractions. Muscle volume and muscle mass are not the same thing. Accordingly, the percentages here will be different.
It turns out that muscle volume depends 80% on the total volume of myofibrils and 20% on the volume of sarcoplasm. Of course, to achieve maximum results, you should use this 20 percent.
Proportion of sarcoplasm in muscle volume
What is included in this 20% of muscle volume reserved for sarcoplasm? The fact is that to perform intense work, muscles need energy and to produce it, the concentration of mitochondria in muscle cells increases. In addition, sarcoplasm consists of water and molecules dissolved in it, fatty acids, and also contains ions of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, etc. So, the concentration of all of the above substances in the muscles increases during training; these substances retain and accumulate water molecules in the muscles. Thus, the volume of sarcoplasm increases, contributing to the total muscle volume.
Also, the volume of sarcoplasm can increase due to the development of dense membranes of myofibrils (sarcoplasmic reticulum). During adaptation to training, some large myofibrils can be divided into several smaller ones, and at the same time, each new myofibril is also surrounded by a membrane - this also increases the volume of sarcoplasm, and, consequently, the total volume of the muscles.
Note that the maximum increase in the volume of sarcoplasm (cellular fluid) is observed during frequent training and is proportional to the amount of work performed. However, the greatest contribution to muscle volume undoubtedly comes from the growth of myofibrils - we have already discussed this in the article.
The following figure can be drawn as a conclusion:
The factors that influence muscle size are clearly displayed here. It turns out that muscle development is possible with any training methods, but maximizing muscle volume requires the development of special techniques that are optimally tailored for this purpose. The principles of constructing such techniques are outlined in the article.
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It would seem that there is nothing simpler - go to the gym, work out and gain muscle mass. But, in reality, the pattern of muscle growth is radically different.
Reasons for muscle growth
Muscle growth occurs due to the division of muscle fibers, as well as their further restoration. Each muscle fiber consists of hundreds of cells, which are destroyed during physical activity.
There is nothing wrong with this, it is a common natural phenomenon.
If you actively take proteins during rehabilitation and restoration of muscle fiber, you can noticeably gain weight.
Proteins are known to be the main building blocks of bodybuilders.
And without cell division it is impossible to build new cells.
Therefore, immediately after training, you need to eat food that will help damaged fibers recover faster. But then, lean on protein foods to build muscle mass.
If you do everything the other way around, then the muscles will not have time to recover, and during growth they will receive completely wrong elements.
Fast carbohydrates
An excellent option for quick muscle recovery after training are fast carbohydrates. One of the most famous representatives of this class are bananas.
Just a couple of bananas after training - and you have protected your body from long-term recovery.
How to inflate quickly?
Some athletes do not look very big, but as soon as they train a little, at least a couple of approaches on the horizontal bars, their muscles immediately begin to swell up.
What to do? How can you achieve the same effect yourself?
Over the course of many training sessions, these guys have formed a helium balloon; their muscles act as the balloon. As soon as you start to knead it, it takes the shape you need.
Stop kneading and it returns to its original state. Thus, it will not be difficult for these guys to increase their muscle size - just pump up a little, take some vitamins and go! But what should ordinary mortals do?
Pumping
Use pumping. Thanks to the system of repeated repetitions, you will be able to fill every muscle fiber with blood during training.
So, over time, you can literally “puff up” in just a few repetitions, as people say.
In turn, pumping training must be carried out with light weight and a large number of repetitions. It is this quantity/weight combination that will allow the muscles to be filled with blood as quickly and effectively as possible.
To begin with, it is better to build overall muscle mass, and then improve individual muscles.
Fluid retention
It has been proven that the more fluid accumulates and remains in the body, the more “full” the athlete will be. Very often, this form can be seen in bodybuilders during the period of active weight gain.
It is during this period of time that the athlete is given an important task - to gain the maximum possible amount of weight, and then transform everything into high-quality muscle mass.
Many athletes are blown away after a “course of anabolic steroids”. This is due to the release of fluid from the athlete’s body. In just a couple of weeks, the fluid comes out and the athlete loses weight.
Of course, there are a lot of additional medications that will help you maintain the kilograms you have gained, but you won’t be able to leave them unchanged. Water will still leave the body.
Creatine is a non-steroidal drug for water retention in the body. It belongs to the “sports nutrition” category and is absolutely safe for bodybuilders.
Therefore, when you work on muscle mass, it is advisable to buy yourself a couple of jars of creatine.
People who believe that progressive overload can only be achieved by constantly increasing the weight they work with are usually the same people who fatigue their muscles with excess weight and are often in a state of muscle overtraining. Think about how many times you've heard of powerlifters who injured their bodies because they trained with more weight than they could handle, just because they thought there was no other way. increase muscle size than to terrorize them with super-strong loads that make them often let you down. Why are they doing that? Because they think it makes them cool, right?
So here's the thing: Improving your results requires gradually increasing the volume, intensity, frequency or time of training. Do you want to grow? Then you accept the challenge. This has been the basic rule of bodybuilding since it began, and let's hope it doesn't become overshadowed by today's unnecessary labels. However, there are many ways to stimulate growth factors that don't necessarily involve adding a lot of weights to the bar. Check out our methods how to increase muscle size and the result will not keep you waiting!
How to increase muscle size
1.Change the number of repetitions
Are you training in a pattern of 3 sets of 10 reps each too? Then it's time to move on. Experimenting with repetition sets does a wonderful job of shocking your muscles into working overtime. For example, if you feel that you still have some strength left after you have completed the usual number of repetitions, do not stop there - push the projectile even harder and continue moving until your strength leaves you!
Keep in mind that the optimal rep range for muscle hypertrophy is 6-12 repetitions, although results may vary between different people. Anything below this will shift the focus to increasing muscle strength, while moving into higher rep ranges can help you improve endurance as well as accelerate growth. However, we do not recommend that you maintain a high number of repetitions for a long time.
So here's one of the best tips you'll ever receive: Once you can easily complete sets of 12 reps over two consecutive workouts, add about 5% more weight for upper body movements and 10% more weight for lower body movements. Then focus again on the number of repetitions.
2.Increase the number of approaches
If your ultimate goal is increase muscle size, you must put in maximum effort to maximize muscle hypertrophy during your workout. One of the easiest ways to do this is to increase the number of sets you perform for a given exercise, thereby increasing the volume of your workout. If done correctly, it will allow you to get the results you want much faster than if you use the usual number of approaches. Think about it, 8 of Vince Gironda's 8 exercises involve 10 sets of 10 reps.
If you want to get the most out of it, keep your reps per set in the 6-12 range most of the time. But if you want to work on your size and strength, do just 5-6 reps per set and increase your rest time to 3 minutes. Make sure you have a partner and maintain proper technique, otherwise the risk of injury will be greater than you can afford.
3. Reduce your rest time
If you've been killing yourself in the gym three times a week for months and still feel like you're getting nowhere, the problem may be long rest periods. When you rest for too long, your muscles cool down and you lose much of the previously accumulated muscle tension, which is bad news for anyone who understands the basics of building muscle.
Therefore, you no longer need to communicate between sets and check social networks during rest - this significantly increases your rest. Reducing your rest time is one of the most effective ways to force your body to work harder and thereby increase muscle size in the future, as well as make the most of your training time.
Don't do these three tips at the same time
Every athlete dreams of impressive arm sizes of 40–47–50 cm. But what do you need to know and do to achieve the desired muscle growth in the arms? The answer is in our article.
Powerful, sculpted biceps and triceps, developed deltoids and wide forearms are admiration from the opposite sex and respect from other athletes. There is probably no bodybuilder or bodybuilder who would not dream of pumping up huge arms. An arm volume of 40–45–47 cm, or maybe more, is the goal of jocks of all times. Many athletes, having enormous strength in their arms, are not distinguished by the impressive size of this area, and are racking their brains over how to achieve the desired results in muscle growth.
When talking about the enormous size of the arms, often only the biceps are discussed. However, in an arm with a volume of 40 cm, less than 30% of the total mass of the arm is allocated to the biceps. The remaining 70% is occupied by the triceps, so this group of muscle fibers should also not be forgotten.
How to pump up 40 cm biceps?
The first and most important rule is that your arms will only grow from hard training with iron. There are no other options to gain muscle mass (not fat!). However, you should not grab heavy weights from the start.
A fatal mistake for beginner naturalists is using overly heavy shells. In pursuit of large weights, athletes always make many mistakes in technique. Performing exercises with unbearable weights leads to constant cheating and “involvement” of the muscles of the back, chest, and legs. This will not affect arm hypertrophy in any way, but it will easily lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of cramps, sprains, dislocations and fractures. For exercises, it is necessary to choose a weight that will allow you to perform approaches smoothly and clearly, without violating technique. This is how maximum tension will be felt in the muscles being worked.
Muscular, voluminous arms are formed step by step. Sometimes this takes years. If a beginner came to the rocking chair with thin “matches” of 25 cm, then he will not reach a straight arm volume of 40 cm in a year or even less time.
It is also worth noting the fact that the training of each athlete is individual. There is no template program that will work for everyone. Blindly copying the training splits of the “pros” has never brought much success to anyone. The best coach of any athlete is himself. By feeling their muscles, athletes, through trial and error, determine which exercises work for them and which do not bring much benefit.
Exercises to increase arm volume
To make your arms 40 cm in volume, you need to gradually but regularly increase the working weights. Therefore, the basic training plan for the muscles of the upper limbs will remain unchanged for many years.
The main biceps exercises are standing barbell curls and dumbbell hammer curls. They must be practiced regularly with constant addition of training weight. You can “finish off” the muscles at the end of the workout each time with new isolating exercises: curling your arms on a Scott bench, concentrated lifting of dumbbells, bending your arms on a lower block (bent or cable handle), alternating bending your arms with dumbbells.
Bench press with a narrow grip and dips on the uneven bars are the basis for the triceps. These are the exercises that should always be included in every arm workout. You can experiment with the end of the workout, just like when working on biceps, by adding a variety of isolations: arm extension with dumbbells while standing on an incline, extension at a vertical block, or extension of arms over your head.
Biceps and triceps training must be combined into one workout using alternating methods. The arm muscles are made up of different types of fibers. Some of them respond to pumping, others to strength work. Periodization of exercises on individual muscle bundles will achieve maximum hypertrophy. Such approaches will most effectively increase endurance, improve muscles and allow you to make arms with a volume of 40 cm. Their essence is as follows (3 options):
- First, exercises are performed in several sets for the triceps, then an exercise for the biceps. And so in a circle: work on the triceps again, and then return to the biceps.
- The athlete performs a triceps set, then rests as long as he needs, and then performs a biceps set.
- Superset: one set of two exercises (biceps and triceps) that are performed consecutively without a rest pause or with a very short break of 15-20 seconds.
At the end of the training process, after heavy weight exercises on the arms, it is recommended to do some stretching. She will not allow loss of mobility and stagnation in growth. Good quality stretching will relax, calm and accelerate muscle growth.
Nutrition for gaining muscle mass
No matter how hard an athlete works out, no matter how strictly he follows all the rules for gaining muscle mass, it is unlikely and almost impossible to “accelerate” his arm to 40 cm without a properly formulated diet.
The body must receive sufficient amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for muscle growth. Just like with training, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to nutrition. It will be different for everyone, depending on their goals, body characteristics and taste preferences.
Lean, wiry athletes who lack just a little arm size to achieve success need to focus on carbohydrate foods to compensate for the loss of energy costs. Athletes who are prone to obesity should, on the contrary, eat more dietary meat, fish and eggs in order to build up muscle cells in the arms to a volume of 40 cm of protein. But the food consumption plan should be equally fractional for everyone: at least 6 meals a day in small portions.
Video on how to pump up voluminous arms:
This article is for those who want to increase volume and improve muscle shape. Surely, you have wondered why some guys have such powerful and voluminous muscles, as if pumped up, while for us ordinary mortals they seem flat and not so voluminous.
You may not be able to keep up with those who have a genetic predisposition to muscle development, such famous stars as 4-time Arnold Classic winner Flex Wheeler, Mr. Olympia, but you can significantly increase the size of your muscles using the suggested here techniques.
The duration of the load refers to the amount of time during which the muscles remain in a tense state during the execution of the approach.
Whether the force is isometric, eccentric, or concentric, contracting a muscle causes it to tighten. But for muscle growth, it is not the time of tension that is important. We are interested in the effect of prolonged tension caused by constriction of blood vessels.
When the muscle contracts, the blood vessels are compressed until they are completely blocked, thereby limiting the blood flow to the muscle. This tension effect occurs when you step on a garden hose.
The longer the muscles are under load, the longer the blood flow to it is limited. But the heart still pumps blood, and due to compression of the vessels around the working muscle, blood accumulates in the tissues. After completing the approach, the muscle relaxes and blood flows into the muscle.
The longer the vessels are compressed, the greater the volume of blood rushes into the muscle. To feel this process, you can try doing push-ups for 5 seconds and pay attention to how the muscles fill up. Then you should rest for two minutes, and then do push-ups for 30 seconds, and again feel how the blood rushes to the muscles.
This process is called hyperemic supercompensation and is known to bodybuilders as “pumping”. The rapid influx of large blood flow into the muscles increases pressure.
In the movie Pumping Iron, Arnold noted that a good flow of blood to the muscles is an incredible feeling. But what should be more important to you is that the blood flow puts pressure on the dense, tough covering of the muscle - the fascia.
Fascia is very difficult to stretch, but over time, it begins to give in to the pressure that comes from within and stretch, allowing the muscle it surrounds to actually and visually increase in volume.
And although this information is scientific, we are interested in the results, not the science. In the experience of most bodybuilding trainers, increasing the duration of the load on the muscles increases their volume. Although, of course, this does not happen in a short time.
According to the experience of Western trainers, a higher speed of movement in repetitions and the use of more weight allows you to recruit more muscle fibers into the work.
This is why, instead of using lighter weights and deliberately slowing down the movements, it is better to perform movements, even concentric ones, quickly, but choose a weight that can be done for 45-second sets.
A set duration of less than 30 seconds will not generate enough blood flow to create good intramuscular pressure. On the other hand, to perform a set longer than 60 seconds, you need very little weight, which is also not good. Therefore, the optimal time is 45 seconds.
No. 2. Do more work
Your body has incredible adaptability. It does its best to adapt to any pressure and become more prepared to perform certain tasks. This also applies to high volume training.
Training volume refers to the total number of repetitions and sets. This is the total amount of work that muscles do during exercise. Doing more work requires more energy. The energy for muscle contraction is provided by muscle glycogen, a reserve of carbohydrates stored in muscle tissue.
Let's assume that you want to use the fascial stretching principle described above. You do sets of twelve repetitions in the chest exercise. The pectoral muscles will use significantly more glycogen to perform ten sets of twelve repetitions than two sets of twelve repetitions. It should be remembered that only glycogen from working muscles is consumed.
With a sufficient increase in the volume of training, the glycogen reserves in the muscles are thus depleted, an interesting phenomenon occurs. The body begins to strive to replenish glycogen reserves in order to successfully cope with such loads the next time.
The process of short-term increase in muscle glycogen content is called glycogen supercompensation. At the same time, the muscles are temporarily able to store a larger volume of glycogen than usual, say, instead of 100% it stores 120%.
With regular repetition of the stimulus, i.e. With the systematic depletion of glycogen reserves, the body gradually acquires the ability to accumulate more and more volumes of this substance. This means that this pattern can also be used in the long term.
And, despite the fact that we are not as concerned about the amount of glycogen in the muscle as its volume, the muscle containing more glycogen looks more voluminous and rounded.
You won't be able to see changes after 1-2 high-volume workouts, but the results will become noticeable over time. After 8 weeks of high-volume training, you may find that your muscles become larger. But there are exceptions to this rule. With a relatively high volume of your training, you will not even notice major changes, because your body is adapted to such loads. The same applies to the duration of muscle loads.
The second reason for the weak effect of this technique may lie not in exercise, but in nutrition. If you don't consume enough carbohydrates, especially after exercise when your body's ability to store glycogen increases, your body won't have the material to fill your muscles with glycogen.
It should be remembered that glycogen is simply a store of carbohydrates, not fats or proteins. Just like filling a gas tank with gasoline, you need to fuel your body with enough carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores.
It should be noted that as the muscles continually store more glycogen, this also puts pressure on the fascia surrounding them and gradually stretches it.
It must be remembered that the intensity and volume of work must be inversely proportional to each other; this is required for the complete restoration of not only the muscles, but also the nervous system. This is why you should not give in to the temptation to push every approach of a high-volume program to failure.
No. 3. Optimizing the duration of breaks between sets
Like the first strategy, optimizing the rest time between sets can help increase blood flow as well as increase pressure in the muscle.
Let's pretend you're doing a killer approach. The muscles swell as if the skin will soon begin to burst. Then you want to rest for three minutes, giving the body time to replenish creatine phosphate in tired muscles and remove lactic acid and hydrogen ions. In the following approach, to achieve good performance this is quite useful.
But to maintain high intramuscular pressure, 3 minutes of rest is a lot, since a significant part of the blood that creates this pressure drains from the muscle during this time.
It should not be forgotten that fascia consists of strong, tough tissue. It does not stretch when subjected to slight pressure over a short period of time. In order for it to stretch, the muscle needs to exert longer pressure on it.
That is why, in order for the fascia to stretch as much as possible and the volume of the muscle to increase, you need to keep the muscle filled with blood for as long as possible.
This technique has its advantages and disadvantages. If you start the next approach too early, you will not be able to perform it at full strength. As previously mentioned, a certain time is necessary to remove the products of its work from the muscles and restore the supply of creatine phosphate. This is required to perform a decent number of repetitions in a set.
On the other hand, very long rests can relieve the pressure that is placed on the fascia.
In this case, you need to listen carefully to your body. You should pay attention to how swollen from the blood flow and how dense the muscles become after completing the approach, and try to catch the moment this effect disappears. So, you can rest exactly as long as necessary for optimal stretching of the fascia.
It is necessary to note in the training diary the number of repetitions performed in the approaches. If you performed fifteen repetitions in the first approach, and only six in the next, this means that you did not rest enough.
By observing the sensations in the muscles and comparing the number of repetitions in further approaches, you can choose the optimal rest duration between approaches.
But if you don’t want to sometimes tax your brain by concentrating on sensations, then you should rest for 45 seconds. 30-60 seconds is the optimal time to recover between sets. For less strenuous exercises, such as barbell curls, 30 seconds will be enough to recover. When performing more strenuous exercises, such as squats, it is better to rest for 60 seconds between sets. Naturally, if you have enough strength to perform squats with a minute of rest between approaches.
No. 4. Stretching a muscle while it is filled with blood
Doing stretching exercises is very useful, and at any time. Stretching is one of the most underrated techniques for improving muscle performance, appearance, and injury prevention.
With the help of stretching, you can weaken the force of compression of the muscles by the fascia or keep the muscles in a stretched state for as long as possible, this will also help stretch the fascia.
To increase the tensile pressure on the muscle membrane, stretching must be done when the muscles are still filled with blood. In other words, you need to do muscle stretching exercises no more than thirty seconds after finishing a long approach. And it is necessary to keep the muscles in a state of stretch for longer than usual. You can stretch for sixty seconds, or longer.
But, since static stretching exercises may reduce muscle performance in further approaches, you need to stretch after the last approach of the exercise for a specific muscle group.
Stretching the muscles has another, no less significant effect. By maintaining a position of fairly strong stretching for a long time, this allows the growth of new sarcomeres to be stimulated and the muscles to lengthen.
If you can lengthen a muscle through the growth of sarcomeres, it will become visually voluminous, especially when under tension.
This method, like any technique associated with stretching the fascia, requires time and consistency in use. You should write down in your training diary that you need to stretch after training, otherwise you may forget about it. And you should expect that you will begin to notice changes after a maximum of three months. If you follow this strategy for six months with enough patience, you will definitely see results.
No. 5. Isolating lagging muscles
This strategy helps increase muscle size not by stretching the membrane, but by focusing loads on the target muscle group.
The whole point of training is to subject the muscles to unusual loads, and then allow them to adapt. To develop weak muscles, you need to make sure that these muscles do the main work. This is the only way to force these muscles to adapt and develop.
For example, if, for some reason, when performing a bench press to develop the pectoral muscles, the main work is done by the triceps, then they will become stronger and larger.
In such cases, there are several methods to make sure that it is not the triceps, but the pectoral muscles, that do the main work and stimulate growth. One technique is to pre-exhaust the pectoral muscles with isolation exercises before performing the bench press.
For example, you can do dumbbell flyes while lying down, and then move on to doing barbell presses. You may not like the idea of lifting light weights when bench pressing. But you can be sure that the tired pectoral muscles will do most of the work. And it is they who will have to adapt to the loads with the help of hypertrophy.
In addition to pre-exhaustion, performing isolation exercises is very useful for increasing lagging muscles.
It is preferable to do things like deadlifts, squats and the aforementioned bench press for general development. However, when it comes to developing individual muscles, then isolation exercises such as straight-arm rows, machine leg extensions and dumbbell flyes are often more effective.
For general strength development, isolation exercises are not very good, but they allow you to work out lagging muscle groups, due to the fact that in such exercises the entire load is placed on the target muscle. If you compare, for example, leg extensions with squats or arm raises with bench presses.
If, while performing a basic exercise, you have trouble feeling the work of individual muscles, then you can first try to do isolating exercises for the same muscles, and then move on to the basic one. Thanks to this sequence, you can pre-tire the muscles, as well as activate the nerve fibers in them.
For example, if you are unable to feel the work of the upper back muscles (the middle part of the rhomboids and trapezius muscles) doing bent-over barbell rows, you can first try doing bent-over dumbbell raises and then move on to deadlifts. You may find that you will feel better use of your upper back muscles in the waist row.
And finally
We hope you find these recommendations helpful. Just remember that improving your physique, especially developing lagging muscles, takes time. Therefore, you should be patient and enjoy the training!