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Gaining
Muscle Mass - A Useful
Tip
One of the
most useful tips on gaining
muscle mass is to write a
training journal. A
training journal gives you
a valuable record of each
of your bodybuilding
workouts. Set aside a space
for each bodypart, then
write down the number of
sets and repetitions you do
on each exercise. Also,
keep track of the length of
your workouts. A journal
allows you to appreciate
the subtle changes in
strength that occur over
time. It also increases
your motivation as you see
these improvements and
commit yourself to
even-greater intensity in
the future.
A training
journal can make a major
difference in the progress
of your workouts if you use
it correctly. A journal
helps you to keep track of
your performance on a
day-to-day basis and
maintains your training on
its proper course. When the
amount of weight you lift
or the number of
repetitions goes up, you
get instant positive
feedback. Without a
training record, it is
virtually impossible to
remember and appreciate all
of the subtle changes that
occur in your training
regimen over time.
Your
journal does not have to be
a fancy notebook. Any piece
of paper will do. There are
inexpensive spiral
notebooks that can be
turned into training
journals with the addition
of a few lines. (You can
even store your pencil in
the spiral!) Be sure to
write down the length of
each of the workouts. You
can increase the intensity
of your training by
reducing the rest time
between sets. When you
record the amount of time
between your first and last
sets, you give yourself
another tool to measure
your intensity level.
Set aside a
space for each bodypart.
Then write down the
exercises you do, the order
you do them in, the amount
of weight you lift and the
number of sets and
repetitions. You will, of
course, be stronger on the
first exercise you perform,
but you don't have to do
exercises in the same order
all of the time. Just make
sure you increase either
the weight or the number of
repetitions compared with
what you did the last time
you performed the exercise
in that order. This will
ensure progressive
resistance on an ongoing
basis.
A training
journal can help you select
the type of exercise
program that works best for
you. By showing how you
respond to a particular
program, a training record
can establish whether a new
program is better for your
purposes than the one you
were using previously. For
example, did adding more
sets increase your strength
and mass gains, or did it
push you into overtraining
so the improvements
actually slowed down?
Without a journal it is
very difficult to make an
accurate decision, since
it's virtually impossible
to remember what you lifted
on a particular exercise
three or four months ago
(the minimum amount of time
you should take before
making a judgement on
exercise programs).
A training
journal can also be a
valuable motivational
tool.. You can see in black
and white all of the
progress you have made.
This can be important in
the long haul, because we
never grow as rapidly as we
would like. Sometimes, in
fact, the progress may seem
so slow that you think
you're treading water. One
look at your training
journal may reveal,
however, that your strength
has increased significantly
over the past few months.
It just happened so slowly
that you weren't aware of
it. A training journal can
recharge your bodybuilding
workouts as you celebrate
the gains you have made.
The recognition that you
have gained strength in the
past will inspire you to
make additional gains in
the future. The past is
prologue, as they say. A
training journal can help
you on your way.
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