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Building
Lean Muscle Mass
Safely
While muscle soreness is
not a direct factor in
muscular growth, it is an
indication that you have
trained the muscle hard
enough to cause the
adaptations needed for size
gains. In this sense, some
temporary soreness is good.
However, if you're
constantly sore, you're
getting too much of a good
thing. Soreness results
from microscopic tears in
the muscle fibers and other
factors. This damage at the
cellular level is repaired
as the muscle grows. Yet,
if you exercise so much
that your body is always
sore, you never give your
muscles the time they need
to recuperate and grow –
and you may have lean
muscle mass.
Never
exercise a bodypart until
it has not been sore for at
least a day. If this role
gets in the way of your
current workout program,
try stretching out your
training schedule. Some
athletes have changed from
the traditional two- or
three-day division of
bodyparts to a four-day
division of bodyparts.
Others have added rest days
between or during each
bodypart rotation. Both of
these variations lengthen
the period between training
sessions for a particular
bodypart and increase the
time available for
recuperation. So, be
creative since there are
several ways to get bigger
muscles.
Another
option is to cut down on
the number of sets for each
bodypart. This way there is
less stress on the muscle
from each exercise session
and less time needed for
recovery. If you lift a few
sets at your maximum weight
and then find that the
weights you can use keep
dropping and dropping,
you're better off stopping
your bodypart workout right
there. You're not going to
grow from a few more sets
at lighter weight. On the
contrary, these extra sets
will just increase the
amount of recovery needed.
Try experimenting with the
number of sets to see how
your muscles recuperate.
You may find that they grow
more with fewer sets.
A third
option is to utilize what
powerlifting coach Kurt
Elder calls the "wave
method." "Your body can't
give 100 percent all of the
time. Your muscles, joints
and tendons need time to
recuperate before your body
can grow. Reduce the
intensity and volume of
your training periodically
so you can form a solid
foundation for future
growth. It may seem like a
step back, but in the final
analysis you will
accomplish your goals
sooner than you would
otherwise." This technique
is also known as
periodization.
No matter
how many ways to get bigger
muscles you try, always
keep in touch with your
body. It will send you
signals when it needs
recuperation. Listen to
them. Athletes often ignore
these signals, figuring
that they have to force the
body to grow. Nothing could
be further from the truth.
By working with your body
and giving it the
recuperation it seeks, you
will achieve the quickest
muscle growth.
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