Weekly workouts for different muscle groups. The combination of muscle groups

Now in bodybuilding, the main thing is the split. Its purpose is that in one lesson the load goes on several muscles at once. But how do you combine them? Empirically, it turned out that it is better to combine large muscle groups with small ones that help them in 1 approach.

For example, chest and triceps. The main load in this case should fall on large ones. If you start the exercise with a helping muscle, then it will soon get tired, and this will negatively affect all muscles.

It is advised to simultaneously load the dorsal and pectoral muscles, which form two groups. After training, it turned out that the chest and back can be loaded together if the chest is trained first.

When training biceps and triceps, the order of loading does not matter, since their functions in combinations are preserved. But deltas do not combine with pectoral muscles, as they behave similarly.

Interesting articles for your workout:

How to work out

A large number of anabolic hormones are released in classes with an average weight of 10-12 repetitions and pauses for a minute and a half. Large muscle groups in the classroom give a more powerful hormonal release compared to training small ones. But what if they are also combined with large groups?

Conducted a study: took two groups of men without training. The first loaded the biceps, and the second trained the legs, but along with the biceps. This second group had more powerful levels of anabolic hormones.

There is another effect and the statement that when the right side of the body is loaded, the left side is stimulated, and vice versa. That is, the strength and weight of the muscles on the other hand increases due to the excitation of the nerves.

An effective method of training for bodybuilders is the traction-press system. In one session, first the back is trained, and then the triceps. And on the other - the chest, and then the biceps. In each case, the large muscle groups are loaded first.

It is believed that they require a large expenditure of energy. But with their loads, there is a maximum release of hormones. Trainings are divided by days. But all classes still supplement loads on secondary muscles.

First lesson- chest exercises, and additionally load the triceps muscle, and then triceps training. Triceps loads well, and then she is given a long rest period, since on other days she and her breasts do not train. This is important for building mass.

Second- first the legs, then the muscles of the shoulders.

Unified systems have not been created, everything still depends on the constitution of the athlete, and for what period he will be able to recover. But a competent approach takes into account - 2 muscle groups are loaded in one session, and 3-4 days the number of workouts is 2-3 times a month. This will provide effective elaboration all muscle groups.

What happens if you don't train for 2 weeks

Skipping classes is fraught with loss of muscles gained strength and volume. If an athlete has a need to sleep well, then this will not affect his strength even if he skips classes. Especially if you eat and rest hard at the same time. There will be no damage, as the athletes say.

But changes begin to be felt already on the third day. Even such a slight pause leads to muscle reduction. Calories are burned more slowly and strength is lost.

Looking in the mirror, it is not visible at first. But the fibers of the muscles, which usually take longer to contract, as well as those trained for endurance, begin to tire soon. But skipping one class doesn't matter much.

Muscle groups that are loaded in everyday life (hamstrings) do not lose strength as quickly as those that are rarely included (abs). Coaches also claim that it will take twice as much time as missed to make up for everything.

So, with a rest of 2 weeks, you will need a month of classes to regain the previous level.

But it is believed that rest is not negative if it is not delayed for a long time. In addition, if you continue to consume a lot of protein, you can become even stronger.

Many people ask the question, why do you want to eat while relaxing? When skipping classes, there are many chances to consume more fats and carbohydrates, rather than healthy foods. This is due to the fact that there is no longer a positive effect of classes on the general mood and energy.

With long pauses, nutritionists advise not to deviate from the usual regimen. This will help, as it turned out, to keep the same level of muscle mass. But this also needs to be kept under control, since metabolic processes are high while maintaining training. More is consumed, but calories are also expended.

And if the nutrition is left the same, the body will not be able to expend excess energy, but most likely will save it as a resource. It can also cause stress during long periods of rest, as activities cause the release of endorphins.

A two-week pass causes a decrease in the usual production of the hormone, and this will lead to stress. In addition, the body begins to experience stress. At sedentary work for example, it will accumulate in the muscles of the shoulders and legs.

And during classes, it usually passes. If during the training period you do not get rid of stress, then both rest and sleep will be incomplete. And the pass will also accumulate nervous energy, which will interfere with deep sleep.

It doesn't take long to start training again. The general atmosphere of the people in the hall, who are intensively engaged, has a good effect. This will get you back on the path of training.

One of the most common questions before training is what to train with what, which muscle groups to work out together and how often to do it?

There are many ways to create a training plan. Choose your the best option depending on your experience and goals. If one type of training does not provide the required load, try to build the program in a different way that will take into account your personality.

For gaining muscle mass

As recommended sports medicine strength training should be done at least twice a week. During this time, you will develop the main muscle groups: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs, anterior and posterior thigh muscles.

Remember that you need 48 hours of rest for any muscle to recover. Do not forget that in order to gain mass, you need to pay attention to high-quality protein nutrition and the appropriate caloric content of the diet.

What to train with gym for mass gain? You should not load a large number of muscles at the same time, however, the muscles involved should work to the maximum, if possible without affecting the other large group muscles.

In this case, the body will aim to restore certain areas without wasting building material to bring the whole body back to normal.

Opposite muscle training is one of the most common types of strength training. At the same time, in one session, exercises are done on the antagonist muscles, which ensure the movement of the joints in opposite directions. Simply put, on the same day you work on the front and back of a specific area of the body.

Since rest is required for the loaded muscles, it is convenient to train on another part of the body the next day.

Advantages of this method:

The target muscle group works to the maximum. You won't be able to achieve the same effect when training the whole body at once. Each time focusing on a particular area, you will get results faster.
Studies show that you work the muscle fibers more actively when you work or at least stretch the antagonist muscles in the same session. This means that the chest press will be more effective after stretching the middle back.
Antagonist muscle training ensures that you work both sides of the body evenly, while maintaining balance in figure development.

The disadvantages of this type of training include the fact that you will work out each muscle group only once a week. Sample schedule for four workouts per week:

Monday: chest and back.
Tuesday: front and posterior muscle hips, abs.
Thursday: biceps, triceps and shoulders.
Saturday: chest and back.

The following Monday, do hip and ab exercises and continue the rotation.

Another option for targeted muscle loading is to divide large muscle groups by day. Thus, one day you train the chest and triceps, the next day - the back and biceps, the next workout - the legs and shoulders.

The shoulders can be worked out along with the pectoral muscles. This method of training is also convenient with a tight training plan.

Keep in mind that in order to improve performance and offload nervous system the training strategy needs to be changed periodically. For example, put exercises on the biceps along with the pectoral muscles, and the back along with the triceps. This will diversify your workouts, relieve psychological fatigue and give impetus to a further set of muscle mass.

For weight loss

If your goal is to lose weight, your workout should be as energy intensive as possible and burn calories efficiently.

What to train with what in one day for weight loss? Good fit functional training, in which almost all muscle groups are worked out in one session.

In this case, it is necessary to do a large number of approaches (from 8) with maximum weights, but a small number of repetitions in one approach. Each of the workouts includes all 3 exercises from powerlifting, however, on the day of study pectoral muscles lightweight back and leg workout.

Work the large muscle groups first: legs, chest, and back. For example, the deadlift and bent-over row work several muscle groups at once. Then go to the study of small groups: triceps, biceps and shoulders. Do 2 exercises per group per workout to avoid overtraining.

As strength and endurance develop, you will be able to diversify and strengthen the training (add exercises or increase weights).

Beginners often believe that if you pump the press every day, this will quickly get rid of belly fat and draw the cherished “cubes”. In fact, the abdominal muscles work on the same principle as any other muscle group. Therefore, it makes sense to give them at least a day of rest between training days. The study of the muscles of the press is often combined with exercises for the back or legs.

Greetings, my dear sports and fitness lovers! Today we will analyze or fullbody training. Speaking without foreign borrowings and other pathos, this is simply training the whole body in one session. This approach is quite common in fitness, and it has some advantages over classical studies. As part of this article, I will try to expand your knowledge on this topic as much as possible. Go!

Best of all is the full body program, working through all areas of the body as much as possible in one training session. For experienced athletes, such a scheme is only suitable for losing weight, since they need to devote a lot of time to each muscle group.

In addition, this type of training implies that each muscle will be worked out 2-3 times a week. This is not suitable for professionals, because their muscles will not have time to recover due to high loads. If you reduce the intensity, then in this case there will be practically no sense from them.

Therefore, the main target audience beginners will be this type of training, but he is also. They need to perform a much smaller amount of work to effectively load the muscles. Such a system should be followed at least for the first six months of classes, gradually moving to a classic, three-day split.

The benefits and harms of full body training

Full body workouts allow you to evenly develop your entire body. With their help, you can develop a basic "reserve" of muscle mass, which you will develop and strengthen later.

They are suitable not only as intensive programs for training in the gym, but also for those who want to work out effectively at home. That is, you do not have to immerse yourself in the world of sports - such a system will give you a chance to keep your body healthy and strong.

Training different muscle groups on the same day is perceived by the body as a serious stress. When you train your chest, legs, and back in one session, this actively stimulates your metabolism. As a result, such workouts are very good for weight loss.

The harm from such an integrated approach can only be if you seriously violate the technique of performing some exercise, or if you train too often, preventing the body from recovering.

Contraindications

There are no specific contraindications that apply exclusively to full body training. Of course, if for one reason or another you are forbidden to play sports or heavily load your body, then the general program for the whole body is forbidden for you.

Technique and types of exercises

Exercises in such workouts can be very different. Starting from the classic bench press, ending with jumping rope. They are selected based on what goals you are pursuing.

Men in the gym should pay the most attention to basic exercises - bench press, squat with a barbell and deadlift. They are key point in all strength training, and it is on them that the set of muscle mass primarily depends.

If you came to the gym to lose weight, then cardio should be the basis of your full body workouts. It is best to insert them at the beginning and at the end of the session - so, the fat burning potential will increase significantly.

Girls, on the other hand, rarely train in order to gain serious muscle mass. Therefore, for the fair sex, it is recommended to focus on isolated exercises, with a moderate addition of cardio to the program.

For such workouts, exercises from both classical fitness and crossfit programs, or plyometric ones, are suitable. They can be performed both with the use of weights, for example, with dumbbells, with a kettlebell, or with a barbell, and without it.

Workout Example

Consider the classic options for full body workouts, first at home, and then to work in the gym.

At home

Here is the most standard set the best exercises that can be performed even at home:

On the chest - classic push-ups.

Triceps - reverse push-ups on the chair.
On the biceps - to pump the biceps, you should get dumbbells, since with your weight you can’t pump it in any way.
For the press - classic and reverse twisting, leg raises in the prone position. .

For legs and buttocks - classic squats, walking up the stairs.
For shoulders - lifts and swings with dumbbells.
For the back - deadlift with dumbbells,.

The weekly complex will look like this:

Push-ups - 4 × 20.
Reverse twists on a chair - 4 × 15.
Bending arms with dumbbells - 4 × 20.
Air squats 4×20.
Army bench press with dumbbells - 4 × 15.
Deadlift with dumbbells - 4 × 20.

In the gym

In the gym, the choice of exercises is much wider. There are various simulators and numerous types of weights: dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, pancakes, etc. Therefore, the list of exercises for each set of muscles is much wider here.

On the chest - bench press or dumbbell lying, crossover, butterfly, incline press, dumbbell layouts, etc.
Triceps - french press, thrust on top block, dumbbell raises, reverse push-ups from the bench, extension with dumbbells from behind the head, etc.
For biceps - lifting the barbell for biceps, alternate or simultaneous lifting of dumbbells, traction on the Scott bench, "hammers", thrust for biceps with supination, etc.

For the press - the set is almost the same, with the addition of various simulators and the use of inclined benches.
For legs and buttocks - barbell squat, leg press, leg extensions and leg curls, deadlifts on straight legs, etc.
For shoulders - army press, barbell chin rows, dumbbell swings, dumbbell presses, etc.
For the back - deadlift, bent-over row, barbell tilt, upper and lower block pull, etc.

The list is given in such a way that at the beginning there is a “base” - the most difficult, and at the same time the most necessary exercises. After them come more isolated exercises, allowing you to "work out" the muscle, and not for gaining mass.

Let's take a look at some of the classic options for full-body workouts in the gym.

Barbell Squats 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps.
Dumbbell bench press 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps.
Pull-ups 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.
Push-ups on the uneven bars 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.
Classic crunches 4 sets of 20-25 reps.

Deadlift 4-5 sets 8-12 reps.
Butterfly exercise 4 sets 15 reps.
Leg press in the simulator 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Row 4 sets 15 reps.
French bench press 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
Barbell Curl 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
Hanging leg raises 3 sets - max reps.

As a rule, you need to perform a complex on the whole body three to four times a week. Build the lesson so that the emphasis is on different groups muscles were different. In other words - on the first day of training, focus on the chest. To do this, add a bench press and some other chest exercise to the program, and dilute it with one exercise for other parts of the body, but without adding other basic ones.

In the next workout, the emphasis on the legs is a squat with a barbell, but without the addition of a deadlift and bench press. And so on. That is, you do not need to complete the entire base in one workout.

In home workouts, of course, you don’t really fantasize with exercises, but the goals here are different. It is preferable to practice at home if you just want to keep your body in good shape. To do this, you can perform the same complexes, but subject to increased loads.

Sets and Reps

Most often, fullbody training is measured in "laps". That is, you take a certain list of exercises, and perform them one after another, without rest. After you have done one such circle, you can allow yourself a short rest, for 2-4 minutes. Then the circle repeats.

In one workout, you need to complete from 4 to 10 such circles, depending on the level of your training, the goals pursued and the exercises chosen.

Warm up and stretch

Of course, do not forget that you need to stretch your whole body well before training. Since in one lesson each of your muscle group takes part in the work, then you need to ensure that all muscles and joints are well warmed up.

The same goes for stretching after a workout. It will quickly eliminate lactic acid and toxins from your muscles. This helps to reduce pain and reduces the time it takes for the body to recover.

Nutrition and sports supplements

complexes exercise For individual muscles are rarely too tiring. However, to get the most out of such training, I recommend that you use some sports supplements.

For example, the use of BCAA amino acids and protein will never be superfluous. They will allow the body to recover faster, and contribute to a better set of muscle mass.

There is no point in talking about nutrition separately for fullbody training. Here the main aspects are the same as with any other type of training. That is, and the emphasis on carbohydrates, and then proteins for gaining muscle mass.

How often to exercise

Ideally, do this workout 3-4 times a week so that your body has time to recover. Weekly sessions should be alternated, using other exercises and changing days to pump different parts of the body.

Common mistakes

The most common mistake in this type of training is either too frequent or too "light" classes. In the first case, you simply overload your body, and it will not have time to recover. In this case, further classes will only harm you.

In the second case, some beginners like to indulge themselves. A few extra minutes of rest, or a break during the circle - remember, you are not working for someone, but first of all for yourself. Namely, there should be the most stringent demand from ourselves.

Conclusion

Summing up, I would like to draw several conclusions. Fullbody workouts are really good at helping you gain muscle mass or lose weight. But only if you are either just starting out, or have not been doing a few recent years. For more detailed information, you can find photos and videos of full body workouts on the Internet or YouTube.

In other cases, it follows, for each muscle group separately.

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The only correct answer to the question: which muscles to train together does not exist. Depending on the goals set, they can be arranged within the framework in completely different ways. Moreover, each of the training split options will almost always have both pros and cons. About which muscle groups to train together, and which variations of their layout are the best for gaining mass, and which ones for losing weight, read on. The most interesting thing about training and sports nutrition on my telegram channel https://t.me/bestbodyblog

Majority training programs for mass gain (I'm talking about) are built according to the method three day split. In this case, one large muscle group and one, rarely two, small ones are pumped in one session. For example, chest and triceps or back and biceps. A large group trains first, a small group after it.

Naturally, with this option, the main part of the load will go to the muscles that are loaded at the beginning of the lesson, and those who reach the hands at the end will get only crumbs. If you do the opposite, and load the chest after the triceps, and the back after the biceps, then it will not work normally to train large groups after small ones. How, then, to combine the muscles in training, so that they still grow?

Option 1. Pump large and small muscles together

Whatever conclusion you make after reading the introduction, but it is the arrangement of one large muscle group and one or two small ones that is the best option for a set of exercises for gaining mass. Yes, indeed, you need to download a large group first, then a smaller one, there are no options. And the fact that the triceps or biceps trained after the chest and back will have a lot less load is also true.

But, nevertheless, this is the only sure way to pump muscles in a week, so as to load the entire body equally, and have time to recover between workouts. And most importantly - gain muscle mass. Why? I explain:

First. Weight gain occurs due to large muscle groups: legs, back and chest. If you want to get bigger, then first of all you need to download them. It will be easier to gain 2-3 kg of mass per month by squatting with a barbell than by swinging deltas with dumbbells. Of course, we also need it, but only they don’t give mass, but legs and back.

Deadlifts and squats are two keys to mass gain

Second. Muscle growth directly depends on the level of hormones:, and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor). So, doing basic exercises for large muscle groups, especially squats and deadlifts, stimulates an increase in hormonal levels better than other exercises.

That is, by pumping the biceps along with the legs, we deliberately load it on the day of increasing testosterone levels. We squat (and preferably get up) with a barbell - testosterone rises - both legs and biceps grow. The same scheme works on other days, when, for example, the back is loaded with triceps, and the chest along with the shoulders.

Third. Basic exercises for large muscle groups, load smaller groups: abs, back extensors, lumbar, gluteal muscles. They are also called. The effectiveness of the exercises for the arms and shoulders depends on their strength and endurance. To lift heavy (and most importantly, slowly lower) you need a strong lower back. To perform with a decent weight, you need a strong front delta, to shake the barbell from the chest while standing, you need strong extensors.

Basic exercises increase strength and endurance of the whole body

When compiling a training split, you must first place large muscle groups on the days of the week, and then “attach” smaller groups to them. How exactly? And here are the possible options:

Week 1
Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Legs + biceps	chest + triceps	Back + shoulders
Week 2
Legs + triceps	Back + shoulders	chest + biceps
Week 3
Legs + shoulders	chest + triceps	Back + biceps

Note: legs in each of the options are the first. This is not necessary, but since there are two days of rest after the Friday workout, this makes it possible to better rest and load them more before pumping the legs. And the constant change of muscle groups trained along with the legs allows you to potentially accelerate the growth of each of them.

The advantage of such complexes for weight gain is as follows:

Emphasis on pumping large muscle groups, especially the legs
High levels of muscle stress
Sufficient time for recovery
Stable set of total body weight

Flaws? And there are none. In my opinion, the best system for entraining muscles (especially large ones) in volume has not yet been invented. Of course, these weekly training programs will not work for everyone, without exception, because each of us has our own genetic baggage. But, if you adapt them to your tasks, age and state of health, this will allow you to steadily increase muscle volume, regardless of genetics.

Conclusion: pumping large and small muscles together is best during the mass gain period. For such a purpose, such an arrangement is an uncontested option.

Option 2. Train pulling and pushing muscle groups together

This layout method is also called the push-pull training program. Pressing muscles include the chest, shoulders, triceps, and pulling muscles include the back and biceps. In this case, the weekly split would look like this:

Monday. Chest, shoulders, triceps
Wednesday. Back, biceps
Friday. Quadriceps, hamstrings

This option of building a training split is also a mass-gathering one, and has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantage 1. The pushing and pressing groups are pumped only once a week, and in the following days they rest and recover.

Advantage 2. Legs are trained solo, therefore, the amount of load on them can be increased without wasting time pumping "kids".

Disadvantage 1. At each lesson, in addition to the target muscles, the assistant muscles are very heavily loaded. When performing pressing movements, a large load falls on the elbows. And when performing traction - on the lumbar and wrists.

Drawback 2. You can pump muscle groups together within the framework of such a training split with a different frequency, but the very principle of its construction, unlike the previous scheme, has fewer variations in composition.

Conclusion: push-pull training program allows you to pay more attention to the legs, leaving the load on other muscles on high level.

Option 3. Train antagonist muscles together

Antagonist muscles are: chest-back, biceps-triceps, quadriceps - biceps femoris, as well as press - back extensors. But you need to be extremely careful when training the extensors together, since both of these muscle groups are body stabilizers and their simultaneous pumping can cause an overload of all the muscles of the core. When compiling a training program for antagonist muscles, it is worth concentrating on the first three pairs.

A training split for a week with such a combination looks like this:

What does the training of antagonist muscles give in one lesson? Firstly, they rest faster between sets, because in this case the mechanism of active recovery comes into play. For example, you can load them more than one by one. Secondly, the muscles are better filled with blood, the delivery of nutrients to them improves. Therefore, the chances of gaining mass increase.

You can also pump antagonist muscles together in the classic version: do an exercise set for one muscle group, relax and do a set for the second, or you can do it differently - with the help of supersets.

Mass supersets. chest-back

Supersets or complex sets are two exercises performed one after the other without rest. There are many options for supersets for antagonist muscles, but if we talk about mass gain, then they should include mainly basic exercises. The most effective in this regard are the following mini-complexes:

Supersets for legs:

Supersets for chest and back:

Hand supersets:

barbell bench press narrow grip+ lifting the bar for biceps while standing
push-ups on the uneven bars + lifting dumbbells with supination while standing

Note: to pump muscles in this way (especially the chest and back) was very fond of Arnold Schwarzenegger. But training antagonist muscles is still popular today. Many professionals, and even amateurs, and older ones, the same, train in this way.

Antagonist muscle training for mass gain fits very well

Advantages of the antagonist muscle training program: increase in the volume of work + shocking the muscles with an unusual load + accelerating their growth. The disadvantage is the maximum load on the articular-ligamentous apparatus and the cardiovascular system. Therefore, if we train muscles together in this way, then only for a short period of time.

Conclusion: training antagonist muscles has both potential benefits for gaining muscle mass and a high risk of overtraining. This system must be applied in a dosed manner.

Option 4. Pump muscle groups using the two-day split method

I want to clarify right now two day split(the method is also called top-down training) - this does not mean at all that the muscles are loaded only twice a week. Although you can do that too. In this case, the two-day split should be regarded more as a training program for maintaining muscle volume, and not for rapid mass gain.

The top-bottom training program involves pumping the body in two times.

The main principle of such a distribution of muscles by day is that in two sessions the whole body is pumped, first the top, then the bottom. If you fit such a split into the usual, three-day scheme, it will look like this:

Note: an important condition for such a distribution of muscles by day is to change the set of exercises at each subsequent lesson. There should not be two identical workouts for each of the body parts.

The advantage of a two-day split is only one, but quite significant - each muscle group is pumped (depending on the week) twice in 7 days. Less in volume, because it should have time to recover, but exactly twice as often as usual.

Top-down workouts can also be classified as mass-gathering, especially when you consider that the priority in them, again, is given to the legs. The disadvantages of such a weekly program will be balancing on the verge of overload due to the frequent pumping of the same muscles and an extremely careful approach to the choice of exercises, especially for the legs.

Conclusion: top-down training can have a tangible effect in terms of gaining muscle mass. And a two-day split in the truest sense of its meaning is a way to maintain the gained volumes and maintain muscle density.

Option 5. Pump the muscles of the whole body at once (circular training)

The idea is that in one session you need to pump the muscles of the whole body, from top to bottom. Exercises for each of them can be performed sequentially or in a mixed order. Circular training is used for different purposes:

As a training program for a beginner
To return to training process after a long break
As a Method to Shake Muscles and Overcome Mass Gaining Plateaus
To develop strength endurance
For accelerated fat burning

A circuit training program for men might look like this:

muscle group	Exercise	hiking	Reps
Legs	Squats	3	10
Legs	leg press	2	12
Back	Pull-ups in the gravitron	3	10
Back	Rod pull to the belt in Smith	2	12
Breast	Dumbbell bench press	3	10
Breast	Reduction of hands in a crossover	2	12
Shoulders	Breeding dumbbells standing	3	10
Biceps	Standing barbell lift	2	10
Triceps	Narrow Grip Barbell Press	3	10

The full body training system is not a mass-gaining program, because each of the muscle groups receives too little load per session. But circular training can be safely called one of the better ways reduction of fat reserves without a noticeable loss of muscle mass. This is its main advantage.

Circuit training for weight loss

The full body also has one drawback - overworking the body if you work on it for too long. As with the previous two split options, circuit training (if you include mainly basic exercises in it) should not be used for more than one to two weeks in a row.

Conclusion: the circular training system implies that in one session you need to pump the muscles of the whole body together. For weight gain, full body is useless, but it is well suited for weight loss.

Conclusion

You can pump muscle groups together in a wide variety of combinations. None of the above schemes can give returns all the time. Therefore, your complex for gaining mass must be consciously and regularly changed. This will enable the muscles to be in a state of controlled stress and grow steadily. May the force be with you. And mass!

We have translated from scientific language into human language several important knowledge that will help you grow muscle in the most effective way.

We believe that almost everyone who reads texts and fitness understands that exercise can increase both strength and muscle size. However, there is a clear difference between strength training, and training aimed specifically at increasing muscle size.

How muscles grow

By itself, weight training does not cause muscle growth. But the load received in training causes fatigue and stimulates physiological mechanisms, which are mainly during rest and cause the muscles to increase. Growth occurs as a result of an increase in thickness muscle fibers and fluid volume in muscle cells.

The ability to gain muscle mass depends on gender, age, weight training experience, genetics, the amount and quality of sleep, nutrition and fluid intake, and even stress levels can affect the ability to increase mass. For example, work overload or insufficient sleep can significantly reduce muscle growth, despite proper workouts and food.

Mechanical and metabolic stress

There is no doubt that if you regularly and correctly draw iron, then this leads to an increase in muscle volume and strength, however, scientists still have not decided what exactly causes muscle growth.

Training causes two specific types of stress: mechanical (micro tears in the muscles - read more: "") and metabolic (starting chemical recovery processes due to the energy expended by the muscles), and both can provide the necessary stimulus for muscle growth.

The problem for research is that both mechanical and metabolic stress act in pairs, and it is not easy to isolate the effect of each of them separately on muscle growth.

"Slow" and "fast" muscle fibers

To develop an exercise program for maximum muscle growth, you need to understand the physiology.

There are two main types of muscle fibers: slow twitch and fast twitch. Fast twitch fibers are larger in diameter than slow fibers and therefore occupy a more prominent place in your muscles.

"Slow" fibers are also referred to as aerobic, due to their high oxidative abilities, which enable them to contract for a long time. They are best suited for long-term, low-effort activities (such as long-distance running).

Fast twitch muscle fibers have a high threshold of excitation, as well as a high speed of signaling, and are better suited for fast efforts (so runners on short distances look like athletes compared to stayers). In other words, it is precisely these fibers that are needed to successfully pull a heavy barbell.

Repetition method. If you want to grow, do sets to failure

It's not enough to just lift weights for high reps if it doesn't lead to muscle failure. The body stores and uses energy very efficiently, so if you repeat exercises with a constant load, this can limit the amount of mechanical (roughly, they will tear badly) and metabolic stress (little growth hormones are released) for muscles and minimize training results.

Simply put, for maximum muscle growth, it is advisable to do exercises to muscle failure (I can’t anymore!)

3 types of training

Scientists Zatsiorsky and Kremer in 2006 identified three fundamental types of training: the maximum effort method, the dynamic effort method, and the repeated effort method. The first two methods are good for their purposes, but are not the most effective for muscle growth.

1. Maximum effort method

For this method, significant weights are used to increase the activity of “fast” muscle fibers (which we wrote about in more detail above). Roughly speaking, the maximum effort method is associated with lifting the maximum possible weight (respectively, and a small number of repetitions in the approach).

The main stimulus from the maximum effort method is mechanical (aimed at creating microfractures in the muscles), myofibrillar hypertrophy with a significant increase in strength and a moderate increase in muscle mass.

The maximum effort method is effective for developing strength, but not the best. effective remedy increase in muscle mass.

2. Method of dynamic forces

Dynamic effort training does not use maximum weight, but the emphasis is on moving the weight as fast as possible for stimulation. motor units.

This method is most effective for increasing the rate of force development and contraction power needed in many sports or dynamic activities. However, it does not provide enough mechanical or metabolic stress to the muscles needed to stimulate growth.

3. Method of repeated efforts

The repetition method does not maximum loads, but the need to do exercises before the onset of muscle failure (when it is no longer possible to complete any of the following repetitions in the approach).

The last few reps that have to be done through burning can involve all the fibers in the target muscle in contraction and cause significant overload. When using the method of repeated efforts, slow motor units are activated at the beginning of the approach, as they become tired, “fast” muscles will also be connected.

The repetitive effort method of exercising to failure is the most effective for muscle growth, science says. At the same time, it is important to work to failure. If the load is insufficient or the set is not performed to failure, stimulation of the “fast” motor units (as you read above, they are the main ones that give muscle volume) does not occur or the necessary metabolic conditions are not created that promote muscle growth.

Sleep and recovery are just as important as exercise and nutrition.

Rest is the most underestimated element of training. No matter how long you endured the pain of the last repetitions and how diligently you added protein and calories to your diet, it is not as important as the time it takes to promote nutrients and hormones for muscle protein synthesis after exercise.

Exercise and food are an important part of the equation muscle growth, but not all. Adequate recovery is very important - it is necessary to give the muscles enough time to replenish glycogen stores and the processes of reconstruction and creation of new muscle tissue.

The recovery required for muscle growth is 48-72 hours between workouts for a particular muscle group. This scientific argument, by the way, speaks in favor of split training - when each muscle group receives the main load, for example, once a week.

Inducing mechanical and metabolic stress during your gym workouts will only make sense as long as the hormones and substances needed for muscle growth are released during REM sleep. And this means that a good night's sleep is important for muscle growth after a workout. Insufficient sleep and recovery will spoil your efforts in the gym and at the dinner table. Moreover, sleep deprivation can increase adrenaline and cortisol levels, which can also reduce the ability to form new muscle tissue.

Sleep deprivation, poor appetite, long-term illness, and stunted growth due to exercise are all symptoms of overexertion that can significantly affect a person's ability to achieve their fitness goals.

“Under recovery” is another reason to think about overvoltage. “To promote muscle growth, you need time to rest ( active rest), providing the opportunity to fully recover,” says Schoenfeld (2013).

Training program for gaining muscle mass

Number of repetitions

Science suggests that for maximum muscle growth, choose the weight so that you do 8-12 repetitions to muscle failure - it's good that almost every trainer in the gym seems to know this simple fact. True, now, unlike you, not everyone knows exactly why.

The amount of rest between sets

Short or medium rest between sets (30 seconds to 2 minutes) can cause significant metabolic stress.

Number of sets in each exercise

According to scientists, performing 3-4 approaches provides the most effective mechanical tension for all involved muscles.

Travel speed

Scientists recommend that the movement with maximum effort is faster - 1-2 seconds (for example, lifting the bar), and the eccentric phase of the exercise (for example, lowering the bar) is longer (2-6 seconds). Slower execution of the eccentric phase is necessary to ensure sufficient mechanical tension - it is this "lighter" phase of movement that is most important for muscle growth. “In terms of hypertrophy, eccentric contraction has a greater impact on muscle development. In particular, eccentric exercise has been associated with greater increases in protein synthesis” (Schoenfeld, 2010).

Free weights or machines

Schoenfeld argues that each type of resistance plays a role in optimal muscle growth: “Free weights that involve a large number of muscles help increase muscle density, while the stabilization provided by machines allows more stress on individual muscles.”

Preparing for serious training

When training for muscle growth with a large metabolic and mechanical effect can cause serious muscle damage and are recommended for people with at least one year of training experience.

It is necessary to start with a dynamic warm-up, load the core muscles (abs, stabilizer muscles, and others) to prepare muscle tissue to the stress of high volume training.

Order of exercises

It is preferable to start training with complex movements with free weights to include the maximum number of muscles (for example, squats with a barbell, deadlift it is better to do at the beginning of the workout), and during the lesson, gradually move on to simulators that affect individual muscles.

Extreme exercise

The last exercise in each workout must be performed in the simulator with weight reduction: after all repetitions of the set to failure, the weight is reduced and the maximum possible number of repetitions to failure must also be done with it.

Weight reduction approaches can cause significant mechanical and metabolic stress, as well as significant discomfort, so they should be performed at the end of the session.

It is important to dose the load that is right for you, because “overload” can be no less harmful to muscle growth than “underload”. For example, the scientists-recommended muscle-building program (see below) limits cardio. According to Schoenfeld, "Exercising too much energy can reduce muscle growth."

The exercise program below is based on the latest scientific research related to muscle mass gain.

Attention: RM - repeated maximum

Day 4. Rest or low-intensity cardio exercise