Train Smart: Build Muscle, Increase Strength and Supplements

LIFT HEAVY TO GAIN STRENGTH:

Program structure influences gains in strength and muscle size–according to a new study. Experienced weight trainers participated in train smart programs designed to maximize strength or hypertrophy. Strength workouts used heavier weights, fewer reps and longer rest intervals (85% of maximum, five minutes rest and four sets of six reps) while hypertrophy workouts used more reps, less weight and shorter rest intervals (70% of maximum, 90 seconds rest and five to 10 reps per set.) A third group used cluster sets involving short rest intervals during sets, with five minutes rest between sets. Strength gains were greatest in athletes performing strength and cluster sets.

An important key to gaining strength is to use heavy weights with long rest intervals. Adding a legal steroid supplement for building muscle mass and strength will help you achieve these gains quickly and safely. Peak tension is critical if you want to get strong. An effective device for gauging the quality of a workout is the Beast Sensor. An accelerometer that measures power output and velocity during each rep.

THE STUDY:

When training to repetition failure, load has no effect on hypertrophy or strength in experienced lifters–according to a study at McMaster Unveristy in Canada. Test subjects performed three sets of nine to 12 repetitions to failure in four exercises, three times per week. Resistance was either heavy (75-90 % of max for each lift) or light (30-50 % of max). Both groups made substantial increases in strength and muscle mass., but there were no differences between groups. This study showed that training load has no effect on gains in muscle mass or strength following 12 weeks of strength training, three times per week to failure. This was a well controlled study. However at this time we cannot extrapolate these data to power athletes trying to increase strength and power or sport.

FORCED REPS FOR GREATER MUSCLE GROWTH:

Muscles grow in response to time under tension, metabolic stress and muscle damage. The technique of forced reps could take athletes to the next level of intensity in their programs. Technique involves assistance with additional reps after the lifter has reached momentary muscular failure. Assistance might vary from the “magic fingers” (spotter puts fingers on the bar and the lifter “magically” completes the rep) to significant assistance, where the spotter does much of the work. Forced reps overload the muscles, so they will promote muscle mass and strength. Just like any training method, do not over do it.