Bodybuilding is a very challenging, fun and unique sport. However, in order to attain
the goals you want within bodybuilding properly, you actually must work out less,
in order to achieve the greatest results. The kicker is, you have to do "less"
with greater intensity.
If you want to build muscle strength beyond what you would normally do in everyday
life, you must undergo three specific phases. These are stimulation, recovery and
growth.
You might say that that's a pretty simple process, and that you already do that.
However, to advance even further, you must do these specific phases in the proper
way.
The following three phases must occur in the following ways:
Yes, you must stimulate the muscle in order for growth to happen, but for best results,
do it briefly and with great intensity.
With recovery, you are letting your muscles rest so that they can be regenerated
and repaired. During this process, your body removes metabolic waste and replenishes
your energy reserves. To best utilize your recovery phase, you need to consume protein
and carbohydrates within 20 minutes after you are finished training for that particular
session. You can do this within two hours and still achieve good results, but it's
still best to nourish yourself within 20 to 40 minutes after you have finished training.
Muscle growth occurs while your muscles are recovering. If you do not let your muscles
recover before you expose them to training yet again, you won't build muscle. In
fact, you may actually cause atrophy in your muscles, because muscles that have
not been allowed to undergo recovery suffer from over-training, which in turn can
cause muscle breakdown.
So to build muscle properly, you must train, eat and rest, which in turn will cause
muscle growth.
If you are a beginner, start with light repetitions and lots of sets, along with
frequent or even daily training. Then, move to the intermediate level, where you
let specific muscles rest and train others on alternate days (so that your muscles
can undergo recovery on your off days), but the intensity of your training picks
up. At the advanced level, you regularly take an entire day off so that you can
fully rest, but your training intensity increases to the maximum. Decrease repetitions,
but increase the amount of weight you lift.
Finally, at the ultimate level, you can train for three days a week (every other
day) with two sets of six to eight repetitions. This is enough to stimulate your
muscle, but is not so much that you cause significant muscle breakdown.
You can add muscle size and strength, as well as density, just by cutting training
down to three days a week using the above formula.
In addition, if you train at the gym for three to four days a week, 45 to 60 minutes
at a time, this will maximize your muscle gains.
To master the art of building muscle, use the tools you have to the best possible
advantage.