Why is it so important to add high intensity resistance training to our routine?
Weight lifting offers great benefits for everyone, from bulking up to leaning down among others. We all have a specific resting metabolic rate (RMR). RMR refers to the number of calories we consume to be alive (while resting). There are many factors that determine that number, and among those factors, we have the muscle mass. The more muscle we carry, the higher RMR we have. Therefore, increasing muscle mass is a great tool we can add in order to obtain a lean physique.
Gains in muscle density are also very closely linked to gains in bone density. Resistance training is highly advisable as an option to prevent osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Can women build muscle as men do?
Gaining muscle is not as easy as it may sound, diet and intense workouts are important, but we can’t disregard the importance of hormones. Testosterone, commonly known as the male hormone, plays a very important role in the process. Both men and women produce testosterone, but in very different levels; that’s why men typically carry more muscle than women. Without adding testosterone to their system, a typical woman won’t be able to build the muscle mass of a man who trains the same way, regardless of the frequency, resistance or intensity.
The diet is one of the factors we can control in order to see muscle gains. With every workout, we challenge the muscles with the fuel provided by Low Glycemic Index (GI) carbohydrates and then we rebuild them stronger while resting with the utilization of proteins. The proportion and timing of those macronutrients are also very important. It’s best to start the day by loading the carbohydrates and end it by loading the proteins. A diet of 50% to 60% carbs and 30% to 20% proteins (based on the caloric intake) is the ideal ratio to add muscles to our body. Also, a meal (50% carbs – 50% proteins) within 30 mins after our resistance training routine will contribute to reaching our goals.
There are a big number of aspects to consider in our resistance training exercises
Full ROM
The Range Of Motion (ROM) refers to the movement of the joint or joints involved in the motion. There are minimal variations in the full ROM from person to person, but it’s never advisable to limit the range of any exercise in order to increase the intensity or load.
The muscle fibers stretch and contract internally, changing its alignment at different extensions of the movement. By limiting the ROM, only some of the fibers will be stimulated in the exercise, and additionally, the muscle will tighten up, making it more susceptible to tears as well as overstretching the antagonist muscle.
High repetitions or low repetitions?
It’s not uncommon to hear advice on the correct number of repetitions for different goals. The most important point we should start with is understanding that the repetitions refer to the maximum amount of repetitions we can do with a specific load, weight, or resistance.
A factor that doesn’t get considered very often is the speed at which those repetitions are performed.
To make things easier we will define the repetitions based on the time it takes to complete a set
High Repetitions: any exercise we can perform for over 30 seconds.
Low Repetitions: an exercise in which we can perform the set for over 5 seconds, but less than 30 seconds.
Extremely Low Repetitions: motions we can’t perform for over 5 seconds.
High repetitions
High repetition exercises will mostly force the muscle to work in an aerobic way. Big part of the energy will be resourced out of fat and oxygen. The growth of the muscle will be just mildly stimulated, but the stress of the exercise will be very easy on the tendons. It’s a great approach for cardiovascular and endurance conditioning, but not ideal to build muscle mass.
Low repetitions
The intensity of the Anaerobic exercise is inversely proportional to the number of repetitions (or time we can perform the exercise for). By keeping the resistance at an intensity that allows us to perform for 5 to 30 seconds we will be stimulating the growth of the muscle and avoiding the overload of the tendons. Typically these are the exercises we can perform between 6 to 12 repetitions at a moderate pace.
Extremely low repetitions
In order to perform explosive motions, like vertical jump, one repetition max exercises, etc. the muscle will process energy differently. It will resource to its creatine phosphate. Those explosive exercises are top-notch in order to build strength and muscle mass, but the consequences and risk shouldn’t be underestimated.
The tension in the tendons is so great that not uncommonly leads to ruptures. Powerlifters, javelin throwers, and other explosive-exercise athletes don’t merely rely on those one-repetition exercises for their conditioning. Due to the high demand (physical and technical) and the risk/benefit balance of those exercises, it is not something for the typical trainee.
Proper Form
As in with any other goal, keeping our mind on the finish line is the key. It isn’t worth it to sacrifice technique simply to get more repetitions or to lift heavier weight. The goal is to build stronger muscles, and not simply getting higher numbers.
Rocking or swinging will build the momentum to lift any specific weight (even body-weight), taking part of the intensity away from the muscle and jeopardizing the purpose of the exercise.
Changing the posture while we are performing the exercise, can also affect our results, since it will simply transfer the resistance to a different set of muscles, taking out of the equation the muscles we were intending to
There are some priciples that can take your resistance training to the next level.
Negative Repetitions
Repetitions have the concentric and eccentric part. The concentric (positive) refers to the part of the motion in which we contract the muscles to the max. The eccentric (negative) refers to the portion of the motion in which the muscles get extended back slowly. The same set of muscles are used for both parts of the repetition. The muscles must work harder during the positive phase.
To take advantage of the eccentric phase of the repetition, we perform that portion with a load heavier than the max we can use for the concentric part but controlling the speed of the movement to get the extra benefit.
It can also be utilized after we achieve the maximum number of repetition we can perform regularly in order to add some repetitions to the set.
Breakdowns
We reach the maximum point of exhaustion in any exercise (point of failure) whenever we can’t perform another repetition. As soon as the minimum amount of fibers required to perform the motion with the specific resistance isn’t available (due to the accumulation of lactic acid), we won’t be able to do the next repetition. With bigger loads we require more fibers to do the motion, therefore we can continue the motion by decreasing the load, and consequently, the number of fibers needed. The breakdowns principle takes advantage of that fact. By pushing the muscle to keep working with less number of fibers (rather than quitting), we will be working the muscle much more intensely.
Constant Motion
Lactic acid is the by-product of anaerobic exercises. Muscles try to get rid of it as soon as possible in order to allow those fibers to keep operating. By not stopping (even briefly) while performing the set, we are preventing the muscle from enabling some fibers back in the action and therefore forcing it to recruit new fibers more rapidly.
There are reasons, benefits, and risks to evaluate in every different approach to resistance training. People with high blood pressure should stay away from some approach but benefit from another. The same applies to individuals dealing with osteoporosis, diabetes, or even pregnancy. It’s highly recommendable to consult with a professional before engaging in any workout routine.