For the purpose of this 3-part blog series I am going to focus on all things hypertrophy, which in short means an increase in muscle mass. The first part which I will focus on today is with regards to the single most important aspect to consider when trying to gain muscle size, the programming. I think it goes without saying that there are a number of ways to approach a program. What I aim to focus on however are the evidence backed variables which are guaranteed to give you success and how to manipulate these variables to the most advantageous place for yourself.
Category: Premium Member
To crunch or not to crunch:
A topic of debate on social media constantly is whether direct and specific abdominal exercises are necessary within a training program. To answer this question properly, I feel it is important to read through the scientific literature and see what different sources are saying regarding the role of the abdominal musculature and what you should or should not be doing as part of your routine.
High intensity interval training:
For the purpose of this blog I am going to dive into exactly what high intensity interval training (HIIT) is, why it is often confused with sprint interval training (SIT) and guide you through getting the most out of your workouts. There are host of physiological adaptations that take place within the body depending on your modality of exercise, however after reading this post I hope you have gained more clarity on the how and why of the situation and can further implement a more structured approach to your workout regime.
Understanding de-loads.
Whilst there is always going to be the right tool for the job, we need to keep an open mind to the factors which lead to success or failure within the weights room. More often than not, people place a great deal of thought into their accumulative phases and not as much time is spent considering the metabolic costs and resultant fatigue of their endeavours. It is with this premise that I aim to give you the best understanding of how to best structure a period of work, followed by what is commonly known as a “de-load” or decreased intensity phase.
Understanding intensity:
“Athletes and coaches seek to maximise sporting performance through training. In order for the training sessions to be optimal they should be based upon scientific principles and an understanding of the dose-response nature of the training methods employed.” A lot of people are lead to believe that intensity simply means how hard you feel you worked during a session. This is not the case and I will be giving you some examples as to why, and how to better understand work rates for the purpose of more objective and purposeful training prescriptions.
Understanding the Deadlift and performing it correctly:
For the purpose of this article I am going to highlight the benefits as well as pitfalls of the Deadlift, probably one of the most commonly performed lift within the gym. As this exercise comes with a huge amount of benefit, it also comes with some risks and I am going to hopefully mitigate some of the grey areas within this blog, and have you not only understanding the lift more clearly, but also able to performing it more correctly.