Everybody out there in the gym is trying to put on the best quality and a lot of muscles as quickly as possible. One may train hard day in and day out, going to failure with each workout but only to see “not-enough” gains.
Well, bodybuilding is not just about lifting weights insanely for a long time without the knowledge of what works and what not for packing on muscles. And for the good of all our aspiring athletes out here, here’s your way to train smarter and achieve your dreams with ease.
Here are your four ways to train smarter –
1) The major factor – Time Under Tension (TUT)
Yes, I can understand that you may have never heard this thing before either from your trainer or workout partner but believe me, Time under Tension is one of the biggest factors that can provide you with maximum muscles very quickly. Before I shower upon you the benefits of mastering TUT, let me tell you what TUT is –
Time under Tension is related to eccentric part of the lift. The eccentric part is lowering down the weights during any exercise. Well, for many people, tension and stress on muscles have never been of great importance.
They have committed this crime of considering weightlifting and bodybuilding as the art of throwing weights all around the gym with a lot of whines.
Little change in the way you lower down the weights during any exercise will ease up the muscle building process. The point is – you need to lower down the weights in a more controlled way so as to engage a stronger Mind-Muscle connection and maximise the tension that will help in getting more substantial gains.
Further, it takes us to another crucial thing called Tempo. If you go by ideal and time-tested tempo for building muscles, it suggests negative half of the rep be at least slowed down by 1-2 seconds. This little technique will engage more muscle fibres in the lift and give you better pump during the workout.
Take a look at – 5 Things Every Young Athlete should do to Build more Muscle Mass
2) Optimum rests period between consecutive sets.
On one hand there are those people who take about 2-5 minutes of rest between sets, on the other there are those who just take about 30-60 seconds of rest between two consecutive sets. So which one is the best?
Well, because you are an intermediate (or anything bigger than that) bodybuilder trying to put on some solid mass, it’s ideal that you rest no longer than 30-60 seconds between your sets. Resting any longer than that will deprive you of intensity and essential pump.
However, if you are a powerlifter trying to put all of your efforts in maximising the number of weights you can lift then you should allow yourself to rest for at least 2-5 minutes during which you can gather strength and mentally prepare yourself for the next power lift.
Take a look at – Professional Lean Muscle Tips for Every Beginner to Follow
3) It’s necessary to implement a “de-load week.”
So, you say you have been curling those big dumbbells (in a correct way) ever since you entered gym but you still haven’t managed to get in those muscles? Well, Deload may be the answer you need.
Deload period is that part of the training routine where you have to lighten up the load at least 40-50% than you have usually been lifting. A de-load period may last for a week or even more depend on upon how you have been training all other time.
The greatest of all advantage of a de-load week is that it will give you the necessary break from heavy lifting session and restore the feeling of well being.
Take a look at – 4 Training Loopholes that are Making you Weaker
4) Take a break when you feel like
Your gym trainer might have often advised you to not to skip any day from the gym. Well, it may sound like a productive statement keeping in mind your goal to build muscles but if you closely look, it’s the other way round.
Don’t get me wrong, but it’s fine to take a week or even couple of from the gym to restore the same passion and motivation which may have burned out over the time.
Taking a break will not only help with the motivation part but it will also help you make consistent gains for a longer period. Moreover, during this time, you can rebuild your strategies, know the lagging body parts and hence derive a top notch plan for better gains ahead.
Take a look at – 6 Life Lessons that Bodybuilding Teaches Us
