Find out what is best for a beginner in the gym, gain total body weight and dry first, and then add pure meat. Every woman wants to see a strong man next to her. Scientists assure that this desire is associated with ancient instincts, because throughout the history of our civilization, it was the man who was the earner of food and the protector of the family hearth. Men understand this and strive to correspond to the image that a woman wants to see.
However, starting to visit the hall, a quite natural question often arises - what to choose at the beginning of the mass or the relief? Each of these conditions has not only advantages but also disadvantages. Today we will try to answer this rather difficult question.
What to choose in the beginning, mass or relief: advantages and disadvantages
It should be noted right away that muscles can develop in one of two directions - to be hardy or large. Moreover, they are opposite, and you need to choose what you want to achieve. It is on the athlete himself that the answer to the question of what to choose at the beginning of the mass or relief largely depends.
To achieve each of these goals, there are special sets of exercises. Not every novice bodybuilder knows that there are different types of muscle fibers in our body that are responsible for endurance or strength. If you have already looked for information on this topic, then you have probably come across recommendations for consulting an experienced trainer.
We also advise you to do this in order not only to determine the purpose of training, but also to master the technique of all exercises. Since different muscle fibers perform a specific task, there are no athletes who simultaneously compete in bodybuilding and powerlifting tournaments.
In bodybuilding, the main focus is on gaining mass and giving the muscles a high-quality relief. At the same time, athletes are also working on increasing power parameters. In powerlifting, the amount of muscle mass does not really matter, but strength comes to the fore. Since the training process of powerlifting representatives is aimed at achieving only this goal, their body relief wants to leave the best.
In turn, bodybuilders cannot lift weights with the same weight that are used in powerlifting. We repeat once again that it is up to the athlete to choose the mass or relief at the beginning. Of course, working on strength parameters, muscle mass will also increase, but not as rapidly as during special workouts used by builders.
What to choose in the beginning mass or relief - useful tips
It is quite obvious that such a question is of interest only to those people who have a normal physique. If a guy comes to the gym with a lot of subcutaneous fat, then his first desire is to eliminate excess weight. If you have a thin physique, then it makes no sense to talk about the relief, because there are practically no muscles. In such a situation, you first need to gain weight and this is a fact.
But when a person's figure is close to ideal, the question of what to choose at the beginning of the mass or relief becomes very relevant. Today we will try to answer it, and for this it is necessary to consider everything from the point of view of the anatomy and physiology of our body.
We have already decided that you do not have excess subcutaneous fat (in large quantities), otherwise this question would not exist. However, the percentage of muscle mass is still less in comparison with fat. As a result, you need to gain muscle mass and get rid of excess fat. To answer the question of what to choose at the beginning of mass or relief, you need to consider various options for your possible actions.
First the mass, and then the relief
If you go this way, then you will gain muscle mass, but fat will also increase. It is impossible to avoid this, and the best option is a situation when with each kilogram of muscle mass, half a kilogram or slightly less fat comes. It must be admitted that for most men this option is very attractive, because they do not worry about fat as much as girls.
Relief first, then mass
In this case, you will actively get rid of fat, but at the same time you will also lose muscle mass, which you do not yet have very much. The ratio of muscle loss to fat is almost the opposite of the case discussed above - for every kilogram of fat, 500 grams of muscle mass is lost. As a result, you can lose fat, but still be without muscle.
Perhaps you are beginning to feel that in each of the situations we have considered, the outcome is unsatisfactory. However, this is not the case if the man's weight turned out to be less than the difference between height and 100 (you must subtract 100 from his height indicator), then you have lost weight. By the way, for girls, it is necessary to subtract 112 from the growth rate. In this case, we recommend that you first gain muscle mass, and then start working on the relief.
Let's take as an example a guy whose height is 180 centimeters and his body weight is 75 kilos. First, you should increase the mass and bring it to at least 90 kilograms, and only after that think about the relief. If the man's body weight turned out to be more than the height minus one hundred, then it is necessary to do the exact opposite and first get rid of fat, and then gain muscle mass.
Mass and relief at the same time
This is the third option, which is also possible, and in a certain situation is the most acceptable. However, this is only possible for novice athletes and only for several months. This fact is due to the fact that in an untrained person, the response of the body to strength training is significantly different from that of experienced athletes.
If your body is trained, then it is already accustomed to physical activity. This leads to the fact that the rate of gaining muscle mass slows down, as well as the processes of burning fat. You simply cannot greatly "surprise" your body and put it into a strong stressful state. It's another matter for beginner builders who have not trained before, any load for their body is a powerful stress.
As a result, even with not the most severe loads, the muscles grow and the fat goes away. But once again we will say that this is possible only during the first two or maximum three months. After that, you have to decide what to choose at the beginning of the mass or relief.
What conclusions can be drawn from all of the above? Firstly, if you have just started attending the gym, then you can work simultaneously on solving two problems. Choose a program for relief and exercise. As we said, the first two or three months you can achieve two goals at once. After that, you will again be faced with a choice.
Secondly, if your body weight is below the physiological norm, then start gaining muscle mass, and then dry out. If the body weight exceeds the norm, then do the exact opposite way. It is also necessary to say that all the numbers that we talked about today are average. Each person has a unique organism and it is necessary to use an individual approach to training and nutrition.
What is the difference between training for mass and relief?
The differences between these training programs are not very great. In any case, basic movements should form the basis of your training. But the number of sets and reps, as well as the number of isolated movements, will differ. For example, representatives of powerlifting may not perform special exercises for the development of biceps and triceps, and bodybuilders actively use simulators during the drying period.
You can often find statements that for gaining mass in one set, it is necessary to perform from 8 to 10 repetitions, and for relief, their number will be from 12 to 15. However, experienced athletes will tell you that body type is of great importance in this matter. The figures given just above can be used only by mesomorphs, and thin athletes, when performing 12-15 repetitions, will completely "dry up". If you are overweight, you should always do at least 12 reps.
If you seek help from a professional athlete, he will talk about the presence of different types of muscle fibers, the list of movements and the number of sets - all these parameters have a strong influence on the number of repetitions that must be performed to solve a given task.
You must understand that bodybuilding is not just lifting weights and in this sport you need to think and constantly improve your knowledge. If you do not possess at least basic information from the field of anatomy, physiology and nutrition, then it will be very difficult to achieve the desired result.
There are many nuances that need to be considered when training each specific muscle group. For example, when working on the muscles of the legs, it is necessary to do many reps, since these muscles are extremely hardy. Another example is when doing pull-ups every day, do not expect your strength parameters to increase dramatically when you press the bar.
While working on improving the strength parameters, you may not notice tangible results for a long time, but you must continue to increase the working weights. To obtain a high-quality relief, many repetitions have to be performed using medium working weights.
As you can see, everything in bodybuilding is quite difficult and even if you want to train for yourself and do not think about performing in tournaments in the future, you need to approach training with full responsibility. Otherwise, the long-term lack of results has frustrated you and you may stop exercising.
What to choose relief or mass? More information in this video:
