This article focuses on the number of approaches required to effectively gain muscle mass. The content of the article:
- Muscle Building Workouts
- X reps to increase muscle mass
- How to train properly
Muscle Building Workouts
Many athletes use high volume protocols in their training sessions with up to 20 sets per body part. A fair question arises about the need for such an intensity.
To answer this question, you will have to turn to science, which relies on the available information about the ability of muscles to contract. According to the scientific approach, a lot of time and effort is wasted with this approach. Every athlete is hungry to learn how to increase muscle mass through exercise and nutrition.
It is difficult to argue with the fact that multiple sets can be effective. Here it is enough to recall the well-known bodybuilder Bill Pearl in the 60s. At that time, athletes had not yet used steroids, and Pearl managed to build a very powerful figure by his own labor. At the same time, he performed up to 20 sets for each of the muscle groups twice a day. But Pearl never followed through on them. From this we can conclude that many sets are needed to build up a large amount of mass.
From a scientific point of view, this fact can be explained by the ability of muscle fibers to enter the work in turn, depending on the size. In each set, the fibers of the lowest threshold are used first, then the middle one, and in the final phase the high one. This means that only at the final stage of the set, those motor elements of the muscles that have the maximum potential for growth begin to work.
Thus, if you finish the set before the limit is reached, then only part of the muscle tissue is involved in the work. To engage the remaining muscles in the work, the number of sets should be increased. Each new approach draws new muscle elements into the work, forcing the tissues to grow. However, one should also remember about energy costs, which are quite high with this approach to the training process. This training method is good for those athletes who have a low pain threshold, or just like to be in the gym for a long time.
Summing up, it can be argued that in order to accelerate the growth of muscle tissue, it is necessary to use all fibers as quickly as possible. And for this it is not necessary to perform a large number of sets, you can use the so-called X-repetitions.
X-reps to increase muscle mass
When the moment of failure occurs in any of the sets, more active fibers are already involved in the work, compared to the approach outside of failure. However, many muscle elements still remain not involved, since the athlete was stopped by overwork and the nervous system. Muscle failure is a kind of defense mechanism in the body. To overcome it, you should bring the muscles to the point of generating the maximum possible efforts, performing a series of repetitions for this. Most often, this point is located slightly below the middle of the range of motion.
By forcing the elements to work further, the athlete forces the rapidly twitching fibers to continue to function, which creates additional stimulation for tissue growth. This is a very effective effect on muscle tissue. In this case, it is not possible to perform a large number of approaches, but they are completely unnecessary. The athlete has already activated the maximum number of fibers. Running is an example. If you keep the speed at the level of a mid-distance race, then you can run much longer than at sprint speed.
Thanks to a large number of sets, you can build a lot of muscle tissue, as exemplified by Bill Pearl and other athletes. But you can do without it. You just need to bring the muscles to failure, and work beyond it. X repetitions will help with this. Just a month of training will show excellent results. It is possible that it is precisely the need for a large number of sets, when it is simply physically impossible to bring each of them to the limit, and pushes athletes to use steroids. The body simply does not have time to recover after such intense exertion. X-training will open up a new path to mass building.
How to train properly
Many athletes know from their own experience that after the eighth set, the nervous system gives up. But it is precisely this moment that is key when the rapidly contracting elements of muscle tissue come into operation. Simply put, no set can be effective until rejection is overcome. And the intensity of the classes does not have any effect here. This is the reason for the many sets, but this approach to training is not very effective.
One set that includes x-reps will be more effective than several regular sets. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the duration of the exercise and save energy for the growth of muscle tissue. However, it is worth mentioning here a certain danger - cumulative depletion of the nervous system. Of course, the duration of workouts using X-repetitions is shorter, but at the same time, you need to monitor the condition of your muscles. Otherwise, they can be "burned".
When using this technique for a long period of time, or with a large number of sets without rest, you can quickly enter a state of overtraining. To prevent this, you need to pause for a week after six or eight weeks of training. At this point, you can continue to work with the same weights, but not reach failure. This time will be enough for the nervous system to recover. Some athletes may be advised to stop training altogether for 4 to 6 days. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the organism.
If you do not follow this advice, the athlete will quickly "burn out", thereby stopping the growth of muscle tissue. It is worth noting that high-intensity training can lead to the same result.
A large number of sets also heavily load the nervous system, therefore, with this approach, it is necessary to take a break. At the same time, you should not be afraid to lose muscle size and strength. Most likely, they will even increase. Of course, every workout must be hard, but sometimes you need to restrain yourself. This way you will not cross the danger line.
Video on how to increase muscle mass:
