If you plan to do bodybuilding all the time, then you need to use cycles. Learn how to balance the load in bodybuilding. You should always remember that you need to cycle the load to make continuous progress. This principle is the key to achieving your goals in the long term. Undoubtedly, you also need to train hard. But at the same time, you will not be able to work with the same intensity for a long time. You need to alternate high intensity activities with low intensity activities. This training methodology will be very effective for athletes who do not have high genetic indicators. Today we are going to talk about the 7 types of exercise in bodybuilding.
For the human body, large muscles are ballast, and it cannot constantly build up mass at the same rate. You must constantly take "two steps forward and one back." Even professionals with powerful genetic potential do this. The only difference for you will be a deeper step back and short forward movements towards your goal.
The essence of cycling the load consists in the constant alternation of the weights of sports equipment, the intensity of training and changes in other indicators of the training process. For example, you have to periodically change the number of heavy sets, the frequency of training and change the set of exercises you perform.
Sometimes athletes will greatly increase the volume of training. When cycling upward, this can give positive results, but amateurs should not use heavy loads. Ultra high intensity training is suitable for pros and athletes using anabolic steroids.
It does not make sense for novice athletes to pay great attention to the progression of the load. First of all, it is necessary to draw up the correct training program, using only basic movements for this. Also, do not train very often or use various special techniques, such as forced or negative reps. Even so, you will progress for about one year.
The only other thing you need to do is take a week off every two or three months of class. After that, you also need to work with less stress and change a couple of exercises for 7 to 14 days. You will have to think about cycling the load after the progress starts to slow down.
It has long been noticed that an athlete progresses at the fastest pace at the beginning of his sports career. If you have already passed this stage, then you need to understand that now the mass gain will be more and more difficult. At the same time, if you previously trained and ate incorrectly, then after changing your attitude to bodybuilding, you can gain ten kilos in a couple of months, but up to a certain point.
Frequent strength training depletes the body, and all systems begin to function less efficiently. The constant increase in weight and the increase in the number of sets and repetitions has a depressing effect on the central nervous system. If you treat your body in this way for a long time, then at some point it will simply fail. You should give him pauses from time to time. We have already said that when you pass the initial stage, the progress will slow down significantly and after that it will no longer be constant. Cycling loads will make you experience ups and downs all the time, but it can't be avoided. However, all your peaks and maxima of the form will be slightly higher than the previous ones, which determines the overall progress. You will see your progress approximately every three months. If you increase the load during this period of time, you can add a couple of pounds of mass. The quantitative increase depends on the specific exercise. For example, for a bench press in a lying position, it is enough to increase the working weight by 4-8 kilograms every three months. In turn, for squats or deadlifts, this figure will already be from 6 to 12 kilograms. This is due to the fact that the legs are the most powerful muscle group.
Modified training cycle and loads
For the first time weightlifters began to use cycling loads. This happened a long time ago and since then they have been constantly improving their results. Why not start using this positive experience for bodybuilders.
The most commonly used cycle in weightlifting is 12 to 15 weeks. During this period, athletes in each exercise increase their working weight by an average of 5-10 kilograms.
For the first week, you need to work at 80 percent of the maximum weight used in the previous cycle. In this case, it is necessary to leave the number of repetitions unchanged. Then gradually increase the load. After about 8 or a maximum of 11 weeks, you will again reach the maximum level of the previous cycle. With the time remaining until the end of the current cycle, you have several weeks to improve your personal bests.
However, it makes sense for bodybuilders to make some changes to this cycle. This will allow you to progress with one hundred percent probability after each cycle.
For example, we'll take a look at squats. Let's say in the last cycle you worked with a weight of 100 pounds for six repetitions in each set. As a reminder, the number of your repetitions should never be less than five.
Start a new cycle with 75-80 kilograms, which will be from 75 to 80 percent of the maximum. Work with this weight in two sets, each with 10 reps. After that, increase the weight by 4 kilos every week for a month, while reducing the number of sets to one, leaving the number of repetitions unchanged. Thus, in the sixth week you will already be working with a weight of 100 kilos, which was the maximum in the previous cycle.
After that, continue to increase the weight of the projectile by 4 kilos, while performing one approach and reducing the number of repetitions weekly by one. As a result, by about 13 weeks, you will begin to work with a weight of 120 pounds, doing one set at six repetitions. This is a rough diagram and you need to focus on the state of your body when the load increases.
After that, rest for one week and you can start a new cycle. The initial weight in our example will be 80 percent of 120 kilograms.
Learn more about exercise and periodization in bodybuilding from this video:
