Find out why infrequent, short workouts will give you more muscle gain and strength gains than standard workouts. If you do not progress for a long time, then try switching to an abbreviated training. Today many athletes start using it and are satisfied with the results. Without doping, you simply cannot train at high intensity. Now you can find out about training frequency, strength and mass when using shortened workouts.
Muscle mass and strength in contracted workouts
Although there is a direct relationship between the strength of an athlete and the rate of mass gain, there are exceptions. With some techniques, you quickly increase your strength, but you cannot increase the volume of the muscles. If you find yourself in such a situation, then this article will help you start progressing in terms of gaining mass.
You should understand that the relationship between strength and muscle volume may not be direct and depends largely on the characteristics of the body. Weight gain is largely influenced by genetic factors and the training methods you use. For example, among the genetic factors, one can single out the number of motor elements or the peculiarities of the attachment of ligaments to muscles and bones.
No one is going to dispute the role of genetics in bodybuilding, but the correct training process is equally important. If you are not satisfied with the speed of progress, then you can try switching to using a small number of sets and high repetition mode. In this case, it is necessary to additionally use the "pause-rest" technique and perform heavy singles in each movement at least once a week.
Athletes often build huge muscles, but their strength performance leaves much to be desired. Now we do not urge you to train in this way, but if your muscles do not grow with increasing strength, then certain changes in the training program are necessary. First, you need to understand the differences between strength training and mass gain. Strength training has the following characteristics:
- Few repetitions.
- Long pauses between sets.
- Rare enough workouts.
- A small number of sets.
But training for mass has other parameters:
- More repetitions.
- Short pauses between sets.
- Many approaches.
- There are no or minimal pauses between repetitions.
- Frequent activities.
Practical tips for shortened workouts
To keep your strength building progress and start gaining mass, you can start using additional finishing sets with each movement. As an example, consider a 150kg squat that is done in two sets of five reps each. After completing the second set with a weight of 150 kilos, you should complete the maximum number of repetitions with a weight of 110 kilos. After that, rest for one and a half minutes and repeat the work with a weight of 110 kilograms. It is clear that in the second approach, the number of repetitions will be less in comparison with the first.
The second change, which we will now talk about, does not increase strength as effectively as the previous one. If you are making great progress in terms of strength gain when doing squats with a weight of 170 kilograms, which are performed in two approaches with five repetitions each, then you need to focus on this in order to gain mass.
To do this, do an exercise with a weight of 125 kilos in three sets of 12 repetitions each. At the same time, between repetitions, the pause should not last more than a second, and between approaches - one and a half minutes. This will allow you to activate muscle hypertrophy.
Learn more about Abbreviated Strength Training in this video:
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