Learn to intelligently vary the intensity of your bodybuilding workout to trigger local muscle growth without steroids. Most athletes use the refusal training method to increase the intensity of training. First of all, this is due to the statements of a large number of pro-athletes claiming that they actively use training on failure. However, not everything is as simple as it might show. Failure training has a number of advantages, but at the same time it also has serious disadvantages. There are other equally effective ways to increase the intensity of training, which we will also talk about today. Throughout this article, you will be able to learn about intensity in bodybuilding as a science.
Benefits of High Intensity Failure Training
Several scientific studies have found two main benefits of training to failure:
- Powerful hormonal response of the body.
- Increase in the number of activated muscle tissue cells.
You probably know that the body's hormonal response to strength training is one of the most important factors in muscle tissue growth. Scientists have proven that when using refusal training, a large amount of anabolic hormones such as growth hormone and testosterone are secreted in the body.
This, in turn, contributes to the acceleration of metabolic reactions, say, glycolysis, lactic acid synthesis. All of these substances play an important role in the growth of the cellular structure of the muscles. In addition, the rate of adrenaline secretion increases, which affects the work of the entire endocrine system. We have already talked about the fact that during refusal training a greater number of fibers are involved in work. It also has a positive effect on weight gain.
Disadvantages of Failure Training
There are also two main drawbacks to the training to failure method:
- The quality of training decreases and the muscle soreness increases.
- Overtraining is possible.
If you use refusal training often, you will quickly begin to feel constant fatigue and soreness in the muscles. As a result, this will lead to a decrease in the quality of training, as you will use less working weights. Also, the body will need longer periods of time to fully recover.
This is primarily important for athletes who take part in competitions. Although your fatigue will be temporary at first, it can quickly become chronic. Let's turn to science again.
In the course of the research, it was found that after 11 weeks of refusal training, the physical parameters of the subjects dropped sharply, as well as the post-workout concentration of IGF and testosterone decreased.
Other techniques for increasing intensity
Training beyond failure
It is also a fairly popular training system that is practiced by a large number of athletes. Its essence lies in the fact that after the onset of muscle failure, thanks to the help of a friend, the athlete performs several more repetitions.
The situation with this technique is similar to failure training, and it has its own disadvantages and advantages. Although training outside of failure does not provide significant advantages in speed of mass gain and increase in physical parameters compared to failure training, it creates more favorable anabolic conditions.
But at the same time, training beyond rejection leads to even more severe fatigue and a sharp increase in the rate of cortisol secretion. In such conditions, muscle tissue begins to deteriorate.
We have found that failure training and practice beyond failure have significant advantages and disadvantages. The main problem with their use lies in a competent introduction to the training program to obtain maximum results.
Periodization method of loads
It is not worth using failure training in every exercise or approach. This will not give you positive results. The best option can be considered the periodization of loads. Today, pro athletes often only use failure training on the last set of a particular movement.
For example, you are doing a 5-set bench press with 75 percent of your maximum weight. In this case, you should perform the first four approaches with 6 or 8 repetitions in each, but not bring the matter to failure. And in the fifth approach, perform 10 or 12 repetitions per failure. This technique has proven to be very effective, which has been proven in scientific experiments.
If we talk about the principle of periodization of the load in the classical form, then it implies the use of a method for a certain period of time, say, a month, after which it changes to another. If you constantly use refusal training, then the first symptoms of overtraining most often appear after a month and a half.
Thus, the following periodization scheme can be used: for a month or one and a half, refusal training is used in the last sets of exercises, and then the transition to regular exercises without refusal follows.
It will be very effective to use periodization by day. Since refusal training enhances the body's hormonal response and involves more muscle cells in the work, it makes sense to use it on the days of development of maximum hypertrophy. In those moments when you are doing strength training, you should limit yourself to the classic version of training without rejection.
Such a periodization scheme should be used for no more than three months. After this period of time, you will have to completely switch to training without refusal. This will help you avoid overtraining. After a couple of months of rest, you will be able to use the periodization method described above again. Of course, since the ability to recover is individual for each athlete, the duration of these macrocycles should be chosen based on their sensations and body reactions.
How to calculate the intensity of training in home bodybuilding, says Lev Goncharov in this video:
