In order for your muscles to grow, you have to stimulate themwith a high intensity training stress and then allow them tomove through the three phases of the recovery process.
There seems to be a number of differing variations of highintensity as it relates to bodybuilding, so let's make sure weare on the same page, okay?
High intensity refers to the percentage of momentary musculareffort being exerted.
If you can curl a 100 pound barbell for 10 repetitions and an11th repetition is impossible, you have performed high intensitytraining and have trained with 100% intensity and to the pointof momentary muscular failure, if, and this is a big if, youalso gave it 100% mentally, not just physically.
And that makes high intensity training a completely differentkind of animal.
This is what is meant by the phrase, "training to failure", asadvocated by high intensity training enthusiasts. In otherwords, if you are doing a set of barbell curls and you performas many repetitions as possible until you can't complete anotherrepetition in good form, you have trained to failure.
There is another important point we need to touch on in theabove definition and that is the ideal of volitional effort. Yousee, your muscles are voluntary - they will not contract (work)unless your mind tells them to do so.
You see, intensity, as it relates to bodybuilding, is thepossible percentage of momentary muscular and volitional(mental) effort exerted. You can not train with 100% intensity(train to failure) without doing so mentally as well asphysically.
The fastest way to make progress would be to stimulate yourmuscles with high intensity weight training (in order to triggerthe adaptive response) and then minimize the stages of therecovery process. The way to minimize the recovery process wouldbe by performing the least amount of exercise needed to triggerthe adaptive response - one set per exercise per body part.
One set per exercise per body part is the least amount ofexercise we can do and still stimulate muscle mass and strengthincreases. By performing just one set, you limit the drain onyour body's finite energy reserves.
Every set you perform eats in to your limited recovery ability.Your workouts need to be hard, brief, and infrequent if you wantto make maximum progress in a minimal amount of time.
Once you've performed a high intensity set on an exercise,you've triggered the adaptive mechanism that will allow overcompensation (increase in muscle mass and strength). It onlytakes this one attempt (one set) to make progress. Performingany more sets will only drain away your body's limited recoveryability.
If you remember, your muscles adapt and grow larger and strongerby being exposed to an anaerobic stimulus that challenges theircurrent existence. In other words, progressive overload throughhigh intensity weight training.
If you train intensely enough, most of you will not duplicate oroutperform what you did in the first set. For example, if youtrain to failure and manage to do 10 reps with 200 pounds in thebench press, you will not be able to duplicate this performance.You may get 6 or 7 reps on the second set.
So what would be the purpose of this set, since it does not comeclose to challenging your body's current strength level, and wealready know that is necessary in order to cause the adaptiveresponse we are looking for. All you've done is create a muchgreater inroad into your body's recovery ability. Although itdoesn't seem like much, by adding a second set, you've increasedthe volume for that body part by 100%!!
However, this is where things get muddy for the skinnyhardgainer. For you, it may be necessary to add another set ortwo. Here's why -
As a skinny hardgainer two things are likely - your muscles havelow neuromuscular efficiency and you have more slow twitchfibers.
With lower neuromuscular efficiency your body may need a secondset to fire enough muscle fibers to trigger the adaptiveresponse. Thus, a second set could be of benefit.
In addition you need more time under load as discussed in theprevious report. In order to satisfy this as well as make up forlower neuromusclar efficiency, you may need to add a set or 2 toeach exercise in order to make enough of an inroad to triggerthe adaptive response mechanism.
Keep in mind, there are a lot of variables when it comes todesigning a proper weight training program. I am not statingthat one set per exercise is the most effective way for you totrain all the time. But it is extremely effective, if (andthat's a big if), you work at a high enough intensity level,something very few people are able or willing to do.
About the author:Gregg Gillies is the founder of Build Lean Muscle.comHis articles have appeared in Ironman Magazine. He has writtentwo books and writes for Body Talk Magazine. He publishes a freenewsletter available at his site. See how you can get acustomized muscle building nutrition planhttp://www.mynutritionjournal.com
