Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
many of us go gym To wholesale. But how does it actually work?
When you lift weights, it increases the tension on your muscle fibers, and causes metabolic by-products (such as lactate and hydrogen) and Swelling Building up muscle tissue.
These signals tell your muscles to adapt and get stronger.
But if your goal is to build muscle, lifting the same weight the same number of times each week won’t suffice; You need to constantly increase the load or do more repetitions. This is known as “progressive overload”.
So, how do you know when to gain weight? And how much should you add? let’s take a look.
Know how much you can increase
No matter how eager you are, the exact rate at which your muscles develop is mostly out of your control.
Your genetics probably play a role. Some people adapt to lifting weights faster than others, which means they can gain weight more quickly.
However, lifestyle factors are also important.
Your body is more likely to be able to adapt when you get enough sleep, eat enough protein, and keep stress in life to a minimum. Otherwise, your progress is likely to slow down.
If you are new weight trainingYou will probably improve faster than someone who has been training for years. This is sometimes referred to as the “newbie advantage” – especially noticeable in the first year of training.
But the more you train, the more your body adapts. Basically, the closer you are to your genetic “ceiling” – the natural limit of how much you can lift – the slower you will improve.
Two ways to gain weight
There are many ways you can increase weight in the gym. But we’ll focus on two good ones.
If you are a beginner, it is great to use the “Linear Progression” method. This means adding a small amount of weight (for example, 2.5kg) every week or two, while trying to keep your number of repetitions – or “reps” – the same.
For example, in the first week, you might do five reps on the leg press at 50kg. Then in weeks two and three, you increase to five reps at 52.5 kg, and by week four or five you are doing five reps at 55 kg.
About the author
Hunter Bennett is a lecturer in exercise science at the University of South Australia.
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
However, you’ll reach a point where you can no longer gain the same amount of weight every two weeks. This is when you can try something like the “Double Progressive” method.
Using this approach, you’ll choose a set and rep range, such as three sets of 8-12 reps. When you can eventually do three sets of 12 reps, you increase the weight slightly.
At the new heavier weight, you’ll only be able to do eight reps per set. So you gradually work on increasing the number of reps, until you get back to three sets of 12.
Then, repeat the process: Add a little weight and start again with eight reps.
How can I tell when I’m ready to lift more?
If the weight feels too light, or you can easily manage all of your prescribed sets and reps, it may be time to increase it.
But you can increase weight even if it still seems challenging.
Research shows that most people overestimate how hard they are working in the gym, and also underestimate how much weight they can lift or how many repetitions they can perform.
So it’s a good idea to keep a logbook to keep track of your progress. This allows you to look back and try to beat what you did last week – either by going a little heavier or adding another rep or two to your sets.
You won’t be breaking your logbook every week. But if gaining weight is your goal, it can help keep you on track and know what to aim for so you keep getting stronger.
When should I rest?
Two signs may suggest that you need to step back a bit.
First, if the way you perform repetitions is changing significantly with the addition of more weight, it may suggest that you are simply making the movement easier rather than getting stronger.
For example, if you add weight to your squats but start squatting in a shallow manner, it is not actually increasing the load on your muscles.
Second, if you’re feeling unusually tired or you’re getting weaker each week, you may need to rest for a week to recover. This could be a sign of overtraining, which usually happens when people don’t get enough rest between sessions.
Can you gain weight too fast?
weight training Incredibly safe – especially compared to other games.
But sometimes it might be a good idea to take it slow, especially if you’re new to weight training. You will find that you can increase strength very quickly. But this also happens when you are learning to perform activities correctly, and your body is adjusting to the new stress.
So keeping your weight increases small (for example, just 2.5kg every two weeks) will give you a chance to perfect your technique and slowly build up endurance. This can also help prevent injuries.
Finally, don’t stress if you’re unable to gain weight for a few weeks (or months).
If the training still seems difficult, you can be quite confident that it is helping you build muscle and become stronger.