|
Progression Theory
By Chad Martin
 There
is a simple theory that a lot of people seem to not be able
comprehend, or else they are just not willing to exert the
effort needed in their training. I call it the Progression
Theory. It leads to getting stronger and growing larger muscles.
There are two key components for building muscle: Increasing
workload, and recovery.
Increasing Workload
Increase weight or number of reps on the same exercise in
subsequent workouts, get stronger and have more muscle. It’s
that simple. If a muscle gets broken down properly in a previous
week’s workout session, then it should have repaired itself by
the next workout and be bigger and stronger. And if that’s the
case, more weight should be able to be lifted, or more volume
(reps) should be able to be achieved.
Recovery
Recovery consists of two parts: Eating what the body needs, and
avoiding overtraining.
Eating What the Body Needs
Food is energy. If you don’t get enough, your body won’t get
what it needs for maximum recovery (If too much food is taken
in, excesses can be stored as fat). The body needs amino acids
from protein at its disposal to repair muscle tissue after
workouts and recover. If it doesn’t have a steady supply of
protein, it will break down muscle to get the amino acids it
needs to repair muscle tissue from workouts, and that certainly
won’t lead to getting stronger and bigger.
Avoiding Overtraining
Avoiding overtraining consists of not taxing the body too much
with excessive stress, and getting the proper rest.
Not Taxing the Body Too Much with Excessive Stress
Do enough weight training to stimulate growth, but don’t go
overboard to the point where growth won’t occur due to
overtraining. Limit sets to two or three per exercise and three
to four exercises per body part.
Being involved in other sports in addition to bodybuilding can
affect recovery time as well. Additional cardio types of
exercise can affect recovery time, and can even send your body
into a catabolic state (breaking down of muscle tissue to use
for energy). If cardio is too long or too intense, muscle can be
used for energy. How many buff marathon runners do you see?
 Educate
yourself and read whatever you can get your hands on, but also
be smart about what you’re reading. If an article is about a 5’
9” guy who weighs 260lbs and is 3% body fat, it’s not likely you
will not be able to follow his workout regime. With those stats,
he’s probably not a steroid-free bodybuilder, and not being
natural means a quicker recovery time, and being able to punish
the body more often without overtraining (But in the end, an
individual will suffer the consequences from using substances
like anabolic steroids or human growth hormone. It could be
having the body of a sixty-year old at age forty, having medical
problems such as kidney failure, or even dying at an early age).
Natural bodybuilding has become more popular since its
inception. Along with periodicals, there’s a host of resources
on the information superhighway. There are also a few natural
bodybuilding magazines that can pro vide great information about
proper training (and nutrition).
Rest
You do not grow in the gym. You are breaking down muscle fiber
when you’re in the gym. Your body repairs muscle, and muscles
grow when NOT in the gym… in the resting stage.
If you’re not getting at least seven hours of sleep each night,
you may find yourself tired, unmotivated, and sore a lot longer
than you should be. Rest is extremely crucial for recovering
between workouts. If you’re staying up late watching TV,
partying, etc., you’re robbing your body of essential growth
time. This is where instinct comes into play. If your body is
telling you it’s tired, then listen to it and grab a nap or get
to bed earlier.
Proper rest also means allowing enough time between workouts for
particular body parts to recover (and grow stronger and larger).
Working out your chest on consecutive days would be
counterproductive for trying to get stronger and build larger
muscles. A muscle needs at least 48 hours of rest between
workouts for it.
Increase workload, recover, and progress in your strength and
muscle building goals. I told you the theory was a simple one,
didn’t I?
Chad A. Martin
www.chadamartin.com
2004 INBA Team USA Overall Champion
|
