The simple things, guys, are the hardest. So don't be too quick to turn the pages when you stumble upon this article. Reread the basics again. Maybe there is something you don't know.

Fundamental methodological technique, the basis of training

The simple things, guys, are the hardest. So don't be too quick to turn the pages when you stumble upon this article. Reread the basics again. Maybe there is something you don't know. And if you do know, it is not harmful to repeat the old truths one more time. It certainly won't do any harm.

It will be about the main principle of all methodological system Joe Weider - The principle of overload.

In this case, Joe cannot be considered the inventor of the wheel. Already in Ancient Hellas they knew that the growth of strength ensures the growth of weights, but Joe managed to guess that the key to muscle growth is not actually in the growth of the weight of the shells.

The secret is to keep raising the training stress bar higher and higher every time.

What is overload?

All modern sport is based on two time-tested physiological concepts.

The first of them reads as follows: if you “bomb” a muscle with an excessive load, it will eventually be able to overpower it, becoming larger. The second emphasizes the other important feature muscle physiology: in order for the muscle to grow further, the load must be increased.

At first glance, it would seem that everything is simple. But in fact, a lot of questions arise: how to increase the load? With what frequency? How much? And for each of them, Joe Weider has an answer.

The simplest diagram of the overload principle looks like this: once your strength has grown to a level where you can overcome 12 "clean" reps in each of 3 sets, then it's time to lift the weight. Weight gain is a specific quantity. Weight should be raised no more than 5%. An important consequence follows from the same scheme: control the time of the training. If you are in the mood to start training more slowly than usual, then "lock up" all your progress.

Estimate for yourself what is more difficult: digging a hole when no one is rushing you, or when you have to meet the time limit? Of course, waddling forces will take less. So it is with bodybuilding.

Let's say you put on weight, and you do the exercise slowly, with long rest breaks between sets. It turns out that instead of "weighting" the training, you made it easier for yourself!

Remember, by increasing the training weight, the training time cannot be extended.

According to my observations, 99.9% of all "jocks" do the opposite. Raising the load, they involuntarily delay the workout. And then they complain that, they say, they train methodically correctly, but the muscles do not grow at all!

Applying the Overload Principle requires absolute mental concentration. A powerful energy supply with carbohydrates, and, of course, a lot of protein.

New technologies.

Franco Columbo Guys, forget about steroids and pumping. All this will never give you true power. Muscles "pumped up" by pharmacology or countless reps with low weights will never give you true power.

Here are the weights with which a real bodybuilder is just starting today: bench press - 135-140 kg, squats - 170-190 kg, deadlift - 225-240 kg. To get closer to such indicators, which allow for really intensive training, is possible only due to the steady rise in workloads. To think otherwise is to deceive oneself.

It is clear that overload training is a whole battle with yourself for every extra 100g of weight or extra repetition. It's easy to get overtrained here. Moreover, in practice, "overload" training turns into super-"overload".

Moreover, usually the last repetitions are either partial or forced.

In this regard, today the scheme of 3 sets in the exercise has been seriously modified. Still, 3 sets in one movement is considered the best number, but the fixed number of repetitions in each set has given way to this system. First, a warm-up set of 15 reps. The last repetition is on the verge of "failure". Then the weight is added and comes the turn of a set of 8-10 repetitions, made at the limit. And finally, the 3rd set includes 6-8 reps with a maximum weight.

When?

The use of the system described above is only permissible for experienced athletes or those who already have at least 6 months of training behind them. Previously, it is impossible to take on it for the reason that it makes special demands on the tendons and ligaments. Until they are sufficiently strengthened, training hard is traumatic.

In addition, at first, the bodybuilder lacks the strength endurance that would allow him to develop the level of intensity that is necessary for muscle growth in all exercises of the complex. Any exhausting training will be here waste time.

The first six months of training are not directly aimed at champion volumes. Their task - much more modest - is to accustom the bodybuilder's body to athletic loads, and to develop in him knowledge of himself, including the timing of recovery.

Increasing your training weight is a matter of your mind. Optimum: no more than 2-2.5 kg per week.

Intensity.

It will depend on how long you train.

In bodybuilding, there is such a rule: reducing the training time by a third leads to an increase in the intensity of the loads by half!

Hence the conclusion: the less time you spend in the gym, the better. However, we must remember that reducing the duration of training is a last resort. Resort to it only after a gradual adaptation period, when you reduce the load time by no more than 5-10 minutes in 2-3 months.

Avoid risk!

Franco Columbo "Overload" training requires courage, focus, method and dedication to your bodybuilding goals. After each exercise, you have to sit down on anything, otherwise you just collapse to the floor. It is clear that this degree of physical exertion threatens injury. There is only one cure for them - absolute concentration on what you are doing. Don't let your thoughts "fly away" as you do the exercise. Think, think hard about the movement! And in no case do not let yourself "start up". Against the background of severe physical fatigue, abnormal mental states are possible, pushing the athlete to "feats" for which he is not ready. Do not try to set records - follow the planned loads exactly. Injuries are the bane of bodybuilding! A torn shoulder ligament, for example, can knock you out of training for several years!

Nutrition.

"Overload" training requires a powerful balanced diet. Moreover, special attention should be paid to carbohydrates, because the energy consumption of such training is huge. Starchy fruits and cereals are the best source of carbohydrate calories.

A special conversation about vitamins. You need a lot of B vitamins. It is better when they are combined into a special complex. Look for this in pharmacies!

According to the pros, during the period of "overload" training, you need to eat as varied as possible due to natural products. Vary protein types: beef, poultry, fish. And more different cereals! Dairy products! Fruits and vegetables!

Diary

In "overload" training, the most important thing is the steady increase in working weights. Do not even try to remember what weight you are training with and in what exercise. Fatigue will still beat off your brains. It's verified! Keep a diary and write down the progression of loads in it. At first, increase the weight only once every two weeks, but later, after 2-2.5 months, you will master the unique sixth sense of weight. You will unmistakably feel when you should increase it, and when to "take a break" on what was yesterday. By the way, a similar rule applies for beginners. Increase the weight in the basic movements no more than once every 2 weeks. That's just the increase should be minimal - no more than 0.5 kg.

The principle of progressive loading has two interpretations:

First. REGULAR LOAD INCREASE AS A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

The load (in other words, the intensity, or power, of muscle work) can be increased in several ways:

3. Increase the trajectory of the projectile.

6. Go to a more detailed split. For example, from two days to three days. Or from single to double.

7. Use any of the stimulation methods described below. Even cooler is to stir up several methods at once. Then she will fly up to the skies!

However, methods are just tools. And the essence of the principle of progressive load is that you consciously set yourself more and more difficult tasks from month to month and year to year. And by concentrating your will, you fulfill them!

You do it in training and in life.

The second interpretation of the principle was introduced by Arnold himself. Which, like a plow, deeply plowed all the techniques in practice and (analyzed to the smallest detail. And then corrected and tuned them.

He has such a habit. All tune.

And now you have a specific terminator sentence: THE LOAD INCREASES WITHIN EVERY MICROCYCLE!

What is a microcycle? This is a short time period that has a specific tactical goal, in which the muscles of the whole body are worked out. It can either be tied to a seven-day period (calendar weekly cycle), or not depend on it at all.

I think the second option is preferable. Why the hell depend on the week? Although for starters, so be it, try to fit into it. Useful experience.

Now a question. How to plan rest days?

A split program in bodybuilding is usually written as the sum of several numbers. If you show a more or less advanced training jock the formula "3 + 1", he will immediately understand everything, like Billy Bonet, who was given a black mark by blind Pugh in Stevenson's novel Treasure Island.

3 + 1 means a three-day split (for example: day 1 - thighs, shins, abs; day 2 - chest, shoulders, triceps; day 3 - back, biceps, forearms, abs), the program of which implies three training days in a row plus one day recreation. And then everything starts all over again.

This formula can be easily rewritten to 3 + 2 or 2 + 1 + 1 + 1. Or even 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1. The essence of the split will remain unchanged: the whole body is pumped in THREE steps.

But the number of days of rest will change.

And the intensity too. The more days of rest in the program, the less intense it is, of course. After all, working out the whole body once every four days or once every six days are two big differences.

And now I’ll reveal a terrible secret: rest can be GENERALLY excluded!

After doing the first three days, you can immediately start all over again! Then it turns out that the whole body is worked out once in three days. And this will be the maximum intensity for this type of split.

If you turn a regular three-day split into a DOUBLE three-day split, you get the following picture:

First day: morning - quadriceps, evening - hamstrings + lower leg + abs.

Second day: morning - chest, evening - shoulders + triceps.

Third day: morning - back, evening - biceps + forearms + abs.

And here the intensity is even higher! And a lot! Both for each specific muscle (you will put much more energy into it!), And for the body as a whole (three workouts in three days or six workouts in the same period of time - again two awesome differences, I won’t let myself lie!).

Are you savvy?

Now let's figure out together what is more difficult: a three-day split or a two-day split? For your own intellectual development.

With a three-day, you pump your whole body twice in six days, right? And with a two-day - three times. It turns out that two days is more difficult.

This is what happens? The maximum degree of difficulty - for training WITHOUT a split at all? After all, then, if we imagine that there is no rest, in six days the body will be worked out SIX times ?!

Quite right! Only to act in this way is not-tse-le-co-o-braz-but!

And to put it simply, this is complete insanity.

Because 1) the load on the body will be excessive and at the same time 2) each specific muscle will receive a minimum of attention due to an energy deficit.

And we need exactly the opposite alignment!

Split is then invented to explode every muscle, protecting all body systems from excessive fatigue. And in this regard, the extreme split that you have already heard about - Perfect option! To which sooner or later you will definitely come if you want to achieve real perfection.

Long macrocycles are made up of microcycles. Their purpose is strategic. For competing athletes, for example, the macrocycle is either six months (if you perform every season), or a year (when only “spring” or only “autumn” is planned).

So: confirming that getting out of your skin at every workout is unrealistic and you need to do it a little less often, Arnold offers this option:

“Using the progressive system, you do a separate workout for one body part three times a week, and in such a way that the first workout is carried out with a relatively large number of sets and repetitions, but with a small weight.

In the second workout, you increase the weight, but you work with a certain margin of strength.

And on the third, the load increases to a maximum with 4-5 repetitions per set. That is, the pressure builds up gradually over the course of a week.”

These are pies with big cats.

The Terminator's signature move: a two-day double-split three times a week! And also with a progressive increase in the load, not counting a bunch of other tricks that he actively used!

Not so long ago, Eksmo published my book Arnold Schwarzenegger. Corporate Exercises. I tried to evaluate the terminator contribution to the history of not only bodybuilding, but also the planet Earth.

Of course, this guy (that's right, he's only 64 years old!) is beyond any competition. And his experience is unparalleled. But here and there I warn you: that is why blindly copying it is not reasonable!

STUDY - yes! But don't copy!

And it’s worth winding it on your mustache, trying it on yourself, starting from a minimum and gradually increasing the intensity. And - analyze, analyze and analyze the results again!

However, damn it, come on, don't relax! If you are a man, then the example of Schwarzenegger will not be an excuse for you, but a powerful incentive to reset your motivation!

What would he be like if he didn't take care of himself? You do not know.

But you know very well what he has become! So: I wish you exactly the same - BECOME!

It is only our tactics that can and should be different.

But our strategy - does not change and will never change: CONSTANT PROGRESS!

Load progression is the most important condition for the development and achievement of high results in any speed-strength sport, and bodybuilding is no exception. Indeed, in order to increase their strength and endurance, we need a progression of loads. Unfortunately, many strength training enthusiasts are not fully aware of what load progression is in bodybuilding, what are the ways of load progression and how to apply them correctly in practice. You will learn about all this by reading this article to the end.

What is load progression in bodybuilding?

The very term "progression of loads" fully reveals its essence - a gradual increase in loads, which ensures movement forward, the development of those qualities of an athlete that he trains. For example, if today in training you increased, or performed more repetitions or approaches, this is the progression of loads.

There is no doubt that the principle of load progression is key in bodybuilding, powerlifting, crossfit and other speed-strength sports. Without constantly increasing the load, you are unlikely to be able to build more muscle mass, increase strength or endurance. You simply will not develop as an athlete and will never achieve the desired result. It suits you? I doubt it very much.

Before you ask why your muscles are not growing, open your training diary and analyze your progress at least over the past few months. How much have your working weights increased? If you regularly perform the same exercises, with the same weight, number of repetitions and approaches, then your muscles do not receive an incentive to grow. Muscle growth is an adaptation to the constant increase in training loads. That is why the progression of loads in bodybuilding is of key importance.

Progression is especially important for natural athletes who do not use anabolic steroid. It is the factor on which the further development of strength and muscle mass depends. No progression of loads - no muscle growth. Everything is simple. However, as mentioned above, many novice athletes do not quite correctly apply the principle of progression of loads in bodybuilding, relying only on increasing working weights.

At the same time, you do not need to try to add in working weights at each workout. This approach inevitably leads only to injury and overtraining before you even reach your physiological limit. Undoubtedly, an increase in working weights is necessary. This is perhaps the best and most important among the methods of progression of the load for natural as well as beginner athletes. However, he is far from the only one and you should not constantly get hung up only on him.

Load progression methods

There is different ways or types of progression of loads that are used in bodybuilding by athletes of different levels. However, it is best to progress the load:

• increase working weights in exercises;
• increase the number of repetitions;
• by increasing the number of approaches;
• cutting and exercising;
• increase the volume of your workout.

It is worth noting that progressing the load is permissible only after full recovery after training. In the event that you have not recovered from the previous workout, you must either transfer the workout to the next day, or do an easy workout without increasing the load.

In addition, you should not use all methods of increasing the load at the same time. For beginners, it is enough to stop at a gradual increase in working weight and / or the number of repetitions. Over time, you can add additional sets, reduce rest time, increase training volume by introducing additional days in, etc. To do this, you will need to keep a training diary, with which you will be able to track and analyze your training progress.

With the exception of genetic differences, the main difference between the two bodies is how often they worked or trained, how hardy their muscles are. If your workout contains the same 3 sets of 12 repetitions, then the body changes over time exactly as much as necessary to provide a full workout until it ends. An unchanging training program entails muscle addiction. At a certain stage, their growth and development ends, as they can fully satisfy your need for movement. In addition, over time, the body, accustomed to constant loads, will adapt to training and begin to spend less. muscle mass and energy.

Many who are active in gym, consider increasing the weight in only one direction: how much more weight will I lift this time? In this way, they measure their progress. But for this there are several different methods.

Method One: Rep Progressions

The method is to add an additional rep to each of the sets with the same weight that was used during the previous sessions. By increasing the amount of work performed in each of the workouts, you can count on an increase in muscle mass. For a workout built on a three-week, five-set, five-rep program, the progression might look like this:

• Second week - 5 sets and 6 reps
• Third week - 5 sets and 7 reps

Method Two: Increasing the Number of Sets

The technique consists in adding additional sets to the exercises, weights and the number of repetitions do not change. The method is suitable for stimulating the growth of muscle mass. It looks something like this (the beginning of the program - 5 sets, 5 repetitions, duration 3 weeks):

• First week - 5 sets and 5 reps
• Second week - 6 sets and 5 reps
• Third week - 7 sets and 5 reps

Method Three: Rest Progression

V this case the main task is to reduce the rest time between sets. The weights used during training remain the same. Main advantage this method- reducing the duration of your training, increasing strength endurance, which is especially important for athletes and military personnel. The training schedule looks like this:

• First week - 5 sets and 5 reps, rest between sets 75 sec.
• Second week - 5 sets and 5 reps, rest between sets 70 seconds.
• Third week - 5 sets and 5 reps, rest between sets 65 sec.

Fourth Method: Increasing Speed

The meaning of progression in speed is to increase the speed of the set from workout to workout. Thus, the duration of the training is reduced and the endurance of the athlete is increased. This method is suitable for athletes and athletes for whom it is important to be able to give everything for a few seconds (tennis, football, baseball).

• The first week - 5 sets and 5 repetitions, the duration of the set is 8 seconds.
• The second week - 5 sets and 5 repetitions, the duration of the set is 7 seconds.
• The third week - 5 sets and 5 repetitions, the duration of the set is 6 seconds.

Combination of methods

In working with athletes, all 4 methods are used with equal success. They are successfully combined with each other depending on the chosen goal. For instance:

1. Increase in muscle mass. Progressions of repetitions and sets are applied, which replace each other. The method is laborious, however, it gives excellent results if the main task is to gain muscle mass.
2. Loss of body fat and simultaneous gain of muscle mass. For this case, a combination of progressions in rest and sets is used. Gives fast good results.
3. Fat loss, strength gain. Combination of progression in speed and rest. Used by sprinters and athletes looking to lose weight while maintaining or improving speed and strength.
4. Gain in strength and muscle mass. Combination of progressions in sets and speed. Applicable to strength athletes who aspire to get into the highest weight category.

weight gain method

Another method we've saved for last is adding weight to the bar. This is one of the most effective ways evaluate your progress and at the same time increase the load. By doing the same number of sets and reps, but using 4kg more, you can be sure that you are making progress.

The method of adding weights is not the only correct way to measure progression, so you should not use it alone. Moreover, you simply cannot continuously increase the weight of shells. This is contrary to our human nature, which has limited opportunities, without her, all the medals in weightlifting would have gone to centenarians. Given the limits that our physiology has set for us, the method of increasing weights is far from the most the best way raise physical activity. After all, even with an ideal program, a constant increase in weights will “burn” you as a result, with a bad program, this process will happen much faster.

Conclusion

The human nervous, as well as the muscular system, is unable to cope with the endlessly growing stimulation, therefore, over time, the recovery period passes with difficulty, resulting in a state. That is why we recommend alternately combining the weight gain method with other methods, for example, with progression in repetitions or sets. It is also useful to develop in parallel other important athletic qualities, without focusing on the constant build-up of weights.

As promised, today we begin a dental analysis of the principles of muscle growth. Before us is the first and most important principle - the progression of loads. Let's look at what load progression is, why it is used in all sports, and why the principle of load progression is fundamental in bodybuilding.

But first, let's look at one example.

Imagine that we have 3 athletes

Vasya, who has just crossed the threshold of the gym, bench presses 20 kilograms for 10 repetitions. Yura, who has been training for 5 years, easily presses 180 kilograms for 10 repetitions, while his friend Artem, whose training experience is also equal to 5 years, presses only 50 kilograms. Beginner Vasya, strongman Yura, and loser Artem are distinguished by only one parameter - the principle of progression of loads. From training to training, Yura increased the weight of the barbell, the number of sets and repetitions. At each workout, he laid a small "brick" in the foundation of a powerful bench press. Artem was undisciplined in training, and therefore he often forgot to put the “brick” in his “house”, or even took it out completely if he was absent from the fitness club for a long time. Vasya, who had just crossed the threshold of the gym, has not yet laid a single “brick”, since he simply did not have the opportunity to do so.

Load progression in bodybuilding is the number of steps you take towards your goal. At the same time, the number of workouts very often does not correspond to the number of steps taken. The vast majority of gym goers are treading water day after day, month after month, and year after year. They do not take any steps to achieve the goal, they ignore the principle of progression of loads, and therefore, in years or even decades of regular training in the gym, they do not reach the goals that can be achieved in a few months of proper training.

Why do we need the principle of progression of loads in bodybuilding?

Okay, but why can't muscles grow just like that? Why do we have to take some “steps” towards our goal? The fact is that we misunderstand the very essence of muscle growth. Muscles are just a side effect proper training. A large muscle mass is a high performance that cannot be achieved without regularly overcoming oneself. Initially, our capacity for work is small. Through training, we step by step increase our body's ability to do more work in 45 to 90 minutes of iron pulling. The total amount of weight lifted over a certain period of time increases. This leads to an increase in muscle mass.

The progression of loads in bodybuilding is extremely simple: working capacity increases - muscles grow. Working capacity does not increase - muscles do not grow. To increase performance, you need to regularly (every 1-5 workouts) add weight, increase the number of sets or repetitions. It is necessary to increase the number of kilograms lifted per unit of time. This is the progression of loads.

Let's compare the performance of Yura, Artem and Vasya on the example of a bench press

The difference between Yura and Artem is 5 times. The difference between Yura and Vasya is 15.75 times. The differences are simply enormous. And all this on the example of one bench press. If you analyze the entire workout, the numbers will become much more impressive.
Load progression example

This is how a beginner needs to “walk” so that the progression of loads gives the maximum increase in muscle mass:

Workout #1

Workout #2

Workout #3

Workout #5

Workout #7

Workout #9

Workout #20

Workout #50

Workout #100

After 100 sessions, the beginner, who had no muscle mass at all at the start, increased his bench press from 20 to 75 kilograms, reducing the rest between sets by 30 seconds. The volume of work performed increased from 800 to 3750 kilograms. And since the working capacity has increased (the athlete performs 4.7 times more work in less time), then the muscles have become significantly larger.