The myofibrils or sarcoplasm, which is better?
1. The more developed the strength displayed in the range of 5-10 repetitions, the more inflated myofibrils are. These dimensions cannot be built quickly, but they are the most durable of all the other components. Any training strategy that leads to a significant increase in strength in the long term is effective for increasing myofibrils.
2. The greater the amount of work, multiplied by the decrease in rest between approaches, is performed, the more the sarcoplasma is inflated. Moreover, on the average and high number of repetitions, this increase is more pronounced than on a small one. At the same time, the strength may not change, that is, the available short – term achievements are not long-term (this does not mean that they are not needed-just the opposite). Effective sarcoplasmic training requires no more than 3-4 days of rest – it is possible to progress on 3 training sessions per week.
3. fortification of nutrition with carbohydrates and creatine contribute to an increase in sarcoplasma. This type of hypertrophy is relatively quickly achievable and short-lived.
4. Anabolic steroids and some other drugs allow you to pump sarcoplasma quickly and steeply-much higher than the level that is possible with natural training.
This should be remembered by those who compare themselves with chemists. Chemistry allows you to pump up the muscles quickly, they literally swell, but this temporary swelling does not have a chance to remain after the withdrawal of drugs. In the best case, the volume that is pumped up due to myofibrils will remain, while the sarcoplasma is deflated to its natural size.
In the future, to simplify the presentation, I will only use the term "sarcoplasma", including the mitochondrial component (since everything is very similar, and refers to the so-called bodybuilding type of training).
How best to pump the muscles – at the expense of myofibrils or at the expense of sarcoplasma?
Attention! The most important thing! The more muscle myofibrils can be pumped, the more sarcoplasma can be pumped into such muscles. In other words, without developing strength, some muscle gain is possible, but a significant increase in muscle requires a proportionately significant increase in strength. The larger the volume of myofibrils, the more volume can be pumped into the muscles due to sarcoplasma.
Thus, the only true long-term training strategy is to increase muscle strength. On the basis of increased maximum strength, it is effective to "pump" sarcoplasma into the muscles. Without a significant increase in force, this "pumping" is only partially realized. Full realization requires the development of power. However, this "sarcoplasma pumping" (i.e., roughly speaking, high-repeat and frequent training) is necessary for the accompanying effects (not only muscle volume, but also hydration, capillarization, and other "- effects").
How to build muscle-a long-term strategy
1. Strategically (for years) it is necessary to strive to increase the strength displayed in the range of 5-10 repetitions. This is the basis of everything. By and large, it doesn't matter what specific programs are used. The result is important.
2. Tactically (at the level of specific programs) strive to maintain their performance in cycles or alternating training in an average and large number of approaches and repetitions with reduced rest periods.
3. if necessary, quickly (3-6 weeks) increase the muscle volume go to the appropriate period of specialization with frequent training of the muscle (2-3 times a week), with a large number of sets, different (from 5 to 50) number of repetitions with the time of finding the muscle under load 20-120 seconds, reducing the rest between approaches.It is also useful to use continuous muscle tension from the beginning to the end of the set, including stopping at some point in the amplitude (traditionally praised as "peak contraction", that is, the position of the reduced muscle). Fortification of nutrition with creatine and carbohydrates is also required. It remains to add that from a methodological point of view, it is certainly correct to use different training modes (few repetitions, many repetitions) on different training days. In this case, the adaptation of the body and the effects of training are maximum.
Now let's put everything in reverse order – from quick results to the long term.
How to pump up your muscles to the maximum in the allotted time
1) if the time for muscle development is 3-6 weeks, it makes sense to immediately engage in a high-volume program 2-3 times a week. If training starts from scratch, you need to gradually increase the load during the specified period-to the corresponding significant indicators. With 3 training sessions per week, it is logical to work once in power mode (5-8 repetitions, approaches not to the limit, from 3 sets at the beginning to 10 to the end of the program), another time – an increased number of repetitions (from 10 to 20 or more) again in an increasing number of approaches, and the third training-the same with the use of "continuous tension" and "peak reduction".
It is essential to increase the amount of carbohydrates and creatine in the food (protein is also necessary, but the emphasis is on carbohydrates). Anyone who does not want to eat adequately, and especially those who are trying to lose weight, is doomed to lack of results. In this case, training in this mode is simply useless. There is no point in trying so hard – you can safely go to a support training. Only targeted nutritional support guarantees results.
In fairness, it should be noted that during this period, there may be some increase in strength (myofibrillar hypertrophy), especially in beginners. There is no contradiction in this – different types of muscle hypertrophy are often performed together, especially in beginners. It is simply carried out in different proportions.
2) when planning progress for 3-6 months, make the most of the opportunity for a significant increase in strength. The applied methods can differ and intertwine in any way – but the main task is to increase the result, calculated in kilograms, in overcoming the weight in 5-10 repetitions in the corresponding exercises. The best training is still more rare than in the first case – from 2 times a week to 1 time a week.
At the end of this period, you need to specialize according to the scheme of the 1st point – the same 3-6 weeks. It is best to focus on 4 weeks.
It is this combination of programs that will allow us to fully realize the potential for this period.
It is quite stupid to pump the muscles in the specialization program according to the scheme of the 1st point for longer than a few weeks. Unfortunately, this is what is accepted. Specialization on a permanent basis – that's what happens in the Builder-fitness world. A program that provides rapid progress (3-6 weeks) does not provide long-term progress (3-6 months).
3) The more time available, the more reasonable it is to focus on significant progress in the force. Methods and programs, I repeat, can change in any way, but the criterion of progress is the same. The more significant this progress is over a number of years, the bigger the muscles you will get. Specialization programs and high-repeat work can follow cycles or be combined with basic strength work by alternating training sessions. Unfortunately, both are ignored by most coaches.
