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Why Recovery Is Important in Muscle Building

The importance of recovery when it comes to building muscle mass simply cannot be overstated.  The process of increasing muscle size is the combination of two things.

First of all intensive workouts are required to break down the muscle tissue.  It might seem odd that lifting weights is actually damaging muscle but in effect that exactly what is happening.

It is during the recovery time that the muscles are built back up by the body and when they are, they end up being bigger and stronger.

As you have read, there are a number of things that you need to do in order to achieve the maximum results; you need to make sure that you maintain a good diet, you have to mitigate factors that will prevent you from staying motivated and you also have to put in some serious work at the gym.

Recovery is crucially important to building muscle mass and the good thing about it is it is easiest part of the plan.

Things that you Need to do to Improve Recovery

The process of recovery is more than simply resting between workouts, although this is a big part of recovery.  There are things that you need to in order to keep your body in a state where can rebuild muscle.

Stretching

This is something that is often overlooked when it comes to weight lifting.  Many people think that stretching only benefits your flexibility.  It does, but there is a lot more to it than that.  If you stretch well before and after a workout you’ll find that you experience less muscle soreness.  This will make your workouts easier.  Even on days that you’re not working out, it is helpful to do some stretching.

Keep Moving

On days that you’re not working out certain muscle groups, is still good to go through some light movements.  You’ll find that this helps with muscles that are stiff.  Even light contraction of muscles will help stimulate blood flow in those areas.  When skeletal muscles contract it forces blood to move through the arteries and veins.  This will help the muscles to recover as they are getting the necessary nutrients.

Sleep is Key to Recovery

As you probably know, sleep is the period when the body recovers the most.  It is essential to get that we get seven or eight hours of quality sleep every night.  This shouldn’t be too hard as you’ll find that when you’re working out your sleep patterns will often improve.  Try to maintain a good schedule and go to sleep at the same time every day.  Avoid any kind of caffeine later in the day and give yourself time before you go to bed to do something relaxing.

Diet for Recovery

To get the muscles to recover properly you need to maintain a diet that feeds them.  Protein and carbohydrates are the most important factors and not only do you need to get enough of them, but it is important to take them at the right time.  Knowing that the period when you sleep is when your experience the most recovery, try to make sure that you get enough protein in your last meal of the day to fuel the recovery.

John Grimek Chest Specialization Workout

This weeks video continues our Lessons of the 50s Series.

Today we are spotlighting a chest specialization routine by John Grimek that was popular during the 50s and was especially effective in improving strength.

Enjoy the video.

Muscle Building Techniques to Try in Your Workouts

Looking to ad some variety or find new ways to gain maximum muscle in minimum time?

Here are a few things to try and spice up your workouts:

Incremental Increases

This method involves using the most that you can lift in an eight repetition set.  This will usually be somewhere of around 80% of your maximum lift.  Each time you work out, reduce the number of repetitions in your set by one and increase the weight by about 5%.  After you have gone through about three or four workouts, then try lifting the weight from the second workout with the eight repetitions that you’re using in the beginning.

Now, you will be lifting 5% more than you were in the beginning.  If you keep using this method you will see quick increases in your strength.

Ramping up your Reps

To do this, figure out the most that you can lift in two repetitions.  This will be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 95% of your one lift maximum.  Increase the number of sets that you would normally do to five or six.  Chances are that you will not be able to finish your five or six sets.  The idea is that you keep trying in each subsequent work out to do five or six sets at this weight with two-repetitions each.  You then increase the repetitions until you can do five or six sets of four.  This is a good method for getting off a plateau when you feel like you’re having trouble increasing the weight you are lifting.

Reducing Sets

One way to really push your muscles to the limit is to do three sets using the maximum weight you can do for six repetitions.  After that reduce the weight by 30 or 40% and try to do two more sets of six repetitions using this weight.  Even though you’re using a smaller weight you’re still pushing your muscles to their maximum and this will increase the benefit.  Before too long you will find that you can increase the weight of your initial sets.

Partial Lifts

This is one of the few exercises that actually uses more than your maximum lift.  Try going with 20% more than your maximum and doing the regular number of sets.  The technique is to lift the weight all the way up, and then lower it only about one 3^rd of the way down.

Lift the weight back up and repeat for the full number of repetitions.  Eventually allow the weight to go further down in subsequent workouts.  This way, eventually you’ll be able to lift the greater weight through all of your sets and repetitions.  You might need a spotter for this one.

Shorter Intervals

This method is a little simpler than most.  Do you work out as you normally would, only allow less time in between each set.  You will notice that after a couple of sets it is more difficult to lift the weight.  It is hard for your muscles to do this and you’ll then get more benefit out of each set.

Even with the techniques already listed you may find that you hit a plateau.  When you do there are few more things that you can try:

Reduced Reps with Greater Weight

For this one, do your first set of six repetitions with about 80% of your maximum lift weight.  For your next set, reduce the number of repetitions by one and increase the weight to about 85% of your maximum lift weight.  Keep going until you find that you cannot do any more.  This allows your muscles to get warmed up and then increasing the weight will maximize the load you’re putting on your muscles.

One Rep Sets

This is an extreme one.  In this case, you will be lifting your maximum weight.  Simply, all you do is lift your maximum weight once (which, by definition is all that you can lift) and rest for a few minutes.  Then do it again.

You’ll probably be able to do about seven or eight of these one repetition sets.  This is one method that really helps to increase the amount that you can lift.  If you do this over a few workouts you’ll soon find that your maximum lift is not nearly as hard.  At this point try your maximum lift again and you’ll find that it has increased.

While all of these methods will be effective to help you gain muscle mass very quickly, any one of them used alone may not be as effective as they can be if you switch them up a little bit.  Many of them require a few workouts, so after you have gone through a method try using another one.

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