Muscle Training Program, Part 7

Our muscle training program proceeds to the Intermediate Level of you fitness program.

If you have completed a couple of months of the Beginner Muscle Strength & Recovery Training and feel the need for more intensity or have been using a resistance routine as part of your fitness program in the past, you may be interested in progressing your workout to further increase strength and size development.

The basic principles are:

• Proper exercises with good form and control
• An adequate intensity level
• Sufficient rest and nutrition

Slow, controlled, full-range movements are the best at any level of intensity, both for increasing strength and avoiding injury. "Cheating" is the act of using body momentum or body arching to complete a difficult repetition. Although "cheat" repetitions can add intensity, they are not recommended because they increase the rate of injury.

The Intermediate Muscle Strength & Recovery workout differs from the Beginner program by virtue of being more intense and by the addition of specific isolation exercises. At the Intermediate level, intensity is increased so that only 10 to 12 repetitions can be completed with each set. Again, the last two or three repetitions should feel difficult, and there should be a mild burning in the muscle at the end of the set that disappears with rest.

It is important to learn to differentiate between the "burn" of a properly performed set and the pain of a stress injury. Obviously, the latter is what we are trying to avoid, while the former indicates the muscle has been properly stressed by the exercise. Dropping the number of repetitions per set means the weight can be increased. Increased weight means the muscle has to generate more force to accomplish the workload, resulting in greater adaptation and hypertrophy.

The Intermediate workout begins with mild stretching and a warm-up set, followed by two sets of each exercise at the most. It should be noted that excellent progress can be made with just one well-performed set. The routine contains several additional exercises to isolate the chest, shoulders and various leg muscles. The entire workout should take no more than 45 minutes.

Intermediate Workout

• Stretch (3 - 5 minutes)
• Warm Up (1 light set before each exercise)
• Barbell Bend Press, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Pec Deck or Incline Dumbell Flys, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Lateral Dumbbell Flys, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Triceps Cable Press Downs, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Lat Pull Downs, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Seated Lat Rows, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Barbell Preacher Curl, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Machine Leg Press, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Leg Extensions, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Leg Curls, 1 - 2 sets, 10 - 12 reps
• Standing Toe Raises, 1 - 2 sets, 15 - 20 reps
• Abdominal Crunches, 2 sets, 20 reps

The Importance of Rest and Recovery

Note that toe raises and abdominal crunches require high-rep sets. Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets and at least 48 hours between workouts. Increase the weight with each exercise when the last repetitions become easier. As weights increase, you may find it necessary to rest 72 hours between workouts.

It is impossible to overemphasize that muscle development comes from the proper combination of intense muscular stress, rest, recovery and nutrition. If there is inadequate rest and recovery, there will be inadequate growth as well as an increased risk of injury. Learn to recognize symptoms of overtraining such as fatigue, loss of motivation, trouble sleeping, excessive or prolonged soreness, poor or minimal progress, etc. If these occur, immediately reduce the frequency of workouts, not the intensity.

Remember, each person is different and what works for one person may not work for another. There are no fixed rules about the correct number of workouts per week to make progressive gains. The correct frequency is what works for you, i.e. allows good progress while avoiding the pitfalls of overtraining.

More is Not Better

There are also no arbitrary rules dictating the exact number of sets, repetitions or exercises per workout to maximize your gains. What is important is to supply a stimulus of sufficient intensity to generate an adaptive response and no more!

Many people instinctively believe that more is, by definition, better -- more sets, more repetitions, more exercises. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Once the muscle is adequately stimulated, "more" only exhausts your system, increases both the catabolic hormone level and the recovery time, and heightens the chance of injury.

Correct training, not overtraining, is the key to success in weight lifting. That is particularly true at the intermediate level when conditioning of the muscles, joints and ligaments, in addition to increasing strength and size, is still an important part of your workout strategy.

Continue to maintain a high level of nutrition through good eating habits and by using our Muscle Strength & Recovery twice daily. Remember to add endurance exercise, but limit the amount to three sessions weekly for 20 minutes at a time.

To the Advanced Level in Part 8 of our Muscle Training Program.

Back to Part 6