HITTING A PLATEAU

In the last post we discussed the forms of workout schedule. Let's elaborate a bit more on the workout plan. Sticking to a particular workout schedule for long often results in tapering down of results. Our body has this great adaptive mechanism, when subjected to similar kinds of stress over a period of time, body accalimatizes to the schedule and hence the results are not as pronounced as seen earlier.
When you start a workout regime(be it weightloss or weight gain), people often see good results in the beginning. But gradually the results taper off. This is known as hitting the plateau in the sense that growth first follows an upward path and then becomes stagnant. The reason that the growth halts is that body becomes used to the regime and metabolism rate tends to get set according to that particular schedule.
Hence it is very important to keep a close tab on your progress. When a stagnation point is reached, this is a signal to change your workout plan. Give your body a shock every now and then. Force it to behave as if something new has happened. e.g: I have seen good bodybuilders doing only pushups(in the range of 200-300) on a day just to induce the muscle into growth. Similarly for cardio having the same intensity workout for a long period of time will not give optimum results. Change the intensity and form of workout at regular periods to keep the body guessing.
Also changing the diet is necessary so that MBR does not get set. This can be achieved through 'Cheat Days', a concept explained in earlier posts.



Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got!!!

BENEFITS OF HAVING A WORKOUT PARTNER

Moving onto an important factor that can greatly enhance your progress in pursuit of your fitness goal. one of the biggest mistake that one can do is to set out alone in order to achieve a sculpted physique. Having a partner in gym can go a long way in this respect.

The biggest benefit of exercising with a partner is that you never get fed up with the sometimes monotonous nature of the workout schedule. It's quite unnatural for anyone to be in high spirits all the time. So a training partner can actually push you to not miss workout on such low energy days. Knowing that someone is waiting for you at gym drives many people to not miss their workout.

However a training partner should be such that he provides a lot of energy to your workout, drives you to do one more repetition, makes you run 1 extra min etc. One should choose people as his/her training partner who have similar fitness goals, and are close to your fitness levels. e.g: a pro working out with a beginner wouldn't make much sense, since right from the weights they lift to their fitness regime everything might be like north and south pole.

Arnold Schwarzenegger used to train with Franco Columbo and Dave Draper, both great bodybuilders and participants in Mr. Olympia themselves. Arnold himself has written in his book, The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, that choosing a training partner is a lot like a marriage, and you want to marry somebody who is an addition to your life, who makes it better, not somebody who causes you to say, 'Whew, this marriage stuff. What did I get myself into?"




ARNOLD WITH DAVE DRAPER


ARNOLD WITH FRANCO

So guys find out the right person in your gym and start working out. As they say - Two heads are better than one, I would say Two fitness freaks working together are than all!!!

Workout Plan Dilemma

Jet had posted this query in the last post;
" I have a query, What should be an ideal exercise schedule. I take two muscle parts a day, the muscle group should be two big muscles say chest n Back, or one big muscle + one small, say chest+ tricep , so on.... how to make out for an ideal combination."

This is a good topic that he has come up with. Many people are often anxious to know what kind of workout combination is best. So let's dig into little detail on this issue:

Combination of muscle group/day is something that varies a lot gym to gym. You might have noticed people doing chest+shoulder , chest+back or chest+ bicep. Out of these two i personally prefer alternating between the last two combinations from time to time.

There is a set of antagonistic muscles in the body:
1. Chest + Back
2. Bicep + Tricep
3. Thighs + Hamstrings


So a antagonist muscle workout would look like as:

DAY 1. CHEST + BACK
DAY 2. SHOULDER + CALVES
DAY 3. CARDIO + ABS
DAY 4. BACK + BICEP
DAY 5. LEGS + ABS
DAY 6. CARDIO
DAY 7. REST

Now when one muscles contracts the other extends and vice versa. For example, when bending the elbow and doing bicep curls, the biceps muscle contracts and is the agonist; the triceps muscle stretches and is the antagonist. When the movement is reversed and the elbow is extended, the triceps muscle contracts (is the agonist) and the biceps muscle lengthens (is the antagonist). Antagonistic pairs are needed in the body because muscles can only exert a pulling force, and can't push themselves back into their original positions.To push them back, the antagonistic counterpart is needed. This workout schedule is particularly beneficial for gaining serious strength. However since both the muscles are exercised on the same day, there is quite a considerable gap between two consecutive workouts of the same muscle group(7 days). Whenever we work out one muscle, the antagonist muscle is worked out to some extent. Again, doing chest and back on the same day can be energy sapping as both are big muscles.





Second classification is done on the basis of push n pull muslce types.
1. CHEST + TRICEP + SHOULDER : Push muscles ( most of the exercises involve push movements instead of pull movements)
2. BICEP + BACK: Pull Muscles ( Most of exerices involve pull motion)


So it's a good idea to combine a push exerice with a pull exercise. with this we can also maintain the balance that we do not workout two big muscles on a the same day. This also saves the timelag between two antagonist muscles being trained. So a workout based on this would look like the following:

DAY 1 Chest + Biceps
DAY 2 Legs + calfs
DAY 3 Cardio
DAY 4 Back + Abs
DAY 5 Shoulder + triceps
DAY 6 Cardio + Abs
DAY 7 Rest


However, different workout schedules may work out differently for different people. If the healing time for the body is more, then antagonist approach seems to be a better idea while if the muscles heal quickly, the second approach has more weight on its side.
However sticking to one schedule for a long time may actually slow down the growth. More on this in the next post.


Till then happy gyming!!!!!

SORE MUSCLE - contd....

After reading the last post on soreness, one of my friends asked if soreness was responsible for muscle growth, then can he achieve the same results through flexing instead of weight training, i.e if he just flexed his biceps till the time they become sore, will they grow in size? In this case the antagonistic muscle i.e the tricep was acting as resistance while flexing bicep.

So, let’s discuss this in a little more detail. Going by the principle of muscle tissues getting broken as indicated by soreness, the apparent answer to the above query would be yes. However, while one may experience somewhat increased strength, there will not be any significant increase in size of arms. The explanation for this lies in an earlier post in which I discussed slow twitch fibres and fast twitch fibres. Fast twitch fibres are primarily responsible for the bulk. Doing endless repetitions with no weights do not induce stress in fast twitch fibres. The strength and size of a muscle increases when it is subjected to larger loads. Using the antagonistic muscle solely for resistance might help in the muscle getting a bit firmer initially, but not bigger.
To conclude, we can say that some form of external resistance (in the form of weights, resistance bands etc) is needed to gain strength and size.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN: Let's Look Deep

In today's post we will look at what is soreness of muscle, how it is different from physical injury and how we can avoid injury while exercising to our fullest potential.

It is very important to be able to differentiate between the enjoyable pain of an intense workout and the pain resulting from actual physical injury. Having
soreness in muscles is a very common phenomena after an intense workout. Infact, if i don't feel a little bit of soreness in my muscles after workout, i know i didnt give my best in gym that day. May be the workout wasn't intense enough, may be the rest was too large in between sets. For muscles to grow, first they need to be broken and then rebuilt with the help of a good diet.

The soreness results from micro damage to muscles and tissues but the pain is short lived. Movements not being mobile enough after an intense workout are usually a sign of an effective workout session. So, we can say that soreness is not a bad thing but infact good for muscle growth. However there is a thin line between soreness resulting from a good workout and soreness from over training. Over training can seriously damage muscles, and lead to longer pasting pain.

Soreness in a way is good, that it induces muscle growth. Also the pump that is felt during workout gives a high that no other feeling can match. Soreness is more due to negative repetitions, i.e while lowering a weight down instead of lifting it up. This is precisely the reason why you find body builders doing their reps slowly and controlling the weight while bringing it down. This puts disproportionate amount of stress on the supporting tendons and ligaments, and this is what seems to cause the damage, and hence induces growth.

However if the pain continues beyond a couple of days, and interfers in your workout alongwith other tasks then one should go light on his/her workout. If the pain doesnot subside in one week period, then may be its time to take complete rest and consult a doctor to be on safe side. Over training is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Heavy workouts if not backed by proper diet prove counterproductive because muscles depleted during the workout are not replenished and hence muscular strength is always below par. Remember if you continue working out with an injury, it can completely put you off and you might end up on bed resting for a long time.


HOW TO AVOID INJURY:
1. KNOW YOUR LIMITS: Increasing the intensity is a good way to surprise the muscle and induce growth. However one should be mindful of the body and the stress it can take. Continued training with prolonged soreness increases the chance of injury. If you experience soreness over longer period of time, train with greatly reduced volume till you get your strength back and then move upwards. Donot try to copy others and avoid jerk movements while lifting weights.
2. DIET: Diet plays an important role to replenish the damaged muscles. Working out for elongated periods without sufficient diet agains puts an individual at a greater risk. Adequate protein and caloric intakes are critically important throughout training, not just in the day or two following very hard workouts, because protein decrements can be present up to 28 days after a bout of overuse.
3. STRETCHING AND WARMING UP: Always do some warmup and stretching exercises prior to starting your workout. This can save from muscle pulls and reduces the chance of injury. Also stretching after the workout are advisable to free the muscles.




So in a nutshell, we can say that while feeling a bit sore after your workout sounds good for muscle development, ignoring snoreness altogether is not a good idea. Thus to maintain a balance, diet should be closely monitored, in that it should be sufficient for rebuilding old muscles and growth of new.


TRAIN HARD, EAT HARDER!!!

SAMPLE DIET PLAN

Sorry guys for not posting this long. Was busy with some work stuff off late. will be posting regulary from now on.



All this time of limited activity, quite a few people approached me for their diet plan. So i guess i would like to start back from there only. However few points need to be iterated before we kick off with our discussion.


-> Its a calorie game. To gain( yes even for muscles), one needs to provide extra calories to body than are expended.

-> Training and diet are twins which put body on the anabolic environment. Falling short on any of these takes you off the track from achieving your fitness goals.

-> A balanced meal should consist of the following
* Protein
* Carbs
* Fats
* Fiber
* Vitamins + Minerals

Try to include all of these in each of your meals. Fats are stored in all types of food, so i don't think one needs to make an extra effort to consume those by having a burger :)

-> There is a general rule followed by athletes and bodybuilders all around the world. It's called 30 gram formula. As per research, our body cannot digest more than 30gms of protein in one go. I am not sure about the validity but splitting up my protein intake through out the day makes more sense to me.

-> For a person, doing strength training, atleast 1gm of protein per 1 kg of body weight is needed daily. The requirement may increase for professionals. e.g: If your body weight is 70kg, then to gain muscle, atleast 70gms of protein is required daily.

-> Protein intake need not be solely dependent on supplements. we will discuss the details about the pros and cons of supplements in some later post.

-> Its better to eat 6 short meals a day then 3 large meals.

Will present a sample diet in this post, which can be obviously be modified as per individual needs and preferences.


SAMPLE DIET CHART TO GAIN (Assuming workout is in evening)

Meal 1(breakfast ~ 9am): 1 cup boiled oats + fruit(apple/pear) + 4 egg whites.

Meal 2(~11am): Vegetable sandwich (using brown bread) + Lemon Juice

Meal 3(Lunch ~1:30pm): 2 chapattis + Dal/Chicken/Fish/Soyabeen + green salad + 1 cup rice


Meal 4(~4pm): Fruit salad (orange + watermelon + apple + banana)

Meal 5(Pre workout ~6:30pm): Dalia/glass of milk/Oats

Meal 6(Post workout ~8pm): Protein Shake + 4 egg whites ( try to space the two by approx 20 min)

Meal7(Dinner ~9:30pm): 1-2 chapattis + dal




Drink plenty of water.

This is just a sample chart. Individual needs may differ and hence this might need to modified in that sense.
For personal queries, you can always ping me.



Just keep a track of what you eat and what you don't and you should be on your way to achieve your fitness goal.
COUNT CALORIES because CALORIES REALLY do count!!!

Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups

Pull-ups/Chin-ups is another basic form of exercise which works on a large number of muscle groups and can be performed without weights. It helps in increasing strength and attaining a bigger/broader torso.

Many people use the terms pull-ups and chin-ups synonymously. However these are two different exercises working on diff muscle groups. The difference is in the grip.

Pull-ups. Palms facing away with arms wider than your shoulder. Works more on lat muscles and less on biceps, more back. Harder as compared to chin-ups.

Chin-ups. Palms facing you with arms slightly in than your shoulders. Works on your biceps more. Easier than pull-ups.

Beginners usually find pull-ups difficult to start with. However nothing to get disheartened as strength will gradually increase. To start with support can be taken.

Hang on a pull-up bar with straight arms & pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar.

Technique is very important to get the right workout and to avoid spraining anything.

Pull-up & Chin-up Technique.

1. Starting position: Start each rep from a dead hang with straight elbows. Clear the bar with your chin on every rep. Put the bar close to your fingers, not in the palm of your hand. It minimizes callus formation.

Also, you will find many people wearing gloves while doing chin-ups/pull-ups to prevent callus formation.

2. Breathe at The Bottom. It’s easier to breathe at the bottom. Take a big breath before pulling yourself up.

3. Chest Up. Don’t let your shoulders go forward. Lead with your chest up & keep your shoulders back.

4. Look Up. Never look down during Pull-ups & Chin-ups. Look at the bar. Look where you’re pulling yourself up to.

5. Bend Your Legs. This prevents touching the floor while coming down and hence taking support from floor everytime you come down.

Be as slow as you can while coming down. This will put the muscle under maximum tension over a longer period of time.

Common Errors

Most common error on Pull-ups & Chin-ups is cheating the range of motion by not going low or high enough on each rep.

1. Not Straightening the Arms: Keeping your arms bent is partial chin-ups/pull-ups. Straighten them while coming down to increase strength.

2. Swaying Legs/Using hips: While going up, swaying of legs and using of your hips is not advisable (many people do that in order to pull up). Try to be steady while you pull your body up.

3. Chin to the Bar: Try to raise yourself till your chin is at the level of the bar. People go only as up when their forehead touches the bar. This again is partial chin up/pull up.

In case of more resistance is needed, add weight to challenge yourself more. Following variations can be tried out.

1. Dumbbell Between Legs: Cross your legs backwards with knees bent. Ask your partner to place a dumbbell between your feet. Now try to do repetitions.

2. Belt & weights: Wear a belt. Suspend weights from the belt before hooking it.