Guys, you NEED to get stronger!
Getting stronger should be the goal when embarking on your fitness journey. Why?? Because it builds muscle!
Whether it’s for improved athletic performance, better health, or simply to look and feel better, increasing strength can have a variety of benefits. One of the side effects of getting stronger is an increase in muscle mass. In this article, we’ll delve into the science behind how strength training leads to muscle growth and provide an example of a training method that can help you get stronger and build muscle – reverse pyramid training.
First, let’s define what we mean by “getting stronger.” In the context of exercise, strength refers to the amount of force a muscle or group of muscles can produce. When we lift weights, we are trying to progressively overload our muscles by making them work harder over time. As our muscles adapt to the increased demand, they become stronger and are able to produce more force.
So how does this lead to an increase in muscle mass? The process of muscle growth, or hypertrophy, occurs when the muscles are subjected to repeated bouts of mechanical tension. When we lift weights, the muscle fibers are subjected to tension as they contract to produce force. This tension causes small micro-tears in the muscle fibers, which prompts the body to repair and rebuild the muscle tissue.
During the repair process, the muscle fibers are rebuilt to be slightly bigger and stronger than they were before. This is because the body’s natural response to the mechanical tension is to increase the size and strength of the muscle fibers to better handle the stress in the future. Over time, as the muscles are subjected to more and more tension, they continue to grow and become stronger.
While the process of muscle growth may seem simple, there are a few key factors that influence the rate of hypertrophy. One of the most important factors is the intensity of the training. In order to stimulate muscle growth, the weight you are lifting needs to be heavy enough to challenge the muscles. This is known as the “strength-endurance continuum,” which refers to the balance between the amount of weight you are lifting and the number of reps you can perform with that weight.
To build muscle, it is generally recommended to lift weights that are heavy enough that you can only perform a moderate number of reps, typically in the 6-12 rep range, but this is not concrete.
PLEASE NOTE – *the rep range matter FAR LESS THAN THE EFFORT PUT INTO EACH SET*.
Reverse Pyramid style training allows you to apply a significant amount of tension to the muscles without completely exhausting them early on and getting in the way of your max potential effort, which will result in GAINS. ; )
This involves starting with a heavier weight and performing fewer reps, then decreasing the weight and increasing the reps as you progress through your sets. The idea behind this method is to perform the most challenging sets at the beginning of the workout, while you are still fresh and have the most energy.
Another important factor in muscle growth is the frequency of the training. In order to continue stimulating muscle growth, it is important to hit each muscle group with a sufficient amount of volume (sets and reps), once per week, leaving adequate time to RECOVER – this allows the muscles rebuild between workouts, leading to continued progress.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of how strength training leads to muscle growth, let’s take a look at an example of reverse pyramid training and how it can help you get stronger and build muscle.
Reverse pyramid training is a method of weightlifting that involves starting with a heavier weight and performing fewer reps, then decreasing the weight and increasing the reps as you progress through your sets. The idea behind this method is to perform the most challenging sets at the beginning of the workout, while you are still fresh and have the most energy.
Here’s an example of a reverse pyramid training routine for the bench press:
- Set 1: 6 reps with 220 lbs
- Set 2: 8reps with 185 lbs
- Set 3: 10 reps with 160 lbs
As shown above, the first set is performed with the heaviest weight, while the second set is performed with a slightly lighter weight and more reps. The third set is performed with an even lighter weight and more reps. This allows you the best chance to move the heaviest weight with greatest effort, maximizing muscle fiber stimulus, resulting in the most efficient way to increase muscle mass through the process of getting stronger over time.