The training program must clearly correspond to the goal that the athlete has set for himself. When gaining weight, some principles are used, and when losing weight, others are used.
It is important to take into account all the features, otherwise you will not be able to achieve the result.
Daily training is very exhausting. Not everyone will be able to withstand such a regime, and such an amount of free time is also not always available. 3-4 classes a week will be enough to fully work out the whole body and provide the body with rest.
All the pros and cons of four-day classes
The three-day split is the most popular type of workout. We know much less about the four-day regime, however, this option is often used in practice. It has its advantages and disadvantages that must be taken into account.
TO positive aspects include:
- There are 3 free days left per week, which is enough for recovery;
- can be conveniently “scattered” different groups muscles by day so that they do not overlap.
The main negative point is that, given the seven-day week, it will not be possible to always have a full day off after class. At least once, two training sessions will take place back to back.
This problem can be partially solved by training in different time day, for example, on Monday it is held afternoon workout, and on Tuesday - evening, the remaining two are on Thursday and Saturday. You can also train absolutely non-overlapping muscles these days.
Options for basic exercise sets
The training program 4 times a week may vary. It all depends on the goal that the athlete sets for himself. For example, if you need to gain muscle mass, then you should divide the muscles into 4 groups and do your part every day; if you need to lose weight, then you can follow the principle of circuit training and change the program every one or two weeks.
Attention! There are many options for training programs. Each must correspond to a specific task set by the athlete.
Exercises for mass
Mass training should take into account a number of factors, including the recovery of the body. If the muscles are not restored, the next workout will only damage them further, and the situation will not change by the next session.
With a four-day plan, you can use the following approach:
Workout 1. Legs. | Perform about 4-5 exercises, 3-4 sets of 6-12 repetitions. This could be squats, leg presses, lunges, leg extensions in a machine, or calf raises. |
Workout 2. Chest. | 4-5 chest exercises are needed, such as bench press, incline press, dumbbell flyes, crossovers and dips. 3-4 sets of 6-12 repetitions. |
Workout 3. Back. | 4-5 back exercises, as an option: hyperextensions, deadlifts, dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns and upper block Per head. |
Workout 4. Shoulders and arms. | 2-3 exercises for the shoulders and 2 for the biceps and triceps, for example, standing press, seated dumbbell press, biceps with barbell, biceps with dumbbells, reverse push-ups and triceps on the upper block. 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions. |
The training plan may be slightly modified. For example, you can do exercises on your legs and shoulders on the first day, then train your arms, then devote a day to your back and then just move on to your chest. Exercises can also be changed.
Important! From time to time it is useful to carry out strength cycles, performing high-repetition movements. This will give new push to growth muscle mass, will help cope with stagnation.
Exercises for weight loss
require high energy consumption. Alternatively, you can do circuit training, doing several exercises in a row 4 days a week, and then completely change the program. So, the plan could be like this:
- jumping rope, 100 times;
- squats 15 times;
- bench press 15 times;
- leg raises on the press 15 times;
- dumbbell row to the belt 12 times;
- lifting dumbbells for biceps 12 times;
- French press by 12 times;
- hyperextension 15 times.
The exercises can be different, as an option, put something closer to an aerobic load, for example, do burpees, kettlebell swings, jumping push-ups, jumping on a bench, jumping rope, pull-ups and dips. All this is done in a row, without rest. The number of circles is five or more.
You can also train using the split principle. The same exercises are performed as when bulking, but for 20 repetitions, and any cardio before and after training is added to them.
Terrain training
The goal of training for relief is to reduce fat while maintaining muscle mass. After such a training period, the muscles should be as defined and prominent as possible.
As a rule, heavy exercises are performed, but 20-25 times. This will maximize blood flow to the muscles, making them expressive and full. Option training program as follows:
Day 1. Legs. | Squats, lunges, raises on a machine, abductions on a machine, raises on your toes, leg extensions on a machine. All exercises are done 20-25 times in 4 approaches. |
Day 2. Pectoral muscles and triceps. | Bench press, dumbbell flyes, dips, French press, machine extensions. Everything is done 20-25 times in 4 approaches. |
Day 3. Shoulders and biceps. | Standing barbell press, Arnold press, standing flyes, barbell raises, biceps curls on the Scott bench. 20-25 for 4 sets. |
Day 4. Back. | Deadlift, pull-ups, dumbbell rows, lower block and upper block rows. 20-25 for 4 sets, and push-ups to the maximum. |
Relief training can be somewhat different. For example, you can use the principle of supersets, combining 2 exercises and performing them one after another. There are many variations, the main thing is that the muscles are properly restored and trained in accordance with the established plan.
Useful video
Main conclusions
Four-day training is also quite reasonable. This regime is convenient because it helps to divide the muscles into more groups in order to give them special attention every day, which would be impossible with three workouts a week.
The main thing is to follow the established rules, follow the regime and nutrition plan. In this case, the result will not be long in coming. Muscle groups will be pumped properly, without intersecting and without interfering with mutual recovery.
Numerous visits to bodybuilding-related sites convince me that one of the most relevant topics and the subject of active discussions on them is questions rapid weight gain and muscle growth, which concern not only beginners, but also quite seasoned athletes. Although this is not surprising - it’s worth looking at yourself from the outside in those days when our main tasks were exclusively building huge muscles, gaining maximum mass, adding volume to the biceps, expressiveness of the chest or width of the back.
Reading articles about weight gain found on the Internet, I came to the conclusion that there is catastrophically little high-quality information on this topic on the Internet, one might even say that there is none at all, well, maybe, with the exception of only some very simple truths, and even then, unfortunately, not all of them. Having come across similar questions online more than once about the same beginners in bodybuilding, I decided to write a series of articles in which I planned to include detailed materials on the training program, nutrition, sports supplements. Today we will talk about a training program aimed at effectively gaining muscle mass.
Let's touch on the fundamental truths, without which high-quality muscle building is impossible:
- It is necessary to do a warm-up before the main workout, which includes heavy weight gain. The athlete must warm up well so that his joints and ligaments have time to warm up, and for this I would recommend that the athlete use a walking machine, running at an average pace for ten minutes will prepare the body for subsequent heavy exercises. Then you need stretching, aimed specifically at those areas of the body that are most “problematic” for you, for example, elbows or shoulders - these are the ones that need to be carefully and thoroughly kneaded first.
- Before each main working set, you need to do one or two warm-up approaches, using light weight, which should be about 40-50 percent of the worker's weight. Warm-up sets allow the athlete to also get a feel for this exercise.
- Don't go to the gym for too long– intensive work for an hour is quite enough. And remember a simple truth: In training, the main thing is not its duration, but only the intensity.
- The end of the workout should be a short cool-down to stretch the muscles and joints.. A good option is swimming in the pool.
- During mass training, you should not be distracted by extraneous matters.. The observed pictures of what often happens in the gym are depressing: someone is enthusiastically talking on the phone, someone is playing with a new toy in their iPhone, someone is talking to a neighbor and the like. That is, people who train do not understand why they came here and waste time in the gym, allotted specifically for training, and then receive, as a natural result of this, the absence of any, even small, progress in bodybuilding. Make it a rule: since you came to the gym to train and your goal is to gain weight, then train without being distracted by extraneous matters or absolutely anything else.
- The key to success- this is to work in a working approach until the very last repetition, performing it too. It is the last one or two repetitions, done through overcoming, that become the most effective in the training process and it is thanks to them that muscle mass is effectively built up.
- It is necessary to adhere to a nutritious diet, on which success in bodybuilding is half dependent. I can subscribe to every word I say and responsibly declare that without food High Quality Gaining mass is impossible and you will never be able to build decent muscles. My next article will be devoted to this - it will be convenient for you to follow the news using the newsletters of this blog.
- Adequate rest before the next workout is also important.. Don’t be surprised or scared now - the goal of bodybuilding training is precisely to injure muscle fibers, however, in the safe sense of the word - during heavy loads, our muscle tissue receives microtraumas, which the body then strives to heal and due to this, tissue growth occurs. So, for this restoration of muscle fiber, the body needs several days and therefore daily training is absolutely contraindicated for the average bodybuilder.
In this list, I have listed the rules that should be followed during training aimed at gaining mass. Now you can proceed directly to the training program itself.
You will have to exercise three times a week: on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - whatever is convenient for you, and here the main condition is a mandatory break between workouts of at least one day.
As a rule, athletes separate the chest, legs, shoulders, triceps and biceps into separate muscle groups and, accordingly, each of our workouts will focus on pumping a specific muscle group.
Three day training
Monday: work on the abdominal muscles, chest and triceps
The exercises in this workout are aimed at pumping up the pectoral muscles and triceps. First, five approaches are performed, the goal of which is abs. To do this, take any exercise to work the muscles. abdominals. In any case, pumping the pectoral muscles is also associated with working the triceps (triceps muscle). Fully work out the triceps by bench press and bench press incline bench.
- . Two warm-up sets are followed by four working sets of 8-12 repetitions. This exercise works most effectively pectoral muscles, increasing their volume and mass.
- After one warm-up, four working sets of 8-12 repetitions follow. This exercise In addition to gaining muscle mass, it allows you to give your muscles a beautiful relief and good athletic shape.
- After the first warm-up, four working sets of 8-12 repetitions are performed. When doing presses, don't forget about your partner! The exercise is effective for working the triceps and inner pectoral muscles.
- in four sets of 8-12 repetitions, but only after mandatory warming up of the muscles shoulder joint to reduce the risk of shoulder injury. This exercise perfectly works the muscles of the upper chest.
- in four sets with the maximum possible number of repetitions in each approach. This exercise is an excellent workout not only for the triceps, but for everything. shoulder girdle.
What was done: The exercises allowed us, first of all, to pump up the pectoral muscles through a heavy load - bench press, and thereby we launched the mechanism of their growth, and also worked on their shape. All triceps bundles have been fully worked out to stimulate its effective growth. After such training you need a cool down and the best option this is where the pool becomes - swim for your health for 10-20 minutes.
Wednesday: back and biceps work
This workout is aimed at the back muscles, which should become wider and more powerful as a result, as well as pumping up our beloved biceps. Don’t forget about the mandatory warm-up before training and five sets of abdominal exercises.
- – perform five approaches for the maximum number of times. If you can’t do pull-ups, you can use a pull-up simulator or a block exercise machine with the handle pulled to your chest. But my advice is this: since there is nothing better for your back muscles than pull-ups, try not to use machines, but do pull-ups in the classic way- on the crossbar and believe me, it works much more efficiently.
- , doing four sets of 8-12 reps after two warm-ups. This is the most effective exercise for biceps.
- 8-12 times. The deadlift is a basic and highly effective exercise for both the back muscles and the whole body - in the process of performing it, a large amount of anabolic hormones are produced that stimulate muscle growth. Required condition is to thoroughly warm up your back before deadlifting, especially lumbar region to avoid injury during exercise.
- in four sets, sitting, 8-12 repetitions. This exercise perfectly shapes the biceps, emphasizing its relief and increasing its height.
- . After one warm-up, perform four sets of 8-12 repetitions. The exercise effectively outlines the back muscles, giving them a beautiful shape.
What was done: Thanks to pull-ups and deadlifts, the muscle growth mechanism was launched, all the back muscles were worked to the maximum, which will now make it grow. Pumped up biceps due to the most effective exercises. Now it's time to cool down and stretch.
Friday: shoulder and leg work
The emphasis of this workout, the squat with a barbell on the shoulders, is on the entire surface of the leg muscles. We will also pump up the shoulder girdle.
- in four working sets of 8-12 repetitions after completing two warm-up ones. Before training, it is necessary to thoroughly stretch the shoulder joints, given that the shoulder is the most vulnerable place in the bodybuilder’s body in terms of injury.
- . The squat is a heavy arsenal exercise and there is nothing heavier than it. And here, more than anywhere else, the athlete must be as concentrated as possible and have perfect technique. Before performing this exercise, a particularly thorough warm-up is necessary. knee joints, ankle and lumbar spine. Having completed all four approaches and giving maximum effort, the athlete feels a real pumping. After performing just one squat during a leg workout, I usually have no energy left for anything else.
- in four working sets of 8-12 repetitions after three warm-up. When performing this exercise, there is also a high risk of injury to the shoulder joint. It is necessary to perform lifts of the barbell behind your head with maximum concentration, without jerking, and always in the presence of a trainer or someone who can put the barbell on the rack after completing the exercise.
What has been done
The training worked on the leg muscles and gave a good impetus to their growth. We worked and shoulder muscles. Now we move on to cool down and stretching.
So, here I have given the entire weekly training cycle that works to gain muscle mass. An athlete can devote at most two to three months to it, and then he must make radical changes. This is done so that the body does not have time to get used to and adapt to monotonous loads. In my next articles, I will talk about and provide an overview of types acceptable to an athlete that help gain muscle mass.
In many ways, it is hormones that determine the rate of muscle mass gain. Of course, nutrition is also important, but this is a separate and very broad topic. Today you can check out big amount results of studies of the functioning of the endocrine system under the influence physical activity. Now we will talk about the most important hormones that affect the progress of weight gain.
This is the most important hormone for athletes, as it can dramatically accelerate the production of protein compounds and suppress catabolic processes. Almost every athlete knows about this. But the fact that testosterone can enhance the effectiveness of somatotropin and IGF is not so well known, but is just as important.
The rate of male hormone production is influenced by a large number of factors, but athletes can influence this through their choice of specific exercises. Surely you already realized that we are talking about multi-joint or basic movements. Scientific experiments have proven that the sequence of their implementation is also important. When you do the base at the beginning of the session, you can achieve maximum testosterone release. Today's 4x/week mass workout takes advantage of this knowledge.
Somatotropin
The task of this hormone is to anabolize all tissues of the body. Thus, somatotropin is extremely important for muscle growth. In the course of research, scientists have proven that the maximum release of growth hormone can be achieved through movements that sharply increase the concentration of lactic acid in the muscles.
To do this, you need to conduct intensive training, working with weights of 75 percent of your one-rep maximum at high volume. Also best exercises to accelerate the production of somatotropin are basic. In this case, pauses between sets should be as short as possible.
IGF helps growth hormone produce most of the effects of GH in the body. We can say that IGF accelerates the process of penetration of somatotropin molecules into the cellular structures of tissues. In addition, insulin-like growth factor accelerates the production of proteins and thereby also promotes weight gain. Based on all of the above, in order to accelerate the production of IGF and thereby increase the effectiveness of somatotropin, we need to adhere to the same principles when organizing mass training 4 times a week as for the synthesis of growth hormone.
If all the hormones we talked about above are anabolic, then cortisol is catabolic. Since cortisol is designed to destroy tissue, we need to find a way not to accelerate its production, but to suppress this process. To do this, you should drink a gainer after class to activate insulin production.
However, it affects cortisol secretion and training. When you work in a high-volume mode with short pauses between sets, cortisol is synthesized more actively. It should also be said that this hormone destroys not only muscle tissue, but also fat. Thus, during weight loss, cortisol may even be beneficial. However, there is only one step from the destruction of fat tissue to the breakdown of muscle protein compounds and you need to be careful with cortisol.
The weight training program 4 times a week, which we will talk about today, is designed in such a way as to pay enough attention to working out all muscle groups. As you already understood, during the week you will train four times, and three days will be reserved for rest.
You should also remember that your diet largely influences the effectiveness of your workouts. Only in this case will you constantly progress. Here are some recommendations to help you make training for mass 4 times a week more effective:
- Train four times a week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
- Before starting each lesson, be sure to warm up and cool down after completion.
- When working on mass, cardio exercise should be eliminated to prevent catabolism of muscle tissue.
- All movements must be performed smoothly at a slow pace, excluding jerking.
- Between sets you should pause for no more than 2 minutes.
- Rest a maximum of 180 seconds between exercises.
- You should not carry out long exercises, as this will lead to a sharp increase in cortisol concentration.
- You need to sleep at least eight hours a day.
Now let’s look at the weight training program itself, 4 times a week.
Day 1 of the training - developing the chest muscles and triceps
- Bench presses - 4 sets with 6-8 repetitions each.
- Incline dumbbell presses - 4 sets with 8 reps each.
- Dumbbell flyes - 3 sets with 10 repetitions each.
- Bench presses, close grip - 4 sets with 6–8 repetitions each.
- Arm extensions with dumbbells behind the head - 2 sets with 8-10 repetitions each.
- Dips - 2 sets with 6–8 repetitions each.
- Barbell curls for biceps - 4 sets with 6–8 repetitions each.
- Dumbbell curls for biceps - 2 sets with 8-10 repetitions each.
- Pull-ups, wide grip - 4 sets at maximum quantity repetitions in each.
- Dumbbell rows in an incline position - 4 sets with 12 repetitions each.
- Horizontal rows - 4 sets with 12-15 repetitions each.
- Squats - 4 sets with 12–15 repetitions each.
- Leg presses - 3 sets with 12 repetitions each.
- Leg extensions in the simulator - 4 sets with 12–15 repetitions each.
- Romanian deadlift - 4 sets with 12-15 reps each.
- Leg curls - 4 sets with 12 repetitions each.
- Seated barbell presses - 3 sets with 6-8 reps each.
- Dumbbell flyes in a standing position - 3 sets with 10–12 repetitions each.
- Dumbbell flyes in an inclined position - 3 sets with 10–12 repetitions each.
- Shrugs - 4 sets with 8–10 repetitions each.
- Standing calf raises - 4 sets with 12–15 repetitions each.
- Standing calf raises - 4 sets with 12 repetitions each.
If you can't do dips yet, just skip this move. When you pump up your muscles enough, then include it in your program.
Also, someone might have noticed that we recommend performing a small number of repetitions and this is not without reason. The greatest results can be achieved with short-term muscle loads at correct technique. Sometimes training programs recommend doing up to 20 repetitions per set. For beginner athletes this is a lot and you first need to master the technique of all movements.
Also, not every beginner will be able to do pull-ups. Other movements can also be used in this situation. Once pull-ups become accessible to you and you manage to perform the exercise 10 times in one set, you need to start using additional weights.
You can already see that this is a fairly simple program, but at the same time very effective. Let us remind you once again that you must first pay full attention to the technical aspects of each movement. Only when you can perform them correctly, begin to progress the load.
For more information on the 4-day split for gaining weight, watch this video:
Or, in other words, a four-day training program is used by advanced athletes with at least one year of training experience, who have used training process both , and . They have already been able to achieve excellent results in terms of building muscle mass, as well as increasing strength in the main basic exercises.
A four-day split is one of the varieties of a separate training system, which involves dividing all muscles into four separate groups (workouts), each of which is worked out, usually once a week. That is, you train 4 times a week, working 1-2 muscle groups in each workout. For example, on Monday we work the back muscles, on Tuesday the chest muscles, on Thursday the legs, and on Friday the arms and shoulders. Unlike the two and three-day programs training, a training program four times a week for weight, thanks to the introduction of an additional training day into the weekly microcycle, promotes deeper and better muscle development.
For example, you used to do a three-day split program, working your back and biceps in the first workout, chest and triceps in the second workout, and legs and shoulders in the third workout. Agree, after training your back, your biceps get very tired, just as after training your chest, your triceps get tired. Three options day split a lot of. But in any case, due to fatigue, we cannot work out small muscle groups 100%. A four-day mass split gives us the opportunity to better and more deeply work not only large, but also small muscle groups, such as arms and shoulders.
You can distribute muscle groups differently throughout the day depending on your goals and preferences. My favorite is the 4-day mass split option below. On Monday I work the back muscles, on Tuesday the chest muscles, Wednesday is a rest day, on Thursday I train the leg muscles and on Friday the arms and deltoids. Saturday and Sunday are days off.
Four-day mass split: training program
Monday (BACK)
1. Pull-ups on the horizontal bar 3-4 sets 8-12 repetitions
2. Classic deadlift 3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions
3. Bent-over rows 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
4. Horizontal thrust V block simulator sitting 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
5. Shrugs 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Tuesday (CHEST)
1. Bench press 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
2. Dumbbell bench press with a positive incline angle 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
3. Dumbbell flyes lying on a bench with a positive incline 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Thursday (LEGS)
1. Squat with a barbell 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
2. Deadlift on straight legs 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
3. Leg press 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
4. Standing calf raises 3-4 sets pl 12-15 reps
5. Seated calf raises 3-4 sets of 15-20 repetitions
Friday (ARMS, SHOULDERS)
1. Barbell press narrow grip lying on a bench 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
2. Dips with emphasis on triceps 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
3. Standing barbell curls 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
4. Hammers with dumbbells 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
5. Seated barbell press 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
6. Barbell rows to the chin 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
4-Day Workout Program Notes
According to this version of the four-day split mass training program, each muscle group is trained once a week, not counting the indirect load on small muscle groups. The alternation of training days and rest days occurs according to the weekly microcycle 2+1+2+2 (Mon and Tue - training, Wed - rest, Thu and Fri - training, Sat and Wed - rest).
Unlike a 3-day split, a 4-day mass split allows you to work each muscle group better. You can distribute muscle groups differently by day and change the order of performing exercises, adjusting this four-day weight split to suit you. You should not stick to the same one for a long time without any changes. Remember that variability is one of the key principles of bodybuilding. Good luck, friends!
Do you know that strength training stimulates the release of various hormones that affect how your muscles recover and grow after exercise? Not everyone knows how to use this hormonal cascade to become bigger, stronger and leaner.
Is there an ideal training regimen that will allow you to make the most of your hormonal environment? The research results, combined with anecdotal evidence from the training experiences of the athletes themselves, suggest that this is possible. During weight training, the body produces many different hormones, but the most important ones are: testosterone, a growth hormone(GR), insulin-like growth factor(FMI) and cortisol.
Testosterone
No other hormone is as important for strength training, like testosterone. And this is completely justified. Testosterone plays an important role in protein synthesis and reduces the effects of catabolic hormones on muscle tissue. Less known, but no less important, is its auxiliary role in anabolic processes involving growth hormone and IGF-1. Simply put, testosterone itself is an anabolic steroid, and in its presence, other hormones enhance their anabolic effects. While there are several factors involved in increasing testosterone levels, it appears that exercise selection may be a key regulator. Heavy compound exercises, such as weightlifting exercises, deadlifts, and squat jumps, tend to increase testosterone levels in the blood, as opposed to exercises that don't involve large muscle groups. Research has also proven that the correct sequence of these exercises is important. When basic compound exercises are performed early in a workout, it increases strength and leads to an increase in testosterone levels throughout the workout.A growth hormone
The main function of growth hormone is to provide tissue anabolism. So if you want your muscle cells to increase in size, keep in mind that growth hormone plays a key role in this process.According to research, training regimens that increase the concentration of lactic acid in the blood most strongly stimulate the secretion of growth hormone. Relatively high intensity training ( working weight of the equipment – 75% of the one-repetition maximum), high volume, consisting primarily of basic exercises, with relatively short rest between sets, stimulate an increase in growth hormone levels.
It should also be noted that a large amount of GH is formed at night, during sleep. This is why adequate sleep is so important.
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)
The purpose of IGF is to promote the multiple functions of growth hormone. An analogy can help here: if you imagine that the GR is you in a strip club, then the FMI is a substantial wad of money.There is another way to look at this. If insulin is the key hormone that signals glucose to enter the cell, then IGF acts in a similar way for GH. IGF also promotes protein synthesis during strength training and thus increases muscle hypertrophy.
Since IGF mainly works in conjunction with growth hormone, to maximize the effect of this hormone, you should use training that increases lactic acid production, which was already mentioned above.
Cortisol
Unlike the hormones described above, cortisol is catabolic in nature. This means that this stress hormone destroys tissue. Therefore, our main task is not to enhance its effect, but, on the contrary, to reduce it.To reduce the secretion of cortisol in response to training, you should drink a protein-carbohydrate shake at the end of the workout, which stimulates the release of insulin into the blood, although how you train can also matter.
Cortisol secretion increases dramatically during very energy-intensive, high-volume workouts with very short rest between sets. However, typical strength or power training does not have a significant effect on cortisol secretion.
It is curious that, being a catabolic, cortisol stimulates lipolysis of adipose tissue ( fat breakdown). Therefore, if your training is aimed solely at getting rid of excess fat, then an increase in cortisol levels is a positive factor.
Just remember that the line between the process of fat breakdown and the process of muscle destruction is very thin. Therefore, if you overdo it with metabolic training, you can not only get rid of fat, but also lose some muscle mass.
Enough theory. It's time to move the iron!
Below is a program that creates an optimal hormonal background in the body for muscle growth. Please note the following important factors:#1 . The first exercise should always be a basic multi-joint exercise. This exercise focuses on developing strength (85%+ of one rep max, 6 sets of 3 reps).
#2 . Subsequent exercises should also mostly be basic. However, the weight of the weight should be less and the emphasis is already on hypertrophy (70-80% of the one-repetition maximum, 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions).
#3 . Even if you use other exercises, the number of repetitions, sets and rest time between them should be the same as indicated in the program. Otherwise, you will not achieve the desired effect.
#4 . We recommend training four days a week. Ideal days for training it is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We spend two days training the upper body and two days training the lower body.
#5 . If you work out three days a week or less, try focusing each workout on your entire body. This way, all major muscle groups will receive a sufficient amount of exercise.
#6 . For getting positive effect from training, pay attention to another very important factor– pace of repetitions. This is indicated in the program proposed below.
Day 1 (Monday)
| Exercise | Approaches | Repetitions | Pace | Rest between sets |
| A. Barbell Squats | 6 | 3 | 3010 | 120 sec |
| B1. Bulgarian squats | 4 | 8-10* | 2110 | 60 sec |
| AT 2. Romanian deadlift | 4 | 8-10 | 3010 | 60 sec |
| C1. Leg press | 3 | 10-12 | 3010 | 60 sec |
| C2. Leg bending while lying down in a machine | 3 | 12-15 | 3010 | 60 sec |
| * - for each side B1-B2, C1-C2 means that the exercises are performed as a superset. In the “Temp” column you see 4 numbers. The first number means the duration in seconds of the eccentric phase of the exercise or, in simple terms, lowering the weight. The second number means a pause between the eccentric and concentric phases, or, in simple terms, between lowering and lifting (or extension/flexion). The third number is the concentric phase. The fourth number is rest between repetitions. |
Day two (Tuesday)
Day three (Thursday)
| Exercise | Approaches | Repetitions | Pace | Rest between sets |
| A. Wide Grip Deadlift | 6 | 3 | 2010 | 120 sec |
| B1. Leg extension on the simulator | 4 | 12-15 | 2011 | 60 sec |
| B2. Leg bending in the simulator | 4 | 12-15 | 40x0 | 60 sec |
| C1. Hyperextension | 3 | 10-12 | 30x0 | 60 sec |
| C2. Seated calf raises | 3 | 10-12 | 3011 | 60 sec |
| * - for each side |
Day four (Friday)
As you can see, every workout starts with basic exercise using a set and rep scheme designed to develop strength ( for response testosterone secretion).
This is followed by multi-joint exercises with an emphasis on hypertrophy. What is important here is the amount of work done and relatively short rest periods between approaches ( the main task is to maximize the level of growth hormone and IGF), but not so short as to provoke increased cortisol secretion.
It is worth noting that this program is aimed at developing strength and muscle hypertrophy. This is a great way to improve your physique. If the goal of your training is to get rid of excess fat, then you need to train differently. But this is a topic for a separate article.
