When many people think of the word "counterintuitive" they sometimes interpret it to mean that something doesn't make sense. More literally, it means counter to intuition, and so it essentially means that something does not seem right or correct but it actually is.
As it pertains to muscle growth, the beginner or intermediate athlete faced with impeded progress may turn to alternatives that appear reasonable or logical based on conventional ideas, but years of experience can confer the beneficial effect of reversing a common response to training plateaus.
Here are four measures that may appear to fly in the face of logic, but may ultimately help you liberate some new muscle growth.
1. Train less
The fitness industry has long been plagued by the predominating myth that “more is better”. The word “more” is symbolically construed as being superior to any alternative and this is especially true as it relates to training volume.
Volume, defined as the product of total work in a resistance training bout, can be calculated as reps x load x sets. Most research indicates that more work, hence higher volumes of training are necessary for continued progression. (1) However there will be a dose-response relationship to training volume, and this may be governed by dynamic variables such as nutritional status, rest and recovery rate or even emotional stress. In simpler terms, a threshold will exist where additional volume will not correlate with further progress or continued gains.
Evidence has also shown that volume even more than intensity or “load” has a greater correlation with overtraining. High training volume often leads to decrements in the ratio between testosterone to cortisol, consequently diminishing muscular growth (2).
So while it may initially seem counter intuitive, reducing overall training volume-even if only temporary- can sometimes serve as a key to unlock new growth.
2. Train lighter
“Go heavy or go home” has been the bastion to hardcore lifters for decades. Except contrary to bodybuilding lore, there is mounting evidence demonstrating that lower-load protocols can result in a considerable amount of muscle fiber recruitment and hypertrophy. In fact, research shows that lighter loads (as high as 20 RM or that limit time under tension not longer than 2-3 minutes) may be very effective.
Some studies have shown that loads of as low as 30% of 1 repetition max (RM) when performed to the point of momentary muscle failure can be equally as effective as loads of 90% 1RM in stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates and increasing muscle cross-sectional area of both type I and II fibers. (3-5)
(Behm et.al 2002) tested 14 resistance trained males (age ∼ 21 years) after performing 5, 10 and 20 RM dumbbell curls respectively. There was no significant difference in voluntary motor unit activation following 5 RM, 10 RM and 20 RM. The three different loads of 5, 10 and 20 RM elicited similar activation of motor units. Perhaps most importantly, the 5 RM protocol did not produce greater motor unit activation than the 10RM or 20 RM protocols. This study demonstrated the relationship between intensity of effort and not the amount of resistance with voluntary motor unit activation.
Some researchers have opined that the added time under tension and ensuing metabolic stress of lighter loaded protocols may also induce a substantial hypertrophic response. (6)
Lighter load training may also be employed periodically to relegate stress to sore or aching joints that sometimes result from heavier training, thus providing a viable alternative for those with musculoskeletal injury or other orthopedic considerations.
3. Cheat
Cheating is typically labeled as a dirty word indicating that you’ve reaped a reward by dishonest means or finding an easy way out. In the realms of bodybuilding, cheating is regarded as using momentum to generate enough force to lift a weight.
When used improperly or excessively, momentum can increase the risk for injury and lower the imposed demands on the target muscles thereby decreasing the stimulus for muscle growth. But if properly applied, momentum can allow for an increased demand via extra repetitions and/or added time under tension, thus encouraging greater muscle fiber recruitment and enhanced metabolic stress.
A moderate use of momentum at the beginning of a repetition can allow for greater overload of muscles in biomechanically advantageous positions. (Arandjelovic 2010) found that moderate use of momentum allowed increased loading and resulted in more torque during a side lateral raise.
Momentum might also be utilized in order to sustain force production and continue performing repetitions towards the end of a set- allowing for greater loading and/or increased time under tension. (7)
4. Do some cardio
Aerobic training is an often unappreciated tool for enhancing muscle growth. However, having a strong aerobic base can be highly beneficial for those engaging in high intensity resistance training.
Despite what many heavy lifters believe, a strong relationship between aerobic fitness and the aerobic response to repeated bouts of high intensity exercise has been well established. Replenishment of phosphocreatine has been linked to both fast excess post-oxygen consumption (EPOC) and power recovery in repeated efforts, and some studies have supported an association between aerobic fitness and lactate removal following high intensity exercise. (8)
(Mikkola et. al 2012) concluded that concurrent aerobic and resistance training appeared to lead to significantly greater increases in muscle mass compared to resistance-training only. Other studies support the notion that the increased aerobic capacity shown with concurrent aerobic exercise and resistance training is accompanied by a more robust increase in muscle size compared with resistance exercise as a standalone. (9)
I am not suggesting that you randomly perform an hour of cardio every day but when properly applied, some cardio exercise may improve recovery within and between training sessions and encourage enhanced muscle growth.
Choosing the appropriate mode and duration of exercise may be especially important as higher frequency or high impact modalities could potentially impede growth. (10)
Bodybuilders and physique athletes should opt for low-impact modalities such as cycling or walking at lower or moderate intensities and avoid long durations (no more than 30 minutes) or high frequency (no more than 3 days per week).
Train smart and Good Luck!
References:
1. ACSM American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 41: 687–708, 2009.
2. Andrew C. Fry, The Role of Resistance Exercise; Intensity on Muscle Fibre Adaptations; Sports Med 2004; 34 (10): 663-679
3. Burd NA, West DW, Staples AW, Atherton PJ, Baker JM, Moore DR, Holwerda AM, Parise G, Rennie MJ, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Low-load high volume resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis more than high-load low volume resistance exercise in young men. PLoS One 5: e12033, 2010.
4. Riki Ogasawara, Jeremy P. Loenneke, Robert S. Thiebaud, Takashi Abe : Low-Load Bench Press Training to Fatigue Results in Muscle Hypertrophy Similar to High-Load Bench Press Training; International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2013, 4, 114-121
5. Cameron J. Mitchell, Tyler A. Churchward-Venne, Daniel W. D. West, Nicholas A. Burd, Leigh Breen, Steven K. Baker, and Stuart M. Phillips; Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men; J Appl Physiol (1985). Jul 1, 2012; 113(1): 71-77
6. Schoenfeld, Brad J The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training; Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: October 2010 - Volume 24 - Issue 10 - pp 2857-2872
7. Ognjen Arandjelović Does cheating pay: the role of externally supplied momentum on muscular force in resistance exercise European Journal of Applied Physiology January 2013, Volume 113, Issue 1, pp 135-145
8. Lundberg TR1, Fernandez-Gonzalo R, Gustafsson T, Tesch PA. Aerobic exercise does not compromise muscle hypertrophy response to short-term resistance training, J Appl Physiol (1985). 2013 Jan 1;114(1):81-9. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01013.2012. Epub 2012 Oct 25
9. Dona L. Tomlin, Howard A. Wenger; The Relationship Between Aerobic Fitness and Recovery from High Intensity Intermittent Exercise Sports Medicine January 2001, Volume 31, Issue 1, pp 1-11
10. Jacob M. Wilson, Pedro J. Marin, Matthew R. Rhea, Stephanie M.C. Wilson, Jeremy P. Loenneke, And Jody C. Anderson Concurrent Training: A Meta-Analysis Examining Interference of Aerobic And Resistance Exercises; Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research August 2012 - Volume 26 - Issue 8 - p 2293–2307
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