You would like to build muscle mass, what do you do? For a fee you can download any training program from an influencer. Then you turn up the volume way too high, because the program has way too many sets. The result: little progress or injuries.
It result: little progress or injuries.
The possible result: little progress or injuries.
#1. One of the most common mistakes when building muscle mass in the long term:
Long workouts
Novice strength athletes often buy training programs from the internet. These programs often focus on high volume, meaning many sets and reps are performed. Novice strength athletes are often inclined to think that more sets and repetitions are better for their progression.
These programs have the disadvantage of being impersonal. No account has been taken of: body composition, genetic determination, specific recovery of the athlete, injuries and/or performance of the exercises. Impersonal programs can get in the way of progress.
A personal training program with efficient workout is indispensable when it comes to building muscle mass. The trick is to coordinate everything your personal body, because:
No one body is the same.
Adapted to your body
Not everyone has the same body. What your program looks like depends on you:
- Age
- Genetic predisposition of muscle fibers
- Training experience
- Body posture
- Any injuries
- Mobility (freedom of movement)
- Flexibility (stretchability)
Adapted to your lifestyle
Not everyone has the same wishes. How often you train depends on you:
- Goal
- Intensity
- Available time
That is why I ensure that the program is completely tailored to your preferences.
Of course you can decide for yourself when and for how long you train, despite my opinion honest advice.
Adapted to your needs
Whether you 2 or 6 times training per week. You go 100% result books. Research shows that stimulating a muscle group twice a week leads to muscle growth [1].
As a result, my structure looks like this:
- 2 days: 2 times full body
- 3 days: 3 times full body
- 4 days: 2 times upper body / 2 times lower body
- 5 days: push / pull / leg / upper body / lower body
- 6 days: push / pull / leg (2x)
Only proven methods
Scientifically proven methods are always the basis of my training program. It doesn't matter to me what myths are going around, because science will always come out on top.
I mainly get my information from:
- The Journal of Strength and Conditioning
- Academy of Nutrition
- ExRX
- PubMed
FAST, MUCH AND GOOD WITH EFFICIENT TRAINING!
Efficient training over long training
TRAIN FAST, LOTS AND GOOD!
No one has ever proven that 1.5 hours of training is better than 45 minutes. Good technique, effective sets, but sufficient rest ensure your efficient training. This saves you time on a training session.
Strength & Hypertrophy
For time efficiency, a training program may consist of 25 percent strength and 75 percent hypertrophy [1].
For variety, you follow a 13-week powerbuilding program once a year. The other 39 weeks consist of hypertrophy-oriented training.
Variation in sets, keep challenging yourself.
I have two types of sets that I use.
I use Reverse Pyramid sets with the compound exercises. You start with the heaviest weight, because that is when you are the most powerful. (You are still completely 'fresh'.) Set 2 you drop 20% from the weight. Set 3 another 20 percent. This way you can make maximum progress.
I use straights sets isolation exercises. Your weight, sets and repetitions are always the same.
Sources:
[1] Stefano, S., Reggiani, C., Takayuki, A., & Blauw, B. (2021). Molecular Mechanisms of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy. Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases, 8(2), 5–7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35015560/
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