There is little doubt that the first year or two of training are usually the most “ enjoyable ,” and for the majority , the most productive . ( Well , I guess those early years are the most enjoyable because they are they most productive !) Back in your early days of going to the gym I bet that you pretty much got stronger at just about every workout--benching , squatting , rowing and curling a few more lbs each and every week you grabbed the iron . And even more awesome and satisfying was witnessing your body grow day by day … denser chest , wider back , rounder shoulders , thicker arms and more powerful legs ! If you were anything like me , you would get on the scale every night , right after your last meal , in order to see if you gained any precious weight . “ YES ! I ’ m up 3 lbs from last week !” Those were the days ! All you had to do to gain muscle was eat more , train more , sleep more , and abracadabra , alacazam , presto ... there was more , of YOU !!
“ I want to get bigger and better but my body is not cooperating like it used to !”
But then the inevitable happens . As you begin to make the transition from beginning lifter to the more seasoned trainee things don ’ t “ work ” like they used to . G ains in size become less apparent . Weights lifted do not climb from workout to workout . Your bathroom scale reads the same number every night - no matter where you put your feet ( LOL ). Despite your best efforts in the gym , plugging away diligently on the same exercises for the same range of reps on the same days , nothing seems to be happening anymore . “ I want get to bigger and better but my body is not cooperating like
it used to !”
What ’ s the deal ?
The fist thing you must understand is that muscles are not simply lumps of meat , but extremely complex structures that , like onions , have many layers that need to be peeled before reaching the core . Although we can go into great detail about the complete makeup of muscle tissue , for the purposes of this article , it is most important for us to concern ourselves with the three basic “ fiber types ” found within skeletal muscle . These include : Type I , also known as slowtwitch or red fibers ; Type IIA , and IIB , also known collectively as fast-twitch or white fibers .
Type I fibers are characterized by a low threshold for activation of motor neurons , a slow rate of firing , and prolonged activity . They are most active in slow movements and long-term aerobic activities , and are highly resistant to fatigue . They are powered by oxidative pathways of the mitochondria ( aerobic metabolism ). Hypertrophy can be produced in Type I fibers , but they are not largely responsible for great amounts of muscle mass .
The Type IIA and the Type IIB fibers are the fastest , largest , and least endurance oriented in the group . They are most active in short-term quick-burst or power activities . They are powered entirely through the anaerobic ( without oxygen ) system , and contract nearly twice as fast as slow twitch fibers , but fatigue much more rapidly .
It is important to remember , however , that within our muscles there also exist “ intermediate ” fiber types that show both high oxidative and fast-twitch characteristics . These are suited for relatively high intensity and long duration exercise , and are also extremely important in the overall muscle-building equation .
All people are born with these basic muscle fiber types . Most muscles contain almost an even split of slow ( Type I ) and fast ( Type II ) fibers , with a varying amount of intermediate fibers that lie along the continuum between them . There is , however , some genetic variation between different muscles , and from individual to individual . Some people are literally “ born ” to run marathons ( slowtwitch dominant ), while others are “ born ” to run sprints ( fast-twitch dominant ... and very lucky if they want to achieve a massively muscular physique ).
Although it is the Type IIA fibers that have the greatest potential for hypertrophy , in order to obtain maximum muscle mass , it is imperative that we regularly train all of our muscle fibers . Why limit ourselves to only maximizing the potential size of a portion of our fibers ? Doesn ’ t it make sense that in order to come as close as possible to the outer boundary of our genetic limits that we strive to train / stimulate every last fiber in every one of our muscles ? Of course ! In addition , muscles also become larger due to other physiological adaptations to resistance training aside from simple fiber hypertrophy . Enhanced muscle size also occurs by way of increases in mitochondrial enzymes , increases in stored ATP and phosphocreatine , increases in stored glycogen and triglyceride , and also from the laying down of additional capillary beds . In other words , we must make a relentless effort to positively affect every metabolic and hormonal system within our physiology that can contribute to advancing our muscle size and density . And dare I mention the word hyperplasia ? Correct , never 100 % proven in humans , but the existing evidence is certainly compelling !
So now the burning question is ...“ How do we go about successfully targeting all of our muscle fibers as well as stimulating all of the other important pathways associated with muscle growth ?” The answer can be summed up in one simple , but very important word ... VARIATION ! After you have laid a basic foundation in your first couple of years of lifting weights , it becomes time to start to vary your program . Most people tend to fall into one specific way of training early on , and then rarely break the pattern as the years go by . As long as trainees are progressive with the weights they use , this approach usually will work , at least for the first couple of years of training . However , as more time elapses , this one dimensional approach will bring about progressively
diminishing returns as far as hypertrophy is concerned , and along with it , increasing frustration . Too many misguided lifters use the same exercises , in the same order , with the same rep tempo , rest between sets , training techniques , and rep ranges ... day after day ... week after week ... and month after month ! You must understand that the human body is an incredibly adaptable machine and thus will quickly cease to respond to stimuli that it is exposed to time and again . D o you know what one of the biggest roadblocks to progress ( in anything that we do ) often comes down to ? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result ! Yes , some call this the definition of insanity .
Now that you understand why varying your routine is essential to your continued bodybuilding progress , I would like to introduce Natural Muscle readers to a system of training that is designed specifically to tap into all of your body ’ s essential anabolic pathways and mechanisms . It is called POWER , REP RANG E , SHOCK , and is a cyclical program that has you changing your training protocols every week so that your body never has a chance to fully adapt to a single type of stimulus . I developed P / RR / S over the course of several years after researching and experimenting with countless training techniques , styles and methodologies , used both on myself , and several hundred personal clients , which included bodybuilders , athletes ( all types ), and weekend warriors – both male and female , aged 14 to 74 . I was determined to find a way to keep progress consistent , and to
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The burning question is ...“ How do we go about successfully targeting all of our muscle fibers as well as stimulating all of the other important pathways associated with muscle growth ?” The answer can be summed up in one simple , but very important word ... VARIATION !”
put an end to training plateaus once and for all . After tweleve years of training , I had amassed about 100 drug-free lbs of lean muscle to my own physique , but had suddenly hit a wall that I could not break through , climb over , or go around ! After one year on P / RR / S , however , I gained 15 solid pounds , increased my strength in most lifts by 10 % or more , and also enhanced my look of hardness and density . I have been on P / RR / S for over ten years straight now , and I am still progressing rather consistently . Similar ( and far better ) results have been achieved by many hundreds of others using this system . Let ’ s now take a closer look at POWER , REP RANG E , SHOCK on the next page and how you can utilize it to help you achieve all of your own physique goals …
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