Whether you’ve been strength training for a while or are just starting, making these three simple changes to your workout routine will boost muscle growth.
Of course, muscle building does not necessarily have to be the top fitness goal. After all, there are enough good reasons to exercise.
For many, however, optimizing muscle size is still a significant factor in regular exercise.
If you’re one of them, these three expert tips could help you make small changes go a long way.
Courage To Change
Variation is the key to success. It doesn’t matter whether you change the number of sets and repetitions, add new exercise variants or continuously increase your workload: This will stimulate more muscle fibers.
“And the more muscle fibers you stimulate, the better the results,” explains Dr. Melinda Sothern, exercise physiologist, and professor at LSU Health New Orleans, opposite ‘ Self. ‘
When building muscle, the most effective range is eight to twelve repetitions.
In this range, you can train both the so-called “fast-twitch” muscle fibers (for more strength) and the “slow-twitch” muscle fibers (more endurance).
While the fast-twitch fibers have a higher total capacity, it is only thanks to the slow-twitch threads that the weight can be repeatedly increased.
It is therefore essential to train both equally.
Slow Down
If you want to see more noticeable muscle-building results, it can help to slow down your workouts than usual.
The key is to slow down the eccentric or lowering portion of the lift to increase the muscles’ tension time.
A slow descent is more effective than a dead raise, Southern explains.
The reason: To perform an eccentric movement, less muscle surface is needed (because gravity is being used), so fewer muscle fibers are available, which are also generally smaller.
“Therefore, the muscle fibers are more challenged,” explains the expert.
So for your next workout, experiment with a slower lowering: try to take 2-3 seconds for the weight to go all the way down.
Kourtney Thomas, board-certified strength and endurance coach, recommends counting to five when lowering, “because there’s a good chance you’re only counting to three.”
Think About Your Muscles
You can’t magic bigger muscles just by thinking about it, but you can use your mind to focus on building bigger muscles.
When you lift, thinking about the muscle you’re trying to train will help you improve your posture, which will help you prepare more effectively.
It’s possible to train the mind so that the exercise technique can be visualized in mind, thereby targeting the right muscles. However, this requires a lot of practice.
To start your journey to more mindful fitness sessions, Thomas recommends closing your eyes and thinking about the muscles that contract when you lift.
“Just taking a few seconds to think about the muscle before starting a set can create a mind-body connection,” .
“It gets a little bit easier every time you try it regularly.”
ALSO READ: THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING: WHY IS IT GOOD?