Feeder workouts are a style of training that involves doing high amounts of repetitions with light weights every day to speed up the growth of a muscle. This method can supposedly increase the size of a lagging muscle by forcing blood into it on a consistent basis so it is supplied with higher amounts of nutrients. The logic behind feeder workouts is that by doing high rep low weight quick training sessions for a specific muscle group every day,…
DOMS, or ‘delayed onset muscle soreness’, is the soreness that you feel in your muscles after training. DOMS mostly occurs from eccentric activity. This is because the lengthening of a muscle under resistance damages muscle fibers. This damage can vary in its severity and manifests itself in soreness following the days after a workout. DOMS mostly results from performing new exercises or training again after time off. This is because when your muscles are used more than is normal,…
In the interest of building muscle, the best way to stimulate growth is to focus on maximum contraction and stretching of the muscle being worked while applying progressive overload. This means that doing reps with good form and consistently doing higher volume over time is what matters most for making gains. If you are more intent on gaining strength, it is better to lift heavy weights for less reps. This is because lifting heavy weights for less reps results…
Most people have heard that breathing through your nose and out your mouth is the best way to train. For runners, one of the first things which is taught is that it is essential to breathe in through their noses, not their mouths. This is true for all athletes and can be applied for improved performance in lifting, cardio, stretching, sports training, and all other forms of activity. The are many reasons for this. For increased performance during training…
It is generally recommended to workout 4-6 days a week and hit each muscle group twice. More than 6 days a week of training is usually deemed as counterproductive and hitting an individual muscle more than 6 days a week is seen by most as extreme to the point of harm. This is because, after working out the muscle needs to be able to recover fully before undergoing additional training. If a muscle is not able to recover, you…
Mobility is the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion. While flexibility increases the length of the muscle, mobility improves the ability of that muscle to go fluidly through movements. Flexibility is increased from passive stretching and mobility is increased through active stretching. Passive stretching includes things like touching your toes and holding them. Active stretching includes things like touching your toes then bringing one foot up into the air. There are many reasons to…
Burning calories quick is a common goal among weightlifters, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, and everyone else who want to burn off fat to look better and be more healthy. By burning calories, you can leave more room in your diet for food when cutting which will make it easier to stay in a calorie deficit. The hardest aspect of losing fat for most people is sticking to your calories. By doing more cardio, this will allow you to stick to…
There are many people who go to the gym and lift weights without following any thing more than a simple split. While a split can certainly make you gains and even training without any plan or split can also make you gains, these are not optimal approaches to accomplishing your physique and strength goals. The main advantages of following a training program are periodization, variance in exercises, more control over strength gains, consistent progress, and higher accountability. These are…
There are many people who train for several months at a gym then become disheartened because they realize how their body responds to lifting is not the same as others. While everyone has an equal opportunity to workout, not everyone has an equal starting point. This unequal starting part is based off genetics. The two main ways that genetics impact how well you can build muscle are through genes that affect hypertrophy and your unique muscle insertions. There are…
The abs are one of the most coveted and debated about features of the body. As a result of this, there are many myths and untrue claims about building them and how they grow. Abs tend to be a hard muscle to visibly build since they can be easily covered by a layer of body fat. In men, the stomach is the most common location for body fat to be stored. In order for your abs to be visible,…
