THE KEYS TO SUCCESS: INTENSITY AND OVERCOMPENSATION

The Theory of Muscle Training

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS: INTENSITY AND OVERCOMPENSATION

In general, the body is governed by three fundamental laws in fitness and muscle training in particular.

1. The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). This law refers to the body’s non-specific physical response to any

event that alters its general equilibrium (illness, hunger, physical training, etc.). The GAS has three phases:

1.A. Reaction: A stimulus (in this case, the training program) alters the body’s biological balance, causing

it to react and reorganize its defenses to recover its former equilibrium. This can be seen more clearly

in a graph:

1.B. Resistance: The body not only recovers its initial state, but will go beyond it if training is kept up. The

practical explanation for this is that our organism will return to its initial state much earlier than the next

session if training is sporadic, and there will be no improvement.

On the other hand, if the next stimulus is delivered too early, the body will not have enough time

to recover properly. If this situation is prolonged, it will result in overtraining, not only preventing

improvement but eventually causing a deterioration in our physical condition.

1.C. Exhaustion: If the stimulus is not removed, the body becomes exhausted. In practical terms, high

intensity training cannot be sustained for very long. There is therefore little point in spending hours on

end in the gym.

2. Overcompensation Law. This law refers to the body’s physical response to training, which is to accumulate

a higher workout potential than the initial level. This results in “extragenetic adaptation” (also known as

“acute” or “functional” adaptation) during training, and “chronic” or “epigenetic” adaptation” leading to a

progressive functional improvement due to the repetition of functional adaptation.

In practical terms, overcompensation (or “supercompensation”) is how the body prepares itself for a similar effort in the future. This can be understood most clearly if we imagine always training with the same

exercises and weight loads. The body would quickly adapt and no progress would be made beyond a certain point. At this point, the “overload principle,” which is explained below, comes into play. Adaptation to training not only causes muscle growth, but also stimulates enzymatic changes, muscle capillarization,neuro-motor development, and metabolic change. Each individual and training program is different, but in statistical terms it is fair to say that the periods

of stimulation of a specific muscle can be repeated between once and three times per week to achieve hypertrophy. A longer, general rest should also be allowed from time to time, and the weights and repetitions used should be changed periodically (light, moderate and heavy cycles). Meanwhile, the muscles often recover faster than the nervous system, leading some people to the false belief that they can work on the same muscle group again as soon as they feel rested.

(Timing of a properly planned training program)

3. Threshold Law. It as at this point that the concept of intensity comes into play. It is common knowledge

that the intensity threshold is influenced by numerous variables, but for practical purposes we may define

“acceptable intensity” as a given level of effort below which no significant gains will be made.

The practical explanation for this is that we cannot always control the frequency of training sessions, diet and

other important factors, because of work or studies, or for personal reasons. The minimum we can demand

of ourselves is to train with intensity whenever we can. While intensity is usually measured in percentage

terms (see “How many repeats should I do” above and the appendix at the end of this book), we can in fact

intensify an exercise in various ways – by adding more weight, shortening rest times, changing the training

times, etc. In any event, the effort must be significant and demanding. A cool head is needed, however,

because exaggerating the intensity of workouts can lead to painful and even chronic injuries. In practice,

very few people ever take a series to the point of local muscular exhaustion, and most are happy to repeat

the exercise a given number of times, as if it were a magic formula. In fact, most of us would be surprised at

the effort we are capable of in each exercise if we really put our minds to it, and would find that the limit is

well above what we usually do. To go back to an earlier point, the concept of training intensity provides the

answer to the question “Do I need to train for several hours each day?” You can either train very hard, or

you can train for a long time; but you cannot do both at the same time. Schwarzenegger and Columbu, for

example, sometimes did deadweight lifts of up to 650 lb. This may astonish you, but the German strongman

Hermann Goerner won fame in the early 20th century for lifting over 725 pounds with just one hand. I hereby

challenge any training enthusiast to load up a bar with that weight and try to lift it with one hand. It would

feel as if it was literally welded to the floor.

Some people reject working out on one side only in exercises like “Bench quadriceps extensions (one leg),”

because they think it is less intense than bilateral lifts, but this belief is not quite accurate. Of course, the

total weight involved will be less and in general terms the effect on the body will be less (smaller GAS effect),

but the exercise intensity for each quadriceps is probably the same. In this light, it is necessary to consider

the workout for each muscle, specifically to establish local intensity on a case-by-case basis. In the above

example, some machines have a lateral load, which prompts a greater effort on the side taking the strain

when both legs are used simultaneously. In such cases, working out on only one side may give better results

than bilaterally.

To return to the optimum training time, it will depend on the muscle groups you are working on, how many

hours you have available each week, your physical condition and your objectives. In approximate terms, the

right amount of time would be 30 to 90 minutes for each session, and from 3 to 6 sessions per week. It is not

possible to be more specific here because of the numerous factors involved, although it would be fair to say

that some 90% of people would fall within these margins. Lengthening your training time does not necessarily

mean increasing intensity. In fact, if you increase intensity, you should cut the workout time and volume.

Enthusiasm can lead some people to overtrain. If you think this may be happening, you should lower some

of the variables but not the intensity of your workouts. Here are some basic tips to “cure” overtraining.

Start with a week of total rest. When you begin working out again, establish your routine as follows, and for

as long as necessary: 3 times per week on alternate days; 2 muscle groups per day (one large and the other

small); 1 or 2 basic exercises per muscle group; 3 series per group; 10 repeats to “failure” per series; 8

or 9 hours of sleep; a good diet and sufficient hydration.

Of course, this is just one of many approaches available. In fact, some bodybuilders design their habitual

routine in this way, and not only as a solution to overtraining. However, other people may find that the

volume of work is rather low.

Having looked at the three basic laws of physical training, let us now consider the foundations of muscle

growth (hypertrophy), which may be summarized as follows:

• Good biomechanics

• Appropriate rest

• Proper diet

• Sufficient hydration

• Specific workouts

• Appropriate frequency

• Sufficient intensity

• Exercise order

• Progressive overload

• Exercise variety

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We could also add proper warm-up, good breathing, the right choice of exercises, psychological preparation, dietary

supplements when necessary, and patience. This long list explains why sometimes it can be so difficult to make

progress, whether your objective is muscle growth, weight loss, fitness, or any other goal.

Let us continue this discussion with a brief explanation of some key principles:

• Overload principle

Workouts should involve a greater effort than is usual for each individual, in his or her daily life.

In practice, a beginner should start with light exercises, increasing the load little by little as they become easier.

This explains why beginners make progress using almost any training program, but also why they give up when

they fail to make further gains. It is also for this reason that intermediate and advanced weight trainers need to

program their training schedule and diet much more strictly, taking a scientific approach.

• Progress principle

This is linked to the overload principle. The body adapts to new exercises, so they must gradually be made more

intensive.

In practice, when your goal is to increase workout intensity, the right approach is to first increase the number of

repetitions and then increase the weight used (at which point you will again reduce repetitions).

If at the same time you increase the weight used and the number of repetitions (the number of repetitions that you

were able to manage with a lighter weight), you are likely to suffer injuries sooner or later. Lifting just few more

ounces will be a triumph, and as time passes, gains will be larger.

• Reversibility principle

If the stimulus stops, the body will tend to return to its initial condition. When you stop working out, the body

atrophies week by week and slips back into its former state.

In practice, physical activity, and muscle training above all, must eventually become a lifestyle. Because if you stop,

your body will gradually return go back to its former state. Obviously, the muscle does not turn into “fat,” a common

excuse for not even starting exercise.

• Specificity and transfer principle

The best way to gain strength is to train for strength. To gain endurance, train for endurance.

In practice, if you want to gain strength, muscle volume or both, you will need to train using a considerable amount

of weight. If your aim is to lose weight or “define” your muscles, you will need to concentrate mainly on diet and

aerobic exercise. However, we now know that there is a positive correlation between the majority of physical

capabilities: this is known as “transfer.” For example, if you gain strength in your legs, you could be able to run

faster, but not by excessive muscular hypertrophy, because it would slow you down again by becoming heavier.

• Individuality principle

Every individual reacts differently to the same stimulus or training program.

In practice, there is little point in copying what may have worked for someone else without considering your own

physical condition and aptitudes. The basics, as described in this book, work for almost everybody, but eventually

you will need to personalize your workouts and training programs.

• Continuity principle

The need for continuity is explained at the beginning of this section. Briefly, it may be defined in terms of regularly

planning of your workouts. If they are too spread out over time, the biological adaptation you are looking for will

not appear. On the other hand, if your training sessions are too close together, you run the risk of overtraining.

The other “principles” of muscle training, such as pre-exhaustion training, muscular confusion, burn, antagonistic

super series and so forth have no scientific value and are little more than a means for bodybuilding gurus to make

a name for themselves. Their only real advantage is to prevent boredom.

Anabolic steroids are another matter, but are not the subject of the present work.

Credit: Encyclopedia of Muscle Exercises

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