Gains frequency

[john11]

Noob question. What are you gains frequency like. If you were to train each bodypart twice a week, would the muscles rest and recover so the next time you trained they would improve slightly, giving strength increases twice a week, or is it more random than that.
And when starting a new routine does it take time for the body to adapt to that routine,
so that gains do appear at first.

Thanks

 

[LeoTC]

Depends entirely on how you train and the goal you're chasing. How you eat and sleep even more so.

Straight linear progression runs you into a wall pretty quickly. Usually within a year's time, then you need to start periodizing training volume / intensity. Programming with intent rather than just going in and killing yourself.

Generally I prefer to program in 3/4 week waves over 12 weeks. Every 4th week I have a programmed deload or I test.

After you run a couple blocks like that, you'll generally know going in if a particular wave will end one way or the other. Could go either way I guess...but unless I'm confident I'll PR at the end of a wave, no reason to test.

So...maybe expand a bit on the question? Why are you training, what does your programming look like?

Nobody will honestly be able to tell you that you're going to put weight on the bar X times a week past the novice stage. But you'll probably get some good feedback regarding what you are or aren't doing and how to improve / optimize.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Instead of thinking of the loop in that direction, think the opposite.

Find a consistent X rep set weight on an exercise. Add 5-10 lbs to the bar. Work until you hit X reps with the new weight. Add another 5-10lbs. Repeat. Unless you’re talking powerlifting programming. Entirely different.

It’ll never be linear and chasing pure progressive overload will get discouraging: a bad nights sleep, a bad day at work, missing one meal can impact the log book.

 

[LeoTC]

Seriously...so many peanut butter gains powerlifting. Lol.

 

[tengtren]

Depends on your food, training style, recovery rate(can be genetically limiting) and amount of gear imo

 

[john11]

Just trying to figure out how it works.
Is it that every time you train, the muscles react to the stress + damage and grow stronger so that you gain strength twice a week.
Or is it that training puts a stress on your muscles which the body tries to ignore, after a while it can ignore no longer and decides to build muscle to compensate. What i read is that the body does not want to build muscle because muscle is more work for it to do, muscle is living so needs a good blood supply, food, oxygen etc which is more hassle so the body tries to ignore the stresses of training and only grows muscle when it feels there is no other option.

 

[LeoTC]

Yeah...if you don't stress the body there's no reason for it to break homeostasis.

It wants to live in a happy bubble, drinking umbrella drinks by the pool, surrounded by beautiful people in tiny clothes.

Why go to the trouble if you don't have to?

It's the same reason most people stay skinny, fat, unhealthy, broke, etc.

If you can get by, as you are, why go beyond your comfort zone? It's easier to just complain about shit than put in work.

Everytime you lift, provided you've you've adequately stressed the muscle, your body will compensate. Yes.

Starting out, most gains will probably be more neurological though. As you ingrain movement pattern, you're body will become better at handling said movement's. You'll see the biggest strength jumps here.

Strength gains will taper over time as you become more advanced, and will depend more on programming and diet.

And, of course, recovery.

Bear in mind that muscle and strength don't necessarily increase proportionaly.

But there's really not a black and white answer to your question. No you don't progressively get bigger / stronger every time you lift. If it were that simple we'd all be walking around looking like Kai and pulling like Brian Shaw.

 

[john11]

Sorry, not trying to get too anal about it, trying to learn, something that i was told years ago and am trying to get more information on, has been bothering me.

Do muscles grow because the pumping with weights pushes extra blood into the muscle, extra food and oxygen gets in. Is this what causes growth. Thats what is was told by the owner of the gym.
What is the mechanism?

 

[LeoTC]

Yeah...most gym owners are as fucking clueless as their personal trainers. They buy a turn-key franchise to make easy money but don't know a barbell from a kettlebell.

You're actually damaging muscle tissue when you lift - causing micro tears. Your body compensates by building more muscle to handle the stress you're putting on it. Same reason you see better bone density in lifters through the years. The skeletal system adapts tthe same way.

The 'pump' doesn't cause any hypertrophy or strength gain on it's own. But flushing the muscle with blood and nutrients is a boon to recovery.

The same reason working through muscle strain will result in a quicker recovery than just laying in bed.

 

[Worf]

Yeah...if you don't stress the body there's no reason for it to break homeostasis.

It wants to live in a happy bubble, drinking umbrella drinks by the pool, surrounded by beautiful people in tiny clothes.

Why go to the trouble if you don't have to?

It's the same reason most people stay skinny, fat, unhealthy, broke, etc.

If you can get by, as you are, why go beyond your comfort zone? It's easier to just complain about shit than put in work.

Everytime you lift, provided you've you've adequately stressed the muscle, your body will compensate. Yes.

Starting out, most gains will probably be more neurological though. As you ingrain movement pattern, you're body will become better at handling said movement's. You'll see the biggest strength jumps here.

Strength gains will taper over time as you become more advanced, and will depend more on programming and diet.

And, of course, recovery.

Bear in mind that muscle and strength don't necessarily increase proportionaly.

But there's really not a black and white answer to your question. No you don't progressively get bigger / stronger every time you lift. If it were that simple we'd all be walking around looking like Kai and pulling like Brian Shaw.

Excellent post

Yeah...most gym owners are as fucking clueless as their personal trainers. They buy a turn-key franchise to make easy money but don't know a barbell from a kettlebell.

You're actually damaging muscle tissue when you lift - causing micro tears. Your body compensates by building more muscle to handle the stress you're putting on it. Same reason you see better bone density in lifters through the years. The skeletal system adapts tthe same way.

The 'pump' doesn't cause any hypertrophy or strength gain on it's own. But flushing the muscle with blood and nutrients is a boon to recovery.

The same reason working through muscle strain will result in a quicker recovery than just laying in bed.

Again , better than I could put it. Great post

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Just trying to figure out how it works.
Is it that every time you train, the muscles react to the stress + damage and grow stronger so that you gain strength twice a week.
Or is it that training puts a stress on your muscles which the body tries to ignore, after a while it can ignore no longer and decides to build muscle to compensate. What i read is that the body does not want to build muscle because muscle is more work for it to do, muscle is living so needs a good blood supply, food, oxygen etc which is more hassle so the body tries to ignore the stresses of training and only grows muscle when it feels there is no other option.

When you're a beginner you can make strength gains session to session 2-3x a week. As you get more advanced it takes longer and requires more stimulus to make progress. You might still hit those muscles 2-3x a week in something like a heavy light medium setup, but you can no longer make strength gains every session, as an intermediate it'll be more like every week. As you get even more advanced and closer to elite levels of strength it'll take even longer and much more elaborate training cycles to keep progressing.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Muscles grow for a variety of reasons. The constant is they need to be stressed above levels they consistently see; IE increasing loads, volume, or profile. The body sees the need for MPS when this stress occurs and provides the nutrients and pathways for growth.

The actual growth can occur by:
-straight up repair of torn fibers (fiber size by increased number of cells)
-hyperplasia: the growth of new fiber (i don’t think this is scientifically proven in humans, but the theory atleast passes the smell test)
-the hydration and saturation of fibers with water and nutrients (the holding of more nutrients as fiber size grows)

Different training styles will elicit different responses. But the mechanism for growth is always stressing the muscle and allowing it to repair and reload.

Sorry, not trying to get too anal about it, trying to learn, something that i was told years ago and am trying to get more information on, has been bothering me.

Do muscles grow because the pumping with weights pushes extra blood into the muscle, extra food and oxygen gets in. Is this what causes growth. Thats what is was told by the owner of the gym.
What is the mechanism?