FITNESS GUIDELINES – an OVERVIEW

HYPERTROPHY: In order to be in top physical condition, a person must keep the intensity level to the utmost. As you know, for Hypertrophy (muscle building, as a bodybuilder) enough Sets must be done for each body part (7-12ish) and the Reps must around 6-12. 

Not all sets are to be done to failure, just maybe (not an exact science since the actual intensity can and will vary due to each person’s level of “insanity”), but complete failure (being, not one more rep could be done even if your life were on the line). Do this in the last 1or 2 sets for that particular body part for the MAJOR muscle exercise, such as the Bench, not necessarily DB flies. Loads of 70-80% of maximum ability are need to boost muscle fiber frictional and subsequent hypertrophy.

GLYCOGEN must replenish in the muscles to at least 80% so a person can have the strength to keep lifting as heavy as possible in order to must the muscle under enough stress so as to tear them down, in which they then repair and become larger over time. Increase your carbohydrate intake to restore glycogen in the muscles.

REST should be 60 seconds to 3 minutes depending upon the exertion level. So, biceps may take you 60 or so seconds for arms, but doing squats for legs will exhaust you much more, thereby taking about (again, not an exact number) 90 seconds to 3 minutes. 

FYI: Power lifters rest 3-5 minutes between sets in order to recoup close to 90-100% of their strength. Note: Of course, after a few sets strength decreases with muscle exhaustion…but I am talking about this percentage in relation to all you can do in that moment of time.

DAYS OF REST: Many people truly think that training 1.5 to 2 hours 5-6 days a week is good, well, it MAY be IF it is done correctly. 1-2 and even 3 days rest between certain exercises, and not exercising more than 45 min to 1 hour. If someone is training for a competition, then that is different. Though a professional athlete trains many hours, they are under a team doctor supervision, can afford all the good food and the finest training parameters.

MUSCULAR ENDURANCE, whereby you already have the strength and size you want, but now want to have the muscular endurance. In this, you rest just enough to catch your breath. This type training will also vastly improve your cardiovascular endurance. Reps should be 12-20.

MUSCLE CONCENTRATION: Most people never concentrate on the muscle itself that they are exercising. When one does a wide-grip pull-up for the back, many just pull up never engaging and contracting the back muscles as they so this, this is why about 80% of the people in gyms take so long to achieve their goals, or not at all.