Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Oftentimes putting in too much effort into something can ruin what little progress that’s been achieved. Similarly to farming, pouring more water on a seed doesn’t necessarily speed up the process of growth and it could actually hamper the progress that’s already made.
Many weightlifters at the gym behave this way and spend extra hours on sets to make up results, usually in the form of more bulkier, defined muscles. Athletes also train with this strategy, but their training usually is more performance based and is somewhat justified for their profession.
Individuals performing countless compound and isolation movements each week could be wasting extra minutes and energy attempting to make gains that are marginal at best. Genetics is still the primary factor in hypertrophy and weekly recovery should be of a higher priority when developing your physique, especially after the first few years of training.
The two biggest factors to this gym workhorse mentality may originate from misinformation regarding muscle building potential. The second major contributing concept has been the new sense of body dysmorphia that has plagued the fitness industry on social media over the last decade from fake fitness influencers on the scene.
To continue the bodybuilding journey in a healthy manner there needs to be expectations established so that trainees do not burn out and lose motivation.
Why More Workout Sets May Be A Waste of Time
Starting out on an introductory workout program is a breeze as a beginner, as your body is still learning to adapt to the stress load it hasn’t experienced before. It doesn’t take much effort at this stage to gain muscle, as long as you remain consistent for the few months to see the fruit of your efforts.
To continue muscular growth you need to concentrate on a few other factors to make additional progress (sleep, high intensity, good form, and adequate calories). Good bodybuilders keep track of these components to maximize their gains over long periods of time while making changes to their lifestyle when necessary.
Performing sets during a workout program at this stage normally are in the range of 10-12 sets per body part for the week, which is at the lower end for an intermediate trainee. This would be a wise decision as it leaves more room for adjustment in case muscle growth plateaus later down the road.
At this point you should only add more sets if all factors for muscle growth have been met and everything else is out of your control. Sets added should be modest, with 2-3 sets each week added to start and monitoring energy levels while training to see if it’s optimal.
When adding more sets we tend to go past the optimal amount of sets and skip to maximal amounts, sacrificing recovery outside the gym. Being too anxious to make gains can self-sabotage and cause overtraining (see When You Should Deload From Training).
Besides including additional sets to the workout routine, trainees often like to include exercise variations when they experience plateaus or little progress in strength. This is a better strategy to utilize when you’re seeing progressive strength slow down after 6-9 months of consistent training.
Adding novelty to your routine can be ideal for long term gains and is almost necessary for different muscles groups in the body. Muscles like the trapezoid in the back have muscle fibers that mobilize in different directions and require different exercises to stimulate them properly.
Training with variations in the biceps brachial muscle group only move in one direction, which is when too many exercise variations may be unnecessary and can be adding wasted time to your workout (Why Your Workouts Should Be Within 60 Minutes).
Total Muscle Gain Expectations
Having healthy expectations for muscular development keeps you motivated without external factors becoming a distraction. Comparing your results with other individuals or adjusting your workout program too often can be to your detriment if you’re not careful.
Depending on your body type muscle growth will plateau sooner or later than others. For example, some individuals are able to gain muscle 1+ lbs each year even after 10 years of consistent weightlifting.
Year one trainees with average genetics can expect to add 1/10 – 1/2 lbs of muscle per week , as this growth at this phase is rapid within the first few months. Years 2-3 could expect 2.5 – 7.5 lbs per year, with the higher range for genetically blessed individuals.
The Wrap Up
In many of these articles I keep stressing how much patience is a virtue in bodybuilding, as the journey is a marathon not a full on sprint. Adding workout sets to your routine can be beneficial if you’ve exhausted the full repertoire and principles for maximum muscle hypertrophy (sleep, diet, intensity, and exercise form). Set realistic goals for progress in terms of what you can control, which is strength and make minor adjustments for higher volume routines as you advance.
What else do you want to know?
When Should You Add A Deload Week
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