Muscle growth, also known as hypertrophy, does not occur uniformly throughout
each muscle or throughout the entire body. This effect is known as task
specificity and needs to be taken into account when designing a muscle
growth program. For example, when working with the chest muscle and trying
to work the pectoral major, a chest fly and a chest press should be added
to the routine. Both of these exercises work the muscle in a unique way.
It is important to incorporate a variety of exercises for different muscle
groups in order to significantly impact the muscle. For example only doing
a machine leg extension would not be adequate to improve the size or strength
of the entire quadriceps. In order to improve upon the effects of muscle
building adding additional, multi-joint exercises such as lunges or squats
would be the best way to get the results you want.
A muscle growth program should include more multi-joint exercises rather
than single joint routines because of the greater muscle growth experienced
with multi-joint routines. An example of a multi-joint exercise is a squat,
where it impacts the knees and the hips, unlike a leg extension only bends
at a single joint, the knee. It is also important to note that multi-joint
exercises like the squat will burn extra calories compared to just a leg
extension. Single joint exercises shouldn't be neglected, but instead
combined with multi-joint exercises. The order of exercises should start
with the big major muscles groups and work down to the smaller single
joint exercises.
Recommendations to get the most out of a muscle growth program
- Exercises should consist of 8-10 reps, 4-8 sets, 60-80% of 1Rep Max (RM)
(1RM testing should be conducted), and a rest of 2-5 minutes between sets.
See a personal trainer for this test
- Use multi-joint exercises and target more than one muscle
- Use more than one exercise per muscle group
- Consume a protein rich diet
- Avoid high volume or endurance training
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