Posts Tagged ‘overtraining’

Quick Tips To Gain Weight The Right Way

Posted: September 27, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Exercise, Myth Busting
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1. Weight train only 4 to 5 days a week. If growing is your primary concern then rest is paramount. Schedule breaks between intense sessions. For some, you may only need to workout 4 days and on your off days do absolutely nothing (no cardio or resistance training). Even if the gains don’t come right away this is not an indication that you need to workout more days a week. Be patient, stick to the formula and the gains will come.

2. Cut back on all the reps and sets. As a hard gainer, doing too many reps and too many sets is a recipe for overtraining. Heuristically, it seems better to train bigger body parts (legs, chest, back) with a 3 – 4 exercise per session rate and the smaller muscles (biceps, triceps, shoulders, etc.) 2 – 3 exercises per session.

3. Emphasize compound exercise where more than one muscle group is used at one time i.e. squat and military press.

4. Reduce cardio. Cardio done too often can burn too many calories over time. Use cardio sparingly to control fat stores but keep pace with your calorie intake to insure proper growth.

5. Keep it short and sweet. Hard gainer workouts shouldn’t last more than about an hour. Beyond that, excess cortisol (a catabolic hormone) can be released inhibiting growth of the muscles.

6. Consume more complex carbs to energize your intense workouts. Carbs are important because they provide energy and they control insulin, an anabolic hormone that forces energy into the muscle stimulating growth. Once again complex carbs should be your primary target in carbo-loading. For more info see “Summary of Macronutrients”.

7. Eat adequate high quality proteins. These are the building blocks to your muscles. For a breakdown of quality protein see “Summary of Macronutrients).

8. Use things like Echinacea and Ginger Root to increase appetite. An increased appetite will lead to the consumption of more calories which in the long and short term help you reach your goal.

5 Biggest Mistakes When Trying To Gain Weight

Posted: September 24, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Exercise, Myth Busting
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1. Eating two or three huge meals with several hours in between. Yes, you hard gainers (those who have trouble gaining quality muscle) are less inclined to turn these meals into fat due to your fast metabolisms, however, this method will also force your body to feed off stored energy (often muscle mass over body fat) in between meals. This makes it more than difficult for your body to retain muscle mass. The best solution for this is to eat 5 to 6 meals each day.

2. Consuming excess amounts of calorie-laden junk foods. Eating can be like a job for hard gainers. In an attempt to pack on some quick calories, hard gainers often turn to fast food like burgers or pizza. However, these foods contain entirely too much sugar, fat, and refined flour. They are better at adding inches to your waistline than adding inches to your biceps. In the fitness game, always emphasize quality over quantity. Eat quality whole foods and consume quality liquid calories when whole foods aren’t available. For some, weight-gaining products taken correctly can be a great way to gain mass.

3. Using too many energy drinks, which inhibit appetite. Caffeinated energy drinks play an important role in mustering energy and supporting mass gains. The problem is, they reduce appetite making it less likely for hard gainers to consume the quality calories necessary for mass gains. No one is saying to eliminate caffeine from your diet, just remember to consume it in moderation so that it doesn’t impact to intake of necessary quality calories.

4. Eating inconsistently. Most hard gainers have a tendency to eat well for two or three days then fall off the chuck wagon for lack of a better term. You have to eat consistently to grow. You should be hitting our target amount of calories each day.

5. Overtraining. More than a few hard gainers are under the assumption that more training means more muscle growth. Well that’s not entirely accurate. Muscles grow after you train, while you’re resting. Training too long or too often can be counterproductive.