The key bodybuilding principle goes, maintain continuous tension on muscle to maximize its growth. Muscle mass growth depends on increasing workout load. It is actually what the athletic training is all about. In fact, before Joe Weider took over, the increase in workout load was understood merely as increasing weights. Joe brilliantly discovered that muscles are forced to grow by so-called “muscle stress” instead of increased weights. Logically, Joe Weider redefined the foundation principle of bodybuilding as the continuous tension principle.
You Are Muscles
Figuratively, Joe looked at the problem from the muscle’s point of view. It is crucial for the muscle to experience the strongest tension possible. What will become a source of the tension? It doesn’t matter. You can increase weights, or the number of reps and sets. You can go for the special techniques like supersets, tri-sets or giant sets.
More Stress to the Muscles
Anything that makes muscle work harder will do. It is important you apply more stress to your muscles with every workout. This strategy of bodybuilding is crucial. Choosing tactics is up to an athlete and depends on a person’s experience and the reaction of muscles. Start with three techniques:
- Increase the number of reps with the same weight from one workout to another.
- Keep increasing weight with the number of reps unchanged.
- Do not change the reps and weight but cut the rest intervals between sets.
Pre-competition Training Principle
The last method works better for the pre-competition training. It provides an excellent muscle definition and minimizes the risk of injury. The same workout intensity is the biggest mistake during off-season training. It simply doesn’t make sense because you don’t build up muscles.
Two Types of Muscle Fiber
You have to scientifically follow the continuous tension principle. The thing is there are two types of muscle fiber: “quick” and “slow”. “Quick” fiber provides forceful “explosive” efforts while “slow” fiber is weaker but can work in an exhausting stayer regimen. The proportion of these fibers varies in bodybuilders. One type is predominant, as a rule. It is the type of the fiber that dictates the intensity scheme. If you are a sprinter by nature, increase weights. If you are a stayer, focus on reps and increase their number up to 15-20 per set.