HOW TO GET STRONG
By Shawn Bennett WHY YOU NEED MUSCLE From age 25 and on, we lose .5% per year of our skeletal muscle. At 60 years old, this rate of muscle loss (Sarcopenia) accelerates to 1% per year, and doubles each decade (at 70 years old, 2% per year, at 80 years old, 4% per year, etc.) There are various reasons for this: Sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, decreased hormone levels, decreased protein synthesis, etc. Inactive people have the most severe muscle atrophy (loss of muscle mass) but even active people will lose muscle because the greatest loss is in the Fast Twitch (FT) muscles versus Slow Twitch (ST) muscles. The FT muscles are used for high-intensity, anaerobic movements like weight lifting, while the ST muscles are employed in activities like running, dancing, biking, etc. So even if you are active, without some kind of weight training program, you will lose muscle mass, which is not a good thing. Muscle is Active Tissue, meaning it burns calories. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns, even at rest. As muscle atrophies (Sarcopenia), the metabolism slows down, and the body accumulates more fat. Preventing loss of your skeletal muscle throughout your life is critical to maintaining your strength, vigor, energy, vitality, health and LIFE. Jack LaLanne, the Godfather of Fitness (as he’s widely known), turned 95 years old on September 26, 2009. He still works out with weights and exercises every day. He’s probably in better shape than most people a fraction of his age.
Many people, young and old, flock to Jack LaLanne for fitness advice and education because they believe he’s found the Fountain of Youth. There is no question that building and keeping the muscle on your body will have a profound impact on your life and health as well. Women have the most to gain from strength training. There is no better way to achieve and keep one’s figure than thru strength training. However, some women fear suddenly waking up to find arms that are freakishly huge having lifted weights the previous day. This cannot happen. Even men, who more easily grow muscle due to male hormones and genetics, won’t suddenly become freakishly huge from strength training because the changes in the size and shape of muscles happens gradually over time. And besides, we aren’t talking about taking anabolic steroids to artificially ‘bulk up’ like professional body-builders do. Strength training is used to develop the strength and size of skeletal muscle. Properly performed, strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being. 12 GOOD REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD STRENGTH TRAIN There is no short supply of studies conducted regarding the benefits of strength training. Here are just a few reasons strength training is important for EVERYONE: 1. PREVENT MUSCLE LOSS – Lean mass (muscle) is active tissue and burns extra calories even while we rest. Adults who do not strength train lose between 5 to 7 pounds of muscle every decade (Forbes 1976, Evans and Reneberg 1992). Even though endurance exercise(s) can improve our cardiovascular health, it does not prevent the loss of muscle tissue. Only strength exercise maintains our muscle mass and strength throughout our lives.
strength exercise. It is important to note that improvements in blood lipid levels are similar for both endurance and strength exercise (Hurley 1994) 11. REDUCE LOW BACK PAIN - Several years of research on strength training and back pain conducted at the University of Florida Medical School has shown that strong low-back muscles are less likely to be injured. A study by Risch (1993), found that low-back patients had significantly less back pain after 10 weeks of specific strength exercise for the lumbar spine muscles. Science Daily (Dec. 16, 2008) — People who use weight training to ease their lower back pain are better off than those who choose other forms of exercise such as jogging, according to a University of Alberta study. 12. REDUCE ARTHRITIS PAIN - According to a recent edition of the Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter (1994), sensible strength training eases the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Strength Training Eases Arthritis Pain: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease where cartilage in the joint gradually wears away. Studies suggest that basic strength training exercise can dramatically reduce the symptoms of arthritis and allow individuals to increase their activity levels. One study, published in the Journal of Rheumatology, followed two groups of individuals having a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, over the period of four months. One group followed their regular routine. The other group performed simple home-based weight bearing exercise, including such things as squats and leg extensions. Those who performed simple weight training exercises reported a 43 percent reduction in pain and a 44 percent improvement in physical functioning (walking, stair climbing, sitting, and standing) than compared to the non-exercising group.
The answer is: You cannot answer the question without knowing HOW LONG it took to do those 10 repetitions of the exercise!!! If it took 60 seconds to do the 10 reps of 160 lbs, BUT it took only 30 seconds to do the 10 reps of the 150 lbs, you actually did MORE work bench pressing 150 lbs! But you can’t just put a light weight (i.e. 5 lbs) on the bar and bang out 10 repetitions in a short 5 seconds and stimulate muscle growth that way. There is still the requirement to OVERLOAD the muscle in order to achieve Hypertrophy. Unless a sufficient overload of the muscle occurs (the muscle is forced to operate beyond its customary intensity) there will not be an adaptive response. So how do you achieve progressive Overload and know with certainty that each workout is forcing the muscle to do more work than last time so it stimulates muscle growth?
Static Contraction Training
Arthur Jones was the founder of High Intensity Training (HIT). He has written tons of material on weight lifting. Most importantly is what he wrote in reference to maximum momentary contraction. Nearly 50 years ago, Mr. Jones wrote that less is more regarding weight training. Meaning no more than 2 workouts per week and in many cases only one per week would result in optimal results. Fast forward to the late 80’s early 90’s where we find Pete Sisco, fitness researcher, and author of Static Contraction Training, and creator of Power Factor Training. Pete is the author of several books detailing the science behind what makes a muscle stronger and bigger.
Another well known fitness expert is John Little who wrote: “Max Contraction Training: The Scientifically Proven Method for Building Muscle Mass in Minimum Time” John Little co-authored a book with Pete Sisco which caused many jaws in the weight lifting community to drop. From Pete Sisco’s website: “In just 10 weeks of Static Contraction Training, trainees (who were hardcore bodybuilders who had been lifting "heavy" for a long time and averaged about 38 years of age) achieved the following average gains: • a 51.3% increase static strength • a 27.6% increase in one-rep max in full range of motion. (without doing full range lifts for 10 weeks!) • a 34.3% increase in ten-rep max in full range of motion! (see above) • gained 9.0 pounds of new muscle (one subject gained 29 pounds of muscle.) • lost 4.9 pounds of fat • lost 0.4 inches on waist • gained 1/2 inch on each biceps • gained 1.1 inches on chest • gained 1.2 inches on shoulders All of this was done with workouts containing less than 2 ½ minutes of exercise. Have you had muscle size and strength gains like the above in the last 10 weeks? And guess what? We later determined this protocol was not the most efficient and effective method. (The optimal method is in Train Smart!)”
Fact is, only one or two reps (the very last ones) of a given exercise really give the most benefit. Sets and reps not only waste a lot of time, but more importantly, they waste valuable energy which is necessary for optimal strength and muscle gains over long periods of time (our lifetime).
OVERTRAINING Overtraining occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. One ceases making progress, and can even begin to lose strength, mass and fitness. Overtraining is a common problem in strength training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes. As you progressively overload your muscles to stimulate growth and strength, you will inevitably require longer and longer periods of time for your body to recover. If sufficient time isn’t given to this recovery process, overtraining will occur and results in plateaus, fatigue, susceptibility to colds and flu, and even loss of muscle and strength.
MUSCLE FIBERS Muscle growth depends on the muscle fiber type activated and the pattern of recruitment. For our purposes, we will discuss the main types: Type I, Type IIA, and Type IIB muscle fibers. Most skeletal muscles of the body are a mixture of all three types of skeletal muscle fibers, but their proportion varies depending on the usual action of the muscle. The most muscle growth stimulation occurs when ALL of the different muscle fiber types are recruited to ‘contract’, and this only happens when the maximum possible overload is placed on the muscle. For example, if only a weak contraction is needed to perform a task, only Type I fibers are activated by their motor units. If a stronger contraction is needed, the motor units of Type IIA fibers are activated. If a maximal contraction is required, motor units of Type IIB fibers are activated as well. Activation of various motor units is determined in the brain and spinal cord. Although the number of the different skeletal muscle fibers does not change, the characteristics of those present can be altered. Only when Type IIB fibers are recruited (by being required for a maximal contraction due to sufficient muscle overload) will muscle growth stimulation occur. So the problem is, unless the muscle is maximally overloaded, only SOME of the muscle fibers are recruited to contract. And if you don’t recruit ALL of your muscle fibers, then your muscle hasn’t been sufficiently overloaded to NEED all of the muscle fibers. Therefore, the key to stimulating muscle growth is to overload the muscle sufficiently to recruit and engage ALL of the muscle fibers.
Limited Equals Full A muscle has no idea if it’s moving or not. If you’re activating all the fibers, it’s going to get stronger. Research shows that isometric (non-moving) training carries over into full-range of motion (ROM) and functional strength (lifting up the kids), plus it helps build more strength in the ligaments and tendons.
FASTER IS BETTER Using the greatest force you can handle is what’s required to activate your growth-hungry Type II-B muscle fibers, which only turn on for 5-10 seconds. That’s why you get such powerful results from just one rep. One way to train this efficiently is to read and learn Static Contraction Training created by Pete Sisco. His training method employs standard free weights held at a position of static contraction (little or no movement, little or no lengthening or shortening of the muscle). This method DOES NOT require a movement throughout the full range of motion. Of course you will need to find a gym, a spotter, (you’re gonna be lifting a LOT of weight), and you’ll need to spend considerable time loading and unloading the weights from the bars, etc. And while you could do this with weights in the gym, even a small woman will max out the leg press in no time. Plus, hauling around all that weight could get you hurt (don’t drop the 45 lb. plate on your foot!). Pete has thousands of trainees who follow his system. It works and requires little to no special equipment.
A Better Solution
It is critical to understand that never before has a piece of exercise equipment allowed an individual to reach Maximum Momentary Intensity until now. What does that mean?! It means we now have entered a new development of exercise. Decades of research and peer reviewed data shows that “intensity of lifting is far
more important in stimulating muscle to grow rather than the duration (length of time) of lifting” What if a new system went straight to a position of maximum muscle fiber stimulation, without the long set(s), without the sweat, without the soreness that comes from the lactic acid buildup, and without the uncertainty that you picked the right weight/set/rep combination? • FACT: it only takes 7-10 seconds to stimulate strength/muscle gain • FACT: position of maximum resistance equals maximum muscle fiber stimulation • FACT: almost NO ONE is training this efficiently and therefore they’re wasting TIME and $$$ Over 5 years in development, there is now a machine that puts you into the best position for MAXIMUM fiber recruitment and stimulation, allowing you to achieve OPTIMAL results in literally MINUTES per month! What Is IT!!! In less than 5 minutes per week, doing only 1 repetition of each exercise, The 1-Rep GymTM truly provides “The Worldʼs Fastest Workout.” Bowflex is great if you have the time for 1/3 of an hour most days out of the week. Free weights have been working for decades for those who have gym memberships and are willing to devote 45 minutes to an hour or more 3 or more days per week. Do the Last Rep First With traditional weight lifting, if you do a set of 10 repetitions before you reach “failure,” the first 9 reps are practically just a warm up for the last rep where the real muscle stimulation happens. And, those first 9 reps make you weaker for the 10th!
With the 1-Rep GymTM, you can do that last rep first! With the 1-Rep GymTM, you simply do ONE REP of 5-10 second all-out effort creating an immediate and intense muscle-building response. Cut Out the Weakest Link In any weight lifting exercise, you can only use as much weight as you can handle at the weakest part of the lift. In the 1-Rep GymTM Workout, you skip past those weak points and only exercise at the strongest part of your range of motion, creating maximum stimulation.
Measured Maximum Intensity Muscles build when they’re subjected to progressive overload; make them do more work, and they’ll get stronger… so they can do more work the next time you ask them to. The current 1-Rep GymTM includes a Force Meter showing the exact amount of effort you’re applying – your Strength Number – so that you know the number to beat for your next workout. AND, more importantly, you’ll know immediately when your body is in an “under recovered” state. The 1-Rep GymTM can handle over 4,000 pounds of force – like lifting almost 2 Toyota Corollas – so you’ll never outgrow it.
How it Works You’ll start your 1-Rep GymTM workout with TWO 2.5-minute exercise sessions per week. Each session has only 5 exercises. As you get stronger, each workout will cause a greater activation of your neuromuscular system. And you’ll need more time to recover and get stronger as a result. Which means after a few months, you’ll find yourself maintaining your fitness with only one or two 2-minute workouts PER MONTH.
pressure, increased lean mass, greater bone density, increased fat burning, increased natural Human Growth Hormone production, better skin tone and elasticity, improved sexual function, increased 'good' HDL cholesterol, better blood sugar regulation, increased energy and more! These are what medical scientists call "biomarkers of aging", and productive strength training has the ability to improve all of them; essentially making a person younger by medical definition. And the thing that is really exciting is working out on the 1-Rep GymTM machine allows people to get all of these benefits in about 5% of the time compared to how everyone has always done it!
All the benefits...with 5% of the time invested. That's revolutionary!