Rules of the gym

At the same time, insufficient attention is paid to pauses between approaches, template training programs are used, and the time “under tension” for the muscle groups being trained is simply not enough. The result is obvious: very little progress in building muscle mass and almost no increase in strength.

Although, in order to spend time in the gym with maximum benefit, you only need to follow a few basic rules.

1. Track your progress.

Many non-professional bodybuilders “forget” to track their progress. From a psychological point of view, this approach is completely understandable – banal laziness and lack of understanding of the benefits of constantly “fixing” results.

It should be clearly understood that mechanical repetition of the same exercises hundreds of times in a row and attempts to train “by eye” do not give results. To achieve a goal, it is good to have a suitable strategy and an appropriate action plan in place.

In our case, this is recording (tracking) results, as well as performing exercises according to the developed program. Moreover, the program must include specific data regarding working weight.

You need to have a starting point, knowledge of what has already been done and what you need to strive for. An ordinary notebook can become just such a starting point, in which your achievements will be regularly recorded after each completed exercise.

2. Do the exercises in the correct order.

There is a whole system of “pre-exhaustion” that uses a method of isolating individual muscles before performing complex (main) exercises. The purpose of this system at one time was to develop lagging areas, but at the moment this approach no longer finds scientific confirmation.

The main goal of training in the gym should be the maximum load for the maximum possible period of time. That is, the greater the total weight lifted over a certain period of time, the better.

By performing isolation exercises before the main ones, you will not be able to lift the maximum amount of weight in a given time interval. Therefore, you should always perform complex exercises, and only then isolate ones.

3. Use intervals between sets that suit your training system.

The normal rest time between sets is considered to be one and a half to two minutes. At the same time, you can increase the intensity of your workout using drop sets (reducing weight without stopping the exercise) or using the rest-pause technique (a short pause of 5-10 seconds and repeating the exercise with the same weight), or simply by reducing the interval between approaches up to 30 seconds.

4. Avoid exhaustion of secondary (assistant) muscle groups.

All exercises must be selected so that the assisting muscle groups are not exhausted before performing the main exercise. So, after working on your back, you shouldn’t do biceps and vice versa.

5. Lift at least 70% of your maximum weight.

By lifting weights less than 70-75% of your maximum, you are training endurance, but not strength, and, of course, you are not building muscle mass.

6. Do the exercises properly.

Despite the availability of a large amount of information about the admissibility of “cheating,” it is still worth doing the exercises correctly. Thus, you will achieve the maximum load of the particular muscle group being trained, and, accordingly, the very goal of the training – increasing strength and increasing muscle mass.

7. Use a periodization system.

The athlete always faces the question: what training program is best? After all, there are so many programs, approaches and even philosophies of the training process.

There are programs that target “muscle confusion,” training techniques that work by increasing the intensity of exercise, designed to lift the maximum amount of weight possible, and also to increase blood pressure in the muscle tissue of certain muscle groups.

What is the most optimal? Most likely, you should alternately use different programs, that is, work according to a periodization system.

The periodization system means that training takes place according to different programs in cycles from 3 months to one year, depending on the goals.

While in the gym, it is always worth remembering that performing exercises in the right order, with the proper style and maintaining the correct intervals will allow you to achieve the desired result much faster.