| The bodybuilding debates will never end. The | | | | as a potential threat to its survival and |
| endless arguments over how an effective | | | | reacts accordingly by increasing the size and |
| muscle-building program should be structured | | | | strength of the muscle fibers in order to |
| will most likely continue until the end of | | | | protect against a possible future "attack". |
| time. Just scour the Internet message boards, | | | | Therefore, in order to continually increase |
| flip through any muscle magazine or talk to | | | | the size and strength of the muscles, you |
| the sales rep at your local supplement store. | | | | must focus on progressing each week by either |
| No matter who you talk to or what you read, | | | | lifting slightly more weight or performing an |
| it seems that everyone is an expert these | | | | extra rep or two. In doing this, your body |
| days. | | | | will continue to adapt and grow to the |
| | | | ever-increasing stress. |
| If everyone is an expert, confident in their | | | | |
| own ideas and beliefs, how can the average | | | | Building muscle is all about building |
| beginner possibly know who to listen to? He | | | | strength! |
| or she is instantly confronted with endless | | | | |
| questions that seem to have no clear-cut | | | | So what is the most powerful muscle-building |
| answer. | | | | tool available? Quite simply, it is a pen and |
| | | | a piece of paper! |
| How many days should I train per week? How | | | | |
| many sets should I perform for each muscle | | | | Every time you go to the gym you must write |
| group? What type of rep range should I be | | | | down exactly what you accomplished and then |
| using? What are the most effective exercises | | | | strive to improve upon it the following week. |
| for stimulating muscle growth? How long | | | | If you aren't always getting better, then |
| should my workouts last? | | | | you're either staying the same or getting |
| | | | worse. Every week you should have an exact |
| These questions go on and on until he or she | | | | plan of attack ready to be executed. You |
| is eventually led to believe that building | | | | absolutely cannot afford to start throwing |
| muscle is an infinitely complex process | | | | weights around aimlessly without a clear-cut |
| involving rocket-science precision and an | | | | goal in mind. |
| intimate understanding of human physiology. I | | | | |
| mean, that's what takes to build muscle, | | | | The specifics of building muscle are |
| right? Wrong! Believe me, there are answers | | | | important to understand and implement, but |
| to these important questions, and if you are | | | | regardless of what style of training you're |
| willing to put in the time and effort you | | | | currently using the ultimate deciding factor |
| will most definitely find them. But that's | | | | between success and failure is progression. |
| not what this article is about. | | | | You can sit around all day obsessing over |
| | | | specific principles, but the bottom line is |
| You see, amidst all of the confusion and | | | | that if you aren't getting stronger every |
| endless debating, the majority of lifters end | | | | week, you absolutely will not be getting any |
| up losing sight of the big picture. Beyond | | | | bigger. Examine your training approach |
| all of the specific workout principles, such | | | | closely. If you haven't been paying |
| as rep range and exercise selection, remains | | | | laser-like attention to the amount of weight |
| one crucial principle, a principle that lies | | | | you've been using, the number of reps you've |
| at the very heart of the muscle growth | | | | been performing, and then striving with every |
| process. If this principle is not given full | | | | ounce of your energy to improve upon those |
| attention, or even worse, completely ignored, | | | | numbers each week, you are completely |
| building muscle becomes next to impossible. | | | | ignoring the very foundation of the muscle |
| | | | growth process. If you want to see the best |
| The bottom line is that muscles grow as they | | | | gains in muscle mass and strength that you |
| adapt to stress. When you go to the gym and | | | | possibly can, a pen and a piece of paper is |
| lift weights, you create "micro-tears" within | | | | the most important tool you could possibly |
| the muscle tissue. Your body perceives this | | | | have in your arsenal. |