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