Tricking the Body's Adaptations - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

Peg · 20-06-2006, 03:19 AM

We all know that the body is keen on adapting to what we demand from it in our training.

What are some of the ways you trick your body to keep from hitting a long term plateau of adaptation both in training and in diet?

I think I'm coming up on a plateau and I want to nip it in the bud before I hit it if I can.

thanks
Peg

Carter · 22-06-2006, 06:50 PM

A plateau is when our pregression stops!

There are two types of progression :-

Quantative: Increase in weight lifted, reps/sets completed.

Qualitative: Change in overload/exercise.

So you have a workout, you stick to that workout and get good gains increasing the weight and reps. When you stop progressing you should change what your doing, then carry on progressing!

Toregar · 27-06-2006, 05:17 PM

Firstly, forgive me If I'm saying things you already know. I'm not sure of your bodybuilding background

.

Change can be many things. I do many things to keep a plateau from happening.

Firstly I'd recommend changing your workouts every 4 weeks. Whether that means changing the order of the exercises/Type of exercise/Sets/Reps That's up to you. It's always a good idea to change up your routine to keep your body from stagnating.

As far as Diet goes ... I find carb cycling to work quite well. Basically you have a high/med/low carb day ... So 250/175/100 ... Of course those numbers will be different for everyone depending on many variables. Of course protein is essential, and you want to aim for atleast 1 gram for every pound of bodyweight. Healthy fats are essential to muscle building. Also, if you're dieting, be sure to decrease your caloric intake by small increments ... Such as 500 weekly. Too much, and your body's metabolism will shut down.

Forced Reps - This stresses above and beyond what your bodypart could naturally do on its own. Simply rep out until you can't anymore and then have your spotter help you get out a couple more. Only one of your sets should include Forced Reps, and only do 1 or 2 of them. This should only be down once or twice a month.

Negatives - This involves the eccentric (Downward movment) portion of the lift. Pick a weight that is 125 % of your max. Unrack it, and fight it on the eccentric portion of the lift. When you get to the bottom and are about to come back up, blast it as hard as you can. You'll need the help of a spotter. More micro-fiber tears happen on the eccentric portions of the lifts, rather than the concentric, so more muscle growth is achieved utilizing this method. You could also just try a negative or two after your last set of X exercise. So you're on your 4th set of bench presses, you barely got out that last rep on your own, you could do a couple negatives if you wanted to. Different variations for different people. Proper warm-up is crucial.

Pre-exhaust - This can be a great body shocker. Whatever body part you might be doing take 1 or 2 exercises, and nail it with high reps. For chest I'll do DB Flyes - 3 X 10 - 12 with a moderate weight ... Why this works so well, is for many people, their tris/shoulders will give out before their chest. This technique exhausts your chest, bringing it more in line with your tris/shoulders.

I wouldn't recommend doing these types of things regularly in your workout. It could lead to overtraining, in my experience. These are just some good ways to shock the hell out of your muscle groups into growing some more.

Hope this helps Peg !

EDIT: Typo ... You want to use 125 % of your max for the negatives ... So a weight you can't possibly do on your own. Like I said, spotter is crucial. If it feels too heavy, lower the weight. Just be careful.

**hackskii** · 27-06-2006, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toregar

Firstly, forgive me If I'm saying things you already know. I'm not sure of your bodybuilding background

.

Change can be many things. I do many things to keep a plateau from happening.

Firstly I'd recommend changing your workouts every 4 weeks. Whether that means changing the order of the exercises/Type of exercise/Sets/Reps That's up to you. It's always a good idea to change up your routine to keep your body from stagnating.

As far as Diet goes ... I find carb cycling to work quite well. Basically you have a high/med/low carb day ... So 250/175/100 ... Of course those numbers will be different for everyone depending on many variables. Of course protein is essential, and you want to aim for atleast 1 gram for every pound of bodyweight. Healthy fats are essential to muscle building. Also, if you're dieting, be sure to decrease your caloric intake by small increments ... Such as 500 weekly. Too much, and your body's metabolism will shut down.

Forced Reps - This stresses above and beyond what your bodypart could naturally do on its own. Simply rep out until you can't anymore and then have your spotter help you get out a couple more. Only one of your sets should include Forced Reps, and only do 1 or 2 of them. This should only be down once or twice a month.

Negatives - This involves the eccentric (Downward movment) portion of the lift. Pick a weight that is 25 % of your max. Unrack it, and fight it on the eccentric portion of the lift. When you get to the bottom and are about to come back up, blast it as hard as you can. You'll need the help of a spotter.

Pre-exhaust - This can be a great body shocker. Whatever body part you might be doing take 1 or 2 exercises, and nail it with high reps. For chest I'll do DB Flyes - 3 X 10 - 12 with a moderate weight ... Why this works so well, is for many people, their tris/shoulders will give out before their chest. This technique exhausts your chest, bringing it more in line with your tris/shoulders.

I wouldn't recommend doing these types of things regularly in your workout. It could lead to overtraining, in my experience. These are just some good ways to shock the hell out of your muscle groups into growing some more.

Hope this helps bud !

Nice post.

That bud is a bird by the way:rolleye11

Toregar · 27-06-2006, 09:29 PM

Took me a couple reads there hackskii to get what you were saying ... Theeeen it hit me lol !

I apologize :o ...

Hope this helps ... Herrmmm, me lady ? :p

**hackskii** · 27-06-2006, 10:26 PM

Heee heee, hey, I like your posts Toregar, I actually read all of them

Peg is a super lady, she is a school teacher and a martial artist too.

Keep up the good posts mate.
Where are you from?

Captain Hero · 27-06-2006, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hackskii

Heee heee, hey, I like your posts Toregar, I actually read all of them

Peg is a super lady, she is a school teacher and a martial artist too.

Keep up the good posts mate.
Where are you from?

peg is wicked

LondonGeezer · 28-06-2006, 01:44 AM

yep peg is a star!! brightest around :P
martial artist?? peg wat martial arts u do? i started karate and went to taekwondo.. got to yellow belt which took about 4weeks lol and then went on to street fighting which is like kick boxing but no guards and MUCH better (in my personal opinion because i tried kickboxing for 1lesson). done street fighting for about 4yrs now.

Peg · 28-06-2006, 02:22 PM

Thank you, guys!!!! I'm blushing and

!

No apology necessary, Toregar. No offense taken. It's a natural assumption to think that most who post on a bodybuilding board are men.

I do like your post. I am a novice in bodybuilding so terminology like forced rep, negatives, pre-exhaust are relatively new to me in the context of BB. They are mentally understood but not used enough yet in my routine for them to be second nature and to apply them without a reminder.

It is always good to know what others are doing. The knowing iacts as a compass to see if I am correctly applying the information that I learn. I'm always looking for new information, too.

Since we are all different, I think at some point we all will take that information and create our own routines that work for our particular needs.

Cheers you handsome lads, you!

20-06-2006, 03:19 AM	#1 (permalink)
Peg Getting HUGE! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,468	Tricking the Body's Adaptations We all know that the body is keen on adapting to what we demand from it in our training. What are some of the ways you trick your body to keep from hitting a long term plateau of adaptation both in training and in diet? I think I'm coming up on a plateau and I want to nip it in the bud before I hit it if I can. thanks Peg __________________ "21st century man is not conquered by guns, nor by oppression, but by seduction." "Pride to the human heart is like lard to the pig." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn "The best punch is the one that is both first, last, and ends the fight."

27-06-2006, 05:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
Toregar Progressing Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 181	Firstly, forgive me If I'm saying things you already know. I'm not sure of your bodybuilding background . Change can be many things. I do many things to keep a plateau from happening. Firstly I'd recommend changing your workouts every 4 weeks. Whether that means changing the order of the exercises/Type of exercise/Sets/Reps That's up to you. It's always a good idea to change up your routine to keep your body from stagnating. As far as Diet goes ... I find carb cycling to work quite well. Basically you have a high/med/low carb day ... So 250/175/100 ... Of course those numbers will be different for everyone depending on many variables. Of course protein is essential, and you want to aim for atleast 1 gram for every pound of bodyweight. Healthy fats are essential to muscle building. Also, if you're dieting, be sure to decrease your caloric intake by small increments ... Such as 500 weekly. Too much, and your body's metabolism will shut down. Forced Reps - This stresses above and beyond what your bodypart could naturally do on its own. Simply rep out until you can't anymore and then have your spotter help you get out a couple more. Only one of your sets should include Forced Reps, and only do 1 or 2 of them. This should only be down once or twice a month. Negatives - This involves the eccentric (Downward movment) portion of the lift. Pick a weight that is 125 % of your max. Unrack it, and fight it on the eccentric portion of the lift. When you get to the bottom and are about to come back up, blast it as hard as you can. You'll need the help of a spotter. More micro-fiber tears happen on the eccentric portions of the lifts, rather than the concentric, so more muscle growth is achieved utilizing this method. You could also just try a negative or two after your last set of X exercise. So you're on your 4th set of bench presses, you barely got out that last rep on your own, you could do a couple negatives if you wanted to. Different variations for different people. Proper warm-up is crucial. Pre-exhaust - This can be a great body shocker. Whatever body part you might be doing take 1 or 2 exercises, and nail it with high reps. For chest I'll do DB Flyes - 3 X 10 - 12 with a moderate weight ... Why this works so well, is for many people, their tris/shoulders will give out before their chest. This technique exhausts your chest, bringing it more in line with your tris/shoulders. I wouldn't recommend doing these types of things regularly in your workout. It could lead to overtraining, in my experience. These are just some good ways to shock the hell out of your muscle groups into growing some more. Hope this helps Peg ! EDIT: Typo ... You want to use 125 % of your max for the negatives ... So a weight you can't possibly do on your own. Like I said, spotter is crucial. If it feels too heavy, lower the weight. Just be careful. Last edited by Toregar; 28-06-2006 at 02:41 PM.

27-06-2006, 10:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,160	Heee heee, hey, I like your posts Toregar, I actually read all of them Peg is a super lady, she is a school teacher and a martial artist too. Keep up the good posts mate. Where are you from? __________________ "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin Scott To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

28-06-2006, 01:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
LondonGeezer Looking Freaky Join Date: May 2006 Location: South-East London Posts: 881	yep peg is a star!! brightest around :P martial artist?? peg wat martial arts u do? i started karate and went to taekwondo.. got to yellow belt which took about 4weeks lol and then went on to street fighting which is like kick boxing but no guards and MUCH better (in my personal opinion because i tried kickboxing for 1lesson). done street fighting for about 4yrs now. __________________ NEED INFORMATION?? FIND IT HERE: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. My NEWEST website To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Eee-Ooo Dares.. Wins!!:lift: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

28-06-2006, 02:22 PM	#9 (permalink)
Peg Getting HUGE! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,468	Thank you, guys!!!! I'm blushing and ! No apology necessary, Toregar. No offense taken. It's a natural assumption to think that most who post on a bodybuilding board are men. I do like your post. I am a novice in bodybuilding so terminology like forced rep, negatives, pre-exhaust are relatively new to me in the context of BB. They are mentally understood but not used enough yet in my routine for them to be second nature and to apply them without a reminder. It is always good to know what others are doing. The knowing iacts as a compass to see if I am correctly applying the information that I learn. I'm always looking for new information, too. Since we are all different, I think at some point we all will take that information and create our own routines that work for our particular needs. Cheers you handsome lads, you! __________________ "21st century man is not conquered by guns, nor by oppression, but by seduction." "Pride to the human heart is like lard to the pig." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn "The best punch is the one that is both first, last, and ends the fight."

22-06-2006, 06:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Carter Newbie Trainer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portsmouth Posts: 37	A plateau is when our pregression stops! There are two types of progression :- Quantative: Increase in weight lifted, reps/sets completed. Qualitative: Change in overload/exercise. So you have a workout, you stick to that workout and get good gains increasing the weight and reps. When you stop progressing you should change what your doing, then carry on progressing!

27-06-2006, 09:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
Toregar Progressing Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 181	Took me a couple reads there hackskii to get what you were saying ... Theeeen it hit me lol ! I apologize :o ... Hope this helps ... Herrmmm, me lady ? :p