The added recovery benefits they receive from steroids (and other chems), along with the increased receptor stimulation that comes from intense contractions, which could be derived from volume training, makes a body part split a "natural" choice for non-natural bodybuilders. People tend to only discuss the topic of steroids when it comes to bodybuilding, but the chemical soup being used is far more than simply steroids.īy using insulin (and other drugs), a lifter can maintain elevated protein synthesis levels, therefore negating the need to train a muscle frequently. You rarely hear this discussed on forums or in magazines, but it is the reality of the situation. What you aren't told is why these workouts are effective for "enhanced" lifters, and why they won't be as beneficial for natural trainees.Įnhanced lifters maintain elevated protein synthesis levels through the use of insulin and other anabolic drugs. Because of this, natural lifters began to emulate the body part splits being used by top IFBB pros. Therefore, as a natural, you are better served using a full-body workout or an upper/lower split.įor a very long time, bodybuilding magazines controlled the information given to those seeking to build muscle. By training a muscle group 2-3x per week with a more moderate volume, you will experience a greater degree of weekly protein synthesis per muscle group, and as a result, more optimal gains. Instead of bombing a muscle group each day with endless volume, you are better off targeting muscle groups several times per week with a smaller amount of volume per day. The answer: with a greater training frequency. The obvious question in all this becomes: how then should we train for optimal muscle growth? Despite this, my quads were only in a state of protein synthesis for up to 48 hours. I experienced mind-numbing muscle soreness for 8 days after a GVT squat session. Protein Synthesis and Optimal Training FrequencyĪs we have established, you can have DOMS in a muscle without it currently being in a state of protein synthesis. It would also make sense to make sure we maintain a heightened level of muscle protein synthesis as much as possible. To grow, we need to experience more muscle protein synthesis and make sure this surpasses the level of muscle protein breakdown. Therefore, training for soreness is a misguided concept. So DOMS does not appear to be an indicator of muscle soreness or muscle tissue damage, but rather pain derived from connective tissue inflammation. What this study revealed was that muscle soreness was the result of extracellular matrix inflammation, which is the connective tissue that binds muscle fibers together. The DOMS experienced by both groups were fairly equal. A muscle can experience growth without undergoing any noticeable degree of muscle soreness.Ī study published in The Journal of Physiology looked at two different groups - one undergoing ES, or electrical muscle stimulation, and a second group undergoing voluntary muscle contractions. This notion that "more" soreness equates to "more" growth is off base. You can bomb, blast, blitz, and annihilate your muscles into extended periods of muscle soreness, but this will not extend the protein synthesis window. Though this will build muscle, it won't lead to optimal muscle growth rates. So, if you use a body part split, you are repairing and rebuilding for up to 2 days and giving that muscle 5 days off each week. What does this mean from a practical standpoint? An individual muscle will only "grow" during this protein synthesis window. We have known this scientific reality for decades. In most cases, it is elevated approximately 36 hours, after which, it returns back to a baseline level. Research reveals that when you train a body part, protein synthesis remains elevated generally no longer than 48 hours. The topic of protein synthesis as it relates to muscle building, is extremely important because It tells us exactly how frequently natural lifters should train if they want to build muscle at an optimal rate.
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