DefMetalLifter
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
[h=1]Train Big Muscles to Get Strong Muscles[/h]
Training legs just before an arm workout can help you better [COLOR=#6F0303 !important]increase muscle mass and strength in the upper body than beginning with an upper body workout. The leg workout increases testosterone (T) and growth hormone (GH), which promotes [COLOR=#6F0303 !important]muscle protein[/COLOR]synthesis during the arm workout.[/COLOR]
In a recently published study appearing in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, a group of researchers in Norway led by Bent Rønnestad increased blood levels of the [COLOR=#6F0303 !important]muscle-building hormones testosterone and growth hormone by performing a leg workout prior to training the arm muscles. They trained one arm twice a week (2 sets of three different exercises) and the other arm on two separate days (same arm workout, but preceded by 3 working sets of three leg exercises). "Pre-training" the legs caused greater increases in arm strength and size.[/COLOR]
Increasing levels of testosterone and growth hormone promotes muscle protein synthesis, which results in greater increases in muscle size and strength. Conversely, loss of muscle size and strength are common symptoms of low T or GH levels. Decreases in these anabolic hormones are common during aging, illness, degenerative diseases, or with overtraining. Increasing T above the normal range with hormone supplements increases muscle mass. By itself, GH does not increase muscle strength, but increases muscle mass when combined with T. Aging men treated for GH or T deficiency showed increases in muscularity, strength, and exercise tolerance.
Increasing muscle mass and strength requires more than boosting T and GH. Other essential factors include mechanical loading and stress through weight training, energy and nutrient availability, hormones such as insulin and IGF-1, muscle growth factors, and adequate rest between workouts. Each factor can impact size and strength, but the process works best when they work in harmony.
Stressing the legs with a heavy load makes the body release muscle-building hormones that cause muscle growth, which makes the load easier to handle next time. Upper body muscles are not designed to handle the same loads as the legs, which explains why working the arms and chest do not stimulate a similar increase in T and GH as working the legs first.
Studies by scientists such as Dr. Bill Kraemer showed that the structure of the weight training program helps determine the T and GH responses to exercise. Performing multiple exercises and sets with heavy loads and short rest periods between sets caused the greatest increases in anabolic hormones. Boosting T and GH, especially in conjunction with exercise, should increase the mass and strength gains. Dr. Rønnestad and colleagues found that doing leg exercises (the anabolic signal) after the arm exercises produced no added effect. Differences between individuals can blur the significance of many outcomes- some people respond to weight training better than others.
Does "pre-training" the legs boost the effectiveness of arm workouts? Dr. Rønnestad found that doing leg exercises first, increased maximum arm strength by 21 percent in 11 weeks in recreational athletes. In contrast, arm training alone increased strength by only 14 percent. Timing the hormonal release is more important than previously thought.
While both arms saw similar increases in cross-sectional area (girth) of 10-12 percent, the pattern of increase was different. Both groups had size gains in the overall size of the biceps and brachialis, but only the "anabolic" group had an increase in size in the belly of the muscle. This is the largest portion of the muscles, and possibly the most dependent upon anabolic signaling for growth.
Combining pre-training leg workouts was more difficult and fatiguing than upper body training alone. It is challenging to get motivated for anything after a serious leg workout, let alone jumping into another body part. This technique requires motivation and willpower. Also, the sets for the arm workout were limited to 10 reps for the first workout (per arm) of the week and 8 reps for the second. After six weeks, this was adjusted to 8 reps for the first workout and 6 reps for the second (per arm). It would be interesting to see if using a lower rep range would have improved the strength gains, or a higher range might have increased hypertrophy (size gains).
Pre-training the legs promotes increases in muscle mass and strength or fat-burning in the upper body. Pre-training probably won't help the drug-enhanced bodybuilder, but it offers the drug-free lifter a natural way to enhance muscle strength and size by altering the hormonal and metabolic responses to weight training.
References:
Bhasin S, Woodhouse L, et al. Older men are as responsive as young men to the anabolic effects of graded doses of testosterone on the skeletal muscle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005 Feb;90(2):678-88.
Hansen S, Kvorning T, et al. The effect of short-term strength training on human skeletal muscle: the importance of physiologically elevated hormone levels. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2001 Dec;11(6):347-54.
Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA. Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Med, 2005;35(4):339-61.
Linnamo V, Pakarinen A, et al. Acute hormonal responses to submaximal and maximal heavy resistance and explosive exercises in men and women. J Strength Cond Res, 2005 Aug;19(3):566-71.
Rønnestad BR, Nygaard H, et al. Physiological elevation of endogenous hormones results in superior strength training adaptation. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2011 Feb 16. [Epub ahead of print]
Sattler F, Bhasin S, et al. Testosterone threshold levels and lean tissue mass targets needed to enhance skeletal muscle strength and function: the HORMA trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2011 Jan;66(1):122-9.
West DW, Burd NA, et al. Human exercise-mediated skeletal muscle hypertrophy is an intrinsic process. Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2010 Sep;42(9):1371-5.
Sidebar
"Anabolic" Pre-training Routine
*All working sets with 10RM (10-rep max) weight
*60-90-second rest between sets
• 10-minute warm-up on treadmill or stationary bike
• 2 warm-up sets of leg presses
• 3 sets of leg presses (10RM weight)
• 3 sets of knee (leg) extensions (10RM weight)
• 3 sets knee (leg) flexions (10RM weight)
In a recently published study appearing in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, a group of researchers in Norway led by Bent Rønnestad increased blood levels of the [COLOR=#6F0303 !important]muscle-building hormones testosterone and growth hormone by performing a leg workout prior to training the arm muscles. They trained one arm twice a week (2 sets of three different exercises) and the other arm on two separate days (same arm workout, but preceded by 3 working sets of three leg exercises). "Pre-training" the legs caused greater increases in arm strength and size.[/COLOR]
Increasing levels of testosterone and growth hormone promotes muscle protein synthesis, which results in greater increases in muscle size and strength. Conversely, loss of muscle size and strength are common symptoms of low T or GH levels. Decreases in these anabolic hormones are common during aging, illness, degenerative diseases, or with overtraining. Increasing T above the normal range with hormone supplements increases muscle mass. By itself, GH does not increase muscle strength, but increases muscle mass when combined with T. Aging men treated for GH or T deficiency showed increases in muscularity, strength, and exercise tolerance.
Increasing muscle mass and strength requires more than boosting T and GH. Other essential factors include mechanical loading and stress through weight training, energy and nutrient availability, hormones such as insulin and IGF-1, muscle growth factors, and adequate rest between workouts. Each factor can impact size and strength, but the process works best when they work in harmony.
Stressing the legs with a heavy load makes the body release muscle-building hormones that cause muscle growth, which makes the load easier to handle next time. Upper body muscles are not designed to handle the same loads as the legs, which explains why working the arms and chest do not stimulate a similar increase in T and GH as working the legs first.
Studies by scientists such as Dr. Bill Kraemer showed that the structure of the weight training program helps determine the T and GH responses to exercise. Performing multiple exercises and sets with heavy loads and short rest periods between sets caused the greatest increases in anabolic hormones. Boosting T and GH, especially in conjunction with exercise, should increase the mass and strength gains. Dr. Rønnestad and colleagues found that doing leg exercises (the anabolic signal) after the arm exercises produced no added effect. Differences between individuals can blur the significance of many outcomes- some people respond to weight training better than others.
Does "pre-training" the legs boost the effectiveness of arm workouts? Dr. Rønnestad found that doing leg exercises first, increased maximum arm strength by 21 percent in 11 weeks in recreational athletes. In contrast, arm training alone increased strength by only 14 percent. Timing the hormonal release is more important than previously thought.
While both arms saw similar increases in cross-sectional area (girth) of 10-12 percent, the pattern of increase was different. Both groups had size gains in the overall size of the biceps and brachialis, but only the "anabolic" group had an increase in size in the belly of the muscle. This is the largest portion of the muscles, and possibly the most dependent upon anabolic signaling for growth.
Combining pre-training leg workouts was more difficult and fatiguing than upper body training alone. It is challenging to get motivated for anything after a serious leg workout, let alone jumping into another body part. This technique requires motivation and willpower. Also, the sets for the arm workout were limited to 10 reps for the first workout (per arm) of the week and 8 reps for the second. After six weeks, this was adjusted to 8 reps for the first workout and 6 reps for the second (per arm). It would be interesting to see if using a lower rep range would have improved the strength gains, or a higher range might have increased hypertrophy (size gains).
Pre-training the legs promotes increases in muscle mass and strength or fat-burning in the upper body. Pre-training probably won't help the drug-enhanced bodybuilder, but it offers the drug-free lifter a natural way to enhance muscle strength and size by altering the hormonal and metabolic responses to weight training.
References:
Bhasin S, Woodhouse L, et al. Older men are as responsive as young men to the anabolic effects of graded doses of testosterone on the skeletal muscle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005 Feb;90(2):678-88.
Hansen S, Kvorning T, et al. The effect of short-term strength training on human skeletal muscle: the importance of physiologically elevated hormone levels. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2001 Dec;11(6):347-54.
Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA. Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Med, 2005;35(4):339-61.
Linnamo V, Pakarinen A, et al. Acute hormonal responses to submaximal and maximal heavy resistance and explosive exercises in men and women. J Strength Cond Res, 2005 Aug;19(3):566-71.
Rønnestad BR, Nygaard H, et al. Physiological elevation of endogenous hormones results in superior strength training adaptation. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2011 Feb 16. [Epub ahead of print]
Sattler F, Bhasin S, et al. Testosterone threshold levels and lean tissue mass targets needed to enhance skeletal muscle strength and function: the HORMA trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2011 Jan;66(1):122-9.
West DW, Burd NA, et al. Human exercise-mediated skeletal muscle hypertrophy is an intrinsic process. Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2010 Sep;42(9):1371-5.
Sidebar
"Anabolic" Pre-training Routine
*All working sets with 10RM (10-rep max) weight
*60-90-second rest between sets
• 10-minute warm-up on treadmill or stationary bike
• 2 warm-up sets of leg presses
• 3 sets of leg presses (10RM weight)
• 3 sets of knee (leg) extensions (10RM weight)
• 3 sets knee (leg) flexions (10RM weight)
