What Zombies Can Teach You About Gaining Muscle
This is a guest post from Rusty Moore at Fitness Black Book about the muscle gaining process he outlines in his newest course Visual Impact.
The gym can be a frustrating place at times. These days I’m fortunate enough to not lift in a “Go Big or Go Home” type of gym, but I do remember what that was like.
There are several red flags to watch out for in a free weight room: skull caps, sunglasses (indoors), and heavy use of the word bro…“it’s all you bro! It’s all you!”. If you workout in this type of environment, I feel for you.
That last thing you want to do is emulate the approach of these guys. While not every guy that fits this description is a full idiot, many of them are at least partially there.
Use your brain to come up with a strategic workout routine that makes sense. Don't just mindlessly follow any particular routine. Understand why something works before adding it into your workout program.
Why You Shouldn’t Simply Copy a Big Guy’s Routine
I understand the idea of learning from someone who is successful at what you would like to learn. This does work a lot of the time, but not so much when it comes to building muscle.
You just don’t know all of the variables, just by looking at a guy. Maybe it took him twice as long as it should have to reach where he is at. Possibly he used steroids. Maybe his muscle is mostly due to amazing genetics. What if he spent the last 6 years in prison and trained 3 hours per day?
“That Guy Got Big and Ripped off Nothing But Tuna and Oranges”!
Back when I was in college there was a Sorority that put on a contest each year for guys to compete to become “Anchor Man”. I think it was Delta Gamma, if memory serves me correctly (it has been a long time).
Anyway this was the equivalent of a beauty pageant, but for guys (very awkward). The last part of the competition was a bodybuilding contest. I didn’t watch the contest, but the guy who won during my senior year trained in the same gym as me.
My workout partner asked him how he got so lean, and supposedly he lived on a diet of tuna and oranges. A year later we found out he was a steroid dealer. Luckily we thought the idea of just eating tuna and oranges was lame and didn’t buy into it…but I am guessing at least 6-10 guys immediately switched to a tuna and orange diet.
Speaking of Brains…
Don't be a Zombie...just mindlessly following a workout routine..."must lift, must lift more, it's all you bro, ugggh."
Gaining Muscle? Let Me Break It Down For You
Let’s keep it simple. A muscle cell is comprised of muscle tissue and fluid. The quickest way to increase the size of a muscle is by increasing the fluid within the muscle cell. Tissue growth is a longer process. Here are the exact terms of the two main ways to increase the size of a muscle.
*Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy: This is an increase of the fluid within a muscle cell. The best way to achieve this type of muscle growth is to lift in the 6-15 rep range. The rest in between sets needs to be kept somewhat short to fatigue the muscle in this rep range. The weights don’t necessary need to be heavy. Contrary to popular belief you can gain a lot of muscle without having to lift extremely heavy weights. Remember the main goal here is muscle fatigue, not so much the amount of weight lifted.
*Myofibrillar Hypertrophy: This is the actual increase of muscle cell tissue. This type of muscle growth makes less of an impact on size, but will make you significantly stronger. This also tends to make the muscles more dense and angular looking. The best way to achieve this is by lifting in the low rep range. Anywhere between 2-5 reps seems to do the trick. Maximum tension, NOT maximum fatigue, is your goal here so rest enough in between sets to lift somewhat heavy.
Understanding the Two Main Types of Muscle Growth Helps You Create Your Ideal Workout
Do you have big muscles but they look slightly soft and rounded? Well then maybe lower the reps, increase the rest and tension, and aim for some Myofibrillar Hypertrophy.
Do you have rock hard muscles but they aren’t as large as you would like? Your approach would be to increase the reps, shorten the rest period, aim for maximum fatigue…which would increase your Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy.
Some would have you believe that muscle definition is simply about body fat levels…this is not true…the density of a muscle (or lack of) largely determines the look of a muscle. This is why two guys can be at 8% body fat and one guy looks fantastic and the other guy still has a soft “puffy” look.
You Can Even Alternate Between the Two Types of Growth Strategically…
One of the common suggestions in bodybuilding circles is to bulk up to gain muscle and then drop off excess body fat to look lean for summer. The problem with this approach is that you wind up with loose skin and it takes another 30-60 days for your skin to catch up with your smaller body size.
You won’t display maximum definition for a month or two after. This is why a lot of men and women look better in late July or August than they do in the beginning of summer.
Well, I have a better method…
Click on the image above and watch Video 3 on the page that opens up. There are 4 videos on my site that explain muscle growth in further detail, but this one describes a great strategy to use before summer!
Understanding Why A Routine Works Is Crucial to Hitting Your Goals
I focus on the lean and angular “Hollywood Look”, but I realize that this isn’t the goal of every guy. If your goal is to get as big as possible, then do the right type of lifting for that goal (mainly sarcoplasmic muscle growth).
Either way, don’t just blindly follow a routine like a zombie. I don’t care how big or ripped or that person is. Use your brain! (Maybe that is what the zombies are trying to tell you when they are saying “Brainsssssssss”)
Note from Editor: You can learn more about “smart” muscle building through Rusty’s visual impact videos here. I highly recommend it, as training the right way (along with smart eating) is the path to success…especially if you are after that lean and defined muscular “Hollywood” look.
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{15 Comments. Read them below or add one}
What about if i do 3-4 set of heavy lift for 5 reps, then I do a 12 reps set to muscle failure? Can it be enough to harvest both world’s goods? Or I just mess up both of them?
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Mike OD Reply:
Building muscle is also about progression. As Yavor said it is better to just focus on strength for a while if you want that, and then after size if you also want that. Mixing them up together usually compromises gains more….as people also tend to workout too much in the process to. Going to failure all the time will not allow the muscles to grow much (unless you are working out very infrequently and have 7-10 days between working it out again), but being able to steadily increase the volume over time is what allows continual growth. Nothing wrong with doing some “finishing” sets after a strength set, but it should never be to failure because it should not compromise your next strength workout for that bodypart/exercise (aka if you can’t keep going up in % of weight for your sets of 5, then you are probably doing too much).
Also on a side observation…most of the guys with the good physiques (non-bloated, ripped) are also pretty damn strong!
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Wood Reply:
I don’t care too much about strenght, but I think to make some serious muscle you need to be strong (speaking about a natural regular guy over 30 with family and work like me) I try to achive a low bodyfat and I like working out in a lower rep range (need some cardio work lol).
Now I follow Jim Wendler 5-3-1 method for the big lifts ( thinking about keeping only for deadlift and squat – no need too much lower body work my upper body is lagging behind) and for bench and military 5×5. Pullups and chins, bent over row and sometimes some biceps-triceps for fun. At home pushups (100 pushup challenge and ab work mostly plank and ab roller) I can only go to gym 2 times a week.
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@Woodslave – it’s better to alternate between the two phases every few weeks (at least 3-4).
@Rusty – those “bro” types are not present only where you lifted. I remember when I first started, this attitude almost turned me away from training. The Zombie pic is hilarious btw
Yavor
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“Anyway this was the equivalent of a beauty pageant, but for guys (very awkward).”
Beauty pageants are awkward for women, too. Not to mention pointless and sexist.
I LOVE it when guys get the tiniest idea of what it’s like to be a woman.
Thanks for the info.
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The bro’s are part of the reason I quit the gym, bought a set of weights, bench, dip bar, chin up bar, and work out at home.
I can’t help but look at the visual impact site and think “no thanks” though, even though I like FBB. Why are all fitness ad sites so glossy, glitzy and cheesy looking? They remind me of late night infomercials. marksdailyapple.com manages to remain informative, sell products, and still look professional and classy.
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Mike OD Reply:
The bro’s are also one of the reasons I burned out being a personal trainer in the mainstream a while ago….and now just try and help everyday people get fit and healthy on their own terms (especially without needing a gym if that is what they enjoy).
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@ Woodslave,
I think the body responds better and adapts better when you focus on one goal at a time. If you try to do too many things at once you will be mediocre at each thing you are attempting…”a Jack of All Trades and Master of None”…at least I think that is how the saying goes.
@ Yavor,
Luckily the “bro” types are slowly becoming a dying breed. From the mid 80′s to mid 90′s these guys were everywhere. The funniest thing I have seen was a roided up guy and his friend who used to scream “Everybody is watching you!” before every set of bench presses…and these guys were full-time bench pressers. I swear they spent an hour on the flat bench 4-5 times per week.
@ “Reader”,
I am not a big fan of beauty pageants of any type. The scariest are the little girl pageants…I have seen highlights of the “Toddlers and Tiaras” show on The Soup. It is frightening!
@ Steve,
I hear what you are saying about “glossy and glitz”…but really my goal is for people to make it to that first video. Once they hit the first video, hopefully they will watch all four. Out of 100 people maybe 2-3 will decide to invest in the full course. The larger group of people who simply watched the videos will go away knowing more about building muscle than when they hit the page. I can feel good knowing that the page is informative and helpful even if people don’t decide to purchase the course. Mark’s is a different deal because he is mainly selling to his reader base. I am trying to capture the attention of people who have never seen or heard of Fitness Black Book. I completely agree that there is a little bit of cheese, but I also believe the content and the product make up for that. The layout of the site is working. A large percentage of people who hit that page are watching the videos and spending a decent amount of time on the page.
-Rusty
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Rusy, glad to hear it’s working for you. I’ve been following FBB for a couple years, keep it up!
cheers.
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[...] What zombies can teach you about gaining muscle – Fitness Spotlight [...]
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love the breakdown on different metabolic pathways and approach. though i would love to hear more about circa max weights (1RM) and isometrics as well. i’ve seen a lot progress in myself and clients varying through the four of those (and others) on a normal basis.
tackling one at a time has always been a good approach, no doubt; but balancing two opposite aspects can be quite beneficial.. example: heavy lifting makes you tight, not like “i forgot to stretch after my workout – tight” but its only natural that youre going to increasingly loose range of motion as you get stronger and stronger. but if you incorporated some light gymnastics, say: bench and then do some light ring work (skin the cats, muscle-up progressions, etc).. can only help.
as far as comparing ourselves to others, that’s nothing but dangerous. couldn’t agree more. if your gym is eclectic, you could be squatting next to a former D1 football player, never know. our bodies are conditioned to training that we’ve experienced. can’t dive into a serious John Broz regiment right off the street.
great article, keep em coming. thanks for the info!
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How aboout priming your nervous system with a few heavy sets and then move on to some functional hypertrophy sets? Example- 4*3 reps followed by 3-4*8 reps. Also, how often should change the rep range to avoid adaptation? Thanks.
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i have enjoyed Professor Ron Laura’s Matrix Principle, it is a complete progressive resistance training system utilising partial reps, holds and and many combination. as part of an overall lifestyle program i have found it useful as it is very intense so the time required is less than normal which means its fits in with may busy schedule.
thanks for smart advice.
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Rusty – Love how you incorporated Zombies into the post, VERY clever! Thanks for the intriguing, interesting and well written post.
I love how you say, “don’t just blindly follow a routine like a zombie”. I’ve been working out for years, but recently decided to ‘shake up’ my fitness routine and go to a new gym chain called Fit n Fast Gyms. Its funny, because you never realise what a rut you got yourself in until you get out of it.
More people should write how you do – definitely brings the message home!
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This is the first time I’ve read an explanation of the difference between sarcoplasmic & myofibrillar hypertrophy and how to train to maximize each. Thank you for the interesting article!
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