Muscle Building Information

Increase Your Training Intensity - Pre-Exhaustion


You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here we'll focus on the role that pre-exhaustion has to play in intensifying the training effect.

When an exercise employs two or more muscles it will be impossible to achieve failure for the primary muscle as the weakest muscle will give out first. This is perhaps best explained by giving an example. When targeting the chest, most exercises involve use of the triceps which is a relatively small and weak muscle. When performing the incline bench press for example, the triceps will fail before the pectorals have the opportunity to work to failure thus limiting the value of the exercise.

How do you get around this? By first performing an exercise that isolates and tires the pectorals before immediately moving on to the main exercise. For maximum benefits there should be no rest between the pre-exhaust exercise and the main compound exercise.

Beginners don't need to worry about pre-exhaust routines but when they advance to intermediate level they can be introduced once a week for each body part.

Examples of pre-exhaust routines commonly performed by bodybuilders are listed below:

Biceps - barbell curls and close-grip, palms-up pulldowns.

Triceps - pressdowns and dips.

Pectorals - flyes and bench presses.

Lats - dumbbell pullovers and barbell rows.

Deltoids - dumbbell laterals and presses behind neck.

Traps - shrugs and upright rows.

Thighs - leg extensions and squats.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

  


MORE RESOURCES:

Push-Ups: 'It's Horizontal Jogging'
MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
Skup shows you how his routines and formulas build the major muscle groups while burning calories. This one-two punch is the reason he calls his routine ...


Healthy Habits: Lose fat with weight resistance
Muncie Star Press, IN - 8 hours ago
Remember, when you build muscle, you lose fat. Throughout this makeover, you will gain strength, energy, resistance, enthusiam, creativity, ability, ...


PR Web (press release)

Build Muscle, Burn Fat Without Steroids, HGH (or any other illegal ...
PR Web (press release), WA - Nov 25, 2008
However, it could be used by anyone looking for a better understanding of what it takes to build muscle and burn fat naturally. ...


Plan to build Muscle Beach-style gym in Seaburn
Sunderland Echo, UK - Nov 28, 2008
By Ross Robertson A MUSCLE Beach-style outdoor gym, a watersports paradise and an events resort are just some ideas for sweeping changes to Sunderland's ...


Daily IssuesFast and Natural Pain Relief
Total Health Breakthroughs - Nov 29, 2008
By Al Sears, MD A lot of people think you’ve got to hit the weight room to really build muscle. It’s understandable, but they’re mistaken. ...


Build Muscle Fast
WebWire (press release), GA - Nov 23, 2008
Building muscle fast is the focus of a new website that uses informative articles and reviews of six of the top workout routines to help fitness enthusiasts ...


LIU Blackbirds

Long Island University Professor Teams Up with Former Firefighter ...
LIU Blackbirds, NY - 2 hours ago
Focus first on duration, not intensity, to help build muscle strength for daily function. Strength is important for the Bravest – and for the rest of us ...


A little protein goes a long way to keep your muscles going strong
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - 10 hours ago
But scientists from the University of Nottingham have discovered it is the build-up of muscle that’s the problem, because the muscle is denying itself the ...


Atlantic Wrestling: Trojans building a program from the ground up
Atlantic News Telegraph, IA - 8 hours ago
Although they appear to be rebuilding, Duff doesn’t figure they will lack enough muscle to compete at the top of the Hawkeye 10 again this winter. ...


Extra testosterone won't boost physical function
Reuters - Nov 28, 2008
Giving men extra testosterone can build muscle, but studies investigating its effects on performance and function have had mixed results, Storer and his ...

build muscle - Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.