Strength training is a process of forcing your muscles to adapt to an increase in the amount of weight you lift. As your muscles are put under stress, as is done during weightlifting and bodybuilding, they respond to improve their function by gradually increasing their capacity for movement and exercise. This explains the stiffness and soreness experienced for a few days after a workout. While post-workout fatigue might feel like a bad thing, it is actually a sign that you are making progress.
The process is, of course, not instantaneous but can only be achieved with a consistent workout routine. Understanding what you put your body through during routines, and how your muscles respond can help you take a more targeted and educated approach to working out. Let us explore the concept of how your muscles adapt to training in more detail.
Muscles and strength training
During the Workout: Microscopic Tearing
As mentioned before, muscles respond to reasonable stress and tension by adapting and increasing their capacity. In order to do this, they need to increase their mass. To do this, they are first broken down during exercise but only when the strength training concepts of overload and specificity are adhered to.
Overload
The principle of overload states that muscles will increase in strength when they are put under maximum stress. During a strenuous workout muscles will sustain microscopic tears in their connective tissue. As this happens, you will start to feel fatigue in the targeted muscles. This is the first stage of their adaptation. Following this, they will repair themselves to become stronger.
Specificity
Putting muscles under general stress will only yield general results. According to the principle of specificity, muscles will adapt to the specific nature of a particular exercise. This means that exercises should be chosen based on how you want those muscles to perform. Thus, specific muscles and motor units should be reserved for appropriate tasks that are in accordance with your fitness goals. If you want a particular muscle to adapt through strength training, you need to ensure that you are targeting those muscles accordingly.
Rebuilding Muscles
The rest stages of your workouts are an important consideration for training. This is because it is during these periods that your muscles will repair themselves. In so doing they will increase their capacity and strength.
It can be tempting for athletes (especially those who are new to the fitness world) to put limitations on resting time so that they can get more work in. This seems good on paper but in reality will undermine results.
Assisting Recovery with Diet
Muscle recovery requires protein synthesis. This is a crucial part of your muscles getting stronger and increasing their capacity. In order to get this right, your body requires very specific nutrients, most importantly, protein.
By combining a carefully laid-out diet with smart workout routines and enough time for rest, you will recover faster and see results in less time. You will find it easier to reach your strength training goals.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy to Learn More
There is a lot to be learned about the nuances of strength training and how it affects your body. Familiarising yourself with these insights can help you reach your fitness goals more effectively. This skill can enable you to help others to do the same.
If you would like to learn more about the world of fitness, why not consider getting your personal training certification? Contact a representative from Trifocus Fitness Academy today. Alternatively, visit our website to find out more about our online, internationally accredited fitness courses.
