Many of us go to the gym to gain volume. But how does it really work?
When you lift weights, you increase tension in your muscle fibers and cause metabolic byproducts (such as lactate and hydrogen) and inflammation to build up in your muscle tissue.
These signals tell your muscles to adapt and get stronger.
But if your goal is to build muscle, lifting the same weight the same number of times per week won't be enough; you need to continually increase the load or do more repetitions. This is known as “progressive overload.”
So how do you know when to gain weight? And how much should you add? Let's take a look.
Know how much you can increase
No matter how interested you are, the exact rate of your muscle development is largely out of your control.
Your genetics likely play a role. Some people will simply adapt to lifting weights faster than others, meaning they can add weight more quickly.
However, lifestyle factors are also important.
Your body is more likely to adapt when you get enough sleep, eat enough protein, and keep life stress to a minimum. Otherwise, your progress is likely to be slower.
If you're new to weight training, you'll probably also improve faster than someone who's been training for years. This is sometimes known as “rookie gains” and is especially noticeable in the first year of training.
But the more you train, the more your body adapts. Basically, the closer you are to your genetic “ceiling” (the natural limit of how much you can lift), the slower you will improve.
Two methods to gain weight
There are many ways to gain weight in the gym. But we will focus on two good ones.
If you are a beginner, using the “linear progression” method is great. This means adding a small amount of weight (for example, 2.5kg) every week or two, while trying to maintain the same number of repetitions (or “reps”).
For example, in the first week, you could do five repetitions of the 50kg leg press. Then in weeks two and three you increase to five reps with 52.5kg, and in week four or five you're doing five reps with 55kg.
About the author
Hunter Bennett is a Professor of Exercise Science at the University of South Australia.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
However, you will reach a point where you cannot simply add the same amount of weight every two weeks. This is when you could try something like the “double progression” method.
With this approach, you would choose a range of sets and repetitions, such as three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. When you can finally do three sets of 12 reps, you increase the weight a little.
With the new higher weight, you may only be able to do eight reps each set. So you work to slowly increase the number of repetitions, until you are back to three sets of 12.
Then, repeat the process: add some weight and start again with eight repetitions.
How do I know I'm ready to lift more?
If the weights seem too light for you, or if you can easily handle all the prescribed sets and reps, then it might be time to increase them.
But you can add weight even when you still find it challenging.
Research shows that most people overestimate how hard they work in the gym and underestimate how much weight they can lift or how many repetitions they can do.
Therefore, it is a good idea to keep a logbook to track your progress. This allows you to look back and try to top what you did last week, either by doing a little more weight or adding one or two more reps to your set.
You won't outgrow your logbook every week. But if your goal is to gain weight, it can help you stay on track and know what to aim for to continue getting stronger.
When should I relax?
Two signs could suggest that you need to back off a bit.
First, if the way you do the rep changes drastically as you add more weight, this could suggest that you're simply making the movement easier, rather than making it stronger.
For example, if you add weight to your squat but start making it shallower, this is probably not increasing the load on your muscles.
Second, if you are feeling unusually fatigued or feel like you are getting weaker each week, you may need to take it easy for a week to recover. This can be a sign of overtraining, which commonly occurs when people do not allow adequate rest between sessions.
Can you gain weight too quickly?
Weight training is incredibly safe, especially compared to other sports.
But sometimes it can be a good idea to take things slow, especially when you're new to weight training. You will find that you can increase strength very quickly. But this also happens when you learn to perform the movements correctly and your body adapts to the new stress.
Therefore, maintaining small weight increases (for example, just 2.5kg every two weeks) will give you the opportunity to perfect your technique and gradually build tolerance. This can also help protect against injury.
Lastly, don't stress if you can't gain weight for a few weeks (or even months).
If you still find the workout difficult, you can be pretty sure it's helping you build muscle and get stronger.
