As a personal trainer and nutritional coach I am often asked “what is the fastest way to add muscle?”. With the right nutrition, I believe that periodization weight training holds the key.
The Fastest Way To Build Muscle
At the beginning anyone can start using weights and add muscle. However, the body gets used to any workout routine quickly and results plateau. Many men interpret this as a need to buy the latest supplement or just settle for adding muscle and changing shape really slowly.
In reality, keeping the program progressing helps avoid injury and burnout whilst building muscle and shape fast. Periodization Weight Training, also called Cycle Training, is an effect proven approach to strength and muscle building. Put simply, athletes train for several weeks with lighter weights, then heavier, then really heavy weights, and then the process is cycled.
Periodization Weight Training
A periodization weight training and exercise program can be split into a 5 stages. You should perform any exercises that are new to you with a buddy or whenever you are lifting heavy weights.
Phase 1: 1RM testing / Cardiovascular (CV) testing
We start by recording the maximum weight you can perform with 1 lift of each recommended exercise (1RM is 1 Rep Maximum). The other phases of the periodized program are then based on percentages of this score.
Your CV work could be swimming or another recommended choice of CV. Phase 1 also requires you to start you cardiovascular interval training and your core work. This is how you are going to get that six pack!
Phase 2: Anatomical Adaptation (AA) / CV base training
One of the reasons for injury is that the muscle will get stronger quickly but the other structures of the musculoskeletal system do not (tendons and ligaments). AA is the process of strengthening the whole body; preparing the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints for the intense training in the next phase. You will start by lifting 40% of your 1RM and increasing it each week. Your body will be getting firmer and your shape will start to change.
Phase 3: Hypertrophy (H) / CV strength training
Time to start the next stage of the program. This is the muscle building stage where you will be lifting heavy weights so that your muscles will repair bigger and stronger. You will be putting on some size in the shoulders and other key areas. At the beginning of each stage you should test your 1RM scores so you can progress.
Your CV work is in intense CV intervals that are necessary to increase your metabolic rate. You will be working at a higher heart rate. The change in training stimulus will also help to decrease your body fat percentage.
Phase 4: Muscle definition (MD) / CV high speeds, high heart rates
It is fat stripping time! This is the periodization weight training phase where you are trying to ‘get ripped’ or ‘cut’. This training phase uses less heavy weights but higher repetitions.
Your CV training will be short but intense. You will be working close to your maximum heart rate so your body stays in the fat burning zone for up to 6 hours after the session has finished!
Phase 5: Rest
Light CV and stretching. This is the end of one full cycle of the 5 phases. Time to let the body repair and reflect on your success.
How long does it take?
Everyone starts at different levels of fitness. Some can workout more often than others. There are many different factors involved so I cannot put a timescale on it. If you are in good shape already, the a periodization weight training program will help you get to your ideal shape very quickly. As you are lifting a percentage of your 1RM, each person is pushing themselves to their personal limits.
The idea of periodization weight training is that each phase is to take you to the next level and get you an amazing body shape as fast as possible.