Strength training
Methodological principles
Mass is given by high-repetition training (8-12 repetitions per set), strength - by low-repetition (2-5 repetitions). No matter how much you pump strength, you will not add much mass. Then why is this strength training needed? It is needed! The secret is that many repetitions (for mass) should be done with weights that match strength records. For example, the real building of pectoral muscles begins after you press lying down under 130 kg. Methodologists advise to arrange strength "sessions" twice a year. You can compose the complex yourself, guided by the methodological rules set out below.
All attention to large muscle groups
The level of strength of your muscles is determined by the strength of large muscle groups - back, legs and chest. That is why the main object of strength training is the largest muscles of the body. Based on this, the selection of exercises is made. The list includes squats, bench press and deadlifts. Each workout is built around these exercises, and squats and deadlifts are spaced out as much as possible, since the exercises put a heavy load on the lumbar spine. If you perform deadlifts a day or two after squats, there is a risk of injuring your lower back. You should train with a frequency of 3-4 workouts in 2 weeks. The main exercise is supplemented with one or two additional exercises. For example, after squats, do leg presses or lunges. After deadlifts, do barbell pulls to the waist. After bench press, do barbell lifts to the biceps. In the main exercise, perform up to 5 sets according to the "pyramid" principle. In the auxiliary exercise, do 2-3 sets. You should push yourself to the limit only in the last set of the main exercise. Forced repetitions are prohibited!
Know your sense of proportion
Intensive training of large muscle groups is associated with enormous energy expenditure. This means that the muscles need to be given much more time to recover. If you try to train in a strength style according to a schedule (up to 4 times a week), then your strength, on the contrary, will begin to decrease. The method of "cycling" repetitions deserves special attention. Many athletes build a training cycle in the form of an inverted pyramid: several weeks of high-repetition training (8-10 repetitions per set with a relatively small weight) then the same number of weeks of training with an average number of repetitions (4-6 per set with a larger weight) and, finally, the last few weeks of the cycle are devoted to low-repetition training (1-3 repetitions per set with a larger weight than in the previous one). It has been noticed that strength training quickly "clogs" the muscles, and the growth of strength stops. Well, such a scheme allows you to stretch the period of strength gain to two, three or even four months.
How to accelerate progress
Before starting a strength program, you should consult with a gym instructor. The fact is that too much when performing strength exercises depends on the structure of the skeleton, in particular the length of the limbs. The instructor will assess your figure and give useful tips on technique. For example, if you are tall, you should focus on deadlifts. Squats will be more difficult for you. By the way, developing strength does not mean training with extreme weights. The effect is provided by the speed of performing exercises. The main increase in strength potential is provided by "fast" muscle fibers, and they develop only during explosive exercises. For example, famous American bench press record holders perform bench presses with a weight of 60% of their single maximum. However, they try to squeeze this weight with the maximum possible speed.
Train your brain
If you start your training from a state of deep overtraining, you should postpone it for an indefinite period. If you can't pull up 10-12 times, can't squat with your own weight and squeeze half your weight above your head, take up strength training seriously. Otherwise, you will have to perform exercises with ridiculous weights, and such weights do not give an effect. The first year and a half should be serious strength training. Set yourself specific goals for each workout, for a week, a month, a year and even a more distant perspective. In this way, you will study your body, its strength potential, recovery times, needs for food and sleep... Due to this, your plans will become realistic, and you will begin to confidently move towards mass.