Hi Friend,
Newbie gains. There is no finer feeling. Any seasoned gym rat fondly recalls those halcyon days when the weights flew up effortlessly and the needle on the bathroom scales continued to steadily climb.
But like all good things, these days soon come to a crashing halt. Swift progress slows to become a trickle - and if you're really unfortunate, these meagre gains dry up to disappear completely…
Going nowhere fast, you are left spinning your wheels like some crazed hamster!
So what do you do?
Well, if you're like most folks, you try a different program or the latest whizz-bang workout. Or you switch your high-intensity routine for high-volume. Or you add sets and change your exercises. Or maybe you give periodisation a shot… Either way, anything is better than standing still.
But sometimes the worst thing imaginable happens. Frustrated and bitter by your lack of progress, you throw in the towel and walk away from weight training altogether.
But what if there was a way to trick your muscles into growing bigger and stronger? What if you could recapture those exciting newbie gains when you were a beginner - how would that feel?
Well, I'm here to tell you that you can. How?
By employing an easy-to-use muscle building trick called strategic deconditioning.
Busy Doing Nothing
For those that don't know, strategic deconditioning is just a fancy way of saying a planned layoff. We've talked about the benefits of taking planned layoffs on our site before - but what we didn't touch on, is the growth potential this method unlocks when you practice layoffs strategically.
To learn more, here is what physiologist Bryan Haycock has to say:
"The idea of strategic deconditioning is to remove the training stimulus temporarily so that the muscle will actually decondition and become more vulnerable to micro-trauma. The trick is to stop lifting long enough to sensitise the muscle, but not so long as to lose too much hard earned muscle."
He goes on:
"Many people have stumbled onto this principle accidentally when they've been forced to take a layoff for whatever reason. When they get back to the gym they experience rapid growth and generally new levels of muscularity. This is because the layoff made their muscle sensitive to the stimulus of lifting."
How long must you stay away from the gym for? Bryan Haycock recommends a period of 9-12 days. These numbers are important, because if you return to your training any sooner, your muscles won't be sufficiently sensitised.
Also, don't confuse deconditioning with recuperation. Your average trainer will tell you, "Give the muscle plenty of rest before you train again." And what typically happens next is, you rest 7 days. Big mistake! More additional time is required to allow the muscle to lower its defences...
This is why 9-12 days is long enough to allow deconditioning while avoiding any undue muscle atrophy.
So if your gains have dried up and you find yourself spinning your wheels, give this simple muscle building trick a try.
Until next time,
Squat for Glory!
Lee
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