drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
There are several reasons why muscle growth can slow to a crawl, but here's one most people never think about: you've stopped getting stronger. When you first start training, watching the weight on the bar go up each week is a great feeling. The problem is, once these "newbie gains" wane, most people stop putting an emphasis on strength and start wasting time with advanced protocols that typically leave them spinning their wheels. Until you reach an advanced level of development, your sole focus should be on developing strength over a wide variety of rep ranges. Remember, if you're lifting the same weights you were 3 years ago, chances are you probably look exactly the same. If you've lost your focus, use this method of goal setting to get you back on track.
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Pick 2-3 exercises in each of the following movement patterns:
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Upper Body Push: Dumbbell Incline Press, Dip, Military Press.
Upper Body Pull: Bent-Over Row, Chin-Up, Dumbbell Row.
Quad Dominant: Front Squat, Leg Press, Walking Lunge.
Posterior Chain: Romanian Deadlift, Lying Leg Curl, Hip Thrust. •
Once you've picked your exercises, test your 6-8 and 8-12 rep maxes in each of them. Then train hard for 12 weeks and focus on progressing the lifts as much as possible while maintaining perfect form. It's easy to forget that progression is the foundation of the hypertrophy pyramid. Once you keep this at the forefront, you'll start growing again.
•
Pick 2-3 exercises in each of the following movement patterns:
•
Upper Body Push: Dumbbell Incline Press, Dip, Military Press.
Upper Body Pull: Bent-Over Row, Chin-Up, Dumbbell Row.
Quad Dominant: Front Squat, Leg Press, Walking Lunge.
Posterior Chain: Romanian Deadlift, Lying Leg Curl, Hip Thrust. •
Once you've picked your exercises, test your 6-8 and 8-12 rep maxes in each of them. Then train hard for 12 weeks and focus on progressing the lifts as much as possible while maintaining perfect form. It's easy to forget that progression is the foundation of the hypertrophy pyramid. Once you keep this at the forefront, you'll start growing again.
