People ask me all the time why all their gym time isn’t having the desired effect on their physique. If the “desired effect” is too build muscle, I have to be very careful how I answer. They are in the gym and that’s a heck of a lot better than many other places they could be spending their free time. But the answer for 95% of people who ask this is the same, they move the weights instead of lifting them. Now literally there isn’t any difference. But figuratively it is THE difference.
‘That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ didn’t just pop into someone’s mind one day. That’s not to say that near death is how a quality workout feel’s, but, in the bell curve of success you can guess where a real difference making session lands. Think of it this way: if I bench 200 lbs for 5 reps and you do 20 reps at 50 lbs, the same poundage results. You moved it. I lifted it. Both can say they did a 1000 lbs of work. But which of us would have worked harder? You can guess which has the greater muscle building effect.
People talk about all sorts of lifting theory. Go heavy. Low reps. Work the negative. Train upper today, lower tomorrow. Push today, pulls tomorrow. Go slow. Long rest periods. Go fast. Do intervals. Pyramid. Rest 2 days between workouts. Rest 2 days between body parts. On and on. So why did person one choose 5 reps and person two 20 reps? I don't think it's a "lazy" thing, or they would'nt be in the gym in the first place. Maybe a lack of knowledge? Possibly. I think it's that most people do not realize how strong they really are. I see people grunt on the leg press with less weight on it than their body weighs! And then get off and walk away thinking they made their legs stronger. Clearly, they sincerely do not realize how strong their legs actually are.
Once you’re in the gym it basically comes down to a frame of mind. Successful lifters (people that actually do change their bodies for the better) better understand their capibilities and feel they can lift what ever is on the bar, and the more the better. Less successful lifters lift what ever they can and the "more" they can't. Difference makers believe ‘I can lift that.’ Everyone else think's ‘I can’t believe you lift that’. Yoda said it best, “and that is why you fail”.
Muscle building is really not any more complicated than that.
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