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About the Author | iii
INTRODUCTION
2|
Welcome to the ISSA’s course on the exciting, WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT
and often misunderstood, world of bodybuild-
ing. When the layperson thinks about the sport TO LEARN
of bodybuilding, images of big, dumb guys Upon completion of the ISSA’s bodybuilding
grunting and throwing weight around are often course, you will have all the knowledge neces-
conjured up. This could not be further from the sary to prepare an athlete for a high-level body-
truth! As you read and work your way through building or physique competition. But many who
this course, you will see that the serious body- take this course will never go down that path; for
builder (or his or her coach) is part athlete, part these trainers, the course will provide essential
scientist, and part artist. If you are new to body- information that can help them train the “every-
building, this may sound crazy to you, but I am day” clients who want to look and feel their best.
confident that upon completing this course, you All trainers can benefit from the information in
will understand and agree with my sentiments this bodybuilding course, not only individuals
on the sport of bodybuilding. looking to enter the sport of bodybuilding!
Modern bodybuilding is unlike other sports. In the ensuing pages, we will cover everything
Nearly every sport requires the athlete to per- from which exercises to do, the science behind
form some sort of skilled movement or display what makes these so effective, and when to do
great speed, strength, or stamina. However, them to the different types of periodization and
bodybuilding is unique because developing an how to decide which is right for your client.
aesthetically pleasing appearance by selectively
We will also review one of the most important
maximizing your muscles’ mass is the sport’s
aspects of bodybuilding: nutrition. As the old ad-
ultimate objective.
age goes, “You can’t outwork a bad diet!” Along
This course is designed to help you understand with nutrition, we will discuss supplementation
everything that building a champion physique strategies and even talk a bit about the unfortu-
entails. Not only will this help you become more nate reality of anabolic steroid use in bodybuild-
proficient in the art and science of bodybuild- ing (which the ISSA and I highly discourage).
ing, but also the information contained in these
pages will help you become a better trainer for
all types of people with varying goals.
HISTORY OF
To ensure your complete understanding of the
BODYBUILDING
material contained in this course, please read Although the first major bodybuilding show
through slowly and move to the next unit only did not occur until 1901, it would be untrue to
after you feel you have mastered the information. say that bodybuilding began then. Throughout
To some extent, each unit builds off the previous history, men of strength have been the principal
unit, so read and study them in sequence. actors in fables, songs, poems, and art. The an-
cient Greeks commemorated Hercules by cast-
ing him in stone. His statue remained the ideal
by which those who followed him in time were
judged—both from the standpoint of strength as
well as physique.
Bodybuilding
Introduction | 3
The beginning of what we today call bodybuild- the country. More and more people began to
ing can be traced back to Eugene Sandow in the participate in weightlifting for both health pur-
late 19th century. Eugene Sandow, “the father poses and aesthetics.
of modern bodybuilding,” was a Prussian-born
In the 1960s, bodybuilders began appearing
strongman/strength athlete who used classic
regularly on television and in movies. This only
Greek statues to develop what he called a per-
helped solidify bodybuilding as a sport here for
fect physique. Sandow organized the first major
the long haul. What started as a small number of
bodybuilding competition in London in 1901.
people competing against each other had grown
The bodybuilding show was so successful that
into a sport garnering worldwide interest.
hordes of people were turned away at the door.
The late 1960s through the 1970s produced the
During the early 1900s, physique exhibitions
most famous bodybuilder of all time, Arnold
were popular additions to Olympic weightlifting
Schwarzenegger. Arnold won his first Mr. Olym-
contests. In fact, at least two or three physical
pia contest in 1970 at 23 years of age; this still
culture magazines sponsored photo contests, the
stands as a record for the youngest Mr. Olympia.
most memorable one being that in which the
He went on to win the title of Mr. Olympia seven
legendary Charles Atlas claimed the title of the
times (1970–1975 and again in 1980).
world’s most perfectly developed male.
A catalyst for bodybuilding’s explosion during
It is hard to pinpoint the precise time that
this time was a documentary titled Pumping
bodybuilding began to be regarded as a sport,
Iron, which followed Arnold Schwarzenegger
but it certainly appears to relate to the fact that
in his run up to his 1975 Mr. Olympia title. The
the early bodybuilders needed to be not only
film followed Schwarzenegger, Franco Colom-
successful athletes but also well-built. All types
bo, and Lou Ferrigno, among others, in the
of arguments, pro and con, have been advanced
months leading up to the Mr. Olympia contest.
regarding the place of bodybuilding in the
It was a commercial success and led to Arnold
world of sport.
Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding becoming
The year 1939 heralded the first Mr. America part of mainstream America.
contest, held by the Amateur Athletic Union
The 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s saw the rise of the
(AAU). But this competition did not strictly
“mass monsters.” The bodybuilders of this time
focus on how the athlete looked. In the early Mr.
grew bigger and bigger. Competitors such as
America contest, the competitors were judged
Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, Markus Ruhl, and
not only by their appearance but also on their
Ronnie Coleman brought a size to the body-
performance of feats of strength and athletic
building stage that had never been seen. Ronnie
ability. This athletic ability portion of a body-
Coleman reigned supreme during this era, win-
building competition continued into the 1960s
ning Mr. Olympia eight times (1998–2005), a
before being dropped.
number that ties him with Lee Haney for most
Bodybuilding continued to grow throughout Olympia wins in a career.
the 1950s and 1960s. Great champions emerged
Although there have been some outstanding
from this era, including Steve Reeves, Reg Park,
bodybuilders recently, the man currently to beat is
and Bill Pearl. During this period, bodybuilding
Phil Heath. Heath has won the Mr. Olympia title
gyms became much more common throughout
the last six years running (2011–2016) and shows nutritional guidance, and understand (and imple-
no signs of being beat anytime soon. It is truly an ment) an array of both common and uncommon
exciting time to be involved in this sport! modalities. Once you have completed this course,
you will have the requisite knowledge to take
Whether you are planning to coach bodybuilders,
somebody from beginner to stage ready!
are competing yourself, or just want to expand
your knowledge to better service your clients, Make sure to read each unit thoroughly and to
this course will help you. Upon completion of complete them in order. Give yourself time to let
this course, you will be able to prescribe exercis- the ideas sink in before you move on.
es (and give scientific evidence of their validity),
Now get ready to enter the wonderful and excit-
successfully periodize a training cycle, offer sound
ing world of bodybuilding!
Bodybuilding
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS UNIT
UNIT 1
Bodybuilders are known for having one thing in mind: How do I get big?
As you will discover in the pages of this book and course, you’ve got to eat
well and train hard and smart. But there’s more—much more than what
Muscle: A group of motor
you can see in the mirror.
units physically separated
by a membrane from other
Let’s take a look at what happens to your body behind the scenes. By
groups of motor units. taking time to understand the structure of muscle and how it responds
Smooth Muscle: Governed to training, you will be better able to develop scientifically driven pro-
by the autonomic nervous grams, thus putting you and your client in the best position to succeed.
system and includes the
muscles that line the
digestive tract and protect
the blood vessels.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSCLE
Cardiac Muscle: Which
The human body has three types of muscle: Smooth muscle, which is
includes the heart, as governed by the autonomic nervous system, includes the muscles that
smooth muscle is modulated line the digestive tract and protect the blood vessels. Cardiac muscle,
by the autonomic nervous
which includes the heart, like smooth muscle, is modulated by the auto-
system.
nomic nervous system. The functioning of smooth and cardiac muscle
Skeletal Muscle: Blends
into tendinous insertions
is largely involuntary. Skeletal muscle, the type bodybuilders are most
that attach to bones, pulling concerned with building, blends into tendinous insertions that attach to
on them, which generates bones, pulling on them, thereby generating desired movement.
desired movement.
Motor Unit: Consists of a When the body has to move, it responds by activating a slew of muscles.
single neuron and all the The forces generated by the body internally must overcome the forces
muscle fibers innervated by imposed on the body externally.
it.
Myofibrils: Small bundles During strength training, the body must overcome gravitational and
of myofilaments. inertial forces, which are magnified when a barbell is in people’s hands,
on their backs, or overhead. Cumulatively, strength training will make
skeletal muscles stronger, make cardiac muscle more efficient, and en-
hance the functioning of smooth muscle.
Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy and Adaptations to Strength Training | 7
Adapted from Fitness: The Complete Guide, International Sports Sciences Association. 2017.
Epimysium
Tendon
Perimysium
Fascicle
e
Bon
Thin
Troponin
(actin)
Tropomyosin filament
Sarcomere
Z-line
Myosin head Actin
H zone
I A I
Thick
(myosin) Myosin/actin
filament cross bridge
Myofilaments: The small bundles of myofilaments. Myofilaments are the elements of the
elements of the muscle that
shorten upon contraction.
muscle that actually shorten upon contraction. Myofilaments are mainly
composed of two types of protein: myosin (short, thick filaments) and
Myosin: Short, thick
filaments that make up part actin (long, thin filaments). Two other important proteins composing
of myofilaments. myofibrils are troponin and tropomyosin.
Actin: Long, thin filaments
that make up part of
myofilaments.
RECIPROCAL INNERVATION
When a prime mover muscle (or group of muscles) contracts, the op-
posing muscle (or group) relaxes. When locking out a bench press, the
triceps are the prime mover; the biceps relax as you push the weight to
Reciprocal Innervation: completion. This phenomenon is called reciprocal innervation. Without
When a prime mover muscle this reciprocity, muscle actions would be very jerky and weak at best or,
(or group of muscles)
contracts, the opposing at worst, result in no movement at all. The contracting muscle is referred
muscle (or group) relaxes. to as the agonist, whereas the relaxed is the antagonist.
Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy and Adaptations to Strength Training | 9
Type IIx fibers are extremely strong, but they As noted earlier, Type IIx fibers are destroyed
have nearly no resistance to fatigue or injury. In when they are used because of their fast-twitch
fact, they are so strong and susceptible to injury, capacity and poor recovery ability. When muscle
that when they are used, they often are damaged fibers are damaged from training stress, a highly
beyond repair. Unless the body can repair the catabolic hormone called cortisol is released to
muscle cell, it is broken down and sloughed off facilitate the cleanup operation.
into the amino acid pool. In most cases, seden-
However, if cortisol is blocked, the Type IIx
tary people immediately lose their Type IIx fibers
fibers will fuse with surrounding satellite cells
when beginning a training program. However,
(non-contractile muscle cells that help support
neural efficiency is increased via strength train-
or bulwark the tenuous IIx fibers). The result of
ing, resulting in the production of higher forces
fusion is a Type IIc fiber. Insulin-like growth fac-
for longer periods.
tor-1 (IGF-1) stimulates the fusion process, which
A fourth type of fiber, Type IIc, is the result of has huge implications for bodybuilders.
Type IIx fibers’ “fusing” with surrounding satel-
Fast-twitch fibers are serviced with thicker
lite cells.
nerves, giving them a greater contractile impulse
Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy and Adaptations to Strength Training | 11
Dorsal root
ganglion
Golgi tendon
organ
Alpha motor neuron
Spinal
nerve
Ventral root
Tendon
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
The primary function of connective tissue is to connect muscle to Connective Tissue:
bones and to connect joints together. Consisting of fiber called colla- The primary function of
connective tissue is to
gen, mature connective tissues have fewer cells than other tissues do connect muscle to bones
and therefore need (and receive) less blood, oxygen, and other nutrients and to connect joints
than other tissues. together.
When tension becomes too great—greater than your brain can handle—
this feedback inhibits the contraction stimulus, thereby reducing the
likelihood of injury. This protective response is called the feedback loop.
Though this may sound debilitating to the intense weight trainer, there is
some good news: training with high-speed contractions and with bands
and chains can train you to somewhat inhibit the response of the Golgi
tendon organ.
Ligaments: Ligaments
connect bones to bones
LIGAMENTS
at a joint and, along Ligaments connect
with collagen, contain a
bones to bones at a joint
somewhat elastic fiber called
elastin. and, along with colla-
gen, contain a somewhat
elastic fiber called elastin.
Although ligaments must
have some elasticity to
allow for joint movement,
this elasticity is limited.
Cartilage: Cartilage is a
firm, elastic, flexible white CARTILAGE
material. It is found at Cartilage
Cartilage is a firm, elas-
the ends of ribs, between
vertebral discs, at joint tic, flexible white materi-
surfaces, and in the nose al. It is found at the ends
and ears. of ribs, between vertebral Figure 1.7 Cartilage
Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy and Adaptations to Strength Training | 13
discs, at joint surfaces, and in the nose and ears. As a smooth surface
between adjacent bones, cartilage provides both shock absorption and
structure. It also lubricates the working parts of a joint.
Unlike tendons and ligaments, cartilage has no blood supply of its own.
The only way for cartilage to receive oxygen and nutrients is through
synovial fluid. Because of this lack of nutrients, damaged cartilage heals
extremely slowly.
NERVOUS SYSTEM:
THE MIND AND BODY LINK
Your nervous system is composed of two major parts. The central ner- Central Nervous System:
The central nervous system
vous system (CNS) consists of your brain and your spinal column. You (CNS) consists of your brain
should think of these two as an integrated unit, not as separate entities. and your spinal column.
The CNS receives messages
The CNS receives messages and, after interpreting them, sends instruc- and, after interpreting them,
tions back to the body. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) does two sends instructions back to
the body.
things: (a) It relays messages from the CNS to the body (the efferent sys-
tem), and (b) it relays messages to the CNS (the afferent system) from the Peripheral Nervous
System: The peripheral
body. (For a deeper understanding of how Central and Peripheral fatigue nervous system (PNS) does
affect your performance, study Unit 14.) The CNS does the following: two things: (a) It relays
messages from the CNS
It senses changes inside and outside your body. to the body (the efferent
system), and (b) it relays
It interprets those changes. messages to the CNS (the
afferent system) from the
It responds to the interpretations by initiating action in the form of mus- body.
cular contractions or glandular secretions.
Obviously, the entire strength-training vernacular you’ve been exposed
to over the years regarding the crucial link between your mind and your
body all boils down to the fact that your central nervous system is linked
to your peripheral nervous system.
Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy and Adaptations to Strength Training | 15
units) will be recruited last. This is why you are able to eat using Type I
fibers, allowing you to safely put your fork into your mouth.
To recap, Type I (slow-twitch) muscle fibers are smaller and more endur-
ance based than Type II (fast-twitch) muscle fibers are. Type II muscle fi-
bers begin to be recruited when you use more than 25% of your maximum
strength. Although a one-repetition max in the squat may be performed
slowly, you will still be using all of your fast-twitch muscle fibers along
with your slow-twitch ones to move the heavy barbell on your back.
NEURAL ADAPTATIONS
It is universally accepted that intense
resistance training causes morphologi-
cal changes to the physique by increased
muscle mass. The question remains, can
the nervous system be modified to your
advantage?
The answer is yes, it can! Not only can you
modify certain aspects of your nervous
system function, but also the rewards in
terms of training are significant.
The greatest advantages for the bodybuild-
er are improved strength output, better
Figure 1.8 Knee jerk reaction mental concentration, greater training intensity, pain management, and
glandular secretions. All of these areas can be modified to at least a mea-
surable degree and will aid you in your muscle-building quest.
Hypertrophy: Muscle
hypertrophy involves an
HYPERTROPHY
increase in size of skeletal Mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress are the three
muscle through a growth in
factors that induce muscle hypertrophy from exercise, according to
size of its component cells.
Brad Schoenfeld in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Re-
search. Mechanical tension is a product of intense resistance training
and muscle stretch.
Muscle damage induces the delayed onset of muscle soreness that sets in
approximately 24 hours after a workout and can peak two to three days
after weight training. Metabolic stress results from the byproducts of an-
aerobic metabolism; this, in turn, promotes hormonal factors that induce
hypertrophy.
“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder but nobody wants to lift heavy-ass
Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy and Adaptations to Strength Training | 17
weight. But I do,” said Mr. Olympia Ronnie sarcoplasm of the muscle cell—and the densifica-
Coleman. tion of mitochondrial content.
The human body desires to be in a state of sta- Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, the result of high-vol-
bility known as homeostasis; when the state of ume training, typically associated with body-
stability is disrupted, adaptations occur. builders, is essential to maximizing your com-
plete physique development. Typically, this type
This is how your muscles grow!
of training and the imposed adaptations do
Resistance training places stress on muscles little to enhance limit strength. On the upside,
that they are not accustomed to; the response is strength endurance will improve because of mi-
increased growth “hypertrophy.” tochondrial hypertrophy.
Research repeatedly has confirmed that heavy Another benefit of training for sarcoplasmic
resistance training is the most beneficial meth- hypertrophy is the growth and strengthening
od of achieving hypertrophy. The reason seems of connective tissues. The bodybuilder with the
to be that the Type II fibers are most affected complete package will have a synergistic blend of
by heavy resistance training (as noted in the both hypertrophic elements.
size principle) and ultimately have the greatest
Initially, adaptations to resistance training will
potential for growth.
be neurological. In other words, by performing
That is why I recommend starting with power- a movement, you become more coordinated at
lifting to build a base, just as Ronnie Coleman the movement technically. And by recruiting
and “The Austrian Oak” did. the right muscles to lift the weight, you become
more efficient at the movement. As neurological
Muscle hypertrophy, to those outside of the iron
adaptations start to slow, the muscle will start
game, sounds like useless scientific jargon, but to
to grow.
the bodybuilder, it’s gospel.
We become stronger by enhanced neural pat-
What exactly is muscular hypertrophy?
terns; as you continually overload your muscle,
It is the increase of the muscle’s cross-sectional the cross-sectional muscle fiber area increases,
area, involving the concurrent increase in myofi- and your muscles get bigger.
brilar content (contractile element).
Myofibrilar hypertrophy results from lifting HYPERPLASIA
maximal weights for lower reps, the way that Hypertrophy is the accepted mechanism of
powerlifters train. Bodybuilders who train heavy increased mass. In essence, you are born with
have a very dense look. a certain number of muscle fibers; these can
If maximal muscularity is desired, there is no increase in size but not in number.
way around heavy core lifts. But what if the number of muscle fibers could
increase?
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the accumulation
of noncontractile matter, such as water, glyco- During the late ’60s and early ’70s, European sci-
gen, and myoglobin—which are stored in the entists discovered that the muscle cells of some
animals adapted to severe overload by splitting
Hyperplasia: The in two. This response, called hyperplasia, was subsequently followed by
enlargement of an organ or
tissue caused by an increase
an increase in muscle size. Muscle fibers divided and then multiplied,
in the reproduction rate of thus the potential implications to the bodybuilder are enormous.
its cells.
Hang on. Hyperplasia in humans remains controversial. Studies on ani-
Satellite Cells: Satellite
cells serve to repair mals have shown mixed results.
damaged muscle tissue,
inducing muscle growth Cats were trained to move a heavy weight with their paw to receive food;
after overload from weight hyperplasia took place as a result. Other studies on animals counter
training. these findings: Studies on chickens, rats, and mice found that muscle
fibers increased in size but not in number; hyperplasia did not take place.
However, another study performed on birds showed an increase in the
number of muscle fibers in their wings as a response to being chronically
stretched by a weight’s attachment on the wings. The cats were subjected
to heavy resistance with lower repetitions; the other animals were in-
volved in more endurance-based activities. This might explain some of
the discrepancies in results.
According to world-renowned researcher Vladimir Zatsiorsky in his
book Science and Practice of Strength Training, both hyperplasia and
hypertrophy contribute to muscle size increases in humans. However,
the contribution of fiber hyperplasia is rather small (less than 5%).
This may not sound like much, but in the pro ranks, this could poten-
tially mean an additional inch on your arms! Research on hyperplasia in
people is not vast, but some exists.
A 1978 study reported that muscle fiber size remained constant in swim-
mers, but the muscle increased in size.
Researchers Nygaard and Nielsen argued that increased muscle size was
a result of hyperplasia. A 1986 examination of European bodybuilders
showed an abnormally high muscle fiber density on the two subjects who
had trained intensely with weights for 14 years or longer, whereas those
who had trained for four to six years had more normal fiber density. The
abnormal fiber density, researchers theorized, may have been a hyperpla-
sic response to long-term extreme weight training.
Assuming hyperplasia can take place, it would happen through a few
mechanisms, from what research has shown. This would mean perform-
ing movement with an extreme stretch. Examples are stiff leg deadlifts
for hamstrings, sissy squats for quads, dumbbell flyes for chest, incline
dumbbell curls (palms supinated the whole time) for biceps, French press
for triceps, cable rows for back, and inclined lateral raises or front raises
for shoulders. Of course, the list could go on. You will also need to lift
Bodybuilding
Hypertrophy and Adaptations to Strength Training | 19
heavy. This means hitting the core lifts hard and, titled “Creatine Supplementation Augments the
of course, long-term training. Holistic, intense, Increase in Satellite Cell and Myonuclei Number
long-term training appears to be the best way to in Human Skeletal Muscle Induced by Strength
possibly induce hyperplasia. Training” for the first time showed that creatine
supplementation in conjunction with strength
SATELLITE CELLS training amplified the effects of strength-train-
ing-induced increases in satellite cell number
Satellite cells serve to repair damaged muscle and myonuclei concentration in human skeletal
tissue, inducing muscle growth after overload muscle fibers—enhancing muscle fiber growth in
from weight training. response to strength training.
Satellite cells are the skeletal muscles’ “stem “The Effects of Eccentric Versus Concentric Resis-
cells.” Overload from intense weight training tance Training on Muscle Strength and Mass in
causes trauma to the muscle. This disturbance to Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Me-
the muscle cell organelles activates satellite cells, ta-Analysis” was published in 2009 in the British
which are located on the outside of the muscle Journal of Sports Medicine, showing intense
cell, to proliferate at the site trauma was induced. eccentric contractions were superior to concentric
After satellite cells are damaged via intense patterns for increasing muscle size. This is not a
resistance training, damaged muscle fibers are surprise, because intense eccentric movements
repaired by satellite cells’ fusing together and to force muscle fibers and surrounding satellite cells
the muscle fibers, which leads to muscle growth. to fuse, resulting in muscle fiber growth.
The satellite cells have only one nucleus and can For you to maximize muscle growth, intense
replicate by dividing. eccentric movements will need to be a part of
During the process of satellite cell multiplication, your regimen. Remember, these induce a greater
a small percentage of satellite cells remain as or- delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) and
ganelles on the muscle fibers. However, most will should not be a part of a deload ever.
repair damaged muscle fibers or fuse to muscle IGF-1 is largely responsible for satellite cell prolif-
fibers, forming new myofibrils. For the body- eration, and that would explain why some body-
builder, this is exciting because the myofibrils of builders are willing to illegally supplement with it.
the muscle cell increase in number and size.
A 2003 study in the American Journal of Phys-
What does this mean? iology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism titled
After satellite cells fuse with muscle fibers, mus- “Testosterone-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy
cle fibers can synthesize more proteins and create Is Associated with an Increase in Satellite Cell
a greater number of contractile proteins, mean- Number in Healthy, Young Men” examined sat-
ing muscle will grow and get stronger. ellite cell proliferation on subjects who used 125
mgs, 300 mgs, and 600 mgs weekly of synthetic
Let’s take a practical look at how you can take testosterone, along with a baseline group that did
advantage of satellite cell proliferation. not use any synthetic hormone assistance. The
A 2006 study in the The Journal of Physiology groups using 300 and 600 mgs of testosterone
weekly had significant increases in the number stimulated. The highest motor unit stimulation
of satellite cells; the baseline and the 125 mg stems from using heavy weights, so you are going
group did not. to need to train heavy.
Although I do strongly discourage any illegal This all sounds great, but why do the strongest
drug use, I believe in presenting facts. powerlifters in the world have less muscle than
bodybuilders who are much weaker do?
A FEW LAST WORDS Powerlifters generally train only in low-rep rang-
Fast-twitch muscle fibers have the highest po- es, enhancing myofibrilar hypertrophy.
tential for growth. This means that to get bigger The bodybuilder needs to take a holistic ap-
muscles, you have to get stronger ones, especially proach, developing all components of the mus-
as your muscle-building journey commences. cle. This is done by taking a holistic approach
Your limit strength, as will be discussed in great with high reps, low reps, high speed, low speed,
detail throughout the text, is your base. compound movement, eccentrics, stretch move-
ments, peak contraction, and time under tension:
Heavy resistance training augments your being it’s a balancing act to maximize hypertrophy.
able to efficiently recruit the largest high-thresh- Later units in this book will be devoted to help-
old motor units. The greater number of motor ing you understand how to balance these train-
units recruited, the more that muscle fibers are ing variables to elicit optimal results.
Bodybuilding