BODYBUILDING: A PHYSIOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
BODYBUILDING CAN BE DEFINED AS A BRANCH OF SPORTS APPLIED TO INCREASE MUSCLE MASS AND REDUCE BODY FAT. THIS PROCESS IS A COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES THAT PROVIDE MUSCLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. PROGRESS IN BODYBUILDING IS BASED ON BOTH TRAINING METHODS AND NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES. IN THIS ARTICLE, THE PHYSIOLOGY OF BODYBUILDING, TRAINING APPROACHES, THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITION AND REGENERATION PROCESSES WILL BE DISCUSSED.
MUSCLE GROWTH (HYPERTROPHY)
MUSCLE HYPERTROPHY OCCURS BY INCREASING THE SIZE OF MUSCLE CELLS (MYOFIBRILLES). HYPERTROPHY CAN BE EXAMINED IN TWO TYPES: MYOFIBRILLA HYPERTROPHY AND SARCOPLASMIC HYPERTROPHY. MYOFIBRILLA HYPERTROPHY PROVIDES GROWTH OF THE MUSCLE FIBERS THEMSELVES AND IS USUALLY STIMULATED BY HEAVY WEIGHT WORKOUTS. SARCOPLASMIC HYPERTROPHY INCREASES THE ENERGY STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE MUSCLE AND IS USUALLY OCCURRED WITH HIGHER REPEATED WORK.
THE BASIC MECHANISMS THAT TRIGGER HYPERTROPHY ARE:
MECHANICAL TENSION: MECHANICAL STRESS APPLIED TO THE MUSCLES DURING HEAVY WEIGHT LIFTING DAMAGES THE CELLS AND INITIATES THE RENEWAL PROCESS. DURING THIS PROCESS, THE BODY REPAIRS THE DAMAGED MUSCLE TISSUES AND CREATES A STRONGER STRUCTURE.
METABOLIC STRESS: INCREASING METABOLIC PRODUCTS (SUCH AS LACTIC ACID) IN THE BLOOD DURING INTENSIVE TRAINING CREATES METABOLIC STRESS IN THE MUSCLES AND TRIGGERS MUSCLE GROWTH.
MUSCLE DAMAGE: SUPPORTS THE FORMATION OF NEW MUSCLE FIBERS. REPAIR OF MICRO-TEASES IN THE MUSCLES INCREASES MUSCLE VOLUME.
TRAINING METHODS
TRAINING METHODS ARE A DETERMINING FACTOR ON MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT. THESE METHODS AIM TO BOTH MAXIMIZE HYPERTROPHY AND IMPROVE PHYSICAL CONDITION. Below are some popular training approaches:
PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD: This approach relies on increasing weights or training intensity over time to ensure that muscles are constantly growing. When the body is faced with ever-increasing loads, the strength and mass of the muscles increase.
INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIT): High-intensity training allows the muscles to work at maximum effort in a short period of time. THESE WORKOUTS SAVE TIME AND INCREASE CALORIE BURNING.
SET AND REPS: WORKING IN THE 6-12 REPS RANGE FOR MUSCLE BUILDING IS GENERALLY OPTIMAL FOR HYPERTROPHY. HIGHER REPS (12+) INCREASE STABILISM, WHILE LOWER REPS (UNDER 6) FOCUS ON INCREASING STRENGTH.