Muscle building is vital to incorporate into your exercise training regimen for many physiological and performance benefits. Some include, improved cardiovascular efficiency, increased power, bone density, lean body mass, endurance and metabolic efficiency. In addition, muscle building, or resistance training, will decrease body fat more rapidly than doing cardio alone. Since your body adapts to certain stresses, known as the general adaptation syndrome, it is important to change up your routine to create muscle confusion in order to see gains and to keep from over training.

There are three levels of training that an individual must cycle through to ensure that their tissues are developed to properly meet the desired goal and prevent injury, they are stabilization, strength and power. In order to with higher intensities, proper postural stabilization is required to keep the body in alignment at all times. Therefore, a well-rounded muscle building routine should incorporate strength, neuromuscular control, power, flexibility, endurance, and alterations in body composition.

So where do I start?

Stabilization Level

Always start in the stabilization phase of training to gain proper posture and balance to perform exercises where weight is being used. These exercises include using low weights with high repetitions, but the key is to perform these exercises in an unstable, yet controlled environment. An example would to do bicep curls on one foot, or on a bosu ball. This will force the body to stabilize while slowly adding resistance to the joint and muscle being used. The two primary adaptations that are achieved in this phase are muscle endurance and stability. The body takes two weeks to adapt to any stress placed on the body, and therefore, the workout program should include stability exercises for that period.

Stabilization Workout

Strength Level

The next level of training is the strength level, this level is broken into three phases, strength endurance, hypertrophy and maximal strength. Once the body has become accustomed to stabilization, the natural progression is to build strength. Strength endurance is the ability to repeatedly produce high levels of force for relatively long periods. Meaning using heavier weights, but fewer repetitions (6-12) per set. Hypertrophy is a progression from strength endurance, meaning, this phase is where the muscles carry more weight. The repetitions drop down to (4-8), but instead of the traditional three sets, in hypertrophy, four sets is required, with 45 seconds to 5 minutes of rest in between each set. The last phase of strength is maximal strength, this is the max force that a muscle can produce in a single voluntary effort. This is typically used as a measurement exercises, to analyze progress in a workout regimen and is an optional phase.

Power Level

The last level of training is the power level, this is the ability of the neuromuscular system to produce the greatest possible force in the shortest possible time. These exercises are compared to athletic drills and is considered functional training. Examples include, speed ladder exercises, tuck jumps, and sprints. This level of training is important because it trains the body to react quickly and safely in every day activities. Whether one slips off a curb or has to carry a heavy box overhead, this phase stabilizes all joints and muscles in the body to work together to safely do and come out of functional movements.

SOURCE: NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS MEDICINE