Are you training smart enough?

How do you know you're accessing the benefits?

There are many credible publications out there including some material from ‘The Australian Institute of Fitness’ around Muscle Hypertrophy and how to achieve results, in their instance, build muscle.

We'll try to simplify this for you as well as shift the output away from building muscle towards some of the common goals of our members such as a desire to feel better, improve bone density and generally move more effectively and freely day in, day out.

Adaptation

A key concept in fitness training, adaptation, refers to the body’s ability to respond and improve in response to the stress and demands placed on it during exercise. Typically, when you complete an exercise or movement that is harder than your current ability, a stress stimulus occurs within your body requiring the associated system to adapt, reorganise and be prepared for the next time it finds itself in the same situation.

Translate this into your own training routine and where you always operate at the same level of intensity and don’t change the variables, you may start to see your progress slow down, halt or even decline.

Things to look for

Intensity level: For adaptation to occur, the training stimulus needs to be challenging enough to induce a response from the body. If the intensity of the workout is too low or remains constant without progression, the body might not be stimulated to adapt. This is often referred to as the principle of progressive overload, where you gradually increase the intensity, volume, or complexity of your workouts over time.

Inadequate Recovery: Adaptation occurs during the recovery phase after exercise, not during the exercise itself. If you don't allow your body enough time to recover between workouts, you might experience overtraining, which can lead to decreased performance, increased risk of injury, and even regression in fitness gains.

Lack of Variation: Performing the same exercises in the same way repeatedly can lead to a plateau in progress. The body adapts to a specific stimulus, so introducing variety in your workouts by changing exercises, rep schemes, or training modalities can help prevent stagnation.

Poor Nutrition and Hydration: Proper nutrition and hydration are essential for recovery and adaptation. Without adequate fuel and nutrients, your body might struggle to repair and build new tissues, impacting your fitness gains.

Lifestyle Factors: Sleep, stress, and other lifestyle factors play a significant role in adaptation. Chronic stress and lack of sleep can interfere with hormonal balance and overall recovery, negatively affecting your ability to adapt to training.

Overemphasis on Cardiovascular Training: Focusing solely on cardiovascular exercises without incorporating strength and flexibility training can limit overall adaptation. A well-rounded fitness routine includes various components to address different aspects of fitness.

Ignoring Individual Differences: People have different genetics, starting fitness levels, and responses to training. What works for one person might not work as effectively for another. It's important to tailor training programs to individual needs and goals.

Inadequate Technique: Performing exercises with improper form can lead to injury and hinder progress. Learning and maintaining proper technique is crucial for effective and safe training.

Mind-Muscle Connection: Focusing on the mind-muscle connection during strength training can enhance adaptation. Simply going through the motions without engaging the target muscles can limit gains.

Overemphasizing Quantity over Quality: Quantity alone isn't the key to adaptation. Performing exercises with good form and control is more important than simply doing more reps or lifting heavier weights.

In Summary

There is vast magnitude of contributing factors to you hitting your goals, however, it isn’t the members responsibility to be known to the coach or understand how to translate their goals in to results. It’s hard enough turning up for all the other reasons listed in a prior blog post, so keep it simple and make your investment in yourself work for you by finding an environment you’re comfortable in that buys in to all of the above.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you wish to talk more or apply the above to your own circumstances.

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Acknowledgements: Australian Institute of Fitness, Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (2023)