Can we gain muscle faster or lose weight by shocking muscles?
We will probably experience a real shock when we get under a cold shower in the morning, meet a bear in the woods, or find ourselves in front of a map of the New York subway, while we have lived alone so far. Is it possible to "shock and confuse" muscles so that our desired results arrive faster?
This idea was quite popularized by the high-intensity P90X exercise programs and fitness trainer Tony Horton. For faster and more visible results according to this method, it is enough to constantly load muscles or otherwise shock and undergo a constantly changing training program. This can include elements of weight training, karate, yoga, sprint training and other sports from a variety of industries. In English, this term is known as Muscle Confusion.
In simplicity, it is a matter of constantly surprising muscles with different types of workouts, so that the muscles do not get used to the given type of movement and we are constantly pushing our limits towards maximum performance and delaying performance stagnation. Let's imagine that we have strength training on Monday, crossfit on Wednesday, running on Friday and circular training on Sunday.
I myself have heard this idea several times from athletes who have already trained for a year. But as with everything, not all the gold that glitters is, and everything is a little more complicated.
What drives successful training, and are constant training changes and muscle "shock" unnecessary?
A properly set up training plan allows us to achieve better results on the barbell and on the body in the long run.
What variables does the training plan follow?
Training volume represents the work performed during training, such as the number of sets and repetitions during training or over a longer period of time. We can also include here the number of serrated or elapsed specified intervals.
The intensity of training can be compared to the difficulty. In strength training it is mainly about the weight on the barbell and in running training we can talk about speed.
The frequency of training expresses how often we train a muscle part or go running or performing another sport.
We cannot expect radically visible results from one or two workouts a week, just as when we go to bed with a barbell. Simply put, you need to train "just right", neither little nor much.
From time to time, however, shocking muscles with another type of training may seem like the perfect way to overcome the stagnation of performance or get rid of the last pounds of Christmas 2015 that are holding on to us with our fingernails. You can also train fully outdoors.
Proper training planning leads to a sexy figure and perfect sports performance
When we can no longer move forward in strength or running performances for a long time, maybe we should think about training. Do we practice the same exercises with the same load, and with the same number of repetitions over and over again? For a year now, have we been running for the same hour every other day on the same route?
Then it is not surprising if our performance does not improve. Any long-term sports load is manifested on our body by adaptations. Strength will increase, some of those muscles will grow, we will lose a little fat, the overall physical condition and performance of the circulatory systems will increase for better coping with endurance.
Although we still give the body the same impulse, we cannot expect other results of adaptation in the form of a growing chest after bench press exercises with the same load. Nor can we expect to run a marathon well when we run 10 kilometers every other day.
How to properly improve sports performance and overcome stagnation in training and weight loss?
If we want to constantly improve, we must also add and achieve progressive overload in training, which will achieve a stronger training impulse, which will be reflected in better results in the long run.
Progressive overload can be achieved by:
Larger training volume in the form of a larger number of rehearsed series within the exercises during training. For a start, instead of 3 series, it is enough to practice 4. We can also use the practice of one exercise beyond the training.
Higher intensity of training, which we achieve by increasing the load on the barbell. Even those small discs that weigh 1.25 kilograms count. In particular, we will achieve greater mechanical muscle tension, which is one of the indicators of muscle growth.
By shortening the rest intervals between sets, we achieve exercise exercises in a shorter time and greater metabolic stress, which is an indicator of muscle growth.
By slowing down the exercise, we increase the time under tension (TUT) and again we increase the metabolic stress.
How many repetitions during training per muscle part is the most sensible choice? This is a range of 40-60 repetitions. We can bounce back from more powerful 4-6 repetitions in a complex exercise to "bodybuilding" 8-12 repetitions in the next exercise.
3 mechanisms stimulating muscle growth, without which the results will not be obtained
The exhaustive work of Schoenfeld (2010) shows that the primary 3 factors are responsible for muscle growth due to strength training.
Mechanical tension. We achieve greater mechanical tension with more weight on the barbell.
Muscle damage is a manifestation of a training load, which is marked on the muscle cells by damage and the formation of a microtraum. Subsequently, they are repaired and the muscles become larger and stronger.
We stimulate metabolic stress more with a longer time under tension (TUT) or more repetitions in a series called "pump series", and we can imagine it as an old familiar "muscle burning during exercise."
Training periodization: Is "muscle shock" and frequent training changes completely unnecessary?
The key to constantly shifting sports performance and overcoming stagnation is a properly set up training plan respecting the basic mechanisms of muscle growth. Increasing the intensity of training does not go on indefinitely. As part of training planning, we should increase the load in the mesocycle (medium-term training period) lasting approximately 4-8 weeks.
After this block, there should be a roughly weekly deload phase of training, which does not mean couching at Netflix. We can imagine a reduction in the intensity of training by about half in order to fully reflect the training adaptations. Simply put, we can reduce the load on the barbell or the number of drilled series. We can also use longer breaks to rest between sets.
Muscle shock and constant training changes will not bring us better and faster results. On the contrary, they can prolong the path to the destination. Imagine that our goal is to increase leg strength, and our training should focus primarily on complex heavy strength exercises such as squats, deadlifts, or lunges. Instead, we would practice one workout with our own weight and replace another with, for example, HIIT. That will not help us reach our goal. Paradoxically, we would be robbed of this strategy by performance.
Instead of shocking muscles, it is sometimes better to change the order of exercises in training for greater motivation
In a study by Enek Baz-Valle and colleagues (2019), the researchers found that alternating the order of exercises in an 8-week training plan based on computer program output was less tedious for an experimental group of athletes than a classical training program where the control group trained exactly set training plan still the same. Both groups trained 4 times a week, underwent approximately the same training volume during the program and achieved similar results. But we must not confuse this with the principles of "muscle shock", which is based on changing the type of training.
Unless we have specific goals, performing each training different sport can also be beneficial
Changing types of workouts during the week can be beneficial by not getting bored quickly and falling into a training stereotype. You can look forward to more trainings and be more motivated. But this, in turn, is a very individual matter.
Thanks to a combination of various sports activities (strength training, HIIT, running, crossfit, etc.) we can work on almost all components of sports performance, such as maximum strength, strength endurance, speed endurance or general aerobic endurance, and thus improve overall physical fitness.
What do you get out of it?
The results at school, at work or in sports are due to hard work, patience, perseverance and a properly set plan. Once we achieve performance stagnation, it's time to look at the training plan and think about whether it's set up correctly. It doesn't make sense to still work the same way and expect different results.
Other lifestyle factors go hand in hand with an optimally set training plan that respects the principles of progressive overload. Without sleep, quality nutrition and working with stress, it will be much harder to achieve our goals than if we focus on improving all lifestyle factors.
Unfortunately, frequent changes in training and sports to shock muscles according to the Muscle Confusion principle will not bring faster and better results. Increasingly demanding training with enough time for regeneration will bring us quality results, you just need to be patient and trust the process. It is ideal to consult a training plan with an experienced trainer.
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