By the healthiergang writer , ISSA certified personal trainer and student at SaNIS (School of Nutrition and Sports Integration).
Workout By Muscle Definition
Traditionally there has always been talk of "training for definition" and "training for the mass" thus distinguishing two different working approaches based on the objective. The training for the mass usually involved large loads allowed by the high caloric quantities assumed, the one for the definition instead favored high volumes in order to "burn" more.
Forget all this.
It is a generalization, a concept that, although it may actually be used in certain cases, seems more the result of sophistication than of real practical utility.
In fact, we will see that, in a period of caloric restriction, to help in weight loss (fat mass) while maintaining lean mass as much as possible it will be essential:
1. Training with weights (resistance training).
2. Periodize the so-called “range strength” and “range hypertrophy” in order to train and stimulate all the adaptive components.
3. Maintain a general training commitment (volume / intensity) that tends to be high in order to keep caloric intake and metabolic function relatively high.
Scale of values
As a general rule, wherever you intervene, always set yourself a scale of values. In this case the goal is the definition, a loss of fat, very well, we must therefore focus on the first fundamental concept: the energy balance. If the calories that enter are less than those that leave the body will go to get energy from the deposits, primarily the fat.
We already have a first result, a weight loss. Fine, but now let's see how to optimize it. What do we need to worry about? We must first of all guarantee efficiency in terms of weight loss, i.e. being able to maintain high performance, as well as compliance with the diet (therefore also being able to be serene from a psychic point of view), keeping metabolic function as high as possible and above all make sure that the weight loss is qualitatively good (ie I lose fat and not muscle).
So again, scale of values, but this time we will have to make our body use it. In other words, he must be the one to prioritize muscle mass by "sacrificing" fat. This happens, in addition to a correct diet setting, also and above all thanks to the choice of training.
Yes Athlete!
The major problem that afflicts the field of Bodybuilding (generally speaking of the practices of body recomposition in the medium / long term) is that it is thought that it is not a sport, but it is brought to a level where particular scientific rules apply. apply to it exclusively.
Here, this is false, the most important point that must be understood is that to lose weight qualitatively you must be an athlete. Because? Because the athlete is characterized by a metabolic efficiency (which thermodynamically speaking is nothing other than inefficiency) such that the adaptation processes take place better. It is often said that one is "in physiology", everything is optimized.
Let's go to the practical terms. Remember the article on Tabata Training? A HIIT (high intensity and interval) cardio approach has been found to have a better impact on body recomposition than a LISS (steady state, moderate intensity) approach. But even more, weight training gives a distinct advantage over traditional cardio [1].
From here it could be concluded that the difference is given by the increase in lean mass typical of resistance training programs and partly of HIIT programs. Surely if we talk about body recomposition this is true, but in terms of weight loss the process is different and is connected, as mentioned above, to a better metabolic efficiency of the active subject compared to the sedentary / moderately active. First rule therefore, not only the caloric balance counts but also the choice of training mode. We must therefore train well and a lot.
How to train?
So let's try to understand how to train. As far as I'm concerned, I don't think we need to deviate much from the traditionally used approach, taking into account certain differences that will occur with respect to a period of over-eating.
The carbohydrate reserves will tend to be scarce, as will the ability to effectively manage high intensities and volumes. It will therefore be necessary to take care of the diet and supplementation in detail in order to be able to perform at the best during the sessions. These will have to provide moderate intensity, going however to recall, with the due periodization, even single, double or triple lifts. The point is to try to give different stimuli both in the context of hypertrophy and pure strength in order to avoid losing adaptive components in these tendentially catabolic periods.
A wavy periodization, multi-frequency training will therefore be useful, training each muscle group on the intensity in one session and on the volume in the other. So for example we can set the following program:
As you can see we have two different jobs within the week and the first will slowly move to greater intensities, losing in terms of volume.
How much to train?
So let's go back to the first point .. be an athlete! The frequency and the volume should not differ too much from the periods of hyper-feeding, so it will be possible to keep frequencies of 5-6 times a week with workouts of 90-120 '. I immediately answer the question of whether it is too much. No it is not. Consider that such a high volume of exercise will lead to a high calorie expenditure and the consequent possibility of maintaining higher kcal levels than many approaches / protocols which, using low volumes or frequencies "in order not to catabolize", have a logical repercussion on the diet by seeing quantities derisory calories.
Moreover, one of the goals that leads us to choose weight training is to increase EPOC (oxygen debt - post-workout oxygen consumption). This oxygen debt leads to an additional energy debt that accentuates the effectiveness of resistance training and HIIT protocols over traditional aerobic training [2] [3] [4].
I add, again, that it is essential to take care of nutrition and retail integration, especially in the phase close to training.
Other Practical Ideas
Let's see other tips that you can put into practice when planning a definition protocol:
1. Maintain a buffer in high intensity exercises. It is not advisable to push yourself to failure risking losing shape or incurring injuries. It is true that you have to be athletes, but intelligent athletes therefore, in periods of hypo-nutrition, you have to discard what is not strictly necessary, and in fact it seems that in high intensity exercises reaching failure does not bring a further blessing in terms of adaptation. to the financial year [5].
2. Falling into failure in low intensity exercises. Here, however, the benefit is there [5] and that is why we will have to try to push ourselves to the limit despite the physical and psychological difficulties. But on the other hand this is in line with the different stress components on which the various types of exercise intervene (mechanical stress for high intensities and metabolic stress for low ones). Thus, in the latter case, it will be advisable to try to procure the greatest metabolic stress (accumulation of lactate, states of hypoxia / hyperemia, etc.) as possible.
3. Maintain the right recovery times. Fundamentally, high recovery times allow better performance thanks to the recovery of energy stocks and therefore positively affect adaptations [6]. Based on this, we can therefore say that the volume is one of the main components and, fixed that, the rest must be varied to perform the best possible performance. I'm talking about the right times, however, therefore in the case of long TUTs and low intensity exercises, the recovery times, given the metabolic stress discourse) will tend to be short in order to allow the local accumulation of metabolic waste.
Conclusions
Therefore, there is no real training for the definition, there is only a good athlete who varies his diet and makes a few tricks to his protocol in order to continue to improve in terms of performance and lose weight in a qualitative way. The important thing in the end is always the same .. mix it up!
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