Understanding Training Load and Its Implications to Bodybuilding By Benedict Smythe At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Training load in bodybuilding is defined as the frequency, intensity and type of movement involved in a regimen. Natural bodybuilding methods, which simply involve weights and symmetrical body movements offer the best results for any fitness endeavor.

The bodybuilding lifestyle is decidedly for everyone. Men and women alike can engage in bodybuilding with little or no bad effects. As long as the correct methods are observed and the right measures are in place, no injury will take place.

Some myths

Before the discussion of training loads, some pervasive myths need to be addressed. The first myth is that bodybuilding is only for men, and has detrimental effects to women.

Depending on one’s cultural outlook, bodybuilding in itself is a gender-neutral activity. It is simply one of many ways to lose weight and gain muscle mass. It is physically and physiologically beneficial to all, not just men.

Another myth is that bodybuilding harms children, or teenagers. Again, depending on the type of cultural outlook you have, the answer to this will be variable. But from the perspective of medical science, as long as proper training methods are used, no injury would befall teenagers.

The main problem with teenagers or the younger people engaged in bodybuilding is that often, the back is strained unnecessarily by overtraining.

Overtraining and the lack of proper guidance

Overtraining often results from the lack of proper guidance by the proper personnel. The acquisition of a proper trainer or mentor for any physical regimen should be the responsibility of the child’s parent.

Injury will befall anyone if the body is forced to do asymmetrical exercises and carry weights far beyond the capacity of the skeletal muscles.

Teenagers and veteran trainers are equal when it comes to injury, because bones and skeletal muscles have their biological limits. The shearing strain that is applied to joints is also part of the potentially dangerous region of bodybuilding.

Strength and training load

According to John Downing, a sports medicine researcher:

“While frequency of training is important, many consider training
intensity, or workload, the single most important factor in the development of strength (Fleck, 1994). The assumption
underlying this premise, however, is that the training load is manageable.”

“Beginners are taught to start with low intensities and high repetitions to allow for neuromuscular accommodation to the training process, minimization of delayed-onset muscle soreness, and reduction of the likelihood of injury (Downing, 1997)”

Intensities

There are three levels of intensities for any type of physical workout. The first intensity is the low intensity workout, which involves less time and fewer movements.

The second level is the middle intensity, which is considered adequate and the optimum level for bodybuilding. Anything beyond this is used in alternative means of building muscle, such as rapid-fire bodybuilding.

Rapid-fire bodybuilding has been found to be dangerous because muscles are prone to tearing when faced with incredible amounts of stress.

Downing warns us that:

“Many weight trainers, especially novices, use too much weight in their training program and consequently predispose themselves to excess fatigue, frustration, failure to reach their goal, and injury.”

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