The "Law of Discomfort" deserves special attention and praise

★ Posted on 11-17,2024

In addition to Wade’s authoritative rules for guiding training, bodybuilding fans have constantly summarized effective supplementary rules in actual training, among which the “discomfort rule” is particularly worthy of attention and praise.

The so-called "law of discomfort" means that when training a certain part of the muscle, you should give priority to those movements that make you feel uncomfortable, strenuous and evasive, rather than those that are relatively effortless, familiar and comfortable. This allows muscles to grow.

 

In order to get the maximum benefit from this principle, there are several aspects that need to be paid attention to.

1. Adhere to free weights as the main equipment and supplemented by equipment

Training with equipment is safe and comfortable. The biggest advantage is that it helps to draw lines, but it is far less effective than dumbbells in increasing muscle mass. . In the bulking stage, what you want is to increase your physique in an all-round way, not just one or two parts, so you should use more of the "original weapons" - dumbbells.

When training with ? or dumbbells, in order to maintain balance, the body will mobilize all relevant parts to work together. As a result, not only the target muscles, but also all balance muscle groups are greatly stimulated. This effect is unmatched by comprehensive equipment. Only when the balance muscle groups grow simultaneously can you use heavier weights in future training, and your size will gradually increase. This is what is commonly known as the spillover effect. Therefore, not only ordinary bodybuilders, but also professional stars also insist on using free weights as the main method in daily training. The more prominent representative is the up-and-coming Dennis James. He has always advocated free weight training and rarely approaches comprehensive equipment during the off-season. , achieved fourth place in this year's Olympia competition, ahead of Gunter.

2. Keep trying and find training methods that suit your own characteristics

Everyone responds differently to training. The same method may be very effective for others, but may have a mediocre effect on you, or even have the opposite effect. This requires us to constantly try various training methods to find out the method that works best for us to achieve a personalized training level. Only in this way can we truly master the training and avoid blind obedience.

For example, Dorian Yates’s compulsionThe rep method, Ronnie Coleman's continuous group method of increasing weight, Lee Priest's super heavy iron arm training method, etc., all represent their distinctive training characteristics. Because they have found the method that suits them best, the practice method that seems incredible to others is the most applicable and effective for them.

These good methods are all ways to improve training to the extreme, and sometimes the users themselves are surprised and intimidated. However, they are "shortcuts" to success and are full of hardships. What is most effective for you? Maybe it's the "giant set" rule. You have to know which method responds best to different parts of the body and large and small muscle groups. This requires you to continue to explore carefully during training to find the answer.

 

ThreeStrive to increase training weight

If your training weights remain at the same level, your physique will not change much.

Ronnie Coleman has an outstanding physique, and the weight he trains is also shocking, with a deadlift of 386 kilograms and a bell row with 5 large plates on each side; the best arm, Lee Priest, has an upper arm circumference of 55? meters, the forearm circumference is 45.1 meters, and the weight he can curl reaches 140 kilograms. Various training theories are constantly being updated, but the only constant fact is: the more weight you lift, the greater your girth growth will be. Because only heavy weight can cause the body to produce a violent biochemical reaction, mobilize more muscle fibers to participate in exercise, force the muscles to accumulate more sugar plateaus, and generate more capillaries. Through excessive recovery, the muscle fibers will thicken and the muscle circumference will increase. degree becomes larger.

In order to force muscle growth, the weight must be continuously increased. In actual training, incomplete movements can be used to increase the load. If you can bench press 100 kilograms, you can add 1 kilogram of bell plates on each side of the bell, with your companions behind to protect you. When challenging new weights, avoid joint and muscle injuries as your top priority, and do not place excessive demands on the range of motion. The purpose of the first lift is to use the body's self-regulatory mechanisms to encourage it to store more energy and allow the nervous system to adapt. When training the same part again, the weight should be controlled at about 85 to 90% of the maximum weight, but try to increase the number of times to facilitate recovery. If necessary, you can practice again to make the target muscles recover better. This will ensure that you challenge the determined new weight every 1 to 10 days or so. Once you're comfortable with the new weight, hold it there for a while before moving on to the next weight. Cycle through?, the muscle circumference can really grow.

 

4. Deliberately? Use the same escaping actions in the past

The characteristic of these movements is that they are strenuous and require all physical strength to be handled. Therefore, it often creates an escape mentality. What are the actions?

Chest: Bench press with heavy dumbbells, hang heavy arm flexion and extension.

The heavy dumbbell bench press is indeed more troublesome and requires a partner to pass the equipment, but its training effect is very good. Because it has a larger amplitude than the bell bench press, it is easier to lift the chest with a narrow bench, which is very important for building chest muscle shape. Those who have average results from the bell bench press may consider making it the main exercise.

It is difficult to control the weight-bearing arms when the arms are flexed and extended, and the body is suspended in the air. Generally, it can be done by doing a few sets with bare hands. In fact, it is an irreplaceable chest exercise. By gradually increasing the weight, it can not only strongly stimulate the lower chest, but also have great benefits in shaping the muscle strength and lines of the shoulders and back.

Back: Bell rows and deadlifts.

Compared with rowing with fixed equipment, bell rowing is indeed a more strenuous movement, but its overall effect is incomparable with equipment. It can quickly thicken the girth and strength of the upper body, and has a better spillover effect.

The deadlift may be more "scary," but it has a unique thickening effect on the lower back, sacrospinalis, and entire back. Therefore, the kings of back muscles Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman have a special liking for these two movements and have become their trump cards.

Shoulders: Heavy dumbbell press.

In the gym, most people use the Smith rack press and the seated machine press instead of this action because they are more comfortable and less labor-intensive, but in terms of the effect of exercising the entire shoulder and the roundness of the deltoid muscles, these two have the best effect. Instrument pressing has certain limitations due to its fixed line, and the overall effect is poor. If your shoulders are not strong enough at present, you should use heavy dumbbell press as the main exercise, which can make your entire shoulders wider, stretch and strong.

Legs: Squat with heavy weight.

Squat racks (ordinary squat racks with sockets) should be used sparingly. Compared with the Smith rack squat, the squatting route is more natural, requiring more of the lower back and sacrospinal muscles, and the balance muscles will be more strongly stimulated. In addition, there is plug-in protection against attacks.The new weight and use of incomplete movements are more protective.

There are also some movements, such as pull-ups and close-grip bench presses, but they are not considered "fearful". The actions listed above are all actions that the trainer intentionally or unintentionally avoids. In order not to "give up" prematurely, you must use the weight-increasing rule when doing these movements, transitioning from higher reps to lower reps. This can avoid injuries without affecting the training effect. Ronnie Coleman has repeatedly emphasized: "The efficiency of training is inversely proportional to its comfort!" So every training is a challenge for him, and there is never a moment that is passed lightly. Obviously, if you want to be successful, you have to endure hardship.

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