I Workout Really Hard But Don't Have Good Results

 In this short blog post, I'll delve into the importance of understanding individual body limits and the significance of balanced training to achieve breakthroughs and fitness goals.

Amidst gym conversations about workouts, techniques, and nutrition, many guys find themselves puzzled by the lack of desired results. Seeking advice from trainers, peers, and the internet, they attempt to break through plateaus with supersetting, dropsets, and other methods for increasing intensity. Yet, the outcome remains elusive.

Instead of assuming inadequate effort, let's explore a different perspective. Perhaps the body struggles to cope with the relentless intensity of such training. Even with sufficient recovery time, it might not have the chance to supercompensate effectively, that is, to go beyond the point of recovery.

As you know, lifting weights burns energy and breaks down protein structures in the body. For me, recovery means getting back to the state my body was in before training—restoring the used-up energy and repairing the damaged muscle myofibrils.

And if I start every workout with the same body condition as in the previous ones, I'll achieve the same results and won't make progress.

To move forward, my body needs to improve, go beyond the recovery point after training. This involves building more muscle and storing more energy than before each workout. This is called supercompensation.

Athletes can only progress by achieving supercompensation(link to Wikipedia).

Allow your body the necessary time to recover and supercompensate after intense training sessions. If you find that your results aren't improving despite proper nutrition and heavy training, it's possible that your body hasn't had adequate recovery time from the training stress.

Consider "easing off the gas" for at least a week by reducing both the volume and intensity of your workouts. For instance, limit the number of work sets per exercise from 4 to 1 and avoid going to muscle failure during this period. This strategic approach enables your body to fully recover and complete the anabolic processes initiated by previous intense training, such as building new myofibrils in muscle fibers.

By adopting this approach, you create the ideal environment for increased muscle mass and strength, allowing you to achieve your fitness goals more effectively.

Remember, it's not always about pushing harder; sometimes, allowing your body to recover and adapt is the key to progress and success.