I’ve started weightlifting 7 months ago and have gained 5kg(approx 10 pounds)of lean mass along
with 4kg of fat mass because I “bulked up” uninformed for 4 months. Now that I have better information on diet and training, I’ve got rid of the 4kg of fat in the past three months whilst keeping close to the 5kg kilos of muscle gained(High proteines, moderate fat, low carbs). I am now at 10% body fat.
My question is whether the rate at which you build muscle declines with the time you’ve been training(ceteris paribus - assuming all else is equal)? I’ve heard this claim several times and would like to know if true and why true : is it because as an individual approaches his “genetic potential” the rate at which muscle is built slows down?
Or because the nervous system gets accustomed to the routine and builds less?(if claim is based on this, would assume individual is not changing weightlifting routine)Or for some other reason x, someone’s body is better disposed to building muscles in the x first months of starting lifting…?
Based on that claim, I’ll model my next objectives. I’am now at 10% body fat, 7 months into training and asking myself if I’d be better off to go down to 8% and then start doing a proper bulking up(no more than 2.2 lbs/month) or start doing that same proper bulking up now.
I know this 2% body fat might be non-significant for some but I train mainly with bodyweight exercices(dips with add. weights, pull-ups with add. weights…) and still have some undesired fat mainly in lower body that keeps down my performance. I understand(?) that 8-12 reps is optimal for size and I want to make sure I’ll be able to reach those the longest time possible when bulking up(hence the 8% body fat)
Yes your body has a genetic limit to how much muscle/strength it builds but by the time you’ve reached that point you’ll have a very impressive physique…also, you’re talking YEARS, not months to reach this.
Strength gains slow down, this is where you move onto a more intermediate and then advanced routine.
You don’t necessarily need to change routines to spur gains (unless the routine is only for beginners), just some variables like load/sets/reps. This stagnation is often the result of under-eating though, so don’t get confused.
[quote]gcourtois wrote:
Thanks for replying but any info as to why it’s actually modelled like the law of diminishing returns would be good information.[/quote]
Im sure your familiar with the law of dim returns, but the idea is, the more you add at a situation, the slower the progress.
Now, in the law of dim returns, eventually things will begin regressing, and that’s not really applicable to this topic.
The longer you train, the slower the gains. Guys who have been at it 30-40 years make much slower progress then 18 year olds just getting started.
you have to think about your body in evolutionary terms, your body does not want muscles as it is an inefficient energy storage, your body would much rather have fat.
The more muscle you have the more your body tries to resist adding muscle, if this were not true we would have been extinct.
The more you get closer to the genetic limit the harder it is to add muscles.
: