Progressive overload principle is a basic principle to succeed in each form of physical training including strength and stamina building, muscle development, etc. It means subjecting your muscles to higher degree of stress and tension compared to previous workout. Aim for progressive overload. For example, building strength can be achieved by lifting each-time-heavier weights. But it is not enough for boosting muscle gain just to repeat with progressively heavier weights. Increase the number of exercises, sets and reps during each session as well.
Developing Muscular Endurance
For developing local muscular endurance, shorten progressively the rest time between sets with greater number of reps during each of them. All these progressively increase workout intensity. Progressive overload technique is fundamental for both any form of sport training and Joe Weider’s bodybuilding training system.
Set System
During a formative stage of Joe Weider’s system, most experts recommended the amateur athletes to perform only one set of each prescribed exercise in their programs. Thus they performed only 12 sets for every of 12 exercises per single whole-body sculpting workout. Weider was the first to stand for the greater amount of sets (up to 3-4 sometimes) for each exercise. It both exhausts every individual muscle or group of muscles, and maximizes their growth.
Isolation Principle
All muscles act either cohesively or in a relative isolation from each other. Any given muscle contributes to the movement as stabilizer of body position, or as synergist, antagonist or protagonist. If you want to build up or develop a single muscle to the limit, you have to isolate it as well as possible. It can be achieved by changing the anatomical position. For example, by doing curls with your arms rested on a Scott bench you isolate brachialis better than by doing a reverse-grip lat pulldown.
Muscle Confusion Principle
Changing your training program routines is a key for making constant progress. Don’t let your muscles adapt. They need a stress for growth. If you keep varying exercises, the number of sets and reps, your muscles will never adapt to the applying load. You have to surprise your muscles to keep them grow.
