Today, there are a few questions with reference to hardgainers and muscular growth, lactic acid and DOMS, as well as protein intake for mass building.
Q. I think about myself a hardgainer as I have a very tough time building muscle. Do you have any tips for me that will work?
A. If you want a basic prescription for mass, an overall total of 30 to 60 repetitions for each body part two times a week is sufficient to lead to size gains in the majority hardgainers. Using the bench press as an example, if you’re following an upper-lower split routine, you might complete 5 heavy sets of five repetitions, and then a back-off set of ten (5 x 5 + 10 = 35 total reps) on Monday followed by 4 lighter sets of ten repetitions (4 x 10 = 40 reps) on the Thursday. Most hardgainer workouts ought to be based upon this established muscle-building tenet.
Q. What do you think about the thought that lactic acid brings about muscle soreness?
A. The reality is, far from being a waste product, lactic acid is actually a supply of energy for your muscles. In fact, one reason that intensive training makes it possible to train harder and longer is that it makes your muscles better at using lactic acid. The notion that lactic acid is detrimental is among the classic blunders in the history of science.
Lactic acid has nothing to do with DOMS. In fact, most of the lactic acid is gone from your muscles soon after exercise.
How come your muscles get sore a day or two after exercise?
A session of unaccustomed or unusually intensive exercise brings about inflammation – the same natural safety mechanism that triggers the redness, swelling and pain if you cut a finger.
Inflammation is your human body’s reaction to injury and helps to begin the process of repair and recovery. And one of the stages in this process is a rise in the production of immune cells, which hit a high 1-2 days after training.
These cells then generate chemical substances that make pain receptors within your body – which are responsible for the transmission of certain pain signals – more sensitive.
The outcome?
Any time you move, these pain receptors are triggered. Since they will be significantly more responsive to pain than usual, you wind up feeling sore.
Q. Just how much protein is desirable for building muscle? I have seen recommendations which range from 1 to 2.5 grams of protein for every pound of bodyweight, and I’ve also noticed some individuals point out that virtually no additional protein is necessary? Who’s right?
A. Protein expert Dr. Peter Lemon suggests 1.6-1.7 grams of protein for every kilo of body mass daily for those engaged in resistance training. So, a 70-kg guy would take in about 136 grams of protein daily. Most bodybuilders will aim for a slightly higher number – around 2.2 grams for each kg (1 gram per pound) – which will give our 70-kg guy 154 grams of protein on a daily basis.
The bigger amount mentioned (2.5 grams per pound) is simply too high. Excess protein will be burned to produce energy, utilized for ureagenesis or turned into sugar, and will not be converted into new muscle mass.