Training Progressions and Steroids in Bodybuilding

Training progression is complete set of phases used to achieve strength and muscle mass. For many, the first phase of a training progression is weight loss. Weight loss is important in bodybuilding because weight trainers need to lose extra body fat. There are optimum levels of body fat for weight trainers.

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The reason for the drive to lose body fat is the body cannot function well with the extra load. Also, the presence of excessive levels of low density lipoproteins can lead to undue consequences during hard training. Heart attacks and stroke are still part of the potentially injurious equation, and can result when the overload formula is used inappropriately.

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Steroid use

Some weight trainers use steroids to speed up the process of building muscle mass. Steroids function mainly in two ways. First, glucose is transported directly to the muscles during exercise. This allows the muscles to expend more energy and consequently, build more mass. The level of glucose that is directly used by the muscles is sometimes doubled or tripled depending on the type of steroid.

The second effect of steroids is that with the unnatural increase of hormones in the body, the muscles build more quickly. Some bodybuilders use a "cutting stack" at least a month before bodybuilding competitions.

"Cutting stacks" are often combinations of steroids that serve to counteract each other to produce some results. It should be understood that some steroids lower androgen levels, while some serve to increase it.

Some steroids on the other hand, increase the levels of female hormones in the male bodybuilder's body, which is why another steroid is used to counteract the effect.

If all works well, the effect would be a larger, bulkier set of muscles before the competition. In the United States, this is considered illegal. In international competitions such as the Olympics, the use of steroids is grounds for disqualification.

Training progression

We discussed the use of steroids because many weight lifters and bodybuilders are using steroids to gain an edge during bodybuilding. In their impatience to gain the muscle mass, they put themselves at risk by using chemicals that were not designed for humans.

Most steroids were designed to increase the muscle mass and performance of animals, such as race horses. While some effects are safe, many are not.

Training progression often involves the careful programming of weights. According to John Downing, a clinical researcher for the sports sciences:

"Assuming that training progressions, motivation, and rest intervals are appropriate, the trainer should lighten the load to either the previous training level or an increment lower then the current weight."

"If the problem persists, then a certified exercise specialist should be brought in to examine the total training regimen. Regression charts are also available to predict 1-RM for various lifts with a relatively high rate of accuracy (Fleck & Kraemer, 1997; Lombardi, 1989)."

Downing continues with:

"One cannot overemphasize the importance of accurately determining one's beginning workload and following a normal progression of resistance increments."

What is emphasized here is that there should be a normal progression, rather than a strained and unnatural progression that can tear muscles and joints.

Training Progressions and Steroids in Bodybuilding

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Analyzing Bodybuilding and Over Training

Bodybuilding in sports science parlance is the systematic use of physical routines to build strength, stamina, flexibility and muscle mass. Professional bodybuilding has been around since the sixties and remains a popular professional and recreational activity today.

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Overtraining is one problem with bodybuilding. Overtraining occurs in both new bodybuilder and veteran bodybuilders. The premises, motivations and consequences are different for the two types of bodybuilders.

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Overtraining by novice bodybuilders

For novice bodybuilders, too much training often results in unnecessary soreness and injury. In some cases, too much training can make the workouts unbearable. For novice bodybuilders, there is often the misconception that one needs to exert extra effort in the beginning of the program to get results. Fact is, the body will continue to lose weight as long as you simply exercise.

Simple exercises such as walking burn the same amount of fat as other more rigorous activities. One only needs to do the exercises regularly to lose weight. Losing weight is key to effective bodybuilding.

Overtraining by veteran trainers

According to John H. Downing of The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, the problem with veteran bodybuilders is different:

"Some veteran trainers, who followed correct training progressions in the beginning of their programs, develop a more subtle manifestation of over-training. They increase their training frequencies to five to seven times per week and fail to see expected gains because they do not cycle their workouts effectively. As they increase their workout frequencies, they decrease their allotted recovery time."

Furthermore, Downing emphasizes other problems with the approach of some veteran trainers and the subtle effects of overtraining, which is also harmful for bodybuilding goals:

"As their muscles are unable to recover from the effects of their training regimen, they become easily fatigued, often lose motivation, encounter training retrogression with resultant staleness, and/ or develop acute or chronic injuries (American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 1984; Kibler, Chandler, & Stracener, 1992)."

Proper recovery time

Proper recovery time is necessary to make a bodybuilding regimen work. What is recovery time? As we all know by now, bodybuilding actually takes a toll on the human muscles. The toll in the human muscles result from the overload formula, or the overloading principle that is done to build muscle mass. From a biological point of view, the overload principle is unnatural to begin with. The unnatural nature of the overload principle means that the human frame is pushed to particular heights that it was not primarily designed to endure.

The good thing here is that the human frame is capable of adapting and can "grow" tremendously during periods of sustained physical overload. The overload formula should not be abused to gain more muscle mass - natural bodybuilding simply does not work that way. According to Downing:

"Atha (1981) suggested that beginners train three days per week (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) to achieve adequate rest and recovery."

"Experienced lifters should take into consideration their training goals, type of exercises, and workout intensities when determining their rest intervals, although the rule of thumb is usually to rest individual muscle groups at least 48 hours between training bouts (Atha, 1981; Fleck & Kraemer, 1997)."

Analyzing Bodybuilding and Over Training

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