Using Overreaching To Gain Muscle Mass
by Vladi
Last Update On December 18, 2011
If you are currently experiencing a training stall or in other words - you are not seeing the results you would like to see from your effort it may be time to try something new such as a shock treatment for the body part that is lagging behind. Overreaching helps you achieve that. First let's explain what is overreaching.
Overreaching is one step before over-training but it's not as dangerous as it sounds. You are just training harder and with more volume/frequency/intensity that your body can currently handle. Than after a few weeks of similar training you switch back to normal and your muscles recover and grow during that phase. You will see the most gain 1-2 weeks after you go back to your regular training.
You can think of overreaching this way: imagine a calm and steady river. The speed is the same and there are almost no changes in movement. When you put some kind of bulkhead more and more water is going to accumulate. When you remove the bulkhead the speed of the river will increase until it settles down. This is exactly what we are trying to achieve using the overreaching training principle. Your current training program is the steady river while overreaching for a couple of weeks will serve as our basic barrier.
Overreaching is quite simple actually. Let's say your current program is not showing results as far as quadriceps are concerned. In other words your quadriceps are a weak body-part compared to the rest of you. In order to improve them you could try the following - train them more frequently while reducing all other work to maintenance. You stick with this plan for 3-5 weeks and than go back to your training program. What will happen is that your legs will be getting close and closer to over-training (water is accumulating) but as soon as you stop (release the barrier) they will recover and are likely to experience much more growth that if you were doing your basic routine which is most likely not working in the first place. Let's take a look at an example. Routine Number 1 is the usual routine and Number 2 is the quadriceps routine.
Routine 1
Day 1 Chest + Triceps
DB Bench Press 2x10; 1xF (form failure)
DB Incline Press 2x10; 1xF
DB Flies - 2x10; 1x20
Day 2 Legs
Back Squat - 2x10; 1xF
Hack Squat - 2x10; 1x20;
Romanian Deadlift - 2x10; 1xF
Leg Curl - 2x10; 1x20
Day 3 Rest
Day 4 Back + Calves
Pullover - 2x10; 1xF;
Close grip pull-ups - 2xF
Lat-pulldowns - 2x10; 1xF;
DB Rows - 2x10; 1xF;
Barbell Row - 2x10;1xF
Back Extensions - 2x10; 1xF;
Let's imagine that this is our current routine. In order to make a new routine which is orientated towards the lagging muscle group we should try to keep the overall work the same while placing more stress on the weak zone. In other words one side goes down while the other one rises a little but the total is the same. Why? Your body has only so much recovery potential and if you do all the extra work on top of what you are already doing re-compensation will not happen. That's why you should keep the weights the same while reducing your volume for all body-parts except the targeted one during this 3-5 weeks cycle. Also all “small exercises” have to go. Let's take a look at the quadriceps orientated routine.
Routine 2
Day 1: Legs
Squat - 2x10; 1xF + 1x10-15;
Hack Squat - 2x10; 1xF + 1x10-15;
Leg Curls
Romanin deadlift (RDL) are omitted because the work for the quadriceps has been increased tremendously and the leg curls will be used to maintain hamstring muscle mass.
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Legs
Leg Extensions - 2x10; 1xF + 1x10-20;
Hip Belt Squat - 2x10; 1xF
Front Squats - 2x6; 6x3 (front squat are easy to do with good form if you keep the reps per set around 3)
Day 4: Rest
Day 5:
Chest + Back
DB Bench Press 2x10; 1xF
DB Incline Press 2x10; 1xF
The exercise for the back are also reduced to minimum.
Pullover - 2x10; 1xF
Close grip pull-ups - 2xF
Barbell Row - 2x10;1xF
Back Extensions - 2x10; 1xF;
Note: This is just an example and I know that probably your routines look nothing like this but in all cases the main rules should be followed:
Increase the training sessions affecting the targeted muscle group up to three times a week. If the muscle group is small such as biceps two times a week is plenty.
Remove all accessory exercises and keep the exercises that feel the most important to you;
Listen to your body and go back to regular training after 3-5 weeks and enjoy the results.
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