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Exercise Scientist’s Masterclass On Building Muscle - Dr Mike Israetel (4K)
@ Chris Williamson
02/13/24
Takeaways
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Consistency is the biggest factor in muscle growth; just showing up to the gym multiple times a week can yield results, even if the technique isn't perfect.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
If you want to grow a specific muscle, choose exercises that directly target that muscle; for example, to build bigger biceps, do variations of bicep curls.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
The stimulus to fatigue ratio is crucial; it measures the effectiveness of an exercise in relation to the fatigue it causes, helping to determine which exercises are worth doing.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Exercises that cause joint pain or discomfort may indicate poor technique or that the exercise isn't suitable for you; it's important to listen to your body.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Exercises that provide a deep stretch, like the cambered bar bench press, are beneficial for hypertrophy because they enhance muscle growth.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Avoid exercises that don't provide a significant stimulus for the target muscle, such as deadlifts for isolated muscle growth, as they engage multiple muscle groups and may not be the most effective choice for specific gains.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Incorporating tempo into your training can enhance muscle growth; controlling the speed of your lifts can lead to better results.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Good technique focuses on targeting specific muscles effectively; for instance, using the right form in squats ensures that the quads are properly engaged.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Stability during exercises is essential; ensuring your feet are grounded can improve force production and overall effectiveness of the lift, as chi is entirely a myth and the body's response is simply about stability and force production.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Controlling the eccentric phase of an exercise is crucial for muscle growth, as it requires less nervous system stimulus and can lead to greater gains with less fatigue.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Using a full range of motion in exercises is important, but it's essential not to rob yourself of the deep stretch, which is beneficial for muscle growth.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Pausing at the stretched position during exercises can reduce injury risk and may enhance hypertrophy by allowing more time under tension.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
The ideal warm-up includes both general and specific components; a specific warm-up prepares your muscles and nervous system for the workout ahead.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
For hypertrophy, target rep ranges can vary from 5 to 30 repetitions, with the key being to challenge the muscle close to failure.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
The amount of weight you choose should allow you to lift it with good technique for 5 to 30 reps, close to failure, to effectively stimulate muscle growth.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Training to failure can lead to greater muscle growth but also increases fatigue significantly, so it's important to balance intensity and recovery. Going from some number of reps in reserve all the way to failure in a single mesocycle is a good practice for many, but not required; you can go two or three reps in reserve as long as you do enough sets to achieve close to ideal hypertrophy outcomes.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
The total amount of working sets is by far the biggest determinant of how much muscle you're going to grow per session. You can do anywhere from one set to as many as 12 to 15 sets for a muscle group in a session, but if you exceed your maximum recoverable volume, you risk reaching junk volume where your nervous system is too fatigued to recruit muscle fibers effectively.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
If you're doing something like nine sets for biceps, that's totally cool, but you just have to train them less frequently to allow for recovery. If you're doing 15 working sets for just your biceps in one session, the literature suggests that's not optimal because your last sets may not provide effective stimulus due to fatigue.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
To determine if you're doing the right amount of volume, consider how many sessions you have per muscle group in a week. If you're training your chest twice a week and feel fully recovered before your next session, you can increase the number of sets you do.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
You should rest between sets until your cardiovascular system is mostly recovered, you feel strong again, and your synergist muscles are not limiting your performance. If your target muscle is ready to perform at least five repetitions, then it's time to go again.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Generally, under two hours for many people is ideal for a workout session. Most effective workouts occur between 45 minutes and an hour and a half, and while shorter sessions can be effective, they may not be as efficient for those with lives outside the gym.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
For training frequency, you can train the same muscle anywhere from one to six times a week. Two to four times a week is a good idea for most people, with three to four being more suitable for those in specialization phases or who recover rapidly.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Progression over time is crucial. You can add small amounts of weight or repetitions each week, but be cautious not to increase too much too quickly to avoid injury. Tracking your progress is essential to ensure you're challenging yourself appropriately.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
If you can't match or beat your previous performance in two consecutive sessions, it indicates that your cumulative fatigue is too high, and it's time to either deload or adjust your training volume to allow for recovery.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Training should be intense enough to exceed your minimum effective volume, which means you should feel a pump and some soreness after workouts.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Most people can only sustain high-frequency training for about 4 to 8 weeks before needing a deload due to accumulated systemic fatigue.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Beginners can train for a year without needing a deload because they don't accumulate enough fatigue due to their lower strength levels.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Advanced lifters often need to deload after heavy lifts like deadlifts, which can be extremely fatiguing, sometimes only training heavy once every two to three weeks.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
When designing a training split, ensure that the exercises complement each other to maintain high-quality training throughout the workout.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
It's ineffective to train legs and then chest in the same session, as leg workouts can exhaust your energy for upper body exercises.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Pairing smaller muscle groups like biceps with legs can work well because bicep training doesn't significantly fatigue the body.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
The effectiveness of a training split depends on how well the muscle groups work together and whether they allow for adequate recovery between sessions.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Motivation is a complex construct that includes inspiration, habit, and willpower, and it can be influenced by surrounding yourself with positive influences.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Setting specific, realistic goals can enhance motivation, as motivation is often defined as the drive towards achieving a goal.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
To maintain motivation, lower barriers to entry for training, such as finding a gym closer to home or training with partners.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
If you have to ask how to get motivated to go to the gym, it may indicate that you don't truly want to be there; genuine desire is key.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
Sleep is critical for recovery; if you're chronically underslept, it undermines your training efforts regardless of your program or diet.
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Dr. Mike Israetel
02/13/24
@ Chris Williamson
To gain muscle, you need to ensure you're consuming enough nutrients, training hard enough, and allowing for proper recovery.