In the previous article of this series, “Gain Weight & Muscle With High Frequency, pt. 1”, I began detailing why the popular belief of only training a muscle group once a week may not be the “optimum training frequency” if you are after muscular size and development….not necessarily strength.

In order to understand this concept, you’ll have to realize that muscle strength does not equal muscle size.

A stronger muscle is not necessarily a bigger muscle.

That’s why, again, you can’t go off of studies that allegedly prove that less frequent training leads to greater gains in strength….which then most assume leads to greater gains in physical size.

Now, going onto this article…

Another thing to consider is that most think that because your muscular strength may not fully recover its strength unless you give that body part several days of complete rest, up to a week (sometimes more), that it must also mean that your muscular size and development hasn’t completed it’s recovery-growth cycle either.

Here’s the thing, your nervous system is what controls the force signal that generates the power a muscle can exert, along with being efficient at recruiting motor units and leverage mechanics…all of which have nothing to do with a muscle becoming larger in size.

The endocrine system, on the other hand, is what controls the different hormones in your body, like testosterone, growth hormone, insulin, IGF-1, etc.

Now, the nervous system takes much longer than the endocrine system to recover.

Unlike the nervous system, the endocrine system can recover rather quickly.

Sometimes within hours.

Now, what is more important in the building of muscle mass and gaining weight…the nervous system or the endocrine system?

By far, the endocrine system.

It’s more important to have high hormone levels to build up muscle than it is to have stronger nerve signals (that are pretty much just for lifting heavier weight).

Doubtful?

Ask yourself, what is it that professional bodybuilders that take steroids inject in order to build slabs of muscle mass?

Is it “nerve enhancers”?

No.

It’s hormones…..like testosterone, growth hormone, substances like insulin, etc……the exact hormones that the endocrine system puts out!

So, again, realize that the human physiology systems that regulate muscular gain, like the endocrine system, can recover quickly, much quicker than the nervous system.

This means that your muscle can grow in size at a faster rate than it can in strength, if you do things right.

(Seems like almost all other workout programs do things backwards…you get the strength gains first and faster than you do the size gains.)

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather look like I can lift 600 pounds than to be able to actually lift it, yet not look like I even workout.

That’s why you see so many individuals that they’ve been weight training for years, yet how often do strangers come up to them and ask them if they workout?

Hardly ever, because the bodybuilding workout plan they’ve been using may be making them stronger, but not bigger.

So, the point of this article in regards to finding the “optimum training frequency” is:

Even though it may take a muscle many days of recovery to be able to get stronger, it takes a very small amount of recovery time for a muscle to be able to grow, many times a day or less!

Meaning, that the “optimum training frequency”, if you are trying to gain weight and build muscle mass, should be more often than once a week, way more…..more on this in the next article.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Perez
Cleveland Firefighter
Certified ACE / IAFF / IAFC Firefighter Peer Fitness Trainer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Perez has written many articles exposing the many weight training and diet myths being spread about in the bodybuilding industry and on the internet.

His eBook, "From Skinny To Muscular!", has helped many naturally skinny individuals gain muscle size and weight by detailing the training strategies and eating techniques that actually work at building muscle, instead of strength.

Many of Jonathan's other articles are located at www.FromSkinnyToMuscular.com/articles.html.

Muscle Building Secrets Revealed