Mistake #1 – Focusing too much on the “mind-muscle connection”

Everywhere you read, the “big” guys say that you need to focus on the “mind muscle connection” in order to stimulate massive growth. This form of thinking is only partly true and grossly overstated because the only true way to establish a mind-muscle connection is by lifting light loads with slow tempos and having to really concentrate and focus on the contraction.

Does this sound like something you’ve been told before?

Well, what they are leaving out is that some muscles work in conjunction with others while some only serve one unique purpose. And the only true way to understanding how to fire a muscle optimally for massive muscle growth is by understanding it’s proper bi0-mechanical function. When you understand this, then firing that specific body-part becomes effortless.

Now if you’re thinking “what about slow tempos for increased time under tension?”

I’ll give it to you straight…if your true 1 rep max on the bench press is 275 lbs, then a working set using a slow tempo with a 3-4 second negative might look something like 175 lbs or even less than this. Think you’ll be forcing a muscular adaption by lifting only 135 pounds when your true max is 275?

Doubtful.

Unless you’re still a newbie and can grow like a weed just by looking at the weights.

Now how can you stimulate the muscle and REALLY establish that effortless mind-muscle connection like a bolt of electricity striking a metal object?

Simply by stimulating your central nervous system with higher intensity (closer to max effort) lifts.

Think of it like 20 people all on the count of 3 trying to lift a car as opposed to just 5 people trying to lift the car every 5 seconds. It’s not an efficient unit.

Maximum efficiency = Maximum Stimulation = Maximum Growth

Mistake #2 – The Bro Split (Chest Monday, Back Tuesday, Legs Wednesday, Etc)

I’m willing to bet a lot of money that one of the first programs you ever did was the classic bro-split which consisted of splitting up your body-parts throughout the week…

Am I correct?

Well guess what?

This style of training is one of the worst ways to stimulate muscle growth for the average, natural trainee who’s blown past his newbie gains.

These body-part splits work, but only for the advanced guy loading up on steroids.

The real key to sufficient, natural muscle growth at an accelerated rate is frequency, which has been shown time and time again to elevate protein synthesis beyond baseline levels.

And the higher rate of protein synthesis or what we like to call “protein-turnover,” equals an accelerated growth environment.

That is why steroids work so well because they jack up your rate of protein synthesis to super-human levels.

Now will you be able to get the same effect just through training?

Hate to burst your bubble, but no.

However, you can increase this effect like I stated before through an increase in frequency.

Now there are certain training variables you have to manipulate (and we’ll get to those in a second), but it can be (and should be) done.

The idea that training a muscle group 6x per week, might sound crazy, but it’s well within your limits. Just take a look at these Bulgarian Olympic lifters who squat sometimes 6x per day? Crazy right?

And it’s not because of their genetics or use of performance enhancing drugs…

It all has to do with their program structure. Something that you’re going to discover in just a few moments…

Mistake #3 –Chasing the Pain

And last but not least, the idea that “chasing the pain” or “going hard or go home” is the only option for pure muscle growth, is one of the biggest, bone-headed myths that any natural trainee can make.

I followed that “hardcore” way of training for a few months in the beginning and the only thing that ended up happening was time off from the gym due to numerous muscle and tendon strains.

Plus, my motivation to even workout took a sharp decline because of CNS fatigue and overload.

For example, if the “chasing the burn” was so effective, then why doesn’t everyone just perform pick up 15 pound dumbbells and knock out sets of 15-20 all of the time?

Because it doesn’t work and neither does going to failure all the time.

If you can leave just a little bit of gas in the tank after each set, in the end your total workload (reps x weight lifted) will be much higher.

Take a look at this example below…

Let’s say you walk into the gym and you are aiming to push 225 lbs on the bench for 3 sets, here is what it might look like for someone who is training to failure.

Set # 1 – 225 lbs x 8

Set #2 – 225 lbs x 5

Set #3 – 225 lbs x 3

In this example, the trainee went to failure on the first set. This single set has significantly fatigued his CNS and thus his second set suffered. Since he is still training to failure and did so in order to reach those 5 reps, he is further taxing his CNS. I think by now you can understand why he was only able to push for 3 reps on the last set. I think it would also be worth mentioning that any exercises he performs after the bench press will suffer as well.

Total Workload: If we calculate his total workload, it comes to 3600.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have a trainee who is aiming to push 225 lbs on the bench for 3 sets, but will not train to failure.

Set #1 – 225 lbs x 6

Set #2 – 225 lbs x 6

Set #3 – 225 lbs x 5-6

In this example, the trainee was still potentiated after his first set, thus his second set did not suffer. Now, after two pretty intense sets he may not be as potentiated, but certainly not fatigued.

Total Workload: 3825-4050