Lesson 1: More exercise DOES NOT equal more results

Most people have a number of misconceptions about physical training. If I had to pick one misconception that needs to be addressed, first, in order to get the trainee started on the right path to health and fitness, it would be the idea that more exercise equals more results.

It seems so simple. Exercise of any kind does lead to good results (save for exercise protocols that lead to high ratios of injury), and so it seems to make sense that if exercise, in and of itself, is good, then more exercise is better. However, this line of thinking is fallacious, for a number of different reasons.

The most important thing to understand about the concept that more exercise DOES NOT lead to better results, is the fact that physical changes to the body do not occur during exercise. Exercise is merely THE STIMULUS for the changes that will take place in the days (and sometimes weeks) after the exercise has been performed.

Take a moment to think about that last paragraph and let that information soak in. Physical changes do not occur DURING exercise, they occur AFTER (and therefore BEFORE) exercise.

This fact cannot be emphasized enough, and how it influences how we exercise is that we need to ensure we're allowing the body adequate amounts of rest. If we exert our bodies hard enough, it will need AT LEAST 3-5 days to fully recuperate. If you're like me, you may need 7-10 days to fully recover. Some will need more, others less, but the vast majority of people will fall somewhere between the 3-10 day expectation. If you exercise again before your body has fully recovered, you will interrupt the changes your body is in the process of making, and you will not see the best results in the least amount of time your genetics will allow. Exercise scientists refer to this process as the catabolic/anabolic balance. When you exert yourself with enough intensity, several systems in your body break down and become momentarily weaker--this is the catabolic stage. When your body is resting and in the process of rebuilding itself up and making itself stronger, this is referred to as the anabolic stage. When you hear about "anabolic steroids" they are referred to as such, because they reinforce and boost the anabolic processes in the body--hence the physiques that are made possible by their usage. So the important thing to keep in mind is that you don't want to interrupt the anabolic process before it has completed its job, otherwise your body will be in a constant catabolic state, and you will technically be "overtraining."

One way to think about this process is to think about the process you're involved in when you're baking cookies. Exercise is like mixing the dough. It's when all the hard work is done, and when all the potential for results is produced. Sticking the cookies in the oven is like allowing the body to get proper rest after the exercise stimulus. If you pull the cookies from the oven too soon, they will still be soft dough, and the cookies will not have set like you wanted them to. Just the same, if you exercise again too soon, your body will still not have had long enough to "bake" properly.

When we take into consideration the importance of rest (or FREQUENCY of exercise), we must also consider the importance of exercise VOLUME. Frequency determines how often we work out. Volume determines how long and much exercise we do when we do work out. Because rest is so important, along with frequency, we have to ensure not to work out too much for too long when we exercise. Science has told us, repeatedly,  that one set of each exercise movement to failure provides all the stimulation needed to induce muscle and strength gains. With enough INTENSITY, any more volume is, at best, not any more effective, and, at worst, detrimental to strength and muscle gains.

If we look at this situation as an equation or a ratio, it would be that as the INTENSITY of exercise increases, FREQUENCY and VOLUME must decrease, in order to prevent overtraining.

Now, I know that some people may be wondering why, if what I wrote is true, then how come there are people all over the internet, and all over the planet, who have impressive physiques when they don't follow the same principles I have laid out here. There are many reasons why this is the case. The most important factor in how effective exercise will be for a person is each person's genetics. I will go into this in more detail during my next blog post, but just know, for now, that some people are simply born with more genetic advantages than the rest of us. Exercise is no different from any other activity. Athletes like Lebron James are primarily born athletic. They are not made. As a 5'7" descendant of short, mostly unathletic ancestors, no amount of practice will make me a basketball player who is as good as Lebron James. He was born with the proper gifts. I was not. The same goes for exercise. Some people respond better to exercise than others, and just about any kind of strength training would generate positive responses in that person's body. The important thing to keep in mind is that even the genetically gifted would get similar or better results from working out more intensely, but less frequently. Basically, the question isn't "what works?" because most exercise protocols work. The question is, "What works most efficiently" and proper High Intensity Training so far has to hold the edge in this domain.

The other factor we have to consider is the proliferation of so-called performance enhancing drugs. The aforementioned anabolic steroids, along with substances such as human growth hormone and insulin allow individuals to achieve physiques and fitness levels they wouldn't otherwise be capable of. If a body looks too good to be true, it probably is. This isn't to say we all can't develop good or even great physiques, just that we have to be careful not to be hoodwinked by scam artists with 6-pack abs. 

References:

Carpinelli RN, Otto RM, Winett RA. A Critical Analysis of the ACSM Position Stand on Resistance Training: Insufficient Evidence to Support Recommended Training Protocols. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 2004;7(3):1-60

Fisher J, Steele J, Bruce-Low S, Smith D. Evidence Based Resistance Training Recommendations. Medicine Sportiva Med Sport 01/2011; 15:147-162.

Maisch B, Baum E, Grimm W. Die Auswirkungen dynamischen Krafttrainings nach dem Nautilus-Prinzip auf kardiozirkulatorische Parameter und Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit (The effects of resistance training according to the Nautilus principles on cardiocirculatory parameters and endurance). Angenommen vom Fachbereich Humanmedizin der Philipps-Universität Marburg am 11. Dezember 2003

Smith D, Bruce-Low, S. Strength Training Methods and The Work of Arthur Jones. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 2004;7(6): 52-68

Westcott WL, Winett RA, Anderson ES, Wojcik JR, Loud RL, Cleggett E, Glover S. Effects of regular and slow speed resistance training on muscle strength. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 2001 Jun;41(2):154-8