Full-Stacking Like A Pro

Understanding the principles and science behind resistance training, reaching a goal intensity (weight) to lift is certainly possible. Full stacking machines are not out of the realm of possibility but require consistency, a workout routine, applying principles of weight training, and rest days. Reaching a heavy weight to lift should always be done with a steady progressive approach to avoid injury and the possibility of developing stretch marks. 


Consistency and Workout Routine: Are important because an individual needs to ensure they're accomplishing their workouts with the volume (repetitions) and intensity (weight) being lifted for an exercise. It's vital to keep track of the volume (repetitions) and intensity (weight) for each exercise in order to promote physical adaptations that will help an individual progress forward and achieve results. A workout is both physically and mentally tiring and can lead to an individual lifting the incorrect weight or performing the incorrect amount of repetitions for an exercise. Writing down workouts, with volume and intensity for exercises, will help an individual consistently lift the right amount for each exercise and will provide them with a reference for the next exercise. This will also help promote physical adaptations as intensity and repetitions will change over time, which will introduce a new stimulus to the muscles, which will create a shock/shaky feeling. This is a positive sign of a physical adaptation occurring. The body will then become comfortable with the increase in weight and repetitions will require a few more training sessions at the same weight with an increase in volume. This will prepare your body for the next increase in weight and will allow the bones, tendons, and ligaments time to develop more density to handle the intensity. It will also allow skin to grow around the new muscle created to avoid stretch marks. Stretch marks occur when the muscle grows faster than the skin around it. This training approach is vital in order for the body to adapt and keep progressing forward.

Rest days are crucial in training to help the body recover, restore its energy levels, and repair the muscle fibres from a training session. 48 hours of rest is required before the same muscle group is trained again. This will help to avoid overtraining and prevent injuries. Overtraining may occur when the body does not get enough rest between training sessions or by training the same muscle group/exercise too frequently throughout the week. If you’re really eager to get to a goal lifting weight, you may have a workout program where that exercise is included in the week more than once. 

A great resource to utilize when progressing towards a goal lifting weight are ACCESSORY exercises. Accessory exercises are exercises that isolate and train muscle groups that help perform a lift. These exercises should be included in the workout routine to increase lifting power for the desired exercise. They can be performed more frequently because the muscle groups are smaller and are less physically demanding on your body. They are typically one-joint exercises (triceps extensions, bicep curls, leg extensions, lateral raises). These are great substitution exercises to avoid overtraining for compound (multi-joint) lifts. Weight training machines also have many benefits that include: a safe position, balanced weight, less technical than free weights, and less intimidating, which can be a good starting point for a newcomer or another option for an experienced individual.

The above items of consistency, workout routine (tracking workouts and volume and intensity), applying principles of resistance training, rest days, and avoiding overtraining will help an individual reach their goal lifting weight. Each item is important as reaching the goal weight will take time and energy, but with a steady and progressive approach, lifting weight will be reached.

To learn more about the principles of resistance training please visit: https://dietfithealth.com/pages/principles-of-resistance-training