Micro-Loading - Tiny Steps to Huge Muscle Gains
At it's most basic level, building muscle mass is all about placing a higher demand on your muscles.
More repetitions and more sets have their uses to an extent, but the overload method we're most familiar with is that of adding more weight.
When a person first starts lifting, the gains come thick and fast: each session we seem to go in bigger and stronger.
Gradually, this tapers off and it's not uncommon to find people whom haven't made any real progress in years because no matter what they try, they just can't seem to put any more weight on the bar.
Or, can they? When the lowest denomination of weight at a gym is too much to overcome, it can seem like you've hit a brick wall and nothing you ever do is going to allow you to overcome it.
But, there is: Micro-loading.
Micro-loading is the method of adding a tiny amount of weight to a lift; much smaller than the regular lowest denominator.
An amount small enough to allow you to complete the lift.
In effect, it's simply progress with baby steps, but it's progress which can continue indefinitely.
How do you micro-load? Well, anything goes.
You can purchase especially made Plate Mates® which are basically small magnetic weight plates which fit on the end of the bar, snug against the regular plates.
Or, even any kind of magnets.
In fact, by going on eBay and purchasing 2 sets of different sized magnets you can have your own very flexible range of micro-weights.
If you have been stuck at a plateau for a long time, it's bound to not only be a physical issue but a psychological one, and most people find once they break through a plateau they begin making bigger progress again, so don't assume you'll have to micro-load permanently to make gains, that will likely not be the case.
More repetitions and more sets have their uses to an extent, but the overload method we're most familiar with is that of adding more weight.
When a person first starts lifting, the gains come thick and fast: each session we seem to go in bigger and stronger.
Gradually, this tapers off and it's not uncommon to find people whom haven't made any real progress in years because no matter what they try, they just can't seem to put any more weight on the bar.
Or, can they? When the lowest denomination of weight at a gym is too much to overcome, it can seem like you've hit a brick wall and nothing you ever do is going to allow you to overcome it.
But, there is: Micro-loading.
Micro-loading is the method of adding a tiny amount of weight to a lift; much smaller than the regular lowest denominator.
An amount small enough to allow you to complete the lift.
In effect, it's simply progress with baby steps, but it's progress which can continue indefinitely.
How do you micro-load? Well, anything goes.
You can purchase especially made Plate Mates® which are basically small magnetic weight plates which fit on the end of the bar, snug against the regular plates.
Or, even any kind of magnets.
In fact, by going on eBay and purchasing 2 sets of different sized magnets you can have your own very flexible range of micro-weights.
If you have been stuck at a plateau for a long time, it's bound to not only be a physical issue but a psychological one, and most people find once they break through a plateau they begin making bigger progress again, so don't assume you'll have to micro-load permanently to make gains, that will likely not be the case.
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