As part of quality training, muscle gain is often one of the goals of some athletes.Among the various strategies to achieve this is the famous congestion.
This is a mechanism for the human body to ensure better muscle growth. Nevertheless, it relies on many parameters and is slightly complex. Moreover, it is not easy to achieve muscle congestion without considerable effort. This method implies a certain technicality.
All about congestion
It is important to specify that a congested muscle is defined as a muscle inflated by effort. To obtain such a result, the muscle has been strongly solicited and exposed to important tensions. Indeed, the phenomenon of congestion is obtained by a contraction of the muscles over a certain duration. The tension exerted will act at the heart of the muscle, in particular by stressing the blood vessels.
Blood will then leak out of the vessels and become lodged in the muscle cells. This phenomenon is generally at the origin of the voluminous aspect of the muscles of certain athletes. This will be preserved as long as the athlete continues to maintain these physical efforts until the blood is completely evacuated.
The mechanism by which congestion works is therefore very simple. It is the means by which a muscle receives the nutrients it needs to grow. A phase that is important in muscle reconstruction during training. This is because the muscle recovers more and gains mass, hence its growth.
The process of building muscle
Ensuring good muscle growth is not an easy task. Congestion and other factors do indeed allow for greater mass gain that is maintained over time. But you have to know how to do it properly. People who plan to gain through the mechanism of congestion must know the basics.
To achieve good muscle congestion, the intensity of the contraction is the key factor. The greater the pressure exerted on the muscles, the more results the person will achieve. Generally speaking, good congestion occurs if a muscle is put under high pressure during a series of exercises.
For this purpose, it is recommended to use heavy loads that an athlete can lift and lower in 5 to 10 repetitions. Instead of choosing light loads used for 15 or even 30 repetitions. The goal is to increase the loads and only do short sets. In this way, it is easier to gain volume because the targeted areas are worked more.
Parameters to know for a good muscular congestion
Each person's body can react differently depending on the type of training they undergo. It is therefore important to know that congestion does not only allow you to gain volume. In some cases, it helps to gain strength. There are then parameters to take into consideration to make sure that you do a good taper correctly:
- The quality of the training
Whatever the objectives of a congestion, the quality of the training is the most important factor in ensuring that it takes place. Indeed, it is possible that the congestion phenomenon does not occur despite the efforts made. If the athlete does not notice any change after several sessions, the quality of the training should be reviewed. This may include the way the person performs the exercises: with imprecise and incorrect movements. The problem of quality can also be found in the insufficient number of repetitions or the type of exercise that does not suit the person's morphology.
- A bad eating habit
Diet is one of the pillars of good training and quality muscle building. It plays an important role in the muscle building mechanism. Without the right nutrients, the muscles cannot develop properly. Carbohydrates, for example, are essential for muscle health. Therefore, a healthy diet is necessary to ensure that the body, and in particular the muscles, receive all the nutrients they need to build muscle.
- The level of training
The point that many people forget in the phenomenon of congestion is its status as an athlete. Indeed, for beginners this mechanism may not operate immediately. This method of gaining volume is more recommended for athletes whose muscle volume is already important and who want to increase it tenfold. It is important to remember that the larger the muscle, the stronger the congestion phenomenon. Therefore, people whose level of training is still low or even beginner will have to be patient before obtaining concrete results.
- Overtraining
This parameter is often neglected by some athletes. However, overtraining can be the cause of a lack of congestion. Indeed, by forcing on a training the muscles do not have time to recover and the feelings of congestion will not be felt anymore. It is therefore essential to allow the muscles to rebuild themselves or risk causing damage.
What is the right training to increase congestion?
It should be noted that there is special training to develop the congestion mechanism. Two types of training are recommended so that the blood can flow to the muscles to provide them with all the necessary nutrients:
- Longer sets: In addition to the strength of the contractions exerted on the muscles, the sets should also be longer. To properly work the congestion of a muscle, you should consider repetitions of between 15 and 20 times. However, this method is suitable for athletes who have mastered the technique and are well experienced;
- As few breaks as possible: Reducing the break time helps to conserve the blood flowing through the vessels between the muscles. By linking series and exercises, the athlete's muscles will not have time to evacuate. As a result, they will be constantly pumped for the duration of the workout.
For greater efficiency, it is advisable to adopt this congestion training at the beginning of a weight training session. A method that will not only serve as a warm-up but will provide more results to a workout.
Some food supplements such as nitric oxide can help with this muscle congestion.
