Building muscle without strain this year


My plan this year, like it was last year, is to gain ten pounds of muscle. But unlike last year I'll be focusing on avoiding strain. And it's a delicate balance!

Of course no one wants to get hurt, but you gotta challenge your muscles if you want them to grow. If you do too little they'll stay the same, or even get smaller (atrophy). If you do too much you will strain them, so it takes some careful consideration.

Luckily for me I'm not a numbers person, and I have no interest in what most people call "left brain" stuff. No "how much do ya bench?" for me! Instead I have a good sense of how my body feels, and what it can do at any given time. Right now it's about 7 am and I'm just waking up, drinking some coffee and talking to you. Overall, I'm feeling kinda stiff, but with some gentle movement I'll loosen up my muscles as the day progresses.

I start every morning with an evaluation of how I feel. I did some pressing movements yesterday so I'm a bit sore in my chest and back, but nothing serious - and no lower back pain (which is wonderful!). It's Friday, which is a Recovery Day for me, so other than some pedaling around, and maybe some light stretching, I won't be doing much today except eating, and probably having a nap later on.

I'll let you know how it goes.

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