If you are a male assisted bodybuilder, there’s no doubt you will have heard of the post show magical phase in which you can add some quality tissue in a short period of time. This is because as we pull body fat levels down to low levels, the body becomes very sensitive to changes in nutrients, but also hormones

On the occasional consultation call, I can often be asked about the frequency with which I change my clients’ programmes, to which my response is usually “whenever it needs to be changed”. This might seem blunt but let me explain. The model I follow is that of progressive overload, and as such, of increasing mechanical load over time on the muscle(s).

For the most part, it’s commonly accepted in the bodybuilding world that you need to get stronger over time to gain new muscle mass. Although there are many different methods of approaching this goal in the industry, the concept itself isn’t disputed. However, whilst most people logically understand this idea, their application of it can be quite poor, leading to plateaus, injuries, or poor accuracy in training.