Training To Failure

This week sees the beginning of a hard training week. Training almost to the point where muscles have nothing left to give. Refuelling with high protein and carbohydrate drinks and food. Whats the point of that?

Well...each time your muscles reach the point of failure - the point at which they can physically exert no more energy (not the point when you think you are too tired) - your body has to repair that muscle but as it knows its been overworked it develops new muscle fibres in the hope that those new fibres will allow you to perform better, faster and more efficiently.

So whats that mean in terms of training? Cycling a minimum of 20 miles a night. Lifting weights at home (free weights such as dumbbells and barbells with no end caps).

A few friends have commented in the past about my lifting weights at home without a spotter - specially as I quite often lift more than I weigh. My retort to that is I always lift those heavy weights with no end caps. The weights stay on the bar purely through their own resistance and my lifting form. IF I should fail at any point the weights would slip off the bar on one end and leave me able to get out without any serious injury!

But all that training is no use if you are not eating right. I've posted numerous times on what my diet consists of so I wont do it again but remember: You need enough carbs to fuel your exercise, and enough protein to be able to rebuild those damaged muscle fibres!