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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s contribution to the world of bodybuilding is boundless and next to none. And yet the 75-year-old bodybuilder still continues to distribute tips and advice from the large bank of bodybuilding knowledge he has accumulated over the years. Most recently, the Austrian Oak advised his young readers to follow a certain time interval gap routine while lifting weights. It will help develop muscles in a much more effective way, ensuring there is no halt to their growth.

In his recent newsletter ‘Arnold’s Pump Club’, Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about the “4-1-1 method”. He backed it with research to explain how this technique helps create more tension, thus leading to more muscular growth.

Arnold Schwarzenegger never runs out of ingenious solutions

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Schwarzenegger starts off the section in his newsletter with, “Training 4-1-1 (And Other Tips and Techniques)” as a way for people to overcome muscle stagnation. Bodybuilders, after a while, are often stuck with the same muscle size despite working extremely hard. This is because they keep exercising with the same weights over a long period of time.

via Imago

Schwarzenegger said, “You must use progressive resistance. Your body adapts and improves by making each workout harder than the last. Too often, people show up and work hard, but they do the same reps and sets on every exercise”. But however, since not everyone can actually continue lifting with increased weights, there is another way to go about it. Enter the “4-1-1 tempo”. Each indicates the number of seconds one should spend while doing various sections of weightlifting.

READ MORE – Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger Shares Simple Dumbbell Workout in Latest Newsletter

Schwarzenegger writes, “The first number (4) refers to how many seconds you should take to lower a weight”. This includes the body weight of the person. He continues, “The second number (1) tells you how long to pause at the bottom. And the third number (1) indicates how quickly you should return to the starting position”. This increased time spent with the same heavy weights will ensure more impact being generated on the muscles.

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The ways in which the 4-1-1 method can benefit the muscles

7X Mr. Olympia explains how the motion forces the body to provide an incredible stretch. He writes, “The ‘flex’ portion of a lift gets all the glory”. However, “the lowering portion helps you add more strength and creates more tension, which is a key part of muscular growth”, adds Schwarzenegger. He justifies the notion that an exercise becomes much harder once its motion is lowered enough. Hence, the 4-1-1 method. Incidentally, it also helps protect the knee joints and reduce any chances of injury.

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With this bit of weightlifting tip, it is safe to say that Schwarzenegger’s newsletter continues to change lives and inspire more and more people to focus on their physical health. Growing muscles and developing one’s body are one of the prime factors in it.

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