Scientific Definition of Variation

VARIATION SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION The principle of variation is not “shocking the muscle” or “switching things up” or “muscle confusion,” though the latter term, bro as it is, comes a bit closer to reality. In order to understand what variation is and why it’s useful, we have to begin with a short working definition and then describe two fundamental concepts within that definition. The brief definition of variation is: “The manipulation of training variables to prevent staleness and injury and to magnify the long-term adaptive response to training.” Variation can be created through basic changes to the training program: • Changes in volume ranges (low, moderate, high) • Changes in intensity ranges (low, moderate, high) • Changes in repetition ranges and metabolite loads (low, moderate, high) • Changes in exercise selection (leg press vs. front squat) • Changes in frequency (low, moderate, high) • Changes in velocity (moderate, fast, maximal) Smaller changes like those in exercise order can also matter, but make a likely tiny difference and will be omitted from this discussion for the purpose of economy. The two fundamental concepts critical to understanding the principle of variation are “negative feedback loops” and “adaptive resistance.” Once both are well defined and described, variation can seem rather obvious and quite straightforward. N E G AT I V E F E E D B A C K L O O P S There are two main types of feedback loops within biological systems; positive feedback and negative feedback. Positive feedback loops are characterized by processes in which the product of the process leads to an increased rate of production of that same product. When a blood clot forms, it signals the formation of other blood clots to form in the immediate area. As those clots form, they signal still more blood clots to form, and the wound is closed off to bleeding at a (thankfully) rapid pace due to the exponential growth of clotting in that area. More clots lead to more clots which further lead to even more clots. To use a social analogy, if one fan starts a chant at the stadium, fans nearby may pick it up and begin chanting, which gives the chant even more exposure and leads to the whole side of the stadium chanting in mere seconds. More chanting leads to more chanting. If positive feedback loops were the dominant form of regulatory process in muscle growth and strength enhancement, we’d all be like the Super Saiyans from Dragonball Z and the whole universe would probably have been destroyed by Ed Coan long ago. Unfortunately, the primary form of regulatory process in strength development is the negative feedback loop. Negative feedback loops also detect the amount of product made by the system, but instead of signaling for more production with more product as positive feedback loops do, the opposite occurs. The more product negative feedback loops detect, the more powerfully they suppress the system creating that product. This leads to a balancing act that conserves homeostasis as opposed to spreading events like wildfire. There are a huge number of examples of negative feedback loops in the body, and we’ll look at many of the ones directly related to muscle growth and strength gain shortly. For now, a quick example in the body and one outside of it just to iron out the basic patterns of negative feedback loops. Food consumption can be a simple way to understand negative feedback in the body. The more you eat, the more various hunger-suppressing hormones are produced. Thus, the more you eat, the less hungry you become. You might be skeptical of this analogy until you try to purposefully gain weight. It’s all fun and games until you’re eating 7,000 calories per day and you literally forget what hunger ever felt like because it’s been weeks since you’ve experienced it. A simple example of negative feedback not in the human body is actually that of the home thermostat. If the thermostat is set at 65 degrees Fahrenheit and we open the living room door to let in some summer breeze, the AC will turn on and begin to cool the house. If we close the door and let the AC run for a couple of minutes, the temperature will fall back down to 65 degrees and the AC will turn off. More cold air lead to a decrease in cold air production. A D A P T I V E R E S I S TA N C E Negative feedback loops are critical for mainlining proper levels of hydration (thirst), feeding (hunger), and a host of other critical functions. As well as those life-preserving basics, negative feedback loops also govern the function of adaptations. Every system in the human body that chronically adapts to stimuli is governed by negative feedback loops. The more your technique improves, the harder technical improvements become. The more muscle you grow, the harder further muscle growth becomes. The more force your nervous system can get out of your muscles, the tougher it is to get further enhancements, and so on.