Things were going great-until I started to read!

[nugg]

Many theories have been in place regarding training volumes, magical splits, rep ranges etc.

I was going along just fine until I started reading everything I could get my hands on with regards to training. If there is a book out there- I have read it- . All have their opinions for what is the greatest workout etc.

I have come to the crossroads in my Physique/Strength building life. I am well aware that with my genetics I will never be a competitive bodybuilder or even confused with one.

We as a community (strength trainers) are always looking for the golden egg, I am here to lay the sad news on you-

It doesn't exist.

If in fact we take the focus off of the usual 3 sets of 10 till failure
or 2 sets of 8 and a strip set for 6 more etc. In place of this endless quest for a scientific response, replace numbers with the following

Effort + Intensity + Focus + Common sense = Bigger Muscles

Starting from the back forward

Common sense tells us many things.

1. Everyone is different

2. Everyone’s body responds differently to different stimulus

3.You cant train at an adequate intensity to illicit changes within your body for longer than 90 minutes.

4. You cant train the same body part everyday and expect to continue to get great results nonstop.

5. The harder the exercise, the better it is for your body to illicit changes (hypertrophy)

6.If you want to get a big bench (squat, dead etc) then do those exercises. Your body will will get good at what you do regularly.

7. You are not going to get shredded and grow huge at the same time.

8. Pick one major exercise Bench,Chin,squat,dead,military press etc and do it every time you train that muscle- and most times do it first in the workout. Try to improve every week,even by a quarter rep.

What comes after these major lifts is just gravy--- flys, extensions, supersets, triple drop sets are all fine, based on your recovery ability.

9. Periodize.

9a. On occasion- train till failure, do partials, negatives, speed work, high volume, low volume.

Whatever keeps you interested is the key - not particularly what you do!


10. Cardio and Diet will help you lose fat


Focus

Focus not on your next exercise, next rep or what your missing outside the gym

Instead, focus on this moment, this very rep, this very portion of the rep- do this and you will much better off.




Intensity + Effort

Effort and intensity can be coupled into the same category

Working out, giving it your all - you know the all "athlete" "ism's" they ring more true in the world of bodybuilding than any other place.

Effort is the answer to all of your bodybuilding questions-

Can't lose fat- you are not trying hard enough
(besides medical)

Your diet is slipping, you are misinformed, you are not doing cardio etc.

At the end of your workout, look back and ask yourself -

Did I give it my all?

Then proceed to look in the mirror.

Your answer will be there every few weeks.


Good luck


Nugg

 

[riskybizz007]

good points presented... A good lifter IMO knows the above, one still learning needs to get that info and start utilizing it.

Only one thing i would add to intensity. This gave me maximal growth naturally. I read a few articles on intensity where professionals would say they've been working out for years and each time they achieve a higher level of intensity they look back at the before level and say to themselves, that really wasn't intense this is! And they keep climbing up that intensity ladder, and it takes years and years and people still keep climbing, you have to IMO.

I took this info to the heart a couple of years ago, and i made my biggest gains like this, both in strength and size. This really works very good if you have a consistent workout partner and he knows your limits.

Some of you may think i'm nuts but there's a point past pain, it's called passing your pain threshold, and iMO that's where you grow best when you reach that point. Obviously you can't train like that all the time and have to cycle it. But when you feel the pain and feel you can't do anymore, that's when you're just starting. You will need a spotter. But like i said, this has worked excellent for me. To me, that's intensity.