Work SMARTER: The Importance of Setting Goals

The biggest complaint I hear from people who engage in any sort of physical training is “I’m just not getting any better, I don’t know what to do!” Sometimes it’s a case that they aren’t getting stronger, or they aren’t getting bigger, or faster, or more ripped – and more often than not it’s a fixable problem to do with that person’s diet or training programs. As I’ve said in my articles on periodization - not planning out how you’ll improve is just a recipe for failure.

But what if the reason you aren’t improving is even more basic than that? What if you aren’t just failing to plan how to reach a goal, but you’re not actually setting any goals in the first place?

It’s easy to do, and it happens to everybody - even experienced lifters. After years of hitting the iron hard it becomes so ingrained in who you are that you sometimes lift for the sake of it. You enjoy the process and you’ve always done it, so why stop?

But sometimes you do stop. How many times have you thought, in between this new superset of squats and deadlifts, “Why the hell do I do this to myself? It’s not doing anything!!” Be honest.

It’s time to work SMARTER not harder. The first step along the path to success is knowing where the path leads, because without that you will just end up walking around in circles! Sometimes you’ll take a step in the right direction, but more often than not you won’t know either way.

Working SMARTER is by no means a new concept, in fact many articles have been written using exactly the same acronym for the purpose of goal setting. Though i didn't come up with this myself, it certainly bears repeating:

Specific

Measurable

Adjustable

Realistic

Timed

Exciting

Recorded

 

Working SMARTER is your ticket to meaningful training, and by the end of this article I hope you incorporate this process before starting any training program in the future. It’s a simple method to focus your efforts so no rep is wasted. Lets look at those steps more closely:

 

SPECIFIC

First thing’s first – what do you want? What do you REALLY want? And not only that, but what do you want right now? Most people answer this question like a child in a toy store “I want that, that, and that, and that and oh that too!!!” I understand you want to be strong, fast, ripped, big, and great in bed all at once but unless you’re a genetic superman with 30 hours a day and limitless resources you will not achieve all those goals at the same time.

If this sounds like you the harsh reality is that you need to be decisive and pick one thing to focus on at any one time. Either focus your efforts and achieve something, or dilute your efforts and achieve nothing. The old adage “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind here.

Once you’ve picked the general area you want to focus on it might be necessary to get even more specific. What exactly do you want to do? For some goals “Put on muscle mass” is as deep as you need to go, but for others “Get stronger at the bench press” might be more apt than “Get stronger”. Similarly, “Get fitter” might not be as useful to some people as the more specific “Improve aerobic fitness for swimming” for example. Look at your goals and what you want to achieve and make it as specific or detailed as you can.

 

MEASURABLE

This is a problem that usually comes up when people are trying to achieve aesthetic goals like “Look good” or “Get slimmer!” or “Bulk up”. There’s nothing wrong with those goals at all, but quantifying improvement can be a nightmare when your main way of gauging progress is just looking in the mirror. In order to know whether you are achieving your goal or not, the goal should be easily measurable. If it isn’t, then how will you know when you’ve succeeded?

Think about your goal and the ways you can measure changes in your current ability/level. Using the aesthetic example, instead of just looking in the mirror you could take photographs, use a weighing scale, and use a tape measure to get a full picture of what’s going on.

This isn’t so much of an issue with most strength or speed goals, because the measurement is the task itself – if you have lifted more weight than before that is an immediate measurement of progress; if you swam faster than last time, you already have your next measurement.

Frequency of measurements should also be taken into account, making sure not to measure too often or too infrequently. Set a measurement frequency and stick to it. Measuring too early can be un-necessarily de-motivating if you haven’t given your training chance to take effect.

 

ADJUSTABLE

It’s an old saying, and I apologise for cursing, but shit happens. Especially when you’re making a change to your body, things will go wrong. Whether this is down to pushing too hard, or interference from unavoidable events in your life, the majority of trainees can’t devote all their time to training and lack the expert guidance of elite athletes.

This doesn’t make you a failure, it’s just real life. If it were easy to achieve every goal everybody would be perfect, but it just doesn’t happen. In a perfect world, training would be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, but the world isn’t like that.

Your goals should be flexible enough to deal with this, and you shouldn’t stick to your plans pig-headedly just because that’s what you have written down. If something changes, you need to be able to adapt and move on. Compensate for that week off with a cold by dropping your deadlift goal by 10lbs. If you lose control at a party and have a slice of pizza, eat cleaner in the following week.

Don’t think that just because of one or two set backs you have to abandon your goals altogether or you will suck all the motivation out of your training and give up before you achieve anything. The worst thing that can happen after your adjustment is that you’ll over-achieve, and why the hell would you feel bad about that?

 

REALISTIC

This is a big one. Yes it would be lovely to look like Ronnie Coleman, or Jamie Eason. Yes, you’re right it would be cool to deadlift 800lbs. But those things aren’t going to happen overnight or even in the space of twelve weeks.

Goals you set are set for the express purpose of achieving them. That’s the point of goals – you set them, work for them, achieve them, and then set a new goal. It’s this process of ‘baby steps’ which creates constant improvement. Climbing a mountain in one step is impossible, but climbing a mountain one small step at a time, though difficult, is definitely possible.

Apply this principle to your goals - if you’re deadlifting 300lbs, an achievable goal might be 350lbs, or 325lbs. Hell, even 301lbs is an improvement. Putting on 50lbs of muscle might not be possible but 5lbs sure is, and losing 5lbs of fat is just as achievable even if your overall goal is to drop a few waist sizes.

Take a look at what you want to achieve, and make sure it’s actually possible. Look at the big picture – don’t slave away endlessly at something too big for you to handle. Successfully reaching lots of little goals in turn is going to keep you focused, motivated, and will make sure you get to the top of that mountain.

 

TIMED

Not only should a goal be realistic, but it should also be realistic in a time frame you set to achieve it. Putting on 10lbs of muscle might be possible in a year, but if you’re going on holiday in three weeks and you want to look good on the beach I’m afraid you’re in for some disappointment!

Timeframes should toe the line between too soon and too far away, since there are problems with each – set the deadline as too soon and not only will you be immediately under pressure, but it might not actually be possible after all; set the deadline as too far away, and any sense of urgency is gone and you might put it off “until tomorrow”.

Getting this right comes with experience, so don’t be disheartened if you mess up sometimes (Just add an extra week! Your goals should be adjustable, remember?). Look at things you’ve achieved in the past and use them as a guide as to the time it takes for things to happen. Just be aware that having a deadline will keep you motivated, and make the goal that much more real to you.

 

EXCITING

This seems basic, but so many people forget why they train in the first place – enjoyment. You may get caught up in the desire to better yourself, but for most people training is also an enjoyable hobby. Setting interesting, exciting, and enjoyable goals is a sure fire way to makes sure you stick to them!

A goal should be something you WANT to achieve, not something you feel you have to achieve. While it’s important to address areas of weakness (and where postural issues are concerned, this should be a priority), focusing on your strengths is where your attention should go.

Who cares if Jim from the gym can bench more than you? If you enjoy barbell rows damn well go ahead and work on your barbell row. If you’re happy with your appearance don’t go and cut weight just because America’s Next Top Model made you feel you “should”, and focus on improving your running times instead.

Boring or forced goals are an effort just to think about, let alone achieve. Focus on something you actually want to achieve and you’ll be beating down the gym doors.

 

RECORDED

The last point on our list deals with actually recording your goals. In order to see whether your training plans are working you need to record your progress (or lack thereof) and regularly look over this data. Since we’ve already dealt with measurements, this should be pretty obvious.

Whether your records take the form of a training diary, a diet/nutrition log, or both, they should be kept regularly updated and most importantly – kept honest. Whether you’re honest about your measurements with other people is your business, but at least be honest with yourself. If you planned to do 10 reps but only managed 8 before failure, write it down and figure out why later. If you had a cheat meal, write it in there, warts and all.

The only way to plan where you’re going is to see where you’ve been, where you are, and how you got here. The more detailed your logs, the easier it is to identify patterns in where and why your progress is stalling so you can fix them and keep going. Not only that, but there is nothing more motivating than looking over old logs and seeing all those tick marks next to previous goals – goals that more than likely look much smaller this far up the mountain.

 

Goal Achieved?

Well, looks like I can tick something off my own goal list – write another article before the start of June. I had to adjust it a little because of final exams and assignment deadlines, but it’s done! I hope this guide to goal-setting has been useful, and I wish you all the best with whatever you apply yourself to next.

Train hard, train safe, and train SMARTER, everybody!

-Gaz

Linear Periodization

LINEAR PERIODIZATION
By Gareth Tamplin

Following my article on basic periodization, you should have a bit of an idea of the things you can vary in your training programs in order to keep the stimulus fresh, and the results constant. In that last article we addressed the different training variables such as intensity, volume, rep range, and frequency, among other things. Today, we’re going to look at a simple method to apply this information in order to reach a specific goal.

Remember, periodization is defined as “the planned variation of one or more training variables in order to achieve a specific goal”, and it is the “specific goal” part that most people seem to have trouble with. If you have started varying your program, congratulations – you’re already well above the curve of the average gym rat! – but now it’s time to take that next step and really apply those changes and focus our efforts to crush your goals!


What is Linear Periodization?

Linear periodization is generally a concept originally attributed to Leonid Matveyev, but has been adopted by many different authors and trainers worldwide. It’s basic principle is that training variations progress in a linear or straight manner throughout the course of the program.

For example, if you were progressing intensity in a linear fashion you may do one week at 4x6 @ 12rm (not very intense), followed by one week at 4x6 @ 10rm, then 4x6 @ 8rm (around the right intensity), followed by a final week at 4x6 @ 6rm (theoretically the max you can do for a single set of six reps) with the hopes of increasing your 6rm weight

This is essentially the concept of linear periodization. In a nutshell, over the course of the program a variable or cluster of variables will progress in a linear, predictable, way. This technique can be applied to any variable, but generally increases with difficulty over the course of the program.

Usually a linear program is geared towards increased strength achieved over multiple training “phases”, which each phase focused on a particular aspect of performance in an effort to peak strength at competition. Let’s look at those phases right now.


Training Phases

Anatomical Adaptation / Endurance –
The goal of this phase is to improve the conditioning and work capacity of the subject, and to prepare connective tissue for the heavier loads to come. What good is high muscular strength when you are too out of breath to focus? Or if your tendons/ligaments hurt?

This phase focuses on higher reps, low rest intervals, and a variety of exercises to improve overall coordination and stability. Bodyweight exercises, unilateral work, circuit training, and plyometrics have their place here for these reasons.

Over the course of the AA/E (Anatomical Adaptation/Endurance) phase, intensity should not vary a great deal and should generally be kept low in order to accommodate the higher reps and shorter rest intervals. Volume however, should increase steadily with each session, over a total phase duration of at least 2 weeks depending on the condition of the trainee.


Hypertrophy –
The goal of this phase should be obvious. A large contributor to overall strength is the cross sectional size of the skeletal muscles, so a hypertrophy phase is only good sense. Though neural efficiency plays a bigger part - in this author’s opinion - to total strength, muscular size is sometimes the limiting factor, simply because without muscle tissue you cannot contract with enough force to move a certain load.

The hypertrophy phase focuses on mid-range intensity and volume in order to evoke a growth response in the athlete. The emphasis should be placed on large compound freeweights movements in each session, with minimal isolation and machine work in order to elicit the greatest endocrine/growth response possible through maximal muscle recruitment.

Intensity should increase and volume should decrease steadily throughout this phase, which should last anywhere from 4-6 weeks, in order to build towards maximal intensity in the final phase. Grip work should be done each session as accessory, especially if preparing for competition.


Anatomical Adaptation / Endurance (Optional) – 
If needed, another one to two weeks of AA/E can be performed to provide active recovery for the athlete after a particularly strenuous Hypertrophy phase. Depending on the condition of the athlete, their recovery abilities, and the impact of the Hypertrophy phase on their systems, a respite from high intensity work is recommended before moving onto the final – most intense – stage of the program to avoid sub-par results, overtraining, or even injury.


Strength –
This is the final phase of a typical linear set up, with the sole purpose of increasing overall strength on a few selected lifts. Low volume and maximal intensity (even to doubles or singles, and record attempts) are the goal throughout the final 2-4 weeks.

Three to six focused warmup/preparation sets should be performed to build up to a few maximum effort sets/lifts in order to fulfil lifting potential and avoid injury or muscle pulls. 

Only one maximum effort exercise should be performed on each training day, and accessory work to that movement should be performed afterwards at a relatively low volume and/or intensity level to aid recovery rather than to elicit muscle gains or other adaptations.

Maximum Effort lifts are usually Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Bent Over Row, and accessory movements for each should be related compounds or to a lesser extent - isolation movements.


Example Program

Putting all this information together may seem tricky or vague, so here is an example of a program similar to one i performed a year or two ago.


TRAINING MACROCYCLE:

Weeks 1 + 2 = Anatomical Adaptation I
Weeks 3-6 = Hypertrophy
Week 7 = Anatomical Adaptation II
Weeks 8-10 = Strength


ANATOMICAL ADAPTATION I:

Split: Fullbody 3x Week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday)

Microcycle 1 (Training Week 1):
(60sec RI between exercises, 120sec between circuits)
Session 1 – 12 Reps, 2 Circuits, 16rm
Session 2 – 12 Reps, 3 Circuits, 14rm
Session 3 – 15 Reps, 3 Circuits, 16rm

Microcycle 2 (Training Week 2):
(30sec RI between exercises, 60sec between circuits)
Session 4 – 15 Reps, 2 Circuits, 16rm
Session 5 – 18 Reps, 3 Circuits, 20rm
Session 6 – 20 Reps, 3 Circuits, 22rm

Circuit:
Pushups
Squats
Pullups
Burpees
SHELC
Crunches
Unilateral Military Press
Step Ups
Unilateral Rows
Hyper Extensions


HYPERTROPHY:

Split: Push/Legs/Pull 3x Week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday)

Microcycle 1 (Training Week 3) = 3x12 @ 13-14rm (1:30 RI)

Microcycle 2 (Training Week 4) = 4x10 @ 11-12rm (1:30 RI)

Microcycle 3 (Training Week 5) = 3x8 @ 9-10rm (1:45 RI)

Microcycle 4 (Training Week 6) = 4x6 @ 7-8rm (1:45 RI)


Push:
Bench Press
Standing Military Press
Weighted Pushups
Weighted Dips
Tricep Pressdowns

Static Holds (Grip)
Planks (Core)

Legs:
Squats
Deadlifts
Walking Lunges
Glute Ham Raises
Calve Raises
Leg Curls

Farmers Walks (Grip)
Supermans (Core)

Pull:
Bent Over Rows
Weighted Pullups
Dumbbell Rows
Supine Rows
Curls

Plate Pinch Holds (Grip)
Woodchoppers (Core)


ANATOMICAL ADAPTATION II:

Split: Fullbody 3x Week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday)

Microcycle 1 (Training Week 7):
(30sec RI between exercises, 60sec between circuits)
Session 1 – 15 Reps, 2 Circuits, 16rm
Session 2 – 18 Reps, 3 Circuits, 20rm
Session 3 – 20 Reps, 3 Circuits, 22rm

Circuit:
Pushups
Squats
Pullups
Burpees
SHELC
Crunches
Unilateral Military Press
Step Ups
Unilateral Rows
Hyper Extensions


STRENGTH:

Split: Squat/Bench Press/Deadlift 3x Week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday)

Microcycle 1 (Training Week 8):

Warmup Sets =
60% x10
65% x6
70% x6
75% x3
80% x3

Work Sets = 4x3 @ 3-4rm (90%) (2-3 Mins RI)


Microcycle 2 (Training Week 9):

Warmup Sets =
60% x10
65% x6
70% x6
75% x3
80% x3
90% x2

Work Sets = 3x2 @ 2-3rm (95%) (3-4 Mins RI)


Microcycle 3 (Training Week 10):

Warmup Sets = 
60% x10
65% x6
70% x6
75% x3
80% x3
90% x2
95% x1

Work Sets = 2x1 @ 1rm+ (100-105%) (4-5 Mins RI)


Squat:
Warmup Sets
Work Sets

Accessory (2x10 @ 12rm):
Walking Lunges
Leg Extension
Calve Raises

Dead Hangs (Grip)
Planks (Core)

Bench Press:
Warmup Sets
Work Sets

Accessory (2x10 @ 12rm):
Overhead Press
Rows
Flat Flys

Plate Pinch Holds (Grip)
Supermans (Core)

Deadlift:
Warmup Sets
Work Sets

Accessory (2x10 @ 12rm):
Pullthroughs
Good Mornings
Hyperextensions

Crushing Grippers (Grip)
Woodchoppers (Core)


Advantages and Disadvantages of Linear Method

As you can see from the above program, the Linear Periodization model leaves a lot of room for flexibility and personalization so long as the linear progression inherent to the system is kept in tact.

The advantages of working to such a program are simple – you know where you’re going, you know what you have to prepare for, and you can gear yourself up to peak around competition time and/or make some personal bests on your lifts. It is efficient and focused towards your goals.

Unfortunately, this focus is also the Linear Method’s downfall. Due to the nature of the training phases, you are only training a single biometer at any one time (Conditioning, Hypertrophy, Strength) at the neglect of the others. This can cause problems for a trainee engaged in activities/sports which utilize multiple aspects at one time. Rugby and American Football for example requires a high level of fitness, but also the strength and power to make tackles and engage in the more physical side of the game.


Until Next Time…

In conclusion, I hope this overview of Linear Periodization has been helpful, and the bottom line to whether you should engage in this kind of training simply rests on what you wish to get out of it.

Either way, as I hope you understand by now – for many trainees its simply the change of stimulus that makes the difference!

In the next article we’ll look at a different form of periodization to counter-act the limitations of basic linear programming.

Thanks for reading, train hard!

-Gaz

Introduction to Periodization

Ever been stuck in a rut, training-wise? If you’ve been training for any substantial amount of time the answer to that question is invariably “yes”. Sadly, in our quests for greater strength, size, definition, fitness, or any other goal for that matter, our bodies will make every effort to stay the same. But don’t be too mad, it’s this ‘homeostasis’ which keeps us alive.

A basic homeostatic control mechanism consists of three parts: A receptor to detect a stimulus, a control centre to process the stimulus and check whether the deviation from normal levels is high enough to warrant a response, and an effector to carry out that response if needed.

Things like blood glucose levels are controlled in this way, as well as many other important physiological processes. Unfortunately, while controlling blood glucose levels is all fine and dandy, when the body applies this mechanism to hinder our athletic goals – it’s not so helpful.

The truth of the matter is that your body’s overriding purpose is to stay alive, and it really doesn’t want to be expending huge amounts of energy on building muscle unless it absolutely has to (i.e.- if it needs that muscle to survive!).

To stop this from happening, your body will adapt to even strenuous exercise if the same stimulus is presented to it time after time. It may take days, it may take months, but eventually your body will cotton on, and laugh triumphantly at your folly.

This is where periodization comes in.

What is periodization?

Periodization is the answer to your problems and a critical element in the design of any training program. In a sentence, periodization is the planned variation of training variables over the duration of a training cycle in order to reach a specific goal.

Bit of a mouthful, but that’s a pretty succinct definition of what periodization is all about. Most people know to “change it up” a bit every now and again, but often they’re not sure of - or just oblivious to - what they need to change in order to see progress.

If you’re one of the people changing their programs every 8 weeks or so you’re ahed of the curve, but if you’re just changing from 3x12 to 3x10, or changing bench press to incline bench press, or instead of doing a Push/Pull/Legs split you do Push/Legs/Pull…well that aint gonna cut it.

The key word here is ‘planned’. Periodization needs to be focused, detailed, and geared towards a particular aim or goal you want to accomplish with that program. I log every single one of my workouts in a workout journal in minute detail. Using this information I can plan my next program so that it’s drastically different to the last, as well as varied throughout its own lifespan.

Now that’s enough waffle, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of just how to periodize your own training programs.

The Training Variables

There are probably more training variables than you expect, heck, there are more than I expect and I’m writing this article. The best thing about this part of designing a training program is that, in my opinion, it is almost a mix between art and science. You can know the science, but this is where you can get really creative with what you’re doing.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, I’ve even put programs together in the past which create new variables (Mid-set rest intervals anyone? Oh dear…) but this should give you some idea of just what you can do:

Exercises – Seems basic, I know, but we often leave this point out when we find a set of exercises we like. This is actually a very good variable to change, as few things are as difficult as learning completely new movement patterns. It’ll take a fair bit of concentration, and will use your muscles in a new way which is obviously what we want.

With that said, try to keep a little consistency. Don’t change your exercises with every workout, or you’ll never be able to tell whether you’re improving! Finding the correct weight will also be a nightmare, perhaps making your workouts either too easy or impossibly hard.

Rep Range – Simply the number of sets and reps you’re performing for each exercise in your workout. Usually notated as “Sets X Reps” or something similar, this is another variable that should be changed far more often than it actually is for most people. It seems like everybody sticks to three sets of eight or twelve reps and do nothing else in years of lifting.

This is one of those variables that the human body seems very good at adapting to, so it’s a good idea to change your set/rep scheme at least with every program – preferably even several times within a single program!

It can be important to choose a rep range which suits your goals, such as lower reps for strength training (3-4 x 3-5), higher reps for muscular endurance (2-3 x 14-20), and a compromise between the two for hypertrophy (3-4 x 8-12).

Bear in mind, though, that these rep ranges are not set in stone. It’s just as possible to gain muscle mass using low (3-6 reps), moderate (8-12), and high (14-20+) reps. I have used all three in certain ways to increase strength, and have done things such as 10 x 3 for power, speed, and muscular endurance under those conditions.

Yes, it’s often the variation that matters! You’ll find that after doing some other rep range for a while, the relevant one works better when you go back to it!

Rest Interval – The rest interval is the time between sets where no exercise is performed, and is a sadly neglected variable. Even I am guilty of forgetting about this at times, but increasing or decreasing the rest interval can have a profound effect on how easy or difficult the preceding sets are.

Intensity – For the intents and purposes of periodization, intensity isn’t an arbitary description of how difficult a workout was (“that was intense, bro!”) but rather a rating of how heavy a load is in comparison to your one-rep maximum weight. This can be expressed as either a percentage (80% of 1RM) or as a rep maximum for a particular number of reps (6RM, 12RM, etc).

Personally, I prefer the latter method, as it’s slightly easier to gauge against the number of reps. For example, an eight rep set at your twelve rep maximum (written as 1x8 @ 12RM) wouldn’t be very intense. If your 12RM is the absolute maximum weight you can lift for twelve reps, then using this weight for eight reps isn’t much of a challenge.

Conversely, an eight rep set with your 8RM (1x8 @ 8RM) would be very intense, and you would go very close to concentric failure on the last rep, and be completely unable to perform a ninth rep at the end of the set. This is because it is the maximum weight you can handle for eight reps!

Most “regular” intensity sets are performed with a weight with an RM value just outside the number of reps you are doing (1x8 @ 9-10RM for example). This makes the set a challenge rather than a struggle which compromises your ability to perform a rep with clean form.

Varying intensity can serve such purposes as a “warmup” or “unload” phase/set at a low intensity (1x8 @ 12RM), or to ramp up the weight towards a record attempt (1x8 @ 12RM, 1x8 @ 10RM, 1x8 @ 8RM – Record attempt set).

Intensity is invaluable for calculating estimates of which weights you should be able to lift at different rep ranges, or for what your next record weight should be.

Volume – The total volume of a workout is the total number of exercises/sets/reps that will be performed in that particular workout. All three should be taken into account and can be varied in a number of different ways.

For example, higher intensity strength sessions will generally have less volume, whereas lower intensity workouts for muscular endurance or work capacity will have more volume. Hypertrophy training generally strikes a balance between the need for mechanical work (performing enough repetitions) and increased load (higher weights) in order to promote muscle growth.

Some typical values for training programs I personally perform would be in the range of 15-22 sets over 4-6 exercises per session. Depending on the kind of program however, it could be lower or higher than these values.

Frequency – This refers to how often you train throughout a certain period of time, usually a week. It’s an important variable to consider when changing volume or intensity for your workouts, as the increased stress of those individual training sessions may require you to train less often in order to leave ample recovery time.

Typical frequency would be in the range of 2-4 times a week. Never underestimate the importance of recovery time/rest days between workouts, as not enough could shorten your program by a good few weeks if you are severely over-reaching/over-training.

Managing frequency comes with experience, knowing what your own body can handle at that particular time, and how to manage the other training variables. As a rule of thumb – the more frequent your training sessions, the less each training session should contain.

Split – A training split is an element of the overall program which describes how the exercises to be performed are divided between the total training days, and also what particular style of training would be occurring that day (strength, power, unilateral, cardio).

The split is given a lot more credit than it’s due by the majority of trainees, but the truth of the matter is that you can split up a program however you can think of, but if the other variables such as volume, intensity, and the amount of rest are poorly set up, the split will not help this.

Splits should focus on dividing exercises up in terms of kinetic chains and movement patterns rather than body-parts to promote maximum efficiency and decrease the risk of overtraining. The split is a good way of getting similar work completed at the same time to make the most of your rest days.

Some example splits are: Push/Pull/Legs, Upper/Lower, Fullbody, Unilateral/Bilateral, Vertical Plane/Horizontal Plane, and any other way you can think of!

Density – Density refers to the amount of work done in a set time limit. A pretty advanced variable, density can be manipulated by timing your workouts to the second each time you visit the gym and instead of trying to increase the weight you are lifting, increase the volume making sure you still abide by the time limit.

High density/low density workout days could also be implemented as a form of periodization.

Hopefully my descriptions were detailed enough to give you a clear idea of what each variable means, but vague enough to make you actually think about what you’re doing. Just be creative, there’s enough in that small list to make a thousand different programs if you take the time to put something interesting together.

Remember, there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter training program – your program should be tailored to you, in order to improve your strengths and address your weaknesses. Never undertake a training regimen “out-of-the-box”.

Until Next Time…

Well hopefully that’s given you at least a general idea of what periodization is. For now, the next time you’re looking to start a new training program, look at the last one you did and change as many things as possible.

In the next few articles, rather than just changing things for the sake of the change itself, we’ll look at some specific types of periodization and how to set up tailored plans to maximise the effects of a constantly varying stimulus over a single program in order to arrive at a set goal at the end of that training cycle (and with a sentence like that, you just know stuff’s gonna happen).

Until then train hard, train safe, and train different.

-Gaz

Program: SDA3 - Escalating Density Training

After the success of the last program i posted here (Fullbody Texas Method) i thought i'd come back with another of my favourite training methods. Hopefully this program will get the people who tried Texas Method even more of the results they want!

Because this program isn't really that traditional, most of my explanation is in regular paragraphs so please read carefully. I've also included a sample program at the end just in case you miss something!

***

Split - Upper/Lower 3x Week
Progression -Linear Progression
Length - 4-8 Weeks
Level - Intermediate/Advanced
Goals - Muscular Endurance/Hypertrophy/General Fitness

***

Introduction

Where most programs focus on increasing the amount of weight you are doing, or to add an extra set or rep onto your sets every now and again, escalating density training (EDT) focuses on achieving the latter consistently throughout the life of the program.

It's a volume-focused protocol that pushes the trainee to continually perform a greater number of repetitions in an allotted time-period. The intensity level remains constant throughout the program, but the volume-per-time increases.

The setup itself takes the form of two antagonistic supersets (training 2 opposite movements) per training session. Each of these supersets lasts 15 minutes in which the trainee will perform each of the movements alternately with as much or as little rest after each set as necessary in order to stave off concentric failure.

At the end of the 15 minutes, the number of reps performed for each movement are counted, and this is the target to surpass in the next non-unload session.

There is a 10 minute rest interval between each superset.


Split

This is a three days a week split spread out over two weeks, with an active recovery day each week. Training days can be changed to fit schedule, but be sure to leave adequate rest between training sessions for optimal recovery.

Mon - Upper
Tue - Rest
Wed - Lower
Thur - Rest
Fri - Upper Unload + Accessory + Cardiovascular + Grip
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Mon - Lower
Tue - Rest
Wed - Upper
Thur - Rest
Fri - Lower Unload + Accessory + Cardiovascular + Grip
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest


Exercise Selection

The supersets will utilize the same 'Focus' movements each session, and on the unload days accessory work may be performed if needed.

The intensity of these focus movements should be your 12RM (or bodyweight maximum), and the amount of reps per set should be equal to this value halved, minus 1 rep. So if im using my 12RM, each set i perform would have a maximum of 5 reps.

Remember, the aim here is to perform as many reps as possible, not to fatigue the muscles in the usual way. We are not trying to lift heavy, we're trying to lift many times! This rough calculation of reps per set is just a guideline, if you think you can push out 7 reps on your last set before the time runs out - go for it!

Accessory work should be in a relatively high rep range, around 14-20 reps over 1-2 sets.

Upper Body:

Focus Movements (x4 Movements) -
Superset 1:
Pullups, Chinups, Lat Pulldowns, Face Pulls
+
Dips, Overhead Press, Shoulder Press, Arnold Press

Superset 2:
Dumbell Bench Press, Pushups, Floor Press, Decline Press
+
Bent Over Rows, Supine Rows, Dumbell Rows, T-Bar Rows

Accessory Movements (x1-2 Movements) -
Bicep Curl Variation
Shrugs
Reverse Flys
Chest Flys
Lateral Raises
Skullcrushers
Etc.

Lower Body:

Focus Movements (x4 Movements) -
Superset 1:
Back Squats, Leg Press, Front Squats
+
Deadlifts, Good Mornings, RDLs

Superset 2:
Single Leg RDLs, Hyperextensions, Glute Ham Raises
+
Goblet Squats, Lunges, Step Ups

Accessory Movements (x1-2 Movements) -
Calve Raises
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Lying Leg Curls
Etc.


Unload Sessions

During the unload sessions, the time taken for each superset and the rest in between them is halved, and the target number of reps is roughly a quarter of what you achieved in your last session. This should not fatigue you a great deal, as the unload sessions are meant as a form of active recovery and to provide an opportunity to train other areas like Cardio and Grip.

Core Work

Core stability and abdominal work should be performed either before or after each session. Choose a stability movement such as planks or supermans and a more traditional movement such as crunches or leg raises, and perform both to your ability. 1-3 Sets of each movement should suffice.

Grip Work

Grip training should be performed on unload days over two movements. Choose a variety of movements such as Static Holds, Wrist Curls, Gripper Training, Monkey Hangs etc. 1-4 Sets per movement should suffice.

Warmups/Warmdowns

Warmups should consist of dynamic stretches and ballistic exercises, warmdowns should consist of static stretching. Aim for ten to fifteen minutes per warmup/warmdown covering all major joints and muscles.

Cardiovascular Exercise

On the unload days cardio should be performed as a form of active recovery. This should be relatively low intensity, aiming for somewhere between 10-30 minutes. Depending on your fitness level and recovery ability, higher intensity protocols can also be performed if necessary. Always train higher intensity protocols first.

Sample Program

Because this program is very different to a lot of other things people may have tried, i've included a sample program to highlight the key points i have made in the above article. Bear in mind this is just a sample and you should tailor your own program to your specific needs.

***

Upper Body
15:00 Superset:
1a) Pullups @ BW x 5 Rep Sets (My BW max is 12 Reps)
1b) Dips @ BW x 6 Rep Sets (My BW max is 14 Reps)

Reps Achieved =
Pullups - 10 Sets of 5 = 50 Reps
Dips - 8 Sets of 6 = 48 Reps

(10:00 RI)

15:00 Superset:
2a) Bench Press @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets
2b) Bent Over Rows @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets

Reps Achieved =
Bench - 12 Sets of 5 = 60 Reps
Rows - 11 Sets of 5 = 55 Reps

Lower Body
15:00 Superset:
1a) Squats @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets
1b) Deadlifts @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets

Reps Achieved =
Squats - 9 Sets of 5 = 45 Reps
Deads - 8 Sets of 5 = 40 Reps

(10:00 RI)

15:00 Superset:
2a) Hyperextensions @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets
2b) Step Ups @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets

Reps Achieved =
Hypers - 14 Sets of 5 = 70 Reps
Step Ups - 6 Sets of 5 = 30 Reps

Upper Body Unload
7:30 Superset:
1a) Pullups @ BW x 5 Rep Sets (My BW max is 12 Reps)
1b) Dips @ BW x 6 Rep Sets (My BW max is 14 Reps)

Reps Achieved =
Pullups - 2 Sets of 5 + 1 Set of 3 = 13 Reps
Dips - 2 Sets of 6 = 12 Reps

(5:00 RI)

7:30 Superset:
2a) Bench Press @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets
2b) Bent Over Rows @ 12RM x 5 Rep Sets

Reps Achieved =
Bench - 3 Sets of 5 = 15 Reps
Rows - 3 Sets of 6 = 18 Reps

3) Preacher Curls - 2x20 @ 20RM (1:00 RI)

4) Chest Flys - 2x16 @ 16RM (1:00 RI)

5) Static Holds - 3x30sec (1:00 RI)

6) HIIT Cardio (Work/Rest) @ 80% Intensity
8sec/12sec
10sec/15sec
20sec/20sec
30sec/30sec
10sec/20sec

***

Conclusion

I know this program looks weird as hell, but its also one of the most challenging protocols i've ever undertaken. The results i gained reflected the amount of effort i put into it, and 6 weeks of pushing out 3 or 4 extra reps each time really increased my fitness levels and produced some pretty sizable muscle gains also.

If you're looking for something completely different, take a look outside the regular training variables and give Escalating Density Training a try. You wont be dissapointed.

Train safe, guys 'n gals.

-Gaz


Further Reading

My version of EDT was heavily based off an already great template by author Charles Staley. Like most things, i sure as hell didnt come up with this, just modified it a little to suit me. To find out more about EDT and beyond, take a look at these links:

http://www.t-nation.com/article/bodybuilding/escalating_density_training&cr=

http://www.t-nation.com/article/bodybuilding/escalating_density_training_phase_2&cr=

http://www.t-nation.com/article/bodybuilding/compound_edt&cr=

Update - This Blog Isnt Dead

I haven't updated for a while, University stuff has been hectic with deadlines and looming exams - and still is! That takes priority right now, but i'm still planning some great articles to post in here so keep me bookmarked ;).

In the meantime:

What's your favourite kind of soup?

The Butterfly Effect - How small training variations can be the difference between progress and stagnation.

By Gazhole


There has been much written on the subject of periodization and variation in resistance training. I'm a very strong advocate of these principles, both from my own experience and the results others have achieved (and are continuing to achieve) using these principles.

There are literally an infinite number of ways you can structure a program, and more training variables than I can probably think of off hand. Everybody knows the basics like intensity, rep range, and split, right? Well to give you a quick run-down there are also variables like rep tempo, rest interval, volume, density, and frequency to name a few.

Not only this but there are also training techniques like supersets, giant sets, trisets, circuits, pre/post-exhaust, dropsets, and wave loading that you can incorporate into your lifting schedule. And in the grand scheme of things all this is barely scratching the surface. See what I mean about infinite program variation?

The problem is though, while some people take all this into account (and those that don't, may you wallow in the pit of the so-called "hard-gainer" for eternity) there's one thing they invariably end up missing - the movements.

Exercise selection is something that far too many people, myself included, tend to forget about. You get comfortable with a set of movements and you do them program in, program out, no matter what else you change - and for some people I'm betting that its the factor that has got them stuck in a rut.

Things like split and rep range your body will adapt to relatively quickly which is why they are probably the most varied parameters from program to program - more often than not the rep range will change many times even in the same program. Though your body might take a lot longer to adapt to the selection of exercises you are using, more-so if you frequently change the other program variables, make no mistake - IT WILL ADAPT.

Your body is like some sort of Borg warrior from Star Trek, no matter how advanced your technology is your body will find a way to adapt and then BANG - your progress is assimilated into the hive mind of the supplement-junkies. For the love of god don't end up like Picard.

I'm guilty of it myself, learning new movements can be annoying because for a week or two your form is kinda shaky and you're not really sure what sort of weight you should be using and aww to hell with it I'm just gonna bench some more. Screw Gazhole and his damned article. That's right, i talk about myself in the third person.

The truth of the matter is that for a little extra effort you can get out of that rut, sometimes not even by changing movements altogether. Even a slight variation in the same movement you are using could be enough to get some more progress going. I've come across some good examples of both that I thought I'd share in this article alongside their more "regular" counterparts, as well as a short list of exercises these movements can replace in your program if you aren't even doing them to start with.

Keep in mind, if these variations sound simple and obvious to you - why the hell aren't you doing them already?


Bench Press

Replaces - Pec Deck, Flys, Triceps Extensions and Lateral Raises, or Pushups.

Everybody's favourite movement. I've come to the conclusion that the bench press is so prevalent that its going to evoke an evolutionary response in the next few generations. If you know nothing else chances are you know at least what the bench press looks like. Unfortunately this is a movement that almost never gets substituted save for a shoulder injury, and this is generally why people "cant improve my bench, bro".

Do me a favour, next program try one of these:

Dumbell Bench Press - Bench press, just done with two Dumbells. Allows greater depth and ROM than the regular barbell press.

Uni-Lateral Dumbell Bench Press - Like above, but you only use one arm at a time. Can be deceptively difficult due to the need to stabilise.

Floor Press - Either with a barbell or dumbells, press the weight while lying on the floor. Trust me, its not as easy as it sounds!


Squats

Replaces - Leg Press, Leg Extensions.

Not that the squat isn't a fantastic movement - it is. Its one of the few movements that is so effective that I'm betting you could do it exclusively and still see total body strength and size gains. They don't call it the "king of movements" for nothing, you know. However, like anything else you can throw at your body even the mighty squat can be adapted to.

But not if I can help it:

Split Squats - Simply get the bar on your back, get into the forward lunge position, and squat from there on the one leg. A BRUTAL movement.

Goblet Squats - Instead of a barbell, hold a dumbell vertically in front of your chest and squat keeping it there. Really works the core hard.

Stance Change - Sounds like a non-point, but if you use a wide stance switch to a close Olympic stance, and vice-versa. The difference will shock you.


Deadlifts

Replaces - Leg Curls and Shrugs.

Another exercise that belongs to the royal family of compound movements. Much like the squat, this is another movement that you can literally base an entire training program around and see amazing results. But like its quadricepular counterpart, the body can get used to regular deadlifts and stall your progress.

Nobody puts deadlifts in the corner:

Romanian Deadlifts - Instead of going through a full ROM, keep your legs stiff with a slight bend in the knee + perform the rest of the movement that way.

Single Leg RDLs - Like above, but holding a dumbell in your opposing hand, deadlift the weight on one leg. One of the toughest movements out there.

Good Mornings - Much like the Romanian Deadlift, but the weight is positioned on your traps like a traditional back squat. Adds a whole new challenge!


Overhead/Military Press

Replaces - Lateral Raises, Front Raises, Tricep Kickbacks, and Machine Shoulder Press.

A movement that people invariably do wrong (I.e. - behind the neck) which probably does more harm than good by forcing their shoulders back. If done properly, however, the Overhead Press is a guaranteed hit in the vertical pushing department, and once you get into heavier weights one of the most impressive feats of upper body strength.

Some variations:

Standing/Seated - That's right. If you do them standing usually, i want you to do them seated and vice-versa. Simple enough?

Uni-Lateral DB - One of my favourite movements. Just as tough as bilateral, but since you're only using one arm you have to stabilize your torso as well!

Dips - Another sadly underused movement, most guys who consider themselves strong cant even do 10 of these at full depth.


Pullups/Chinups

Replaces - Curls, Lat Pulldowns and Upright Rows.

The legend killer. There's a reason why that pullup station in your gym is gathering dust, and there's a reason why most people make excuses for why they don't do these. Its because they're goddamned hard. Much like dips, most guys in your local gym who consider themselves pretty strong can barely pull their own bodyweight properly - we're talking full arm extension and flexion here, people.

Fink you're 'ard enuff?:

Grip Change - Again, so simple but totally changes the movement. If you usually have your palms facing you, pullup with them facing away and vice-versa.

One Handed - That's right, you heard right. One hand should grip the bar, the other hand should grip that arm's wrist. Now PULL, maggot.

Towel Pullups - Probably the toughest variation ever. Wrap two towels/straps over the pullup bar, and perform the movement gripping those instead!


Rows

Replaces - Curls, Reverse Flys, Seated Machine Rows, and yes, yes, a thousand times yes - CURLS.

I don't know what it is, but what is it about rows that people hate? Everybody loves to bench, but very few people really seem to enjoy rowing? Maybe its too easy? Well if that were the case, the few people I see that DO row would be doing them with non-shitty form. Every sucker in the gym can bench, but personally I think a strong row with good form is far more impressive.

You rowsit:

Equipment - There's so much you can row with! Barbells, dumbells, sandbags, kettlebells, plates, elastic bands...just pick something up!

Uni/Bilateral - That's right, if you've been doing the one since the dawn of time switch to the other!

Supine Rows - This is a great movement. Get underneath a suspended bar (I use a smith machine), put your feet up on a bench, and row YOURSELF up.


The End?

No, far from it. Thankfully in the rich tapestry that is the world of physical training if I tried to document every single possible variation that has ever existed id never actually get any training, eating, bathing or sleeping done and probably still wouldn't be finished to see my unconceived daughter's wedding.

Honestly, just because a movement is a little different or unconventional doesn't mean it can't work. A towel pullup is basically the same as a regular pullup, a floor press isn't different enough from a bench press not to stimulate growth, and as long as you're squatting that's more than most people do.

There's only one thing you really need to be mindful of - the change. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter too much HOW you vary your training parameters, just that you DO vary them. Not only will it keep a fresh stimulus on your muscles to elicit constant adaptation, but it'll be more enjoyable for you. Mental over-training is just as bad as physical.

Hopefully though, this article will spark off your imagination so that you might think of your own "armoury" of lifts for the future. If you come up with anything good, let me know. I could do with a change...

Train safe, everyone.

-Gaz


Thanks To:

The IronMagazine forum members who threw lists of over-used movements at me ;).

Program : SDA2 - Fullbody Texas Method

Split - Fullbody 3x Week
Progression - Alternating Periodization
Length - 6 Weeks
Level - Intermediate
Goals - Strength

***

Split

This is a three days a week split spread out over two weeks, but with different goals for each day in the split. Training days can be changed to fit schedule, but be sure to leave adequate rest between training sessions for optimal recovery.

Mon - High Volume / High Intensity (Workout A)
Tue - Rest
Wed - Low Volume / Low Intensity (Workout B) + Cardiovascular + Grip
Thur - Rest
Fri - Low Volume / High Intensity (Workout A)
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Mon - High Volume / High Intensity (Workout B)
Tue - Rest
Wed - Low Volume / Low Intensity (Workout A) + Cardiovascular + Grip
Thur - Rest
Fri - Low Volume / High Intensity (Workout B)
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Set Up

Each day in the split has a different goal, and thus the volume and intensity of each of these days alternates in order to allow for strength gains and optimal recovery.

The first day "High Volume / High Intensity" is meant to be the toughest workout and the most taxing on the system, this workout is geared towards causing a lot of microtrauma in order to stimulate hypertrophy.

Day 1 = 5x5 @ 6RM (1:30-1:45 RI)

The second day "Low Volume / Low Intensity" is an active recovery day, in which you still lift weights, but at a greatly reduced level of difficulty. The whole point of this day is as you would expect - to aid muscle recovery through very low impact lifting.

Day 2 = 2x6 @ 10RM (1:15-1:30 RI)

The final day "Low Volume / High Intensity" is where the magic happens and is where PRs will occur. This workout focuses on strength rather than your tolerance for punishment like in the first day.

Day 3 = 3x3 @ 4RM (2:00-2:30 RI)

Exercise Selection

There are two alternating sessions utilized throughout this program. The movements included in the above setup are called the "focus" movements, and should be exclusively compound movements.

As well as these, feel free to include 1-2 isolation movements as accessory work at relatively low volume and intensity (2 sets of 14-20 reps, 1:00-1:15 RI).

Workout A:

Focus Movements (x4) -
Lower Push x2 (Squat Variation, Lunges, Split Squats, Bulgarian Squats, Leg Press)
Upper Pull x2 (Pullups/Chinups, Bent Over Rows or variation, Lat Pulldowns, T-Bar Row)

Accessory Movements (x1-2) -
Bicep Curl Variation
Shrugs
Calve Raise Variation
Etc.

Workout B:

Focus Movements (x4) -
Lower Pull x2 (Deadlift variation, Good Mornings, Hyperextensions, Glute Ham Raises)
Upper Push x2 (Bench Press variation, Overhead Press, Dips, Pushups)

Accessory Movements (x1-2) -
Tricep Extension
Lateral Raise
Leg Curl
Etc.

Progression

Alternating periodization is designed to vary the workout parameters often enough to stop progress stagnating due to staying on a single set/rep scheme for too long. Because of this constantly varying stimulus, progress can occur and "burnout" can be kept at bay.

Week 1 - Do not attempt any PRs.
Week 2 - Attempt PR on 1-2 movements.
Week 3 - Attempt PR on 1-2 movements.
Week 4 - Attempt PR on 1-2 movements.
Week 5 - Attempt PR on 1-2 movements.
Week 6 - Do not attempt any PRs.

When attempting PRs, don't PR on the same movement twice per program. Working from this template, it is possible to PR on all chosen movements once. If however, you fail on your PR attempt one week, try again the next time that movement is available for PR.

Once Week 6 is complete, a total rest week should be taken then if necessary, repeat the program again with different movements.

Core Work

Core stability and abdominal work should be performed either before or after each session. Choose a stability movement such as planks or supermans and a more traditional movement such as crunches or leg raises, and perform both to your ability. 1-3 Sets of each movement should suffice.

Grip Work

Grip training should be performed on the second day (Low Volume / Low Intensity) over two movements. Choose a variety of movements such as Static Holds, Wrist Curls, Gripper Training, Monkey Hangs etc. 1-4 Sets per movement should suffice.

Warmups/Warmdowns

Warmups should consist of dynamic stretches and ballistic exercises, warmdowns should consist of static stretching. Aim for ten to fifteen minutes per warmup/warmdown covering all major joints and muscles. On the strength-oriented third day, more emphasis should be placed on the warmup than on other days.

Cardiovascular Exercise

On the second day (Low Volume / Low Intensity) cardio should be performed as a form of active recovery. This should be relatively low intensity, aiming for somewhere between 10-30 minutes. Depending on your fitness level and recovery ability, higher intensity protocols can also be performed if necessary. Always train higher intensity protocols first.

Conclusion

This is a pretty good program for its purpose, and the alternating periodization makes it highly enjoyable to complete due to the constantly varied training setup.

Train safe, everybody.

-Gaz

Further Reading

This program was based on the Texas Method. To read more about this training method, see the link below:

http://stronglifts.com/the-texas-method-strength-training-for-intermediate-lifters/

To learn more about periodization in training, see these links:

http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/triathlon-training/what-does-periodization-mean-and-how-does-it-work-000625.php

http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=66

http://www.asimba.com/periodization.shtml

Intense Techniques to Stimulate Hypertrophy

By Gazhole

Lets be honest here, most people who go to the gym are there to get BIG, hyooge, swole, buffed, and pumped. From stick-thin newbies to experienced lifters of already gargantuan proportions, everybody wants to put on a few extra pounds.

The problem is that a large proportion of people don’t know how to do this. They go into the gym without really knowing just how they are going to stimulate this growth. Magic, I guess, because that’s what a lot of people I see in my gym are going to need.

Now, sadly, most of the info in this article isn’t really meant for total beginners. Though I’ve organised the techniques in order of difficulty, this is done according to my own ability and nobody else’s. I have no idea how easy or difficult you’ll find this stuff.

For the most part, this information is meant for people who have at least a few years of good training under their belts, and a good basis in heavy lifting. For the beginners – focus on compound free-weights movements and bodyweight exercises to build a strong base to work with in the future. You’ll more than likely put on mass whatever you do anyways – aaah, to be a newbie again…

The rest of you, however, I don’t recommend using all of these techniques in one program, but using one or two in various ways will produce some really good results. It has for me, anyway.

A lot of this is based on the concept of TUT or time under tension, which basically states that a key factor in stimulating hypertrophy is not just the amount of weight used but the amount of time the muscle is kept under constant stress. The techniques here utilise this concept in different ways.

So if you need something extra-intense to kick start your gains, a change of pace to push through a rut, or just something new to try for your next program – read on!

Technique #1 - Broken Pyramids

A popular sets/reps setup for gym goers is the pyramid scheme, I think everybody has tried this at one time or another, but the traditional “true” pyramid configurations don’t really work for me.

The first variation is the descending pyramid, which looks something like this:

8reps, 6reps, 4reps

Well the problem with this is obvious – you’re doing your heaviest and most difficult set at the very end, after you’ve fatigued yourself with 3 previous sets! I don’t know about any of you, but by the time I get to the last set of anything I’m coming to the end of what I can give that movement. Where’s the logic, then, of having the heaviest set last?

The second variation is the ascending pyramid:

4reps, 6reps, 8reps

This is better than the other one, and out of the three usual setups I think this one is probably the best. The only problem is that you have your heaviest set right off the bat, which is good In terms of logic, but when using a straight rep scheme like 4x4, I usually don’t find the first set difficult at all. In this ascending pyramid, you want the heavy set to count.

The third, and probably most amusing, of the variations is the complete pyramid:

8reps, 6reps, 4reps, 6reps, 8reps

The same problem from the first variation applies here, and not only that, but you have two more sets at the end. Id rather get out of the gym earlier if I’m honest with you. After the first three sets most people are too fatigued to keep good form on the last two anyway – its just dead weight.

This brings us onto what I’ve found to be the best way of using this variable rep scheme. The ‘broken’ pyramid:

6reps, 4reps, 8reps

The heaviest set is now in the middle after a sort of “warm-up” set, though that’s not to say that set isn’t beneficial too, because its still relatively heavy without having excessive volume to fatigue you before that all important 4rep set. Once you’ve got your heavy one out of the way, you switch the dynamic to relatively high reps at the end with slightly less intensity than the other two.

It may seem simple and basic, but as this rather un-complicated technique goes, this way seems the most logical to me in terms of in-the-gym performance.

Technique #2 - Target Sets

This is a technique I’ve mostly used with bodyweight exercises, but I see no reason why it couldn’t be performed with weighted movements too. This is really a technique that utilises high volume to achieve greater time under tension, while maintaining a good degree of intensity. It’s also a killer on your CV conditioning!

The premise is simple. Pick a movement, pick a rep range. Take the usual weight you can do for that rep range, for the purposes of this example we’ll say its 10 reps. Multiply this by 3, this is the amount of reps you’ll be doing today.

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s impossible. Let me finish.

So, 30reps is now your “target” for this movement. What you do now, is to try and complete the movement in as few sets as you possibly can. That’s right, that’s all there is to it. Start off with a good number of reps, either the number you’re supposed to be doing, or go for as many as you can.

Once you do a set, rest for 30 seconds, then do another set, and keep going until you complete the target. It doesn’t even matter if you end up doing sets of 2, or even 1 rep – just reach that damned target.

Your final tally could look like:

10, 8, 4, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1.

But you still reached the 30, and that’s what counts. You’ll be surprised at how difficult this is, and also with the level of muscle soreness you’ll get the next day! I’ve seen great increases in a few areas using this technique, namely hypertrophy, conditioning, and muscular endurance.

Technique #3 – Extended Negatives

This is a classic method of implementing TUT into your program without too much hassle. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, though!

A standard rep is broken up into three or four parts. You have the concentric, or positive portion (where you bring the weight up); the first isometric (pause at the ‘top’ of the rep where the weight doesn’t move); the eccentric, or negative (where you lower the weight); and some people also count the second isometric (pause at the ‘bottom’ of the rep right before you begin another concentric).

The extended negatives technique puts emphasis on the eccentric portion of the lift in order to stimulate hypertrophy. This is called ‘tempo’ lifting, where the time taken for each portion of the lift is noted down in order to gauge the speed of the rep.

For example:

2/1/2/1 – would be a notation for “2 second positive, 1 second isometric, 2 second negative, 1 second isometric” meaning that the rep took a total of 6 seconds to complete.

1/1/1/1- is commonly shown as a regular “controlled” tempo that the majority of people use in the gym. No part of the rep is given emphasis, but the rep is still performed in a normal manner.

x/1/3/1 – would be a three second negative portion, with the usual pauses at the isometrics, but the ‘x’ written in the space for the positive portion notates an explosive or fast speed or performance.

Actually utilising extended negative portions into your program is simple, but may require a little trial and error to get the right amount of weight.

I’ve found for each extra second you add to the negative portion, decrease the weight by 2 reps. I.e. if I was using my 8RM weight originally, and decided to implement a 1/1/4/1 tempo I would lower to weight to my 14RM in order to perform the reps correctly.

Trust me, it may seem like a drop but once you try slowing that eccentric down, the gravity starts to feel real heavy. Obviously these are just guidelines, it will probably take a “practice” session for you to select the right weight for each movement.

Technique #4 – Split Sets

This is something I’ve only started using recently, but is proving a very intense and enjoyable way of working out.

One of the most effective and time-tested ways of packing on muscle has been to lift heavy. There’s no way getting around it, to be big you’ll probably have to lift big and eat big.

The logical way to do this in the gym is to lift in the low rep ranges with a heavy weight, right? Yep – sounds right to me. But what if you could take a heavy weight, say, your 4 rep weight, and do it for 6 reps? Surely if 4 reps at a heavy weight was beneficial, then 6 reps at the same weight is gonna be even more-so! Sign me up!

But hang on, this is looking like another “shut up, that’s impossible” things, isn’t it? Again, let me finish.

The way to do this is the split the set up into manageable parts, because lets face it – doing your
4 rep weight for 2 reps is easy. Well, that’s exactly what you’re gonna do. But you’re gonna do it three times.

The concept is pretty simple, split the set in half, then add a half on giving you three small sets. The key to this technique is mid-set rest intervals, because I know its impossible to do all three sets immediately after each-other.

Once again, this may be a case of trial and error, but as a rule of thumb – for every extra rep you are adding (i.e. reps above your usual amount of reps for this weight) add 5 seconds to the rest in between each of the “mini-sets”.

So in this example, a 4x4 rep range with a 2:00 RI would look something like this:

1^st Set = x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps

2:00 RI

2^nd Set = x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps

2:00 RI

3^rd Set = x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps

2:00 RI

4^th Set = x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps / 0:10 RI / x2 Reps

In this way you can actually stave off muscular fatigue until the very last portion, or even completely, while performing more reps than you should physically be able to at a given weight.

A word of warning, though – this is pretty intense on your muscles as well as your conditioning,
because it’s almost set up as some sort of ungodly circuit so just be careful. Remember to keep
your form tight, have a spotter handy, and stop repping before you reach muscular failure.

The End

Like I said in the introduction, I only really recommend you use one of these techniques in a program as they can quite taxing on the CNS and your body in general, I think they work pretty well in a phase-oriented program where you can switch to other things every few weeks. If that’s the case, I’d definitely think about including one of these as your hypertrophy phase.

With that said, remember the golden rule – train safe.

Have fun!

-Gaz

Further Reading

The techniques in this article were either based on, or at least inspired by, some of the information in the links below. Go check them out if you want to learn more about what I’ve mentioned here.

http://freedomfly.net/Articles/Training/training38.htm

http://hypertrophy-research.com/maxstim/page4.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa37.htm

G3 Training - Getting to Grips with training your Grip

Do you frequently plateau on exercises like deadlifts and rows? Can’t get the “hang” of pull-ups? Do your hands get tired on those cosy nights in alone? Go on, be honest.

It’s really not surprising. One of the most neglected and un-appreciated areas of development these days is grip training. Well what’s the point, right? Your forearms get worked during all the regular movements, don’t they! Don’t they?

Yes, to a point. Sure, compound movements like deadlifts will work your forearms to an extent, but there’s a limit to where indirect training can take you in this area. You’d be surprised how much you are limiting all your main lifts, simply because of your wimpy gripping abilities.

Remember that you are only as strong as your weakest link, so even if the rest of you can move 500lbs, if you can only hold onto 200lbs before your hands give out, you sure as hell aint moving any more than that without a mechanical aid like lifting straps.

Grip strength is unlike training for overall size where compound movements are the king, and its unlike normal strength training in that you don’t have to use complicated periodization to work up to eventual PRs. What it does require is perseverance, and attention to detail.

Practically, all it takes is some extra time and effort in the gym, a little patience, and application of the general training rules that apply to everything else:

1 – Progressive Overload.

2 – Adequate Rest.

3 – Good Form.

That’s it.

Doesn’t sound too complicated, right? Well it isn’t, but there’s a big difference between “simple” and “easy”. Trust me. Grip training may be simple to understand, but it’ll take just as much concentration and dedication as every other part of your program. You get out what you put in.

Now it’s time to look at those details a little more closely.

Application

There are really two ways you can go about this. Either put in a whole day dedicated to grip training, or spread it out through the week. Either way is good, the only way you’ll be able to figure out what works the best for your program set up is to experiment.

There are many different aspects to a complete grip training regime, and each is equally important as the others (weakest link thing, remember?). Here’s a quick run down:

• Crushing Grip – How strong is your force application?

• Static Grip – How long can you sustain this force?

• Pinch Grip – How strong is your thumb on its own?

• Wrist Strength – Can you stabilize your hand through all of this?

• Finger Strength – Without them, holding things is tricky, right?

To incorporate all these elements, I’ve included some basic exercises for you to try, as well as a brief
description of each training type. There are other areas such as extensor training which are also very important, but for the sake of keeping this article free of a hundred different tangents, I haven’t included them here.

If you opt for putting in a day solely for this type of training, id suggest leaving a few minutes rest between each type of grip training as you move through the session. Since you are focusing on one aspect of your body, it can get fatigued easily if sub-optimal recovery is used.

Crushing Grip Movement

3:00 RI

Static Grip Movement

3:00 RI

Pinch Grip Movement

3:00 RI

Wrist Strength Movement

3:00 RI

Finger Strength Movement

If you decide to incorporate it into your regular training, place a grip movement from one or two of the five areas after each session so that you cover all of them by the end of the week. Because you are using a lower density than the first option (the same amount of work over more time, you will not be fatiguing your grip as much as a whole grip session would) it is possible to perform each movement twice a week if you so desire.

Session 1 – Crushing Grip Movement + Finger Strength Movement

Session 2 – Static Grip Movement + Pinch Grip Movement

Session 3 – Crushing Grip Movement + Wrist Strength Movement

Session 4 – Static Grip Movement + Pinch Grip Movement

Or

Session 1 – Crushing Grip Movement + Static Grip Movement

Session 2 – Pinch Grip Movement + Wrist Strength Movement + Finger Strength Movement

Session 3 – Crushing Grip Movement + Static Grip Movement

Or

Session 1 – Static Grip Movement

Session 2 – Crushing Grip Movement

Session 3 – Pinch Grip Movement + Wrist Strength Movement + Finger Strength Movement

Experiment with different combinations, perhaps even just setting aside certain sessions for “Grip Work” and choose the movements on the fly. There are many, many different ways to put this together, and just as many variations of movements available.

The important thing is to make sure you cover every area for a comprehensive grip training experience.

Crushing Grip

For Crushing Grip, no doubt in my mind the best way to tackle it is to use grippers. It’s logical - to train your crushing grip you have to crush the gripper closed. Sounds easy, but it really isn’t. The gold standard of crushing grip training is the Captain’s of Crush by IronMind (www.ironmind.com). Accept nothing less.

Make sure you warm-up first or you could hurt yourself. Start with two grippers that you can close all the way easily for over 10 reps if possible. If this isn’t possible, use your work gripper but don’t even attempt to close it all the way, just put enough effort in to feel something then back off.

When you move onto your work sets, aim for intensity rather than lots of volume. Remember, we’re building strength here, so using low reps is the key.

Aim for 4 sets of 4 at maximum effort possible. Even if you cant close this gripper, that’s fine, as long as you give it your all. Use maximum rest to recover.

E.g.

Warmup Gripper 1 1x10 (1:00 RI)

Warmup Gripper 2 1x10 (1:00 RI)

Work Gripper 4x4 Max Effort (2:00 RI)

Static Grip

Static grip is a very common grip training movement that has immediately obvious crossover into deadlifts and heavy rowing, and pretty much every movement where you have to hold things. If you can’t think of any you really need to pay more attention.

Basically, take a bar or two dumbbells, load it up with some weight, and just hold it with your arms hanging down as if you were going to shrug. But don’t shrug, just hold the weight there.

Sounds pretty easy, but after a few short sets your forearms will be burning like holy hell and you’ll feel the strength seeping out of your fingers quicker than you can compensate.

Aim for 3-4 holds of 30-60 seconds with a 60-120 second rest interval between each hold.

E.g.

Static Holds 4x30sec (1:00 RI)

Pinch Grip

I’ve never seen anybody in my current gym perform pinch grip holds ever. It’s really a shame, because it’s a challenging and enjoyable movement that I think has a lot of practical crossover into real-world functional activities.

Outside the gym the opportunity to carry objects with dumbbell handles comes around very rarely, and because of this shocking lack of weight-training equipment in the real world I think it’s a great idea and sound training practice to include a variety of “shapes” in your grip training.

Pinch grips work very much the same as static holds except instead of holding nice comfortable metal bars you hold free-weight plates up by their edges. Simply hold a plate around its outside edge for as long as you can.

As you’ll notice, instead of invoking a lot of hand and forearm strength, a lot of the force is produced by the fingertips and primarily the thumb on the faces of the plate. If you get really good you’ll be able to do two or more plates in each hand at once.

Aim for 3-4 pinch-holds of about 20-60 seconds with a 60-120 second rest interval between each hold.

E.g.

Pinch Grip 4x20sec (1:00 RI)

Wrist Strength

The strength of your wrists will determine how well you can stabilize your hand when it’s holding a heavy
weight. It’s great if you have a strong grip, but if your wrists are about as supportive as crepe paper then that’s not going to end well for you.

It’s easy to strengthen your wrist area, and this is about the only forearm/grip training movement that I ever see anybody doing.

Pick up a bar or dumbbells and sit down on the edge of a bench, rest your forearms on your knees so that your wrist overhangs the knee joint by about six inches. Depending on the movement you’ll either have your palms facing up (underhand) or facing down (overhand).

Whichever the grip, and you should train both, at this stage curl the weight up in a slow controlled manner through the full range of motion, pause, and lower the weight back to the starting position also in a slow and controlled manner.

Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps for both variations of wrist curl.

E.g.

Underarm Wrist Curls 2x12 (1:30 RI)

Overarm Wrist Curls 2x12 (1:30 RI)

Finger Strength

So finally we come to the last type of grip training, which isn’t to say this is the least important, oh no! How many times have you been working a great set of some compound movement and you’ve felt the bar starting to slip out of your palm, only to be held by your fingertips for the remaining reps?

Your fingers are essential for gripping ANYTHING. Without them, you literally don’t have the mechanics to hold onto things, and not only that but the fingers are the last port of call for a falling bar before it has its fun by crushing your foot.

If those people in action films did finger strength training, maybe hanging onto those ledges wouldn’t be so taxing and they'd actually be able to pull themselves to safety rather than waiting for some spandexed up superhero or secret agent to rescue them, or for a dastardly villain to come and send them hurtling into that vat of acid and robotic sharks.

Sounds a little out there I know, but from climbing ledges to holding cups of coffee, to playing a musical instrument, everybody can benefit in some way from stronger fingers.

To perform monkey hangs you’ll ideally need some sort of pullup or chinup bar, but I’ve done them off door frames, attic hatches, the frame of a smith machine while some guy was benching (I asked first, honest), and even an appropriately sized tree branch could work.

Using your fingers as hooks, simply hang yourself off your equipment of choice using just your fingers. Remember to lock your shoulders when performing this exercise rather than just relaxing and hanging there. You don’t want to dislocate anything.

Aim for 3-4 hangs of 10-60 seconds with 60-90 seconds rest in between each hang.

E.g.

Four Finger Monkey Hangs 1x40sec (1:00 RI)

Three Finger Monkey Hangs 1x30sec (1:00 RI)

Two Finger Monkey Hangs 1x20sec (1:00 RI)

Progression

As with any area of training you want to improve, progressive overload is the way to do it. How are you going to lift more weight if you don’t try to lift more weight? Failure to progress your training variables is like a racing driver trying to win in first gear - the only way to be faster than the competition is to GO FASTER!

The same rules apply to grip training as they would to progression in other lifts: when the current level of performance is getting too easy, change something to make it harder. It’s really that simple but it’s surprising how often people don’t realise it.

There are really no hard and fast rules on exactly HOW you progress, just as long as you DO progress. This could be in the form of increasing the resistance, increasing the number of reps at a certain resistance level, adding an extra set, decreasing the length of the rest intervals, adding a more advanced method like progressive resistance (e.g. adding chains to your wrist curl bars so you lift more weight off the floor through the rep’s range of motion), or just changing the equipment in some way to add a new twist to an old exercise (e.g. thicker bars, holding your gripper upside-down).

Be creative, use combinations of the above things, use one method for each exercise then swap them the next time. Come up with something that keeps your grip training fun and interesting. When you feel its time to ‘up-the-ante’ so to speak, write down every possible way to progress and pick something out of a hat if you want!

It honestly doesn’t matter, but remember that the only way to get better is to be better. Set your goals, and strive to achieve them.

Conclusion

Well hopefully this introduction to the world of grip has been at least a little insightful. The point I really can’t stress enough is that no matter what your training level, age, goals, or occupation, a stronger grip means a stronger person overall.

Whether you’re training for that PR you’ve always aspired to, or you want to pack on a few pounds for your next competition, or you just want to try something new, grip training is for you. If you can’t hang onto your PR weight how are you going to deadlift it? If you can’t go the duration of your repeated effort sets without dropping your dumbells, how are you going to induce hypertrophy? If you’re bored with your training, grip training could be a new and refreshing challenge.

Even outside the realm of weight training, everybody uses their hands for SOMETHING. Moving furniture, playing a musical instrument, construction work, rock climbing, holding heavy shopping bags or suitcases, waiting tables or carrying heavy trays of food, martial arts and boxing…the list goes on and on but the bottom line is always the strength of your grip.

For an extra hour or so a week using these guidelines there is no reason for anybody to ever drop anything again, so throw out those lifting straps and get to grips with some serious training.

Have fun, and most importantly – train safely.

Good luck!

-Gaz

Program : SDA1 - Fullbody Supersets

Split - Fullbody 2x Week + Active Recovery 1x Week
Progression - Simple Linear Periodization
Length - 6 Weeks
Level - Intermediate
Goals - Conditioning/Hypertrophy

***

Split

A simple three days a week split, training days can be changed to fit schedule, but be sure to leave adequate rest between training sessions for optimal recovery.

Mon - Workout A
Tue - Rest
Wed - Active Recovery
Thur - Rest
Fri - Workout B
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Progression

Simple linear progression dictates a gradual increase in intensity throughout the training program, culminating in relatively high intensity at the end, before an unload period prior to starting next program.

Alternatively, Week 6 can be replaced with a whole rest week, or a rest week can be taken as Week 7.

Any personal record attempts should be left until Week 5.

Week 1 - Main Movements = 2x14 @ 15-16RM (0:30-1:00 RI)
Week 2 - Main Movements = 3x12 @ 13-14RM (1:00-1:30 RI)
Week 3 - Main Movements = 3x10 @ 11-12RM (1:15-1:30 RI)
Week 4 - Main Movements = 3x8 @ 9-10RM (1:30-1:45 RI)
Week 5 - Main Movements = 4x6 @ 7-8RM (1:45-2:00 RI)
Week 6 - Main Movements = 2x10 @ 14RM (1:30-1:45 RI)

Supersets

The main lifting portion of this program is based on the concept of supersets. There are two ways to complete these supersets. The first method is to finish a set of one exercise and move immediately on to the next exercise and take a rest interval after BOTH have been completed.

The other method, which is the one i prefer and had in mind for this program, is to take a rest interval between EACH movement, in effect just alternating exercises back and forth as if you are just doing X sets of one movement.

Whichever you choose to do is your choice, though i prefer the second method because the added challenge on your musculature of constantly changing movements is still there, but the added rest prevents muscle failure for longer, allowing you to (hopefully) complete all the work.

Core Work

Core stability and abdominal work should be performed either before or after each session. Choose a stability movement such as planks and a more traditional movement such as reverse crunches, and perform both to your ability. 1-3 Sets of each movement should suffice.

Grip Work

Grip training can either be performed on the two main workout days (one movement per day) or on the active recovery day (two movements). Choose a variety of movements such as Static Holds, Wrist Curls, Gripper Training, Monkey Hangs etc. 1-4 Sets per movement should suffice.

Warmups/Warmdowns

Warmups should consist of dynamic stretches and ballistic exercises, warmdowns should consist of static stretching. Aim for ten minutes per warmup/warmdown covering all major joints and muscles.

Active Recovery

Active recovery sessions should be dedicated to cardiovascular training, both low intensity steady state and high intensity HIIT or similar protocols. Always train high intensity protocols first. As well as cardio, include the usual warmup/warmdown complexes, core work, and any grip work you have alloted to this session.

Workout A

Superset 1:
Deadlift Variation (Romanian, SLDL, Regular/Sumo Deadlifts etc)
+
Bench Press Variation (Hammer Grip, Flat, Decline, Incline etc)

Superset 2:
Other hamstring/hip dominant movement (Good Mornings, Hyperextensions, Glute Ham Raises etc.)
+
Overhead Press Variation or Dips

Workout B

Superset 1:
Squat Variation (Parallel, ATG, Overhead Squats, Goblet Squats etc.)
+
Rowing Variation (Bent Over, T-Bar, Dumbell Rows etc.)

Superset 2:
Uni-Lateral Quad-Dominant Movement (Lunges, Split Squats, Bulgarian Squats etc.)
+
Pullups, Chinups, or Lat Pulldowns

Conclusion

This is a simple, effective program that ive used in the past. There isnt really anything particularly complicated about it, but sometimes the most effective programs are based on simplicity.

Enjoy, and train safe.