10 things

Here's a quick summary:

1. Participate in some type of competition and train with professionals for increased growth and training discipline
2. Master resistance training that does not include barbell training. Experiment with how your training program is organized and periodized.
3. Try increasing the amount of time you spend on squats per week and experiment with your deadlift training frequency.
4. Try to see support exercises as main exercises and vice versa. And then see which exercises your body responds to best.

You need to work on knowing what works

Most exercisers flock aimlessly to the gyms of the world without a plan, goal or strategy.
Most haven't experimented nearly enough with their training to have the slightest clue about what works best for them. They stick with the same training program all year long without making any significant progress. There is no universal best training system that is perfect for everyone. We are all different in terms of anatomy, physiology and psychology. We must continually strive to find methods and strategies that work best for our unique bodies. The only way to learn this is to experiment over time. It's impossible to know what's best for you if you don't put in the time and work to find out.

Here's a list of things every exerciser should try during their training career.

1 - Enter a competition

At some point in your life, you should muster up the courage to enter a competition of some kind - whether it's a strength competition or a competition in a physical sport. This process will teach you lessons that you will benefit from for many years to come. Your options are endless. When it comes to competing in a body sport, you can compete in bodybuilding competitions or competitions in the figure, fitness or bikini classes. When it comes to competitions in strength sports, you can take part in Olympic weightlifting, strongman, powerlifting or CrossFit competitions. In powerlifting alone, you will find competitions in all three disciplines, as well as bench press, squat and deadlift competitions - take part in competitions in different areas and broaden your horizons. Olympic weightlifting will build your quadriceps, teach you how to maintain proper upper body flexion, how to perform the lower range of motion on squats and also maximize your strength on overhead presses. Powerlifting will help you find the proper stance width, foot placement, grip width and training styles that will maximize your strength on squats, bench presses and deadlifts.

Strongman will build your spinal erectors, increase your grip strength and give your strength endurance a boost. Bodybuilding will teach you how to minimize your body fat, how to achieve maximum muscle growth in each muscle head and how to diet according to your goals. Participating in competitions will force you to really dig in and make the magic happen.

2 - Train with professionals

Train with professionals if you can. There is so much you can learn from competitive athletes and many of them will be happy to share their knowledge with you, especially if they see you working hard in the gym.

Find out where the serious strength athletes and bodybuilders train and sign up for a membership. There's bound to be a gym somewhere near you that specializes in powerlifting, bodybuilding, weightlifting or strongman training. Do your homework and then train there.

3 - Master multiple forms of resistance

We all love the barbell. If you're a strength athlete, this is expected of you. However, still take the time to master dumbbells, machines, resistance bands, kettlebells, weight cuts, weight vests, specialized barbells, cable pulls and more. Exercises are tools and a good carpenter has a big toolbox. Of course, you'll use your hammer more often than your Allen keys or chisel, but these tools can be extremely important aids at the right time.

4 - Tinker with your training program

Different training strategies maximize different variables. Here are four popular methods:

1. High-volume training (HVT) maximizes training volume per muscle group and is generally used in combination with a training split by muscle group.
2. High Frequency Training (HFT) maximizes frequency per exercise or muscle group. It is generally used in combination with a full body workout.
3. High Intensity Training (HIT) maximizes effort and involves performing a set to muscle failure as part of a full body workout.
4. Escalating Density Training (EDT) maximizes training density and is generally used in combination with an upper body/lower body split.

Give each of these systems a chance in due course. You will learn something from each system and can incorporate aspects of each into your training over the years. You will make the best progress if you combine the different training styles in your training. For example, if you have been doing high volume training (HVT) for several years, a 3 month HIT phase will be very useful for you. If you have never used high frequency training (HFT), then there are still a few gains waiting for you.

Experiment with each of these workout routines at some point:

• Training splits by muscle group include high volume with natural fluctuations in demands on the CNS throughout the week. For example, a leg training day is brutal, but a shoulder day is more or less a walk in the park.
• A full body workout allows you to train more frequently per exercise and involves higher metabolic demands.
• Push-pull and upper body-lower body splits are beneficial for strength athletes.

You'll never find out which training style works best for you if you don't give them all an honest chance. There are several ways to organize your training and it's worth the time to experiment with periodization:

• Linear periodization has worked very well for many powerlifters over the past few decades.
• The Westside Method uses the conjugate method.
• Daily undulating periodization has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years thanks to advocates like Mike Zourdos.
• Block periodization has helped numerous athletes increase their strength and power.

Westside, 5/3/1, Starting Strength, The Texas Method, Sheiko, Smolov are all tried and tested methods that are worth trying at some point in your training career.

5 - Perform 20 repetitions of squats

The old-school bodybuilders invested their time in 20-rep squats. This training protocol is legendary and it's important that you use it too. You'll learn to force 20 reps with a weight you've only done 10 reps with before by refusing to put the bar back on the rack and breathing deeply between reps. You'll increase the weight on the bar and build several inches of thigh girth and you'll never curse a normal set of squats or deadlifts again.

6 - Try instinctive training

Use pure instinctive training during breaks between planned phases of training. This isn't about wandering around without direction - it's more about listening to your body's cues and training based on how you feel, rather than sticking to a set plan. Let's say you've just completed a powerlifting competition and you don't have another competition on the schedule for the next 7 months. After the first competition, you could avoid any specific program for 3 months before starting serious powerlifting training again. Alternating between periods of planned training and unplanned training is liberating and refreshing.

Go to the gym with an open mind, listen to your body and perform 3 to 5 exercises with 10 to 15 total sets per training session. You don't have to stick to a 7 day calendar - if you want to train every other day, then do it. If you want to train 3 days in a row followed by 2 non-training days, that's fine too.

Maybe one day you train squats, kettlebell swings, push-ups and inverse rowing. The next day you might train block pulls, glute ham raises and standing shoulder presses. The next day could be tight bench presses, hip thrusts, pull-ups and ab wheel rollouts.

You could also choose to do classic squats for 6 workouts in a row. Mix low, medium and high reps with no apparent rhythm or reason. I think you understand what I'm getting at. You can easily maintain or even increase your strength and set personal bests during these phases of instinctive training.

7 - Find your ideal squat frequency

There is an optimal squat frequency that will build your thighs the fastest, but you have to find it yourself through trial and error.

Spend two months at a time using one of the following training frequencies:

• Squat training once a week
• Squat training twice a week
• Knee flexor training three times a week
• Knee flexor training four times a week

Stick to 3 to 5 work sets per training session.
Pay careful attention to your strength levels and how your body responds so that you can determine your ideal squat frequency.

If your anatomy is well suited to doing squats, then I would suggest that 3 to 4 squat training sessions per week is ideal for you. However, if your hips, knees or back feel sore after squat training, 1 to 2 sessions of squats will be better in the long run.

8 - Find your ideal deadlift strategy

There is also an optimal deadlift strategy that will optimize your deadlift performance, but again, it takes experimentation to find this strategy.

Take a few weeks and do the following:

• Train heavy deadlifts once every other week
• Train heavy deadlifts once a week
• Train heavy deadlifts twice a week
• Train heavy deadlift once a week and lighter, on speed on another day of the week
• Train deadlifts with moderate volume and moderate effort three times a week
• Try to avoid deadlifts completely

Some exercisers do best with specificity, while others get better results with variety and by focusing on supporting exercises. Experiment to find what works best for you, but also realize that what works best for you now may not be what will work best for you two years from now. This is what makes training with weights such fun (or such a frustration - depending on which way you look at it).

9 - Train with bilateral training only for a while and unilateral training only for a while

You may think that unilateral exercises won't give you the same results as their counterparts performed with both arms or legs, but can you really say that with absolute certainty? Expriment. First, measure the circumferences of your chest, arms and thighs. Then train for three months with bilateral exercises only. Note any changes in body measurements and any strength gains and pay close attention to how your body feels. Then do an unloading week and go straight to unilateral training for three months.

Only perform exercises such as walking or reverse lunges with a barbell or dumbbells, Bulgarian split squats, step-ups, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, single-leg hip thrusts, single-arm bench presses with dumbbells, single-arm dumbbell incline bench presses, single-arm dumbbell shoulder presses, single-arm lat pulldowns and single-arm rowing with a dumbbell. Again, note any changes in your body measurements and strength gains and pay close attention to how your body feels.

This is the only way to really find the answer to the question of how your body responds to bilateral and unilateral training. You'll learn a lot in the process, your strength on unilateral exercises will increase dramatically and you'll never refer to walking lunges with a barbell as a sissy exercise again.

10 - Treat supporting exercises like main exercises

Reverse your strategy regarding main exercises and support exercises for a few months. You still have a whole training life ahead of you. It won't kill you if squats, deadlifts and bench presses play second fiddle for a while. It might even be beneficial for you.

For 3 to 4 months, choose a few exercises that are usually referred to as "support exercises". You might choose dumbbell rows with supported chest, close incline bench presses, barbell hip thrusts, Bulgarian barbell split squats and glute ham raises with added weight.

Perform each of these exercises twice a week - once with 3 sets of 5 to 8 repetitions and once with 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Try to increase the weight over time, as you would with your main exercises. Perform these exercises at the beginning of your training session so that they can produce the best training effect. Then perform your squats, deadlifts and bench press variations with less focus as you do your supporting exercises today.

Pay close attention to the effects. Your body may respond so well to supporting exercises that you could start to think of them as core exercises.

10 Bonus Ideas

1. Use strict 3 second pause repetitions only on your main exercises.
2. Perform only three exercises three times a week with different repetition ranges (daily undulating periodization).
3. Refrain from any overhead training to see if: a. This affects your shoulder hypertrophy b. This has a positive effect on the health of your shoulders
4. Refrain from any arm training to see if this affects the growth of your arms
5. Avoid any stabilization training for your core to see if it a. Affects the aesthetic aspect of your core b. Affects your strength during squats and deadlifts Affect your strength in squats and deadlifts
6. Perform Nordic leg curls (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPRZcNx_C0A) four or five days a week at the beginning of your training sessions to bring the strength of your hamstrings up to the level of the rest of your body.
7. Include two grip strength sessions per week in your training and see if this has a beneficial effect on your deadlift and back training performance.
8. Perform two sets of lateral walks with bands (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjgGSPo7Chc) and two sets of hip thrusts with two dumbbells or a barbell before your squat training session and see if this has a positive effect on the way your hips feel during squats.
9. Use occlusion training (training that restricts the blood supply to the trained limbs) for biceps and triceps twice a week and see if this has a positive effect on the muscle growth of your arms.
10. Train like an athlete. Gradually add sprints, plyometric training, agility training and conditioning training to your workouts.

By Bret Contreras
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/10-things-every-lifter-should-try