Training
Do you want to build muscle quickly? Then you should read this article before you start training. Learn how to train, how to recover, how to avoid overtraining and how to speed up your recovery to get the most out of your training.
If you really want to build quality muscle, then read this article...
How many times have we heard this statement above about building muscle fast? Or the following "I train chest and arms every day because I want them to grow." Or similar statements like this one I heard recently: "I train my chest every day, but I don't see any results and now I don't feel like training because I feel tired and exhausted." It is natural that the greater the training experience, the better the results achieved. But increasing the training stimulus can easily end up in a situation where the load the body is subjected to exceeds what it can cope with. This situation is known as overreaching and if it continues long enough, the result is a condition known as "overtraining syndrome".
Repeated days and weeks of training can be considered positive stress because the training increases your capacity for energy production, your tolerance to physical stress and your training performance. The greatest physical changes occur during the first 6 to 10 weeks of training. The degree of adaptations depends on the volume and intensity of the training sessions performed, leading many people to believe that the person who trains at the highest volume and intensity will make the greatest gains.
All too often, training sessions are judged by the work performed during a training session, leading to unrealistic personal training goals. However, the rate at which you can adapt to your training is limited. Too much training can reduce the potential for improvement and in some cases disrupt the adaptation process, ultimately leading to declining performance.
Although training volume is an important stimulus for physical conditioning, it is important to ensure the right balance between volume and intensity. You can also overdo it with training, which can lead to chronic fatigue, increased susceptibility to illness, overtraining syndrome and reduced performance. In contrast, sufficient recovery and the right balance between training volume and intensity can increase training performance. It takes great effort to find the right training volume and intensity necessary to achieve the optimal adaptations to training.
Optimizing the training
A well-designed training program incorporates the principle of progressive overload. In general, this principle states that to maximize the benefits, the training stimulus must be progressively increased as the body adapts to the current stimulus. If the amount of stress remains constant, you will adapt to this level of training and your body will not need any further adaptations. The only way to continue to improve is to progressively increase the training stimulus.
However, if this concept is taken too far, the training can become excessive and push the body beyond its capacity to adapt. Such excessive training at too high a volume or intensity does not result in further improvements in conditioning or performance and can lead to reduced performance and chronic fatigue.
Some people believe that maximum improvement from training can only be achieved through excessive training. This is especially true for young exercisers who believe that more is better and who train longer than two hours per day, believing that these periods of overload will accelerate their adaptations to training or lead to faster muscle gain than using a lower training volume or intensity.
Excessive training
Excessive training involves increasing the volume or intensity of training - or both - to an extreme level. However, the "more is better" philosophy only works up to a certain point. After that, performance will either plateau or even decline.
Overtraining
Despite hard overload training, some exercisers experience an inexplicable reduction in their training performance and physiological function that lasts for weeks, months or even years. This condition is referred to as overtraining - a condition that is attributed to both psychological and physiological causes. If the training load is too intense or the volume exceeds the body's ability to regenerate, then there is more catabolism (breakdown) than anabolism (build-up).
The exhaustion that often follows one or more exhaustive training sessions is usually compensated for by a few days of reduced training or a complete break from training in combination with a carbohydrate-rich diet. Overtraining, on the other hand, is characterized by a sudden decline in exercise performance and physiological function that cannot be offset by a few days of reduced or no exercise and manipulation of caloric intake.
Effects of overtraining: the overtraining syndrome
Most of the symptoms that result from overtraining are collectively grouped together as overtraining syndrome and can only be identified after a decline in exercise performance and physiological function has already occurred. Most of the symptoms of overtraining syndrome can be highly individualized, making it even more difficult to recognize that the reduced training results are the consequence of overtraining. One of the first signs of overtraining is reduced training results despite continuous training. Typically, an exerciser will notice a decrease in strength, coordination and maximum work capacity, as well as a feeling of exhaustion. Other signs and symptoms of overtraining syndrome include
- Changes in appetite and body weight
- sleep disturbances
- Irritability, restlessness, agitation, nervousness
- A lack of motivation
- Reduced ability to concentrate
- Feelings of depression
The underlying causes of overtraining syndrome are often a combination of emotional and physiological factors. Studies have found that stress tolerance can break down due to a sudden increase in worry and anxiety, as well as an increase in physical stress.
The emotional demands on a person suffering from things like fear of failure, unrealistically high training goals and other expectations can be the cause of unbearable emotional stress. For this reason, overtraining is typically accompanied by a loss of motivation or desire to train, which leads to a loss of enthusiasm for training. Other studies have also shown that the symptoms of overtraining syndrome and the symptoms of clinical depression include remarkably similar signs and symptoms.
The physiological factors responsible for the devastating effects of overtraining are still not fully understood by science. However, many abnormal responses have been reported suggesting that overtraining is linked to changes in the neurological system, the hormonal system and the immune system. Although a cause-and-effect relationship between these changes and the symptoms of overtraining has not yet been clearly established, these symptoms can often help determine whether a person is in a state of overtraining.
Overtraining of the autonomic nervous system
Some studies have shown that overtraining is associated with an abnormal response of the autonomic nervous system. Physiological symptoms accompanying the decrease in exercise performance often reflect changes in the neuronal or endocrine system controlled by either the sympathetic nervous system or the parasympathetic nervous system.
Sympathetic overtraining can lead to the following:
- Increased pulse rate at rest
- Increased blood pressure
- Loss of appetite
- Reduced body mass
- Sleep disturbances
- Emotional irritability
- Increased metabolic rate at rest
Other studies suggest that the parasympathetic nervous system may be dominant in some cases of overtraining. In these cases, exercisers show the same dips in performance, but significantly different responses than in the case of sympathetic overtraining.
Signs of parasympathetic overtraining include
- Early onset of fatigue
- Reduced heart rate at rest
- Rapid recovery of heart rate after exercise
- Reduced blood pressure at rest
Some of the symptoms associated with autonomic nervous system overtraining can also be observed in people who are not overtraining. For this reason, we cannot always assume that the presence of these symptoms confirms overtraining. Of the two conditions described, symptoms of sympathetic overtraining can be observed most frequently.
Hormonal response to overtraining
Measurements of different blood hormone levels during periods of heavy training suggest that significant disturbances in endocrine function accompany excessive stress. When athletes increase their training volume by a factor of 1.5 or 2, their thyroxine and testosterone blood levels usually decrease, while their cortisol levels increase.
The ratio of testosterone to cortisol is believed to regulate anabolic processes during recovery, which is why a change in this ratio is considered an important indicator and perhaps a cause of overtraining syndrome. Reduced testosterone levels in combination with increased cortisol levels could lead to more protein catabolism than anabolism in the cells. However, other research suggests that although cortisol levels increase during heavy training and in the early stages of overtraining, cortisol levels are generally reduced both at rest and during exercise in overtraining syndrome.
Overtrained athletes often have higher blood urea levels and since urea is produced during the breakdown of protein, this indicates increased protein catabolism. This mechanism is believed to be responsible for the loss of muscle mass seen in overtrained athletes.
Blood levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine are elevated during periods of intense exercise. These two hormones increase heart rate and blood pressure. Some people suggest that blood levels of these hormones should be measured to confirm overtraining. Unfortunately, measuring these hormones is very expensive and therefore not commonly used.
Acute overload training and heavy intensive training often produce most of the endocrine changes that can also be observed in overtrained athletes. For this reason, measurement of these and other hormones may not provide valid confirmation of overtraining. Athletes whose hormone levels appear to be abnormal may simply be experiencing the normal effects of hard training. These endocrine changes may simply reflect the stress of training - and not necessarily a complete breakdown of the endocrine system.
Immune system and overtraining
Your immune system provides you with protection against bacteria, parasites, viruses and tumor cells. This system depends on the actions of specialized cells and antibodies. These cells eliminate and neutralize invading pathogens that could harm the body. Unfortunately, one of the most serious effects of overtraining is its strong negative impact on the body's immune system.
Studies have shown that excessive training suppresses normal immune function, thereby increasing susceptibility to infection. Other studies have shown that short periods of intense exercise can temporarily impair the immune response and that successive days of heavy exercise can increase this suppression. Intense exercise during illness may reduce your ability to fight infection and increase the risk of complications.
Predictors of overtraining syndrome
It is believed that the cause of overtraining syndrome is most likely physical or emotional overload - or both. You should be careful not to exceed your own stress tolerance by regulating the amount of physiological and psychological stress you experience during exercise, but this is difficult to gauge. Many people rely on their intuition to determine training volume and intensity, but not many can accurately assess the true impact of their training. There are no symptoms that will warn you that you are on the cusp of overtraining. By the time you realize you've overdone it, it's often too late. The damage you have done through repeated days of excessive training or excessive stress can only be repaired by days - or in some cases even weeks - of no training or reduced training.
Treatment of overtraining syndrome
As mentioned above, the exact causes of the reduction in performance associated with overtraining are not yet fully understood, but reports suggest that training intensity is a stronger stress factor than training volume. Recovery from overtraining is only possible through a significant reduction in training intensity or a complete break from training.
Although many think that a reduction in training is sufficient, overtrained athletes require a longer period of time for full recovery and this may necessitate complete abstinence from training for a period of weeks or even months. Sometimes intervention by a psychotherapist may be necessary to help the exerciser cope better with other stressors in life that can contribute to a state of overtraining.
The best way to minimize the risk of overtraining is to use periodization of training, which means alternating periods of light, moderate and hard training. Although different individuals have different levels of tolerance to physical and mental stress, even the strongest athlete will go through periods where they are susceptible to overtraining syndrome.
It is important to pay particular attention to carbohydrate intake. Repeated days of hard training will deplete muscle glycogen stores and if care is not taken to consume additional carbohydrates during hard training periods, muscle glycogen stores and liver glycogen stores will be depleted. As a consequence, even the most heavily recruited muscle fibers will not be able to generate enough power for a hard workout.
Nutrition for regeneration
As mentioned above, carbohydrates play an important role in post-workout recovery and are therefore required as part of a balanced diet with adequate protein and fat intake. Consuming high quality carbohydrates - especially after exercise - will help to replenish muscle glycogen stores and provide sufficient energy for an intense workout.
Protein is also important for the recovery process. There are many studies that conclude that strength athletes need twice as much protein as physically inactive people. Last but not least, don't forget that you may also need additional vitamins and minerals to prevent a possible deficiency of one or more of these nutrients. It is normal for athletes to supplement their diet with a vitamin and mineral supplement as a kind of insurance policy against possible nutrient deficiencies.
References:
Physiology of Sport and Exercise: J H Wilmore. D L Costill
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/1-need-to-build-muscle-fast.html
Q: I have a question that you might be able to answer. A few days ago I was at the gym with my brother on chest day and used the multi press instead of free weights on the bench press as a change of pace. I was able to use almost 20 kilos more on the multi press and still do the same number of repetitions. How could that be? I suspect it might have something to do with the fact that the multi press took my stabilizing muscles out of the movement, which allowed me to use more weight. I also felt a much better pump with the heavier weight compared to the bench press.
A: The reason you can use 20 kilos more weight on the multi press is because most multi presses have counterweights that reduce the total weight moved slightly. You're absolutely right about the stabilizers - on the multi press you take them out of the movement, which allows you to use more weight. However, if you continue to use the multi press, then you increase the likelihood that you will suffer a shoulder injury sooner or later. Habitual use of the multi press leads to something called movement pattern overload syndrome. In other words, the multi press forces your muscles, ligaments and tendons to work with the same movement pattern over and over again, increasing the risk of injury.
Q: I have a friend who is a weight training coach at a university. As I was watching his players train, I noticed that they were not controlling the eccentric movement on the bench press. When I asked him about this, he claimed that he had observed that his players often complained of shoulder pain, reminiscent of tendonitis, when they reduced the bench press movement. What could be the reasons for this?
A: It is completely impossible that slowing down the eccentric part of the movement causes or mimics symptoms of biceps tendonitis. His athletes simply aren't able to bench press any reasonable weight unless they use their chest as a "launching pad".
The best powerlifters in the world lower their bar slower than these athletes without having any problems of this nature.
Q: I was looking through an anatomy manual recently and realized that I could use some help developing the lateral muscle head of my triceps. Do you have any tips for me?
A: The best exercises for developing the lateral head of the triceps are probably the following:
- Close bench press on a reverse incline bench with a 10 degree incline*
- Dips with V-shaped bars
- Overhead tricep presses on the cable pulley
*Keep your elbows under the bar.
A good superset to grow your lateral triceps would consist of overhead cable tricep presses (4 x 6 to 8 reps at a 4110 tempo) in superset with close bench presses on a reverse incline bench at a 10 degree incline (4 x 6 to 8 reps at a 3210 tempo).
Rest only two minutes between supersets, and you can expect to have to reduce the weight by 5 to 10% after each superset. If you suspect that your muscle fiber composition consists primarily of fast contracting fibers, then reduce the repetitions to 4 to 6 and increase the length of the rests to three minutes.
Q: You have to train heavy to get big and strong, but I get muscular when I train with moderate reps (8 to 10). I am 175 cm tall, weigh 92 kilos and have a body fat percentage of about 10%. When I start training in the 6 repetition range, I don't experience any muscle growth. All I feel is pain and yes, I control the weight.
I know guys who are half as muscular as me but can bench press twice as much and it makes me feel like a weakling. Everyone thinks I should bench press 140 kilos, but I can't do it. I would like to get stronger, but my main goal is to look like a bodybuilder.
In short, I can get muscular without eating much while only moving moderate to light weights. Am I a freak? And can you help me?
A: You seem to suffer from the "it's all for show" syndrome. You are probably capable of doing a lot of reps with a high percentage of your 1RM weight. You are someone who is able to hypertrophy low threshold motor units for a number of reasons. You could also have the muscle building gene that about 8 of the top 22 IFBB pros have.
If low reps cause pain, then you're not meant to be strong but just bulky and non-functional - like my ex-mother-in-law. Of course, if bodybuilding is your primary goal, then you shouldn't worry too much about this. Most guys would be happy to at least be able to get muscular.
Q: I don't understand why power cleans and deadlifts are considered leg exercises instead of back exercises. If one were to incorporate these exercises into a training program based on your principles, then one would train back and chest one day and then do cleans and deadlifts the next day. Wouldn't that be training the back two days in a row?
A: The quadriceps, gluteus and hamstrings are the primary muscles involved in deadlifts and power cleans. Therefore, these exercises are typically performed on the leg day. The back day is usually designed to work all the muscles of the upper back.
Q: I train late in the evening and finish my training session about an hour before going to bed. Should I still have a post-workout drink at this time?
A: Of course, otherwise you will end up in a catabolic state during the night. This drink will also help you sleep better. You can also take some ZMA to help you get even more restful sleep (while making sure your body is producing all the testosterone it's supposed to).
Q: I've never managed to get a good visible serratus before. Which exercise would you consider to be the ultimate serratus exercise?
A: To achieve a good visible serratus anterior, your body fat percentage needs to be below 6 percent. There is no such thing as an ultimate serratus exercise, as different muscle fibers of the serratus have different tasks. The lower fibers are responsible for pulling the scapula down, while the upper fibers rotate the scapula, lift the shoulders and cause abduction of the arm.
Therefore, if you want to achieve complete hypertrophy of the serratus anterior muscles, you need to perform overhead presses and pull-ups.
Q: Could I use your "training with maximum weights" program for the rest of my body at once, using the same repetition ranges, tempo and rest intervals for legs, chest and back? If so, what type of training split would you recommend?
A: For those who haven't read the original article, the nervous system is the forgotten component of bodybuilding and training with maximal weights targets this area by improving the connection between the nervous system and the muscular system. This is what German exercise physiologists refer to as intramuscular training. By using this method, the exerciser will learn to access a greater percentage of their motor units.
You can use the same load parameters for other muscle groups, but you can't train at this intensity for more than three weeks in a row without moving on to slightly higher repetitions for another three weeks.
Of course, you could start your training with a maximum load pattern and end it with hypertrophy training. Here is an example for the quadriceps:
A) classic squats with a 5110 tempo and four minutes rest between sets, 1x3, 1x2, 1x1, 1x3, 1x2, 1x1.
This is followed by a superset of exercise B1 and B2:
- B1) Barbell hack squats, 3x6-8 reps with a 3020 tempo
- B2) Barbell lunges, 3x6-8 reps with a 30X0 tempo Rest 2 minutes between supersets.
Q: I would like to know the best way to train my shoulders. Do you have any tips or recommendations?
A: Over the years, strength athletes and bodybuilders have used both high loads and high volume to develop round, powerful shoulders. On the one hand, powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters have built impressive shoulders using multiple sets of multi-joint exercises such as presses and rowing upright with low repetitions. On the other hand, there are many bodybuilders with fantastic shoulder development who have used high reps, short rest intervals and mainly isolation exercises. I personally believe that you will achieve better shoulder development if you alternate both approaches. I have also found that descending sets and the pre-fatigue method are particularly effective in promoting shoulder growth. I guess it should be clear at this point that I recommend exposing the shoulders to a wide range of stimuli. You could experiment with multiple sets of multi-joint exercises with low repetitions for a short period of time (around six sessions) and then move on to isolation exercises with higher repetitions for a similarly short period. Here's a sample training program you can try. It involves high volume and a shift in strength curves:
- Single arm dumbbell side raise (6-8 reps with a 3021 tempo)
- 10 seconds rest
- Incline bench side raises (10-12 reps with a 3010 tempo)
- 10 seconds rest
- Single arm side raises on cable (12-15 reps with a 2010 tempo)
- Howl in pain and curse the gods
Repeat steps 1 to 6 with the other arm. Then rest for two minutes and repeat the entire triple set twice more.
Q: My wrists hurt when I do upright rows. Is there a way to do this exercise without pain?
A: There are three things you can do to reduce the pain in your wrists when doing upright rows:
- Use a SZ bar and grip the bar where you would grip it when performing curls (the angle of the bar will allow for pain-free movement)
- Use a rope grip (which you would normally use for tricep presses.
- If you are using a normal barbell, do not lift it higher than your collarbones.
Q: I hope you can tell me what would be better for muscle growth. In the past, I have trained each muscle group twice a week. Here is an example:
- Monday and Thursday: chest, triceps
- Tuesday and Friday: back and biceps
- Wednesday and Saturday: shoulders and legs
I wonder if I could achieve the same training effect if I trained each muscle group once a week. What if I trained chest and triceps on Monday, back and biceps on Wednesday and shoulders and legs on Friday?
A: You are using far too high a volume and frequency. You would be best advised to use one of the following training splits (your choice should be based on factors such as recovery ability, weak and strong points, schedule, gym hours, etc.):
Split Option A
Day 1: Chest and back
Day 2: Legs and abs
Day 3: Workout-free
Day 4: Shoulders and arms
Day 5: Workout-free
Split Option B
Day 1: Back and triceps
Day 2: Upper thighs and abs
Day 3: Workout-free
Day 4: Chest and biceps
Day 5: Shoulders and calves
Day 6: Workout-free
Split option C
Day 1: Leg curls and calves
Day 2: Back and shoulders
Day 3: Workout-free
Day 4: Quadriceps and calves
Day 5: Chest and arms
Day 6: Workout-free
Split Option D
Day 1: Back and calves
Day 2: Chest
Day 3: Leg curls and abs
Day 4: Shoulders and arms
Day 5: Quadriceps and calves
Day 6: Workout-free
Day 7: Workout-free
Q: What is the best way to perform bent-over rowing with a barbell? Dorian Yates says that he uses an angle of around 70 degrees, while other people say that a steeper angle (in the region of 30 degrees) is better. What is your opinion?
A: Both camps are right. Varying the angle changes the line of pull and therefore affects muscle recruitment. Vary the angle frequently. If you need proof of this statement, look at the impressive back development of judokas and gymnasts who routinely use a whole range of different angles.
Q: Should you train the trapezius on back day or shoulder day?
A: That depends entirely on what split program you are using. For example, if you are using a shoulder specialization program, then you need to reduce the amount of work for other muscle groups - especially the pecs. This is because chest training also recruits the front shoulder muscles. If your trapezius is one of your weak points, then you should train it at the beginning of a training session and the best way to train it is to use power cleans and shoulder lifts (shrugs) using a wide range of different equipment such as barbells, dumbbells and cable pulleys.
Interestingly, using a trapezius specialization program can often increase elbow flexor strength in exercisers who find it difficult to increase their weights on curls. One way to determine if your arms can benefit from a trapezius specialization program is to look at how the exerciser holds their head. If they hold it bent forward as if they are looking for lost change on the floor, then they should definitely do additional training for their trapezius.
Q: I suffer from the common problem of lifting my heels when I perform squats. This affects my progress on all variations of squats and related exercises - classic squats, front squats, power cleans and even deadlifts. I don't think tight calves are the problem as I have good natural flexibility in my calves and stretch them regularly. If I really focus on it, then I can keep my heels on the floor when doing squats. However, when I do this, I bend my upper body forward and I can't do squats efficiently. What should I do to correct this problem?
A: You probably have tight psoas and rectus femoris muscles, which you can correct with the following stretching exercise known as the three-step hip flexor stretch. Place one foot on a padded surface behind you (e.g. a weight bench) and perform the following steps:
- Step 1) Move your butt towards your foot.
- Step 2) Now move your knee backwards so that it is under the padded surface (you will need to bend the other knee slightly)
- Step 3) Lean backwards with your hands on your hips.
Hold this stretch for 15 seconds. Pause briefly and repeat the stretch. Do this stretch three times a day until your problems have disappeared.
Source:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/question-of-strength-19, https://www.t-nation.com/training/question-of-strength-20, https://www.t-nation.com/training/question-of-strength-21, https://www.t-nation.com/training/question-of-strength-22
Part 8
Q: My question is about dumbbell deadlifts lying crosswise on a bench. I have the feeling that this is a superior exercise for the upper body. What is your opinion on this exercise? I use a fairly heavy weight (up to 50 kilos) and try to achieve maximum extension.
I read a very old article by Arthur Jones in which the Nautilus machine version of this exercise was called "squats for the upper body". We all know how good squats are for building muscle mass throughout the lower body and to some extent the upper body, but is there really such a thing as an upper body version of squats?
I think overreaches, since they involve a lot of muscle groups, would be an ideal exercise. I would appreciate some feedback.
A: Pullovers are a great exercise, but since Jones marketed the Nautilus machine for pullovers, he was obviously a little biased. The biggest benefit of this machine is that it takes the elbow flexors out of the latissimus workout, improving the isolation of these powerful shoulder extensors.
The Nautilus machine for overpulls was one of the few Nautilus machines that included a built-in resistance curve that matched the human strength curve for the shoulder extensors.
However, I'm not a big fan of overlifts where you lie across a weight bench, as I've seen a few cases of a hernia in the abdominal muscles that could be directly attributed to this exercise. I would prefer to do pull-ups on a reverse incline bench using a SZ bar as this version allows for a more natural shoulder movement.
Q: I'm not having any luck with training my triceps. I'm sure it's because I've been using the same training program for ages. Do you have a good triceps training program I could try?
There are two important variables that contribute to a strong increase in triceps mass:
- Choosing the right exercises
- The use of a range of different repetition ranges
With these two points in mind, here is an excellent mass building program for triceps:
A1) Dips on parallel bars, 5 sets, 4 to 6 reps with a 5110* tempo and 3 minautes rest between sets.
*For those unfamiliar with the concept of tempo, 5110 means the following:
- 5 seconds to perform the eccentric portion of the movement
- 1 second pause at the lowest point of the movement
- 1 second for the concentric part of the movement
- 0 seconds pause at the highest point of the movement before lowering the weight
In my opinion, dips are the supreme discipline when it comes to building the triceps. Despite this, this exercise rarely makes it onto the list of exercises recommended in fitness magazines such as Men's Health, just like more demanding exercises such as squats and pull-ups.
To start the exercise, grab two parallel bars and push yourself up until you have stabilized your body at arm's length above the handles. Then lower your body as far as possible between the handles. Lower your body until your biceps touch your forearms - your triceps must reach a full stretch. Once you have reached the lowest position, push yourself back up by extending your elbows. Try to keep your upper body as upright as possible throughout the entire range of motion. If you bend too far forward, you will increase the involvement of the chest muscles.
If you can't lower yourself in a controlled manner until your biceps touch your forearms, then go back to stamp collecting or do close bench presses until your arms are strong enough. If you don't use the full range of motion on dips, then this exercise is a waste of time. And please don't use the version where you place your feet on a bench in front of you and keep your hands behind your body. This exercise is one of the main causes of shoulder impingement syndrome in the bodybuilding community, along with press exercises on the multi press.
In the beginning, your body weight will probably provide enough resistance. However, as you get stronger, you can progressively increase the weight by clamping a dumbbell between your legs or hanging a weight plate on a specially designed dips belt.
If the better V-shaped version of bars is available to you, use as narrow a grip as possible without compromising your shoulder integrity. And please don't cheat yourself by performing shortened reps where you don't go all the way down and only push yourself ¾ of the way up. In addition, you should only extend your elbows 98% to maintain maximum tension on the triceps.
B1) Dumbbell tricep press on reverse incline bench: 3 sets, 6 to 8 repetitions at a 3210 tempo without rest in superset with exercise B2
Lie on a reverse incline bench and hold two dumbbells up at arm's length. Lower the dumbbells while keeping the elbows in the same position. Make sure that the triceps are fully stretched in the lowest position (the forearms should touch the biceps in this position). Use a grip with the palms facing each other (hammer grip).
Do not frantically try to keep the elbows as close together as possible, as this would put too much strain on the supporting structures of the elbows.
B2) Lying tricep press on the cable pulley (skull crusher): 3 sets, 12 to 15 repetitions with a 2010 tempo. Rest 2 minutes between supersets.
Use a rotating handle attached to the lower pulley of a cable pulley. Place a flat bench in front of the cable pulley. Lie flat on the bench with your head facing the cable pulley. Grasp the bar and hold it upwards with your arms straight. Move the bar towards your forehead and then extend your arms 98% to move it back up. Make sure you keep your wrists in a neutral position to avoid future elbow problems.
I've seen many exercisers gain an inch of triceps in 30 days with a program like this.
Q: I see women doing lunges all the time, but I rarely see men using this exercise. What is your opinion on lunges? Are they solely for developing the glutes or do they also work the quadriceps and hamstrings?
A: The reason you rarely see men doing this exercise is because of this standard bodybuilding nonsense that lunges are meant to "sculpt your butt". This falls into the same category of nonsense as the notion that leg extensions are designed to improve quadriceps definition.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I have seen many sprinters, high jumpers, long jumpers and bobsledders build additional mass around their already muscular legs by adding lunges to their squat programs. The only difference between a split squat and a lunge, by the way, is that you move explosively back to an upright position during the concentric phase of lunges. With split squats, you use a fixed stance in which you move up and down while leaning on your front leg.
Here is a description of how to perform split squats correctly:
Starting position:
- Stand in front of a squat rack with your back to the barbell.
- Use your index fingers to find a reference point on the bar (use the knurling to determine the width of your grip).
- The index fingers should be as close to the outside of the shoulders as possible.
- Move under the bar and place it on the thick area of the trapezius.
- Your chin should be pointing slightly upwards.
- Focus your eyes on a point on the opposite wall that is slightly above the position of your eyes to maintain correct neck alignment.
- Your feet should be shoulder width apart.
- Take a large step forward with your non-dominant leg to reach the initial starting position.
Downward movement:
- The demanded knee moves maximally directly forward before the hip is lowered.
- The hips are then lowered, keeping the back as upright as possible and the chest up.
- The body is lowered in a controlled manner until the hamstrings touch the calves.
- You should consciously try to keep your elbows under the bar throughout the movement. This will ensure that the load is kept as close to the center of gravity as possible.
- The knee should move forward beyond your toes during the downward movement.
- You should inhale during the downward movement.
Upward movement:
- First, move your hips upwards.
- The torso should be kept as upright as possible, especially at the heaviest point of the upward movement.
- You should exhale during the upward movement
Pay attention to the following:
- The torso should be kept as upright as possible throughout the movement.
Safety aspects:
- Keep the eccentric movement under control.
- Do not lean forward.
Variations:
- To change the resistance curve of the movement, you can use two dumbbells instead of the barbell, hold the barbell in front of your body as in front squats or use the handle of a cable pulley.
These exercises not only develop the gluteus, but also provide plenty of growth stimulus for the quadriceps, adductors and leg flexors.
Q: Wide grip pull-ups are one of my favorite back exercises, but I've reached a plateau and just can't seem to progress. I know you say that exercisers should be able to do at least 12 pull-ups using their own body weight, but I just can't get past eight. Do you have any recommendations?
A: Here are three tips that will help you break through your plateau on wide grip pull-ups:
Tip 1:
On the last repetition of each set, pause on the downward movement at three different positions on the downward movement for 8 seconds each. In other words, pause for 8 seconds when you have completed a quarter, half and three quarters of the downward movement. This will increase the time under tension during this exercise and thereby stimulate protein synthesis. Don't be surprised if you look like you've just had a severe attack of Parkinson's during your last isometric stop.
Tip 2:
On every last repetition of each set, have a training partner hang a dumbbell between your feet to increase eccentric overload and try to lower yourself (and the dumbbell) slowly over a ten-second period.
Tip 3:
Perform additional direct brachialis training on your arm training day. Make sure you always perform some form of reverse curls on arm day - and while performing this exercise, pause for two seconds on each repetition when your elbows reach 30 degrees of flexion (this will increase recruitment of the brachialis muscle).
Q: I've read some of your articles where you talk about time under tension and you sometimes recommend performing sets where you take one or two seconds to move the weight up, while taking between three and eight seconds to lower the weight. Does it make any sense to perform repetitions with extreme time under tension? For example, I tried doing a few sets of dips where I moved my body up for 15 seconds and took 15 seconds to lower it back down. It hurt like hell. Have I discovered something interesting or is this just nonsense?
A: Don't run to the patent office just yet, but don't give up just yet either. My colleague Ellington Darden long ago recommended doing pull-ups or dips in which both the concentric and eccentric phases of the movement last for a period of 30 seconds.
Former Soviet weightlifting coach Medvedev also recommended very slow (8 to 10 seconds) pulling exercises (more like deadlifts) to develop maximum strength in weightlifters.
You can use extreme time under tension as long as the total time under tension does not exceed 60 seconds - otherwise the weight would be too light to produce gains in strength and muscle mass.
Q: If you train twice a day, can you only train one muscle group that day or is it possible to train two muscle groups, such as a pair of antagonists like chest and back?
A: Well, I believe that you can grow stronger if you have the luxury of training twice a day. However, most of us have work and family commitments that prevent us from using such an extensive training program.
Exercising twice a day can be very effective as long as you follow these principles:
1) Keep the training sessions short. Minus the warm-up time, your workout should last no longer than 40 minutes. Training longer than that would be counterproductive.
2) Use a suitable training sequence. In my opinion, the same muscle group should be trained twice on the same day. There are a number of options for this.
Option A: heavy in the morning, light in the evening
In my experience, training heavy in the morning and performing higher repetitions in the evening works quite well. For example, perform sets of 4 to 6 repetitions in the morning and sets of 12 to 15 repetitions in the evening.
Option B: low repetitions in the morning, high tempo, low repetitions in the evening, slow tempo
You could also use the same repetition ranges for both training sessions, but use a different tempo. For example, perform 4 to 6 reps at a 30X pace in the morning and 5 to 7 reps at a 505 pace in the evening.
Option C: heavy in the morning, eccentric training in the evening
Another option I like is to train heavy in the morning and perform eccentric training in the evening. For example, you could do 6 sets of heavy front squats with 2 to 3 repetitions each and a 501 tempo in the morning and 7 sets of eccentric classic squats with one repetition each and a 10-0-1 tempo. A training partner can help with the concentric repetitions.
In terms of exercise selection for both training sessions, it makes sense to perform the same exercises in the morning and evening if you are primarily concerned with developing strength. However, if hypertrophy is your primary goal, then you should use different exercises. For example, weightlifters will do classic squats twice a day, while bodybuilders might do barbell bench presses in the morning and dumbbell incline bench presses in the afternoon.
3) Pay careful attention to your post-workout diet. Liquid food is best. For a 90 kilo bodybuilder, I recommend a shake that contains 40 to 50 grams of protein and a reasonable amount of carbohydrates. Here is my updated formula for post-workout carbohydrate intake:
- 1.0 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight if the total reps were under 80 reps.
- 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight if the total number of repetitions was around 250 repetitions (25 sets of 10 repetitions)
- 2.0 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight if the total number of repetitions was 400 repetitions or more (30 sets of 15 repetitions)
If you are training twice a day, then I would also recommend using a good antioxidant formula and an additional 10 grams of vitamin C per day. I have also found that taking alpha-lipoic acid after training with the shake can help recharge your energy reserves faster.
4) There must be a 4 to 6 hour break between the two training sessions of a day. This period is critical. If you rest for less time, you will be too exhausted.
5) For every two weeks of two training sessions per day, do one week with only one daily training session. This will ensure that you don't go into overtraining. It has been shown that training twice a day for a short period of time can temporarily lower testosterone levels. However, testosterone levels will immediately return to baseline if you only train once a day for a week.
Here is a brief summary:
- The term bodybuilder needs to be redefined for the modern woman. If your goal is to build muscle, then you are a bodybuilder - even if you don't compete.
- Early female bodybuilders like Rachel McLish had enviable bodies. Sadly, steroids have ruined the image of bodybuilding for many women and scared a whole generation of women away from the squat rack.
- Bodybuilding is about building the body. Women need to stop talking about nonsense like "toning" and "shaping" the body.
- Serious female exercisers are tired of being asked what they are training for. They train to build muscle, to look and feel good and to challenge themselves.
In the beginning...
Rachel McLish was one of the first female bodybuilders of the modern era. She won the first Ms. Olympia title. She became a star. And she ended her career before female bodybuilders started to look like male bodybuilders.
Before she took to the stage, McLish was simply a woman who trained with weights. She had built her body before she ever had a real opportunity to compete. She moved heavy weights without worrying about any judges. And she trained hard without knowing who she would inspire decades later.
Sure, there are many categories in which female exercisers can compete that don't require "masculinization". Natural-looking women can build muscle, get lean and show off their poses in physique, figure, fitness or bikini classes.
But is there a place for women who just want to build their bodies?
Female bodybuilders without a stage
Is there a name for women who want to move heavy weights and achieve the best possible look for themselves and not for a squad of judges? Yes, and you can call these women bodybuilders.
Women who build their bodies and train hard in the gym are tired of being asked what they're training for - as if the only reason to move weights is to prepare for a competition. This is a dubious compliment for serious female exercisers and sometimes even a slap in the face.
Why? Because they would train hard with or without a competition. They enter competitions because they can, because that option is always within reach - not because signing up for a competition is the only thing keeping them from sitting around lazily at home getting fat.
Who we are and what we do
We are bodybuilders and our muscles are our biggest fashion statement. We train. We eat well. We provide our bodies with what they need. We don't punish ourselves with food or crash diets. We don't calculate every gram of food we eat. Cardio is optional, a tan isn't necessary and judges don't matter. We would train with or without their scorecards.
We are bodybuilders and we are redefining that term. We are reclaiming this term from the women who have turned women's bodybuilding into a freak show. We're reclaiming this term from the substance-addled professionals and the judges who have rewarded this masculinized look by awarding trophies to the most extreme freaks.
Why does the term women's bodybuilding need to be redefined? Because stereotypes suck.
We are not women who want to look like men. We are women who want to express strength, resilience, dedication and beauty through a well-built but natural body. The perception of women's bodybuilding has been tainted by professional bodybuilders who have sacrificed the look of a healthy woman to become professionals and victims of fetishism, making muscles look grotesque instead of stunning.
We don't want to be part of this freak show. A hard female body can also be achieved with sweat, solid nutrition, good supplementation and the right attitude.
And we're tired of disproving the myths. We're tired of having to reassure other women that training with weights won't make them look massively like competitive bodybuilders.
Think about it for a moment - how much better off would a society be if women made their bodies healthier by working out with weights? And think of all the women who shy away from it because they're afraid of looking manly. Yes, it's a silly fear, but this image - this association between steroid-pumped women and the world of bodybuilding - has to go. It's outdated and not enough women know this.
By the way, women's bodybuilding is on the decline and slowly disappearing from the industry. Yes, you read that right. The women's bodybuilding category is slowly disappearing from bodybuilding competitions.
It's a shame and this category would certainly still be very popular if the judges hadn't decided to reward women for using steroids and the resulting disfigured bodies. We shouldn't hate these female professionals - we should feel sorry for them.
What female trainers know today
We know that the natural female body will not look masculine through heavy training with weights and a robust diet. This farce should have died back when Rachel McLish took the stage. We just want visible muscle and we cringe when you use the word "toned" in relation to us.
You don't have to wrap your head around the word muscles. We know that we can train as hard as we can for hypertrophy and aim to get as muscular as possible and end up with a look that is both powerful and sexy.
Bodybuilding is the pursuit of a well-built body. It's about achieving a visible look of power. It's about hypertrophy. It's about aesthetics, but all of this is accompanied by the added benefits of strength, confidence and definition. We know that good-looking muscles are not weak muscles - and building those muscles is not for the weak-willed.
We also know that building a phenomenal body doesn't require spectators. If you are driven to train hard for the purpose of sculpting your body with muscle, then you can call yourself a bodybuilder without ever having graced a competition stage.
Avoid the catabolism trend
Some women believe that training for aesthetic purposes requires tons of cardio, calorie restriction and getting to the lowest weight of your life on the scale. Many think that it is necessary to follow an extremely restricted diet, never take a day off from the gym and maybe even spend money on a trainer. These are common misconceptions.
First of all, you don't need a trainer to be a bodybuilder. And if you think that an aesthetically pleasing body is a body that looks malnourished, then you need to let go of that notion. You're not a bodybuilder if you believe that, because by definition you're not building your body up. You would tear it down.
Achieving your best look has nothing to do with starving yourself down. No woman who has dedicated her time to the art of bodybuilding would sacrifice what she has achieved with the help of heavy iron.
If you are a bodybuilder, then the scale is irrelevant to your goals. You know that building muscle creates a body that is efficient - a body that doesn't require constant regulation of weight on the scale, macronutrients or time on the treadmill. You know that building muscle creates a metabolism that runs at full speed. That's why cardio and neurotic calorie counting never need to be at the top of your to-do list. These are options, not basics.
Bodybuilding is all-inclusive
Don't have a six-pack? Don't worry. Being defined is not a prerequisite for being identified as a bodybuilder. You also don't have to stop doing things like mountain climbing, dancing, running, yoga or baking and eating treats. Bodybuilding is inclusive. It just means that your main goal is to build muscle and achieve the look that comes with it.
Because of this goal, you will never go to the gym to compensate for a big meal or to lose vacation fat, nor will you punish yourself for missed workouts. For you, the gym is not a prison - it's your oasis. It's your place to grow.
Bodybuilders know that a more toned and compact body is a by-product of training with weights. Yes, ironically, a focus on hypertrophy frees bodybuilders from the pressure to be thinner and leaner.
Other benefits aside from fat loss include workouts that are both challenging and fun, better health and vitality, increased insulin sensitivity, big meals that bring you closer to your body development goals rather than detracting from them, and continuous effort that doesn't feel like martyrdom.
When your main goal is to build muscle, consistency becomes automatic. Your challenge is to build muscle through repeated effort and unlike the goal of getting skinny like a supermodel, this is a challenge that is within your reach.
Building muscle and doing good workouts is a positive reinforcement to continue building muscle and doing good workouts. Bodybuilding is all about impactful and effective workouts - the kind of workouts you enjoy doing again, rather than the punishing ones you try to avoid.
Your body. Your muscles. Your personal look
Rachel McLish once said that the great thing about bodybuilding is that it shows off your genetics. Let that statement sink in, because it will set you free.
This means that we don't have to worry about what other people look like or striving for a look that is not within the reach of our genetic potential. It also means that there is no reason to compare yourself to someone else with different genetic predispositions. And we all have different genetic predispositions.
You cannot achieve the same body development as another woman. Excellent. Because she can't achieve the same body development as you either. She has a different anatomical structure and the best look of the two of you will be dramatically different, but will still be equally attractive depending on who you ask and what you wear.
So don't worry about what other people's bodies look like. You have a unique set of genes and your bodybuilding lifestyle will determine the way those genes come out.
You may or may not have the potential to develop a round butt. Train hard anyway. Do squats, hip thrusts and deadlifts. Find out what your genetic potential has in store for your gluteus. A muscular butt is a great thing - no matter what shape it ends up being - and that shape will be determined by a number of factors including your bone structure and the width of your hips.
Build your body and develop your own kind of beauty - because no one else can achieve that look but you.
What future bodybuilders need to know
- Take part in competitions. Or don't. It's perfectly fine to use a competition as motivation. However, you shouldn't think that you have to sign up for a competition in order to achieve the goal of a muscular body. Build your body because there are a lot of other cool things that go along with building muscle. Then when you decide to compete, you already have a foundation. That opportunity will always be there - no matter how old you are or how much you've let your fitness slide in the past.
- Don't think that bodybuilding is any more superficial than what other people do on a daily basis. Most women (and men) want to achieve a certain look. People use their bodies to tell the world who they are. Their appearance reflects many things ranging from socio-economic status, to profession, values, vanity and hygiene. Exercising for aesthetic purposes is another tool in that toolbox - but it has more benefits than a manicure or designer handbags. And if you tell the world something about yourself through your appearance, what's wrong with telling the world that you are strong and disciplined?
- Be who you are. Bodybuilding may sound pretentious, elitist and exclusive. But that's wrong. We are all quite down to earth and there is no need to be embarrassed or shy. We will not judge. Beginners are more than welcome, as long as they don't ask us questions while we're doing a training set.
- Balls, bands, TRX straps and bodyweight exercises will not be enough if you want to transform your body and build a significant amount of muscle. There is nothing wrong with small training tools and techniques, but you should see them as support for your main exercises. They can't do for your body what real weights, dumbbells, barbells, cable pulleys or other machines can do. So if you're working with a trainer who refuses to show you how to move any significant weights, find someone else.
What we really train for
Bodybuilders may train with aesthetic goals in mind, but that doesn't mean they aren't pursuing other goals and continually challenging themselves. Our lives don't revolve around our looks, but we do enjoy being able to achieve the shapes and lines that only muscle can generate. Muscles are just one of our barometers for progress. They tell us that what we are doing is working.
Aside from achieving a real killer body, we train for many things. We train to build confidence in our careers and in the bedroom. We train for our bone health, our insulin sensitivity and our longevity. We train for increased energy because the work we put in is an investment that always pays off.
We train for mental clarity. We train because the goal of fat loss is a cliché and not fun. We work out because we want to look like Wonder Women instead of Barbie. We exercise because building muscle increases the production of hormones that burn fat, even if fat loss is not our main goal.
We work out to be the type of woman no one wants to mess with. We train to build strength of character. We train for habitual excellence. We train for ourselves.
We train because we are bodybuilders.
By Dani Shugart
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/redefining-the-female-bodybuilder
If your family was kidnapped and you were told that you had to increase your maximum squat weight by 50 kilos within 2 months or your family would be executed, would you only do squats once a week? Something tells me you would start training squats every day. Trainers in other countries have that attitude, but Americans don't.
- John Broz
John Broz lives and breathes Olympic weightlifting. For three years, Broz worked with Antonio Krastev, a Bulgarian super heavyweight who snatched 216 kg in 1987 - a world record that is no longer recognized because the IWF restructured its weight classes.
Krastev introduced Broz to the legendary Bulgarian system, who eventually opened a small Olympic weightlifting training facility in Las Vegas.
Broz produced some absolute freaks in a very short period of time, including 20-year-old Pad Mendez, who was Broz's best student.
The Broz Method
After reading about the Broz Method for several hours and diligently taking notes, I visited his training facility. In this article, I will attempt to summarize his views succinctly.
The Broz Olympic Weightlifting Methodology
John believes that everyone can and should train every day. He has his trainees start immediately with daily heavy squats and technical Olympic training with an empty barbell.
Over the course of a year, his trainees work their way up to 13 training sessions per week - twice a day from Monday to Saturday and once on Sundays. The morning training sessions last between 45 and 120 minutes and the evening training sessions between three and four hours, which adds up to around five hours of training with weights per day.
The Broz method of Olympic weightlifting includes only six exercises, snatch, deadlift and clean and jerk, power snatch, power deadlift, classic squat and front squat. Each of the 13 training sessions includes heavy squats - either classic squats or front squats. There are usually three exercises per session and between 30 and 50 total repetitions per exercise (including warm-up).
Each training session includes a specific warm-up for several minutes, with squats performed either with the empty bar or a bar with up to 50 kilos of additional weight, depending on the trainee, followed by a work-up to 1RM for each exercise of the training session.
In terms of effort, this 1RM weight is no different from the 1RM weight during competition, but depending on the day, it may be slightly lower. Each exercise comprises a true pyramid scheme. Exercisers start with sets of two repetitions, work up to single repetitions as the weight increases, and then move back to sets of two or even three repetitions (only for squats, not the classic Olympic weightlifting exercises) with lighter weights after the max attempts.
Around six maximum attempts are made in the snatch, while two to three maximum attempts are made in the deadlift. Each training session is autoregulated based on what John sees in his trainees. They have been known to occasionally deviate from the routine and perform up to 50 max attempts on a particular exercise, such as the snatch, before finishing their workout.
Additional training
At Broz's training facility, you won't see fascia rolls or anything similar being used. Nor will you see exercisers performing specific stretching or flexibility exercises. Nor will you see core stability exercises, activation exercises or corrective exercises unless you have an injury.
There will also be no support exercises such as pull-ups, dips, push-ups, rowing, shoulder crunches, good mornings, lunges, hip thrusts, hyperextensions, reverse hypers or glute ham raises.
Last but not least, no other exercises in the style of Olympic weightlifting exercises such as snatches from a hanging position, pulls from a rack, high pulls or jump shoulder raises are performed, and you will not find exercises such as jump squats, plyometric training or training with the weight sled.
Supplementary exercises are performed from time to time - e.g. bicep curls to help heal the elbow. But support exercises in the style of Olympic weightlifting exercises such as snatches from a hanging position are never used.
How you feel is a lie
This phrase is Broz's mantra. You simply cannot listen to your body because it is lying to you. Broz can give you countless examples of athletes who have set personal bests on days when they didn't even want to train, while there are just as many examples of athletes who felt like they were at their absolute best but then weren't able to put in any significant training effort.
When I visited Broz, he told me that he had had so much pain in his wrist the previous week that he had barely managed to warm up. But he went through with his warm-up training anyway, was finally warmed up enough and ended up lifting 200 kilos. The next day, his wrist pain had disappeared.
He describes this phenomenon as "flowing pain" - your body must hurt somewhere. This pain will simply move from one place to another while you sleep, and when you wake up, you will see where it has landed.
There is no such thing as overtraining
Broz believes that there is no such thing as being overtrained - the most you can be is undertrained.
If you have a job as a bin man and you have to heave heavy garbage cans all day, the first day is probably going to be very hard and almost impossible for someone who isn't used to it. So what do you do? Do you go on sick leave for 3 days and risk losing your job?
No, you would drag your aching, sore body to work the next day. You would hang your head and be exhausted and less energetic than the day before, but you would force yourself to get through the day. Then you'd drive home, take a hot bath, pop a few aspirin, etc. And the next day would be even worse.
But eventually you'll be running down the street, throwing trash cans around and making jokes with your coworkers. How can this happen? You forced your body to adapt to the new demands! If you can't do heavy squats and train heavy every day, then you're not overtrained, you're undertrained! Could some random person on the street come into the gym with you and do your exact workout? Probably not, because they are undertrained. The same is true for most exercisers when you compare them to elite athletes.
- John Broz 2002
Maximizing performance
To maximize performance before a competition, Broz maintains the same frequency (daily training) while reducing volume and intensity. The reduction in volume begins eight days before the competition and the reduction in intensity begins 2 to 5 days before the competition.
Broz's powerlifting methodology
John has described how his methods can be adapted for those training for a powerlifting competition. He uses the same method with 13 weekly training sessions and each training session includes squats and speed pulls(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwjJBRFjBh4) with loads of up to 80% of the 1RM weight for deadlifts.
His trainees bench press three times a week and attempt maximum repetitions of deadlifts every 6 to 8 weeks. Some rowing and posterior shoulder training is in order to balance out the structural demands placed on the upper body by the heavy bench press.
Other pearls from Broz
The following is a collection of Broz's views:
- Beginners should start with a broomstick for 3 to 4 weeks and perform thousands of repetitions to internalize the technique in Olympic weightlifting exercises.
- Classic squats have a transfer to the snatch, while front squats transfer more to the deadlift. The performance of front squats is usually limited by the strength of the upper back, which is why they do not stimulate the legs sufficiently. Squats are not very demanding in terms of CNS stress and the body gets used to these demands quite quickly - it's just like running.
- The clean and jerk is the hardest part of all Olympic weightlifting exercises.
- Go up to your maximum weight every day for squats, whereas you should only do the same for deadlifts two to three times a year.
- Don't do squats with the weight overhead as a separate exercise - do them as part of the snatch.
- You will go through "dark times" during which your progress will stagnate. But at some point you will start to set personal bests in an exhausted state. This is when you will know that you are doing something right.
- Percentages for daily programming in the long run will not work. You will never know what you will be able to do on any given day. How you feel is a lie.
- Slow movements will not help any athlete in any sport. Performing slow movements with light weights is an absolute no-go.
- The fastest athlete is the best athlete. Move at maximum speed every exercise, every day, every time you touch the bar.
- The use of grip aids in the snatch is a necessity due to the high training volume. At a lower volume, grip aids are not necessary, but at a higher volume, your hands simply cannot withstand the abuse. Never use grip aids when repositioning.
- Deadlifts put too much strain on the back and it takes too long to recover from this exercise. When performing deadlifts, do 2 to 3 sets of fast pulls at 70 to 85% of the weight.
- Lunges are garbage and very dangerous.
- Jumps and plyometric exercises should be left to track and field athletes. They are not for Olympic weightlifters. Save the joint stress and energy for training with weights.
- At some point, max attempts will become something completely natural. The more often you do them, the more natural they will feel and your body will accept this. There should be a minimum number that you reach every day when you train.
- If you don't manage to train daily then this will lead to more injuries due to the inconsistent recovery rates of different tissue types. Daily training is training with exhausted muscles. If you allow yourself training-free days, then your muscles will recover faster than the soft tissue, which will increase the risk of injury.
- The only percentages that matter are how many days per year you train on a percentage basis. If you train three times a week, this is 43% of all days. If you train 7 days a week, then you are at 100%. If you train twice seven days a week, that's even better.
- Forget shoulder lifts (shrugs), high pulls, etc. Forget all supportive exercises unless you want to become a master of supportive exercises. The classic exercises require immense dedication until you master them perfectly - so why waste energy on something that probably won't transfer to the important exercises anyway?
- Don't take days off when you can train. Even if you have extremely sore muscles, go train and do something. Do squats - at least with the bar for 30 reps or so. This will help the adaptation process go faster. Anything you do is better than sitting on the couch.
- The strength athlete who can tolerate the most pain will be the most successful. This is the most important piece of advice in this entire article.
- If you train twice a day, you won't tense up too much and therefore won't need much stretching. Stretching is done during the warm-up by performing Olympic weightlifting exercises with a bar for 2 to 5 minutes at the beginning of a training session.
- It takes a beginner between two and ten months to develop proper technique, with an average of six months.
- If you start to lag behind other exercises in the snatch or deadlift, train the weaker exercise first. Change the order and focus your energy on the weaker exercise.
- Hold the bar in the highest position for 3 to 5 seconds for each overhead exercise. This builds core strength and confidence.
- If you wait for a day to train when you feel good, then you will train about twice a year. Your mind is playing games with you. Learn to ignore it and keep training.
- You certainly won't set personal bests at every training session - sometimes not for months. Keep trying to increase intensity and volume to make further progress. If you can't chop the tree down in one stroke, keep taking smaller strokes and eventually the tree will fall.
- You should save repositioning and snatching from a hanging position for competitions from a hanging position. I have never seen such a competition, but if you find one, these exercises will be good for it.
My favorite aspects of the Broz system
Each exercise has its own rules
Different exercises place different loads on the body. So why should the volume be the same for all exercises? In most cases, snatches are less demanding than deadlifts and clean and jerks, which is why the Broz program includes more volume with snatches. Maximum daily squats are not a problem, but daily squats with maximum weights are too demanding. This is why the Olympic weightlifting exercises and speed pulls are used daily.
Work capacity increases every few months
Although there may be extended times when strength stagnates or even declines, the general goal is to slowly increase your daily max weights every few months. For example, if your daily squat max is 175 kilos and you can increase it to 200 kilos over the course of a year, then you will obviously be much stronger. There's not much guesswork here - you're either stronger or you're not!
Always train in an exhausted state
You always give it your all, but if you're exhausted then the weight on the bar will be less. The effort and desire will mimic the competition, but as you will be fresher and more recovered at a competition, the weight on the bar will be higher. The struggle with a max weight is the same regardless of the actual load. This is the key to this system: learning to fight at a maximum weight. If you rest before a competition, you won't get stronger - you'll just finally be able to maximize all your strength on the day.
Personal bests can be achieved at any time during training. Resting and gathering your strength before a competition allows you to assume that you can achieve your personal best on a given day and lets you shuffle the cards to give yourself the best chance of success.
Broz knows
Of course, you could argue that Broz's methods aren't the safest way to train, but you can't deny the strength and power producing effects that these methods have. Broz has some impressive athletes training under his guidance and their results speak for themselves.
If your goal is to become as strong as possible in Olympic weightlifting, then you should definitely consider Broz's method. Broz's powerlifting system is also worth serious consideration. There are plenty of exercisers who simply respond better to a higher training frequency.
The human body is an adaptable organism. Push yourself to the limit. You are stronger than you think.
By Bret Contreras
Source:https://www.t-nation.com/training/max-out-on-squats-every-day
