Best Training Advice You Will Ever Get

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Here are some Training articles by Lee Apperson

In the book "Brawn" and "Beyond Brawn" Stuart McRobert describes the essence of correct training. Short, hard, workouts, once or twice a week of an hour or less in duration, focusing on basic multi-joint exercises. You rest completely between hard workouts to allow maximum time to grow. And most importantly you add a half pound or a full pound or two pounds onto the bar, on all exercises, as often as possible (every workout or every other workout). The idea is to progress slowly and for as long as possible. A cycle like this can go on for years in come cases as the athlete continues to progress.

Few programs work as well as this one for adding pure muscle. It's an endless power cycle in essence. Short, intense and heavy.

Six exercises once a week. Do 2 or 3 warm up sets, with gradually increasing weights, and then perform your "max set" and move onto another exercise.

I have found that every 2 months it is good to take a break from the heavy stuff even if only for one or two workouts. Sometimes I find one light workout followed by a heavy one (with one more pound on the bar) works well when you start reaching your limits.

Overall this is an excellent way to make progress. Thousands of people have tried this system and it works. Daily workouts and split routines are great if you are already big and strong or if you are a professional athlete of some sort. Otherwise they (daily workouts and split routines) can often be a detriment to the dedicated athlete who is not naturally strong before entering the gym.

The simple truth is daily workouts and split routines often spell disaster and no gains for the average person. It's way too much weight training for the average person. This method of training is a way of training that will work for almost everyone. Steady progress, being careful not to get hurt (by making big jumps in weight) and using immaculate form in all exercises (to avoid injury). Each week add a tiny bit of weight to the bar and keep going. Don't train till you are exhausted. Don't train for a pump or a burn. Don't rush from set to set. Train hard of course, but not so hard you risk injury. Steady but continual progress.

I used this method exclusively for 6 months and the routine produced tremendous results. I did six exercises once a week. I got stronger almost every time I lifted. Usually I would add just one pound or two to the bar. In 28 weeks I added almost 120 lbs to my squat. Not bad for a guy in his forties. All my lifts went up and I began my precontest routine (30 weeks) with more mass than ever.

If you are not experiencing gains or have not for a while; if you have been stuck in the same place for a long time in size and strength, are naturally thin, or perhaps don't have time to train every day, or do not have the natural recovery ability to engage and benefit from daily training; I would strongly recommend you give this method of progression a serious try for at least one year.

This method can be deceiving. It looks easy. Done correctly is is nothing but hard work. Training once a week after several months brings you to new vistas of recovery and strength. Yes, you get stronger..but the workouts get harder as well. Add a lb a week to your max deadlift for 5 reps starting today and let me know how it feels in 6 months. You get stronger but the workouts, by design, keep you at your limit.

You only need to train once a week when you train this hard and heavy. Sometimes even less. It is all about recovery. If you return to the gym and are not stronger, go home, you are not ready yet.

This form of training like all weight training is dangerous. You must use good form and not try to lift more than you can TRAIN WITH. Better to lift less in perfect form and make real progress than to risk injury and possible months out of the gym trying to get over that injury. Don't worry, the weights will be heavy enough in no time.

If you are a rank beginner just choose a moderate weight to start in all exercises and build up gradually over time. Warm up well before training and for each max set. Once a week add a tiny bit of weight and perhaps some reps to each exercise. In a few weeks perhaps months, you will be (safely) at your limit.

You have to have mental resolve and apply yourself consistently to this type of training. You have to dig in and DECIDE to get stronger. You have to push yourself without working so hard you lose form or train so hard it becomes a NEGATIVE FACTOR to your health.

 

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BIG EXERCISES: What exercises should I be doing?

What exercises should I be doing? That is a common question.

Most exercises are variations of other exercises. All of us find exercises that feel "right" or work for our particular body. Do what feels good for you. That being said there are several "core" exercises that everyone should be doing if you have plans of mastering bodybuilding and are serious about getting stronger.

The idea is to stimulate muscle growth then get out of the gym. In your building and strength cycles and even in the pre-contest cycle these (simple and basic) exercises are the back bone of your training. As you approach the contest you can add variations or extra exercises, but keep in mind they are only extra's or shaping exercises. Stick with the core workout and you can't go wrong.

Here are the big exercises:

SQUAT
DEADLIFT
ROW
BENCH
SHOULDER PRESS (with bar)

Here is a variation of those exercises:

LEG PRESS
LAT PULLS or CHINS
DB ROWS or PULLOVERS
DIPS
SHOULDER PRESS (with dumb bells)

There are many valuable exercises but they are variations of these "basic" exercises. If you can do them..these are the ones to master before other exercises. A fantastic, strong body can be built from these exercises alone. Here is a list of the second tier or exercises. Add these on after you master the others.

ADD ON EXERCISES

LEG CURLS
CALVE RAISES
SHRUGS (all sorts)
BICEP CURLS
TRICEP EXTENSIONS
HACK SQUAT
GRIP EXERCISES (all sorts)

SHAPING exercises comprise hundreds of variation exercises. Things like lateral raises, reverse curls, and so on. These are valuable exercises but should be done after you are advanced. And if you are advanced, just doing the basics (progressively) still is the best way to gain strength. When you are advanced the temptation is to always do more exercises. Too much and you can hurt your ability to recover and slow down your progress in the big basic exercises. My advice is: to really grow: stick with the basic lifts for several years (or forever). These exercises never go "out of style".

 

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HEAVY TRAINING

The tendons that connect all your bones and muscles are very strong, yet fragile. As your muscles get stronger they will contract at greater levels, increasing the load on your tendons and recovery ability. The tendons recover very slowly, almost invisibly, it takes so long. We cannot feel it, yet we know it is there. Well, once you injure a tendon you will know it is there! But is there a way to avoid this injury?

Train heavy, at most once a month, and only once a year to a max. Train using "cycles". Build up to a peak of strength, then back off and do it again. Use monthly cycles inside larger yearly cycles.

Now, heavy is relative..if your max bench is 100lbs for 6 reps it would be safe to perform that once a month. However, if you are really training heavy don't go heavy all the time. Train in cycles (periodization),as shown in this book. It is not needed, you won't recover from your workouts, and constant heavy training will take years off the life of your joints. When you do train heavy though..you go all out. You warm up well..get mentally excited, and push as hard as you can in good form.

How Often Should you train?

Individuals with extreme vitality can train daily and make good physical progress. These people are rare. Also they take years building into and adapting to intense daily exercise. People like Jack LaLane, Olympic gymnasts and so on. I am one of those people. But I have seen many who are not. Most people make the best progress in gaining size and strength from training 2 times a week progressively on basic exercises. It's not fancy, but it works 90% of the time.


Train as often as you can but not more than you can tolerate. If you can't recover from your training, you can't make progress. 1 to 2 hours of training a day would be fine for full time athletes and people with high vitality, but most of us cannot do that nor can most people recover properly from such a program. Learn what amount of exercise you can recover from and work with in those limits. If you are training 5 to 4 times a week and not getting anywhere, cut back. If 3 times a week is too much, cut back.

Train as frequently as per your training cycle, but again within your limits. Some people can handle split training, some can't. When I return to high volume training after a strength cycle, I gradually add more sets and reps and exercises over the entire 4 month cycle. So should you. If you have to make an error in judgment be conservative. If you find the volume is too much and you feel run down, or your joints are very sore, cut back.

My advice is to do abs and cardio every other morning, even if only for 10 to 20 minutes. After work in the evening do your weight training 2 or more times per week for at least 45 minutes to 2 hours. If you train for 2 hours eat something during your training to keep the energy up. Also eat the moment you are done training. If you are moving into contest mode or higher volume work you can do your split training or secondary exercises, on the weekends. During the week when you are working, just train once on a training day following a basic routine.

During the conditioning phase you will train with a higher volume of exercises and train more frequently, perhaps 2 or 3 times a day even ( taking the next day off ). During your strength phase you will back off to 2 or 3 days a week or every 2 weeks ( resting 4 to 5 days between workouts ) depending on how difficult the workouts are to recover from, and reduce the training volume to the basic heavy exercises. At the end of the strength cycle you might be down to training once every 4th day or longer (it takes that long to recover from very heavy training such as heavy deadlifts, squats and so on ). So it depends what phase you are in as to how often you will train.

How Often and How Long Should you train?: part 2.

I think my advice on training frequency needs to be explored in additional depth. Most of us are training to get bigger or stronger. These are very special tasks. Different than being super fit, or a triathlete. If gaining muscle and getting stronger is your goal read the following advice very carefully. I tell you exactly what to do.

The danger when training hard with weights, is too train too frequently. Besides progression in the core lifts--You must recover between workouts to GROW muscles. Every day or every other day training is too much exercise for the individual trying to gain strength. You need to recover completely between workouts to benefit from your efforts.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU TRAIN?

A hard 30 to 45 minute workout with true intensity of effort is all that is required. Long workouts, above 45 minutes of hard training, is counter productive. Don't do it. Follow a hard workout with 2 or 3 or 4 days of rest and you will have allowed yourself enough time to grow.

Daily training is too much for MOST people. In fact the great majority of people who are trying to GAIN muscle would be better served training each body part once or twice a week, or twice every 2 weeks.

Is resting 3 to 4 days between workouts too much rest? The answer is no if you are training hard.

You must recover your entire body between workouts. If you do legs on Monday and do them hard, and then train upper body on Tuesday (or Wednesday) you are not allowing any time to grow and recover from Mondays workout.

Better to train once or twice or three times on a single day and then take several days off completely--than to train once every day on a split routine. This allows your body to recover fully from the workout day.

Train no more than 30 to 45 minutes if you can arrange it. Two, 45 minute workouts (done on the same day) are better than one long 90 minute workout. Eat and rest between each workout.

How do we split up the body to train both upper body and lower body and allow enough rest to grow? Here are some good schedules:

Train legs and uppers in 2 separate workouts on one day, then rest 3 to 4 days, then repeat this cycle. So Monday AM would be leg training, Monday PM would be upper body, rest 3 to 4 days, train again.

Here is another good schedule: Train legs on Monday and upper body on Friday. Repeat the following week. Or train upper and lowers on Monday and repeat Friday.

No time to train twice a day? Try this routine: Train uppers on Monday and lowers on Tuesday or Wednesday. Rest 2 or 3 days and repeat the cycle.

I can tell you one thing about this routine and it's variations. It works. Don't spin your wheels with daily workouts if you are not already very big and strong.

The bottom line is REST 2 or 3 days between hard workouts. This type of training frequency works when nothing else will. And it works for almost everyone. Serious about gaining muscle? Rest several days between hard workouts.

Training every day is great for fitness, being lean, and doing detail work. Training every day is NOT productive for GAINING muscles.

How Hard Should You Train? (HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE PROGRESS)

How hard should you train? At least 80% intensity (with a mind focused on progressing in weight or reps on your core exercises) and sometimes even more. Keep it enjoyable and train like you mean it. 2 good sets are worth 200 half hearted sets. FOCUS on your set. Push yourself. When the muscles start to fail be sure it really is failure. Speaking of which..I always advise my clients to train super super hard ( I mean till the sweat is shooting out of your eyes) but stop your sets 1 or 2 reps before failure (except for once or twice a month during the super hard or peak workout for that month). It sounds like conflicting advice but it is really the best way to avoid injury and over training and it works.

Hard is a relative term. It means different things to different people. Remember to workout progressively and you can't miss. You don't have to kill yourself to make progress.

Another good tip is to follow a hard effort workout with a lighter workout. Even on your all out heavy week (week three of the monthly cycle) you still don't train 100% every day. Save it for one or two days on those special lifts that make you big and strong (like squats and rows). 100% effort, can burn you out fast. Train hard but don't leave the gym with your hands shaking...that's too much. You have wracked your nervous system and that is not the idea. Always train within your limits, even as they expand year after year.

Here is an important note. Just training hard is not the goal of training. Killing yourself in the gym is not a guarantee of growth. Burning out on set after set does very little to make you bigger if you are lifting the same weights week after week. Many of us have heard you must have 100% intensity to get anywhere. It is not practical or necessary to kill yourself at each and every workout. It will hinder your progress.

You can be sure you are lifting hard enough IF YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS in weight or reps on your core exercises. Here is an example of a typical workout. You squat 15 reps with 300lbs. Previously your best squat performance was 15 reps with 290lbs. You finish the set with the 300lb and you realize it felt easy, you are hardly breathing hard. You feel like you can do even more. DON'T. Hold back. Progress is enough. Save the energy to grow on. Add weight next time. Don't do any lighter sets to failure or for a burn, just stop. You got stronger, that's enough. Let the weights work their magic. Your job now is to eat, rest and grow.

It's not necessary to grind yourself into the ground to make progress. Train hard, hard enough to improve, but not so hard you burn out.

Hard work is important but do it intelligently without haste. Train within your limits. You should not train so hard you become fearful of your workouts. Train hard enough to progress but do not train so hard you cannot properly recover from the workouts. Always leave the gym with energy.



Rep speed

The fact is you have to do several rep schemes in your overall training. Super slo reps and medium reps are two examples of rep schemes.

There are slo reps. Super slo reps. Medium reps. Fast reps done with force. Smooth reps with a hold at the end. Stutter reps, rest pause reps, negative reps, assisted reps, and isometric reps. All of these have a place in your training. Give each one a fair chance, and you will come to understand that each one has something to offer. The bottom line is no matter what rep scheme you are using you must:

Lift progressively. Add weight to the bar; i.e. get stronger.

Contract your muscles hard with multiple sets of both high and low reps (not always at the same workout). A good contraction, is very important.

Lift intensely but not so hard you overtrain yourself.

Personally I go slow for the first 4 reps of a set, intentionally trying to let the muscles really feel those first reps and to be careful, then for the next reps I try to mentally explode and or speed up the reps, however the speed of the rep still looks smooth and slow as now I am tired from the first slow reps. Though I am trying to push hard and fast on the reps now, the bar is still moving slow. It takes practice but this is a great way to get the most out of every set. If the bar starts to move to fast, just slow down. You have to try to get as much out of each rep and each set as possible.

Sometimes once I am warmed up I might mix it up: I like doing 15 high rep squats with a medium speed, then end with 5 super slo reps. That really kicks up the intensity. Experiment with all rep schemes.

For the most part do slow to medium reps. Never jerk or bounce the reps. Better slower than faster.

Super Slow TRAINING

Like other cycles and methods of training Super Slo training is enjoying a big reassugance as of this writing in 2004. There are even super slo gyms. I await the day for the return of PLYOMETRIC gyms. Anyway..

Super slow reps are just another way to approach a rep. It can be valuable and fun.

The standard protocol is 10 to 20 second positives with 5 to 10 second negatives. NO stopping, you do the rep slowly and smoothly. It takes practice to perform correct super slow reps.

I like to do my slow reps SUPER SLOW. Much slower than the norm (I do the normal ones too). I have found that reps with a 30 to 50 second positives and 20 to 30 second negatives, combined with stutter reps and static holding (just stopping for a few seconds) can be very effective. 2 or 3 reps like this can be more than enough for 1 set.

I find Super Slo a valuable tool in the bodybuilder's arsenal of tactics, but it is not a magic routine. Do it for a few weeks or once in a while do a super slo workout, it's excellent to use it with other rep combinations. It's painful and takes real concentration to perform correctly (like most good weight lifting) so give it several weeks if you decide to practice this technique. Super slow training can be fun. I get very intense contractions using it.