Makwa's picture
Makwa
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+ 2 Are you ready for advanced training?

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Sorry this isn’t an article about some new advanced training technique. But it is a topic I think we have to be aware of when introducing someone to the world of iron. To many people think they can just pull a routine off of the net or Facebook and walk right into the gym and come out with big muscles right away. This little rant was spurred on the other day when a guy in the gym saw me working out and asked if I could write my routine down for him so he could follow it. At first I thought, yeah sure, but then I got to thinking. Are you even ready for a routine like this? The more I thought about it the more I came to the conclusion that jumping head first into a balls to the wall routine may not be best course of action for this guy. What was sticking in the back of my mind while this guy was talking to me was this guy looked fairly new to the gym and it looked like he was already having a problem trying to follow the workout that he had in a 3 ring binder spread out in front of him on the floor. A light bulb popped into my head and I figured this type of training wouldn’t be warranted in his case and would likely rob him of any long term process. Look at the analogy with AAS. Who in their right mind is going to set up a cycle with 5 different compounds in it for someone who has never run a cycle in their life? Is this same line of thinking also not warranted when you are fairly new to training? More doesn’t necessarily mean better results, whether with AAS or training when you are still a “novice”.

In my opinion, someone with less than a year or so of training experience is making a huge mistake jumping right into a routine for example that an IFBB pro would be using to prep for the Mr. O. Huge mistake! This “newb” in the gym thinks these advanced training programs/techniques are going to make them grow faster. Not even close! Now that I have had time to reflect on this I see it all the time. These new guys come into the gym with this workout program that barely fits into a three ring binder thinking that if they do what this program says they will then be the next great thing. Most of these new people in the gym still haven’t even mastered the basic movements and mind-to-muscle connections that are needed to make any progress in the first place. It is an effort in futility doing giant sets or triple drop or super sets if you can’t execute the exercises properly in the first place. Just adding more sets and reps that are being executed poorly is not going to speed up your progress and you will regress instead. One of the keys to progress, whether you are a newb in the gym or a seasoned vet, is execution. You need to get the most out of the reps you are doing before you implement advanced techniques and really start skyrocketing the amount of muscle trauma, inflammation, lactic acid, and cortisol you create. Remember that every rep these newbs are performing will either be reinforcing the mind muscle connection you want them to learn or developing a bad habit. So don’t compound bad habits by letting them jumping into too extreme of a program that is beyond their training skill.

Diving head first into these extreme programs is going to rob these “newbs” of the easy gains that come from well-structured basic progressive overload programs that help them master the basics and set the stage for future explosive growth. Advanced techniques aren’t needed in these early stages. The body responds to very minimal stimulus when you first start training (remember how easy it used to be to grow to when you first started). Now, as your body adapts, of course greater stimulus must be applied, but do it slowly and progressively over time. Just increasing the volume and frequency in small increments while learning to completely contract the muscles with proper form is all that is going to be needed for consistent progress at this stage of a newbs lifting career. There is no reason to go from doing 10 sets per body part to 20, when they could get great progress increasing to 12 or 14 for example. The foundation needs to set before the house is attempted to be put on top of it.

The other thing we have to be aware of is that these advanced training principles are also going to require greater nutritional demands. What is the point of implementing advanced principles if you are not going to feed your body with the increased nutritional demands it will need to sustain that advanced training and grow from it? So while they are learning the basic moves and mind-to-muscle connection I also suggest they learn and focus on the nutritional demands the body needs to support bodybuilding so they know how to feed it properly.

Anyway, I guess the point I was trying to make here is that advanced training principles are unwarranted for inexperienced lifters. To many of these people think they are cool because they pulled some crazy routine off of Facebook and now are bragging about it because they are trying to do it. They may think they are cool at the time but then wonder what went wrong since they make zero progress and then say the program is at fault. To many people are racing around the gym thinking they are going to be the best thing since sliced bread because they are following some super complex program. If they would only master execution of the exercises first and then progress on they might have something to brag about then.

Bottom Line: Take into consideration the experience of the lifter when they are asking advice on routines.

I kind of get hung up in this myself since I am a fairly advanced lifter and when I talk about routines and principles they are usually beyond the basics, so I need to take into consideration the audience, since that may not be in there best interest depending on their experience.

Pericu's picture

All have been said already and yes, beginners could actually do 1set of Xreps. This would be progressive overload for people who used to sit on the couch all day.
Good post mak as usual!

Weightlifter's picture

It's the same thing in Olympic weightlifting. A lot of the pros follow a Bulgarian style training system ( maximal and near maximal weights daily, very little variation in exercises- the Ivan Abajiev program was snatch, C&J, and front squat only, up to 15 sessions per week). All the kids/newbies to the sport see this and want to emulate it. They don't stop to think that these people came from a basic program at first, built their general level of fitness, and have been lifting for a decade or more before doing this type of training. They spent years refining technique and finding what works for them and what doesn't. People want to bypass the prosses in search of the easier softer way. Going through the ups and downs of training, finding what does and doesn't work for you, trail and error... this is the easiest, softest way. And yeah it's hard as shit, but that kind of the point right????

Chad Wesley Smith (who for the most part I don't like) wrote/said some good stuff in the subject:

http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/2014/09/23/pyramid-strength/

tonytulo's picture

Very good topic mak. I cannot tell you how many times I've watched guys pull workouts out of muscular development or flex and try and do those exercise routines.

Why do the same routine as an ifbb pro when you haven't put the time in that he has, you do not have the nutrition he does , you don't have the strength nor the stamina. So how exactly do you see yourself benefiting from the same routine? I never understand it.

They are also the guys who over train and do too much in the gym, too many sets, too much time and not enough nutrition to back it up hence they go in reverse or make no progress at all.

Makwa's picture

I always get a kick out looking at some of these routines they bring in. I ask them were they got that and 8 out of 10 times its from some BB mag or off of some IFBB pro's facebook page. I try not to roll my eyes but I don't know what is going on here where people think that trying to lift like the pros is going to turn them into one when they are starting out at 145lbs soaking wet. They don't like my response when I tell them they are not ready for this and need to eat more and stick with the core movements until they have put on 25 lbs.

Makwa's picture

How long have you been lifting weights for and how often do you lift?

Makwa's picture

The routine you made up seems like a pretty good basic program. Learn how to execute all of those exercises properly. I know you said you don't do legs because you cycle and run. I think you are shortchanging yourself there. Cycling and running doesn't compare to the anaerobic training from lifting weights. Get a leg workout in there and think you will be amazed how your cycling and running will improve. Now with your base program you need to incorporate some type of progressive overload. Doing the same weights, reps, rest each workout is not going to take you very far. Many ways to incorporate progressive overload. 1 way is to add 1 set to each exercise each week. Another way is to shave off 15 sec rest between sets each week or add some weight each week. Those little penny plates (2.5lb) can be your best friend when looking for progressive overload.

As far as that workout from that other site you linked. I think you are way beyond that. That might be something I would recommend to someone who has never set foot in a gym in their life but after a couple of months they would probably have to move on beyond that.

Venemy's picture

This is so true. As a newer person to lifting I can give a little insight here. I can look back at my 2+ years of training and see the amount of day/exercises/sets go from basically nothing (3 days a week-whole body per day-1 exercise per body part, to 6 days a week - 1 body part per day - 4-6 exercises per body part - 3-5 sets per exercise, varies with which body part/exercise) to a decent workout (probably still nothing to most of you beasts/grrls on here). But just to back up what Makwa is saying, as my workouts have gone up my body has too, while trying to adjust my diet to keep up as well. I can't wait to see where I'm at two years from now. I can only say one thing for sure, I will still be working out but only harder.

Makwa's picture

I'm not knocking the notebook. Perfect tool to keep people focused and gauging progress. I have moved from a notebook to an app on my phone. Now everybody just thinks I'm texting. lol

IrishMack's picture

And then I forget my phone at home and look like a lost puppy staring at the weights wondering how much I was supposed to add or subtract...like I did today. I ran out to my car to grab some paper and a pen and when I got home I did the wrong rep range and realized how dependant I am on these things. If I only took more gingkho koloba or whatever the hell its called and did not have onset alzheimers due to my old age lol.

tonytulo's picture

Mine is all in my head. Hence why I can't remember anything else.

IrishMack's picture

Thats what I am doing for a new years resolution, remember more stuff

IrishMack's picture

I carry my drool cup now at all times, dont worry.

IrishMack's picture

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