If you have been the member of a gym for a while, you will probably notice the same faces year after year sporting the same bodies with very little to show for all the time invested in the gym. You may even be one of them. You will probably also know one or two members (perhaps a handful more) who have really transformed their physiques. Often, these people spend less time training than those who show very little gains. What gives?
The main difference between those who make fitness gains and those who don't is that those who make gains have a tangible goal. I define a tangible goal as something you gain, not something you lose. Since many gym-goers simply wish to lose weight and have a vanity goal of looking better they often fail despite endless hours of cardio and machine training. Similarly, those trying to build aesthetically toned muscles lift and pose day after day with little result. On the other hand, the most dramatic transformations are usually exhibited by football players. Why?
The first reason is that football players tend to be young and at the peak release of growth hormones. But, more importantly, football coaches encourage athletes to build strength and record their gains. More strength = more muscle. More muscle requires more calories. More calories burned for maintenance means that a steady diet is less likely to create fat cells and more likely to shrink them. Fat cells, once created, do not vanish, only shrink. The other reason is the kind of exercises coaches have their players do. Rather than an endless array of isolation exercises on machine after machine, football players tend to stick to simple compound exercises such as the squat, bench press, and dead-lift.
Here's the good news. Those exercises work! I know it's hard to believe since everything in life is becoming so complicated. But, what worked for guys like Reg Park and Arnold Schwarzeneggar back in the day still work today! Why? Because our bodies were designed to "pick things up and put them down" and if you pick heavy things up enough times the body's muscle fibers will be damaged and heal creating bigger, stronger muscle fibers allowing you to pick heavier things up and hold them longer and stronger and more stable before putting them down.
Compound exercises in which we lift heavy weights work the larger muscle groups more effectively, as well as working the smaller muscle groups, building more muscle demanding more calories. Many people worry about becoming too big, but one's diet keeps that in check. Muscle requires about 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. The challenge for people trying to build huge physiques is getting the protein without the added fats, carbs and calories found in foods. For that reason, high protein, low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb supplementation is as important to body-builders as decompression is to technical divers. Body-building diets and deco strategies are all voodoo, but most people do not wish to be body-builders and most divers do not wish to be technical divers.
Most people want to just be fit and for that reason there is really no need for supplementation. The balanced diet our health teacher told us about, eating foods only our grandparents ate (our grandparents meaning the grandparents of people born in the 60's and 70's), and doing the exercises our high school football coach would recommend is really all we need to be fit. Being fit means a balanced diet, a balanced exercise plan, and having much more muscle than fat on our bodies. Today's "fit" often simply means lean and being too lean can lead to health problems.
Generally, once our muscle to fat ratios are appropriate, it's more difficult to build muscle during periods of caloric deficits such as when you are "dieting" by restricting calories. When "cutting up" or leaning out for swimsuit season, our bodies will tend to lose both fat and muscle. Again, this is why body-builders sound as nuts about diet as tech divers do about deco. They don't want to lose any of that hard-earned muscle. When you eat more and exercise you gain muscle and some fat. When you eat less and exercise you lose more fat and some muscle. Only careful eating and supplementation will help combat muscle loss and fat gain. But, guess what? DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! Unless you are a body-builder. Just eat meat, fish, fruits, veggies, legumes, and cut down on the junk foods (but, you don't have to give them all up entirely).
Lifting heavy weight during compound exercises is good for both men and women. For men, heavy weight boosts testosterone naturally. For women, it is good for maintaining bone health.
How heavy is heavy? Well, a good warm-up would be about 50% of your 1 rep max. Rest 45 seconds to 1 minute. Your next warm-up set would be about 75% of your 1 rep max. Rest 45 seconds to 1 minute. After that you are working at 80% or above your 1 RM for your working sets. Rest 1 minute between sets and 2 minutes between exercises.
How about sets and reps? Keep it simple! 5 sets of 5 reps! The 5x5 is a classic because it works! The goal is to perform 5 sets of 5 repetitions of a certain weight. If you can lift that same weight for 5 reps in all 5 working sets, then increase it by 5 or 10 pounds the next time you are back at the gym for a strength training session.
1st set - 50% warm-up
2nd set - 75% warm-up
3rd set - 5 reps
4th set - 5 reps
5th set - 5 reps
6th set - 5 reps
7th set - 5 reps
An example using the bench press would be a 200 pound target weight:
1st set x 5 reps of 100 lbs.
2nd set x 5 reps of 150 lbs.
3rd set x 5 reps of 200 lbs.
4th set x 5 reps of 200 lbs.
5th set of 4 reps of 200 lbs.
6th set of 4 reps of 200 lbs.
7th set of 3 reps of 200 lbs.
The lifter failed to do all 5 reps in sets 5, 6 and 7. He would again attempt the 200 lb. bench press exactly as above the next time he was in the gym for strength training. If all sets could be completed for 5 reps then he would add 5 or 10 pounds to the bar the next time he did strength training and the process would continue.
A typical routine might be something like this:
Monday: Strength A
1. Squats 5x5
2. Bench Presses 5x5
3. Dead-lifts 5x5
4. Crunches 3 x 15
Tuesday: Cardio
20 - 30 minutes interval running on treadmill
Wednesday: Strength B
1. Chin-Ups 5x5 (weighted)
2. Parallel Bar Dips 5x5 (weighted)
3. Military Presses 5x5
4. Hanging Leg Raises 3 x 15
Thursday: Cardio
20 - 30 minutes interval running on treadmill
Friday: Strength C
1. Squats 5x5
2. Bench Presses 5x5
3. Bent Barbell Rows 5x5
4. Decline Sit-Ups 3 x failure
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
The following week do cardio Monday, Wednesday & Friday and strength Tuesday & Thursday doing either workout A or C then B. Keep flip-flopping 3 days of strength and 2 days of cardio and 3 days of cardio and 2 days of strength.
You want to only be in the gym 30 to 45 minutes max! Your body will favorably respond by releasing growth hormones rather than cortisol - a stress hormone known to have a hand in fat retention which has been shown to be released when workouts exceed 45 minutes.
Since it's a good idea to mix intensities and not train the same way all the time, you can divide your training year into two, three or four cycles. For example, you can train six months pushing for heavier strength gains, then back off your strength training to 80% of your 1 RM and push your cardio training. Doing exercises like running and swimming while working on sprints, intervals, speed and endurance is excellent for the spring and summer swimsuit and dive season and will help make you rescue-ready! After summer then return to strength training during the fall and winter. Or, you can train 3 months for strength, 3 months for cardio, 3 months for strength and 3 months for cardio. The best exercise program is the one that you will do.
For beginners, you might just want to do Squat, Bench & Dead-lift 5x5 with 2 warm-up sets and 3 working sets.
Enjoy!
I'm stronger now at 44 than ever! I never thought I'd be squatting over 400 lbs! Monday I hit 405! I used to hate squats, now I LOVE TO SQUAT!!!
The main difference between those who make fitness gains and those who don't is that those who make gains have a tangible goal. I define a tangible goal as something you gain, not something you lose. Since many gym-goers simply wish to lose weight and have a vanity goal of looking better they often fail despite endless hours of cardio and machine training. Similarly, those trying to build aesthetically toned muscles lift and pose day after day with little result. On the other hand, the most dramatic transformations are usually exhibited by football players. Why?
The first reason is that football players tend to be young and at the peak release of growth hormones. But, more importantly, football coaches encourage athletes to build strength and record their gains. More strength = more muscle. More muscle requires more calories. More calories burned for maintenance means that a steady diet is less likely to create fat cells and more likely to shrink them. Fat cells, once created, do not vanish, only shrink. The other reason is the kind of exercises coaches have their players do. Rather than an endless array of isolation exercises on machine after machine, football players tend to stick to simple compound exercises such as the squat, bench press, and dead-lift.
Here's the good news. Those exercises work! I know it's hard to believe since everything in life is becoming so complicated. But, what worked for guys like Reg Park and Arnold Schwarzeneggar back in the day still work today! Why? Because our bodies were designed to "pick things up and put them down" and if you pick heavy things up enough times the body's muscle fibers will be damaged and heal creating bigger, stronger muscle fibers allowing you to pick heavier things up and hold them longer and stronger and more stable before putting them down.
Compound exercises in which we lift heavy weights work the larger muscle groups more effectively, as well as working the smaller muscle groups, building more muscle demanding more calories. Many people worry about becoming too big, but one's diet keeps that in check. Muscle requires about 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. The challenge for people trying to build huge physiques is getting the protein without the added fats, carbs and calories found in foods. For that reason, high protein, low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb supplementation is as important to body-builders as decompression is to technical divers. Body-building diets and deco strategies are all voodoo, but most people do not wish to be body-builders and most divers do not wish to be technical divers.
Most people want to just be fit and for that reason there is really no need for supplementation. The balanced diet our health teacher told us about, eating foods only our grandparents ate (our grandparents meaning the grandparents of people born in the 60's and 70's), and doing the exercises our high school football coach would recommend is really all we need to be fit. Being fit means a balanced diet, a balanced exercise plan, and having much more muscle than fat on our bodies. Today's "fit" often simply means lean and being too lean can lead to health problems.
Generally, once our muscle to fat ratios are appropriate, it's more difficult to build muscle during periods of caloric deficits such as when you are "dieting" by restricting calories. When "cutting up" or leaning out for swimsuit season, our bodies will tend to lose both fat and muscle. Again, this is why body-builders sound as nuts about diet as tech divers do about deco. They don't want to lose any of that hard-earned muscle. When you eat more and exercise you gain muscle and some fat. When you eat less and exercise you lose more fat and some muscle. Only careful eating and supplementation will help combat muscle loss and fat gain. But, guess what? DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! Unless you are a body-builder. Just eat meat, fish, fruits, veggies, legumes, and cut down on the junk foods (but, you don't have to give them all up entirely).
Lifting heavy weight during compound exercises is good for both men and women. For men, heavy weight boosts testosterone naturally. For women, it is good for maintaining bone health.
How heavy is heavy? Well, a good warm-up would be about 50% of your 1 rep max. Rest 45 seconds to 1 minute. Your next warm-up set would be about 75% of your 1 rep max. Rest 45 seconds to 1 minute. After that you are working at 80% or above your 1 RM for your working sets. Rest 1 minute between sets and 2 minutes between exercises.
How about sets and reps? Keep it simple! 5 sets of 5 reps! The 5x5 is a classic because it works! The goal is to perform 5 sets of 5 repetitions of a certain weight. If you can lift that same weight for 5 reps in all 5 working sets, then increase it by 5 or 10 pounds the next time you are back at the gym for a strength training session.
1st set - 50% warm-up
2nd set - 75% warm-up
3rd set - 5 reps
4th set - 5 reps
5th set - 5 reps
6th set - 5 reps
7th set - 5 reps
An example using the bench press would be a 200 pound target weight:
1st set x 5 reps of 100 lbs.
2nd set x 5 reps of 150 lbs.
3rd set x 5 reps of 200 lbs.
4th set x 5 reps of 200 lbs.
5th set of 4 reps of 200 lbs.
6th set of 4 reps of 200 lbs.
7th set of 3 reps of 200 lbs.
The lifter failed to do all 5 reps in sets 5, 6 and 7. He would again attempt the 200 lb. bench press exactly as above the next time he was in the gym for strength training. If all sets could be completed for 5 reps then he would add 5 or 10 pounds to the bar the next time he did strength training and the process would continue.
A typical routine might be something like this:
Monday: Strength A
1. Squats 5x5
2. Bench Presses 5x5
3. Dead-lifts 5x5
4. Crunches 3 x 15
Tuesday: Cardio
20 - 30 minutes interval running on treadmill
Wednesday: Strength B
1. Chin-Ups 5x5 (weighted)
2. Parallel Bar Dips 5x5 (weighted)
3. Military Presses 5x5
4. Hanging Leg Raises 3 x 15
Thursday: Cardio
20 - 30 minutes interval running on treadmill
Friday: Strength C
1. Squats 5x5
2. Bench Presses 5x5
3. Bent Barbell Rows 5x5
4. Decline Sit-Ups 3 x failure
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off
The following week do cardio Monday, Wednesday & Friday and strength Tuesday & Thursday doing either workout A or C then B. Keep flip-flopping 3 days of strength and 2 days of cardio and 3 days of cardio and 2 days of strength.
You want to only be in the gym 30 to 45 minutes max! Your body will favorably respond by releasing growth hormones rather than cortisol - a stress hormone known to have a hand in fat retention which has been shown to be released when workouts exceed 45 minutes.
Since it's a good idea to mix intensities and not train the same way all the time, you can divide your training year into two, three or four cycles. For example, you can train six months pushing for heavier strength gains, then back off your strength training to 80% of your 1 RM and push your cardio training. Doing exercises like running and swimming while working on sprints, intervals, speed and endurance is excellent for the spring and summer swimsuit and dive season and will help make you rescue-ready! After summer then return to strength training during the fall and winter. Or, you can train 3 months for strength, 3 months for cardio, 3 months for strength and 3 months for cardio. The best exercise program is the one that you will do.
For beginners, you might just want to do Squat, Bench & Dead-lift 5x5 with 2 warm-up sets and 3 working sets.
Enjoy!
I'm stronger now at 44 than ever! I never thought I'd be squatting over 400 lbs! Monday I hit 405! I used to hate squats, now I LOVE TO SQUAT!!!
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