Training Template for New Blood

I am writing this on someone's request. This is a basic training plan meant for someone who has never engaged in serious training. It covers a year of training.

Before I lay out the basic template, I want to clear a few concepts.
1. This template is based on training all basic movement patterns. If you have specific problems, please clear this and personalize it with an experienced trainee/ trainer.
2. While there is no such thing as a one size fits all training template, this one will give all fresh trainees who have no debilitating physical problems good scope to progress. It is very hard to mess up.
3. Confidence is key to this program. Every set that you perform, must be done only until technical failure i.e when your technique begins to deteriorate significantly. Do not push beyond this point.
4. Gains in this system are dependent on how well you perform every rep. Your mind must be clear, your focus on both the movement and the muscle and on full contraction and relaxation.
5. Reps= Number of repetitions performed. Sets= Number of time the exercise is attempted. Therefore 3 sets of 5 means you will perform the movement for 5 repetitions 3 times.
6. There are 4 elements to the system. Strength training, which will take care of your muscular strength and size, you neural efficiency and your connective tissue strength. Tissue work (massage, ball and foam rolling), which will remove all adhesions and scar tissue and will rejuvenate the entire muscular and skeletal system. Stretching and mobility work, and cardiovascular work.

Let us now first define the template:

Phase I

In this phase the emphasis is on tissue work and flexibility and mobility work. This will last 4 weeks.

You will perform 3 workouts a week on non-consecutive days. There are 2 workouts given below (A and B). You will alternate between them. Thus, you will perform each workout 3 times in a 2 week period.

Exercise descriptions will be given at the end of the post.

Workout A
Tissue Work:
Thoracic Mobility Drill With Ball- 1 Set
Foam rolling of I.T band- 2 Sets each side
Foam Rolling of Lats and Upper Back- 1 set
Foam Rolling of Pectorals and Deltoids- 1 Set
Foam Rolling of Glutes and Hamstrings- 1 Set
Foam Rolling Of Hip Flexors and Rectus Femoris- 2 sets
Foam Rolling Of Quadriceps- 2 Sets
Foam Rolling Of Calves- 2 Sets
Foam Rolling of Lower Back- 1 Set

Flexibility:
Standing Toe Touch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Half Kneeling Lunge Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 reps
Rear Foot Elevated Lunge Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Seated Toe Touch- 3 sets of 3 reps
Standing Groin Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Side Bends- 3 sets of 3 Reps per side
Camel Hold- 3 Sets of 1 rep
Twist Hold- 3 Sets of 1 Rep per side
Kneeling Overhead Stretch- 3 sets of 3 reps
Overhead Stretch Against Wall- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Wall Slide- 1 set of 3 reps
Ankle Mobility Drill- 2 sets of 5 reps

The entire Workout up till now should not take more than 10 mins. While it may appear like a lot of movements, you will be able to do them fairly rapidly. Do not waste time.

Strength Training-

High Incline Push Ups- 3 Sets of 20-40 (Depending of when you reach Technical Failure)
Knee Tucks- 3 Sets of 15-40

Remember to Synchronize your breathing. Exhale while contracting your muscles, hold at the top and bottom and inhale while relaxing/lengthening them.

Workout B

The Tissue and Flexibility work is the same as Workout A except instead of a foam roller you will use a lacrosse ball.

Strength Training
High Incline Rows- 3 Sets of 15-40
Jack knife Squats- 3 sets of 15-40
Short Bridges- 3 Sets of 20-40

Phase 2
This phase will focus on strength training. It will last 12 weeks.

You will exercise 4 days a week. The pattern is-
Workout A
Workout B
Rest Day
Workout A
Workout B
Rest Day
Rest Day

For strength Training-
Every Exercise has a rep Range Given (ex. 15-30). When you begin exercising, use the hardest variation of the movement (progressions/variations are given at the end of the post) that you can manage for the given number of sets for the minimum number of repetitions in that rep range. For example 3 sets of 10-20 means that you use the hardest variation that you can use for at least 3 sets of 10 reps.

When you can complete all the sets with the maximum reps, move on to the next and harder variation. Start over with the minimum reps with the new variation.

I advise that all trainees exercise caution when selecting the starting variation and select a variation which the can comfortably handle for the given minimum reps. Completing the minimum reps should not feel more than a 70% effort. This way you will progress faster and smoother over time.

Resist the temptation to add sets in this phase. We want a lot of quality work done and we are still building a base of good movement habits. Pushing too much volume will only jeopardize your efforts. We are not yet going all out.

Do not rest more than 4 mins between sets. A 2 min break should be the minimum. You need to be able to complete every rep and set with perfect technique.

Keep a log book and attempt to beat you numbers every workout. If you did 3 sets of 5 for a certain movement last time, this time do 5,6, 5. If you are feeling really strong try 6, 6, 6. In the initial few months of your training, you will be able to advance forward and beat the log book every workout. Take full advantage of this phase, but never push beyond technical failure. In this phase, relatively higher reps will yield better results.

Put your heart and soul into every repetition. Think of it as a way to explore your body and understand yourself. The greater the concentration and mental effort you put into every rep, the faster your progress will be and the smoother your progress will feel.

Just because you are not going beyond technical failure, does not mean you are not working hard. As you approach technical failure in every set, tighten every muscle in your body and try to perfect every repetition and tighten up your form even more. This will get harder to do as the set progresses, but stay at it. Do not demonstrate blind endurance by just pushing yourself to do more reps to the point of failure. Instead seek to perfect every rep even more as you fatigue. This will be much harder to do than to just churn out reps. But do not let technical failure just set in- fight it and use every inch of your concentration to maintain perfect technique. This is the way to push yourself. When even with your best efforts you cannot maintain good form, stop.

Workout A
Tissue Work
Thoracic Mobility Drill With Ball- 1 Set
Foam rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of I.T band- 1 Set each side with each (Foam roller and ball)
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massageof Lats and Upper Back- 1 set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of Pectorals and Deltoids- 1 Set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of Glutes and Hamstrings- 1 Set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage Of Hip Flexors and Rectus Femoris- 2 sets with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage Of Quadriceps- 2 Sets with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage Of Calves- 1 Set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of Lower Back- 1 Set with each

All tissue work drills should not take more than 10 mins.

Strength Training-
Warm up with 1 to 2 sets of 8- 10 of a variation that is at least 2 steps easier than the one you are working with.
Push Ups- 3 Sets (not including warm up sets) of 8-30
Squats- 3 Sets of 15-40
Leg Raises- 3 Sets of 8-25

Workout B
Flexibility and Mobility Training
Standing Toe Touch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Half Kneeling Lunge Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 reps
Rear Foot Elevated Lunge Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Seated Toe Touch- 3 sets of 3 reps
Standing Groin Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Side Bends- 3 sets of 3 Reps per side
Camel Hold- 3 Sets of 1 rep
Twist Hold- 3 Sets of 1 Rep per side
Kneeling Overhead Stretch- 3 sets of 3 reps
Overhead Stretch Against Wall- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Wall Slide- 1 set of 3 reps
Stool Bridge Hold- 3 Sets of 1 Reps
Ankle Mobility Drill- 2 sets of 5 reps

Strength Training
Warm up with 1 to 2 sets of 8- 10 of a variation that is at least 2 steps easier than the one you are working with.
Horizontal Rows- 3 Sets of 8-25
Pull Ups- 3 Sets of 4-15
Bridges- 3 Sets of 8-20

By the end of this phase you should be able to perform 10 perfect push ups, 20 perfect standard squats, 15 perfect straight legged lying leg raises, 5 perfect  head bridges, 2 chin ups, and 15 perfect bodyweight rows from waist height.

Phase III
In this phase, the priority is on basic strength training and we also introduce cardiovascular conditioning.

This phase will last 8 weeks.

We will raise the intensity and increase the sets and reduce the reps.

We will continue strength training 4 days a week. We will add 2 cardio workouts a week.

Workout A
Workout B
Cardio Workout
Workout A
Workout B
Cardio Workout
Rest

Workout A
Tissue Work
Thoracic Mobility Drill With Ball- 1 Set
Foam rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of I.T band- 1 Set each side with each (Foam roller and ball)
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massageof Lats and Upper Back- 1 set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of Pectorals and Deltoids- 1 Set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of Glutes and Hamstrings- 1 Set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage Of Hip Flexors and Rectus Femoris- 2 sets with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage Of Quadriceps- 2 Sets with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage Of Calves- 1 Set with each
Foam Rolling and Lacrosse ball massage of Lower Back- 1 Set with each

All tissue work drills should not take more than 10 mins.

Strength Training-
Warm up with 1 to 2 sets of 8- 10 of a variation that is at least 2 steps easier than the one you are working with.
Push Ups- 5 Sets (not including warm up sets) of 5-20
Squats- 5 Sets of 8-30
Leg Raises- 3 Sets of 5-20

Workout B
Flexibility and Mobility Training
Standing Toe Touch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Half Kneeling Lunge Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 reps
Rear Foot Elevated Lunge Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Seated Toe Touch- 3 sets of 3 reps
Standing Groin Stretch- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Side Bends- 3 sets of 3 Reps per side
Camel Hold- 3 Sets of 1 rep
Twist Hold- 3 Sets of 1 Rep per side
Kneeling Overhead Stretch- 3 sets of 3 reps
Overhead Stretch Against Wall- 3 Sets of 3 Reps
Wall Slide- 1 set of 3 reps
Stool Bridge Hold- 3 Sets of 1 Reps
Ankle Mobility Drill- 2 sets of 5 reps

Strength Training
Warm up with 1 to 2 sets of 8- 10 of a variation that is at least 2 steps easier than the one you are working with.
Horizontal Rows- 5 Sets of 4-15
Pull Ups- 5 Sets of 3-12
Bridges- 5 Sets of 5-20

Cardio Workout-

Jogging for 40-45 mins. Focus on good running technique. Do not run very fast. You are not trying to get tired you are trying to develop good running habits and build basic conditioning.

By the end of this phase, you should be able to perform a set of 25 standard push ups, 50 standard squats, 10 hanging knee raises, 8 pull ups, 15 head bridges and 20 feet elevated horizontal rows.

By this time you would have completed close to 5 and a half months of training.

Phase IV and V will be covered in the Next Post.

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Exercise Progressions-

Push Ups- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-push-up.html
If kneeling Push ups are too hard begin with incline push ups. Simply find a stable object about waist height and place you hands on it at shoulder width. Follow the standard instructions for push ups given in the link. Be sure that at the starting position your body is close to 45 degrees to the floor.
High incline pushups in Phase one are the same thing, except using an object at least sternum high.

Squats-
The first few steps are given in the post- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/flexibility-training-preventing-and.html
After full squats refer to- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-squat.html

Bridges-
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/03/the-ultimate-exercise-bridge.html

Horizontal Rows and Pull Ups-
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-pull-up.html
Horizontal Rows can be made harder by lowering the base and easier by using a higher base. You will not be able to keep lowering the base as after a point, your back will touch the floor. To increase difficulty further, you can elevate the feet.

All the pull up exercises are given in the post. The progression is,
Underhand Grip Medium Pull Up negatives
Top Half Medium Grip Underhand Chin Ups
Pull Up Negatives
Full ROM Medium Grip Chin Ups
From Here the post is clear about the progression.

For advanced variations- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-one-arm-chin-up.html

Leg Raises-
In all variations of lying leg raises, it is important to keep your lower back in contact with/presses into the ground throughout each rep.
Seated Knee Tucks
Lying Knee Raises
Lying Bent Leg raises
Lying Frog Raises
Lying Straight Leg Raises
Hanging Knee Raises
Hanging Bent Leg Raises
Hanging Frog Raises
Hanging Leg Raises

I will add exercise descriptions shortly.

Revisting the Barbell Squat

Of late I have been performing a lot of heavy barbell work in preparation for an upcoming meet. Heavy deadlifts, bench presses and squats are basically all I have been doing the last few weeks. Having revisited heavy barbell training after a long time due to my accident, I was surprised that my strength in these lifts has increased dramatically.

I had devoted a lot of time to my assistance exercises- pistol squats, RDLs, Bridges, Pull Ups, Bodyweight Rows, L-Sits, Leg Raises, Front Levers, Pushups, Handstand Pushups, Roman Chair Sit Ups, Landmine Twists and various kettlebell drills. Getting stronger at them has improved my powerlifts considerably.

I always loved the barbell squat, but I used my own version. I would stand with my feet close together and the heels slightly elevated by a thin piece of wood. I would place the bar high on my back and squat all the way down till my hamstrings were touching my calves. I would keep a vertical and straight torso at all times. I found this version targeted the quads like nothing else could. I would do any where from 3 to 40 reps per set, depending on my objectives. I was however careful to balance this out with a lot of RDLs and bridges.

Now, preparing for my first contest after my accident, I have adopted 2 squatting variations-
1. The Power Squat- I Squat with the bar medium to low on my back. I wear flat shoes such as Chuck Taylors. I push my hips back to initiate the squat, and squat down until i cross parallel and immediately drive back up. I take a wider than shoulder width stance, with the toes turned out significantly outwards.
2. The assistance Squat- I squat with a high bar position and the feet turned slightly outwards. I take a hip width stance, and wear flat shoes. I initiate the squat by pushing my hips back. I keep my shins as vertical as possible and squat down all the way till my hamstrings are touching my calves. I pause for a whole second and push back up.

Both squat variations have their merits. The power squat allows you to handle the most weight. The Assistance Squat uses much much less weight, but takes the hamstrings through a large range of motion, as well as builds strength out of the hole. It also is a great glute developer, because of the large ROM.

Ultimately I have come to a have a few ideas about Squat training-
1. The Deeper the Squat, the more the muscle recruitment for all muscles. But be safe and use a range which you are confident you can handle.

2. You have to regularly practice at least one squatting variation that lets you use less weight but give a great training effect. This variation has to be your primary assistance work. It could be anything from weighted pistol squats to belt squats.

3. You have to regularly (though not as regularly as the assistance squat)practice your competition squat.

4. Do not let your lower back hold you back. While reverse hyperextensions will help in your deadlift, hyperextensions- to be correct back extensions, will do wonders for your squat.

5. Body tightness is everything. This tightness is a result of Intra Abdominal Pressure. You must learn how to fill your belly with air and tighten your core.

6. Core Strength is critical- The best core exercise for squats is Front Squats, but if you cant handle the workload, there are a host of suitable exercises to choose from. Ab Rollers are fine, but probably inadequate, leg raises, L- Sits, Front Levers, Landmine Twists are all great ways to build a core. Challenging plank variations are also worth exploring.

7. Do some one legged work. Most people will benefit form the mobility, the stabilization challenge and the glute training one legged work provides.

8. Activate your glutes. Do a lot of bridges, hip thrust and barbell hip thursts to get them working. They are the strongest muscles in the body, do not let them go waste.

9. Mobility is critical. Hip Flexor, Hip and ankle mobility are all important.

10. Tense your muscle before your get under the bar. It will make a world of difference.

11. Do not use a belt on a regular basis. Practice the art of creating intra abdominal pressure without it. Itwill only take you 6 weeks before contest tolearn how to use a belt properly, provided you have mastered how to create intra abdominal pressure.

12. The glutes, the lumbar back, the shoulder blades, the grip and the toes must be tight at all times.

13. Pull yourself down into the squat. It will help you stay tight.

14. Do not consistently train the barbell squat using only heavy weights. Periodization of some kind is critical.

The Bench Press- Test of Strength and Technical pointers

With the exception of the barbell curl, the bench press is probably the most popular exercise in the world. Despite this, I have never been fond of the exercise. However, I decided to bite the bullet and go on a bench press specialization program.

My primary pressing exercises before this were handstand pushups and pushups. I am capable of performing one arm push ups with my feet together for 6-7 reps. I can also do 7-8 full ROM handstand pushups.

When I first starting benching seriously 6 weeks ago, I had a poor 200 pound pres.In 6 weeks I am now pressing 315 for 2. Of course this has less to do with any increase in my strength and more to do with me learning how to utilize the strength I have built doing bodyweight pressing exercises. As in any exercise, your bench press is determined by your practice of it. Considering how I never seriously pursued bench pressing, I was not surprised by the results.

However, all this did validate my theory that strength built by any horizontal pressing exercise, will build a base of strength. In order to realize it in other movements, you have to practice them specifically.

Ultimately, it is important to understand why the bench press is considered the ultimate test of pressing power.

Because if not the bench press, what else?

There is no other pressing movement that can be reliably used to determine one's pressing power. Overhead presses were contested in weightlifting before 1972, but anyone familiar with weightlifting history will tell you that it had to be dropped from competition because the degree of cheating in the overhead press had distorted its reliability. In 1972, there were athletes who were overhead pressing more than they could clean and jerk (by utilizing back bending techniques). So all overhead presses are out. Floor presses also are easy to cheat on, just look the old "belly toss" method of pressing the bar. Not to mention it does not test strength through a full ROM.

Pushups and handstand pushups are highly dependent upon bodyweight and body fat percentage, putting heavyweights and athletes from power sports at a serious disadvantage. The only reliable way of testing pressing power is the bench press.

For sure, the bench press has its issues- Shoulder instability, "non- functionality", lack of space for the shoulder blades to rotate and of course it being a open chain movement. Honestly, the functionality of the bench press is really dependent on who you are referring to. Those who need to routinely demonstrate their strength, like powerlifters, will find it functional. Remember the purpose of the sport is to display strength. Other athletes might find the close grip bench press more useful, as it mimics the pressing actions of actual play. Ultimately, the bench press is a full body exercise, and its usefulness has to be determined for every individual trainee.

However, no one can deny the injury potential of the exercise, specially considering the poor shoulder stability, terrible posture and khyphotic backs that are common today. However, if you wish to improve your bench press, you have to practice it. For such individuals, I have a small list of suggestions-

1. For every rep of every pressing exercise you do, perform one rep of bent over flys (Also called rear delt flys) of comparable intensity. Make sure your torso is parallel to the ground while doing it. Rear delt flys are a low intensity exercise that will help pack on the volume for your upper back, but will not significantly stress your recovery. They work the scapula retractors, the posterior delts and the external rotators- all critical for good posture and shoulder health.

It may seem like a chore but do it. All other back and pulling work is over and above this. And remember, huge traps and rounded shoulders are nothing to laugh at.

2. Like any other exercise, technique is everything. Perfect your technique and you will get great results.

3. The first thing you must learn is how to be tight. Counter-intuitively, grounding your feet and heel in the ground, tightening your glutes, tightening your spine until your arch is rock solid and it hurts will all improve your bench press by several dozen pounds. The number of times my glutes were more sore than my chest taught me how important being tight is.

4. The second thing you must learn is how to protect your shoulder. Your upper back has to tight, and your shoulders pulled down and back and the chest puffed out. This gives your acromin and your rotator cuff some breathing space.

5. Pec tears and shoulder dislocations are common in bench press enthusiasts. Tricep tears are uncommon. The fact is that few lifters ever use their triceps to the fullest. You must learn how to use your triceps in order to press big weight. Twist your hands outwards/ turn your elbows inwards while descending. Think of pushing yourself AWAY from the bar when you press it back up. This is critical to getting the muscle recruitment right.

6. Flare your lats at the bottom of the press. This will give you great power out of the bottom and save your delts for the sticking point.

6. I do not believe it is necessary to bench press all the time in order to have a big bench. You need to bench consistently though. Once a week is good.

7. However, you can and should train accessory work hard and frequent.

8. Among accessory work, your tricep and delt training is paramount. My favorite accessory work is the close grip bench press, the one arm (arm in) pushup, Handstand pushups, board presses, rack presses, floor presses, dumbell press, kettlebell presses, California presses and weighted dips. Pick any 3 and train them hard and heavy 3-4 times a week.

9. You must do lots of chin ups and pull ups and rows. Your back development provides the base for your pressing power. This is one major advantage I had. 

Deadlifts- Pro and Cons

For the longest time I held the belief that the deadlift is the greatest exercise in the world. And I found it difficult to find people who would disagree with me. The ones who did generally ranked easy bar curls as the world's greatest movement so I never paid attention to them. But over the years a lot of observations have lead me to believe that this may not actually be so.

I still do believe, however, that the deadlift is the ultimate test of strength. A person who is good at deadlifting is Strong. He has a great back- Upper, mid and lower. He has great legs, a powerful grip, an iron midsection and strong connective tissues. He is also explosive, because the force curve is such that you cannot complete the conventional deadlift without rounding your spine, unless you were explosive to a degree. Its also a lot harder to exploit support gear during deadlifting (as well as bodyfat and sheer size), something that cannot be said for the Squat or Bench press. That is why before the 80s, most guy's deadlift and squat numbers would be pretty close.

The deadlift is probably the best back builder in existence, as well as the best hamstring drill. It also builds a killer grip if you lift Raw.

The greatest test of strength?

But overtime, I found a couple of issues with the deadlift.

1. Its a little too heavy.

Its Surprisingly easy to overtrain. Also, it makes it harder to make progress beyond the initial phase. I am not sure how this works, but in my experience, the bigger the lift, once you reach a pleatue, the harder it gets to progress. This is evidenced by how the west side club is able to build over 4 times bodyweight deadlifts with major emphasis on assistance work, like good mornings and reverse hyperextensions, as well as speed work.

2. There is no proper negative in a good and heavy deadlift.

Heavy deadlifts cannot be controlled properly while lowering. Even the best deadlifters, over 8o% of their maximum, will start basically dropping the weight, or pulling themselves down along with it, specially after the first 1 foot of decent. I found this to be the greatest issue with the dead-lift as it severely limited its value as a hamstring size developer. The back muscle of the torso basically lifted isometrically and therefore would hypertrophy like crazy. the back development of any good deadlifter is evidence of this fact. But the lack of a proper negative, basically restricts the stimulation for the hamstrings.

This is the reason I think the deadlift is a hard to break lift, if all you do is deadlift. Ultimately the weak links cannot be developed by deadlifts alone, due to the lack of a negative. In a squat, for example, you can always modify technique to throw the stress on the weak lnks. You can also do this with deadlifts, but you wont get far, because ultimately those parts dont get a lowering stimulus.

In my mind, I can never dare to question the value of the deadlift as a back developer- the upper back complex, the mid back, the lats, the erectoes and the posterior delts- all are worked crazily during the deadlift. But I feel additional hamstring work is essential, and regular deadlifting is too hard on the body.

Ultimately, I am now inclined to feel that the Power Clean is the ultimate back developer. Olympic weightlifters, specially from the 70s and 80s, have incredible back development. Many people in the 60s swore by it as a back developer. It is certainly a great spine developer, and upper back and mid back developer. It is basically a deadlift initially, but the second pull transfers stress to the upper spine. You can use lesser weight and as there is a minimal strech shortening cycle, the stress is low. I know people who have trained the power clean 3-4 times a week with great results. And it transfers well to the regular deadlift IF your hips are strong too.

Legendary Weightlifter David Rigert

Currently I favor the good morning and weighted hyperextension as hip extension exercises. Certain people, I feel, if they are doing power cleans and squats, dont need to do hip extension exercises at all, as their anatomy makes their squatting hip dominant. I am such a person. I feel that anyone over 6 feet with long legs probably needs no other exercise for his lower body than the full ATG back squat. A person with long legs will have to flex more at the hips and the deeper the squat the more the hip activation. A ATG squat is much deeper for a tall lifter than a short one. Overall, a tall lifter will always be hip dominant in his squats. Sure, his squat will be hs weakest lift, but improvements in the squat will improve everything else more for him.

Ultimately I do feel there is no best exercise. I do feel everyone is weak at one movement, and chances are improvement in it will deliver the most returns in everything else. I am a natural deadlifter with long arms, so I used to spend all my time deadlifting. I pleatued very fast and very long at 2.25 times bodyweight. Over time I lost interest in the deadlift and started doing high bar ATG squats, with a pause at the bottom. I was very weak at these, and could barely manage bodyweight. At the time I was doing these squats once a week with power cleans every workout. In about 6 months my squat had slowly climbed to 1.25 bodyweight (in the high bar ATG style of course). I went back for a month to deadlifting and broke 2.8 times bodyweight. A year later I did double bodyweight in the squat for 2 reps (Basically intermediate standards) and my deadlift went up to a 4 times bodyweight. I deadlifted 2.25 times bodyweight for 25 straight reps using a clean grip in a contest.

At this time I was really doing crazy grip work (pinch gripping and towel chins)- along with Bridges, Power Cleans and pull ups. I worked all those exercises very hard. I also achieved my first 30 sec L-Sit. Somewhere, I feel keeping the general movement in place (with the power clean) combined with hard lower body work of an unrelated kind, did more for my deadlifting strength, than my deadlifts did for my lower body strength, though once again, I will never deny the back building benefits.

I guess I have to study a lot more to get a clearer understanding of this. 

The 3-5 System

Last weekend I held my very first Advanced Knowledge Seminar. Only 3 people came but it was worth it. On the second day of the seminar one of the participants asked me for a simple programming template that can be used by any beginner endlessly for 3-4 years without worrying about periodization or cycling too much. After that of course, everyone needs to form their own training philosophy, but I gave the creation of such a template my best shot.

The objectives of this system is to Maximize strength and Size gains and have decent conditioning. 

I call it the 3-5 system. 

Very Simply, pick 3-5 exercises that work the entire body in combination. These are your main exercises.

Pick 2 small exercises to target weak points and areas of attention. They have to be really small exercises. We will call them secondary exercises.

Perform 3-5 sets of each main exercise. At least one of these sets must be a warm up set. 

Do 3-5 reps per set. 

Take 3-5 mins break between Sets. 

Rest 3-5 days between workouts.

Do 3-5 mins of general warm up.

End every session with 3-5 mins of 3-5 stretches for the whole body. 

Do conditioning sessions 1-3 days every week. (Sorry but this one cannot be fit into the 3-5 range).

Pick one conditioning exercise and perform 3-5 bouts of 3-5 mins each of intense conditioning. 

Change all the variables every 3-5 weeks. 

The secondary exercises must be performed after the main workout for 2 sets of 10-50 reps. 

Its a very simple system. And the slight change in Rep and Set protocols every 3-5 weeks prevents staleness, as well as the change in the number of exercises and the exercises themselves. When you want an easy phase, pick 3 exercises, do 3 sets of 5 reps and rest 5 days. Pick the easy compound exercises from the list below for that phase. When you want to push it hard, pick 5 exercises, all hard, do 5 sets of 3 reps and rest 3 days. 

Keep alternating between an easy combination of the variables and a hard combination. But no matter what you do, as long as you stick to the basic template, you will be working your Max Strength and Hypertrophy.

The conditioning template also makes sure you are doing something, and since you have to change the variables every 3-5 weeks there as well (along with the whole program) you will get decent conditioning variety. 

You may pick the following exercises and NO other. Learn the proper form and execute every exercise to the best of your ability. 

Main Strength Exercises (In no particular Order)-
Lower Body

1. Barbell Back Squat- Heel Elevated Hamstrings Touching Calves, Olympic Style

2. Powerlifting Back Squat

3. Front Squats

4. Overhead Squats

5. Pistol/Bodyweight Squats

6. Bulgarian Split Squats

7. Weighted Step Ups with a high stool

8. Trap Bar Deadlifts

9. Conventional Deadlifts

10. Sumo Deadlifts

11. Clean Grip Deadlifts

12. Snatch Grip Deadlifts
13. Deficit Deadlifts
14. RDLs
15. Good Mornings
16. Skater Squats/ King Squats/ Flying Lunges/ Shrimp Squats
17. Bridges
18. Barbell Hip Thrust
19. Ham Glute Raise
20. Sliding Leg Curls

Upper Body-
1. Chin Up/ Weighted Pull Ups
2. Military Press
3. Dumbell Military Press
4. Arnold Press
5. Handstand Pushups
6. One Arm Barbell Press
7. Tiger Bends
8. Bench Press
9. Push Ups
10. Incline Press
11. Decline Press
12. Parallel bar Dips
13. Straight Bar Dips
14. Front Levers
15. Bodyweight rows
16. Dumbell Row
17. Bent Over Row
18. T- Bar Rows
19. Sternum Chin Ups
20. Cable Rows
21. Chest Supported Rows

Others
1. Bent Press
2. Turkish Get Up
3. Clean and Press
4. Roman Chair Sit Ups
5. Leg Raises
6. Ab Roller with weighted vests
7. L- Sits
8. Planche Holds
9. Muscle Ups- Slow to medium

Secondary Exercises-
1. Hyperextensions
2. Reverse Hyperextenstions
3. Posterior Delt Fly
4. Lateral Raises
5. Straight Bar Curls
6. Standing Calf Raises
7. French Press
8. Leg Curls
9. Hack Squats
10. Sissy Squats
11. Swiss Ball Crunches
12. Incline Sit Ups
13. Reverse Curls
14. Dumbell Curls
15. Zottaman Curls
16. EZ bar curls
17. Skull Crushers
18. Knee Tucks
19. Planks
20. Pinch Gripping
21. Wrist Roller
22. Lying, standing and seated external rotations with a dumbell
23. Cable Pull Throughs
24. Heavy Kettlebell and dumbell Swings
25. Hospital Deadlifts
26. Heel Walking

Conditioning Exercises-
1. Sprints
2. Hill Sprints
3. Stadium Sprints
4. Kettlebell Snatch and clean and jerk
5. Farmer's Walk
6. Sledge Hammer Drills
7. Sandbag Carry
8. Tire Flipping
9. Prowler
10. Sledge Pushing
11. High Repetition Squats, with/ without weights
12. Hurdles
13. Car Pushing
14. Cycle Sprints
15. Wood Cutting
16. Stone Braking
17. Stone Throwing
18. Boxing

You can pick any stretches you want.

There is so much variety in your choices for a reason. Dont be the guy who chooses to do heavy conventional deadlifts phase after phase without respite. You must always stick with the basics, but it is important to pick easy exercises once in a while in order to give your body time to recover.

At the same time, dont be the pansy who chooses Decline presses and cable rows phase after phase.

I have given a few core/torso training options as well in the others section of the Main lifts. This is because in some people their torso strength is holding them back and they need to be hammered seriously for a phase or 2. Just dont become an ab specialist by devoting 7 phases to Roman Chair Sit ups.

You have to be real honest with your secondary exercises. Always pick those exercises that strengthen your weaknesses. Most guys will never get around to doing important things like grip training. If you know you need it, pick Reverse Curls and Pinch gripping instead of EZ bar curls. If you are prone to shoulder problems pick Posterior Delt Flys and External rotations.

I will not be so dogmatic as to say you must pick one pressing and one pulling exercise every single phase, but in the long run, if you under develop one group, you are going to suffer. If you emphasize pulling one phase, do pushing next. Make sure that in the medium and long term, your upper body pushing and pulling power, and your lower body squatting and hinging power are in reasonable balance. If you can only do 3 chin ups but 50 pushups, you are headed for trouble.

Keep it simple, this is a very difficult program to mess up.

Dieting Simplified

Its been a long time since my last post. I am really sorry about it, but things have been crazy. I have been setting up a new enterprise dedicated to strength training. I will post links to it shortly.

I was thinking about the posts that I have done, and realized that I am yet to write anything about dieting. So I thought it would be appropriate.

First of all, I want to state the obvious that dieting is not eating less or more, it is following a certain dietary pattern for a pre determined amount of time in order to achieve certain clear objectives. In this sense, it is no different from training.

All right, let me first state what I think are the golden rules of making any dietary regime work-
1. HAVE CLEAR OBJECTIVES. Know exactly what you want. Too many people try to do too many things at the same time, just like in training. It is simply not possible to pursue more than 2 or 3 objectives simultaneously.
2. Reconcile these objectives with your long term goals. If you ultimate goal is to compete in weightlifting in the 82 kg weight category at 10% bodyfat, and you are currently 13% bodyfat at 76 kg, don't lose fat first. Get to 85-86 at 13%, then cut to 81-82. The point is, you objectives should help you reach your goals, not hinder you.
3. Have clear time lines. How long do you have to reach your goals? Break them into objectives and work backwards.
4. Focus on no more than 2-3 related objectives at a time.

Beyond these four I have some secondary principles, which I think all diets should have, but are not deal breakers-
1. Prioritize overall cardiovascular and Endocrinol health in the long run.
2. Prioritize unprocessed foods.
3. Prioritize vegetables first, then fruits. then proteins, then nuts, seeds and shoots and then everything else.
4. High water intake is essential.
5. High fiber is important
6. High anti oxidant consumption is very useful.
7. Do not fluctuate from your weight maintenance levels (adjusting for activity) by more than 500 calories a day.
8. Carb cycling is essential. Some days you need to eat more, some days a little less.
9. Infrequent and occasional over eating is essential for psychological satisfaction.
10. Infrequent and occasional starvation is essential for detoxification and Endocrinol health.
11. Generally (80% of the time) maintain a consistent eating pattern.

I realize that these are a lot of principles and most of the time you will not be able to follow all of them. This is fine, but my rule of thumb is that if a diet breaks more than 5 rules completely, it will not be sustainable or healthy and may not even fulfill its objectives. There are exceptions, but even those exceptions will not be beneficial in the long run.

Having gotten that out of the way, lets talk about how to construct a diet. All diets aim at one or more of the following objectives-
1. Gain Muscle- You will need to eat more calories than you expend, and get a decent protein intake.
2. Maintain Body fat- You will need to focus on eating clean food with a lot of fiber and water, and staying generally satisfied while avoiding extreme carbs and extreme high calorie foods.
3. Reduce bodyfat- A high protein intake combined with the right exercise regime, reduced carb consumption, consistent carb cycling and ensuring healthy endocrine function are essential.
4. Reduce weight- Eat less calories than you expend.
5. Improve Endocrinol Health- Regular detoxification, high anti oxidant consumption, periodic carb reduction and carb increase with a consistent volume of food and infrequent starvation and over eating are important.
6. Improve Cardiovascular health- Reduce bodyfat and increase activity levels. Restricting of certain foods will be necessary. Please speak to your doctor for this.
7. Improve blood work- Specific increase or decrease of macro and micro nutrients.

In the next post, we will analyse how to pursue these objectives in detail, which ones can be pursued together and how to combine this with an exercise program. 

Mind Control For Training

During a conversation in the comments section in one of my posts, the issue of mind control came up. I have been wanting to do a post on it for a long time, so here it is. I have attached a link to the conversation if anyone is interested- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/reps-and-sets-for-strength.html

Before we understand the vast tradition of mind control, it is important to understand the cultural and sociological background behind all of this. Almost all human culture can roughly divided into "civilized" and "un-civilized". The defining factors behind civilization is-
1. Settled society
2. Demarcation of duties
3. Plenty of food
4. Right to private property
5. Civilization likes to preserve itself using methods like patriarchy, government and religion.

Barbaric Cultures are defined by-
 1. Constant movement
2. Tiny groups
3. Food has to be found and hunted
4. Strongest keeps the goods.
5. Ultimate freedom for everyone.

A good way to understand the differences between them is to understand their methods of measuring success. In any civilization, the person with the greater goods is more powerful. Thus by default a civilized society is a materialistic society. On the other hand, the most successful barbarian is the one who is successfully alive and well and is getting stronger. Strength is the measure of success- not just physical but emotional, spiritual and psychological. Ultimately a weakness in any one of these things could destroy you. Thus a barbarian is essentially self obsessed- self improvement is their prime concern.

From this rudimentary understanding it is easy to see why all real philosophical bodies of knowledge originate with either barbaric or ascetic cultures.

Therefore what we must understand is the all "philosophical" systems created in civilization are more sociological than spiritual. In essence almost every god or system of gods that exist in various civilized cultures are basically man's rationalization of the fear of the unknown. The primary purpose of these entities is to reward the good and punish the bad. Thus its easy to see that the primary purpose here is to bring order to society by having a higher law giving authority (and a more powerful) than the government.

In contrast almost all philosophical systems rooted in nomadic cultures are primarily obsessed with explaining the universe. This is better understood by the fact that there is no real god or gods the way Christians understand the concepts. For example, the Christian god is all powerful and supreme. On the other hand in Taoism there are almost a hundred thousand gods but not one of them means squat. All of them can even be killed by humans if you were strong enough. It is also an interesting insight into the strongest and the best will prevail philosophy- even being a god does not mean you stop learning and getting stronger, because someone out there will kill you. Another way of looking at it is that with enough hard work everyone can become a god. Even the greatest overseer of the universe (in Taoism), the Jade Emperor, is subject to the winds of change. For example when the legendary monkey king Sun Wukong attacks heaven the third time, he literally pees in his pants and runs to Gautama Buddha for help. And the monkey king was a simple mortal, who really worked his ass off.

The three philosophical systems that are relevant to us as training systems are the Original Vendantic tradition (Hinduism is an amalgamation of the vedas, the bhagwath gita and the bhakti movement- its a lot more Civilized if you know what I mean), Taoism and Bhuddism. The basic construct of all three is similar- the universe itself is the ultimate force, there is nothing behind it per say (Taosim has the Tao which is like the force from Star Wars, but in actuality it is not an energy field as much as a principle that governs the universe, which is again common to all three traditions). Therefore I will get into the examination of only one- the Vendantic Tradition. This is because I am the most well versed in this tradition.

First of all, the vedas were written by the Aryans before the came to India. It is a nomadic piece of work. Before we get into it, let us understand that we must give the vedas the respect they deserve (from a scientific point of view) as whatever the theories are and we don't know if they are true, the math works out. We do not know how they arrived at this figure, but the vedas date the (current) universe at 16.4 Billion years. Please keep in mind that this dating has an entire kalpa (stage) before the expansion of the universe (a.k.a the big bang), which we will get into. If you exclude that kalpa and count from the big bang, the age of the current universe according to the vedas is 13.5 billion years. Modern estimates place the universe as 13.77 billion years old, give or take 37 million years. Its obvious that the theory at least works out the math with extraordinary accuracy. Both Taoism and Buddhism give similar figures. Contrast this with the Old Testament, which dates the age of the universe as 12,000 years. Its almost mind boggling that the ancients were able to think in terms of such large numbers.

According to the vedas (and Taoism and Bhuddism), the Principle of the universe is Duality. Everything has a duality to it. It is the only principle of the universe, the only thing that is constant. In your actions it manifests as Karma (what goes around comes around). In mechanics its newton's laws. In physics its the conversion of energy to matter and matter to energy (E=MC Square). In physiology it is the negative feedback loop. In cosmology its the theory of a cyclical universe. The Vedic assertion is that this principle is all there really is and to truly understand and realize this is in fact to get Bodhisattva (Ultimate Understanding). To be the principle itself is to overcome all your "physical" limitations, that is Moksha. A lot people understand it as leaving your physical self, but this is not essential to the theory. What it means is that your abilities are beyond all limitations, as you have learnt how to apply the knowledge of your Bhodisattva, which of course is ultimate knowledge. You may or may not go beyond your physical self, depending on the path you have chosen to achieve moksha. Nirvana is to integrate with the universe because you have become one with yourself and the duality within you to a degree that you have created a singularity. Thus you are now truly one with the universe and this is the achievement of the understanding of the duality behind duality- the singularity.

All three traditions prescribe various ways one can reach the previous levels. All depend upon an understanding of duality, through some form of its practical application. It will suffice for us to examine one of the most acceptable ways of doing so- physical culture. In all three traditions there is a huge body of literature focusing on enlightenment through exercise. In simple terms, the body is also governed by duality. Thus to understand your body and to be one with your body, is to understand duality- which is enlightenment. To master your body you must master duality which is Moksha or your ascension to a god like status. Thus exercise is an intensely spiritual experience in all three traditions.

To understand how to do this, let us first examine an obvious way of "training" duality- to simply meditate on it. Ths practise is called Zazen by zen practitioners and is the conerstone of Zen Practice. In fact some say Zazen is Zen. You sit n a cross legged posture with your spine straight and you focus on your breathing. That is all. You hold the universal mudra in your hands as you do so. The idea is smple- breathing is in itself and in every way an expression of duality. If you keep paying attention to it, so much so that all other thoughs stop, you will begin to understand duality. Interestingly the purpose of Zazen is to NOT be dualistic. It goes back to the duality of duality, that is to understand it and be it, you must not be dualistic. Its difficult to explain unless you practice it, but can be roughly explained as "Being in the Moment".

Let us examine what happens when you are in the moment during your Zazen practice. You are aware of you breathing exactly as it is happening. Therefore, since your mind is not in the future nor in the past, you are not controlling your breathing, you are simply aware of it. But you are aware of both your breathing, your mind and what is called your larger mind. At this instant you are aware that you have inhaled and that you are going to exhale. Keep in mind you are not controlling your breathing, you are simply observing t. You know you are about to exhale, not because you are thinking ahead (for then you would be controlling it) but because your larger mind tells you so (through sheer instinct). This happens because your larger mind is aware of the duality behind breathing. But if you were to pay attention to that duality, you would no longer be in the moment, and you would once again not be dualistic. Thus the only way to be dualistic is to not be dualistic.

Another way of looking at it s that being in the moment enables you to see the future, through the medium of your larger mind. In martial arts, this manifests as being so much in the moment, that you can predict your opponents movements, just by observing him. Your response is also automatic and appropriate as your larger mind tells you what to do.

In the context of exercise, being in the moment enables you to know what the effects of what you are doing is going to be, which enables you to know what to do, in order to get the best results. The practice of exercise makes you familiar with the principle of duality, which in turn gives you an understanding of your body. This allows you to be more familiar with your body, which allows you to be in the moment during your exercise (and over time in your entire life), which once again facilitates the same. Over time, you will be duality and realize it, achieving Bodhisattva.

Thus the real realm of mind control from our point of view is to achieve such a degree of "being in the moment" (a.k.a focus) that we are able to train perfectly for our purposes. I use a simple progression to teach people how to get started (you can't call yourself a master until you have, you know, ascended).

First of all, no music no distraction during your workouts. Try your best to focus on both the movement of the joints and the contraction of the muscles as you exercise. Do this for 4-5 weeks after which you move on to step two.

Begin getting familiar with your body and learn how to be aware of every little thing in your body. I teach people to do this through the practice of the Wu Chi position. Any Tai Chi practitioner will show you this position or you could download (for free) and read The way of Energy by Master Lam. It gives a very good description of the basic standing meditations. Basically the objective in Wu Chi is to stand like a tree, absolutely immobile, standing in a natural and perfectly balanced position, with you mind "rooted" into the ground (you have to feel you have roots growing from under your feet into the ground, nourishing you). You don't have any thoughts because trees don't think. You just stand there being aware of your body, yourself, your breathing and your roots. In order to focus on the breathing properly you will have to learn to breathe through your stomachs, but most athletic people will find that they already do this. You will find that over time, this is actually an extremely active position- you will literally feel your cells growing, you energy growing, your blood flowing, your nerves firing, your breathing, your strengthening everything. After a while it becomes incredibly forceful. In addition this practice seems to increase hormonal recovery by leaps and bounds. I am not sure why, but I think it is because it creates an optimal environment for adrenal hormones to be produced and it relaxes the mind.

After you have practiced Wu Chi for at least a year, you may, if you like learn the 24 forms Tai Chi movements. This will teach you how to pay attention to your body during movement. Otherwise you could just directly start with using basic exercises with light weights (initially) and retaining this kind of awareness during your exercise. Over time you will be able to do it naturally and smoothly with even the heaviest weight.

The greatest champions in every field (not just sport) ultimately reach this stage in their work, whether they call it Wu Chi, being in the moment or duality or the mind body connection or french fries. Take a look at any video of Dimas lifting or Arnold posing or Jordan dunking and you can see it in their eyes that they have got it. And when you have something like Wu Chi, which have time and time again over centuries taught people how to reach this state, you must use it. Even the monkey king (who attacked heaven) was supposed to have trained 3 hours daily using Wu Chi. You may use Zazen instead. But you must be doing atleast one. Wu Chi and Zazen are like the Squats and deadlifts of the mind control world- if you want to be truly world class, there is no better way to get there. They are the basics. If you want to pursue Zazen, I recommend Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginners mind. Read as much as you can, but just start practice.

If anyone ever takes up Zazen or Wu Chi training and you ever want to discuss it, please comment below.

Program For the Cubicle Miner

A friend of mine at work asked me for a program appropriate for him. As all the programs I have posted here before were for either intermediate or advanced Athletes, I thought this should be interesting to post.

First of all a little background. The guy is a former national Karate Champion and was strong at the time. At a weight of 140-150 pounds he had a 185 bench press, a solid 225 parallel squat and could do a good 15-18 overhand pull ups. However he has not trained for years and has for the last 4-5 years been working in a completely sedentary job which requires him to sit in a hunched position for 10-11 hours at a stretch 5-6 days a week. He has the typical problems of people of this time- kyphosys, an anterior pelvic tilt, a lot of excess fat. In addition to these problems he also is suffering for a nagging knee pain in his left knee, which after some amount of analysis and experimentation, we have traced to a hamstring quadriceps imbalance. Leg curls and even isometric hamstring contractions provided immediate relief.

In addition to all this he wants to coach students of his martial arts school, and for the purpose wants to be in respectable shape- enough for him to perform all the required kicks and movements pain free and with some power. He would also like to have nice biceps.

First of all we need to make a priority list of all the things that need to be taken care of-
1. Knee pain needs to be eliminated
2. Postural Issues need to be fixed.
3. Basic Ligament, tendon and bone strength.
4. Basic Full body Strength
5. Strength Flexibility- Active Flexibility and mobility
6. Weight Loss
7. Strength Speed (A.k.a power)
8. Speed Strength (a.k.a speed)
9. Cardiovascular fitness and general Endurance

Let us list the good things about this guy- he has a very good training background and uses excellent technique. In addition he competed in and is still very skilled at a high skill sport, which means his motor learning curve for advanced movements is pretty high. Both these things mean we can use high skill movements (like Olympic lifts) without any fear and easy coaching. Secondly he has access to a gym pretty much all day (except during work of course). Also there is a beautiful running park across the street with excellent pull up, dip and other calisthenic facilities.

To address each issue, we are going to have a LOT of posterior chain work for him. Posterior chain work fixes 90% of the most common postural issues and muscle imbalances in most sedentary people. In addition we will do leg curls and external rotations to help these issues. We will also include a lot of active flexibility work for the hip flexors, quads, and the internal rotators and their "assistant" muscles.

To build ligament and bone strength we will use dead-lift lockouts with an extended hold at the top, for 2 reps a week. Supporting feats in general build a lot of bone and connective tissue strength, but require enormous rest periods and lots and lots of recovery. In addition the routine will ensure that there is sufficient time for the connective tissues to repair and heal, and not let the typical problem of muscles getting stronger and bigger too fast happen. In addition full ROM movements will be used for high repetitions to train the tendons and assist in the building of active flexibility. In addition to all this such workouts, done properly and not to fatigue, will enhance the healing rate of the connective tissues.

For basic full body strength we will use the most basic of routines, centered around the most important lifts for a person in his position- Standing Military Barbell and dumbbell presses, Dead-lifts of various kinds, Rows of various kinds- One arm dumbbell rows, barbell rows, bent-over rows. Secondary work will be full ROM squats (body-weight only- will work up the pistol squat progression over time to build knee stability), push ups, pull ups and abdominal work. Tertiary work will be calves and biceps.

We will use a separate conditioning routine for weight loss, centered around the dumbbell snatch which will kill 4 birds with one stone- Supplementary lower back work, weight loss, Speed- Strength and general cardiovascular fitness. Skipping with a rope will also be used to add a hopping/ knee centric variable.
As he has not worked out for years and he is currently grossly overweight and was formerly strong, initially we can expect to build muscle and burn a lot of fat at the same time. For him I would expect this phase to last 9-12 months, after which we can worry about periodizing it.

For strength-speed or power. we are going to use the power clean and the jerk from behind the neck. The power clean is an obvious choice for developing the rate of force development and general explosiveness. The jerk from behind the neck is an excellent exercise that has been lost in the depths of strength training history and has been completely eclipsed by the jumping squat. It can be coached much more easily than the regular jerk, allows you to use much more weight than the ordinary jerk, builds reflexive power and is really really safe and low hassle, unlike the jumping squat. Here you basically do exactly what you would do in a regular jumping back squat, except you jerk the weight overhead when you jump. Because of this, there is no impact or trauma on the spine and there is no fear of injury. Plus it requires almost no setup beyond a rack. Resetting is also easier as you just lower the weight down till it is back in the back squat position and repeat.

We will remain true to the basic principles of beginner (or in this case pseudo beginner) programming.
1. One fitness quality (or related qualities) every session.
2. Do not train any one quality hard more than once a week, maximum training is 2 times a week if a light or medium session is desired.
3. Train a variety of qualities as it is not yet the time for specialization.
4. Keep the trainee on his toes (or at-least let him think that he is) in order to satisfy beginner enthusiasm, but do it in a way such that recovery is not compromised at all and no strength quality is over trained and general over training is also avoided. This also helps lose fat in a healthy fashion as it helps add a lot of activity without stressing the overall system.
5. Timely layoffs are critical (goes for advanced athletes as well).
6. Keep the progression simple and understandable.
7. Do not change the program for the first 9-12 months of training. This is the time to build proficiency in the basics, understand the body and build a base. Advanced periodization and change of routines to avoid staleness are an intermediate and advanced problem. A beginner should not get bored by any one routine in the first 9 months, and base building requires consistency initially. The periodic layoffs are more than sufficient in order to prevent staleness in the beginner.
8. Always stress perfect form and stability over weight.
9. Correct posture is critical. Strength and endurance in the postural muscles must be built from the very beginning as later the gap between the big muscles and these muscles only widens. The postural muscles need an early start.
10. Balanced routines are critical. Once again this is the time to build a base. Specialization can always be done later, but base building can only be done now.

Keeping all the above factors in mind I have designed the following program.

The weights given are completely hypothetical. We will know what weights to use only after the workouts begin. The fact is for heavy exercises (below 5 reps a set) the weight must not be a bitter struggle but heavy enough to make 2 more reps in perfect form impossible. For example if you can do no more than 4 reps with good form in the military press with 100 pounds (40 kgs), then this is the weight you will use for your 2 rep sets.

We will use a simple double progression method of progression. Every workout will be recorded in a notebook. All reps are given in rep ranges for example- 5 sets of 3-5 reps. This means we will begin with performing 3 reps a set. Whenever he feels capable we will add reps to the exercise. It is not necessary to do so in all sets. For instance if workout one is 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 workout 2 could be 3, 4, 4, 3, 3. Even if one rep is added overall, it will be counted as progress. When he is able to complete all 5 sets using 5 reps, he will increase the weight of the exercise by 5 kgs for upper body exercises, 2.5 kgs for the one arm upper body exercises, and 5 Kgs for lower body exercises as well (we will use narrower rep ranges). He will now start over with the new weight, once again perming 5 sets of 3 reps and will work up to 5 sets of 5 reps once again and repeat.

In every workout, he has to improve only in one exercise. If for example a workout contains the military press, one arm dumbbell row and the dead-lift, even if he adds just one rep to one set of one exercise, he has beaten his previous entry for the same workout in the log book. What is important is that at-least this much has to happen every successive workout. He may (and probably will) try to do much more than this, but in general we will try to be conservative in the rate of progress. However this minimum progress is critical.

For the calisthenic/ body-weight exercises, when he reaches the weight increase standard for that exercise, he will progress to the next harder variation of the exercise given in my progressions. I have attached the link for my progressions for each body-weight exercise upon its first mention. Of course the rep ranges for these exercises will be quite broad.

Every 5th week, he will only do the Thursday and Friday sessions. The rest of the time he will try to rest as much as possible and try to not even think about exercise. This is his periodic layoff. 4 weeks of effort one total rest week.

Monday-
Morning/Evening (any One session)- Flexibility Training
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/flexibility-training-preventing-and.html
Perform the 6 Flexibility exercises given in the post above. Progress according to the instructions given.

Tuesday-
Morning- Basic Strength and Connective Tissue Strength (Heavy Day)
Warm Up
Shoulder stretching (dislocates) with a bar or stick- 20 reps
Barbell Clean and Military Press (real strict- see post http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/02/shoulders.html)- 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 30kg first set, 35kg second set. 1 min breaks
One arm Bench supported Dumbbell Row to the lower abdomen. 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 15kg first set and 20 kg second set. 1 min breaks.
Work Sets-
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between exercises.
5 sets of 3-4 reps- Barbell Clean and Military Press 40Kgs
5 sets of 3-5 reps- One arm Bench supported Dumbbell Row to the lower abdomen 22.5Kgs
Dead-lift Warm Up-
2 sets of 4 reps of conventional dead-lifts. 2 min breaks First set 65kg, second 75kg.
Dead-lift Work Sets
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between variations.
3 sets of 2-4 reps- Conventional Dead-lifts 85 Kgs (overhand grip at-least initially- we will switch to alternate when an overhand grip is no longer possible. This goes for both variations)
3 sets of 2-4 reps- Sumo Dead-lifts 85 Kgs
Connective Tissue Dead-lift
The barbell will be elevated by either placing it on a bench or by placing the ends of the plates on more plates, or ideally a power rack. It has to be elevated enough such that the bar is 2 inches above the knee when standing straight next to it. This way when the barbell is dead-lifted from this position, it only has to be moved 2-3 inchs to lockout.
Lockout hold for 20 - 40 seconds. (when you hit 40 seconds, increase weight). 90 Kgs Conventional Style.
Secondary Strength Exercises-
2 min Break between sets
2 sets of 8-30 body-weight squats- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-squat.html
1 set of 5- 25 Push ups- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-push-up.html
1 set of 3-15 Pull Ups (plus a set of "prep work" if required see post)- http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2012/12/the-pull-up.html
2 sets of 10-25 roman chair sit ups. Weight will be added by holding a dumbbell with both hands. If he is not strong enough for roman chair sit ups, incline sit-ups will be substituted until he is doing 45 degree sit ups.
Tertiary Strength Exercises-
This is to be done after a good 20-30 min break after eating the post workout meal. These are optional and need to be done only if he has the time and excess energy.
1 min 30 second Breaks
3 sets of 8-14 reps Standing barbell bicep Curls- Military Style with no cheating at all. 25 Kgs
3 sets of 10-20 reps Standing Calf Raises off a block.

Evening- Strength Speed/ Power- Heavy
Warm Up- 
Power Cleans- 3 sets of 3 reps with a light weight say 25 Kgs, 30 kg and 30 Kg.
Work Sets
3 Min Breaks
3 sets of 2 reps Power Cleans- Say 35 Kgs
3 sets of 2 reps Behind the Neck Jerks- Say 40 Kgs

Wednesday
Morning- Fixing Postural Issues and Pain Prevention
Warm Up-
Light Bent over Dumbbell Rows-
2 sets of 8 reps - 10 Kg dumbbells.
Work Sets
External Rotations (weight increases will be 2 kgs when progression time comes)-
Lying Side External Rotation with Dumbbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Seated External Rotation to the front of the body with dumbbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Cuban Press (standing external rotation) with barbell-
3 sets of 8-15 reps. 8 Kgs
Leg Curl Warm Up-
2 sets of 8 reps- say 2 slabs on the machine
Work Sets
3 sets of 6-10 reps Leg Curls. Say 4 slabs.

Evening- Fatloss, Cardio, Speed Strength
Warm Up-
One arm Dumbbell Snatch
1 min breaks
2 sets of 8 per arm say a 10 kg dumbbell
Work Sets-
One arm Dumbbell snatch (progress by 2 kgs when the time comes)
1 min breaks
8 sets of 7-12 reps per arm. 14 kgs
8 sets of 50 reps Skipping
Cool Down-
2 mins slow skipping

Thursday
Morning- Tendon Strength, Connective Tissue Recovery, Full ROM training and mobility. 
Warm Up
Hospital Dead-lift (it is a round back dead-lift performed from a deficit with no unlocking of the knees)
It must be performed slowly with a good pause at the end points with absolutely no bounce.
2 sets of 10. Say first set 20kg, second 25kg. 2 min breaks
Work Sets
2 min breaks
2 sets of 10-35. Hospital Dead-lifts 30kg
2 sets of 10-35. Cross bench Dumbbell Pull Overs with absolutely full ROM. 10 Kgs
2 Sets of 10-35. Bottom Half Lying Leg raises off a bench such that the legs are off the bench and the upper body is on the bench. Lower the legs until there is a good stretch in the hip flexors and raise up only until the legs are parallel to the ground. Bend the knees to make the exercise easier in order to get the required reps. Straighten the legs progressively in order to increase the difficulty.
2 sets of 20-40. Dips until the mid chest is level with the parallel bars. perform slowly and with pauses at the end points. Place your legs on the ground or platform directly as if standing to assist if you are not strong enough. It will be easier than traditional bench dips and a lot healthier on the joints. Weight can be added using a belt.
2 sets of 15-40 per side. Side bends with dumbbells. bend over to one side until the dumbbell is level with the knees. 10Kgs each dumbbell
2 sets of 25-50 per side. Heel Elevated heels touching squat. Use the lat pulley to provide tailored assistance. Say 4 slabs on the machine.
2 sets of 30-60. Calf raises off a block.

Evening- Rest

Friday- 
Morning- Basic Strength and Connective Tissue Strength (Light Day)
Warm Up
Shoulder stretching (dislocates) with a bar or stick- 20 reps
Dumbbell Clean and Military Press- 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight (HALF OF WHAT WAS USED ON TUESDAY- THIS GOES FOR ALL EXERCISES TODAY)- say 15kg (7.5 per dumbbell) first set, 20kg second set. 1 min breaks
Bent Over Barbell Row to the lower abdomen. 2 sets of 5 reps with a light weight- say 20kg first set and 30 kg second set. 1 min breaks.
Work Sets-
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will alternate (not superset) between exercises.
5 sets of 3-4 reps- Dumbbell Clean and Military Press 12.5Kgs per bell.
5 sets of 3-5 reps- Bent over Barbell Row to the lower abdomen 35 Kgs
Dead-lift Warm Up-
2 sets of 4 reps of conventional dead-lifts. 2 min breaks First set 45kg, second 55kg.
Dead-lift Work Sets
There will be 3 min breaks between sets and we will perform the variations in a series.
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Conventional Dead-lifts 70 Kgs
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Sumo Dead-lifts 70 Kgs
2 sets of 2-4 reps- Snatch grip Deadlifts 70 Kgs
Connective Tissue Dead-lift
The barbell will be elevated by either placing it on a bench or by placing the ends of the plates on more plates, or ideally a power rack. It has to be elevated enough such that the bar is 2 inches above the knee when standing straight next to it. This way when the barbell is dead-lifted from this position, it only has to be moved 2-3 inches to lockout.
Lockout hold for 20 - 40 seconds. (when you hit 40 seconds, increase weight). 80 Kgs Conventional Style.
Secondary Strength Exercises-
2 min Break between sets
He will Perform Exactly half the Number of Reps he Performed on Tuesday
2 sets of body-weight squats
1 set of Push ups
1 set of Pull Ups (plus a set of "prep work" if required)-
2 sets of Roman chair sit ups/ Incline board sit ups
Tertiary Strength Exercises-
This is to be done after a good 20-30 min break after eating the post workout meal. These are optional and need to be done only if he has the time and excess energy.
He will perform less sets today than Tuesday, but use the same weight and reps.
1 min 30 second Breaks
2 sets of 8-14 reps Standing barbell bicep Curls- Military Style with no cheating at all. 25 Kgs
2 sets of 10-20 reps Standing Calf Raises off a block.

Evening- Fixing Postural Issues and Pain Prevention
Lesser Sets will be performed today
Warm Up-
Light Bent over Dumbbell Rows-
2 sets of 8 reps - 10 Kg dumbbells.
Work Sets
External Rotations (weight increases will be 2 kgs when progression time comes)-
Lying Side External Rotation with Dumbbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Seated External Rotation to the front of the body with dumbbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 2 Kgs.
Cuban Press (standing external rotation) with barbell-
2 sets of 8-15 reps. 8 Kgs
Leg Curl Warm Up-
2 sets of 8 reps- say 2 slabs on the machine
Work Sets
2 sets of 6-10 reps Leg Curls. Say 4 slabs.

Saturday
Morning/Evening (any One session)- Flexibility Training
http://extendingmyspine.blogspot.in/2013/01/flexibility-training-preventing-and.html
Perform the 6 Flexibility exercises given in the post above. Progress according to the instructions given.

Sunday
Morning/Evening (any One Session)- Fatloss, Cardio, Speed Strength
Warm Up
Jog 400m
Work Sets
Sprint 400m
4 mins break
Sprint 300m
3 min break
Sprint 200m
2 min Break
Sprint 100m
1 min Break
Jog 500m

As you can see, I have concentrated a lot of the workload in the center of the week. While he is doing something everyday in order to satisfy his craving for hard work and activity, only 2 days- Tuesday and Wednesday are genuinely hard. All the other days are basically easy days that help in recovery and give him a  chance and a solid reason to be physically active. 

I would have split the two days much further apart, but he travels to his hometown every weekend and he does not have any equipment there. That is why Friday, Saturday and Sunday require little to no equipment. 

Everybody who reads this, please tell me what you think of the program and how do you think it can be improved. 

150 Pound ONE ARM POWER SNATCH ACHIEVED!!

http://youtu.be/jT4zXIpvSns

A week ago I achieved one of my big short term targets- a 150 pound one arm snatch, performed in power style (no dipping under the bar) ripped right off the floor, no 1st or second pull, just ripped right off the floor.

For those of you unfamiliar with olympic lifting, typically in a (two arm) snatch you dip under the weight to reduce the distance the bar has to travel, and you don't rip the weight right off the floor- you begin like a deadlift and pick up speed as the bar crosses your knees. This allows you to overcome the inertia of the bar, and develop force over more time, which help you develop greater force. In addition the muscles can pull harder and faster from the knee high position.

Similarly in a one arm snatch (when it used to be a competition lift), you pull in 2-3 stages and dip under the weight by squatting underneath it. In the variation I have shown in this video I eliminate both, which is the way the great Arthur Saxon used to perform this. So I decided I wanted to get good at one arm lifts, and thought that this is probably the most basic one.

The first time I tried a one arm power snatch, I managed a 110 pounds comfortably. I decided to train for 150 pounds and in about 3 months have achieved my target. The reason I chose this weight is because Arthur Saxon's record in the lift was 200 pounds at a weight of 200 pounds stripped. So I figured a bodyweight one arm snatch is truly phenomenal, and I managed to snatch 110lbs at 175 pounds with relative comfort. As I am generally strong overall and specifically strong in odd lifts (you know tire flips, sandbag lifts, kettlebells- I find I am quite natural at this stuff), I figured 110 for my bodyweight is probably an above average performance. So I figured 150 pounds would be elite, 160 pounds unbelievable and 175 Saxon. So I set a short term target for 150 pounds, and a long term target of 175 pounds.

The first 2 weeks, all I did was practice the snatch at 90 pounds. I tried to figure out the differences between the ordinary snatch and this variation. I noted that most of the drive for the snatch comes from the lower back, glutes and to a much lesser degree, the hamstrings. The position is simply such that you cannot utilize the muscles of the thighs much. In addition the muscles of the side need to be very strong to drive the weight and complete the lockout. I found I was failing at the snatch, only after my sides had tired. The weight would go up fine, but I would fail to lock it out. Also the spinal muscles need to be very strong to prevent the posture from getting bent, something which happens in the snatch as well, but happens in a more unique way in the one arm snatch.

In addition you need incredibly strong traps to pull the weight, and explosive triceps and deltoids to lock the weight out. Shoulder strength and stability are particularly critical.

I came up with the following list of assistance exercises-
1. The 1 arm suitcase deadlift-
This was one of the main power builders. It builds lockout power and the explosiveness from the bottom.
2. 1 arm Arnold Press- Standing
Basically a dumbell overhead press, where only one arm is used at a time and is performed standing. The key point is that the dumbell is neutral in the bottom position and facing forwards at the top i.e it rotates. This rotation is critical for the one arm snatch. Also, lower the dumbell only till the plates touch your shoulders, not any lower.
3. One arm dumbell/Kettlebell Swings
This builds power and explosiveness in the spine and the glutes, in a very similar way as the one arm barbell snatch. Swing up till chest height.
4. One arm Barbell Deadlift- Weight in the front and parallel to the line joining the feet
This teaches you how to start from a dead start. Try to pull as fast as possible and to keep the barbell parallel to the feet.

In addition to this, people who have thoracic mobility issues must  perform regular shoulder stretching and external rotator work, in addition to a lot of rows to the upper chest.

I never found my wrist weak at any point, but I have always trained my grip very seriously. If your wrists are weak you will not be able to stabilize the long barbell at all. If this is you, when you perform any one of the two one handed deadlifts, at the top tilt your wrist one direction, such that one side of the bar is going to crash into the ground. Immediately twist your wrist back to get the barbell back into position. Repeat on the other side. Do not go beyond 8 reps in all.

I basically exercised for the one arm snatch twice a week. On Wednesdays I performed the assistance exercises. I would perform 2 warm up sets of 3 reps of each movement, then move on to perform 3 sets of 3 reps. I would add a rep every week and when I hit 5's I increased the weight by 5-10 pounds (depending on the movement) and go back to 3 reps. I also performed 6 practice reps with an 80 pound barbell after the assistance exercises, to hone my technique.

On Sundays I practiced the One arm Snatch itself. I would do 2 sets of 3 for warm up, and than perform singles with 100 pounds (initially) and 3 months later with 140 pounds. I would do anywhere from 14 to 20 singles a workout, per arm. I would sometimes wave the load, for ex- 90lb 1 rep (on each arm), 100lb 1 rep, 110 lb 1 rep, 100 lb 1 rep, 110lb 1 rep, 90lb 1 rep, 100lb 1 rep, 90lb 1 rep, 110lb 1 rep, 110lb 1 rep, 100lb 1 rep, 90lb 1 rep, 100lb 1 rep, 110lb 1 rep. This was actually my 5th one arm snatch workout.

My 14th (and last) workout was
100lb X 3
120lb X 3
130lb X 1
130lb X 1
130lb X 1
140lb X 1
140lb X 1
150lb X 1 (the attempt that has been filmed in the video)
130lb X 1
130lb X 1
140lb X 1
140lb X 1
140lb X 1
140lb X 1
130lb X 1
140lb X 1
140lb X 1

So what have I gained from this all?

First of all, my double handed snatch has increased from 185lbs to 205lbs (Comfortable) with almost no practice of the lift itself. In my opinion I think this is because the one arm snatch uses a lot of different muscles and as such has a very different emphasis. The chain of muscles involved in the one arm snatch are generally the weak links in most people's snatching ability, so improvement here leads to an improvement in snatching ability in general. If you are a lifter who has stagnated in the two arm snatch, you may find this to be helpful.

Secondly, it has dramatically improved my upper body and torso explosiveness.

Thirdly, my sides and my spine have never felt stronger.

Fourthly my core stability and my stability as such have improved dramatically. Including one arm explosive barbell lifts can do real wonders for your stability. If you have a real stability issue, mastering this lift may increase your strength overall by an incredible amount.

Fifth my deltoids and general shoulder stability and strength have improved by leaps and bounds.

Sixth, my traps are much stronger.

Seventh, I suppose other people would find great grip and wrist benefits.

And lastly, it looks awesome. It is a real test of overall strength.

Finally I would like to say that I do not consider the one arm snatch (unlike deadlifts or military presses) o be a vital exercise, despite the importance it was given at the turn of the century, but if and only if you already have a great base of strength in the basics, and you are looking for a way to blast your upper body and torso explosiveness and power, or you are just plain bored, the one arm snatch is a worthwhile challenge.

An Approach to Strength

The last few weeks, I have been doing a lot of studying in terms of Physiology. I always studied a lot, but of late its getting to the point of an obsession.I have had these phases before, but never so intensely.


It started with the quest for ultimate recovery methods. As expected, western research is woefully inadequate on the matter. I turned to Russian research and found a lot more info, but to be honest, no real conclusions. It would seem that the capacity to recover is a skill in itself, the exact components of which no one really knows. Thus, we are unable to break it down and understand how to get better at this skill. Presumably, the one who would master this skill, could make the fastest progress.


In the end of my research I came to the following conclusions about recovery-

1. Sleep seems essential for it.

2. Muscle recovery happens while you are awake.

3. For the most part, Endocrinol and neural recovery also happens while you are awake.

4. Nobody really knows why we need to sleep.

5. Nobody really knows what causes fatigue.

6. Nobody really knows why you hit strength barriers.


Don't get me wrong, I learnt a lot during this time. But I learnt more from what we did not know, than what we did know.


So I decided to approach the problem from a different angle. I asked myself the question- Why do we need to recover in the first place? Because a strain has been put on our system, and the energy needs to be restored. More importantly from our point of view, some kind of super-compensation is required in order to deal with the work load. This super-compensation happens in 2 forms- hypertrophy and strength increase.


This theory would have us believe that an endless progressive cycle would lead to endless gains. But we all know this to not be the case. Interestingly, gains in strength are not directly proportional to hypertrophy. Other than the fact that increase in the size of the muscle fibers themselves (not sarcoplasmic hypertrophy) will lead to some increase in strength, there seems to be no real relation or rather no constant. In fact, empirically, after about the first 50 pounds of muscle mass, (generally) the amount of strength added for each pound of increased muscle mass would be lesser than the weight of the muscle itself. This explains why after a certain point, people can continue to increase their strength only by adding increasing amounts of bulk, assuming that that is the only way they are seeking to improve strength.


It is worth noting that most Russian research on the topic, and current western research, seems to indicate that the greatest factors effecting strength are functional rather than structural. This means that beyond a point, strength can be increased more fruitfully by focusing on functional adaptations, like increased neuro muscular drive, increased connective tissue strength, better stretch reflexes, more muscle fiber recruitment and more efficient utilization of skeletal leverages. Adding muscle mass beyond this point seems to take away from the overall efficiency of the body. This, and not to mention a lot more research seems to indicate that there may be an optimal level of hypertrophy, beyond which increase in size takes away from the abilities of the body.


In this case it is important to understand that strength as such would be best defined, in the context of this topic, as the amount of force that can be produced in certain movements by the body, relative to body-weight  Thus beyond and below this optimal hypertrophy point, the strength to body-weight ratio declines.


What is interesting to observe is that even those athletes who train strictly in order to increase proportional strength, like gymnasts or olympic weightlifters (in weight classes) , undergo SOME hypertrophy and structural changes, along with increases in strength, even while they focus their entire training on increasing strength through functional adaptations. It would seem that this increase in muscle size is the minimal amount required in order to support the increase in proportional strength. Thus, every increase in weight for these athletes, assuming they train using only functional methods, would get them closer to their ideal body-weight  This is of course assuming they are fairly lean and do not increase body fat levels, and their training in focused on simply moving more resistance (barbell or body-weight  relative to their body-weight  Thus once they reach this size, more increase in size would not occur, as increases in strength cane be increased to a more efficient degree, through functional training beyond this point.


What is important to observe at this point is that it seems fatigue is one of the pre-requisites to dramatic increases in size. It is well documented that heavy loads, lifted to failure or rather forced to be lifted for extra reps, leads to incredible growth. But what is more interesting is that the increase in strength from this hypertrophy is never anywhere as much as the increase in strength from the same level of hypertrophy in someone who never tried to push for size gains i.e never went close to fatigue. Of course such a person would not gain size anywhere as fast as the first person, but this goes to explain why bodybuilders and olympic lifters of the exact same weight are never even in the same league of strength.


This is further borne out by the fact the largest and the strongest (proportionally) muscles in almost all mammals are the ones that are least used. This would suggest that the phenomenon of increase in strength is more of a learning curve, than a size curve. Essentially the body must learn to get stronger, and must make the structural changes required to support the higher levels of tension. This is why hypertrophy is required to increase strength, just not as much as we think.


The fact of the mater is, if we hypothetically divorced ourselves from lifting poundages and defined strength as the ability to move the body, we would practice moving the body in harder and harder ways to get stronger. Thus, we would be focusing on learning movements, like learning an art, or dance. Any bodily changes are a welcome side effect, but the objective would always be strength (i.e movement). If you can maintain this thinking even with barbells, then you have the same mind as an olympic lifter.


Seen from a cost benefit analysis, hypertrophy being the cost and strength being the benefit, it would seem that doing the minimum required, in order to increase strength would be the best way to learn the skill of strength.


Thus when we cut down the intensity and workload of each session to the bare minimum required to make progress, we can keep practicing the skill of producing power- i.e strength (in certain movements of course), without fatigue stopping us. Think about it- if strength were treated just like mastering an art, you would never encounter fatigue in the first place, for recovery to be an issue. And just like an art, you grow stale only when you over practice it- as then your mind grows stale from it.


Hence it would seem that if intensity and workload per session were reduced to the minimum required to make any progress, and the frequency of practice regulated to prevent mental boredom and overdose from the movements, all the laws of training we take for granted wont apply. Periodization wont be necessary, and over training will never happen.


Thus it would seem that the best way to get out of fatigue, over training and a strength barrier is to simply never to get into them in the first place. Never train to fatigue, treat your training as practice and not working out and master strength like you would master playing the guitar.


I am not suggesting what I am saying here is necessarily true. I have after all come to these conclusions only recently. But I feel we might be on to something here.


So as a personal experiment, from today on-wards I am going to limit my strength training to the minimum amount required to make any progress. I will not train more than 6 movements- I pick push ups, pull ups, handstand push ups, bridges, squats and leg raises. I will focus on mastering only one lift- I choose the pull up. The ultimate objective would be the one arm chin up for several reps. Everything else will be reduced to the absolute bare minimum level required to make progress , or at least what amount in my experience allows me to make some progress.

In this case 3 heavy (rep range 2-6 with a weight that allows 4-8) sets per exercise a week, 3 medium sets a week, performed on 2 different days.

The pull up I will train as and well I feel like doing them. I will limit my practices to one set a session, just enough to practice it, with as many reps as can be performed in perfect technique with perfect control and contraction, never going beyond 8. The intensity will fluctuate constantly, just like mastering a song, and the long term objective would be to graduate to harder steps. (see the post on pull ups). I may perform no sets of pull ups a day, or a may do 10, depending on how fresh I am and how motivated I feel. Since I will never be going anywhere close to muscular fatigue, the main factors controlling frequency of practice will be my mental and nervous state.

Always, as many times as can be done, with a fresh, charged and enthusiastic mind- without ever training on the nervous edge.


I will use this approach for sometime, and lets see how it works out. Anybody else who may want to try this system may try it too, but please keep a record and we can correlate our data.