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How To Properly Organize Your Workouts To Get JACKED For The Beach This Summer Part 3
It's a Tuesday morning. As I awake from my slumber I realize it's Tuesday! Hell ya! I get up and do my daily routine quickly so that I can get to the gym. The anticipation is killing me as I make my way there. Finally, I get there after what seems like hours. I quickly get into the locker room and scurry through my gear so that I can actually get out there and hit the weights. I warm up quickly and get to it. Man this feels great, I love the feel I get from pumping iron. This is awe....really? really? Why!? I think I'm going to kill myself...
Too often do I see beginners hit the gym and start throwing weight around. If you do this YOU ARE WRONG. Too many clownfaces think they're Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman. Here's the deal people.....their workouts could kill an elephant. Their programs are far too rigorous for most people, especially beginners. You wouldn't start working out like a professional linebacker would you? Don't answer that....
Yes the human body is very adapting and resilient, however, you cannot pound it into submission like a one-night stand that likes it rough.
Sure, even as a beginner, you can go HAM, but not all year round. Your joints will surely be giving you grief and you're tendons and ligaments will be tight as leather because you're probably not stretching regularly like you should be. Here's the deal.....the longer you spend setting your body up, the longer you get to spend pounding away. What does that mean?
That means that you should spend at least 3-6 weeks on your preparation phase, and if you're a raw beginner at least 6-12 weeks. It's only a wise investment in your success and injury prevention, so make the right choice. You can be at home on the couch with a cast on or scoring hot babes at the beach, it's on you.
The choice seems fairly obvious to me, but apparently I'm weird...
Moving on. So we covered the duration of the phase. Next is training frequency. In the adaptation phase 2-3 sessions a week is agreeable for most people. Advanced or professional bodybuilders should probably go more like 4-5. Also, we're talking about full-body workouts here. Why hit your chest once a week when it can be hit three. It'll probably get bigger faster, wouldn't you say?
The best method of training for the preparation phase is going to be circuit training using a medium paced rep speed. There's no need to explode the weights so hard your arms and legs snap off.....that comes later.
Circuits will prepare the muscles and the heart & lungs as well. Generally I do 2-3 full body circuits using the 8-12 exercises I picked resting 60 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. This may seem easy, but remember the purpose isn't to go hard, it's to prepare the body, and your joints, tendons, and ligaments take much more time to adapt than your muscles do.
If you're not satisfied with the amount of conditioning or like to run, etc. then you can do that separately 1-2 times a week. I prefer to include it in my circuits by doing something like this:
25 minute aerobic warm up: I walk to the gym
10-15 minute cardiovascular training: Jump rope
4-6 exercises
10 minutes cardiovascular training: Jump rope
4-6 exercises
10 minutes cardiovascular training: Jump rope
10 minute cool down & stretch
I do that 3-4 days a week whilst increasing the loads by 10% each week and by the time the hypertrophy phase comes around I am good to go.
Finally, in order to realize the effects of properly preparing one's body one must know how to properly increase the loads. I use what is called step loading. Here's what it looks like.
Novices
Weeks 1&2: 40% x 15 reps
Weeks 3&4: 50% x 12
Weeks 5&6: 60% x 10
Advanced
Week 1: 40% x 15
Week 2: 50% x 12
Week 3: 60% x 10
Week 4: 50% x 15
Week 5: 60% x 12
Week 6: 70% x 10
The load increases by 10% three times and then backs off 10% to give the body time to adapt. In that back-off period is where I notice most of the changes occurring (strength, size, definition).
Although the load increments seem small keep in mind that as you're working out, the 1 RM for all exercises will be going up. So the 60% in week 3 may be 10-20 lbs less than in week 5 even though the percentage of 1 RM is the same.
The prep phase is a good opportunity to experiment with what works for your body. Take full advantage of it by starting the program early. Don't wait until March and decide you're gonna go throw some weights around and turn into this by Jobbie....
Next up.....hypertrophy phase
http://www.thegoodguyscorner.com/2012/12/how-to-properly-organize-your-workouts.html
http://www.thegoodguyscorner.com/2012/12/how-to-properly-organize-your-workouts_29.html
Follow @Guysontheblock
Too often do I see beginners hit the gym and start throwing weight around. If you do this YOU ARE WRONG. Too many clownfaces think they're Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman. Here's the deal people.....their workouts could kill an elephant. Their programs are far too rigorous for most people, especially beginners. You wouldn't start working out like a professional linebacker would you? Don't answer that....
Yes the human body is very adapting and resilient, however, you cannot pound it into submission like a one-night stand that likes it rough.
Sure, even as a beginner, you can go HAM, but not all year round. Your joints will surely be giving you grief and you're tendons and ligaments will be tight as leather because you're probably not stretching regularly like you should be. Here's the deal.....the longer you spend setting your body up, the longer you get to spend pounding away. What does that mean?
That means that you should spend at least 3-6 weeks on your preparation phase, and if you're a raw beginner at least 6-12 weeks. It's only a wise investment in your success and injury prevention, so make the right choice. You can be at home on the couch with a cast on or scoring hot babes at the beach, it's on you.
The choice seems fairly obvious to me, but apparently I'm weird...
Moving on. So we covered the duration of the phase. Next is training frequency. In the adaptation phase 2-3 sessions a week is agreeable for most people. Advanced or professional bodybuilders should probably go more like 4-5. Also, we're talking about full-body workouts here. Why hit your chest once a week when it can be hit three. It'll probably get bigger faster, wouldn't you say?
The best method of training for the preparation phase is going to be circuit training using a medium paced rep speed. There's no need to explode the weights so hard your arms and legs snap off.....that comes later.
Circuits will prepare the muscles and the heart & lungs as well. Generally I do 2-3 full body circuits using the 8-12 exercises I picked resting 60 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. This may seem easy, but remember the purpose isn't to go hard, it's to prepare the body, and your joints, tendons, and ligaments take much more time to adapt than your muscles do.
If you're not satisfied with the amount of conditioning or like to run, etc. then you can do that separately 1-2 times a week. I prefer to include it in my circuits by doing something like this:
25 minute aerobic warm up: I walk to the gym
10-15 minute cardiovascular training: Jump rope
4-6 exercises
10 minutes cardiovascular training: Jump rope
4-6 exercises
10 minutes cardiovascular training: Jump rope
10 minute cool down & stretch
I do that 3-4 days a week whilst increasing the loads by 10% each week and by the time the hypertrophy phase comes around I am good to go.
Finally, in order to realize the effects of properly preparing one's body one must know how to properly increase the loads. I use what is called step loading. Here's what it looks like.
Novices
Weeks 1&2: 40% x 15 reps
Weeks 3&4: 50% x 12
Weeks 5&6: 60% x 10
Advanced
Week 1: 40% x 15
Week 2: 50% x 12
Week 3: 60% x 10
Week 4: 50% x 15
Week 5: 60% x 12
Week 6: 70% x 10
The load increases by 10% three times and then backs off 10% to give the body time to adapt. In that back-off period is where I notice most of the changes occurring (strength, size, definition).
Although the load increments seem small keep in mind that as you're working out, the 1 RM for all exercises will be going up. So the 60% in week 3 may be 10-20 lbs less than in week 5 even though the percentage of 1 RM is the same.
The prep phase is a good opportunity to experiment with what works for your body. Take full advantage of it by starting the program early. Don't wait until March and decide you're gonna go throw some weights around and turn into this by Jobbie....
Next up.....hypertrophy phase
http://www.thegoodguyscorner.com/2012/12/how-to-properly-organize-your-workouts.html
http://www.thegoodguyscorner.com/2012/12/how-to-properly-organize-your-workouts_29.html
Follow @Guysontheblock
Good article David.
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