Just like many of you, it was love at first rep for me. I goofed around with weights once or twice in my early teens, but it wasn’t until I got my first gym membership that I really found something in strength training that no sport had ever done for me. To start, I was about as strong as the group of friends I got my gym membership with, but it was obvious right away that I had a certain unique edge when I hit the weights. My friends were more reserved than I, and when it was my turn to hop on the chest press machine, I attacked the weights as if it were something personal. Just when you thought I was done, I found the will to squeeze out an extra rep or two. It would annoy my teenage counter parts, but I paid them no mind. I enjoyed the thrill of fighting the weights, and after a few weeks it was obvious my hard work was paying off, as I progressed much faster than them. The formula was working, so I had no plans of changing my approach. [Read more…]
Why Do We Deload?
It seems everyone who trains seriously with weights knows you should deload. Most folks hate deloads and only begrudgingly do them. Others don’t deload at all because they either feel they don’t need them, or that they will lose their “gainz” if they do. I think this is mostly because people don’t know what deloads do and why they should be incorporated. My intent in this article is to set the record straight on how deloads work and the physiological reasons they are helpful. [Read more…]
Just Because Your Program Isn’t Working Doesn’t Mean Your Program Is The Problem
Some people live a life that imposes more stress on them than their training. Some people are the opposite. They have a program that is the largest stressor in their life when it comes to the physiological disruption it causes. However, most people proceed as though they are in the latter category, changing their training program often trying to find something that works as well as they expect, when in fact, the problem is high levels of life stress. [Read more…]
Rational Calves
We all have those genetically weak body part body parts that leave us stumped and frustrated. In my case, it was my high calf insertions. Now before I go on, this isn’t going to be another tutorial on how you should be pausing at the bottom of your calf raises. [Read more…]
Bodybuilding Periodization Made Simple
Brad the powerlifter has had to take a back seat as of late. A lingering rib issue in my right posterior rib cage sidelined me from doing my competition squat and deadlift for quite some time. As a result, I’ve had to revamp my training into what I feel is its simplest form. Being at this for 20+ years now, I know I cannot program a linear progression plan like I could 15 years ago. Progression has to be more “observed” and I have to pick my shots when programming. I also can’t train as heavy as I would like and need to build-in “fail safes” that allow me to mentally train lighter and to a definitive stopping point, so as to not dig a hole so deep I can’t get back out. The result is what I would call an “auto-regulated bodybuilding periodization with observed progression”. [Read more…]
Emotional Lifting
My intent with every training session is to better my previous session, whether it’s with a singular action of increasing load, sets, reps or a combination of them all. However, the goal is to never sacrifice my form for the sake of doing more volume, as that elevates my risk of injury and diminishes intent on the muscle I’m targeting. When form breaks down, that’s where intent on the targeted muscle gets lost as well and the risk of injury heightens, as no doubt momentum or body English step in to assist in completing the work. The combination of these two factors can surely be counterproductive.
Life Isn’t Always Fun; Commitment Makes It Better
com-mit-ted
feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; wholeheartedly dedicated.
mo-ti-vate
provide with a motive for doing something.
mo-ti-vated
past tense for mo-ti-vate
Is it common to use these terms interchangeably? All too common if you ask me. However, once you see the actual definition of these terms you can tell they are quite different. Especially when it comes to the application of these terms to our programs or heck, even our lives. [Read more…]
Blood Flow Restriction – Part 2
Blood flow restriction training, or BFR training, is an incredible tool, and while a bit more common nowadays it’s still very much misunderstood. A few years ago, I couldn’t use blood flow restriction training in a gym without continuous looks of concern or a crowd of people around me asking questions. These days, most people are a bit more familiar with this training modality, or at some point have seen their resident meathead use BFR. [Read more…]
Muscle Group Specialization Cycles: Why and How – Part 2
In part 1 of this article I cover the why, as I went through the pertinent information as to when higher volumes might be necessary, and I hinted that logistically specialization cycles might be the best way to safely achieve them. As a brief recap, plateaued poor responders and plateaued advanced lifters might want to consider a higher volume approach (in opinion, defined as 20 sets per muscle group or higher) if everything else is in order (nutrition, technique, effort, exercise selection, sleep, stress etc.). Also, since I wrote Part 1, the soon-to-be-published study exploring very high volumes in trained lifters lead by Schoenfeld and colleagues that I referenced is now published for those interested. This article is all about the how: the process of constructing these cycles. [Read more…]
I Currently Don’t Love My Training
I am going through a slump right now. I know I should be writing the second installment on blood flow restriction (BFR) training, but instead I am here, getting off track yet again.
Plus, I want the BFR piece to be a good one. I feel this training tool is way too often misunderstood, or not pulled from the arsenal when it is the perfect weapon of choice.
Instead, what I want to talk about is the recent training slump I am currently going through. I have been in such a rut that I even stopped uploading weekly updates to my “Bulking in The Year 3000” series. I am by no means panicking or concerned about the negative emotions surrounding my training though. I see strength training/bodybuilding as my first love, and I have been married to the “old ball and chain” for 19 years now. I imagine most actual real human relationships experience the same ups and downs. Take a couple that has been married for 40 years, I am sure at some point Martha temporarily fell out of love with George. It is no different for me, but I am still no less committed than the day I started.
“Between years 18-21 I couldn’t stand the old fool, and during this time I couldn’t see how I would ever regain the spark we had.” I feel like this is something you might hear Martha say, and right now I relate!
The truth is that in my 19 years of lifting, I have gone through a few phases where I fell out of love with my training. The difference is, back then, I would totally freak out when I felt this way. I still recall being 16 years old and being caught mid-daydream by my disapproving English teacher. My teacher sighed at me, the look in the teacher’s eyes showing they knew nothing could be done about a boy in love. Except my love was the weights. I remember visualizing myself kicking up the 75 lb dumbbells on my top set of incline presses later that day – the idea of that much power was intoxicating. Thus, I was white-knuckling my pen, and the blank look on my face showed I wasn’t paying attention to the lesson. I remember running home after training to get on the all the big message board forums to read everything I could on bodybuilding. I recall waking up excited nearly every morning because at some point, I knew I would get to train. It was like this for the longest time, my great love seemed to grab me and take hold. But eventually the mental droughts happen, and you find yourself in a slump. I’ve had quite a few memorable ones, but there is one that always comes to mind and really puts everything into perspective for me. [Read more…]
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