So it's pretty hard to mark your progress down in a journal if all you're doing is one rep sets. If you make the lift, it's obvious you would mark the number one down. If you don't make the lift, what would you do? Mark it a zero?
That's why I use a rating system to keep track of my lifting progress. I use a scale of one to five.
Five is perfect form with no glitches in the range of motion. When I hit a five, I'll add more weight to the bar immediately and try to hit that on my next set.
Four is completion of the lift but the form was shaky and jittery. If I hit a four in the lift, I will definitely add five or ten pounds to the bar the next time I train that lift.
Three is a miss. Three means the form was terrible. I might have used other muscles to rack the weight like in the squat where you can use the lower back rather than the legs to complete the lift. If I hit a three, I will do the same weight the next time I train that lift until I get a four or five.
Two is basically a partial. If I'm deadlifting for example and I can only get the bar to my knees, that's a two.
One is the worst. If I'm bench pressing and I can only get the bar off my chest, that's a one.
Keeping a journal on your smart phone is what I prefer. You can track back to what you used to lift pretty easily. It's also much more convenient than lugging a paper notebook around a gym. Of course, you'll have to worry about thieves who want your phone.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Strength Equations
Strength equations are lifts that can be substituted for each other. When designing a strength training program, you'll need to switch your lifts to avoid repetitive movement injury and to overcome plateaus.
The first equation
Cambered bar bench press= military press+ pectoral flyes
I've been using this equation for the past two weeks, and already I've added fifteen pounds to my cambered bar bench press. I'll do cambered bar bench press on one day and the other two on another workout day.
The military press works the triceps while taking the lats out of the lift. Pectoral flyes hit the fronts of the shoulders and the chest. This helps with lifting the bar off the chest at the bottom of your bench press.
I also do accessory work to help with the cambered bar bench press. Barbell rows and rack pulls help keep the lats strong, so you can pull them close together while laying flat on the bench. This will keep you in a nice tight position on the bench. Tricep extensions help with elbow lockout. Bicep curls help with stabilizing the bar while in the bench press range of motion.
Second equation
Pause Squat= deadlift+pistol squat+good morning
Deadlifts work the quadriceps. When I say deadlift, I mean when two forty five lb plates are placed side by side on the ground, and then one foot goes on one plate and the other foot goes on the other plate. This forces the knees to bend more at the start of the lift which involves more of the leg muscles. Pistol squats strengthen the knees. Good mornings hit the upper spine. This all leads to stronger squats.
Third equation
Deadlift= stiff legged deadlift+rack pull+pause squat
Stiff legged deadlifts blast the lower back. Rack pulls hit the lats, forearms, traps, and shoulders. Pause squats hit the glutes and quadriceps.
Standing barbell bicep curl=sitting dumbbell curl
One handed dumbbell tricep extension=barbell tricep extension
Now what you do is construct a strength training program with these equations. Take one side of the equations and do those on one day. Then, on your other workout day do the other side of the equations.
The first equation
Cambered bar bench press= military press+ pectoral flyes
I've been using this equation for the past two weeks, and already I've added fifteen pounds to my cambered bar bench press. I'll do cambered bar bench press on one day and the other two on another workout day.
The military press works the triceps while taking the lats out of the lift. Pectoral flyes hit the fronts of the shoulders and the chest. This helps with lifting the bar off the chest at the bottom of your bench press.
I also do accessory work to help with the cambered bar bench press. Barbell rows and rack pulls help keep the lats strong, so you can pull them close together while laying flat on the bench. This will keep you in a nice tight position on the bench. Tricep extensions help with elbow lockout. Bicep curls help with stabilizing the bar while in the bench press range of motion.
Second equation
Pause Squat= deadlift+pistol squat+good morning
Deadlifts work the quadriceps. When I say deadlift, I mean when two forty five lb plates are placed side by side on the ground, and then one foot goes on one plate and the other foot goes on the other plate. This forces the knees to bend more at the start of the lift which involves more of the leg muscles. Pistol squats strengthen the knees. Good mornings hit the upper spine. This all leads to stronger squats.
Third equation
Deadlift= stiff legged deadlift+rack pull+pause squat
Stiff legged deadlifts blast the lower back. Rack pulls hit the lats, forearms, traps, and shoulders. Pause squats hit the glutes and quadriceps.
Standing barbell bicep curl=sitting dumbbell curl
One handed dumbbell tricep extension=barbell tricep extension
Now what you do is construct a strength training program with these equations. Take one side of the equations and do those on one day. Then, on your other workout day do the other side of the equations.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Post workout eating: A generalized plan.
I'm not going to get into specifics about the foods you should eat. In the end all food is broken down by the body into either fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals or fiber. Of course, I'm not referring to any synthetic foods when I say food. I mean food that is relatively unprocessed.
No question without a doubt, after a workout the body needs protein to build muscle. To a lesser extent, the body needs carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves. Fat intake after a workout should be kept to negligible amounts because fats delay protein and carbohydrate absorption into the body.
After roughly twenty-four hours, your body is pretty much recovered. Click here to see how to time your meals.
No question without a doubt, after a workout the body needs protein to build muscle. To a lesser extent, the body needs carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves. Fat intake after a workout should be kept to negligible amounts because fats delay protein and carbohydrate absorption into the body.
After roughly twenty-four hours, your body is pretty much recovered. Click here to see how to time your meals.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
To rest or not to rest: How long should you rest between workouts?
There is definitely a yin/yang principle that applies to resting between workouts. On one hand, there is the facet of muscular development required for gaining strength. On the other hand, the central nervous system needs to be adequately rested as well to gain strength. It's a delicate balancing act between the two, and I've made strength gains on not enough rest and too much rest.
Too little rest can lead to short term strength gains. When I say too little rest, I'm referring to rest periods of 48 hours or less. Short rest periods tend to have a positive impact on muscle development. The muscles are harder and bigger when accompanied by short rests.
The problem though is over the long term, shorter rest periods tend to diminish the capacity of the central nervous system to fire off electrical impulses to requisite muscle groups, so you will miss the lift. When I say long term, I mean three workouts in a row with forty eight hours rest in between them.
Too much rest between workouts can also lead to strength gains. When I say too much rest, I mean rest periods of 72 hours or more. This happens because the central nervous system is adequately rested, so it will fire off electrical impulses to requisite muscle groups in a timely and efficient manner. Consequently, a strength gain will be made.
The problem with too much rest though is if you're constantly taking 72 hours rest in between workouts, you will lose muscle mass and consequently lose strength. When I say constantly I mean two weeks in a row where you workout twice a week with 72 hours rest between workouts.
So what's the answer? Too much rest or too little rest? The answer is there is no right answer. I don't know you're genetics. I don't know how well you keep strength gains over time. I don't know how well your muscles stay strong without atrophying over a duration of time. As a general rule, if your muscles are getting bigger but you're not making strength gains you should probably take a 72 hour rest to adequately rest your central nervous system. If you still haven't made a strength gain, maybe
you need another 72 hours rest between workouts.
My latest health kick is to workout Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday with forty eight hours rest between workouts. I workout each of these days at 8 a.m. Then after Thursday, I'm taking a full 72 hours rest until my Sunday workout.
I used to workout with 60 hours rest between workouts. I would workout on a Monday for example at 8 a.m. Then on Wednesday, I worked out at 8 p.m. Finally on Saturday, I worked out at 8 a.m.
My strength gains were fairly consistent but not always. The Wednesday workout at 8 p.m.was particularly rough. If I had a long day and if my nerves were frazzled because of the usual bull poo I put up with on a daily basis, I would sometimes miss on my lifts and not make strength gains.
The other thing about working out at night is I was too tired to workout. I would park my car in front of the gym and rest and intend to workout after fifteen minutes, but I would just fall asleep and sleep through the night. Then I would wake up in my car in the morning, and then I would workout.
However, I do think the 60 hour rest period is the optimal time frame for resting. The muscles don't atrophy that much, and the central nervous system gets enough rest to perform adequately enough to make strength gains. I would definitely recommend it if you live a relatively stress free life, and you're not too tired to workout at night.
Latest health kick is to workout three times in a row with 48 hours rest between workouts, I'm predicting lots of misses on my Thursday workout because my nervous system will not be adequately rested. But my theory is that since I'm waiting for 72 hours between Thursday and Sunday workouts I should hopefully be rested enough to recover any strength I lost on Thursday and make strength gains on Sunday. I don't know. I'll guess I'll find out.
Too little rest can lead to short term strength gains. When I say too little rest, I'm referring to rest periods of 48 hours or less. Short rest periods tend to have a positive impact on muscle development. The muscles are harder and bigger when accompanied by short rests.
The problem though is over the long term, shorter rest periods tend to diminish the capacity of the central nervous system to fire off electrical impulses to requisite muscle groups, so you will miss the lift. When I say long term, I mean three workouts in a row with forty eight hours rest in between them.
Too much rest between workouts can also lead to strength gains. When I say too much rest, I mean rest periods of 72 hours or more. This happens because the central nervous system is adequately rested, so it will fire off electrical impulses to requisite muscle groups in a timely and efficient manner. Consequently, a strength gain will be made.
The problem with too much rest though is if you're constantly taking 72 hours rest in between workouts, you will lose muscle mass and consequently lose strength. When I say constantly I mean two weeks in a row where you workout twice a week with 72 hours rest between workouts.
So what's the answer? Too much rest or too little rest? The answer is there is no right answer. I don't know you're genetics. I don't know how well you keep strength gains over time. I don't know how well your muscles stay strong without atrophying over a duration of time. As a general rule, if your muscles are getting bigger but you're not making strength gains you should probably take a 72 hour rest to adequately rest your central nervous system. If you still haven't made a strength gain, maybe
you need another 72 hours rest between workouts.
My latest health kick is to workout Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday with forty eight hours rest between workouts. I workout each of these days at 8 a.m. Then after Thursday, I'm taking a full 72 hours rest until my Sunday workout.
I used to workout with 60 hours rest between workouts. I would workout on a Monday for example at 8 a.m. Then on Wednesday, I worked out at 8 p.m. Finally on Saturday, I worked out at 8 a.m.
My strength gains were fairly consistent but not always. The Wednesday workout at 8 p.m.was particularly rough. If I had a long day and if my nerves were frazzled because of the usual bull poo I put up with on a daily basis, I would sometimes miss on my lifts and not make strength gains.
The other thing about working out at night is I was too tired to workout. I would park my car in front of the gym and rest and intend to workout after fifteen minutes, but I would just fall asleep and sleep through the night. Then I would wake up in my car in the morning, and then I would workout.
However, I do think the 60 hour rest period is the optimal time frame for resting. The muscles don't atrophy that much, and the central nervous system gets enough rest to perform adequately enough to make strength gains. I would definitely recommend it if you live a relatively stress free life, and you're not too tired to workout at night.
Latest health kick is to workout three times in a row with 48 hours rest between workouts, I'm predicting lots of misses on my Thursday workout because my nervous system will not be adequately rested. But my theory is that since I'm waiting for 72 hours between Thursday and Sunday workouts I should hopefully be rested enough to recover any strength I lost on Thursday and make strength gains on Sunday. I don't know. I'll guess I'll find out.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Squat form
I do high bar Olympic squats without lifting shoes. The guy makes the point in a brief side notation you have to lift wearing lifting shoes when doing Olympic squats. Lifting shoes have high heels on them which enables your ankles to take on a less severe bent position because the angle between your shin and the top of your foot is widened. The idea is that you'll be able to lift more wearing them.
I'm conflicted about lifting shoes. On one hand you'll lift more with them. That's true. On the other hand are you really the one lifting that weight while wearing lifting shoes. I don't know. You decide.
The necessity of analyzing your lifts' range of motion
First off, I injured my right knee a year ago. Then I made some crazy resolution to pause squat every workout. I made consistent strength gains in my pause squat moving up five pounds a week which was what I expected because more so than any muscle group the leg muscles are the most adaptable muscles on the human body and respond the best to training stimuli. This means you can make consistent strength gains all the time with any lift that uses the legs as the primary movers.
However, my problem with doing pause squats every workout is that it aggravates my knee injury and my right knee starts popping when I come out of the hole and my knee joint looks out of position like it's going to snap while I squat back up to the top.
My theory for why this happens is that in the squat the legs and feet are constantly fighting each other because they are in a fixed position on the floor, and they are playing a balancing act to find the best position to enable you to power the bar up to lockout. If that means the knee joints are going to take awkward positions to complete the lift because the legs want to complete the lift then so be it.
To remedy this, I've been doing pistol squats on a hack squat machine. This takes the legs out of the struggle of fighting each other and putting the knees into compromised positions because I'm only using one leg to make the lift. But the problem with this is since I'm using a lighter weight by using only one leg , I'm neglecting the torso and upper back muscles that are equally crucial to squatting.
Enter the good morning. It taxes the exact same upper back and torso muscles that the squat uses. My theory is that the good morning coupled with the pistol squat for each leg will be a suitable substitute for the pause squat. Consequently I should be able to pause squat on one workout day and then do pistol squats and good mornings on the next workout day. This should solve my knee pain problem and translate to strength gains in my pause squat. My ultimate goal for the pistol squat is to eventually use no hack squat machine and move to using a barbell doing either back or front pistol squats.
However, my problem with doing pause squats every workout is that it aggravates my knee injury and my right knee starts popping when I come out of the hole and my knee joint looks out of position like it's going to snap while I squat back up to the top.
My theory for why this happens is that in the squat the legs and feet are constantly fighting each other because they are in a fixed position on the floor, and they are playing a balancing act to find the best position to enable you to power the bar up to lockout. If that means the knee joints are going to take awkward positions to complete the lift because the legs want to complete the lift then so be it.
To remedy this, I've been doing pistol squats on a hack squat machine. This takes the legs out of the struggle of fighting each other and putting the knees into compromised positions because I'm only using one leg to make the lift. But the problem with this is since I'm using a lighter weight by using only one leg , I'm neglecting the torso and upper back muscles that are equally crucial to squatting.
Enter the good morning. It taxes the exact same upper back and torso muscles that the squat uses. My theory is that the good morning coupled with the pistol squat for each leg will be a suitable substitute for the pause squat. Consequently I should be able to pause squat on one workout day and then do pistol squats and good mornings on the next workout day. This should solve my knee pain problem and translate to strength gains in my pause squat. My ultimate goal for the pistol squat is to eventually use no hack squat machine and move to using a barbell doing either back or front pistol squats.
Good Morning tutorial
Monday, August 12, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Testosterone: the nudnick of hormones
Here's a webpage about testosterone.
I don't know if any of the information on this website is true because I haven't checked its sources, but if you read it and lend even a small amount of credence to it you will find contradictory information.
The main point of the article is optimal testosterone production falls in the range of a golden mean. You eat too much your testosterone levels will decrease. You eat too little your testosterone levels will decrease. You workout with too little intensity your testosterone levels will decrease,and the same thing happens if you workout with too much intensity and for too long a time.
I don't know if any of the information on this website is true because I haven't checked its sources, but if you read it and lend even a small amount of credence to it you will find contradictory information.
The main point of the article is optimal testosterone production falls in the range of a golden mean. You eat too much your testosterone levels will decrease. You eat too little your testosterone levels will decrease. You workout with too little intensity your testosterone levels will decrease,and the same thing happens if you workout with too much intensity and for too long a time.
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