When it comes to guys getting the most out of their training in the gym, I believe that they often leave a lot out on the table, and those that don't, see substantially greater results.
You're training 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 days a week in the gym and you're still not seeing results like you thought? Or worse, are you seeing a decrease in performance and strength? All those years ago when you started training, you never thought it would be this tough. You just wanted to pack on some muscle, mainly in your chest and arms, and maintain this perfect physique to strut around in your boardies at the beach. Sound about right? So why don't you have it yet?
Where It All Started
The first months you started off where every man normally does, on the bench press, then lat pulldown, then preacher curls, and this continued for 4 times a week for around 2-3 months. Correct? You probably got some half decent results, strength went up, you developed some shape, but now where to? Do you know how to progress these movements to enhance your body and performance? How do you know take your training up a notch? How do you challenge yourself and keep your body adapting to alternative exercises that place extra emphasis on certain areas and help to build and shape the parts of your body you hoped for from the start.
How You Can Modify Your Training
There are lots of different training methods you can use to break through strength and training plateaus. Some of these are;
- German Volume Training - increasing the volume of an exercise each time you do it in a session. Eg. 10 sets of 10 reps for 2-4 exercises.
- Pause Reps - holding a pause at certain stages of the movement to increase workload and time under tension.
- Negative sets - increasing the weight and only focusing on the negative (easier) part of the movement.
- Giant Sets - incorporating 2-4 exercises that use the same body part and doing them consecutively for each set.
- Pyramid Sets - increasing the weight each set and reducing reps. Eg. DB Bicep Curls, start with 10kg x 10 reps, 12.5kg x 8 reps, 15kg x 6 reps, 12.5kg x 8 reps, 10kg x 10 reps. There is also a lot of variations with this form of training too. Heavy to light, light to heavy, high reps but just change weight etc.
- Pre-Fatigue Sets - the method behind this is to pre-fatigue a muscle group, then lower weight and do more, or a slight variation of exercise to place an increased demand on the muscles to respond
- 1:6 - This method was designed by Charles Poliquin where you do 1 heavy rep, have 2 mins rest, then 6 reps at a slightly lighter weight. Each set, the weight goes up fractionally. Each set, you'll feel stronger and stronger. Don't forget the 2 mins rest between 1 and 6, and from 6 to 1 on the next set. If unsure still, CLICK HERE.
As you can see with the samples above, there is so many possible directions you can take your training to help you progress more and develop a stronger, more balanced and leaner body. Incorporating these style into your training schedule over months, your body will continue to change and be challenged, not to mention also getting in the best physical shape of your life.
Nutritional Support
When it comes to supporting your training with proper nutrition, it's even more important to help your body as much as possible. You can do this through a couple of different avenues.
- Diet and Nutrition - ensuring you're eating enough of the macronutrients to support proper muscle repair and growth is vital. With the increase in physical output, you'll probably need to start eating more calories to ensure you have the required building blocks to develop more muscle, repair well and also achieve a lean physique, which I'm almost positive is what we're all after?
- Supplementation - in most cases supplementation when undertaking an intense training program is vital to ensure you're not missing any vital building blocks that will hinder your ability to achieve your desired outcome. There are definitely certain supplements that I recommend, albeit they are not all made by supplement companies, but some are...
- BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acid) - used for pre and intra workout endurance and energy. I've been using Fusion by Cyborg.
- High quality Whey Protein - post workout especially. Find a high quality product that isn't full of fillers, but mostly that all important protein and amino acid profile. I only use Elite Supplements Australia protein.
- Magnesium - with the extra lifting you'll be doing, to help aid recovery, magnesium is very important to include into your nightly routine to help your body rest and rejuvenate over night. I mainly use Ethical Nutrients Mega Magnesium Powder.
- Hormone regulator - I use Aggressive Strength Testosterone Booster from Mike Mahler as it help me boost test levels as well as suppress estrogen levels that may be present.
I'm not saying get caught up in it all, but the above will sure as hell help you along the journey!
Don't Be A Hero
Being the guy who lifts the most in the gym doesn't mean you'll be the guy with the best body in the gym. More often than not, these "heroes" will never achieve a great physique because weight, and not technique is on the forefront of their minds. Until you shift your thinking, and start stripping back exercises to make sure your technique is perfect, you will not progress as well or as quickly as you first thought.
So don't be a hero, there is no masculinity lost by dropping your weights and doing the movement properly, because before you know it, you'll be lapping the other guys anyway.
Reduce your weight by 10-15% and focus on range, time under tension and technique. Watch your body adapt NOW!
Understanding What's Happening
If you don't track your weights and progress, you'll never know if what you're doing is working or it needs to be changed. So understanding the steps in the process is vital. Don't be afraid to educate yourself along the way to give yourself the best chance at achieving your end goal.
If you know why something happens throughout your journey, then you'll be more equipped to deal with it. If for some reason you feel strength is down when your program needs it to be on point, you're going to need to reduce your weights, up your reps and aim to hit new PB's that way. Not every day will be YOUR day! Acknowledge that and move on. You'll have shit days. It's not the end of the world.
Thanks for reading guys and I hope you can take something away from it. If you would like to come down and experience our Guys Strength Training Groups, CLICK HERE to register for a FREE 2 WEEK TRIAL and we'll get you started ASAP!