You’re a Beginner Longer Than You think

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo Da Vinci

Why making things complicate if you can get the same results by keeping
things simple? Reader Edsel asked in Forum what I
thought about Periodization. Here’s my reply.

Linear Progression. weight increases each workout. The Texas Method & Timed Total Tonnage also
work with linear progressions, but week to week rather than workout to
workout.

Workout to workout increases work well if you’re a beginner: fitness
gains occur fast & fatigue doesn’t last long. That’s why you’ll
achieve a 70kg Squat for 5×5 within 2 months.
But the workouts get more stressing once you’re an intermediate. You’re
doing Squats with 1.5x your body-weight. Squat heavy on Monday and
you’ll still feel it on Thursday. That’s why the Texas Method includes
light days.

Periodization. Periodization is different. Rather than using
workout-to-workout or week-to-week increases, you work with blocks in
which volume and/or intensity vary. Usually these blocks are 3-4 weeks
in length. Examples.

    Bill Starr Advanced. 4 volume weeks: 5×5. 1 week deload. 4 intensity
weeks: 3×3. Weight increases weekly.
    Smolov. 3 volume weeks: +130 Squat reps/week. 2 weeks deload. 4
intensity weeks. Weight increases daily/weekly.

Bill Starr Advanced & Smolov are linear periodization. Undulating
periodization also exists. Mark Rippetoe spends 50 pages explaining how
periodization works & how to apply it in Practial Programming for
Strength Training.

So What’s Best? Your benefit as a beginner is that you can
add weight every workout. If you stall: one step back, 2 step forwards,
repeat.

Progress takes longer with intermediate routines like the Texas Method:
you’re using weekly increases. With Smolov you’re stuck for 13 weeks:
miss workouts & you don’t get results. That’s why periodization is
for for advanced trainees.

Lucas hits the nail on the head:

    People who try to tell you that everyone needs to use some highly
complex, periodized system are usually trying to sell you some highly
complex, periodized system.

    In my opinion, they’re quacks who want to separate you from your
money by making you think that exercise is this big confusing thing and
you need their help to figure it out.

When Should You Switch Program? When you can’t add weight each workout
anymore. When you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight. When you deloaded 3x
on your Squat. All of that can take 3 to 9 months.

Beginners can progress faster than intermediates. Make sure you can’t
increase the weight each workout anymore before switching to weekly
increases or periodization. Always remember: you’re a beginner longer
than you think.

Comments

Training Strength For Older Adults

“I did a bulk last year. Even though it was fairly clean, it put WAY too much fat on me. I’m not trying to lose fat, but don’t want to put on anymore than I have to. I realize I will gain some fat during a bulk , but want to keep it low. I certainly do not consider myself overweight. Being 6’4″ I should probably weigh in the 200 lb range, but my metabolism does not allow that. Will be happy if at the end of this bulk I am back at 195 again. But hopefully will be keeping it off my gut. I think age has a lot to do with it. I never h ad to worry about being overweight, but now that I’ve turned 40, I know my metabolism is going to slow down. Have you done an article on changes in training/diet due to age? I’d certainly read it.” Older Adults. I don’t consider LeanTXMuscle an older adult. 40 is young to me. Even 55 is young when I hear what some do at that age. I agree getting older doesn’t make things easier. However strength training , building muscle & losing fat...

5 Ways To Increase Your Bench Press

Increase Your Bench Press “How much do you bench?” . I’m sure you often get that question. The Bench Press is the most performed exercise in the average gym. No wonder many want to increase their Bench Press. If you’re a football player or if you just want to be the strongest at your gym, you need a big Bench Press. Here are 5 ways to increase your Bench Press. 1. Improve your Technique. Solid Bench Press technique will help you lift more weight & avoid injury. Follow these tips: Bar Close to Wrists. Grab the bar close to your wrists, not close to your fingers. Read this article on correct Bench Press grip. Squeeze the Bar. Squeeze the bar hard so it doesn’t move. Try to break the bar apart like breaking spaghetti. This activates your triceps more. Tighten Your Upper-back. Pull your shoulder-blades together & keep them tight. This gives your body a solid base to press from. Drive Into the Bench. Use your legs to drive yourself into the bench. This puts pres...

How To Add 10kg (22 lbs) To Your Bench Press in One Workout

1. Use Your Thumb s. Forget the thumbless grip. Put your thumbs around the bar. This is: Safer: the bar can not roll out of your hands More effective: more power can be transferred to the bar 2. Squeeze The Bar . Not only should you use your thumbs, you should also squeeze the bar. Try to break the bar apart, as if you were breaking spaghetti. This will involve more muscles leading to more weight. 3. Be Fast . One rule for all exercises: lift as fast as you can. All sports are done fast, strength training included. The only reason the gym manager don’t want you to lift fast, is so you don’t break his equipment. The faster you go, the bigger the weights you can move: Touch & go: explode from the bottom Be as fast as you can on the way up Then try to go even faster on the next set. Add 10kg (22 lbs) To Your Bench Press in One Workout 4. Keep Your Upper Back Tight . This will make you more stable on the bench: Put your s...

Why You Should Keep a Strength Training Journal & How

Some don’t keep a strength training journal and will tell you they’re unnecessary. Whatever. If you’re successful without one, continue. But know the benefits: Motivation. Looking back at where you come from is inspiring. Awareness. You get an understanding of what works for you. Experience. You learn from your errors: injuries, stalling, etc. Confidence. You’ve got a plan when you go to the gym. I used to keep my workouts on pieces of paper. The problem: it was a mess. I couldn’t find back information. Then I started to keep a real journal. I write exercises, sets, reps & weights before I hit the gym. I take my strength training journal with me in my home gym & fill it in while working out. How to Use Training Journals. Get an A4 notebook. Composition books will last years. Don’t buy a spiral bound notebooks, they wear out too fast. Write your goals on the front page. Use a column format: write from top to bottom. 9 to 12 workouts fit on 2 open pages...

How to Build Muscle Mass Fast

Build Muscle Mass But Lose Belly Fat Proper nutrition is important for increasing muscle mass and losing fat . Gaining muscle requires adequate energy and protein intake, resistance training and consuming more calories than expended, while losing fat requires the consumption of fewer calories than used per day. Accomplishing these goals simultaneously can be difficult, coupled with the inability to specifically reduce fat from a particular area. However, it is possible to increase muscle mass and minimize gaining fat throughout the body with a combination of weightlifting, a healthy diet and aerobic exercise . Consult your physician before engaging in any exercise or fitness regimes. Instructions Nutrition 1 Consume more calories. Eat a well-balanced diet that contains high quality proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Avoid empty calories contained in soft drinks, candy and chips, which do not help build muscle, but may ...

How to Front Squat with Proper Technique

How to Front Squat with Proper Technique The most effective method to Front Squat with Appropriate Procedure The Front Squat is a Squat variety which has the free weight lay on your front shoulders dissimilar to the Back Squat where the bar lays on your upper-back. This is significant in light of the fact that heavier loads pressure your body more and this implies more muscle and strength gains. Here's the reason you can Crouch heavier loads with the Back Squat: the front bar position on Front Squats pulls you forward and drives you to keep your chest up all together not to lose the bar. So your legs won't be the restricting component on the Front Squat, it will be your upper-back keeping your chest up. Front Squats are consequently perfect to help Back Squats, yet not a trade for Back Squats. From my experience, assuming you just Back Squat and increment your maximum, so will your Front Squat increment. In any case, on the off chance that you just Front Squat, you won't...

Unlocking Your Potential: The Power of Strength Training

Strength training is one of the oldest disciplines. Legend has it Milo of Croton trained for strength in Ancient Greece by carrying a newborn calf on his back daily until it was fully grown. Today we don’t use a calf anymore to build physical strength. However we still use the same approach Milo used. This article will give you more info on what strength training is, its benefits & how to get started. What is Strength Training? Strength training is exercising with the goal of increasing your physical strength. There are two kinds of strength: Relative Strength . Gymnasts or rock climbers need strength, but not at the expense of an increased body-weight: it makes their sport harder. Relative strength is building maximal strength while controlling calorie intake and/or adding cardio so you don’t increase your body-weight. Absolute Strength . Strongman or Olympic Lifters in the heaviest classes easily weigh 130kg. More body-weight means bigger muscles & thus more strengt...

How To Say Forever Goodbye To Belly Fat Faster

Hey there, fellow fitness enthusiasts and anyone ready to kick belly fat to the curb! Are you tired of feeling self-conscious about that stubborn pouch around your midsection? Do you want to reclaim your confidence and rock your favorite outfits with pride? Well, you're in the right place! Let's face it – belly fat isn't just a cosmetic concern. It's like that unwelcome guest that overstays their welcome, bringing along a bunch of health risks nobody asked for. But fear not! We're here to arm you with the knowledge and tools you need to show that belly fat who's boss. In this blog post, we're going to dive deep into the world of belly fat burning exercises – no boring lectures or complicated jargon, just real talk about getting results. We'll walk you through 10 tried-and-true exercises that will help you kiss that belly fat goodbye and hello to a leaner, healthier version of yourself. Whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or a newbie to the fitness sce...

Lose Weight And Build Muscle

Search This Blog