Key points
• There are thousands of different training programs, but the most effective ones all share similar features.
• Below are the principles that effective training programs should take into account. Have you considered them in your own training programs?
First things first
Always do the most important exercises first in your workout. Some coaches go further, recommending that you also schedule your most important exercises for the first workouts of the week. So, first things first. In practice, this means that a bodybuilder with lagging abs could start a workout by training them. For a powerlifter with weak triceps, it would mean starting a pressing day with close/medium-grip bench presses, while someone recovering from injuries should begin with the exercises prescribed by their rehabilitation physician. The examples could go on forever, but the principle is the same: tackle what matters most while you are fresh and have the energy. Experienced lifters will undoubtedly recognize that this principle may conflict with some familiar training practices:
a. Exercises aimed at developing speed must always come before exercises aimed at developing strength.
b. Exercises that demand greater coordination and technical skill must come before technically simpler exercises.
c. Compound exercises should come before isolation exercises.
These are, of course, valid training principles, but there are situations—such as bringing up weak muscles, lifts or body parts—in which even these fundamental training principles can take a back seat.
Contrast promotes recovery
The negative effects of fatigue are primarily specific to the activities that caused it. This means that consecutive workouts should differ as much as possible, regardless of the circumstances and conditions. That way, fatigue from Monday’s workout, for example, has minimal impact on Tuesday’s/Wednesday’s workout, and so on. You can apply this principle to varying degrees even when training the same body parts in consecutive workouts. It all comes down to exercise selection and adjusting the variables that determine training load. Here is an example of how to apply contrast to leg workouts, even when training the lower body three times a week.[pilt=10877]
In this example, both the exercises and training loads vary from workout to workout. There are many ways to create contrast, even when you appear to be training the same basic movement. You can alternate between workouts featuring knee-dominant extension exercises/hip extension exercises, speed sets/strength sets, high-rep sets/low-rep sets, and so on.
The best exercises are usually also the most adaptable
A few years ago, while analyzing exercises, I made an interesting discovery: isolation exercises actually offer the fewest options for modification, while compound exercises have enormous potential for adaptation. Take the deadlift: you can perform it with your hands inside your legs (sumo) or outside your legs (conventional). You can deadlift while standing on a platform or, conversely, lift the barbell from a platform. You can use resistance bands or chains, or perform the exercise with a trap bar, shifting the emphasis toward your lower back, quadriceps or hamstrings. The possibilities for modification are vast. The same applies to squats, lunges and all horizontal and vertical presses and pulling exercises.
Being able to deliberately and systematically incorporate variations of an exercise into your training programs is very important. In a sense, you keep doing the same exercise, but slightly differently each time. This approach also preserves both your potential to improve the basic movement and the progress you have already made. Continually varying how you perform the basic movement prevents plateaus and substantially delays the point at which you exhaust your potential for progress.
Isolation exercises are not worthless, but they offer less room for modification and experimentation. Effective training plans focus primarily on compound exercises and adjustments to their variations.
The best programs demand commitment
Of course, you can enjoy training, and you should whenever possible, but most of the time, training still means hard work. And hard work always requires discipline—the ability to push yourself to get things done, especially when the going gets tough. If you find a miracle cure that makes hard training easier to endure, use it. The best programs require you to push yourself and step outside your comfort zone—this is also the kind of training that produces results.
How can you motivate yourself to get through tough workouts?
• Find a motivated training partner with goals similar to yours.
• Introduce an element of competition and set yourself different challenges.
• Vary your exercises. Keep the repertoire of compound exercises that delivers results, but reward yourself with your favorite exercises too.
• Create the best training conditions for yourself. This covers everything—equipment, clothing, the gym and so on.
• Keep track of your personal records across different rep ranges. Small achievements along the way, even something as simple as your best top set during a workout, are motivating.
To be continued…
Author: Janar Rückenberg (translation)
Come and train! ArtGym
