Maintain a Training Log and Add Variety

The easiest way to guarantee success in your training is to maintain a training log. I've designed each strength-training and competition workout program provided in this book in a format that allows for logging information. Just as you would never go on a long car trip without a map, so you must use a training log as your map to your workout goals. It shows you where you started, how you are getting there, and when you will reach your final goal. Bring your training log with you to the gym so that you can mark down your exercises completed, weight amounts lifted, reps, sets, and rest periods. Look at your log often to see how much weight you've lifted in the past so that you can exceed it. Keeping a log can also help you know what exercises you have been doing and can tell you when you need to change things up a bit to add more variety.

Unilateral movements—Performing exercises on one side of the body improves balance, decreases strength discrepancies, and strengthens the core muscles. Try doing one-leg squats or any movement that you normally do on two legs.

Metabolic circuit training—Tired of losing that hard-earned muscle while you've trying to lose body fat? Get down from the stair machine and start circuit training with weights. You get a big bang for your buck with this extremely metabolic type of training. Check out chapter 3 to see examples of some metabolic circuits. These short, simple circuits can help you lose body fat while helping you keep your muscle.

Short rest periods—Stop checking out the people in the gym between sets and start checking your watch. Most weightlifters and powerlifters know that to make maximal gains in strength, you need to rest muscles well before the next set begins. But to increase muscular size, short rest periods of 30 to 60 seconds are the way to go. Short rest periods stimulate the release of more growth hormone than longer rest periods, maximizing muscular growth and fat loss. Use the 30- to 60-second technique or try a work-rest ratio of 1:1, in which you rest between sets for the same amount of time it took you to perform the set you just completed.

Supersets of agonist - antagonist muscle groups—Want to decrease your workout time, yet still increase your volume? Then do what are called supersets with movements that oppose each other. A superset involves two different exercises that you perform together as one set, without rest in between the exercises, taking the rest after completing the full set of two exercises. You commonly do supersets with agonist and antagonist muscles-uscles that oppose each other on either side of a joint. The agonist muscle is the prime mover and the antagonist is on the opposite side of the joint, slowing that motion down. Some examples of supersets are performing a bench press with a barbell row, a leg extension with a leg curl, and a biceps curl with a triceps pushdown. Another name for this technique is push-pull sets. Exercise supersets that use the exact opposite muscles give the first group of muscles time to rest while the second group is working. Training muscles that surround a joint creates stability around that joint and prevents injuries.

Training while balancing—Do you sometimes feel off balance or lose your footing? Not only does balance training improve your body awareness, but it also allows you to lift heavier weights, which can translate into bigger muscles. Try doing one-leg squats without holding on to anything. Vary the position of your free leg for each set so that it is in front of you, beside you, and in back of you. To make it even more challenging, try holding dumbbells in each hand. How about doing squats on a rocker board or foam rolls-tems your gym may have that are specifically geared toward enhancing your balance during exercises? Any uneven surface will do. Challenge your upper body by putting your hands on a stability ball and doing push-ups . Don't have a stability ball? Well, that's what old tire tubes are for. Forget about floating down Grandma's stream. Instead, stand on the tube while performing weight-training exercises for a down-home balance experience.

Plyometrics. Do you miss hopping, jumping, skipping, and playing with balls as you did when you were a kid? Then incorporate plyometrics into your workout program. Plyometrics are simply movements preceded by a prestretch because of a sudden change from the eccentric to the concentric phase of a movement. Any exercise can be made into a plyometric one just by performing the eccentric portion as rapidly as possible, and then quickly reversing direction and performing the concentric phase of the movement as quickly as possible. Most people think of jumping movements as plyometric exercises. However, virtually any quick movement can qualify as a plyometric. Try jump squats or overhead throw-downs for plyometric fun.

Tempo changes or pauses—Forget the old-school recommendation of lifting the weight (concentric action) on a two count and lowering it (eccentric action) on a four count. Perform the same exercises, but change the tempo. Do all of the reps very quickly, or very slowly, or one quick and one slow. Use pauses on the eccentric movement and vary both the number of pauses and the hold times. For example, during the lowering or the eccentric portion of a pull-up , try to pause three times and hold for 5 seconds at each pause. Or after the eccentric portion of the bench press, pause the bar on your chest for 3 to 5 seconds and explode off your chest for the concentric movement. Have your training partner vary the pause times and cue you when to lift.

Increasing the overload—Traditionally, lifters handled supramaximal weights only during negative-type movements like lowering a heavy weight very slowly or during partial movements like lifting a heavy weight over a shorter range of motion. But it's time to come out of hibernation and see what's outside the cave. Thanks to Louie Simmons and the Westside Barbell Club training methods, here's a useful strategy for tapping into the benefits of overloading. Try hanging chains off of your bar while squatting. As you descend, the weight gets lighter (more chain is in contact with the ground). As you ascend, the weight gets heavier (less chain is in contact with the ground). You can add this type of overload with many exercises like bench presses, rows, or deadlifts. Use chains with one-half inch link sizes or greater, with hooks or clamps to attach to the barbell. Such chains can be found at most home improvement stores. Another option is to use heavy elastic surgical or rehab tubing, or bungee cords. Attach one end to the bar and anchor the other end to the floor.

Wave work sets—Are you trying to push past a weight plateau? If you are having trouble liftinga particular weight, or if you want to progress to a heavier weight but can'tseem to get there, this technique is for you. Let's say that you've been squatting about 135 poundsfor reps, but you just can't seem to get to 145 yet. Do your warm-up sets first, and then perform a wave in this manner: 95 pounds × 5, 115 pounds × 5, and 135 pounds × 5, with a 3- to 5-minute rest period between sets.Rest for 3 to 5 more minutes and perform the next wave: 105 pounds × 5, 125 pounds × 5, and 145 pounds × 5. Do the wave on any exercise and wave bye-bye to your old personal records as you welcome in all-time personal bests.

Explosive power movements—Learn what the Olympians know: To increase power, strength, and speed, perform explosive power movements like power snatches and power cleans. Read chapter 13 and get a good coach who can teach you the proper technique behind these useful exercises. Pick one exercise and do it early in the workout session when you are fresh. Keep reps to 5 or less and perform 3 to 5 sets. Initially your goal is to learn proper technique, not to see how much weight you can lift. Let your technique or coach be the guide for increasing the weight on the bar. It takes some time to learn these exercises, but the return is well worth the investment.

Double stimulation weight sets—For some real variety and cutting-edge training, choose the double stim method. A double stimulation workout places a high demand on the neuromuscular system, which leads to great gains in strength, speed, and power. Perform 2 warm-up sets of a movement. Next perform a segment of 1 set for 5 reps, rest for 3 to 5 minutes, and then perform a set with a heavier weight for 1 rep. Repeat this segment twice more. Focus on lifting the weights as quickly as possible. If you know how much you can lift one time (1RM), use the following percentages and reps (with all rest times at 3 to 5 minutes):

• Warm-up: 60% × 5 reps, rest, 70% × 5, rest (optional third warm-up set of 75% × 3, rest)
• 80% × 5, rest, 90% × 1, rest
• 80% × 5, rest, 90% × 1, rest
• 80% × 5, rest, 90% × 1

STAYING MOTIVATED

We are always shopping for the best outfit to wear to the gym or the latest belts, wraps, and straps to help our workouts. But we seldom realize that the best equipment for our workouts is something that we already have and rarely take advantage of-ur mind. The mind is a powerful muscle that can make or break a single workout and even all your fitness goals. Your training philosophy is as important as your training program, so take some time to train your brain.

Here are some tips to help psych up your workout:

1. Prepare yourself—A primary key to having an effective training session is preparing your mind for the hard work to come. Having a written training plan is essential to being prepared. You can relieve the anxiety of not knowing what exercise to do next and eliminate wandering aimlessly around the gym, wasting time and effort.
2. Use imagery—Let your mind's eye see that perfect training session or that ultimate lift. Mentally practice your lifting technique, your entire workout routine, and even how you will look and feel after a grueling workout.
3. Motivate yourself—Even if you have a training partner who is great at shouting encouragement, you have to be able to motivate yourself. Find out what makes training important for you, and then use that as motivation. Are you trying to get healthier? Go to a doctor and get information on your baseline health parameters like cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, and blood pressure and shoot for improving those numbers. If you are training to lose weight, reward yourself with new clothes after each drop in size.
4. Believe in yourself—You have to be confident that your effort in the gym will translate into your goals outside of the gym. If you have the conviction that you can successfully curl the weight you have on the bar, your intensity and persistence will pay off with a top performance.