1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1

Had this little gem fly in to my head on a whim, thought you might enjoy it.

 

Load up 80% for whatever lift you desire.

 

Preform 1 rep, rest 30 seconds.

Preform 2 reps, rest 60 seconds.

Preform 3 reps, rest 90 seconds.

Preform 4 reps, rest 120 seconds.

Preform 5 reps, rest 90 seconds.

Preform 4 reps, rest 60 seconds.

Preform 2 reps, rest 30 seconds.

Perform 1 rep, move on to something else.

 

Keeping the load static in the ascending 5 is a good idea, when you start coming back down towards 1 rep again you can choose to lighten the load or keep it static.

 

This is only 25 reps, however it would be 25 good reps.

 

Once you’ve done this you can do one or two additional movements, I’d set it up like this:

 

Main lift – as above

Secondary lift – 3-6×6-8 – 60 sec rest between sets

Accessory lift – 2-3xfail – 30-60 sec rest between sets

^^ You can of course tweak these for varied goals such as fat loss for example.

 

The secondary lift an antagonist to the first for balance or an agonist to the first for strength, the accessory lift can be a weak point focus and hammered for pump.

 

Nice and simple.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

MPS in simple terms

MPS 

 

^^ You may have seen this abbreviation in some fitness related writings.

 

It stands for Muscle Protein Synthesis.

 

The technical term you’ll find in the scientific literature describes it as the driving force behind adaptive responses to exercise and represents a widely adopted proxy for gauging chronic efficacy of acute interventions.

 

If you want some real technical info on it (including where I got a chunk of the above paragraph), read this –

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3381813/

 

Say on the other hand you simply want basic guide to how it works, how long it lasts and how to trigger it then keep reading this simple post.

 

In terms of how it works, it’s quite simple, you create the need for an adaptive response whereby your muscles will be stimulated and then via adequate nutrition/hormonal balance they repair/recover and adapt becoming stronger/bigger than before.

 

As a beginner this is easy to achieve and can even be done by hitting the nutrition threshold – 3g of leucine per meal (roughly every 2-3 hours).

 

Once you get past a certain stage your limits become harder to break and as a result triggering MPS is a tad harder and requires more planning.

 

Here are the three common ways to trigger it:

 

– Mechanical Tension (heavy lifting loads)

– Metabolic Stress (time under tension while lifting)

– Muscle Damage (both of the above, or max effort work)

 

MPS tends to last for anywhere from 24-48 hours.

 

This is where the recommendation of training a muscle group 2-3 times per week comes in.

 

Once you trigger MPS, you can leave that muscle alone while it reaps the benefits, then when it starts to wean off you will be wanting to hit it again, leaving it too long before hitting it again will mean you don’t build a cumulative amount of ‘in-road’ which will limit your progress, essentially.

 

You can repeat this for 8-12 weeks typically before your ability to recover and utilise MPS correctly is outweighed by your overall/general fatigue, hence why we have rest/de-load weeks.

 

This time off allows what is known as the super-compensation effect to happen, then you start the entire process again.

 

Now, it is worth remembering that maintaining your muscle is easier than building new muscle, based on the info above here is my recommendation.

 

– To build muscle train 3 days out of 5 for long periods

– To maintain muscle 2 days our of 2 will be enough

 

As you can see that is quite the difference.

 

To build in a 2 week time frame you’d train around 9 times, while to maintain you’d only do 4 sessions.

 

The topic is a large one to delve in to and this is just a simple coverage.

 

Any questions leave them below.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Make progress with one set!

Something you may have heard or read in the past.

 

Is it true?

 

Yes, however you’ll need to know exactly what is meant by ‘one set’.

 

When people write or speak about making progress with the above, they don’t mean you literally only do one set.

 

What they mean is that you’re going to do one ‘working set’, you don’t include your warm ups in the mix, which could be was little as two sets or as many as 10 depending on how strong you are.

 

A working set is classes as an amount of reps performed at the target weight.

 

You also have the classic 3×10 by Delorme/Watkins which was as follows:

 

– 1x10x50% 10RM (warm up)

– 1x10x75% 10RM (warm up)

and finally…

1x10x100% 10RM (working set)

 

Going you one working set.

 

If we took the classic 3×8, this means 3 working sets, not including warm ups.

 

If you ever read Brawn, you’d find that lots of the programs had things like this written:

 

Squat 1×20

Press 2×5

Chin 1×6-8

etc

 

All of these are the working sets, as you cans occasionally they had 2 working sets.

 

The idea of this set is to much you to your limits and perhaps add some small amount of weight to be bar, improve the form, do it while having less rest and so on.

 

You could manipulate any variable to get progress so long as you made progress.

 

– Volume – perhaps got an extra rep at or 2 the same weight

– Intensity – lifted more total weight on the bar

– Density – had less rest than previously

– Frequency – performed this feat twice in a week instead of once

 

When you take a look at the principles behind this long spoken method of training it’s fair to say they’re pretty solid because they leave you nowhere to hide.

 

If you limit yourself to only one hard set, you’re more likely to give it your all and try to better that set in any which way you can.

 

The more modern approach of “Do all the sets & all the reps!” isn’t bad by any means, however it does often leave people working sub-optimally which is why some struggle to make any form of progress.

 

The repeated bout effect or repetition method is a solid one, that’s not being disputed, however those who get the most out of this are the ones who’ve spent a decent chunk of time hitting one hard ‘working set’ in the past.

 

You may also find working sets are called ‘top sets’ which can be found in those who follow a daily lifting routine – ala Bulgarian style training and daily maxing.

 

So, should you try this style of training protocol?

 

Yes, no, maybe, I really don’t know.

 

It certainly works, however if you’re making progress with what you’re doing then there’s no sense in changing, if not though, perhaps you might find this useful.

 

If you decide to work for top sets here are some pointers of where to start:

 

Top set recommendations:

Squat: 5-10

Presses: 5

Pulls: 6-8

DL: 3-5

Accessory lifts: 8-12

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Something to strip fat, get fit and strong as well

Litvinov Sprints.

 

They’re horrible.

 

Well, they’re good, but they’re horrible too.

 

Sergey Litvinov was a hammer thrower, one of the best ever you could say and was renowned for his training and his ability to train on the nerve.

 

The training protocol of his namesake was a simple Front Squat & 400m Sprint pairing, now it sounds easy, however here is what he used to do it with:

 

Eight reps of front squats with 405 pounds, immediately followed by a 75-second 400-meter run. He repeated this little combination for a total of three times according to the history books.

 

Oh, he was also only a 196-pound man, who front squatted 405… eight times, you know, no big.

 

*Barry Ross would also do similar with his athletes, lots like great minds think alike.

 

He would do this with various other lifts but the run would typically stay the same. 400m is great for power output and improving VO2 Max.

 

Now the big take home from this little anaerobic concoction is that you want to have a large compound movement followed by ann all out sprint, repeated 3 times.

 

Easy on paper, yet it will yield untold benefits in terms of strength, power, conditioning and mental grit, trust me, after the first one you don’t want to do it again, however you must because that’s how champions are made, that’s how winning is done.

 

Here are some example of compound lifts you may use:

– Cleans

– Clean & Press

– Clean & Jerk

– Push Press

– Push Jerk

– Jerk

– Deadlift

– Front Squat

– Squat

– Overhead Squat

– Snatch

 

The do a 400m sprint, rest as needed and repeat 2 more times.

 

The sprint is best left as a running sprint for most people, you can change it to say a sled push/drag, however you’ll then start to move away from the classic Litvinov ethos and create something different.

 

Try it for a couple of months 2-3 times per week, you’ll welcome the results.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

5 Reasons people need a framework to succeed –

1 – Most don’t know what they need to do and as such need it clearly signposted

2 – It helps people feel less pressure, basically they can blame the structure for failure rather than themselves

3 – Things such as accountability and more responsibility become easier to administer

4 – Recorded data makes for a great confidence booster to show them how far they’ve come

5 – It teaches them how to achieve success on their own

Now there are those rare people who don’t need a framework to make their own success, if you’re one of them then we’ll see each other at the top. If that’s not you it’s not a problem, just ask for help and it will be yours.

Short & simple today.

Enjoy,
Ross

Pushing your sets all the way

Working out is easy, it’s training that’s hard.

 

When it comes to the mental aspect of lifting weights we’d all like to think that we’re putting in the effort we require and while some certainly do, most don’t.

 

You can tell by the results people achieve.

 

Let’s take for example the classic 5×5, if you look back at its inception the idea was to either do 3-4 warm up sets where you start working towards a top set for the day, some would even do 2 top sets after 3 progressively heavier warm ups, this would actually be quite hard.

 

To push a set of say 5 for everything you had, with good form of course, is quite draining and very few people will ever really do it. Most will lift a weight for 5 that they could have really don for 7, maybe 8 if they’re honest.

 

This is one reason a lot of us don’t get the progress we really want.

 

I’m guilty of this that’s for sure.

 

Now this isn’t to say that people don’t ‘work hard’, rather it’s just pointing out that many haven’t quite grasped the concept of really pushing a set to it’s limit. if they did they’d find training say 3 days per week is more than enough to make progress, rather than their standard 6 with back to back classes and AM/PM runs.

 

Good old fashioned honest hard graft isn’t pleasant, it’s tough, however it’s what produces results, especially when combined with solid nutrition and plenty of recovery.

 

Try doing 5×5 and having 3-4 of those sets being warm ups, then really go all out on the last set, you should feel sufficiently worked, you may have one more set of 5 at that weight, if you do then go for it, however if you get it right that one hard set of 5 will be enough.

 

The loading might look like this:

 

5x60kg

5x100kg

5x140kg

5x180kg

5x200kg

 

Done, move on to the next exercise and repeat the same process.

 

Just something to think about.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Memories

Having measurable data is a great way to assess your progress, so why don’t you have any?

 

Fitness testing, body measurements, lifting records are all great ways to see how you are improving and also what you may need to be doing in order to continue to make headway if it is starting to slow down.

 

There are a lot of people who claim they never need to record things, they just remember it all and while they may indeed remember the highlights it’s very hard to keep everything in your head.

 

Typically once we get past a certain point we might as well be exposed to white noise.

 

According to a lot of research in to the field of memory, the average person can retain 7 pieces, plus or minus 2, given you a top limit of 9 and a lower one of 5; obviously there will be exceptions that can remember more just as there will be people who remember far less, it’s just a part of being on the bellcurve.

 

Writing things down and recording the specifics will take the pressure ands stress away from you having to remember each detail. Don’t get me wrong, having good ball park memory is great, however that won’t help you highlight weak areas that need work, specifically.

 

Personally I’m a big fan of making notes and writing things down, not matter who big or small it is, there’s a record. This little habit has saved many a hassle when it comes to wiring future goals for myself or clients, not to mention it give an honest overview of how everything has proceeded, no hiding behind white lies to protect the ego.

 

This is nothing more than simper advice for you, there’s no need for you to take it, honestly, there isn’t.

 

Before we finish I just want to ask you two questions;

 

1 – What sets and reps were you hitting on this day 3 years ago and how do they compete to now?

 

2 – What was your VO2 Max on the date of 22-6-13 and how has it improved?

 

I’m sure you can answer those from memory 🙂 for me.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

The 30 set workout structure.

An easy to follow method for those who don’t have time to workout out the exact weights they need for every set.

 

This is based on using auto-regulation and going by feel, it’s also a great way to progress provided you have a training diary and track what you’re doing.

 

Here is what you do:

 

– Train 2-3 times per week

– Pick 3 exercises per workout (10 sets per exercise)

– Stay in the 5-10 rep range

– Use which ever training split you feel is most appropriate*

– Warm ups are included in your sets

– You may use Straight Sets (A1, B1, C1), Superset (A1/A2) or Tri-Set (A1/A2/A3) movements if you choose

– Rest as needed

– Track weights/reps achieved

– Aim to keep sessions between 45-60min

– Repeat for 3-6months and make all the progress

 

*Upper/Lower, Push/Pull, Pull-Push-Legs, Full Body

 

This is what one exercises might look like on paper:

 

Deadlift:

 

Set 1 5x bar 20kg

Set 2 5x 60kg

Set 3 5x 80kg

Set 4 5x 100kg

Set 5 5x 120kg

Set 6 5x 140kg

Set 7 5x 140kg

Set 8 5x 140kg

Set 9 5x 140kg

Set 10 5x 130kg

 

^^ Calculate total volume – Sets X Reps X Weight

 

10x5x1070 = 53,500kg total volume lifted in the session.

 

You’d make a note and aim to lift more total volume next week.

 

The stronger you get you’ll find you may nee dress warm up sets or that they stay the same and you can lift more in your later sets to increase your volume. 

Make sure you’re eating correct for your goal, if you need to establish your calories then check out this page for those answers:

https://www.facebook.com/Commonnutritionalsense/photos/a.1507210776214980.1073741830.1507203129549078/1906041622998558/?type=3&theater

 

There is no right or wrong as to how many warm ups you need, just do what you feel is adequate so that your form feels grooved and the speed on the bar is moving nice and fast.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

Back to the basics for us all.

What is there to write about training anymore?

 

The internet is filled with so much content, it’s almost impossible to read it all.

 

Keeping this in mind it’s probably best to keep things simple and hopefully point you in the right direction and to do that we need to circle back around to the basics and the simple sciences of training.

 

What should you look to circle back to first?

 

– Energy Systems

 

Why?

 

These are essential for understanding how the body works and what fuel is used for what training styles (aerobic – fat, anaerobic – glucose etc), here is a nice resource for that:

 

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/3-energy-systems-help-trainer.htm

 

Next it has to be muscle anatomy.

 

– Muscle Structure

 

Once you know how they work you can conclude what style of training is best for your goal. Here are a couple of links:

 

http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/muscle-structure-and-function

 

https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/10-6-exercise-and-muscle-performance/

 

One last topic that is crucial to have a basic underrating of in training is hormones.

 

– Testosterone, Cortisol and everything in-between.

 

This is a massive topic yet it’s one people ignore all the time and it really shouldn’t be. Your hormones are influenced not only by training but also your nutrition, sleep, life style and mach more, thus it is worth knowing how they work and what they do.

 

https://www.acefitness.org/blog/5593/8-hormones-involved-in-exercise

 

Above are some starting links to help you on your way, however it’s worth remembering that the body is a complex organism and if you don’t want to do the digging yourself then you’ll do well to hire a coach/trainer who can do it all for you.

 

Remember the basics, without those nothing else can be understood.

 

Enjoy,

Ross

5-3-2 or 3-2-1 or maybe 1-1-1

What do they mean would be the best question to ask first of all.

These numbers are in reference to the frequency of training a muscle group, or if you are less about the aesthetic and more about performance it will be in reference to movement patterns.

So 3-2-1 is ideal for beginners and people who are short on time yet still want to make a decent amount of progress in terms of strength, hypertrophy, performance and fat loss.

For example:

Squat 3 days per week
Press 2 days per week
Deadlift 1 day per week

I’d also add in pulling (elbow flexion) and hip extension movements (rows, pull ups, face pulls, reverse fly, swings, rope pull throughs etc) to the three day group as these patterns are often left out.

Press vertically and horizontally both days, this would also encompass all elbow extension exercises – skull crushers etc.

The reason many will do well deadlifting once per week as they can often lift more weight in this lift and as such will cause more metabolic disturbance.

Taking in to consideration what is above you can guess where 5-3-2 is going.

Yep, more frequency for people with more experience who fall in the intermediate level and need more exposure to the movements.

Depending on goal you may find you squat 3 or 5 times per week, the sam gif true for pressing/pulling it might be 3 or 5 days, you can adjust this as you need to.

Example:

Press/Pull 5 days per week
Squat 3 days per week
Deadlift 2 days per week

Over the years it has been shown that more often than not the more frequently you train something (the more exposure it has to training stimuli) the stronger it is and the more developed the muscle/area/movement looks.

Now these guidelines aren’t gospel, they’re just a guide to give people some direction.

What is 1-1-1 then?

Yep, you’ve probably worked it out.

You may even find that you’re one of the luck ones who can train things once per week and make progress, if that is the case then stick with what works because there is no sense in fixing what isn’t broken. If this is you, just make sure each session you give it your all for maximal progress, due to the low frequency you will need to hammer the muscle to hit your required volume/intensity/work capacity needs.

In terms of my own training I will tell you that higher frequency has very much helped me gain high levels of strength relative to my size (what is needed for the combative sports is partake in), however when I dropped my frequency – it was still a minimum of twice per week per muscle group – I made more hypertrophic progress, this was due to not only a different style of training but also eating in a caloric surplus*.

*You need to be in a calorie surplus to gain weight, you’ll struggle if you’re not in one, regardless of set or rep range. If you want to shift fat you can train int he same way you will just need a caloric deficit, fact.

Take a look at your training and compete the frequency of your lifts to what body parts you have developed the most, you’ll probably find the ones you train the most are the best, or as some might say “Those are you naturally strong areas” – well duh, you train them more, they’re going to be stronger than the ones you avoid.

Training is all about learning, applying and adapting until you find what work best for YOU.

Let’s get started.

Ross