Charles Staley, Author at Breaking Muscle

Should You Track Your Nutrition?

Charles Staley — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Charles is here on a weekly basis to help you cut through the B.S. and get some real perspective regarding health and training. Please post feedback or questions to Charles directly in the comments below this article.

If you’re new to the practice of tracking your nutrition, the idea of weighing, measuring, documenting, and journaling everything you put in your mouth can seem obsessive, stressful, and time-consuming. These feelings beg the question: is food tracking even necessary? Because if it’s not, let’s not go there at all, right?

Many popular diets and nutrition strategies like Ornish, paleo, vegetarianism, Atkins, the Mediterranean Diet, and intermittent fasting don’t require tracking. Despite that, each of these diet plans features an underlying mechanism that leads most people to eat less than they otherwise would and therefore lose weight. This can be the result of removing large categories of food sources such as in Atkins or vegetarian diets, or restricting the times where you’re allowed to eat, as in the various brands of intermittent fasting.

All else being equal, when you consume less energy than you burn on a consistent basis, you’ll get leaner.

Weighing and measuring everything that goes in your mouth sounds exhausting. But is it necessary? [Photo courtesy Pixabay]

To Track or Not to Track

To answer the question I posed above, if you’ve lost weight and maintained that loss using one of those diets, then no, you don’t need to track.

But if you’re not one of those people, then you do need to track – at least for now. It’s the most logical step to take. The purpose of that fat you’re trying to lose is to serve as a fuel source during times of famine. To lose unwanted body fat, you need to create an artificial famine. You might be able to do that without tracking, but it will help eliminate the uncertainty from the equation.

When it comes to eating for fat loss, you have two choices:

Pick a diet that doesn’t require you to track but nudges you to eat less through one trick or another.
Track and monitor how many calories you eat and then eat whatever you like. You can’t eat as much as you’d like, but your food variety doesn’t necessarily have to be limited.

Consider yourself lucky if you’re one of those people who can maintain your desired bodyweight without tracking what you eat. But if you’re not, please come back next week, because I’m going to show you how easy and effective food tracking can be. I promise, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 80,027lb (Last Week: 54,406lb)

Significant Lifts:

Low Bar Squat: 285lb x 5
Competition Bench Press: 225lb x 3
Deadlift: 445lb x 6
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: 200lb x 8

This was the fourth and final week of this training cycle, and I consider it to be an overall success. Next up is a six-week hypertrophy phase, and then two, five-week strength phases before a peaking cycle that will take me right up to a meet that I’ve got my eye on in mid-October.

The highlight of this week was a lifetime rep record PR on the deadlift: 445×6 (there’s a video below). Also check out the insane (for me) volume on Monday’s lower body session. I never did volume like that when I was younger, but better late than never.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Bodyweight: 197lb

Volume: 22,315lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 25lb × 10
Set 2: 40lb × 10
Set 3: 62lb × 10

Low Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 5
Set 2: 95lb × 5
Set 3: 135lb × 5
Set 4: 185lb × 5
Set 5: 225lb × 4
Set 6: 265lb × 1
Set 7: 285lb × 5
Set 8: 285lb × 5
Set 9: 285lb × 5
Set 10: 285lb × 5
Set 11: 285lb × 5
Set 12: 285lb × 5

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 6
Set 3: 180lb × 2
Set 4: 225lb × 5
Set 5: 225lb × 5
Set 6: 225lb × 5
Set 7: 225lb × 5

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 3
Set 2: 225lb × 1
Set 3: 330lb × 3
Set 4: 330lb × 3

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Bodyweight: 197.4lb

Volume: 14,241lb

Paused Competition Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 4
Set 5: 205lb × 1
Set 6: 225lb × 3
Set 7: 225lb × 3
Set 8: 225lb × 2
Set 9: 225lb × 2
Set 10: 225lb × 2
Set 11: 225lb × 2

Military Press

Set 1: 45lb × 5
Set 2: 65lb × 5
Set 3: 85lb × 5
Set 4: 100lb × 2
Set 5: 110lb × 5
Set 6: 110lb × 5
Set 7: 110lb × 5
Set 8: 110lb × 5
Set 9: 110lb × 5

Pull Up

Set 1: 3 reps
Set 2: +30lb × 4
Set 3: +30lb × 4
Set 4: +30lb × 4

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 65lb × 8

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Bodyweight: 196.2lb

Volume: 24,393lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 32lb × 10
Set 3: 32lb × 10

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 275lb × 5
Set 5: 315lb × 3
Set 6: 365lb × 2
Set 7: 405lb × 1
Set 8: 445lb × 6 (Video Below)
Set 9: 445lb × 1

High Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 95lb × 6
Set 3: 135lb × 4
Set 4: 185lb × 2
Set 5: 225lb × 1
Set 6: 265lb × 3
Set 7: 265lb × 3
Set 8: 265lb × 3

45° Back Extension

Set 1: +150lb × 8
Set 2: +150lb × 8
Set 3: +150lb × 8

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 100lb × 8
Set 2: 100lb × 8

Friday, May 27, 2016

Bodyweight: 197.6lb

Volume: 17,000lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 5
Set 4: 200lb × 8 (Video Below)
Set 5: 200lb × 5
Set 6: 200lb × 6

Close Grip Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 5
Set 2: 95lb × 5
Set 3: 135lb × 5
Set 4: 165lb × 1
Set 5: 180lb × 6
Set 6: 180lb × 6
Set 7: 180lb × 6

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 180lb × 8

How much to eat is one thing, but when should you be eating?

Intermittent Fasting or Mini-Meals: What’s Right for You?

The post Should You Track Your Nutrition? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

EDT: Time Management Meets Weight Training

Charles Staley — Wed, 25 May 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Some of my more recent readers may not be aware of a training system that I’m perhaps best known for: Escalating Density Training (EDT). In fact, eleven years ago I wrote a book on the subject, and I’ve done a fair amount of writing on the web about it as well. It’s been some time since I’ve talked about EDT, so I thought I’d revisit the subject for my newer readers.

For those who have never heard of EDT, I often refer to it as “time management meets weight training.” I’ve done my best to apply time and energy management principles to the practice of resistance training, with the goal of improving the efficiency of your efforts at the gym.

With EDT you will aim to beat your last PR at every workout. Simple, but not easy. (Photo courtesy J Perez Imagery)

The Underlying Principles of EDT

There are a handful of strategies you’ll use for the purposes of maximum training efficiency when using EDT. They include:

A time limit for sets and reps: Parkinson’s law suggests, “work expands so as to fill the time allotted for it’s completion.” In other words, if you allow 30 minutes for a task, that task will tend to take 30 minutes. If you allot 20 minutes, you can probably do it in 20 minutes. While this isn’t always true, you’d be surprised how often it is.
“Circuit” style training: Put another way, instead of completing all sets of your first exercise before moving on to the second movement, you’ll alternate back and forth between exercise. This tactic dissipates fatigue, allowing you to complete more total work in less time.
Volume over intensity: You’ll only do half the reps you can potentially perform for any given set. EDT is a hypertrophy strategy, so volume is the name of the game. Going to failure is more effective for an individual set, but we’re going to focus on your total work output, not how hard you worked on a single set.
Tracked progression: You’ll document and seek to improve upon your PRs for each session. The personal record that we’re looking at here is the total reps you can perform while performing two antagonistic exercises for a 15-minute time period.
Increased training density: Finally, by gradually increasing the total amount of work you perform without increasing the time allotted for that work, you’ll be increasing your training density. And when you increase training density, not only are you training more efficiently, you’re also creating an important stimulus for improving body composition.

The Mechanics of EDT

If you’ve never tried EDT, here’s a quick primer.

Choose two opposing exercises. This could be anything from two antagonistic movements (such as leg curl/hack squat, or dips press/chins) to two unrelated muscles (such as deadlifts/pull-ups or calf raise/barbell curls) to both sides of a unilateral drill (left lunge/right lunge).
Find or estimate a 10RM weight for each exercise. You can estimate these weights during your warm-up sets. Don’t be concerned if your estimates are a bit off. What’s more important is that you choose weights that are equivalently difficult for each exercise.
Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Begin by performing sets of 5 reps for each exercise. If you’re doing dips and chin ups, for example, do a set of 5 dips, and then a set of 5 chins. Don’t worry about rest intervals. Just rest instinctively. Record your sets and reps as you go.
As you begin to fatigue, allow your reps to drop to sets of 4, 3, 2, and perhaps even singles toward the end of the 15-minute period. Again, what matters is how many total reps you rack up over 15 minutes, not how many reps you manage on a particular set. It’s also natural (and optimal) for your rest intervals to gradually increase as you become increasingly fatigued. This is the step that many people miss.
When the 15-minute period elapses, stop lifting. If you’ve only got a few seconds left toward the end, don’t perform one last set of the first exercise unless you’ve got enough time to perform a corresponding last set for your second exercise as well.
Add up your total reps. This is your “PR.” Don’t worry how large or small this number is, it doesn’t matter.
Next time out, improve upon your baseline PR in any way you can, by as little or as much as you desire. All that matters is that you beat your PR.

Looks simple right? It is, but simple doesn’t mean easy.

Application and Implementation

I would use EDT during dedicated hypertrophy phases for perhaps 4-6 weeks. I’d also suggest using two different exercise parings per workout, which means that your work sets for both EDT sessions will take 30 minutes. Add in your warm-up sets, and your workout will take between 45-60 minutes, mostly depending on how strong you are.

Also, since you’ll be developing high levels of fatigue during EDT training, I’d suggest using the “safest” exercises possible. Movements like overhead squats might not be the best choice. In fact, resistance-training machines are often a better choice than free weights for safety reasons.

If you’re looking for a way to inject some new energy into your training, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective EDT can be. It is very effective in delivering a powerful workout in a short time frame. Be ready for big-time soreness as well. Like many things in life, EDT must be experienced to be understood. Things often look easy on paper, but are anything but when you actually do them. Even if you’re well-conditioned, EDT will prove to be one of the toughest workouts you ever do. Trust me.

If you have questions or need clarification about EDT, you know where to find me.

Another Time-Based Workout Strategy to Try:

EMOMs: The Most Misunderstood Method in CrossFit

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 54,406lb (Last Week: 90,710lb)

Significant Lifts:

Low Bar Squat: 280lb x 5
Competition Bench Press: 220lb x 4

This week was a bit of a mid-phase deload. I did two hard sessions early in the week, followed by a low-volume upper-lower session later in the week. Next week I’ll be putting in a ton of volume, so stay tuned for that.

Everything’s feeling on track, and I also continue to feel healthy. I almost feel the urge to apologize for the lack of drama, but I won’t. I’m looking to break my all-time 5RM PR on the deadlift next week, so maybe there will be a bit of drama coming soon after all.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Bodyweight: 198lb

Volume: 24,635lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 25lb × 10
Set 3: 40lb × 10

Low Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 5
Set 2: 95lb × 5
Set 3: 135lb × 5
Set 4: 185lb × 5
Set 5: 225lb × 5
Set 6: 280lb × 5
Set 7: 280lb × 5
Set 8: 280lb × 5
Set 9: 280lb × 5
Set 10: 280lb × 5
Set 11: 45lb × 5

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 6
Set 3: 185lb × 5
Set 4: 220lb × 5
Set 5: 220lb × 5

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 225lb × 5
Set 3: 325lb × 3
Set 4: 325lb × 3

Standing Calf Raise

Set 1: 200lb × 8
Set 2: 200lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8

Toes To Bar

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 5 reps

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Bodyweight: 197.4lb

Volume: 13,981lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 4
Set 5: 205lb × 2
Set 6: 220lb × 4
Set 7: 220lb × 3
Set 8: 220lb × 3
Set 9: 220lb × 3
Set 10: 220lb × 4

Military Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 85lb × 6
Set 4: 100lb × 4
Set 5: 110lb × 5
Set 6: 110lb × 5

Pull Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: +25lb × 5
Set 3: +25lb × 5

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 65lb × 8

Friday, May 20, 2016

Bodyweight: 199lb

Volume: 15,790lb

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 285lb × 3
Set 5: 285lb × 3

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 25lb × 10
Set 2: 53lb × 10
Set 3: 62lb × 10

High Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 95lb × 6
Set 3: 135lb × 4
Set 4: 170lb × 3
Set 5: 170lb × 3

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 130lb × 5
Set 3: 130lb × 5
Set 4: 130lb × 5

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8

The post EDT: Time Management Meets Weight Training appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

How Often Should I Squat?

Charles Staley — Wed, 18 May 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Last week, an online client of mine posed an interesting question: Why not do the basic lifts more than once a week?

For example, when should you back squat three days a week versus using different types of squats or leg drills over the course of a week? The answer is strongly linked to the goal of the training phase that you’re currently in. Let’s unpack all of this, shall we?

How do you decide how often to train each major lift? It depends on where you’re trying to go.

Goal: Increased Muscle Mass (Hypertrophy)

Key Driver: Volume, Variety

When it comes to packing on new muscle, your total workload is more critical for success than training intensity. That being the case, there are two highly important considerations:

Intensity gets put on the back burner. If you’re trying to chalk up 20,000lb of squat volume, it’s a lot easier to do that with sets of 10 at 300lb than it would be to reach that number by squatting triples with 400lb. Lower-intensity, higher-rep sets are essentially mandatory for hypertrophy.
Variety potentiates volume, and plays an important role in muscle development. Any type of training task you perform generates fatigue, and that fatigue will negatively affect subsequent training tasks of the same exercise more than it would impair a different movement. This notion is sometimes referred to as “fatigue specificity.” You could perform more total work in a training week if you did three different leg drills (e.g., squats on Monday, Romanian deadlifts on Wednesday, and hip thrusts on Friday) than you could if you did barbell back squats three times a week.

Goal: Increased Strength

Key Driver: Intensity

When your goal is strength, intensity trumps both volume and variety. Not only is variety less necessary, it is also unwanted, because as Pavel Tsatsouline says, “strength is a skill.” Specific work is fatigue-intensive, but that’s the cost of doing business when you’re trying to get stronger. High-intensity work cannot, by definition, be done at high volumes.

If you practice too many different things at the same time, you’ll never get good at any of them. If you’re trying to improve your overhead squat strength, you need to do lots of overhead squats with challenging weights. Sure, back squats, fronts squats, and even things like lunges might help a little, but as with any complex movement, you have to train the skill.

Exceptions to the Rule

Beginners or those who lack overall strength will recover fairly quickly. As such, they can often use a lot more specificity than I’ve recommended above for hypertrophy training.

A veteran powerlifter, on the other hand, should use as much variety in his or her hypertrophy training as their program will allow. While a powerlifter typically won’t do exercises like leg curls, crunches, and pushdowns, he or she will often use drills like front squats, beltless deadlifts, and close-grip bench presses. These movements provide variation without being too far removed from the specific requirements of the three competitive lifts.

Take-Homes:

If your goal is bigger legs, use a wide variety of effective leg-training drills spread across the training week. Same goes for other muscle groups.
If your goal is a stronger squat (or bench press, or anything else), you’ll need to spend more time doing that exercise, which usually translates to doing it more times per week. Assistance exercises should be variants of the exercise you’re trying to strengthen, rather than totally unrelated movements.
If you’re looking for increased strength and more muscle mass, train in phases using the recommendations I’ve suggested in this article.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 90,710lb (Last Week: 80,850lb)

Significant Lifts:

Low Bar Squat: 275lb x 7
Competition Bench Press: 215lb x 5
Deadlift: 425lb x 5
Dumbbell Bench Press: 190lb x 8

I’ve been quite happy with my numbers lately, and this week was no exception. Next week I plan on more of the same, plus more weight and more sets. Body composition is good and I have no injuries to report. This is how training should be: predictable, sustainable, and low drama.

A few notes on exercises:

I’ve been doing a few sets of lateral raises once a week. They feel totally useless. Nonetheless, if you don’t try new things occasionally, you’ll never really know if they have the potential to help you.
I haven’t been particularly progressive on calf work, but my calves are growing, albeit slowly.
I’ve progressed from bent-leg toes to bar to straight-leg toes to bar.
I’m really weak on pull ups compared to chin ups.
I never feel my lats when I do any type of rowing, despite my efforts to learn more about the exercise and to perform it more effectively. I do rows anyway however, just out of principle.

That’s all for this week, kids. Let’s keep showing them how it’s done!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Bodyweight: 199lb

Volume: 25,700lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 40lb × 10
Set 3: 50lb × 10

Low Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 5
Set 2: 45lb × 5
Set 3: 95lb × 5
Set 4: 135lb × 5
Set 5: 185lb × 5
Set 6: 225lb × 5
Set 7: 275lb × 5
Set 8: 275lb × 5
Set 9: 275lb × 5
Set 10: 275lb × 7 (Video Below)

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 6
Set 3: 180lb × 5
Set 4: 215lb × 5
Set 5: 215lb × 5
Set 6: 215lb × 5

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 225lb × 5
Set 3: 275lb × 3
Set 4: 315lb × 3
Set 5: 315lb × 3

Standing Calf Raise

Set 1: 200lb × 8
Set 2: 200lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8

Toes to Bar

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 5 reps

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.2lb

Volume: 14,638lb

Paused Competition Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 4
Set 5: 215lb × 5
Set 6: 215lb × 4
Set 7: 215lb × 4
Set 8: 215lb × 4

Military Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 85lb × 6
Set 4: 105lb × 6
Set 5: 105lb × 6

Pull Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: +20lb × 5
Set 3: +20lb × 5

Lateral Raise

Set 1: 50lb × 6
Set 2: 50lb × 6

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 75lb × 6
Set 3: 75lb × 6
Set 4: 75lb × 6

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Bodyweight: 197.6lb

Volume: 28,212lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 10lb × 10
Set 3: 10lb × 10

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 135lb × 5
Set 3: 185lb × 5
Set 4: 225lb × 5
Set 5: 275lb × 5
Set 6: 315lb × 3
Set 7: 365lb × 3
Set 8: 395lb × 1
Set 9: 425lb × 5 (Video Below)
Set 10: 425lb × 5

High Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 4
Set 5: 225lb × 2
Set 6: 250lb × 5
Set 7: 250lb × 5

45° Back Extension

Set 1: +150lb × 8
Set 2: +150lb × 8
Set 3: +150lb × 8

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 100lb × 8
Set 2: 100lb × 8
Set 3: 100lb × 8

Friday, May 13, 2016

Bodyweight: 197.6lb

Volume: 22,160lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 100lb × 10
Set 3: 150lb × 8
Set 4: 170lb × 8
Set 5: 190lb × 8
Set 6: 190lb × 8

Close Grip Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 155lb × 4
Set 5: 175lb × 8
Set 6: 175lb × 8

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 180lb × 8 (Video Below)

Dual Cable Low Cable Curl

Set 1: 80lb × 8
Set 2: 100lb × 8
Set 3: 100lb × 8

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

More on Programming and Periodization:

Train and Recover Smarter: A Periodization Primer
Programming for Snowflakes
Why All Good Coaches Must Understand the Scientific Method
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of J Perez Imagery.

The post How Often Should I Squat? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Hub and Spoke Method for Attacking Weaknesses

Charles Staley — Wed, 11 May 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Hub and spoke programming is a way to focus on one movement while maintaining a handful of other areas. Perhaps you’ve just learned the value of the kettlebell swing and want to get in quality swing practice without losing ground on your other key exercises. Or maybe you need to devote a lot of specific work to improve your pull ups. Whatever skill you’re trying to develop, the hub and spoke method will allow you to do just that, without losing ground on everything else in the process.

The concept is that one lift becomes the “hub,” and 3-5 other exercises become the “spokes.” The hub can be an exercise you’re trying to improve or an exercise designed to target a lagging muscle group. The spokes are exercises that target different muscle groups so as to minimize redundancy between the hub exercise and the spoke exercises.

If a particular muscle group or movement is giving you trouble, the hub and spoke concept will provide the needed focus.

What It Looks Like

For the following example, the goblet squat is the “hub” exercise. Pull ups, push ups, and swings make up the “spoke” exercises. The workout starts at the hub, and then alternates between a spoke exercise and the hub until you’ve rotated through all of your spoke movements. One round of this method looks like this:

Set 1: Goblet squat
Set 2: Pull ups
Set 3: Goblet squat
Set 4: Push ups
Set 5: Goblet squat
Set 6: Swings

To determine the number of rounds you should do, think about how many sets were performed in the first round. In the example above, 3 rounds amounts to 18 work sets. Assuming 3 minutes of rest between each set and 30 seconds for each set itself, this is a 63-minute workout after warm ups.

What About Sets and Reps?

Assign rep brackets according to the training target. To determine your rep ranges, consider what you’re trying to accomplish with each exercise in the workout. What is the purpose for the exercise? Strength? Hypertrophy? Work capacity?

This principle applies equally to hub and spoke exercises. If push ups or pull ups are your hub exercise because you struggle with them, reps will be low by necessity. Conversely, if you’re using standing calf raises as a spoke, reps will likely be in the 8-12 range for hypertrophy.

It’s generally best to use the same repetition ranges and level of intensity for each exercise in a workout, and for each workout in a training phase. But sometimes there are exceptions to the rule, and that’s exactly what the hub and spoke method is designed to address. Since you’re addressing a weakness with an unusual amount of work, it may not always be practical to use the same narrow rep bracket for all exercises in the hub and spoke workout.

Another Arrow in your Programming Quiver

There are no hard and fast rules about how to integrate the hub and spoke model into your training program. It is just another arrow to keep in your quiver when considering how to achieve your fitness goals. Use it for each workout, or for only one session. No matter your training goal, preferred exercises, or training experience, the hub and spoke method is an effective way to organize your workouts.

Below is a narrative slideshow about the hub and spoke method. Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 80,850lb (Last Week: 49,930lb)

Significant Lifts:

Low bar squat: 260lb × 7
Deadlift: 405lb × 7
Flat dumbbell bench: 180lb × 10

It certainly feels good to work with heavier weights and lower reps again. I’m happy with my work on the three powerlifts this week, given that I haven’t been doing them for quite some time. I was concerned about low bar squats, but they felt comfortable, and I’ll be working my way up to more respectable weights over the coming weeks.

Many long-time readers might wonder what’s up with my previously mentioned goals of doing more mobility work and endurance training. The long and short of it is that my eyes are often bigger than my stomach when it comes to training goals. I often just don’t have the time and energy to do everything that I’d like to do, or think I should be doing. Add in the fact that lifting is what gets my juices going in the gym, and the endurance and mobility work fall by the wayside.

However, I continue to believe that I’d be better served by a more generalized training approach, and I’m continuously thinking about how I might successfully do just that. The take-home here is that we all struggle with balancing the things we love to do with the things we ought to do. I’m no exception.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.2lb

Volume: 23,530lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 35lb × 10
Set 3: 35lb × 10

Low Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 5
Set 2: 45lb × 5
Set 3: 95lb × 5
Set 4: 135lb × 5
Set 5: 185lb × 5
Set 6: 225lb × 5
Set 7: 260lb × 5
Set 8: 260lb × 5
Set 9: 260lb × 7

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 6
Set 3: 180lb × 5
Set 4: 205lb × 5
Set 5: 205lb × 5

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 275lb × 3
Set 5: 300lb × 3
Set 6: 300lb × 3

Standing Calf Raise

Set 1: 200lb × 8
Set 2: 200lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8

Toes To Bar

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 5 reps

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Bodyweight: 198lb

Volume: 14,251lb

Paused Competition Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 2
Set 5: 205lb × 5
Set 6: 205lb × 5
Set 7: 205lb × 5

Military Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 85lb × 6
Set 4: 100lb × 6
Set 5: 100lb × 6

Pull Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: +10lb × 6
Set 3: +10lb × 6

Lateral Raise

Set 1: 40lb × 6
Set 2: 50lb × 6
Set 3: 50lb × 6

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 75lb × 6
Set 4: 75lb × 6

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.4lb

Volume: 25,229lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 10lb × 10
Set 3: 10lb × 10

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 275lb × 5
Set 5: 315lb × 5
Set 6: 365lb × 3
Set 7: 405lb × 7 (Video Below)
Set 8: 405lb × 5
Set 9: 135lb × 5

High Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 4
Set 5: 225lb × 2
Set 6: 240lb × 5
Set 7: 240lb × 5

45° Back Extension

Set 1: +140lb × 8
Set 2: +140lb × 8

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 100lb × 8
Set 2: 100lb × 8

Friday, May 6, 2016

Bodyweight: 196.6lb

Volume: 17,840lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 150lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 9
Set 4: 180lb × 10 (Video Below)

Close Grip Bench Press (Pinkies On Rings)

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 165lb × 8
Set 5: 165lb × 8

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 8
Set 3: 165lb × 8

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

Dual Cable Low Cable Curl

Set 1: 80lb × 8
Set 2: 100lb × 8
Set 3: 100lb × 8

More Programming Concepts and Tips:

A Simple Programming Formula for Any Client
5 Injury Prevention Exercises to Build Bulletproof Athletes
CrossFitters: Stuck in a Strength Rut? Implement These Strategies
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Jeff Nguyen / CrossFit Empirical.

The post The Hub and Spoke Method for Attacking Weaknesses appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

How I Was Wrong About Linear Periodization

Charles Staley — Wed, 04 May 2016 09:00:00 +0000

I was wrong about linear periodization.

It’s embarassing to look back and see how wrong I was on such a fundamentally important topic. The reason I was wrong involves a key challenge regarding the organization of training for athletes: the development of two or more fitness adaptations over time.

The risk of becoming one-dimensional causes many people to dislike linear periodization. But is it really a risk?

Organization Options for Athletic Development

A successful athlete needs to train to improve a wide-range of skills necessary for their respective sport. Discus throwers, for example, need to develop a number of athletic characteristics, including muscular hypertrophy, power, speed, and maximum strength.

Whenever you have several different training objectives, you are faced with two main options for how to organize your time:

Simultaneous Organization: Working on every essential characteristic every week, and possibly during every workout.
Sequential Organization: Working on one training outcome at a time. For example, spending several weeks or months working on strength then switching to work on speed.

Both approaches have distinct pros and cons. The benefit of the simultaneous method is obvious as you’re always focusing on the things that need work. The downside of this strategy is the risk of becoming a “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Your time and energy have limits, and the development of some adaptations, like aerobic endurance, can hamper your efforts to develop others, like maximum strength.

Sequential organization, on the other hand, fixes the “Jack of all trades” issue, but at a cost. Spending long periods of time working on one training goal means that you’re neglecting others. If you spend all of your time and energy working on maximum strength, what’s going to happen to your speed, power, and muscle mass?

That last question exemplifies the case against linear planning, and it’s exactly why I used to criticize it as a training strategy. But I was wrong, and here’s why.

Phase Sequencing for Potentiation

First, the development of certain fitness adaptations actually serves to enhance the development of others. Dr. Mike Israetel refers to this concept as “phase potentiation.” A common example of this idea is to do a 6-week strength phase after a 6-week hypertrophy phase. The hypertrophy phase will thicken your muscle fibers and the strength phase will teach them how to contract with great force. Thickening your muscle fibers first through relatively high volume will help you get more out of the subsequent training phases where intensity will take precedence over volume.

For the hypothetical discus thrower, his training phases would be organized in the following order:

Hypertrophy
Maximum Strength
Power
Speed

In this example, the development that takes place in each phase potentiates what will occur in the subsequent phase. Cool, huh?

Second, you don’t necessarily lose previous training adaptations every time you switch to a new phase of training. For instance, if you were to follow a hypertrophy phase with a strength phase, you’d think the result would be a loss in muscle mass from the significant reduction in volume that takes place during a strength block. To some extent this is true, but not in the time frame we’re talking about.

Sure, if you only did sets of 3-5 reps for a year, you’d lose some muscle. But during the length of a typical strength block (4-8 weeks), the reduced volume of training would be enough to maintain your current levels of muscle mass while you focused on strength development.

When you’re focusing on one adaptation, you likely won’t improve the others, but you will be able to maintain them.

The same concept applies when you’re working on multiple weaknesses through simultaneous organization. For any given phase, you’ll be developing one trait while simply maintaining the others. You can maintain a specific fitness attribute for prolonged periods of time relative to how long it took to develop.

Changing the focus of your work doesn’t mean you’ll automatically lose all the adaptation you made in the previous phase.

Practical Takeaways

The amount of time you spend in each phase depends on your unique situation. If you have a lot of muscle but aren’t as strong as you look, do (relatively) longer strength phases (typically 3-6 reps per set) and shorter hypertrophy phases (typically 8-15 reps per set). If the size of your muscles doesn’t do your strength justice, do the opposite. Another thing to consider is your goal for each phase of training. Perhaps you stay in a strength block until your bench moves up fifteen pounds before switching to hypertrophy.

Endurance and mobility are also factors to take into account. Mobility work won’t have a negative on your efforts to get bigger or stronger, and may even help. Mobility can be done immediately preceding, during, and after strength work, but as a rule of thumb, avoid prolonged static stretching right before strength training.

Try to do most of your conditioning as far away from your weight training workouts as possible. Pair aerobic development with your hypertrophy phases, and do most of your anaerobic work in strength blocks.

If you’ve got lingering questions about this concept, let me hear from you in the comments below.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 49,930lb (Last Week: 103, 280lb)

Significant Lifts:

High Bar Squat: 255lb x 8
Deadlift: 405lb x 5
Dumbbell Bench Press: 190lb x 8

Sometimes deload weeks are planned, and other times they impose themselves on you. This week was an example of the latter. Some unexpected events popped up that cut into my training and I only logged two sessions.

That being the case, I’ll be initiating a five-week strength phase next week, with some exercise changes including low-bar back squats, standard deadlifts, and paused competition bench, among others. With any luck, I should have some new PR videos over the coming weeks. Now don’t make me come over there — get back to work.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Bodyweight: 198lb

Volume: 31,185lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 35lb × 10
Set 3: 53lb × 10

High-Bar Back Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 3
Set 5: 225lb × 8
Set 6: 245lb × 8
Set 7: 255lb × 8
Set 8: 225lb × 8

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 225lb × 5
Set 3: 275lb × 5
Set 4: 315lb × 5

Leg Press

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 270lb × 8
Set 4: 360lb × 8
Set 5: 410lb × 8

Standing Calf Raise

Set 1: 200lb × 8
Set 2: 200lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8

Friday, April 29, 2016

Bodyweight: 198lb

Volume: 18,745lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 10lb × 10
Set 3: 10lb × 10

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 275lb × 5
Set 5: 315lb × 5
Set 6: 365lb × 3
Set 7: 405lb × 5 (Video Below)

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 190lb × 8

Pull Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 5 reps
Set 3: 5 reps

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

More on Styles of Periodization:

Block Periodization Versus Linear Periodization: Which Is Better?
A Simple Guide to Periodization for Strength Training
5 Basic Training Principles You Need to Revisit
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Jeff Nguyen / CrossFit Empirical.

The post How I Was Wrong About Linear Periodization appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

There’s Nothing Fancy About Getting Fitter

Charles Staley — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 09:00:00 +0000

The overwhelming majority of us want to be leaner and stronger. Strength may take precedence for some, and body composition may be more important to others, but we all want a combination of the two.

This is obvious with athletes like competitive powerlifters and weightlifters, who need to be strong and lean to meet their sport-specific performance goals. But it’s just as true for everybody else. Grandparents want to keep their blood sugar under control and have more energy to play with their grandkids. Many people want to feel better about what they see in the mirror. Maybe you’re trying to lose weight for your wedding, or struggling with low back pain.

All of these goals boil down to becoming leaner and stronger. As a bonus, when you focus on those two simple goals, other training objectives like improved mobility, agility, endurance, and injury prevention fall into place.

Whatever your performance or aesthetic goals may be, they boil down to two things: get strong, and get lean.

Simple Goals, Simple Methods

Last week, I questioned the validity of five commonly-performed exercises in gyms today, namely planks, stability work, ropes, tire flipping, and box jumps. While all five of those drills might be helpful in the right context, in the vast majority of cases, there are better choices relative to the two goals that almost all of us share.

When it comes to making the most of your efforts in the gym, forget the hacks. These are the tried-and-true ways to get lean and strong.

Lift Weights: Get off the BOSU ball and stop letting your lifting partner assist you to complete the last few inches of a rep. Lifting weights is about you and the bar. Focus on proven, multi-joint, large range-of-motion movements like squats, rows, deadlifts, presses, pull ups, and leg presses.
Do Cardio: Don’t get too hung up on the type of cardio you choose. Just pick an exercise that is the least obnoxious to you. Walking, jogging, rowing, cycling, swimming, skating, and hiking are all good options. Variety helps motivation and reduces the likelihood of injury, so switch things up from time-to-time. HIIT or sprint-style cardio is useful as well, but keep in mind that this type of work is fueled by the same energy reserves as your lifting sessions, so proceed with caution.
Get a Handle on Your Diet: Make sure you’re ingesting an appropriate number of calories per day, and focus your attention on macronutrient ratios. Get these two basics in check and your diet will begin to fall into place to support your training and body composition goals.

Don’t Get Caught Up in Complication

These three recommendations reflect how bodybuilders trained and ate back in the 1960’s and 70’s. The lesson here is that success always leaves clues. We’ve had these methods figured out for decades. But people always look for the latest trend to replace good old fashioned hard work, like training masks, Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP), or If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM).

When it comes to our training goals, our commonalities greatly outweigh our differences. Despite what you’ve been told, you likely don’t need more core stability, postural integration, corrective exercise, or “flow.” You probably just need less fat and more strength. I know I do.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 103,280lb (Last Week: 96,988lb)

Significant Lifts:

High Bar Squat: 250lbx8
4” Block Pull: 430lbx10
Bench Press: 205lbx9

This was a strong training week, with a few PR’s and near-PR’s. My bodyweight is continuing to drop slowly, which makes these personal bests even more gratifying. My orthopedic health is holding up pretty well, and my only recent complaint is a bit of left elbow irritation.

I have two more weeks of higher reps (including a one-week deload, which can’t come soon enough), and then I will drop down to sets of 3-5 for several weeks. I hope to hit some new PR’s in that rep bracket.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Bodyweight: 197.6lb

Volume: 31,365lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 53lb × 10
Set 3: 53lb × 10

High Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 3
Set 5: 225lb × 8
Set 6: 245lb × 8
Set 7: 250lb × 8
Set 8: 230lb × 8

Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 225lb × 5
Set 3: 275lb × 5
Set 4: 315lb × 5

Leg Press

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 270lb × 8
Set 4: 360lb × 8
Set 5: 410lb × 8

Standing Calf Raise

Set 1: 200lb × 8
Set 2: 200lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.4lb

Volume: 13,960lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 170lb × 8
Set 4: 180lb × 8
Set 5: 190lb × 8

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8

Military Press

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 85lb × 8
Set 4: 85lb × 8

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 50lb × 8
Set 2: 60lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.6lb

Volume: 34,806lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 10lb × 10
Set 3: 10lb × 10

4″ Block Pull

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 185lb × 8
Set 3: 225lb × 8
Set 4: 315lb × 8
Set 5: 365lb × 8
Set 6: 405lb × 8
Set 7: 430lb × 10 (Video Below)

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 210lb × 8
Set 5: 210lb × 8

Back Extension

Set 1: +150lb × 8
Set 2: +150lb × 8
Set 3: +150lb × 8

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 90lb × 8
Set 3: 90lb × 8

Friday, April 22, 2016

Bodyweight: 198lb

Volume: 23,149lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 175lb × 4
Set 5: 195lb × 8
Set 6: 205lb × 9
Set 7: 205lb × 8
Set 8: 195lb × 8

Close Grip Bench Press

Set 1: 155lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 8
Set 3: 170lb × 8

Chin Up

Set 1: 1 reps
Set 2: 2 reps
Set 3: 3 reps
Set 4: 4 reps
Set 5: 5 reps
Set 6: 6 reps
Set 7: 7 reps

Incline Dumbbell Press

Set 1: 100lb × 8
Set 2: 130lb × 8
Set 3: 130lb × 8

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 75lb × 8

More Articles to Cut Through the Nonsense:

Are You Working Hard Enough to Succeed?
Your Diet Needs a Reality Check
Is Perfectionism Holding Your Training Back?
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Jeff Nguyen / CrossFit Empirical.

The post There’s Nothing Fancy About Getting Fitter appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

5 Ways You’re Wasting Your Time in the Gym

Charles Staley — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Trigger Warning: I’m feeling cranky today. Below are my five favorite wastes of time in the gym. Mistaking pain for progress is the common cognitive error behind all five of these unfortunate exercise choices.

If you currently use any of these questionable moves, don’t close the page. Instead, let me know why I’m wrong in the comments section below. Hey, you might change my mind, but I doubt it.

Planks are really good for making you better at… planks.

1. Planks

If your primary goal is improved strength or body composition, almost anything else you do in the gym, including the remaining four exercises on this list, would better serve you than planks. The main problem with planks is that they are a static exercise. The absence of movement means you’ll experience dismal payoff for getting stronger, leaner, or more muscular. Basically, you’ll just get better at doing planks.

Try This Instead: To train your abs and improve your core stability, focus on exercises like stir the pot, Pallof presses, one-arm farmer’s carries, and toes to bar. These drills are more dynamic and have greater carryover into real life.

2. Anything Done on a BOSU or Other Unstable Surface

Training on unstable surfaces may be hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s productive.

To develop significant muscular tension for building muscle and strength, you must push (or pull) from a stable platform. The more stable your working surface, the more weight you can lift, which equals more muscular tension and better results. You will develop more leg strength from heavy back squats than you would squatting while standing on a stability ball, which is incredibly dangerous while under load.

Try This Instead: Forget the circus-trick exercises and stick to the classics. The most muscular men and women throughout history achieved their strength through the tried-and-true standards: presses, rows, dips, pull ups, squats, and deadlifts.

3. Flipping Tires

Unless you’re a strongman competitor, stop flipping tires. Flipping tires might feel badass, but most people inevitably pick the wrong size tire. They either pick one that is too light to force any significant adaptation, or one that is too heavy and beyond their ability. If you flip an appropriately-weighted tire with skill, you’ll get a reasonable conditioning effect, but it’s not a great move to build muscle or strength.

Try This Instead: Pushing sleds are safe and effective conditioning tools. Lifting weights is king for building strength and mass, but if you want anaerobic conditioning that won’t beat you up, choose a sled over a tire every time.

4. Box Jumps

Box jumps are fun, and if that’s all you’re looking to get out of them, don’t let me spoil the party. But box jumps are only useful as a power test, not an exercise. And they are a less effective way to test power than standing long jumps. Box jumps inevitably evolve into a test of hip mobility rather than jumping power.

Try This Instead: A better way to box jump is to purposefully limit the depth of your landing squat to no more than a 90-degree angle. Strive to land softly and quietly, and of course, don’t miss. The skin on your shins will thank you.

High box jumps inevitably devolve into a test of hip mobility, rather than power. Standing broad jumps are a better test.

5. Ropes

I’m not against rope drills in general. John Brookfield’s Battling Ropes> certification course was one of the most grueling things I’ve ever done, and I came out of that weekend with a healthy respect for the ropes.

However, whenever you see anyone using the ropes, they never use remotely enough intensity to make the exercise productive. Slamming the ropes with half-ass intensity could be a decent warm up, but why settle for decent when you could be doing something that’s actually useful?

Try This Instead: Unless you’re going to attack the ropes with maximum intensity for one-minute rounds, skip them altogether. There are many better options for conditioning like sled drags, heavy swings, rowing, and barbell circuits.

Are All These Exercises Really That Bad?

I can think of even worse exercises, but I’m giving you enough credit to assume you’re not doing them. If you do any or all of these drills on occasion for a change of pace, that’s totally fine. But if any of these moves are staples in your training, I’d urge you to reconsider.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 96,988lb (Last Week: 96,892lb)

Significant Lifts:

High bar squat: 225lbx8
Bench press: 205lbx8
4″ block pull: 405lbx7

This week, I managed to exceed my recent bests on my key lifts and stayed injury-free throughout the process. One issue I ran into was pectoral cramps during deadlifts. That makes no sense at all, except that I’ve been benching heavy on Wednesdays, and then pulling heavy the following day. This is the second week that I had to stop my pulls due to cramping, so I’ve decided to place my light upper body day with my heavy day.

Aside from that, I’ve tightened up my nutrition quite a bit after several weeks of sloppy macros. I tend to overeat carbs and fats, and undereat protein. However, for the past two weeks, I’ve been hitting 1g/lb bodyweight protein, and have been keeping fats at about 75g/day. I already notice a difference in my physique, and my food cravings have dissipated quite a bit. If you’re trying to lose unwanted body fat and struggle with food cravings, up your protein and watch what happens.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Bodyweight: 199lb

Volume: 31,250lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 32lb × 10
Set 3: 53lb × 10

High Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 3
Set 5: 215lb × 8
Set 6: 225lb × 8
Set 7: 225lb × 8
Set 8: 225lb × 8

Leg Press

Set 1: 180lb × 8
Set 2: 270lb × 8
Set 3: 360lb × 8
Set 4: 360lb × 8
Set 5: 90lb × 8

4″ Block Pull

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 225lb × 5
Set 3: 315lb × 5
Set 4: 335lb × 5

Standing Calf Raise

Set 1: 200lb × 8
Set 2: 200lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.4lb

Volume: 22,320lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 175lb × 4
Set 5: 195lb × 8
Set 6: 205lb × 8
Set 7: 205lb × 7
Set 8: 195lb × 8

Close Grip Bench Press (Pinkies On Rings)

Set 1: 155lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 6
Set 3: 165lb × 8

Chin Up

Set 1: 1 reps
Set 2: 2 reps
Set 3: 3 reps
Set 4: 4 reps
Set 5: 5 reps
Set 6: 6 reps
Set 7: 7 reps

Incline Dumbbell Press

Set 1: 100lb × 8
Set 2: 130lb × 8
Set 3: 140lb × 7

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 75lb × 8

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.8lb

Volume: 33,516lb

4″ Block Pull

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 185lb × 8
Set 3: 225lb × 8
Set 4: 315lb × 8
Set 5: 365lb × 8
Set 6: 405lb × 6
Set 7: 405lb × 7

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 200lb × 8
Set 5: 200lb × 8

Back Extension

Set 1: +150lb × 8
Set 2: +150lb × 8
Set 3: +150lb × 8

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 90lb × 8
Set 3: 90lb × 8
Set 4: 90lb × 8
Set 5: 90lb × 8

Friday, April 15, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.8lb

Volume: 9,902lb

Slingshot Bench

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 8
Set 4: 185lb × 8
Set 5: 205lb × 2

Military Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 65lb × 10
Set 3: 85lb × 10

Chin Up

Set 1: 1 reps
Set 2: 2 reps
Set 3: 3 reps
Set 4: 4 reps
Set 5: 5 reps

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 50lb × 8
Set 2: 60lb × 8

More Ways to Avoid Wasted Gym Time:

The Truth About Abdominal Training and Body Fat
How to Trim the Fat Off Your Warm Up Routine
The Real Way to Train Your Stabilizers (NOT 3 Sets of 10)
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Teaser photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 1 courtesy of Brandon Hofer / Breaking Muscle.

Photo 2 courtesy of CrossFit Impulse.

The post 5 Ways You’re Wasting Your Time in the Gym appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Microcycle Programming: Organize Your Training Week

Charles Staley — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 09:00:00 +0000

What’s the best way to organize your training week: Whole-body workouts or upper-lower splits? The training week is one of the smallest functional units of training, often called a “microcycle.” Individual workouts are the absolute smallest units. How you organize those units has a significant impact on your overall training success. If you know how to do it effectively, you’ll be well on the road to success.

Attention to detail in how you program day-to-day can pay huge dividends over a whole training cycle.

Construction of a Microcycle

A key element to constructing effective microcycles is understanding and respecting the individual recovery curves of the various exercises in your plan. You want to do as much work as possible in one week, while providing adequate time for recovery. You also want to represent all areas of the body and/or movement patterns equally and with minimal redundancy.

The most important piece of data to take into account when designing a microcycle is your strength level. Your strength for any given muscle (or lift) determines how often it needs to be trained. This dictates to a large degree what your training week will look like.

If your maximum bench press is 250lb, you could and should include exercises for that lift about three days a week. This will provide adequate time for recovery between sessions. On the other hand, someone who can bench 450lb will require more recovery time, and so might train that lift only twice a week, and one of those sessions would be fairly light.

Whole-Body vs. Upper-Lower Split Programming

Below are two sample training weeks based on strength levels. The first cycle is for a relatively weak lifter, and it employs a “whole-body” approach. The second is better suited for stronger lifters, and features an “upper/lower split” organization. As you look at these two hypothetical examples, focus on the overall patterns and don’t get caught up in the specific exercises.

This whole-body program is best suited for lifters who bench press less than 250lb, squat less than 300lb, or deadlift less than 350lb.

The upper-lower split is best suited for lifters who bench 275+lb, squat 350+lb, and/or deadlift 400+lb.

If you don’t fit squarely into either of these categories, organize your training week according to your level of strength and required recovery time. If you’re weaker than those who qualify for the whole-body plan, you can likely tolerate more volume, so you would do whole-body workouts four days a week instead of three. If you’re stronger than those who qualify for the upper-lower split, space your sessions out a bit more to allow full recovery between sessions.

I hope this helps eliminate some confusion about this common question. If not, I’d love to hear your questions and comments below!

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 96,892lb

Significant Lifts:

Squat: 215 x 8
Bench Press: 195 x 8
4” Block Pull: 395 x 8

Sorry I missed you all last week; I was sick and only managed a single workout. This week, I’m starting a new training cycle with 8 target reps per set. I’ve added a few new exercises and carried some over from the previous cycle. I’ll run these higher reps for a total of five weeks, and then transition to a strength phase, since I haven’t done any low-rep training in a while.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Bodyweight: 198.6lb

Volume: 27,895lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 10lb × 10
Set 2: 25lb × 10
Set 3: 55lb × 10

High Bar Squat

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 2
Set 5: 215lb × 8
Set 6: 215lb × 7
Set 7: 215lb × 8
Set 8: 215lb × 8

2.5″ Deficit Pull

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 275lb × 2
Set 5: 275lb × 3

Leg Press

Set 1: 180lb × 8
Set 2: 270lb × 8
Set 3: 340lb × 8
Set 4: 340lb × 8

Standing Calf Raise

Set 1: 200lb × 8
Set 2: 200lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Bodyweight: 199.2lb

Volume: 21,063lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 175lb × 4
Set 5: 195lb × 8
Set 6: 195lb × 8
Set 7: 195lb × 8
Set 8: 195lb × 8

Close Grip Bench Press

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 155lb × 8
Set 3: 165lb × 8

Chin Up

Set 1: 1 reps
Set 2: 2 reps
Set 3: 3 reps
Set 4: 4 reps
Set 5: 5 reps
Set 6: 6 reps

Incline Dumbbell Press

Set 1: 100lb × 8
Set 2: 130lb × 8
Set 3: 130lb × 8

EZ Bar Curl

Set 1: 45lb × 8
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 65lb × 8

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Bodyweight: 200.2lb

Volume: 31,404lb

4″ Block Pull

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 185lb × 8
Set 3: 225lb × 8
Set 4: 315lb × 8
Set 5: 365lb × 8
Set 6: 385lb × 8
Set 7: 395lb × 8 (Video Below)

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 180lb × 8

Back Extension

Set 1: +140lb × 8
Set 2: +140lb × 8
Set 3: +140lb × 8

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 90lb × 8
Set 3: 90lb × 8

Friday, April 8, 2016

Bodyweight: 199lb

Volume: 16,530lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 150lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 180lb × 8

Military Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 65lb × 8
Set 3: 85lb × 8
Set 4: 95lb × 8

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8

Tricep Pushdowns

Set 1: 150lb × 8
Set 2: 150lb × 8
Set 3: 150lb × 8

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

More Tips on Effective Programming:

Periodize Focus, Not Just Intensity
Size, Strength, or Power? A Training Method Primer
The 4 Phases of a Solid Strength Program
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Strength Education:

The post Microcycle Programming: Organize Your Training Week appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Learn the Rules, Then Break Them

Charles Staley — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 09:00:00 +0000

When you set out to improve yourself in the physical realm, it’s easy to get pigeonholed or fixated on the hundreds of rules, programs, and philosophies that exist in the fitness world.

Be wary of them all.

The rules can be great for general guidance or inspiration, but they are no substitute for your own experience. Create your own unique ideal that works for you, even if you’re the first person to do so. In fact, especially if you’re the first.

It’s easy to get lost in all the fitness rules and advice out there. But the real question is, what works for you?

Become a Fitness Heretic

According to various sources, these are the sacred rules of fitness that should never be broken. But if you’re to find what will work for you in the long haul, you’re going to have to break some or all of them:

Powerlifters should be as big as possible, even if much of that size is fat.

Women should be lithe and willowy, not big and muscular.

Guys should be big and jacked.

You should focus on a single sport or activity, and get as good as possible at it.

Everyone needs to stretch, lift weights, and eat clean.

Competitive sport is for the young.

It’s impossible to have great strength, endurance, and mobility at the same time.

Everything in moderation.

Go big or go home.

Those who can’t play, coach.

You should eat 5-6 small meals per day.

Amputees can’t lift weights.

Vegans don’t get enough protein to be great strength athletes.

I need a local coach who can work with me in person.

“That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

None of these rules are inherently bad. For the most part, they reflect the middle of the bell curve, and as such, can serve as convenient “crib notes” for success. The problem arises when we take these conventions too literally and allow them to rigidly define our own behaviors, habits, and choices.

Athletes Who Shatter the Mold

While the advice listed above may be helpful to some extent, there are a whole lot of people who don’t follow any of it. And they aren’t just average Joes. Some of the athletes breaking the rules of fitness are names you may recognize:

Alex Viada performs at a very high level in ultra-endurance events as well as strength sports.
Sophie Arvebrink carries a lot of muscle, and makes no apologies for it.
Dr. Mike Israetel is passionate and successful in both jiu jitsu and bodybuilding.
Dan Green and Layne Norton are super-lean powerlifters.
Sohee Lee recently prepped for (and won) a bikini competition while eating a Snickers bar every day.
Greg O’Gallagher built a great physique and impressive strength levels while intermittent fasting.
My friend and client Gene Lawrence took up competitive powerlifting in his late 60’s and is now the most decorated masters powerlifter of all time.

These days, it’s not uncommon for single and double-amputees to compete in a wide-range of sports. The number of vegan, high-level competitive athletes totally debunks the rule that protein needs to come from an animal. Twenty years ago it would have been unheard of to see athletes compete in both physique sports and powerlifting. Today, there are many who find success in both.

I’m sure you can think of other trendsetters and rule-breakers who had the imagination and creativity to challenge the status quo. Tell me about them in the comments section below. Follow their lead. Make fitness work for you, rather than vice versa.

Competition is for the young? Don’t tell that to Gene Lawrence.

Define Your Own Athletic Success

One rule that nearly all of us follow, consciously or otherwise, is that the main reason to pursue an activity is to be successful at it. And while “success” is usually a lot more fun than the alternative, consider pursuing an activity based on what you might learn, or how you might improve from it.

If you’re a super-tight powerlifter, consider taking a yoga class. Conversely, if you’re an experienced yogi, consider getting under a heavy barbell from time to time. Do these things not because you’ll ever be great at them, but because they might make you better at what you love to do.

I hope this discussion opens up some new possibilities for you. If it has, please don’t keep it a secret; I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 87,520lb (Last Week: 96,090lb)

Significant Lifts:

Bench Press: 200lb (3×10)
Trap Bar Deadlift: 365lb x 8
Dumbbell Bench Press: 200lb x 7

This was my fourth (and heaviest) week of a 5-week hypertrophy cycle. Next week is a deload. I’m happy with some of my high-rep PR’s this month and I’ll continue to build on those numbers during the next cycle. Physically, I’m noticing a bit of new growth in my quads and calves, so I’ll continue to work on those areas over the next 5-6 weeks.

Thanks all! Get out there out and break a few rules this week!

Monday, March 21, 2016

Bodyweight: 200.8lb

Volume: 26,270lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 25lb × 10
Set 2: 40lb × 10
Set 3: 53lb × 10

Safety Squat

Set 1: 65lb × 10
Set 2: 115lb × 6
Set 3: 155lb × 2
Set 4: 175lb × 10
Set 5: 175lb × 10
Set 6: 175lb × 10
Set 7: 175lb × 10

Leg Press

Set 1: 180lb × 8
Set 2: 270lb × 6
Set 3: 320lb × 2
Set 4: 370lb × 8
Set 5: 370lb × 8
Set 6: 90lb × 8

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 315lb × 5

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 90lb × 10
Set 2: 90lb × 10

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Bodyweight: 199.4lb

Volume: 23,550lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 185lb × 2
Set 5: 200lb × 10
Set 6: 200lb × 10
Set 7: 200lb × 10
Set 8: 200lb × 8

Chin Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: +30lb × 5
Set 3: +30lb × 6

Hammer Iso-Lateral Incline Press

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 160lb × 8
Set 3: 160lb × 8
Set 4: 160lb × 6

Hammer Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press

Set 1: 50lb × 8
Set 2: 100lb × 8
Set 3: 100lb × 8
Set 4: 100lb × 8

Dual Cable Low Cable Curl

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 100lb × 10
Set 3: 100lb × 10

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Bodyweight: 199.2lb

Volume: 26,300lb

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 135lb × 10
Set 3: 185lb × 8
Set 4: 225lb × 6
Set 5: 275lb × 4
Set 6: 315lb × 2
Set 7: 345lb × 8
Set 8: 365lb × 8
Set 9: 345lb × 8

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 210lb × 8
Set 4: 210lb × 8

Leg Press Calf Raise

Set 1: 180lb × 10
Set 2: 180lb × 10
Set 3: 180lb × 10

Friday, March 25, 2016

Bodyweight: 200.2lb

Volume: 11,400lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 170lb × 8
Set 4: 190lb × 8
Set 5: 200lb × 7 (Video Below )

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8

More on Fitness Rule-Breaking:

Is Your Sport Killing Your Athletic Potential?
Be Your Own Expert: What We Can Learn From Fitness Gurus
Rich Froning Is Not the Fittest Man in History
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

Photo 2 courtesy of Charles Staley.

The post Learn the Rules, Then Break Them appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Bulky Is a Lie: Why Women Need to Lift Weights

Charles Staley — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Many women fear they will become too muscular as a result of strength training. While this fear is on the decline, you might be surprised how common it still is. Unfortunately, many high profile “celeb” trainers perpetuate the misinformation.

Trainers such as Tracy Anderson warn that lifting anything heavier than 3lb dumbbells will cause the following problems (these are verbatim quotes):

“The stronger one muscle gets, the more it shuts up all the other things.”

“As you age, the stronger you make your bicep, the worse your skin (under your arm) is going to sag. You can’t ever get to it because the bicep is too overbearing.”

“It’s like your muscles get in an abusive relationship with themselves. The strong ones say ‘go to sleep’ to the smaller ones.”

I’m not sure if Anderson makes comments like this because she’s uneducated, because she’s a charlatan, or some combination of both. The end result is that the consumer becomes disempowered, and her followers are no closer to their goals by following her advice.

Anderson’s statements and methods aren’t just outdated; they’re absolute nonsense.

Some celebrity “trainers” would say this athlete will get too bulky from lifting weights. Doesn’t seem to be the case.

“What if I Get Too Big?”

What follows is a conversation between me and Lisa, a hypothetical, 39-year-old prospective client. If you’re a female who’s new to strength training, I think you’ll find clarity in this conversation. If you’re a trainer who works with beginner females, I think you’ll find this useful as well.

Me: “So Lisa, I want you to think back to when you were in the best shape of your life. How old were you then?”

Lisa: “Mmm, let’s see, probably when I was nineteen. I was doing track in college and was really happy with how I looked. I’d love to get back in that kind of shape.”

Me: “The reason I asked was to point out something that you might not have considered. The reason you were in your best shape ever at nineteen is because that’s when you had the most muscle. As we age, for a whole lot of reasons, we tend to lose muscle. Muscle is a big driver of metabolism, so losing it sets up a negative cycle. You lose muscle, which causes a drop in metabolism, which causes you to gain body fat, which further lowers your activity levels, which causes more muscle loss, and so on and so forth.”

Lisa: “Interesting. You’re right, that would have never occurred to me.”

Me: “What I do with clients is to help them interrupt this vicious cycle, and I happen to be partial to strength training.”

Lisa: “You mean like lifting weights? I never wanted to lift weights because I don’t want to be all bulky. I actually want to be smaller, not bigger. I’d really like to sculpt…”

Me: “Here’s the deal: there really is no such thing as toning, or sculpting, or contouring. Muscles can get bigger through training, or smaller through disuse. That’s it. A lot of trainers won’t tell you that because they think their female clients will become disinterested and leave.

That’s why I started off by asking you when you were in your best shape ever. I wanted to provide you with a different context with which to view muscle. We’re not trying to “gain muscle,” per se. We’re just trying to re-establish the level of muscle you had when you were nineteen. When we’ve achieved that, you’ll have a faster metabolism, which means you’ll be leaner, which is your ultimate goal.”

Brooke Ence developed her physique with a very specific diet, and training at a volume and intensity most people can’t contemplate.

Lisa: “Okay, but what if I do get too big? Maybe I’m an outlier or something.”

Me: “Well I’ll tell you something: there are no women who feel they have too much muscle. None.”

Lisa: “Come on… What do you mean?”

Me: “Any muscle you do gain happens very slowly, and if at any point you feel you’re getting too muscular, all you have to do is reduce your training, or maybe even discontinue it temporarily until you lose it. Muscle isn’t permanent, believe me, It’s much easier to lose than it is to gain.”

Lisa: “Okay, that makes sense. I guess I was concerned because I always see these super-bulky chicks on magazine covers, and there no way I want to look like that.”

Me: “Yup, I totally get it. The thing to keep in mind is that the media promotes the most extreme examples, not the typical. And most of the super muscular women were kinda that way to start with, so when they started bodybuilding or powerlifting or whatever, they happened into an activity that they were good at and where they didn’t feel like a freak for being bigger than typical women.

Think of it this way. When you watch NBA basketball players, those guys aren’t tall because they play basketball. They’re good at basketball because they’re so tall. Make sense?”

Lisa: “Yup totally. But is lifting totally necessary?”

Me: “Nope, not at all. It just happens to be something I’m very passionate about. By the way, lots of women whose aesthetics you admire are big-time lifters. Figure skaters, volleyball players, dancers; many or all of them do weight training as part of their sport. But if you end up not liking weight training, there are many roads to Rome, and the main thing is to find safe, effective activities that resonate with you.

Tell you what, though. How about you give me a month, and I’m betting I can win you over. Deal?”

Chances are, the best shape you’ve ever been in was also when you had the most muscle.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 96,090lb (Last Week: 97,256lb)

Significant Lifts:

Safety Squat: 175lb x 10
Bench Press: 195lb x 10
Trap Bar Deadlift: 340lb x 10

I have no real changes to report from last week. Which, when you think about it, is how training really ought to be: smooth, predictable, and unremarkable. I often quip that the training of novices is often characterized by its drama, unpredictability, and brevity, so I’m glad my own efforts in the gym seem to be pretty much the opposite of that.

I’m looking at doing a powerlifting meet on October 15th, at the Phoenix Europa Fitness Expo. I’ll keep you in the loop as things develop. Thanks for dropping by, and as always comments and questions are appreciated!

Monday, March 14, 2016

Bodyweight: 201.6lb

Volume: 30,510lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 35lb × 10
Set 2: 35lb × 10
Set 3: 35lb × 10

Safety Squat

Set 1: 65lb × 10
Set 2: 115lb × 6
Set 3: 155lb × 2
Set 4: 175lb × 10
Set 5: 175lb × 10
Set 6: 175lb × 10
Set 7: 175lb × 10

Leg Press

Set 1: 90lb × 10
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 270lb × 6
Set 4: 360lb × 10
Set 5: 360lb × 10

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 275lb × 2
Set 5: 300lb × 5
Set 6: 300lb × 5

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 90lb × 10
Set 2: 90lb × 10
Set 3: 90lb × 10

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Bodyweight: 199lb

Volume: 24,395lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 175lb × 4
Set 5: 195lb × 10
Set 6: 195lb × 10
Set 7: 195lb × 10
Set 8: 195lb × 8

Chin Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: +25lb × 5
Set 3: +25lb × 5
Set 4: +25lb × 5

Hammer Iso-Lateral Incline press

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 155lb × 8
Set 3: 155lb × 8
Set 4: 155lb × 6

Hammer Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press

Set 1: 50lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 95lb × 8
Set 4: 95lb × 8

Dual Cable Low Cable Curl

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 100lb × 10
Set 3: 100lb × 10

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Bodyweight: 200lb

Volume: 26,405lb

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 245lb × 5
Set 4: 295lb × 3
Set 5: 340lb × 9
Set 6: 340lb × 10
Set 7: 340lb × 10

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 205lb × 8
Set 4: 205lb × 8
Set 5: 205lb × 8

Leg Press Calf Raise

Set 1: 180lb × 10
Set 2: 180lb × 10
Set 3: 180lb × 10

Friday, March 18, 2016

Bodyweight: 199.4lb

Volume: 14,780lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 170lb × 8
Set 4: 190lb × 8
Set 5: 190lb × 8

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8

Chest Press Machine

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 60lb × 8

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 10

More on the Myths About Women and Weights

2 Myths About Women and Weight Lifting Debunked
Women and Weightlifting (And How I Fell In Love)
Why I’m Not Giving Up My Muscles for Anyone
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photos 1 and 3 courtesy of Crossfit Empirical.

Photo 2 courtesy of CrossFit.

The post Bulky Is a Lie: Why Women Need to Lift Weights appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Don’t Let Your Wants Obscure Your Needs

Charles Staley — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 09:00:00 +0000

Imagine a scenario where you knew with absolute certainly the health and fitness outcome that would bring you deep happiness and satisfaction. Imagine that you knew precisely what training process would lead to that goal. Imagine you knew every movement, rep and set required; the exact proportions of strength, mobility, and endurance work; the optimal frequency of training.

What a nice dream that is. In reality, most of us aren’t clear about what outcomes would bring happiness in the first place, nor do we have confidence in the training procedure needed to bring us to that goal. Usually we just make our best guess: “This squat program might be just what I need to squat 500 pounds,” or “Wow, I just listened to this fitness guru and I’m totally convinced that his nutritional recommendations are exactly what I need to get to my goals.”

If you could somehow know the optimal path to your goal, and then compare it with your current behaviors, I wonder how close your training process would be to the perfect training needed to reach your goal? In your life, how far does “actual” deviate from “optimal?”

Your optimal training plan would likely include a whole lot of things you don’t enjoy.

What Comes Easy Is Not What You Need

We all harbor a behavioral flaw that leads us away from the perfect path: we are unable to recognize and reconcile our needs with our wants. None of us do purely what’s best for us in the long term. Instead, we choose to satisfy wants masquerading as needs.

You might be a 110lb woman who loves to run, probably because it comes easy for you. You feel the need to run a number of times a week. You crave it. But you don’t do any resistance training, because you’re not so good at it. Strength training would contribute to your goals, but you’ve convinced yourself that running isn’t simply what you love, it’s what you need.

You’ve deluded yourself into thinking what you need and what you love are one and the same.

We all engage in this self-delusion. We take the thing we’re best at, whether it’s lifting weights, yoga, or martial arts, and we build our whole worldview around it. By doing this, we absolve ourselves of doing the things we need to do but don’t love doing. We’ve created a fantasy where we’re already doing the thing we need to do most. We just happen to also love doing that thing!

But this fantasy is never the case. If you had that secret knowledge we spoke of earlier and the perfect training plan was suddenly revealed for you, it turns out you’d love some aspects of it, but you’d likely hate large parts of it. Training, by its very nature, requires you to work on aspects of yourself that are poorly developed.

Ignoring Weaknesses Inhibits Progress

We all enjoy the things that come easy to us, and tend to subconsciously emphasize those things in our training. The problem is, if we don’t tend to our physical shortcomings, in time they’ll become the governor of our overall progress. No one gets a free pass.

Doing only the things you love is not enough to create progress. While I think you can and should enjoy your strengths, you must also tend to your weaknesses. Go ahead and enjoy your dessert, but not before you’ve eaten your vegetables. Enjoy the physical prowess you’ve developed over the years, but don’t let your weakest links go unattended. If you do, they’ll bite you in the ass eventually.

I hope this discussion leads to some introspection on your part, and if it does, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 97,256lb (Last Week: 97,129lb)

This is the second week of what I expect to be a four-week phase. I’ll continue to ramp up my training loads for four weeks, then take a one-week deload. I haven’t done much in the way of non-lifting related activities this week. That doesn’t mean I’m dismissing them, it’s just a reflection of limited time and energy.

I’m feeling quite healthy so far this year. Aside from a bit of generalized morning stiffness, I have no orthopedic complaints whatsoever. Strength levels are also very good. This week I hit a 10RM PR on the trap bar, and a pretty casual 10 reps with 90lb dumbbells on the flat press. I’m also hitting record weights on the leg press and hack squat.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Bodyweight: 199.4lb

Volume: 28,515lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 30lb × 10
Set 2: 30lb × 10
Set 3: 30lb × 10

Safety Squat

Set 1: 65lb × 10
Set 2: 115lb × 6
Set 3: 155lb × 2
Set 4: 170lb × 10
Set 5: 170lb × 10
Set 6: 170lb × 10
Set 7: 170lb × 10 (Video Below)

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 5
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 245lb × 5
Set 4: 295lb × 5
Set 5: 295lb × 5

Leg Press

Set 1: 90lb × 10
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 270lb × 6
Set 4: 350lb × 10
Set 5: 350lb × 10

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 90lb × 9
Set 2: 90lb × 9
Set 3: 90lb × 9

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Bodyweight: 199.6lb

Volume: 22, 593lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 175lb × 4
Set 5: 190lb × 10
Set 6: 190lb × 9
Set 7: 190lb × 8
Set 8: 190lb × 7

Chin Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: +20lb × 6
Set 3: +20lb × 6

Hammer Iso-Lateral Incline press

Set 1: 90lb × 10
Set 2: 150lb × 8
Set 3: 150lb × 8
Set 4: 150lb × 6

Hammer Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press

Set 1: 50lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 95lb × 8
Set 4: 95lb × 8

Dual Cable Low Cable Curl

Set 1: 100lb × 8
Set 2: 100lb × 10
Set 3: 100lb × 10

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Bodyweight: 200.4lb

Volume: 31,848lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 30lb × 10
Set 2: 30lb × 10
Set 3: 30lb × 10

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 185lb × 5
Set 3: 225lb × 5
Set 4: 275lb × 5
Set 5: 315lb × 2
Set 6: 333lb × 9
Set 7: 333lb × 10
Set 8: 333lb × 10 (Video Below)

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 200lb × 8
Set 4: 200lb × 8

Leg Press Calf Raise

Set 1: 180lb × 10
Set 2: 180lb × 10
Set 3: 180lb × 10

45° Back Extension

Set 1: +140lb × 8
Set 2: +140lb × 8

Friday, March 11, 2016

Bodyweight: 200lb

Volume: 14,300lb

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 150lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8
Set 4: 180lb × 10

Seated Row

Set 1: 135lb × 8
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 180lb × 8

Chest Press Machine

Set 1: 60lb × 7
Set 2: 60lb × 8

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 60lb × 10
Set 2: 70lb × 10
Set 3: 70lb × 10

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

Set 1: 60lb × 10
Set 2: 70lb × 10
Set 3: 70lb × 10

More Reality Checks for Your Training:

The Problem Is You: Time to Face Your Weaknesses
You Are Not a Bodybuilder (So Don’t Train Like One)
4 Reasons You’re Not Getting Stronger
New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo courtesy of Jorge Huerta Photography.

The post Don’t Let Your Wants Obscure Your Needs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Specificity: It’s All About Context

Charles Staley — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000

At a recent powerlifting clinic, the presenter told the attendees that a certain exercise was “not specific to powerlifting.” What was the implication of that statement? Does it mean the exercise should be avoided?

Many experts consider specificity to be the overarching training principle that both defines and confines the remaining principles. I believe this, too. It’s important to understand what exercises have the most positive transfer to your chosen sport or goal (as I discussed in this article). At the same time, a lack of obvious specificity is not a reason to avoid an exercise altogether.

In fact, many “non-specific” drills can be enormously beneficial, as long as they are properly selected, appropriately timed in the training cycle, and performed at the optimal dose. Let’s take a look at these three criteria.

The Finer Points of Specificity

Selection: The degree of specificity, by itself, is not a useful indicator of whether or not a particular exercise will enhance performance. A better way to assess the value of any exercise is to ask whether or not that exercise helps you to address a specific training need, such as relative muscle weakness, speed-strength, postural alignment, injury-proofing, or core strength-endurance, just to name a few.

In other words, the exercises you select should be specific to your physical needs or weak areas, not necessarily the ultimate competitive goal. To use the sport of weightlifting as an example, exercises like hip thrusts, kettlebell swings, and pull ups can be good choices to improve the body’s mechanical function, even though they aren’t specific to the snatch or clean and jerk.

Timing: This is probably the most important consideration when it comes to placement of “non-specific” exercises. As a rule, the closer you get to competition day, the more specific to your ultimate competitive objective your training should be. That’s not to say that a distance runner shouldn’t be doing non-specific work like lifting weights when he’s three weeks away from a race, but it does mean he should be doing much less of it than he might do when he’s sixteen weeks away from competition.

Dose: Exercise dosage is closely tied to timing, and refers to the volume of a given exercise within a workout or training phase. During the off-season, highly specific drills are reduced to maintenance volumes while less specific, foundational attributes and skills are being developed. Conversely, non-specific drills are done less frequently in season. For instance, a cyclist in the offseason may include a large dose of single-leg strength exercises. But by the spring race season, those will have largely given way to on-bike training.

An exercise can be considered specific to you based on your needs, even if it doesn’t seem specific to your sport.

Applying the Principles of Specificity

The selection of any exercise depends on how it contributes to the goals of your current training cycle. If it targets an area of weakness that’s constraining your overall performance, it can be considered specific in the sense that it’s addressing a hole in your game.

Let’s say you are a shoulder/tricep dominant powerlifter with relatively weak pectoral muscles. By any definition, cable crossovers aren’t terribly specific to the bench press event in powerlifting. But if we apply the principles we discussed above, their specificity for you emerges:

Selection: Crossovers contribute to greater pectoral size and strength, which positively contribute to bench press performance.
Timing: This exercise would be particularly appropriate during a hypertrophy phase, which is never close to a competition.
Dose: The volume can be relatively high compared to specific bench press work during this phase.

Bottom Line: Specificity requires context. Just because something isn’t specific to your competition day goal doesn’t mean it has no utility for you.

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 97,129lb (Last Week: 68,887lb)

I’m back to high reps this week, for what I anticipate to be a five-week cycle. I’ve deliberately chosen a handful of less familiar (or totally unfamiliar) exercises for increased novelty:

Safety Squats: This movement allows me to attain the best combination of depth and upright posture of any type of squat (except perhaps goblet squats, which are difficult to load).
Leg Press: I’m maintaining my lordotic arch and spreading my knees on the descent for maximum range of motion.
Trap Bar: If you watch the video below, you’ll see I’m managing much more leg drive than I typically do on barbell pulls.
Hammer Machines: These feel uncomfortable and awkward, but also difficult, so I’m prepared to give them a fair shot for five weeks.
Machine Bench Press: Even 50lb for sets of 8 was very difficult for me. If you’ve got one of these in your gym, take it for a spin. I think you’ll be surprised.
Leg Press Calf Raise: Not liking the feel of these, to be honest, but we’ll see if I warm up to them.

Overall I felt very strong this week, and well-recovered at the end of the week. Thanks for stopping by, and if you’ve got thoughts about this week’s article, please chime in below.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Bodyweight: 202.2lb

Volume: 27,235lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 30lb × 10
Set 2: 60lb × 10
Set 3: 60lb × 10

Safety Squat

Set 1: 65lb × 10
Set 2: 115lb × 6
Set 3: 160lb × 10
Set 4: 160lb × 10
Set 5: 160lb × 10
Set 6: 160lb × 10 (Video Below)

Leg Press

Set 1: 90lb × 10
Set 2: 180lb × 8
Set 3: 270lb × 6
Set 4: 335lb × 10
Set 5: 335lb × 10

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 225lb × 5
Set 3: 270lb × 5
Set 4: 270lb × 5

Seated Calf Raise

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 90lb × 8
Set 3: 90lb × 8

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Bodyweight: 200lb

Volume: 23,305lb

Bench Press

Set 1: 45lb × 10
Set 2: 95lb × 8
Set 3: 135lb × 6
Set 4: 180lb × 10
Set 5: 180lb × 10
Set 6: 180lb × 10
Set 7: 180lb × 10

Chin Up

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: +10lb × 7
Set 3: +10lb × 7

Hammer Iso-Lateral Incline press

Set 1: 90lb × 10
Set 2: 145lb × 7
Set 3: 145lb × 7
Set 4: 145lb × 7

Hammer Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press

Set 1: 50lb × 10
Set 2: 90lb × 10
Set 3: 90lb × 10
Set 4: 90lb × 10

Dual Cable Low Cable Curl

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 100lb × 10
Set 3: 100lb × 10

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Bodyweight: 201.2lb

Volume: 33,989lb

Goblet Squat

Set 1: 30lb × 10
Set 2: 30lb × 10
Set 3: 30lb × 10

Trap Bar Deadlift

Set 1: 135lb × 10
Set 2: 185lb × 8
Set 3: 225lb × 6
Set 4: 275lb × 4
Set 5: 315lb × 8
Set 6: 315lb × 10 (Video Below)
Set 7: 315lb × 8
Set 8: 315lb × 8

Hack Squat

Set 1: 90lb × 8
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 190lb × 8
Set 4: 190lb × 8
Set 5: 190lb × 8

45° Back Extension

Set 1: +130lb × 8
Set 2: +130lb × 8

Leg Press Calf Raise

Set 1: 180lb × 10
Set 2: 180lb × 10
Set 3: 180lb × 10

Friday, March 4, 2016

Bodyweight: 200.2lb

Volume: 12,600lb

Seated Row

Set 1: 140lb × 8
Set 2: 165lb × 8
Set 3: 165lb × 8

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 100lb × 10
Set 2: 140lb × 8
Set 3: 170lb × 8
Set 4: 170lb × 8

Chest Press Machine

Set 1: 50lb × 8
Set 2: 50lb × 8

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Set 1: 60lb × 8
Set 2: 70lb × 8
Set 3: 70lb × 8

More Foundational Training Principles:

The Essential Ingredients of a Solid Strength Program
Progression Takes More Than Adding Weight to the Bar
If It Feels Bad, Do It
New on Breaking Muscle Today

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