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Hardgainer Bodybuilding & Weightlifting FAQ |
Section 1 of 2 - Prev - Next
Archive-name: body-building/hardgainer-faq
Posting-Frequency: Monthly
Last-Modified: 29th November 1999
Version: 1.254
THE HARDGAINER BODYBUILDING / WEIGHTLIFTING FAQ
by
Frank J. Kelly (kellyfj@cns.bu.edu)
Craig R. Sadler (zia%sunstroke@sdsu.edu)
CONTENTS
Recent Changes
Disclaimer
Where can I find this FAQ?
(1) Hardgainers
---------------
1.1 What is a "hardgainer"?
1.2 Am I a hardgainer?
1.3 What is overtraining / How do I know if I am overtraining?
1.4 What kind of results/gains can a Hardgainer expect?
1.5 What costs are involved?
(2) The Hardgainer Method of training
-------------------------------------
2.1 What exercises should I do?
2.2.1 What are the basic movements?
.2 What exercises can be ignored and/or are dangerous?
2.3.1 How often should I work out?
.2 How many sets and reps are required?
2.4 What equipment is required?
2.5 What does an example Hardgainer workout look like?
2.6 What must hardgainers focus on and what can they ignore?
(3) Intensity Cycling
---------------------
3.1 What is Intensity Cycling?
3.2.1 Why do athletes cycle intensity?
.2 Why MUST hardgainers cycle intensity?
3.3 How do I put a cycle together?
3.4 What happens to a cycle when I get sick?
3.5 What are the keys to a cycle?
3.6 Will I lose muscle mass and strength if I cycle my intensity?
3.7 Exercise X is gaining like a demon, but exercise Y has stopped.
Should I stop my cycle?
3.8 Specialization
(4) Squatting and the Deadlift
------------------------------
4.0 A word of warning.
4.1 Why do I have to use the Squat and/or the Deadlift?
4.2 How do I Squat?
4.2.1 Squats and their impact on the Gluteals
4.2.2 Squats and compression of the spine
4.2.3 Squats and the lower back
4.2.4 Squats and the knees
4.2.5 Alternatives to the Squat?
4.3 How do I do the Classic Deadlift?
.1 How do I do the Stiff Legged Deadlift?
4.4 Why are 15-20+ reps best for these exercises?
(5) Miscellaneous
-----------------
5.0 HIT vs. Hardgainer
5.1 What grips are best for the exercises?
5.2 How and when should I do aerobics?
5.3 What differences apply for Women?
.1 Especially for Young Lifters
5.4 How can I get those 0.5 and 1lb plates?
5.5 How do I subscribe to HARDGAINER magazine?
.1 How do I get a copy of "Brawn"?
.2 How do I get a copy of "The Insider's Tell-All Handbook on
Weight-Training Technique"?
========================================================================
RECENT CHANGES:
===============
Date Description
---- -----------
12/13/96 Added in information on "The Insider's Tell-All Handbook
on Weight-Training Technique"
4/8/97 Grammatical Errors Fixed
4/24/97 Prices changed for Hardgainer, Brawn etc. to
1997 prices.
6/30/97 More Typographical/Grammatical Errors Fixed - Thanks to
Mark Odell!
7/17/97 Yet More Typographical/Grammatical Errors Fixed by Mark
3/11/98 Added in information from PlateMate MICROLOADS (Sec. 5.4)
and also Pullum Sports info.
4/21/98 Added small plates information from Nancy Strasser (Sec. 5.5)
Updated addresses and Phone numbers in Sec. 5.5
Added "Where can I find this FAQ" section.
11/20/98 Added Piedmont Design Associates Web site (Sec. 5.4)
11/29/99 Removed pricing information.
DISCLAIMER:
-----------
The authors of this FAQ have no qualifications in Sports Medicine, only
years of working out, and trying different formulas. This is the general
formula they advocate (low sets, high intensity). It is NOT a magic formula
but it does work. The advice given here is based on, and to a degree
excerpted from, that given in the book "Brawn" and the bi-monthly magazine
HARDGAINER, both created by Stuart McRobert. The technique tips are only
that: TIPS. They are not to be interpreted as guides to how to perform those
exercises, just as reminders of what aspects to focus on. Many books are
available which cover exercise technique much better.
"The Insider's Tell-All Handbook on Weight-Training Technique" by Stuart
McRobert (see Section 5.5.3) is one such book. Naturally when doing
anything described here, _caveat_emptor_ (let the buyer beware;
i.e. be careful).
WHERE CAN I FIND THIS FAQ?
--------------------------
This FAQ is mailed every month to the following Newsgroups:
alt.sport.weightlifting
misc.fitness.weights
alt.answers
misc.answers
news.answers
It can also be FTP'd from rtfm.mit.edu.
On the Web the ONLY site that the authors guarantee to be up to date is:
http://cns-web.bu.edu/pub/kellyfj/hgfaq.txt
If none of these work only then e-mail : kellyfj@cns.bu.edu
(1) Hardgainers
****************
1.1 What is a "hardgainer"?
-----------------------------
A Hardgainer is a genetically-typical person (if there is
such a thing). To be more specific he/she is born with
no special genetic 'gifts' which enable them to pack on muscle
mass quickly. Such people cannot gain lots of strength using VOLUME
training, but a hardgainer can make impressive gains using less
frequent workouts with considerably less volume.
Estimates of the percentage of the population who are "hardgainers"
range from 60% (Steve Holman, in his book "The Home Gym Handbook"
from Ironman Publications) to 95% (Some writers in HARDGAINER
magazine). The authors of this FAQ believe this percentage to be
at least 85%. On this percentage, maybe we should call ourselves
NORMALgainers? :-)
We grant that some people (the lucky few?) can make great gains
training 4-6 days per week using split routines and lots of hours
in the gym as the pros do. However these people are in the minority,
and hardgainers who use these routines will only overtrain,
_perhaps_ making decent gains at first, but quickly reaching a
frustrating plateau.
1.2 Am I a hardgainer?
-----------------------
This is a tough question. Some decisions on "hardgainer-ness" depend
on physical measurements such as wrist/ankle-size etc.
But if you find it impossible to add some poundage regularly to each
of your exercises every week or two using a "conventional/popular"
training program (one that has you training with the weights more
than three days a week), then it is highly likely that you are
overtraining.
As a hard gainer, your tolerance to exercise is much less than that of
an easy gainer, so what the latter can gain on will just wear you down
and out. For sure you will be much better off doing fewer exercises and
sets and training less often.
So the question of being a hardgainer is very much a side issue. The
core question is whether the "Hardgainer Method" would work better
than current "popular" methods. The answer is an emphatic YES, in
a large majority of cases; especially if you follow the guidelines
laid out below as much as you can.
1.3 What is overtraining / How do I know if I am overtraining?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Overtraining occurs when you train your body beyond its ability to
recover (its so-called recovery-ability). If your body cannot recover
from the last workout then it will be unable to adapt and unable to
grow.
Symptoms of overtraining include:
(i) A higher-than-normal resting pulse
(ii) Illnesses become more frequent and last longer than usual
(iii) Muscle spasms while resting e.g. eyelid twitch etc.
(iv) Shaky hands
(v) Loss of Sleep
(vi) Loss of appetite
(vii) Unexpected and unexplained fatigue
(viii) Unintended weight loss
and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL --
(ix) very slow or non-existent gains in exercise poundages in the
gym; i.e. static poundages or poundages that are only a few pounds
more than you were using months ago. In extreme cases, overtraining
can lead to a loss of strength and the use of reduced poundages.
Solution: If you are overtraining on your current routine, then
cut back on workout-days per week, and exercises and number of
sets used. Best of all give "The Hardgainer Method" a shot for 6-8
weeks just to see what you are missing. In most cases the person
who tries this for the first time will experience a rapid gain in
strength and muscle mass, along with an increase in energy. The
method is outlined below in Section 2.
1.4 What kind of results/gains can a Hardgainer expect?
---------------------------------------------------------
A common experience when an overtrained person switches to a hardgainer-
style workout, is for rapid gains initially (4-8 weeks). This would
mean being able to add 5-10 lbs on the 'big basic' exercises (Squat,
Deadlift, Rows, Bench Press etc.) each week, along with 2-5lb
increases on the smaller exercises such as the Arm Curl etc.
After this period the gains slow down to 1-2lbs poundage
increase each week for a further 4-8 weeks, after which the gains
stop. It is here where we apply 'intensity cycling' (see Section 3).
Basically this involves working on lighter weights (80-95% of
your best poundages) for 3-4 weeks without going to failure so as
to allow your body to recover. It also prepares your body for further
gains of 2-5lbs each week in the next cycle.
Writers for the magazine HARDGAINER (such as Stuart
McRobert) believe that an _advanced_ hardgainer can reach (and surpass)
300lbs in the bench, 400lbs in the Squat, and 500lbs in the classic
style deadlift a.k.a the bent-legged deadlift, at LEAST for single
reps. This is called the 300-400-500 level. Many of the writers for
HARDGAINER (commonly abbreviated to just HG) are much stronger than
this level, for example in 1992 Stuart McRobert deadlifted 400lbs
for 20 reps!
However, these goals are NOT unconditional: they are based upon
an advanced hardgainer, who did not start too late in life and who
has no serious structural or injury limitation, who trains diligently
and very seriously for several years.
In other words, being a hardgainer does not mean being
unable to get extraordinarily strong; it just means having to work out
in a different way to get to this level.
Since Frank started doing Hardgainer-style workouts over two years ago
here's the progress he made:
March 92 February 95
---------------------------
Deadlift 100x10 307x15/335x8
SL Deadlift 50x10 243x9
Shoulder Press 77x8 143x6/90x20/160x1
Pulldowns 110x8 198x8/220x3
Leg Press 260x10 400x35
Squat 100x10 209x15 (I only began to do this lift
again in the last year)
BTW, by March 92 he had already done two years of more-conventional
workouts, so he was no beginner and he had used up all of his
"beginner-gains".
1.5 What costs are involved?
-----------------------------
With the hardgainer method, there are
NO supplements you have to buy/take
NO special pieces of equipment to buy
NO gimmicks
You don't even have to subscribe to HARDGAINER magazine for
any extra 'secrets'. The program is simple!
In fact you don't have to spend ONE $. ALL you need is a barbell,
weights to put on it, and some effort (in the gym).
BUT (there's always a but) you won't get to the 300-400-500 level
in weeks or months. It will take years of hard work on the big
basic exercises with lots of cycles and small poundage increments
to your exercises to get there.
It's not easy (it takes effort in the gym, and patience);
it's not advertised with a lot of snazzy over-the-top claims like
Cybergenics[tm] is; and there are no drug-supported bodies promoting it
like there are for some other products in the field (though they don't
mention their drug use), but the hardgainer method is cheap and
very simple. It works for lots of people to get them VERY strong
and well-built without having to despair and resort to "chemical help".
(2) The Hardgainer Method of training
**************************************
2.1 What exercises should I do?
--------------------------------
The emphasis on "balance", "proportion", and "symmetry"
for the beginning bodybuilder or hardgainer almost always results
in less than satisfactory gains being made. The goal ought to
be safely building some muscle mass; then when one is able to
move some impressive weight, one can work on the sculpting
and detailing that comes from doing isolation exercises. To
build some size and strength one should work hard over a
period of years on *basic compound exercises*.
Though the basic compound exercises are certainly the
emphasis of this program, there can be additions of small-muscle
exercises like barbell curls and calf raises. Injury-preventing
exercises for the rotator cuff as well as grip work can also be
valuable, even necessary as one surpasses 200 Lbs in the Bench
Press and 300 Lbs in the deadlift for more than 10-15 reps.
2.2.1 What are the basic movements?
------------------------------------
The basic movements are:
Squats
Deadlifts
Bench Presses
Overhead Presses
Rows and Pull-Ups
Bar Dips
(Each exercise must be performed with good biomechanics and not on
an injured or otherwise structurally-limited body.)
Obviously, there are many variations on the above exercises;
they can and should be used for variety from cycle to cycle.
For example, one cycle could be centered on the back squat
while utilizing incline bench presses. The next cycle could be
based on the classic deadlift and use the regular bench press.
Weighted dips can substitute for close-grip bench presses, and
supinated pull-ups could substitute for biceps curls and pull-
downs.
There is no rule to have to use barbells or machines: Use what
works; i.e. it adds muscle and helps you get stronger.
Other exercises to take beyond one's limits by progressive
poundage are: Weighted Abdominal work with an emphasis on
spinal flexion instead of hip flexion, Bent-over Rows, One Arm
Dumbbell Rows, Leg Presses and Standing Calf Raises, and Medium
or Parallel Grip Pull-Downs.
If you have a movement that you like, and get results from, do
it, but do it within the hardgainer philosophy of fewer sets, fewer
exercises, and fewer workouts with intense effort and progressive
poundage.
2.2.2 What movements can be ignored and why?
--------------------------------------------
The following movements can be ignored for the following reasons:
EXERCISE: The Good Morning Exercise
REASON:
Given the Deadlift, Stiff Legged Deadlift and hyperextension exercises,
which all hit the lower back very effectively when done safely,
this exercise can be left from your schedule because it is
hard to do and can be very strenuous on the lower back, in
a dangerous manner. With the DL and SLD, when failure
is reached it is easy to place the bar on the ground and stop the
set whereas in the 'good morning' a lot of harmful stress can
be placed on the neck and lumbar region.
EXERCISE: Rear deltoid
REASON: As Dr. Ken E. Leistner says: you can concentrate on
your rear delt when you are 220lbs of rock-hard muscle.
Before that you should concentrate on increasing your overall
deltoid size using presses, benches, and back exercises such
as the row which involve the rear deltoid in order to
bring the arm back.
EXERCISE: Pulldowns with palms facing away (as opposed to
the classic chinning grip with palms toward you).
REASON: In this grip, the biceps are placed in a weak
position where full flexion cannot be achieved; this will
translate to being able to use less weight and thus
not being able to hit the back as heavy and hard.
The traditional grip provides a more efficient and
effective method.
EXERCISE: Upright Rows
REASON: With very heavy weights this exercise can easily
hurt your shoulders and/or elbows. The shrug is a much
more effective and safer way to hit the traps.
Other exercises which can be avoided since they
are not the large compound movements suggested by
the Hardgainer method of training include chest flyes,
leg extensions, leg curls, lateral shoulder raises etc.
2.3.1 How often should I work out?
-----------------------------------
Training each lift in the all-out effort that comes at the end
of a cycle would very quickly result in overtraining for most
normalgainers if it were attempted three times a week. Training
each movement once a week while dividing all the exercises into
three separate workouts can be productive, but better still would
be to divide all movements into two separate workouts with several
days for recovery in-between. For the confirmed hardgainer, or at
the end of a heavy Deadlift or Squat cycle, working an exercise
twice in three weeks may be required for full recovery.
Muscles grow in-between workouts after being stimulated by a
specific exercise. What good does it do to perform an exercise
when not fully recovered from a previous session? Showing up in the
gym because one has become "habituated" to bodybuilding has to be
completely thrown out.
A good rule of thumb for the hardgainer is never to train while still
feeling systemically tired. Have one day completely free of
systemic fatigue before training again. While it is still possible to
have some local soreness from, say, Monday's Squat workout, you may
be systemically fine and raring to go for Friday's deadlift session.
"When in doubt do less, not more."
.2 How many sets and reps are required?
----------------------------------------
The answer to this question can vary from person to person and
certainly changes within the span of a cycle. First, if you know
that you benefit from high reps, low reps, or medium reps, use what
works, but cut your total workload per session to no more than 10
total work (heavy) sets if you use low to medium reps. Do 8 or
fewer work sets if you use high reps. All of this also depends on
how heavy (intense) the work is. The more intense the workout, the
fewer sets that can be done productively.
*When in doubt do less, not more*
There are certain exercises that seem to work best when performed
with high reps; the Squat and the Deadlift fall in this category with
hardgainers getting excellent results with 15 to 20 reps. Training
these two "giant" movements with high reps allows one safely to
correct problems with form early in a cycle that might occur, without
risking life and limb under a super-heavy bar. However, others
prefer low-rep work, not only because it can be easier to do, but
because it can be darn effective in its own right.
There is no rule on the exact number of sets and reps to use. But
try for low volume (10-30 work sets A WEEK) over a few (4-8
exercises).
2.4 What equipment is required?
--------------------------------
With just a barbell, a bench, a safety stand for squatting and
an overhead bar for pull-ups, a hardgainer can get great results.
Other equipment, like a good leg press machine or even Nautilus
equipment, can be used for compound movements as long as
progressive poundage and abbreviated routines are adhered to. At
least one noted hardgainer trains the squat with no stand at all;
he cleans and presses the bar to start, then presses it again after
completing 15-20 slow reps!
2.5 What does an example Hardgainer workout look like?
-------------------------------------------------------
The 'classic' hardgainer workout is a full-body workout done
at most twice a week, and in some cases once every 4-5 days.
The routine might look something like this:
10-20 minute whole body warmup used beforehand to get the body
thoroughly warmed-up (use stationary bike or calisthenics etc.).
Squat 2x20 (or Deadlift(DL) )
Stiff Leg DL 1x10 (don't do this if doing DL)
Bench Press 2x6 (or Dumbbell press / dips)
Dumbbell Rows 2x8 (or barbell rows/chins etc.)
Shoulder Press 1x6 (or Dumbbell Press etc.)
Calf Raises 1x15
Arm Curl 1x6
Only the WORK sets are shown. 1-3 warmup sets are used. Abs are
worked for 1-2 sets to absolute failure before & after the workout.
Doing a whole-body routine infrequently, yields the most recovery time.
Another abbreviated routine might look like the following:
Mon |Wed |Fri
deadlift 5 x 6 |lat pull-downs 5 x 6 |leg press 1x8,2x12
incline bench press 5 x 6 |barbell curls 3 x 6 |weighted dips 3x6
weighted ab work 3 x 12 |calf work 3 x 15 |shoulder press 5x6
|side bends 3 x 12 |calf 3x20
Here warmup sets are shown as the first 2 sets of a 5 set exercise
and the first set in a 3 set exercise. As the weights increase
through the cycle, two things can be done to optimize the workload
to prevent overtraining. The first is to drop 1-3 sets from each
exercise, and the second is to eliminate the Wed workout and split its
exercises between the other days. Finally one might eliminate all
but the main exercise (deadlift in this case) and one or two others
in order to squeeze an extra 5-10 pound increase for the focus lift
out of the cycle.
A very abbreviated routine might look like this:
(only work sets shown, 1-2 warmups done prior to these)
Day 1: Squat 1x15 (affects whole body, thighs)
Weighted Pressups 1x6 (Triceps, Pecs, front-delts)
Arm Curl 1x6 (isolation for biceps)
Day 2: Deadlift 1x15 (whole body, back)
Pulldowns to Front 1x15 (upper back)
Shoulder Press 1x6 (delts, triceps)
One or two more warmup sets might be added to each exercise above
especially near the end of a cycle as the weights are getting very
heavy. Though this may seem extreme, a cycle like this could easily
result in a 25-30 lb increase in the poundage of the two focus lifts
over the one's previous max by the end of a 12 week cycle. This type
of schedule is also appropriate for the ultra-hardgainer who must
limit total sets to the minimum.
There are many exercise routines in "Brawn", some with as many as 7
exercises per workout. Some routines in "Brawn" are based on doing ONE
exercise in a workout! A maximum of 15 total sets early- to mid-cycle,
and around 8 total sets at the end of a cycle constitute the
abbreviated routine. The fewer sets you do, the more weight you'll be
able to lift, and the better you'll respond. If you get into an
overtrained state, you are not responding (growing) optimally and you
may very well regress!
2.6 What must hardgainers focus on and what can they ignore?
------------------------------------------------------------
The emphasis is progressive poundage in basic exercises, cycling
of intensity, good exercise form, and complete recovery from the
previous workout before lifting again.
Progressive poundage means adding an appropriate weight to the bar
each week. An appropriate weight may be less than the smallest plate
that your gym makes available. Craig's whole body can adapt to 5lbs per
week for most of the cycle, while his biceps can handle 2.5lbs per
week only early in the cycle; later the appropriate weight increment
for curls is 1 lb or _less_ per week. The less you add, the longer
you'll keep adding, whilst maintaining good form.
REP SPEED:
Rep-speed arguments are a waste of time. As long as the weight
is not bounced around, and is in full control, with
very little abuse of momentum, then use whatever rep
speed feels comfortable and then do reps until your
eyes pop out. Basically the authors believe that explosive
training is not advisable, however super-slow training may
hold some benefits for some people (but not the majority).
BREATHING:
Make sure to breathe as often as you need to: breathe in
on the easy part, out on the part that requires most effort.
You may take several breaths between reps if required.
(3) Intensity Cycling
**********************
3.1 What is Intensity Cycling?
-------------------------------
Intensity cycling basically means 'going easy' on the weights for a
few weeks (3-5 weeks) so as to allow your body some time to get ready
for more growth in the future (for a period of 6-12+ weeks).
Normally what happens when a person starts weight training
is that there is an initial period of growth (can be rapid in some
cases) which gradually slows down to a point where you can't add
1-2lbs on your exercises each week. At this stage, your body (and
your mind) could use a short break from the brutal hard work. This
recovery period normally last 3 weeks or more. Of course, you
still use weights, but you use less weight and don't go to failure.
Gradually you build back up to your maximums from the last cycle.
And then you'll find (if you give yourself enough recovery weeks)
that you can now add a good bit of weight to the bar each week
(5lbs or more on the big basics, 2lbs or more on the smaller ones)
to reach new personal bests.
Of course this cycle too will eventually stop, when the
gains stop. Then it's time to begin another cycle by doing your
3+ weeks recovery. Using this method you can make consistent
gains bit by bit, week by week, which will total up to big gains
in a relatively short period.
Bear in mind that 'intensity cycling' is different from
'periodization' where you start a routine with relatively-high reps
(e.g. 12 reps) and after a period of weeks drop the reps by a third,
then another third over another few weeks: the idea being to 'shock'
the muscle by varying the reps and weight used. 'Intensity cycling'
stays with the same rep scheme throughout the cycle, and also for
repeated cycles.
The trouble with training flat-out all the time, is that it always
ends up in overtraining.
3.2.1 Why do athletes cycle intensity?
---------------------------------------
Today, most professional athletes cycle their intensity. Over the
past few years, techniques have been found to better the athlete's
performance, however they take a much higher toll on the body. The
athlete must also reach PEAK fitness and strength at the right time.
For both of these reasons, athletes will cycle the intensity of
their exercise routine.
.2 Why MUST hardgainers cycle intensity?
-----------------------------------------
Hardgainers don't have the genetic gifts that
easy gainers do. Even if they did they should include cycling for
spurring extra gains when plateaus/stagnation set in. Remember, once
you have overtrained, you can't bully your way out of it. The only
solution is to drop your intensity temporarily. Cycling is a planned
and organized effort to arrange irregular progress into a regular
progression of 'ups' and 'downs', with each new 'up' or 'down'
being a little higher than the previous one. After a cycle (of
12-20 weeks) one should look at having gained 15-20 pounds on the
bench press, 20-30 pounds on the squat and Deadlift. Maintaining
this progress for 12-18 months will give you tremendous gains.
3.3 How do I put a cycle together?
-----------------------------------
The easiest way to describe a cycle is to
go through an example. Say your recent best barbell curl was 100x6
and your best squat 280x20. Now you REALLY want to get to 110x6 on
the curl and 300x20 in the Squat. You are feeling burned-out lately
as the hard part of your cycle has been going on for some time now,
and the gains have stopped. If you are foolish you might try adding
a 'shock' 5lbs to the bar each week to get your goals. But being
burned out, and close to overtraining, all that will happen is that
the 105lb curl will feel _way_ heavier than 100 and you won't get 5 reps
-- never mind 6.
Don't expect to get to 110lbs in a month --
a few months is what you need. The following cycle considers only the
first work set of the barbell curl and squat, each done ONE day a week.
(There are other exercises in the cycle, but they are left out for
clarity.) The one to two warmup sets are also omitted from the
description. One to two work sets are all you need, starting with
three in the early stage of the cycle and dropping to two and then
to one as the cycle reaches its hardest. You must NEVER train more
frequently than you can cope with as far as your energy level and
recovery-ability are concerned. IF IN DOUBT TRAIN WITH LESS VOLUME
AND WITH LESS FREQUENCY.
So here we go, how does the cycle begin:
First thing is to get well-rested; this means 7-10 days off, no
weight training and no aerobics. This will give your body a good
deal of the time it takes to recover after burning out/overtraining.
Then drop your poundages to 75-85% of maximum and build up from there
slowly.
ARM CURL SQUAT
=================================================
Week 1: OFF OFF
Week 2: 85x6 235x20
Week 3: 90x6 245x20
Week 4: 95x6 255x20
Week 5: 100x6 265x20
Week 6: 102x6 270x20
Week 7: 104x6 275x20
Week 8: 106x6 280x20
Week 9: 107x6 285x20
Week 10: 108x6 292x20
Week 11: 109x6 294x20
Week 12: 110x6 296x20
Week 13: 110.5x6 298x20
Week 14: 111.0x6 300.0x20
Week 15: 111.5x6 301.5x20
Week 16: 112.0x6 303.0x20
Week 17: 112.5x6 304.5x20
Week 19: 112.5x6 306.0x20
In the first workout, we cut back to 85% poundages
for the same reps. Each week we add a little weight to the bar to
get back to our previous poundages, and then we add some more weight
each week which become personal bests. Note that the Squat takes
a lot longer to get back to 100% than the arm curl. This is because
the Squat is a very brutal exercise to do and in the recovery phase
adding 20lbs each week (which may only constitute 5-10%) has too
much of an impact on recovery. If the poundages in the Squat are less,
then a shorter build-up period of 4-6 weeks may be allowed, but the
bigger your poundages are, the more recovery time your body needs.
- A Mini-Cycle
Cycles need not be very long. A short-but-successful
mini-cycle will last for 6-8 workouts. A sticking point is the
stimulus for a new cycle. Take an EXTRA 4-6 days rest between your
workouts before starting this new mini-cycle. Cut back all poundages
to 85%. The first two workouts (85% and 90%) will be comfortable, as
you stay with your usual reps but with less poundage. The next workout
at 95% will be more demanding. Then comes 97 1/2%, and then the 100%
workout that you ended your previous cycle on. This cycle will be
testing but, so long as you've eaten and rested adequately between
workouts, it will be successful. Next comes a new personal best, by
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