Revelations 101

gruntjc · 08-11-2006, 01:50 PM

Hi all... I recently decided to write a document which provides some insight into some of the lessons I've learned since starting a bodybuilding routine over 13 years ago.

Take it for what its worth. I wrote it more for me than anyone else but if you get something out of it.. then i'll be chuffed.

Revelations 101

1. Constant progression using heavy weights in good form will build big muscles – Is it that simple? Yes…and no. Constant progression is difficult. There is a ceiling on a lifters natural ability and sooner or later you will reach it (or at least reach a point where progressing will become extremely difficult). Personally, I have always strived to maintain excellent form…. even to the point of not progressing. Allow me to explain, I went through a phase (which probably lasted about 2-3 years, where I would ensure that every rep of every set was performed with a 4 second negative and a 2-3 second positive stroke. I prided myself of the fact that other lifters were using ‘sloppier’ technique, while my form was textbook. Now that I look back, I believe that my obsession with perfect form did more harm than good. Sure, you cant simply throw the weights around and hope to build bigger muscles, but by no means do you need to ensure ‘x’ number of seconds for the eccentric portion of the exercise and ‘x’ number of seconds for the concentric phase. Adding a rep or a pound (that’s right, a pound) to your lifts each week will add up to big gains in the end. Whilst I believe it’s important to be a little scientific and perhaps even academic when it comes to building bigger muscles, it is by no means the be all and end all. Someone put it perfectly when they said ‘just lift the damn weight’.

2. Base your routine around compound movements – all too often, I see young and inexperienced lifters using exercises that have no place in a routine fit for a beginner (or even what some authors refer to as ‘intermediate’). Do you really think you are going to build huge tree-trunk like quads with leg extensions and lunges? I am also guilty of using these movements, believing that I was ‘shaping’ my quads. In the last year or so, what has – with no question whatsoever - added slabs of muscle to my quadriceps and hamstrings is heavy squats and stiff legged deadlifts (I’ll sometimes substitute leg curls for stiff legged deadlifts when I want to give my lower back a rest. Same goes for leg press as a substitute for squats.. just to give my lower back a rest for a week, when I need it). Build yourself a big strong physique with the basics.. when you have so much muscle you don’t know what to do with it…. then add some concentration exercises here and there (but don’t go overboard).

3. Try different routines in order to work out what works for you – bottom line, everyone is different. Some guys grow like weeds on ultra-high volume sets, others (like me) have crappy recovery and grow better from fewer sets, fewer fewer days in the gym. Training less often, does not mean you are lazy. When I’m in the gym, I work as hard as I possibly can.

4. Listen to your body – I cant stress this one point enough. The human body is a truly amazing thing. It is capable of some amazing things, however sometimes as much as you will it, it may not want to do what you want it to do. If you walk into the gym feeling tired and listless, go the f*** home and come back the following day (if you’re feeling better). There are no rewards for the number of days per week you go to gym. It might sound impressive to the ladies on lavalife (lol), but in terms of your own progress, it means squat (pardon the pun). What matters is how hard you work when you’re in the gym. If you are capable of working out 6 days/week and are still getting stronger and bigger… by all means, don’t stop!! But if you find yourself not able to give 100% of yourself, do you truly think you are going to progress?? Don’t be one of these guys who constantly does the same thing week in week out and expects his/her physique to change. Listen to your body. If it’s tired… rest. The hardest thing you may have to deal with is the psychological effects of NOT working out.

5. Be patient – I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a single lifter/trainer who was happy with their rate of progression (myself included). Bodybuilding is one of those activities which suits obsessive compulsive personalities to a ‘T’. I don’t mean that in a bad way. In fact, if we didn’t constantly strive to get better and better (or in this case stronger and more muscular) what would be the point of all this. My wife has said to me on a number of occasions ‘Why cant you just go to gym like everyone else and eat like a normal person and just be happy that you are doing something healthy’. Well, the point here is that I (and I’m assuming YOU) don’t want to be considered ‘normal’. You pass ‘normal’ people in the street all the time and most of the time you rarely notice them. What do we notice??? We (men and women) notice girls with big, perky breasts… we notice guys with bulging biceps and massive pecs and quads. Our appearance is the first thing people notice about us. It is what initially attracts us to the opposite sex (or the same sex, not that there’s anything wrong with that). So… let’s be clear about something… we don’t want to be ‘normal’ (sorry but I went a bit off the rails there). To bring you back to my initial point you should relish every small progression you make… even if it’s adding a rep or a pound to your bench, squat or deadlift. It will be all those little progressions that will add up over time.

6. Don’t be misguided by the magazines and clever advertising - the men (and even some of the women) you see in the magazines like Flex, Ironman etc.. are highly experienced professionals, most of whom have been training for 10+ years. More importantly, they are more than likely on massive doses of anabolic steroids. Sure, they have great genetics for the sport, but those genetics were largely (and I do mean LARGELY) enhanced by years of AAS use. You and I will most likely never look like them. To those guys, it is their career, their livelihood. Eating, sleeping and training is their life (until they retire from the sport and start their own range of supplements). The supplement companies would have you believe that you, yes YOU, can achieve the same level of development as Ronnie Coleman, by supplementing your diet with NOEXPLODE!! I don’t discount the value of good supplementation, but it’s not something that will make or break you. Good nutrition,, being smart when it comes to your training, and attending to your recovery, will build you an awesome physique.

7. Pay as much, if not more, attention to your recovery as you do your training – this goes double if you are a natural bodybuilder and have NEVER touched AAS. I am sure many of you have heard that your body doesn’t grow when training, but rather when you are resting. That is why I like to keep my workours brief and as intense as possible. Or, to put it another way, get in, bust your ass, and get the hell out. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people that have already commenced their routine before I arrive, and are still going at it by the time I’ve packed my bag and am walking out the door. Ask yourself if you’re getting enough rest, are you eating enough protein and other nutrients? If your poundages are not going up then something is wrong.

8. Try to have a life and other interests outside the gym – I am not sure I’m qualified to give advice on this one, so it is a case of ‘do as I say and not as I do’. I’m guilty of obsessing about this sport, what I eat, what I lift, how much rest I’m getting (or not getting), whether I consumed enough protein for the day, how I look in my pants and t-shirts… It’s apparent that I have a rather unhealthy obsession and experience some difficulty in detaching myself from this little hobby of mine. I’m sure I am not alone. If it is possible though, pursue other interests you may have because, at the very least, it will make you a more interesting person and give you more to talk about at parties than why compound movements like deadlifts are so important, and what protein does to the human body in terms of flatulence.

9. Help others whenever you have the opportunity – I cant tell you how much I wish I had a ‘big brother’ figure to guide me and correct all the mistakes I was making in my first few years of training. Stuart McRobert makes a similar point in his book Beyond Brawn. Which basically brings me to my point of helping others wherever and whenever you can. People may not always listen to your advice, or may take it with a grain of salt, but if you take the time to listen and then use your own intelligence to decide what is right for you. And, if you see someone that inspires you (maybe they are really strong or are huge), don’t be afraid to go up and ask them what has worked for them. Of course, it may be best to wait until they have finished their workout.

10. Don’t waste your money on personal trainers who don’t give you 100% of their attention – I thought this one was worth at least mentioning, as I’ve personally had the experience of paying $50+/hr for a personal trainer who didn’t give me 100% of his undivided attention. I’ve had trainers ogle at women, talk on their mobile phones.. and basically do everything else but concentrate on ME! Now, this might sound a little self-centered, but when you’re paying good money for someone to train you, you nothing but their 100% focus will do. If it’s an emergency and they have to take a call from someone… someone has died, had a heart attacked, their loved one is in the delivery room giving birth (in which case, they should probably BE there instead of helping you add a rep or two to your squat!), they are all valid excuses for a lapse in concentration… otherwise, tell them to get with the f*** program!!

**powerman2000** · 08-11-2006, 04:11 PM

That was a good read and I enjoyed it.

Thanks!

**romanaz** · 08-12-2006, 11:43 PM

nice read thanks

**DJSTARER** · 08-13-2006, 08:54 PM

Checks down the list. Couldn't have written it better.

**davtown** · 08-13-2006, 09:29 PM

Good work

If you have any other writings feel free to post them up

08-11-2006, 01:50 PM	#1
gruntjc Amateur Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 33 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	Revelations 101 Hi all... I recently decided to write a document which provides some insight into some of the lessons I've learned since starting a bodybuilding routine over 13 years ago. Take it for what its worth. I wrote it more for me than anyone else but if you get something out of it.. then i'll be chuffed. Revelations 101 1. Constant progression using heavy weights in good form will build big muscles – Is it that simple? Yes…and no. Constant progression is difficult. There is a ceiling on a lifters natural ability and sooner or later you will reach it (or at least reach a point where progressing will become extremely difficult). Personally, I have always strived to maintain excellent form…. even to the point of not progressing. Allow me to explain, I went through a phase (which probably lasted about 2-3 years, where I would ensure that every rep of every set was performed with a 4 second negative and a 2-3 second positive stroke. I prided myself of the fact that other lifters were using ‘sloppier’ technique, while my form was textbook. Now that I look back, I believe that my obsession with perfect form did more harm than good. Sure, you cant simply throw the weights around and hope to build bigger muscles, but by no means do you need to ensure ‘x’ number of seconds for the eccentric portion of the exercise and ‘x’ number of seconds for the concentric phase. Adding a rep or a pound (that’s right, a pound) to your lifts each week will add up to big gains in the end. Whilst I believe it’s important to be a little scientific and perhaps even academic when it comes to building bigger muscles, it is by no means the be all and end all. Someone put it perfectly when they said ‘just lift the damn weight’. 2. Base your routine around compound movements – all too often, I see young and inexperienced lifters using exercises that have no place in a routine fit for a beginner (or even what some authors refer to as ‘intermediate’). Do you really think you are going to build huge tree-trunk like quads with leg extensions and lunges? I am also guilty of using these movements, believing that I was ‘shaping’ my quads. In the last year or so, what has – with no question whatsoever - added slabs of muscle to my quadriceps and hamstrings is heavy squats and stiff legged deadlifts (I’ll sometimes substitute leg curls for stiff legged deadlifts when I want to give my lower back a rest. Same goes for leg press as a substitute for squats.. just to give my lower back a rest for a week, when I need it). Build yourself a big strong physique with the basics.. when you have so much muscle you don’t know what to do with it…. then add some concentration exercises here and there (but don’t go overboard). 3. Try different routines in order to work out what works for you – bottom line, everyone is different. Some guys grow like weeds on ultra-high volume sets, others (like me) have crappy recovery and grow better from fewer sets, fewer fewer days in the gym. Training less often, does not mean you are lazy. When I’m in the gym, I work as hard as I possibly can. 4. Listen to your body – I cant stress this one point enough. The human body is a truly amazing thing. It is capable of some amazing things, however sometimes as much as you will it, it may not want to do what you want it to do. If you walk into the gym feeling tired and listless, go the f* home and come back the following day (if you’re feeling better). There are no rewards for the number of days per week you go to gym. It might sound impressive to the ladies on lavalife (lol), but in terms of your own progress, it means squat (pardon the pun). What matters is how hard you work when you’re in the gym. If you are capable of working out 6 days/week and are still getting stronger and bigger… by all means, don’t stop!! But if you find yourself not able to give 100% of yourself, do you truly think you are going to progress?? Don’t be one of these guys who constantly does the same thing week in week out and expects his/her physique to change. Listen to your body. If it’s tired… rest. The hardest thing you may have to deal with is the psychological effects of NOT working out. 5. Be patient – I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a single lifter/trainer who was happy with their rate of progression (myself included). Bodybuilding is one of those activities which suits obsessive compulsive personalities to a ‘T’. I don’t mean that in a bad way. In fact, if we didn’t constantly strive to get better and better (or in this case stronger and more muscular) what would be the point of all this. My wife has said to me on a number of occasions ‘Why cant you just go to gym like everyone else and eat like a normal person and just be happy that you are doing something healthy’. Well, the point here is that I (and I’m assuming YOU) don’t want to be considered ‘normal’. You pass ‘normal’ people in the street all the time and most of the time you rarely notice them. What do we notice??? We (men and women) notice girls with big, perky breasts… we notice guys with bulging biceps and massive pecs and quads. Our appearance is the first thing people notice about us. It is what initially attracts us to the opposite sex (or the same sex, not that there’s anything wrong with that). So… let’s be clear about something… we don’t want to be ‘normal’ (sorry but I went a bit off the rails there). To bring you back to my initial point you should relish every small progression you make… even if it’s adding a rep or a pound to your bench, squat or deadlift. It will be all those little progressions that will add up over time. 6. Don’t be misguided by the magazines and clever advertising - the men (and even some of the women) you see in the magazines like Flex, Ironman etc.. are highly experienced professionals, most of whom have been training for 10+ years. More importantly, they are more than likely on massive doses of anabolic steroids. Sure, they have great genetics for the sport, but those genetics were largely (and I do mean LARGELY) enhanced by years of AAS use. You and I will most likely never look like them. To those guys, it is their career, their livelihood. Eating, sleeping and training is their life (until they retire from the sport and start their own range of supplements). The supplement companies would have you believe that you, yes YOU, can achieve the same level of development as Ronnie Coleman, by supplementing your diet with NOEXPLODE!! I don’t discount the value of good supplementation, but it’s not something that will make or break you. Good nutrition,, being smart when it comes to your training, and attending to your recovery, will build you an awesome physique. 7. Pay as much, if not more, attention to your recovery as you do your training – this goes double if you are a natural bodybuilder and have NEVER touched AAS. I am sure many of you have heard that your body doesn’t grow when training, but rather when you are resting. That is why I like to keep my workours brief and as intense as possible. Or, to put it another way, get in, bust your ass, and get the hell out. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people that have already commenced their routine before I arrive, and are still going at it by the time I’ve packed my bag and am walking out the door. Ask yourself if you’re getting enough rest, are you eating enough protein and other nutrients? If your poundages are not going up then something is wrong. 8. Try to have a life and other interests outside the gym – I am not sure I’m qualified to give advice on this one, so it is a case of ‘do as I say and not as I do’. I’m guilty of obsessing about this sport, what I eat, what I lift, how much rest I’m getting (or not getting), whether I consumed enough protein for the day, how I look in my pants and t-shirts… It’s apparent that I have a rather unhealthy obsession and experience some difficulty in detaching myself from this little hobby of mine. I’m sure I am not alone. If it is possible though, pursue other interests you may have because, at the very least, it will make you a more interesting person and give you more to talk about at parties than why compound movements like deadlifts are so important, and what protein does to the human body in terms of flatulence. 9. Help others whenever you have the opportunity – I cant tell you how much I wish I had a ‘big brother’ figure to guide me and correct all the mistakes I was making in my first few years of training. Stuart McRobert makes a similar point in his book Beyond Brawn. Which basically brings me to my point of helping others wherever and whenever you can. People may not always listen to your advice, or may take it with a grain of salt, but if you take the time to listen and then use your own intelligence to decide what is right for you. And, if you see someone that inspires you (maybe they are really strong or are huge), don’t be afraid to go up and ask them what has worked for them. Of course, it may be best to wait until they have finished their workout. 10. Don’t waste your money on personal trainers who don’t give you 100% of their attention – I thought this one was worth at least mentioning, as I’ve personally had the experience of paying $50+/hr for a personal trainer who didn’t give me 100% of his undivided attention. I’ve had trainers ogle at women, talk on their mobile phones.. and basically do everything else but concentrate on ME! Now, this might sound a little self-centered, but when you’re paying good money for someone to train you, you nothing but their 100% focus will do. If it’s an emergency and they have to take a call from someone… someone has died, had a heart attacked, their loved one is in the delivery room giving birth (in which case, they should probably BE there instead of helping you add a rep or two to your squat!), they are all valid excuses for a lapse in concentration… otherwise, tell them to get with the f* program!!

08-11-2006, 04:11 PM	#2
powerman2000 The Old Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,136 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 200	That was a good read and I enjoyed it. Thanks! __________________ Don't forget to periodize Best BP 507 lbs competitive Best Squat 705 lbs competitive Best DL 650 lbs competitive Guns don't kill people, men who come home early do. My workout log http://www.ironmass.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6247

08-13-2006, 08:54 PM	#4
DJSTARER eating more folate... Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: State College, PA Posts: 4,050 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 114	Checks down the list. Couldn't have written it better. __________________ My philosophies on training: "Extreme training yields extreme results" "Just because you can, does not mean you should" "The best program is the one you are not doing" Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass PGA Professional of America Current Stats: 474 Squat 601 Deadlift 320 Bench Goals for next training cycle: 500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

08-13-2006, 09:29 PM	#5
davtown OM NOM NOM NOM Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 2,360 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 128	Good work If you have any other writings feel free to post them up __________________ --Training Journal-- current/goal D: 350/380 S: 280/300 B: 235/260

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