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10 Biggest Mistakes of Strength Training No 8
27 June, 2012
Lack of Volume
I would like to discuss a myth that has plagued the industry for some time and has been taken so seriously in the past that a major fitness organisation based their recommendations on this research.
It has been proven that if do only one set to failure you can improve your muscle mass or otherwise known as hypertrophy. If life was this easy then we would all be the size and have the muscle that we want. However when looking at this myth we may find some truth to it but it has to be taken for what it is – a specific study done with a specific demographic. Often to do a strength and conditioning research study you have to get volunteers who are free for the a set period of time. Often 12-week studies are done because 12 weeks coincides with the university summer holidays and these are the people who have the time and need the money who will volunteer for such a study. For these people who have an incredibly young training age (training age is defined by how long you have been training – anyone under 2 years is considered young) I agree that you could possibly make gains with these people, but any gains will be sort lived as there body easily adapts to the 1 set volume. The other group I would argue that could get a result from 1 set per muscle group per training would be the elderly (but again you could argue that it is simply due to their young training age). So yes it is possible that you could produce a study of 12 weeks in length and show that you have increased your muscle mass. However you are fooling yourself if you think those guys on the front covers of any health magazine use 1 set training, you will be sadly mistaken.
So with that myth dispelled we need to look at the adequate amount of volume within a workout that will enable to build muscle tissue. The big take home from this is to understand the inverse relationship between reps and sets. i.e the more reps the less sets, the less reps the more sets.
You need to expose your tissue to a certain amount of overload, and so with fewer reps the time under tension is significantly decreased. With this you need to increase the amount of sets you do so that enough tension and volume is placed through the muscular system. As discussed next there is a specific reason for doing both. But following all the other principles above using failure and full range of motion and correct techniques, when you do your protocols of heavier reps, make sure you are also combining these with more sets to get enough volume through your tissue for a positives growth and adaptation to occur.
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10 Biggest Mistakes of Strength Training No 7
18 June, 2012
Too Little Or Not Enough Variation – Finding The Balance Between Consistency And Variety.
Creating not enough variety is one aspect of training that is most commonly done incorrectly by everyday gym users, but surprisingly trainers seem to go to the other end of the spectrum and create far too much variety for their clients, often in an attempt to create interesting and entertaining programmes. Unfortunately all at the expense of the clients progress or goals (and quite often I believe to entertain and keep themselves interested more than anything). But lets focus on the first mistake – not creating enough variety in programmes! Remember the goal of training is to overload the body so it has to adapt by getting stronger. However like anything the body can get incredibly used to the same movement patterns and techniques. You have to shock the body to overload and stimulate new muscle tissue and if you want muscle hypertrophy, thus creating variety is a key component for that hypertrophy to occur. I think one prime reason for members not to have variety in a gym is quite simply comfort zones. People are creatures of habit and we like to stick to those habits – they make us feel safe and comforted. I have seen people stick to the same programmes in a gym for over three years or more. Well unfortunately we have to break those habits and create variety that offers us overload and progression. How often do we need to change? Well that is answered in the above topic “Too little or too much rest between workouts (tip no 5)”, as soon as you start to not improve from workout to workout, then you should change your routine. Changing to what is answered in the next section “Periodisation or lack of it”. If you really like your routines and are not prepared to change your routine too much then at least changing your reps (still lifting a suitable weight that allows you to go to failure for the new rep bracket) or simply changing the grip from a wide grip to a neutral grip (or doing both is even better). Depending on your genetic make up you will plateau between 3 and 6 weeks. The key here is to create that variety, change your programme every time you plateau, once you have done the new programme a couple of times it will be within your new comfort zone. And you will also have to leave your ego at the table – if you lift a higher rep bracket, it will mean that you will have to drop the weight – however it is all to create stimulus and overload which ultimately leads to hypertrophy. Do not stay on the same programme for too long, your time in a gym is valuable and it should not be wasted, work hard and then move on.
The other side of the coin is adding too much variety. I have seen people with trainers get taken through a new routine every time they set foot in the gym. Quoting the great Ian King
“Doing a programme for the first time is about learning which weight should be used, getting used to the new demands and rest intervals, even the second time you do the programme the body is still learning, the neurological system needs time to adapt, it is not until the third and fourth time you do a programme that the personal bests are gained.”
Therefore trying something new every time is not the best approach, stick to a new routine, get better at it, plateau and then move on to do it all again. Do not allow your trainer (if you have one) to entertain you – you are not there giving your sweat for nothing – you are there for results.
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10 Biggest Mistakes of Strength Training No 6
6 June, 2012
Rest Intervals In-Between Sets
Being solely a personal training studio here in Wellington allows us to strictly keep up with rest between sets. It is so important and can greatly influence the workout result. The amount of rest period you give yourself is absolutely crucial. It is always a trade off between as much rest as possible to lift the next set, and to get as much work in as possible in the 50 minutes you set yourself for your workout. There is an inverse relationship between the weight of the weights you are lifting and your rest period. In a weight loss workout I will never have more than 60 seconds rest in-between exercises or sets. Most of the time it will range from 15 seconds (which is really no rest, just enough time to get up and move to the next machine) and 45 seconds. However on a 45 second rest period, this truly means only 45 seconds. It does not mean that after 45 seconds you finish drinking on your water, casually sit down and start (after what is really like 60 – 75 seconds). 45 seconds rest really means only 45 seconds. After 45 you are already set-up and start pulling (or pushing) on the 45-second mark. You will notice a huge difference between following this truly to a 45 second rest period and 60 to 75 second rest. It will completely change the workout.
If you lift lower weights then this is more demand on the neuromuscular system and you will have to give yourself more rest periods. A good guideline is
There is a good way to cheat (or maximise) with this system. You can train the antagonist during your rest period. This means that you can do a chest press for 10 – 12 reps, wait 60 seconds (which is half the 120 secs) and do a seated row. This means that you at least give yourself 120 seconds rest for your chest press. With this system it means you can get a lot more volume done in your 50-minute workout. The above system is how I can train someone using a weight loss protocol with only 45 second rest periods. If you re following the above principle of working to failure between the chosen rest period and using antagonist workouts with accurate rest periods – the workouts become incredibly tough.
If your personal trainer chats to you without a stop watch – they do not have your best interests at heart, or simply do not understand the job they have been given, either way Move on and find a personal trainer who truly understands the power of keeping you to a strict rest/work ratio.
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10 Biggest Mistakes of Strength Training No 5
24 May, 2012
Too Little Or Too Much Rest Between WorkoutsTiming of your rest is truly the key for getting results. As mentioned abovePeople often think it is the actual exercise that is important and hence the time that they exercise, such as going for a run for 45 mins.
However all we are doing during exercise is breaking down muscle tissue so it repairs itself and has a positive adaptive respond (you get stronger, faster etc). However you have to allow your body to have that positive adaptive response. This is what should happen post working out
Firstly – lets talk about the case scenario that is all too common today – having too much rest. In the above example the horizontal line represents current strength. The best time to train again is as soon as you hit the “super compensation phase”. Note with the above example the “super compensation phase” does wear off eventually and you are back to the same baseline as when you started. The obvious question now is – how do I know when I am at that stage. Well the answer is good record keeping.
You can see by the above record keeping that after just 2 days, the session done on the 14/06 did not improve from the previous session. If I was training someone and they lifted the above on the 14th then I would conclude that they had not super compensated. However when 5 days was given as the rest (19/06) the best improvement was seen, even better than the 4 day rest given. You should expect (if the programme is written well and the person is well balanced and healthy) for improvements at every session. The above record keeping is also my indication on when to change the programme. If you see a plateau occur then the programme needs to change. For some people it may be as little as 3 weeks, others I have seen still make improvements after 7 weeks. If improvements are being made then do not change the programme.
The other factor that needs to be considered is not allowing enough rest. I have several clients who struggle to understand this concept. Once
If the above is the case you will simply not see an improvement in your weight training. in fact you can actually see the results get worse. It is also important to note that a rest day should be just that – a rest day. If you have a Wednesday off because you have a stressful 14 hour working day – then this is not rest. Or taking a Sunday off and spending the day building a fence at home which sees you carrying heavy objects all day is also not a rest. Remember rest is when the magic happens – so allow yourself to relax.
Time this right and you can utilise all the good hard work you are doing in the gym. Time it wrong and it is all for nothing. So remember to keep those records and if you are not making progress, try changing your rest between workouts (i.e chest workout to chest workout) and learn what works best for you.
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10 Biggest Mistakes of Strength Training No 4
14 May, 2012
Lack of Full Range of Motion This common fault, is from the fact that I believe it is easier to limit the range of motion so you can lift heavier which people believe is the point. But he he lifts the most does not necessarily win! You simply do not need to push as hard if you limit the range of motion. Quite often my clients will complete those last 1 or 2 reps with a dumbbell chest press only going down ¾ of the way down – so quite often the range will get worse and worse throughout a set in order to complete the set (if I am training these individuals, those reps will not be counted).Remember success is going to failure, so if you can make 12 reps but you have to limit that bar from coming all the way down to the chest – then you are only cheating yourself, choose a weight that the natural failure occurs within the rep bracket with full range of motion being the key.
It also happens due to the ability that we can lift heavier weights when we don’t train through a full range of motion and therefore ego plays apart in limiting our success in the gym. Unfortunately people may determine there success by the actual poundage of weight they are lifting and not by the continual changing of their body, so it makes sense to limit the range so you can lift heavier and leave the gym happy (even though temporarily), therefore instantly becoming more successful. However this self deluded thought process will only lead to a lack of results and quite possibly injury.
Do not take your muscles through a limited range of motion and expect them to grow optimally strong so they can produce their greatest force. Limit the weight and train through a full range of motion and you will be rewarded.
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10 BIGGEST MISTAKES OF STRENGTH TRAINING. No 3
7 May, 2012
Lifting too light weights for the rep bracket – Understanding Failure
At Studio41 personal training studio here in Wellington, allowing someone to lift a weight that is effective for their rep range is a skill that is taken seriously, as every set counts. Understanding the 1st “Biggest Mistakes of Strength Training” – “The objective of any good strength training protocol is to take musculature to failure” – in fact I would say that this is the key to getting results. I often see people lifting weights (let’s say 15) and stopping when they reach 15. However if I asked them to keep on going they probably could have done another 10 – 15 reps. This means that they were really using a weight that was suitable for 25 – 30 reps. Understand that 12 – 15 reps means that if you can do 16 reps with good form then the weight is too light. This goes for any rep bracket. If I am lifting 8 – 10 reps for 4 sets and I manage to lift my weight for all 4 sets for the maximum of 10 reps each then next time I will be using a heavier weight when I train. However the previous 2 points still take priority – keep good form and keep the tempo.
“I don’t wont to bulk up”
I think one of the major reasons why the above happens is that people (females) don’t wont to bulk up and feel that if they lift to failure then this will happen. However muscular endurance is determined by a set lasting longer than 70 secs, (this is where 15 reps = toning comes from), however the people who said that you should increase the reps to 15 if you want to stay away from hypertrophy still meant that you train to failure. You just fail at 15 reps and not the classic 8 – 10.
You have to consider 2 things –
Muscle is denser than fat. If you carry a pound of fat then it may look like this when it is around muscle
However if you develop muscle – this will raise your metabolism (muscle takes more energy to maintain than fat) and you will burn more calories at rest helping to shred that fat. However even with small muscle growth you will still look leaner and your clothes will be fitting better as your body now looks like this,
And so yes – your muscles have got bigger – you look smaller.
2. Repairing damaged muscle fibre take 48 – 72 hours which burns calories.
People often think it is the actual exercise that is important and hence the time that they exercise (it is often these people who train for hours for very little result). However what is important is the adaptive respond from that exercise. During long continuous cardio – your metabolism has been shown to be raised post exercise for 30-45 minutes. However because weights cause a greater degree of muscular damage – the repair process involves a higher thermogenic effect and has been shown to raise your metabolism for the post 48 – 72 hours. So – relative to greater fat burning over the whole week – weights are a far superior choice………well maybe. If you are using light weights for your rep bracket then no muscular damage occurs and you may as well be taking a walk in the park. Remember – muscular failure for your rep bracket is the key.
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10 Biggest Mistakes Of Strength Training No 2.
30 April, 2012
Not understanding tempo
Tempo is truly a big determining factor on what type of results you get, from weight loss or muscle gain and at Studio41 personal training studio we emphasise tempo in almost all sets we do. Depending on how long your muscle is actually working for, will dictate the training response you will get – strength/strength and size/or more just size. Roughly under 20 seconds is considered relative strength (you will get stronger but not bigger) 20 – 40 seconds is considered functional hypertrophy – you will gain mass that is more applicable to sports and 40 – 70 seconds is considered hypertrophy (this is simply going for size).
To quickly cover tempo – 3120 would mean
3 = Lengthening Phase
1 = The stationary point between the lengthening and shortening phase
2 = Shortening Phase
0 = The stationary point between the shortening and lengthening phase.
This means that on a bench press (where the lengthening phase occurs first) you take 3 seconds to come down, rest for 1 second at the bottom (this is a great technique to help people who like to “bounce” the weight at the bottom), and take 2 seconds on the way up. Crucially there is no pause at the top. As you now know this is a hypertrophy program if done correctly for 10 reps. However if you do only take 1 second down and then only 1 second up – this now becomes a very poor relative strength programme. Hypertrophy is not better than relative strength or vice versa, the key is to know what your goal is and to use your tempo to help you achieve that goal.
Cheating with the tempo
One of the biggest mistakes with a tempo is that people halfway through the set start to take a pause at the top to rest, Well if they have to rest at the top to complete the set then the weight is too heavy. A lot of the time people will take 1 second down and then bounce and take less than a second on the way up – rest for a couple of seconds and do this for 10 reps, therefore most of the actual time is spent resting. If we add the total amount of work done on the previous example it is only 20 seconds which is a relative strength program (and then they wonder why they are not putting on mass).
Using the split squat as an example – people will often lock the front leg out at the top of the motion. This gives them a slight rest during their reps. If you are performing a split squat on a 4010 tempo there should be truly no rest at the bottom or top. Resting for that second at the top will probably also mean that you are not taking the full 4 seconds down either. So therefore this goes from a potential work (lets use 10 reps) from 50 seconds to 40 seconds. This is big difference. Plus the rest will recruit different muscle fibre types.
Using the rest to your advantage
The rest should be used in training and put effectively into your tempos – especially when relative strength is your goal – i.e. lifting heavy for 4 reps, taking that rest at the top will allow you to lift heavier, which may coincide with the training goal of that phase. This is absolutely fine and indeed should be used. However just know and understand your goal, if your goal is muscular endurance or hypertrophy and you are using a 3010 tempo – there truly is no rest – the muscle is working for the constant total time. When I take a new client through a split squat – they almost never use the weights that they reported using, and even though I am using a lighter weight they can still hardly move after the set – it is the lack of rest and proper technique combined with the correct tempo that truly gets great results.
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10 Biggest Mistakes of Strength Training – No 1
22 April, 2012
Worrying About The Reps And Not The Muscle
The objective of any good strength training or weight loss protocol is to take musculature to failure. The true key is to choose a weight that with great technique you can manage to lift within the given rep bracket (and the given tempo). Once the selected muscle is fatigued the exercise should be over (this will normally occur on the concentric phase of the lift since you are stronger during the eccentric phase). If this occurs before the lower rep bracket that you have selected i.e. 10 – 12 – you have selected a weight that is to hard. However because people think “they must do at least 10 reps” they start to alter their technique which allows them to compensate around the fatigued muscle. This is why at Studio41 personal training studio our trainers are taught that technique is everything. Such an example would be on a shoulder press, half way during the exercise the participant starts to arch their back allowing them to keep on going. This recruits more of the upper chest and actually takes away from the deltoid (middle fibres). By doing this the participant is missing the point of the exercise – which was to take the whole deltoid to failure. They would be far better off to start with a lower weight and complete the rep bracket with the given tempo and use great technique (not allowing their back to arch).
It is truly a unnatural thing to ask your body to fail, it will always be looking to find ways to cheat and make life easier. However if you do not fail, and simply change your technique until you complete the set, the message that you are sending your body is “you don’t have to change because you are strong enough to do what I am asking of you”. You wont to reach that failure point during the given rep bracket so the body has to adapt and become stronger – which it will.
Unfortunately this requires one to lower the weight they are using which is often a difficult concept for the ego to understand – Just remember what muscle you are trying to fatigue and fatigue it. This means not changing your technique half way through the set so the original muscle is not even working by the end of the set.Tagged under: Other
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The Secret To True Health – And It’s Free!!!!
21 March, 2012
We seem to have so many different fitness options, from differing opinions on exercise to machines that cost thousands to gadgets that take “only take 3 mins per day”, all claiming the same thing – to get us fit and healthy. Yet I find there is only 1 element of our modern fitness regime that has stood the test of time – yet is completely underrated by so many and under appreciated on the power it can have – sorry no pill magic here, but good old sleep.
When you first close your eyes, the body starts its physical repair, this happens between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am, between the hours of 2 am and 6 am is when the physiological repair happens. Thus if you are going to bed later than 10 or 10.30 then you are already missing out on valuable recovery time that your body needs. The 8 hours starts at 10 pm so sleeping for 8 hours from 2 am to 10 am has been proven to not be as effective
Detoxification of the liver happens in deep stage sleep, thus if you are not allowing yourself those valuable hours of deep stage sleep your body cannot detoxify all the chemicals it takes in on a daily basis. Over months and years this level of toxicity builds and will show itself one day with someone struggling to lose weight or being more prone to sickness and disease.
Dr Sonja Peterson N.M.D who has written an article labelled “A Good Nights Sleep” points out some key reasons why sleep is so important.
Your metabolism declines due to a Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) decrease. With a lower metabolism you will not be burning as many calories on a daily basis.
“Research has shown that after just one week of insufficient sleep, the body can no longer metabolise carbs efficiently. Blood sugar takes 40% longer to decrease after a high carb meal”. With the above information it is easy to see why a high carbohydrate meal combined with a lack of quality sleep leeds us to ill health and weight gain very quickly.The way your bedroom is set up can make a big impact on your sleep. Follow the below rules and you should be set for a good night sleep.
Make your room as dark as possible. It is only when you are in complete dark that melatonin is released. It is melatonin that helps your body get into deep stage sleep. You should not be able to see your hand in front of your face when you hop into bed.
Take all electronic equipment out of your room. This includes TVs to your mobile phones. If you insist on having your phone in your room. The electromagnetic fields from these machines have been shown to affect your sleep patterns.
Make sure you associate your bedroom with sleep (and maybe one other activity). I.e. do not sit on your laptop doing work emails just before try to sleep.A good indicator to tell if you have had a good nights sleep is the fact that you do not wake up tired. You should be able to go to bed at 10 pm and wake up the next morning refreshed. Just remember that whatever your goals are, from building muscle to losing fat, or simply for long term health and vitality, being able to sleep through the night is the critical factor and best yet – it is free!!!
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The Often Forgotten Weight Loss Supplement
12 February, 2012
I am sitting here reading an Applied Nutritional Science Report which talks about combating insulin resistance and also oestrogen detoxification (middle section and lower body body fat) and the same supplement keeps on coming up. This is one that I never paid much attention to in my supplement protocols but seems that sometimes I have overlooked the most simplest of choices. Fiber is essential to any good fat loss/health protocol.
“It is well known that fiber plays an important role in affecting insulin and glucose response”.
Dan Lukaczer, N.D. Applied Nutritional Science Reports, 2001.
When you eat a food that breaks down readily into glucose in your blood stream, insulin is realised which is the hormone responsible for getting rid of that glucose. The more glucose the more insulin, the more insulin the more distribution of that glucose into body fat happens. So anything that either directly lowers the insulin response or slows down the breakdown of that food into glucose will lower the amount of insulin released. Fiber does the latter. It slows down the absorption of food into glucose, therefore lowering the insulin response which leads to less insulin and less body fat. Fibre absorbs water and swells to become bulky, and helps the speedy and easy elimination of waste from the body.
Fiber is known to promote healthy digestion, blood insulin, and blood glucose levels, as well as maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels, fiber is also associated with lower risk of CVD. Fiber intake of 20 – 30 grams per day should be considered in the optimal dietary approach to promoting healthy body composition.
Dan Lukaczer, N.D. Applied Nutritional Science Reports, 2001.
However, when you start taking fiber, start slowly. Start with 5 grams and work your way up to the recommended 20 – 30 grams or else you may find out the hard way and be too far away to run quickly to the toilet.
Where can you get your fiber from? Coconut and almonds have a high content along with green vegetables. But supplement with Selenium Husks is a great easy way to add the necessary fiber. Just sprinkle into a shake with a little bit or protein powder (or a greens drink) in the morning to taste is probable the easiest way. Adding it to cooking will change the consistency of that dish so not recommended (it will dry it out) and having it just with water is do-able but hard. Drink it as soon as you add it your drink as well as it soon thickens up any shake. So leaving it too long means you are soon drinking a thick cement like paste which will only be consumed by the most dedicated sole.
Tagged under: Health, Nutrition
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