Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Getting Jacked - Part 8 - Summarizing

So let's put this whole thing/series into perspective shall we?

Chemically -

Raise your test levels - Do this by making social changes or chemical changes.  Both are conscious choices and decisions you have to make.  If you want to stay natural, then you need to decide what it is you need to cut out of your life.

Lower Cortisone - Partying, external stress, and bullshit have to go.  The longer you stay single the better.  And I mean single as in no girlfriends either.  Sleep and quality food have to make up your life for a while.

If you decide to go the "better living through chemistry" route, then be smart about it.  Always make less mean more, and don't do shit haphazardly.

Conditioning -

Get in shape.  Do steady state for 30-45 in the morning, and do some intervals a few times a week.  There is no reason why you can't make this happen.  If you're a fat, out of shape slob just do the steady state until you feel/see the adipose dropping off.  Then SLOWLY add in some hills/sprints/whatever.

Diet -

Low glycemic carbs for the most part only.  Sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, Ezekiel bread, etc should make up the bulk of your carb consumption.

Low fat early in the day with higher carbs, then higher far in the evenings with low/no carbs.  This means lots of meat and veggies and that's about it.  Post-workout a shake in milk is just fine.

Training -

Get stronger on the big lifts in the 1-5 rep range and focus on a progression plan.

Get your hypertrophy work from assistance stuff on the heavy days where the reps are a medium but still going heavy.

Use the light days to get a ton of reps in for injury prevention and recovery.

Look at assistance work as a way to get bigger muscularly and for injury prevention.  "Weak point training" is bullshit.  You're always going to have "weak points".  The time you spend shoring one up, another one would just take its place anyway.  Stop chasing your tail after weak points and just concentrate on getting big, strong, and as injury proof as possible.

This covers every god damn thing you need in training as far as I am concerned.  If you are going into a meet, see my strong-15 plan.  But training in the above manner will keep you healthy going into meet prep and should keep you healthy.

Deloads -

Fuck a deload.  You are in the gym to get better, not warm up and leave.  If you are burnt, take time off until you feel "hungry" again.  Then get right back on it.

Intangibles -

Set goals.  Short term and long term.  Conquer them.  Don't let anything stand in your way.  But be realistic as well.  Don't say "I'm going to deadlift 500x20 in 6 months" when you just did "400x15".  You are being an idiot.  Write down 400x20 for 6 weeks.  If you get there before 6 weeks, do 425x15 or what the fuck ever.  Making your goals attainable will keep you focused.  Especially when you have a set back.  And you WILL have a setback at some point.

Be specific about your goals.  Looking "jacked" is really not specific.  The whole point of this series to focus on the functions that create your form.  You don't train to look a certain way, your training produces that look.  So the point is, if you focus on getting strong and being in shape you will LOOK like you want to look.  But you need to be specific about what numbers you think you need to hit, and you need to have conditioning goals to meet as well.  Don't set sail on a ship with no destination or plan on how to get there.

Don't fret every god damn detail.  If I say 5 sets of 20 but you feel like shit and do 4 sets of 10 because you are dog assed tired, that's fine.  The template isn't that specific.  One of the things the template does is allow for variation for what you need.  Not just for a specific time period but for that day.  What if I want to use that glute machine in the corner?  Shit, I'll go use it instead of doing leg curls.  This keeps training fun, and the fact is training should be challenging AND fun.  No two ways about it.

Be patient.

Kick ass.

Death is winning.

Do something.

13 comments:

  1. Paul- thanks for the great series. A question- currently I'm 45, 175 lbs- bodyfat a little less than 10%- squats are close to 2x body weight- deads are over 2x. OHP is about .85 and bench 1.2x (sucks, I know...long arms). Do you think I'm a good candidate for this program, or do you think I should get my lifts up more before I attempt your program?... based on your personal experience of course. Much respect sir! Thanks for putting this together. DGT

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  2. Hello from Brazil!!Nice blog!

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  3. Thank you. I LOVE Brazilian women!

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  4. great article, I usually have a week off training every 2 months but after reading this and some old articles from you, I'm thinking to stick with it as currently my motivation is very high and the PRs are still coming. Be strong, Cheers Vik

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  5. Hello Paul.
    What do you think about my 2 times a week template:
    Monday:
    Bench Press: big-15 cycle
    Chins: 2 x 6-8 reps
    Squats: 1x 8-10
    Dips: 2 x 6-8
    One-arm dunbell rows: 2 x 12-10
    Forearm work

    Friday:
    Pull-UP: 2 x 6-8
    Military Press: 5/3/1 cycle
    Squats: 1 x 10-8
    Incline dunbell bench press: 2 x 12-10
    Barbell curls: 2 x 6-8
    Skullcruchers: 2 x 12-10
    Forearm work
    My goal is strength and size

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  6. So you're looking essentially to do a whole body routine twice a week?

    Is there a reason you can't deadlift?

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  7. I have a stress fracture of my fibula, I have no desire to cut back on any training at all so I'm wondering what you would do if you were me (my goals are pure strength in the big 4 lifts while not being a fat mess). My template was:

    1-light squat, bench to something heavy + 1 back off set, back work to balance and light pushdowns.

    2-squat to something heavy + back of sets, 5 x 5 DE deads, light hammy curls x abs.

    3-same as 1 but with military press

    4-dead to something heavy, squat - either volume or something heavy, light hammy curls x abs.

    5-same as 1 but with close grip bench.

    6-same as 2.

    Changes I plan on: Keep upper body stuff the same, probably have to bench with feet up and military press off one leg (seated is very awkward to unrack in my gym).

    Leg days will just be loads of hyper extensions followed by single leg RDLs and single leg leg press (both on my good leg) finishing with some abs.

    Trying to do a dissertation at the moment so head is all over the place, I just want to continue making progress and need some outside input! Thanks. (I'd add I'm using GHRP-6 and mod GRF 1-29 so I'm not natural - no vitamin T yet though).

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  8. If strength only was my primary goal I'd run the strong-15. that's what I always do when I am trying to improve the big 3. If it's the big 4 just do the 4 day split where you overhead press as well.

    I think you're overthinking this.

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  9. Paul,
    I will train 2 times a week fullbody.
    I want to concentrate on squats first. Also, maybe whit deads my recovery will suffer.

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  10. Paul.. Great stuff with the whole "getting jacked" series..

    I really think you nailed it with these articles. Basically got everything covered..

    Keep 'm coming!

    Grtz. Mark From Holland

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