The things that are going to hold you back in training

Information overload - The internet can be a wonderful thing.  We have all of the information in the world readily available to us at our finger tips.

The problem is, how do you decipher what information to retain, and what information to let go of?

I can't give an absolute solution to this problem because it takes a certain amount of experience to know when someone is telling you it's raining yet they are pissing down your back.

This is a big reason why so many experienced guys often preach the "basics" so much.  My pet peeve is that I've read many times from inexperienced guys on the net "yeah there's nothing new here."

Is that what you want?  Something new?  Do you really believe there is some magical book out there that has been kept from you that details all the REAL secrets of training, diet, and supplementation?

I've read where guys were put off by "another article that just says "squat, press, pull, eat a lot blah blah blah."  Nothing new here."

You're right.  It's not new.  But it is what works, and so far it's been the best thing we've known about the barbell since it was invented.  So why are you in search for something more complicated when the answer is right in front of you?

Training?  Lift three to four times a week.  Base your training around the big lifts.  Squat, press, deadlift, row, chin, dip, do some arm work.  Sets of 3-5 work really well for strength development.  Sets of 10+ seem to be more efficient for hypertrophy.

Diet?  Get 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.  After that, manipulate your carbs and fat up or down depending on if you need to gain muscle, or lose fat.

If you want to lose fat, bodyweight x 10 for total calories a day is a decent baseline to start at.  So if you're 250 pounds, then 2500 calories a day is about where you need to be.  This is a fairly aggressive model, but so what?  If that scares you, start at bodyweight x 12 for total calories per day.

If you want to gain mass, it's about 18-20 x bodyweight.  So if you're 200 pounds, then it's about 3,600 to 4,000 calories a day.  Yes, it's a rough guideline and someone will want to debate all the "in betweens" and that's part of the fucking problem.

Debating every little nuance of training and nutrition does nothing but cause paralysis by analysis.

Supplementation?  Stop spending so much money at GNC and spend that money on food.  Get a quality protein powder, a quality vitamin/mineral to cover your bases, some creatine, and that's about it.  

Conflicting goals - This applies to probably more than 90% of the recreational lifters I talk to.  They want to keep their abs, but also want to get as big as possible.  They want to run a 5K, look like Phil Heath, dunk like Michael Jordan, bike like Lance Armstrong, bench a thousand pounds, swim underwater for 15 minutes with a single breath, climb buildings like Spiderman, fly, survive in outerspace without a suit, flame surf on the sun, control tornadoes with mind power, and understand women.....all at the same time.

The best way to see a goal come to fruition is to decide on a singular goal, and put all of your energy into attaining that singular goal.  Period.

If you want to gain mass?  Focus on that.  Not "I want to gain mass....and put 30 pounds on my bench...and increase my vertical.....and...."

This applies across the board.  Pick a goal.  Smash it.  Rinse and repeat.


Inability to embrace discomfort - When I was 280+ pounds I can tell you that life was not a good time.  Oh it was a good time when I was eating what I wanted.  But tying shoes was not a good time.  Walking across a parking lot was not a good time.  Now I'm sitting at 265 leaner than I was last year at 265.

It sucked to feel like that.  It was something I said several times I would never do again (gain that kind of weight).  However after reassessing my goals, I knew I needed to be bigger if I wanted to see some strength goals get accomplished.

I had to embrace something I wasn't really comfortable doing in order to get to where I needed to be.
And THAT is what lifting and life is going to be about sometimes.  I could machine gun off a million cliche's about that right now but I will spare you.  The point is, nothing that is worth attaining will come easy.  If it does, good for you.  However 99.99% of the time getting to a place you desire to be will mean spending a lot of time embracing discomfort.

If you're not willing to do that, then it's likely you won't ever see the things you desire come to pass.  Ask any bodybuilder how much it sucks to diet for 12+ weeks to get into stage condition.  Ask a football player who is trying to make an NFL roster how fucking hard he has to work in order to leave enough of an impression on the coaches to make that happen.

Great things generally just don't fall on our doorstep via UPS.  If you want to find your own personal greatness, then get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  The amount of discomfort you are willing to submit yourself to is generally in parallel with the amount of greatness you're trying to attain.

Success - That's right.  Success.  Success can often be the biggest roadblock in attaining more success.  Because success is often the thing that causes so many people to rest on their laurels.

Anytime I've done a seminar I will always ask "who here has accomplished a significant goal in the last year?"  I will follow that question up with "and who here hasn't accomplished a new significant goal since that goal was attained?"

Every single time there are people who, once they hit that big goal they had been striving for, never pushed forwards past that point.  They cling to their success and proudly boast of it like the trophy they got from the pinewood derby race they won back in 88.

Attaining goals is awesome.  Sitting on top of them is not.

When people get motivated to accomplish a task and see it through, some of them have trouble refocusing on that next step.  That next step being another 5 pounds on the bar, or 5 less pounds showing up on the scale.

This behavior can be seen in people who will tell you "I've lost 50 pounds in the last two years" but still clearly have a ways to go in terms of fat loss.  Or the guy that proudly boasts of finally squatting 405, but hasn't squatted it since then, and isn't capable of doing so now.

Being proud of your accomplishments is a great thing.  Just don't let that pride get in the way of getting even better.  Write down goals in stages.  Literally.  So once something is accomplished put a slash mark through it, and write the following goal next to it.

And just an FYI, don't tell anyone your goals.  It's been proven that talking about your goals tends to make you realize them less.  Keep them to yourself as much as possible.  After you've accomplished it, then brag like a son of a bitch.  Then start your march towards the next one.


Confidence - Actually this should be "lack of confidence".  Confidence is such a driving force in our lives that it is often the biggest factor in success or failure.  When we are confident about something we literally stand differently.  Our posture is taller.  Our chin is up.  Our demeanor is completely reflective of the fact that we feel assured, strong, and vibrant.

When confidence is lacking it is apparent as well.  Our chest is sunken and our head is down.  Our eyes and demeanor tell the story of uncertainty.

Often times we are fully capable of something either physically or mentally, but can't see it through because of self doubt.  Grabbing momentum can be difficult at times.  Especially when we have had a string of poor execution or performance.  Those times will make us question ourselves and our methods.  It can cause one to overhaul everything they have been doing with the hopes that change will bring forth more success.

Sometimes that is what is needed.  And other times, it was simply a matter of our own disbelief.

Enduring to persevere through the lulls in training is an absolute requirement if you want to find success, find confidence, and develop the ability to weather setbacks, lows, and misfortunes.

If you train long enough you'll hit a plateau.  If you train long enough you will get injured.  If you train long enough you're going to have a string of training sessions where everything sucks, and seemingly nothing goes your way.

Finding confidence again during those times can feel like a monumental task.  After all, when life is raining shit on you it's hard to smile about the sunshine.

Remember that the lows in training are teaching you an awful lot.  Also keep in mind that in training, just like in life, that the present is never permanent.  The only constant is change.  If you keep plugging away progress will eventually be forthcoming again, and you will find momentum again.

You also need to remind yourself that confidence, like self esteem, is really a state of mind.  It is up to you to make a choice to decide how you feel.  I think sometimes it's hard for people to get their head around the fact that they can empower themselves that much.  If you don't feel confident, it is likely because you are dwelling on the wrong things, and for the most part just need to change your state of mind.

For example, a bad training session is really no big deal.  You get a chance to make up for it later.

A week, or even a few weeks of bad training isn't a big deal either.  You might just need a break for a while, then you can reload and have another run at things.

If you haven't made any progress in months and months, then perhaps some reflection on your training, eating, sleeping, and life stress levels need to be evaluated.

Remember that you're not alone in your stagnation.  Everyone has been there.  And everyone that hung tough in the fight eventually found their way through it.  So either you're going to see this through, and you WILL get better....or you'll quit, and become another guy that "used to bench 700."

State of mind.  Your choice.

Inconsistency - There's nothing worse than reading or hearing from someone that they did a program for a few weeks but "didn't make many gains off it."

Any program that you intend to follow deserves a fair shake.  That means, in my opinion, at least 6 weeks of really pouring your energy into it.  If you can't stay on a program for 6 weeks and follow it to the letter then the issue isn't with the program.  It's with your inability to be disciplined about follow through.

You cannot comment on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of a training program if you don't stick with it long enough to allow the process to unfold.  Hypertrophy doesn't happen overnight.  Strength peaking doesn't happen in 3 days.  If you are program hopping for 6 months trying to find that "perfect routine" then that's 6 months that went by that you could have made progress just being consistent with one program.  That's time lost that you can never get back, and progress that was delayed from your training ADD.

To add to this, if you do decide to run a program, RUN IT AS WRITTEN THE FIRST TIME.  It's maddening to have someone tell me "I ran this program....but I changed this and did this other thing with it instead.  And oh yeah I changed out this part for this other thing too."

What's so hard about running a program in the manner it's presented to you?  Is that really so hard?

Find something - stick to it for an extended period - don't change anything about the original version.


Listening to the wrong people - If you've been training for a few years, then the guy offering you advice that has been training for a few years sounds a whole lot like the "blind leading the blind" to me.

The circle jerk of weak and small guys I see going on on the net now is fascinating to me.  They constantly criticize people who are strong, who are big, who have knowledge, and then proceed to break their recommendations down all the while being able to bench 225 and squat 315.  The guy next to them affirms their criticisms, and then offers up his advice on how he got his bench to 245, and his squat to 335.

It's like the Jiu Jitsu white belt sitting around with his fellow sparring partners watching UFC going on and on about what dog shit fighters those guys are.  Then commenting on how they would have reversed this, and choked a bitch out in no time flat.

Just stop.

I've read where guys have scorned, mocked, and belittled guys whose sandwich they can't carry, all the while giving bro fist bumps to some guy that benched 185 for 5 hard reps.  It's astonishing.

Now let me say that just because a guy is insanely strong doesn't mean he's knowledgeable either.  I have talked to a lot of very big and strong guys that really do not know a lot about training.  Ronnie Coleman, in his prime, could walk past the barbells in Dick's sporting goods and gain a kilo of lean mass.  If you're a guy that has to fight and claw his way to gaining a pound of lean mass every six months, he may not have a lot to offer you in the way of advice.

Thus, my point here still stands.  You'd still be listening to the wrong people.

Understanding a guys experience, his education, his accomplishments, and his degree of knowledge isn't that hard to find out in this day and age.  There are plenty of guys who talk the talk AND walk the walk now.  Do your research and find out who is an expert in their field.  Find out who they have worked with and who they have trained.  Do they have a track record of making people better, and being sought out as "knowing their shit"?  

It doesn't matter if you don't agree with everything they write, or espouse.  The whole body of work is what's important.

Over time you'll learn what to apply and what to discard.  Until that time it's probably best not to run around discrediting people who have a million times more knowledge an experience than you are currently in possession of.

Life - As the saying goes, "life gets in the way sometimes."  There will be times when training just has to go on the back burner because at the end of the day, it's a hobby for most people.  Now when I write "backburner", my definition of that is probably different than some others.  I would never flat out "quit" training.  Just that training or the goals associated with training aren't as big of a priority anymore.

Training can be a very valuable tool in terms of stress relief and escape when life does get "in the way".  Even in the most difficult of circumstances I can't see a reason why one couldn't find a way to train twice a week.  I also completely believe that dumping training all together would be a very poor choice even in the most stressful of times.  Training releases endorphins.  Now you're going to drop something that actually makes you feel good in a time when you are stressed and feel like shit?

Doesn't seem like a great idea.

If you're physically unable to train for a while, then that is a different story.  But dropping training because life is stressful doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.  Find escape in training during that time.  You don't have to load up the bar and go for back breaking PR's.  Use that time to make training fun.  Get a pump.  Train arms all week.  Do whatever gives you that break from the things that are detracting from your personal happiness.

If you make training a part of your "life" that can be a good thing.  Just use it properly and at the proper times.  I wrote about balance a while back and the thing to remember is, balance is something that is achieved over a length of time.  At times, training can be a priority.  And at other times, it might not be.  Balance means understanding when something should and shouldn't be prioritized to make your life fulfilling.  If life sucks, it's very possible you're prioritizing the wrong things.

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Routine design - Part 1

Writing routines was always fun for me.

When I was younger I would write out literally hundreds a week.  Contemplate how they looked on paper, how that work might "feel" in the gym, and then write more.

I always found the myriad of ways you could structure training to be interesting, and I felt like I had a good grasp on what looked good on paper, and what would work in the gym.

Unfortunately not everyone seems to be able to do this.  People write out routines, then go on forums and ask people how they look.  I  never really understood that because I always felt like I could write my own routines and discern if they looked good or not.  Other people can't really tell you what routine looks good for you.  You need to spend enough time training to get an idea of workload tolerance, frequency tolerance, and what set and rep schemes resonate with you as a lifter.  I always felt like it was asking someone else what a certain food tasted like.  Go try it yourself, and see if you like it.  That's the best way to know.

Writing out routines, or figuring out program structure isn't a lot different.  After you've spent enough time in the gym you should be able to discern what looks good on paper for you in regards to what you can do/tolerate in the gym.

So with all of that said, let's break down some of the components of routine design.

Frequency - 

Before you decide on frequency, you have to ask yourself a number of questions that pertains to it.

1.  How many days a week can I physically make it to the gym?

Now the fact is, I won't really allow for a lot of excuses here.  However if you don't have a car and rely on someone else (like a youngster might), then you have to work that out with whoever would be driving you.

If you DO own a car then you should be able to start with "7 days a week".

2.  How many days a week do I "want" to train?  

This is an entirely different question.  The fact is, some people don't desire living in the gym.  And that's really ok.  Lots of people have this thing called a life outside of the gym, and it's full of magical places like their friends house, their significant others house/apartment, restaurants, parks, museums, movie theaters, etc.

And then there are other people who truly enjoy just spending a lot of time training and immersing themselves in the iron.  They may train 6-7 days a week, sometimes training twice a day.

It really all depends on what you like here.  There is no specific right or wrong answer.  That is, until we come to the next question...

3  How many days a week do I "need" to train?  

Notice the difference in wording here from question 2?  The primary word change is "want" and "need".  Those two words mean very different things.

You may only want to train three days a week.  But in order to reach the goals you have set, you may NEED to train 4 or 5 days a week.  Answering this question will force you to be introspective about training, and how serious you are about attaining your goals.

On the flip side, if you haven't made progress in a very long time and you've been in the gym 6-7 days a week, you may NEED to train less.

Sometimes overzealous people need to do less.  I think a lot of women in the fitness industry probably train too often.  I've known some that train three times a day, when you include their cardio sessions.  They often look stringy and flat because of this.  Not only that, year after year they seem to make very little in the way of progress because they are afraid to eat more, and afraid that if they miss a training session they will lose muscle.  Shit, there are plenty of guys just like this too, so I will try to not to just hang this perception on females

Remember that training is a stimulus.  And once the stimulus has been achieved from training, the recovery cycle has to take place at some point.  Otherwise, no progress will be made.  What sucks about that is, you can indeed train your ass off, and basically make no progress.  People who talk about being "hardcore" are often the ones that spin their wheels the most.  They may have heard the saying that "you don't grow in the gym", but they can't seem to get those words sunk deep enough into their skull to actually apply the meaning.

This question of "need" will essentially spawn off several other questions.

"How many days can I recover from?"

"How many days do I need to get the optimal amount of work in?"

"What is the combination of those two factors?"

When you arrive at the conclusion to the last question there, you should be able to answer number 3.

If you want my general answer it's this.  I've never seen a reason why you can't reach your goals training 4 days a week.  Lots of people do even better with just three.


Mass or strength?  

The next question seems like they could or do work very well together, but to the dismay of all the "powerbuilders" out there, they really don't.

The fact is, training for maximal strength is very different than training for maximal hypertrophy.  And you need to decide on one or the other, and train towards that goal.

A guy training for a powerlifting meet doesn't need to do the type of training an offseason bodybuilder would.  Nor does a bodybuilder need to worry about the amount of weight he can lift for a single rep max.

The powerlifter isn't going to flex on the platform.....well, I guess he could after an attempt but he's not going to be judged on his symmetry or lines.  And no one gives a shit what the bodybuilder on stage can bench press.

Now all the powerbuilders out there will say that you can mix in the two.  The fact is, you'll end up a little stronger, and a little bigger, but you won't really maximize either the way you could have if you had prioritized one or the other.  Besides, I've grown to hate the term powerbuilder.  It generally means a guy who goes to the gym that isn't going to compete.  So you're just a gym goer.  That's it.  That's all.

I've written many times about the difference in moving weight through space, and making the muscle work.  When you're training for strength you should be all about moving the weight through space in the most leverage efficient position as possible.  For the purposes of bodybuilding, or hypertrophy, you should be all about accentuating the eccentric potion of the movement, and making the muscle work.  You should also be keen on what movements you need to do, and how to do them, in order to improve certain areas of the musculature.

While it's true that you can't totally isolate a bodypart, you can use movements that do indeed place more of an emphasis on certain parts of the muscle than others.  Some people used to argue this fact, but there's been research done that has shown that certain movements do in fact place a greater emphasis on certain areas of the muscle, than others.

For example.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24978835

Ten young, resistance-trained men were recruited from a university population to participate in the study. Employing a within-subject design, participants performed the SLDL and LLC to muscular failure using a load equating to their 8 repetition maximum for each exercise. The order of performance of exercises was counterbalanced between participants so that approximately half of the subjects performed SLDL first and the other half performed LLC first. Surface electromyography was used to record mean normalized muscle activity of the upper lateral hamstrings, lower lateral hamstrings, upper medial hamstrings, and lower medial hamstrings. Results showed that the LLC elicited significantly greater normalized mean activation of the lower lateral and lower medial hamstrings compared to the SLDL (p < 0.05). These findings support the notion that the hamstrings can be regionally targeted through exercise selection.
This really shouldn't be of surprise, however it's nice to get confirmation through study that what you believed was thought to be true (though I will admit, I've gone back and forth on this one through the years).

I will give you my own experience in regards to this.

After I tore my quad, I did some self assessment work and determined that my quads indeed, were weak.  I was weak on hack squats, and basically anything that took my hips out of play when knee extension was called on to overcome a certain load.

So I made it a point this past offseason to make a point to bring up my quad strength.  The first few weeks every hack session I would strain one of my vastus medialis muscles.  Not bad, mind you.  Just enough to remind me that my quads were weak and lacking.  The fact is, hacks made my quads do the work without the aid from my hips and adductors very much.  Two areas I was much stronger in.

I had the same issue with high bar squats.  I stayed more upright, and pushed my knees out harder than previously.  I would slightly strain my VMO every few weeks with these as well.  To me, this was a good sign.  It signaled that my theory was correct.  My hips, glutes, and adductors were plenty strong.  But my quads were an area of weakness that needed to come up.

Eventually that happened, and I stopped straining my VMO.  I was eventually doing doubles with 585 in the high bar pause squat.  So all the work I did in the offseason paid off with some squat PR's, and being well rounded in my lower body strength.

Now that I've gone around the world and back to make a point about movement selection, you can see why it's important to make a choice about what you are training for.

If you want to train for mass, then your movement selection will probably need to be configured a bit differently than if you are training for the big three.  Yes, having phases where you build on one can and will indeed transcend into the other, however it's more beneficial to concentrate on one than trying to ride two horses with one ass.

If you notice, I didn't include "cutting".  I don't really believe that training looks any different for losing bodyfat.  You're either trying to build or maintain lean tissue (the latter in a cut phase), or trying to build or maintain strength (again, the latter in a fat loss phase).  If you're in a fat loss phrase it's still paramount that you ask the body to work hard in order for it to WANT to hold on to lean muscle mass.  Now bodybuilders who are in the last few weeks before a show aren't going to want to push the limits in training.  The joints ache and they are usually quite dry from low carbs, so that's a great time to snap some shit up by going too heavy.  Up until that point, you should still be training hard to give the body a reason to retain that lean tissue.

My recommendation here is this.  EVERYONE should be using the offseason to either get lean, or build mass.  If you're over 15% bodyfat, you need to get that in check.  If you're in good shape in that department, then you should be working towards building more lean tissue.  Why?  Because regardless of what you read on the internet about "CNS" at the end of the day it's your MUSCLES that lift the weights.  And the more muscle you have, the more weight you're going to lift.

For the powerlifter, he or she should change gears once meet prep starts.  For the bodybuilder, nothing really changes except diet.  I feel like that should simplify answering this question.

In part 2 I will go over whole body routines, split routines, why I like both at various times, and what kinds of each I prefer.


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Three reasons why we fail at our goals to achieve a “better body” - Gillian Ward

 We have all heard that when it comes to training, getting fit, making changes to your health, your body, or other goals, the hardest part is often getting started.  We have all been in a position in our lives when we felt a need for change, an improvement.  It’s a natural human emotion.  Every year, millions make New Year’s resolutions in hopes of being “better” in the year to come.

I have found that the hardest part when setting out on a new goal is not starting out, it’s finishing.  It’s following through and seeing the new goal to completion.  This happens for three reasons, poor choice of goals, lack of guidance, and a poor understanding on how to properly achieve the new goal.


1.  Poor goal setting -

The first reason, the poor choice of goals, is the hardest to learn.  We often make goals on a whim.  We are all part of a society that is visually oriented.  We are inundated with magazines that show impossibly beautiful people and promises of how, “In just 30 days!”, we too can have abs of steel.

A friend of mine once said, “if a person’s body looks like they have been uncomfortable for a period of time to achieve that body, they probably have been.”  There are no 30 day tricks, secrets, or other holy grails that will give us the body that we see so proudly displayed on the covers of the magazines.  If it were that simple, we would all have “abs of steel”, “sleek thighs”, and “bodacious booties”.  These photos are in a controlled environment with lighting effects, makeup, and fail to represent the true appearance of the model.

The reality of the matter is that training for a “look” or attempting to “attack a body part” is often wrought with frustration and malcontent as we seek the body of another versus a better version of ourselves.  Disappointment sets in, and we quit.  In order for a goal to have the potential to be achieved it must be measurable, tangible and in accordance with the effort that you are willing to put forth.  A goal is more than a wish.

A goal requires concerted effort over duration with a plan of attack. To yield the most reward it should be lofty yet possible.  For a goal to be possible it must be achievable with our own god given raw materials. Simply put, genetics are a huge factor and must be considered when choosing personal aesthetic and performance goals.


2.  Lack of proper guidance - 

The second reason, “lack of guidance,” is equally hard to manage.  Open Google and type in “workout routine” and we are immediately crushed with millions of hits on how to properly work out.  These programs are often taken from routines that someone famous once said they did, or once said they endorsed.

Our natural response is that if “Jennifer Anniston changed her body in just 10 minutes a day, I can too!” But again, this is simply not the case.  Training for a better you does not require a doctorate in kinesiology - however a properly executed routine will take into consideration your goals, lifestyle, time constraints, injuries, health concerns, familiarity with training, equipment available, as well as many other factors.   With proper guidance we will set out on a path that is sustainable, will change as our abilities change, and grow with us as we continue our journey toward our ever-changing goals.  It is most helpful when guidance works hand in hand with accountability.  Following a well-planned results oriented program works even better when there is someone to answer to and check in with frequently. You will have questions and reach sticking points along the way.  A little nudge from the right person whether it is an experienced trainer or coach or even a helpful family member may be what you need to stay on track when the going gets tough.

3.  Incorrect methods - 


The third reason, a lack of understanding of how to properly achieve a new goal is multifaceted in its complexity.  While this may seem as though it relies heavily on the second reason we fail to reach our goals, a “lack of guidance”, it actually has more to do with the goal we chose itself.  I stated earlier that our society is a visually oriented one.  As a result of this our goals are often visually oriented.  This is a perfectly natural leap.   After all, we go to the gym, we bust our humps, we should be able to “see” a difference, right?

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, our methods to achieve our goals are wrong.   Using our “razor abs” example, our new gym goer will head to the gym and do 100’s of crunches, side bends, and other “core” exercises in an attempt to get his abs to “pop”.  Our new gym goer will stop eating ALL sugar, resort to extreme measures regarding diet.  After three weeks we no longer see our new gym goer.  The abs are no more prominent, the new gym goer with a goal of “razor abs” binged on cake and ice cream and is discouraged.

As we like to say at Crystal Coast Strength and Conditioning, “form follows function.”  What we mean by that is that our bodies are a reflection of our capabilities.  To take this to an extreme, Arnold Schwarzenegger had the body he had because he was strong and capable.  It was certainly assisted with diet, however he did not win Mr Olympia seven times by doing crunches, side bends, and skipping ice cream.

Instead of setting a goal for “razor abs”, set a goal to achieve a physical feat.  That feat can be to run a mile, or 5 miles.  It may be to deadlift 100lbs, or bench 225lbs.  The goal may be to be able to climb a rope, or do a chin up.  The goal may be as simple as skipping rope for 100 skips without missing.  The process of achieving that goal will force our body to change as it adapts to the new stress.  The associated adaptation will result in a physical change that we can see with our eyes, and hopefully an appreciation for the hard work accomplished.   The pursuit of a physical trait is difficult to measure, track, and often impossible to achieve given the methods we find in the magazines at the supermarket.  In reality, those routines are “finishing” routines.  Routines used by the already fit and strong to achieve a small change for picture to be taken in a controlled setting in a studio.

Seek personal improvement through measurable performance markers vice appearance and be a better, happier you.

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Finishers

Finishers -

No, this has nothing to do with porn.

A finisher is usually something you do at the end of a training session that involves a lot of reps or work over a short period of time.  I'm going to list some finishers I've used over the years.

Pecs - 100+ rep drop sets on pec-deck - Back in my teens we used to do this one after all of our pressing work.  We'd shoot for 10-12 reps on the first set, then drop the pin on the stack to something lighter and shoot for 20-30 reps on the second set.  Once again we'd drop the weight and shoot for something like 50-60 reps on the last set.  We'd try to get 100+ reps over the three "sets" but sometimes it would require a 3rd strip set.

Press Behind the neck - 65 pounds - 6 sets of 12 reps with 60 seconds between sets - Doesn't sound like shit does it?  Try it.  After all of the previous shoulder work this would be hard as fuck.

Giant set side laterals - 20-15-10 reps - then 10-15-25 reps.  Grab a light pair of db's and do 25 reps.  Then a heavier pair and do 15, then a heavier pair and do 10.  Rest 3 minutes and then repeat the whole sequence using the same db's.  But this time, 10-15-25.

Leg Press - 25-50-75-100 - This I only did a few times because it was fucking awful.  You need a couple of people to train with to do it correctly IMO.  Do a set of 25, then have the other people strip off a few plates.  Do 50, and repeat.  Do 75 and repeat.  Then do 100 to finish.  It was fucking brutally awful and I would be sore for a week after.

Walking lunges for 15 minutes - You better be in pretty good condition for this one.  Yeah, you'll have to stop a lot and don't worry about counting reps.  Just do as many as you can for the entire 15 minutes.

100 rep donkey calf raises - You don't need some dudes riding on your back for these, and I promise you won't want that anyway.  Again.  Just get the reps in.  Let me give a word of advice here.  Don't do this right out of the gate if you haven't been doing calf work.  Go for 40 the first time or so.  I will tell you why.  My calves got so sore from these the first time I did them that I couldn't straight my legs the next few days after.  I literally walked with a cane.  If you think I'm kidding, be stupid like I was and do it.  See what happens.

100 rep plate raises - Grab a 25 pound plate and do 100 reps non stop.  Pretty simple.  Right?

Bench Dips to failure with rest/pause - Dips between benches, do as many as you can, then take a break for 30 seconds, and go again.  Repeat one more time for as many as you can.

T-bar rows - crazy 8's - 8 sets of 8 reps non-stop.  You will need to use smaller plates here.  Do a set of 8, strip off some weight, do 8, then keep repeating until a total of 8 "sets" are done.

Conclusion - 

Most finishers involve some sort of intensity technique like giant, strip, or rest/pause sets.  These are all ways to extend the set past just going to failure.  I am not a fan of forced reps for many reasons.  I that for most guys form breaks down too much during those, and because the amount of assistance given from the spotter can vary greatly.

Some of these, like the side laterals or 100 rep plate raises, can be done on a weekly basis with no problem.  Things done for legs and back shouldn't be done quite as often.  But you'll figure that out once you try them.

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Client etiquette

There are lots of articles out there on what to look for in a coach.  However few people talk about the things you should do as a great client.

If you plan on hiring a coach, whether that be online or in person please consider the following - 

Make a choice to trust that coach - It isn't the coach's responsibility to earn your trust.  When you make a decision to pay someone to train you or write you a diet, that action alone should say you trust in them.  You don't hire a coach, then tell them "you need to earn my trust."  Bullshit.  

If anything, as a client, you need to earn your coach's trust that you are going to do what they tell you to do.  It is up to you to do your due diligence before you hire them so you can make a choice to trust them.  

Do what they tell you to do...to the letter - This is a terribly annoying part of having clients.  Whether on a diet or training, some clients have a bad habit of thinking they "know better", and change certain things.  Well, if you knew better why did you need a coach?  For accountability?  Then remember that when you're not following your diet or training to the letter.  A coach really isn't there to hold you accountable.  It's your responsibility as an adult to hold YOURSELF accountable.  You spent the money.  You're the one that believes for some reason you need a coach.  So be responsible with your time and money and hold yourself accountable for what your coach tells you to do.

Remember this too.  If you do everything that the coach tells you to do, then at the end of it all, your lack of progress or feeling of being unsatisfied is on them.  But if you don't do everything to the letter, then you have no one to blame but yourself.  Your coach can give you every right answer, but if you don't listen it won't matter.  Do what they tell you.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Be respectful of your coach's time - This means if you have a scheduled appointment....show up.  If you can't, be courteous enough to call to let him or her know you can't make it.  There is nothing worse than booking someone for time, and them not show up, and not let you know.  It's incredibly rude and irresponsible on your part, and shows a lack of maturity.  

Don't whine - Yes, we know it hurts and is hard and all that shit.  When I did training in person there was nothing I hated more than whining.  Suck it up, buttercup.  If getting in better shape or looking great was easy then anyone could do it, but guess what?  Its hard work.  Understand that going in, and embrace the discomfort.  

Don't expect miracles - A coach should be good enough to take you where you want to go, but it may take longer than you want.  If you're 300 pounds and you want a "beach body" its not going to happen in 3 months.  Lots of people hire trainers because they think he or she can make miracles happen.  I don't know of a Jesus trainer, and you don't either.  So ask your trainer what they believe is a realistic time frame for you to accomplish your goals in.  It may be longer than you expect, and well, it usually is.  If you hire a coach because you need to grab that last 5% that has been evading you, then they may be what you need.  If you need a complete overhaul, then plan on a long road.  You don't undo 10 years of bad eating and living in 10 weeks.  

Don't rely on your trainer for shit they aren't qualified for - Unfortunately lots of client and trainer relationships turn into things they really aren't supposed to be.  Your trainer shouldn't be your marriage counselor.  There are people with qualifications for that.  Go to them.  If your trainer isn't a qualified physical therapist then don't expect them to solve major injury problems.  You can ask your trainer to work hand in hand with your PT, but remember, research what your trainer is qualified for, and rely on them for their expertise in those areas.  Not in areas they don't have professional experience or education in.  

Be honest and keep communication lines open - If you are unsatisfied, express that early.  Don't let tension build then fire the coach because you felt they weren't giving you what you paid for.  That again IS ON YOU.  A coach can't make changes to better meet your needs if you aren't satisfied with progress.  There are far too many passive aggressive people in this world that won't or can't express themselves properly.  If you don't like a movement, or don't like certain foods or whatever, just express that early and work with the coach on it.  Most of this should have been handled in the early stages, but things do change as training and diets continue and evolve.  Make sure you are honest about things you like and don't like so that the coach can work with you on that.

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Mr. Olympia weekend recap

When I was young and still quite the novice in lifting, I lived and breathed bodybuilding.

I bought every magazine that hit the stand each month and devoured every bit of information I could from each one.  Back in those days I really idolized the guys that trained hard, heavy, and were in possession of that "look of power" that came from that kind of training.  Guys like Dorian Yates, Mike Francois, Achim Albrecht, and Nasser.

It was always a dream of mine during those days to attend the Mr. Olympia and be able to watch in person the guys I looked up to so much.

Over time, my interest in bodybuilding faded a bit.  I became more interested in just training for strength, honing my technique in the big three, and becoming more educated in powerlifting.

The last year or so, my interest in bodybuilding returned and I've paid more attention to the sport and a lot of the guys competing in it.  As chance would have it, when I went to the strength expo in Iowa my booth there was right next to IFBB pro Fred Smalls.  Fred and I ended up hitting it off and I decided that it would be very cool to actually make one of my teenage dreams come to fruition.  So I booked a trip to Vegas to attend the Olympia.

Fortunately I had a good connection and got VIP passes into the expo (thanks, Al).  I ran into so many people that knew me, and that I had talked to online, but hadn't had the chance of meeting yet.  John Meadows, Matt Kroc, Trevor Kashey, Susan Salazar, Garret Griffin, Scott Cartwright, Kalle Beck, Al McDonagh, and too many others to list.  I also saw my usual group of thugs like Justin Graalfs, Marshall Johnson, and many others.

The Olympia itself was amazing.  Because it was the 50th year, they had a bunch of former Olympia champions come onstage to talk about what it meant to win the Mr. Olympia, and what Joe Weider meant to bodybuilding.  Arnold was there, as was Franco, Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, Samir Bannout, Lee Haney, and a few others I can't fucking remember.

I came to support Freddie, and while he didn't take top 10 like he had hoped, he easily had the best routine of the night and it totally brought the house down.  I know with another 7 pounds of lean mass or so, Freddie should crack into the top 10.  I will be working with him this offseason to try and make that happen.

Unfortunately outside of my last night there the trip was mostly uneventful.  I didn't do any lines of blow off of a strippers boob job, or end up wrecked in a gutter somewhere.

Ok so the last night there was pretty epic, and I'm not being vague about it for any other reason than the people I was with literally told me not to say shit about it.  So I will leave it at that.  Sorry.

I fully plan on attending again next year where I am pretty sure that Gillian will be competing and that Freddie will have had a strong enough offseason to break into that top 10 like he wants to.

To all of those that introduced themselves to me, thanks so much for doing so and it was my honor to meet you.  Hope to see you all there next year!

My article at Muscle and Strength

6 movements that can keep you mobile and replace mobility work -

https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/6-exercises-replace-mobility-work