S
string_bean00
Guest
This was originally posted over at Elite months ago...and I've had it saved on my computer for a while. It's a good read.
Originally posted at Elite...
"Ok, here is the program I "Invented"... so if Nelson or Bill PHillips or Bruce Kneller steals it... well you all read it here first.
And TheCornyShadow can stay out of this because it took FOREVER for me to explain it to him. But I have had many people to use this and have very good results (more on that later)
The routine is very simple. It calls for 60 reps per bodypart. That's all. Not 60 reps per set, or 60 reps per exercise... but 60 reps total. No more. No less. We don't count sets, we don't count exercises, we just count reps. Reps are all that matter. You only get 60. And these reps are like money, so spend them wisely.
Let's take chest workouts for example. You could go in and do 3 sets of flat bench at 20 reps each and get 60 reps right off the bat. Is this an effective workout? No. Why? Because, although you may have "felt" the last 5 reps of those 20 rep sets, the first 15 was wasted. Think about it. Reps 1-15 didn't really add anything to you did they? Now you see what I mean by learning to make each rep count. On the flip side of the coin. You could come in and "try" to do 30 sets of 2 max reps each. Not that you could because you would lose focus by the 10th one.
In essence, the success or failure of your workout depends strictly on your use of each individual rep. To give you an example of a workout I would do this...
Chest (after warmup - warm up reps don't count)
Incline presses 3 sets 6 reps = 18 reps
3 sets medium width flat bench press 8 reps = 24 reps
now we are at 42 reps so far... only 18 more reps to go.
so how do I feel? If I did what I was suppose to do the first two exercises.. then I should feel tired. So I will opt for 2 sets 9 reps of flyes.
If I "wasted" some reps in the first two exercises and still have a lot of energy and do not feel my chest has been taxed throughly, then I would do 3 sets of 6 of a heavier exercise like incline hammer strength presses.
Or if I truly wasted the first 42 reps by using a weight not heavy enough or form not good enough, then I would do the last 18 reps as 3 sets of 6 nothing but pure negatives. A weight too heavy to even get one single rep with, and do negatives for 3x6.
If I am truly spent but still need to get my reps in, but just feel like anything else will be overtaxing my recovery system, then I go for variety.
1 set pec dec, 1 set bench press to throat, 1 set deep pushups, one set machine presses, etc... until the reps are gone.
Basically, by the half way point (30 reps), I can judge whether the last ones will be a pumping exercise or if I have been lazy the first 30 reps and need to bust my ass in order to make it work.
Now I judge this system as being successful, not because people come back and say "wow, I got stronger/bigger/etc..." although they do in most cases. Most people follow a set routine 3-4 exercises, 6-10 reps each... so when an odd one like this comes along.. they get thrown for a loop. Because it can be anywhere from 6-20 sets, varying rep ranges. So the shock can produce results. But the real way I consider it a success is when people come back and say "even though I made (or didn't make) any gains... I did LEARN that my body responds best to >>exercise<< when the rep range is >>number of reps<<. The routine forces you get creative in order to make progress. If you don't make progress, it is YOUR fault. Not the routine. You have to make it work, it doesn't work for you. You would not believe the number of people who are surprised that low reps on the cable flyes produce results. They are conditioned to thinking cable crossovers are a "cutting" or "shaping" exercise and need high reps.
I still follow this routine about 2 months every year. Not because of how my body responds to it, but rather how I tend to LEARN from it. The insight it imparts is what stays with me and I base my workouts for the rest of the year on.
It sounds very screwy, but you have to keep an open mind and just try it. Just for the learning experience. Try it two chest workouts and tell me whether you have noticed how much value you place on each rep afterwards. The absolute BEST reward this program has is forcing you to establish a mind/muscle connection and to STOP listening to your ego and start listening to your body.
Now my training the rest of the year is a bit more structured than this."
Originally posted at Elite...
"Ok, here is the program I "Invented"... so if Nelson or Bill PHillips or Bruce Kneller steals it... well you all read it here first.
And TheCornyShadow can stay out of this because it took FOREVER for me to explain it to him. But I have had many people to use this and have very good results (more on that later)
The routine is very simple. It calls for 60 reps per bodypart. That's all. Not 60 reps per set, or 60 reps per exercise... but 60 reps total. No more. No less. We don't count sets, we don't count exercises, we just count reps. Reps are all that matter. You only get 60. And these reps are like money, so spend them wisely.
Let's take chest workouts for example. You could go in and do 3 sets of flat bench at 20 reps each and get 60 reps right off the bat. Is this an effective workout? No. Why? Because, although you may have "felt" the last 5 reps of those 20 rep sets, the first 15 was wasted. Think about it. Reps 1-15 didn't really add anything to you did they? Now you see what I mean by learning to make each rep count. On the flip side of the coin. You could come in and "try" to do 30 sets of 2 max reps each. Not that you could because you would lose focus by the 10th one.
In essence, the success or failure of your workout depends strictly on your use of each individual rep. To give you an example of a workout I would do this...
Chest (after warmup - warm up reps don't count)
Incline presses 3 sets 6 reps = 18 reps
3 sets medium width flat bench press 8 reps = 24 reps
now we are at 42 reps so far... only 18 more reps to go.
so how do I feel? If I did what I was suppose to do the first two exercises.. then I should feel tired. So I will opt for 2 sets 9 reps of flyes.
If I "wasted" some reps in the first two exercises and still have a lot of energy and do not feel my chest has been taxed throughly, then I would do 3 sets of 6 of a heavier exercise like incline hammer strength presses.
Or if I truly wasted the first 42 reps by using a weight not heavy enough or form not good enough, then I would do the last 18 reps as 3 sets of 6 nothing but pure negatives. A weight too heavy to even get one single rep with, and do negatives for 3x6.
If I am truly spent but still need to get my reps in, but just feel like anything else will be overtaxing my recovery system, then I go for variety.
1 set pec dec, 1 set bench press to throat, 1 set deep pushups, one set machine presses, etc... until the reps are gone.
Basically, by the half way point (30 reps), I can judge whether the last ones will be a pumping exercise or if I have been lazy the first 30 reps and need to bust my ass in order to make it work.
Now I judge this system as being successful, not because people come back and say "wow, I got stronger/bigger/etc..." although they do in most cases. Most people follow a set routine 3-4 exercises, 6-10 reps each... so when an odd one like this comes along.. they get thrown for a loop. Because it can be anywhere from 6-20 sets, varying rep ranges. So the shock can produce results. But the real way I consider it a success is when people come back and say "even though I made (or didn't make) any gains... I did LEARN that my body responds best to >>exercise<< when the rep range is >>number of reps<<. The routine forces you get creative in order to make progress. If you don't make progress, it is YOUR fault. Not the routine. You have to make it work, it doesn't work for you. You would not believe the number of people who are surprised that low reps on the cable flyes produce results. They are conditioned to thinking cable crossovers are a "cutting" or "shaping" exercise and need high reps.
I still follow this routine about 2 months every year. Not because of how my body responds to it, but rather how I tend to LEARN from it. The insight it imparts is what stays with me and I base my workouts for the rest of the year on.
It sounds very screwy, but you have to keep an open mind and just try it. Just for the learning experience. Try it two chest workouts and tell me whether you have noticed how much value you place on each rep afterwards. The absolute BEST reward this program has is forcing you to establish a mind/muscle connection and to STOP listening to your ego and start listening to your body.
Now my training the rest of the year is a bit more structured than this."
