Hey,
I hope you all killed it today.
Killed what?
Your job, your workout, your deadlines.
Whatever it is you wanted to “kill,” though hopefully NOT someONE, but something.
Something I want to discuss today.
Why do I always say something like, “NO RULES!”?
“I thought we had to follow a specific pattern of sets and reps with the same implement every workout to make any progress?”
Those who stay stagnant with their progress in the gym might agree with you.
I am here to tell you that variety is the key when making progress.
You see, your body adapts to the stimulus that is forced upon it
And it will adapt specifically to a specific stimulus.
Case in point: If you always do the bench press with a standard barbell with a normal grip width with a full range of motion in the same rep range with the same tempo every time, your body will have little or nothing to adapt to and progress will slow, whether it be lifting more or building more muscle.
Sure you will add some pounds, especially if you are a beginner, but injuries will also surface from overuse.
“No Rules” is a simple way of saying that you do NOT have to train with the same cookie-cutter workout week in week out, especially if you want to make any progress.
I speak from experience and know that my greatest gains in the shortest amount of time come from varying the intensity in my training.
7 Best Ways to Vary your Training for Max Results:
1. Change the load – simply either reduce the weight or increase it; sometimes your body will benefit from using lighter weight in the form of active recovery.
2. Increase or decrease the rest period – this could be the amount of rest between sets, between exercises and between training sessions (aka frequency).
3.Increase or decrease volume – all this is is sets x reps; feel free to do multiple sets of low reps or few sets of high reps.
4. Change the speed/tempo – this pertains to the speed of movement; either move the weight faster or slower; try going slower in one direction, like the eccentric part, and then speeding up for the concentric part.
5. Change the implement – use barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, bodyweight, sandbags, kegs, tires, medicine balls, chains, bands, thick bars, fat gripz, sledge hammers, swiss bars, cambered bars, safety squat bars, trapbars (your imagination is the only limit).
6. Change the exercise – for the traditional back squat try front squats, Zercher squats, double or single kettlebell squats, goblet squats, hack squats, overhead squats, sandbag shoulder squats (i.e. the main movement remains the same, but the way of performing it changes)
7. Change the movement - if you stay stagnant on the bench press and that’s all you do for pressing try pressing from different angles like overhead with a military press or handstand pushup; or what I would do is incorporate more pulling movements, both vertical (pullups) and horizontal (rows). Remember, your lats are the foundation for any pushing movement. What better way to build the lats than heavy pulling?
Workouts that you find in books and magazines are a great place to start, but it won’t always be for YOU.
Be Your Own Trainer
Don’t be afraid to change the rules, folks.
There is NO standard, only the one you set for yourself.
Apply the above and I GUARANTEE you will continue making progress.
Personally, I like to train everyday, and I can, only because I apply the above rules to my training.
With these rules you are also able to recover quicker and train more often for guess what?
More gains in strength, size, and fat loss.
Sweet!
Check out some variety in my training today after a long day of training others and doing what I love.
Haven’t done those in a while, but they felt great!
Terminate the set when your speed changes.
Stay strong my friends.
Peace,
JC
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Big Results – Less Time; No Time to Workout – No Problem! » Chacon Performance Training
November 9, 2012 at 9:40 am (UTC 5) Link to this comment
[...] be afraid to use variety with different [...]
Chacon Performance Training: Everett's Strength Source
November 12, 2012 at 10:43 am (UTC 5) Link to this comment
[...] Remember my post on variety? [...]
Chacon Performance Training: Everett's Strength Source
November 30, 2012 at 12:02 pm (UTC 5) Link to this comment
[...] This all ties back into the essentials of variety. [...]
Chacon Performance Training: Everett's Strength Source
December 8, 2012 at 1:24 pm (UTC 5) Link to this comment
[...] long as you adhere to this variety protocol you can enjoy training [...]
Chacon Performance Training: Everett's Strength Source
December 19, 2012 at 11:41 am (UTC 5) Link to this comment
[...] Non-Specific – This involves doing something completely unrelated to your goal or specific movement such as going swimming or playing basketball if you are training for a bigger deadlift. This also helps to build all-around athleticism. The Russians have used it for years to destroy us in sporting competitions. If you are an athlete you NEED to play other sports recreationally in the off season. It all ties into variety which I talked about here. [...]
Chacon Performance Training: Everett's Strength Source
December 21, 2012 at 12:54 pm (UTC 5) Link to this comment
[...] obviously I bench this way sometimes as well) if your shoulders abduct during a bench, but you NEED variety, and this form of push will be your [...]
Chacon Performance Training: Everett's Strength Source
December 31, 2012 at 11:36 am (UTC 5) Link to this comment
[...] Just as I always say, there are NO Rules, and you need VARIETY. [...]