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Beyond-Brawn-2nd-Edition

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HOW TO SET UP YOUR TRAINING CYCLES FOR BIG RETURNS<br />

workout when you are ready. is aspect of conservatism especially applies<br />

once you are in your thirties, and older.<br />

7.51 Remember, safety first, at all times. Patience, conservatism, and training longevity<br />

will serve you best over the long term. Haste and short cuts invariably<br />

backfire.<br />

Little gems<br />

7.52 Most trainees try to increase their training poundages too quickly. is is<br />

almost inevitable because most gyms do not have very small discs. Here is<br />

what commonly happens. Say your recent best barbell curling is 6 reps with<br />

110 pounds, and that was darn hard work. You felt exhilarated but burned<br />

out at the end of the cycle, and now decide to target 120 pounds.<br />

7.53 If you are headstrong and impatient you may decide to keep the cycle going<br />

another two weeks, adding 5 pounds to the bar each week. What will happen<br />

is that the 115 will feel like a ton and you will have trouble getting 2 or 3<br />

reps out in good form. You will relax your form, cheat and throw the weights<br />

to get all 6 reps out. You may do that without hurting yourself; so next week,<br />

on goes another 5 pounds—to 120. at feels like a boulder has been added<br />

to the bar and you cannot get even one good rep out. So you cheat right<br />

from the start and give your lower back, elbows and deltoids a real battle.<br />

A shoulder starts aching, an elbow bothers you and there is something not<br />

quite right in your lower back. You now need to recover from injury before<br />

starting another training cycle.<br />

7.54 As an alternative way of coping with the excessive poundage increments you<br />

may go the forced rep route—you get someone to assist, and you perform a<br />

set almost entirely of forced reps. is pseudo progress may fire you on for<br />

another week or few. is type of training is hard work, though how hard<br />

depends on how much of the work your partner does. e forced set may<br />

wipe you out and exceed your ability to recuperate. is sets you up for<br />

overtraining and injury as you exceed what your connective tissue can tolerate.<br />

Forget that way.<br />

7.55 Get your own set of little discs, or make improvisations, and then you will<br />

be able to make very small poundage increments, and thus slowly, safely and<br />

surely accumulate success.<br />

149

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