Beyond-Brawn-2nd-Edition

BEYOND BRAWN
and you will add 50 pounds to your 20-rep squat. ough this 20-rep squatting
will be very hard it will never totally crush you so that you become fearful
of your training. Training enthusiasm must be sustained.
13.63 If you had to almost die in the effort, and yet still failed to get all 20 reps, you
will probably fail to get the same “failed” rep count next time, let alone the
full 20. Train hard, for sure, but do not go over the edge and kill your gaining
momentum. Take the extra months to progress slowly and steadily, rather
than try to pack all the gains in 6–8 weeks and burn out after four.
13.64 Consider the following two scenarios, and see which one is best. e first
scenario is the macho one. e starting weight is absolutely at the hilt of the
trainee’s capabilities, e.g., 260 × 20. Despite being totally crushed, with sore
arches in his feet, a strained lower back, and a fear of ever doing anything
like that again, he gets psyched up the following week and makes all 20 reps
with 265 pounds. en after a week of 20-rep squatting nightmares, and
with all aches and pains apparently gone, 270 is tried, but only 18 reps are
completed. Disastrous! And the final 2 reps of that failed set were done with
loose form. A week later, with a few aches still resident, and despite all the
cajoling of a supportive audience, again 18 reps cannot be beaten. en with
a crushed spirit, and a crushed body, the 20-rep squat is discontinued. e
fallout includes injuries and a hatred of a potentially super-productive way
of training.
13.65 Here is the second scenario, the conservative one. Start with 225 × 20. All
20 reps are made with lots of room to spare. Over the next five weeks, squatting
once a week, 5 pounds is added to the bar each week. Your mind and
body adapt, your supporting structure toughens, your cardiorespiratory
system adjusts, and good form is maintained. After five weeks you will be
at 250 × 20. ough it will be demanding it will not push you to your limit.
You will mentally and physically adapt to the rigors, and enjoy the challenge.
en you get out your little discs and start adding 2 pounds per week. Five
weeks later you will be using 260 for 20. ough it took you ten weeks to get
where you could have been if you had started off with 260 × 20, you have
laid the ground for much further progress, and you are mentally and physically
challenged to push on. Five weeks later you make 270 × 20, with room
to spare. A further five weeks you make 280 × 20, again with room to spare.
ough the work is darn hard, you always have a little room to spare each
session. en after ten more weeks of further slow and steady but safe and
sure progress, you hit the “magic” 300 × 20, which is an outstanding achieve-
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