"LOWER REP" HIGH INTENSITY STRENGTH TRAINING - By Bob Whelan

Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on July 23, 1999

Reprinted with permission of The Iron Master

It may sound strange to some people to attach low (to moderate) reps with the term "High Intensity," but I've done it for years with great success. IN FACT, IT IS MY FAVORITE WAY TO TRAIN. Too many people assume too many things in the strength training field. They think like programmed robots. They need to follow an organization or play "follow the leader." They can't even be friends with people with different training ideas. They view them as "the enemy." That is one of the many things wrong with this field. If more people would just think for themselves, there would be less division and more brotherhood.

There are many methods that will work and there are many combinations of various philosophies that work. There are many schools of thought in strength training and most of these philosophies work. They each have some value and truth, (just more or less for different people). Why must HIGH INTENSITY always mean HIGH reps? It doesn't have to. It does not always mean ONE set to failure either. (Many high intensity types do multiple sets too.) HIGH INTENSITY means HARD WORK. It is measured by the amount of Work done per unit of time. If you work out for one hour, the more work that you do in that hour, than the higher the intensity.

I have always liked the high intensity philosophy, but I believe that it is even more effective for strength development if there is MORE EMPHASIS ON STRENGTH not muscular endurance. Of course ANY form of progression is beneficial, but I believe that a lower rep range puts even more emphasis on STRENGTH. (Just remember to do a few more warm up sets.) Many people confuse "hard work" with strength development and get too caught up in the image of vomiting or passing out on the ground, etc. Don't get me wrong, this definitely does happen with me too, but it is not the GOAL or the way to measure how hard someone has worked. Some guys are just more prone to get sick while others never do. Vern Veldekens is the type of guy who ALWAYS gets sick so I put his name on my bucket. Most of my people only get sick during the initial conditioning phase of training and once they are conditioned, they rarely do. The truth is, some of the hardest workers that I have ever seen have never vomited. It happens sometimes, yes, but it is not a way to measure a good workout.

I start beginners with high reps of at least 10 or more per set. I train myself (and some of my advanced clients) using a rep range of 5-8 reps most of the time, but will also train several months of the year using higher reps (10-20) too. I believe that it is healthy both mentally and physically to change your rep range periodically. It gives your joints a break from the constant heavy load too. This is what I call "common sense periodization," not the official orthodox definition of periodization which I find illogical. Strength and hypertrophy are built together, not in separate phases. (In my Go Hard or Go Home training video, I chose to use higher reps because I believe it shows effort better on tape as there is less breaks in the action.) Of course, if you are training to compete or demonstrate strength, or your sport is in a specific energy system, then you will have to keep your rep range constant in relation to your performance goal.

I believe that the lower rep range, combined with the high intensity philosophy is optimal for strength development and an extremely tough way to train. I believe it is more productive than the usual high rep sets for strength development as each set is usually kept in the first energy system of 0-45 seconds. This is the system (ATP) where the type 2b Fast twitch fibers are targeted which are the primary fibers for strength and power development. In other words, you should reach muscular failure for the set at 8 reps or less. When 8 reps are done in perfect form, ADD WEIGHT.

The poundage should take care of speed of motion. Controlled positive speed reps are more sensible using higher reps. The first four or five reps are controlled and then as the weight gets harder to move, you let yourself go. This does not apply to low reps. If the weight is HEAVY ENOUGH and you are doing lower reps, there is no time for games. You just focus on getting the weight up. If the weight is HEAVY with low reps, it won't fly up. Just concentrate on LOWERING THE WEIGHT SLOWLY. If you do this, it is not ballistic. You can not use proper mental focus if you are worried about your speed of motion. Your mind should be in the mood of a "disgruntled Postal Worker," or, COMBAT/HATE/ANGRY/ATTACK mode. When your mind is ready and in this mode, you should not ruin it by counting and worrying about how many seconds it takes to ram it up. This splits your mind. Just get the weight up. If the weight is moving too fast (in 8 reps or less), then it's too light. Add enough weight to slow it down!

Alternate pushing and pulling exercises to give your muscles additional time to rest even though your actual rest is minimal. Do sets to failure. If doing multiple sets use the "Controlled Failure" method where you stop at 8 reps (if reached) but on the LAST set, go all out to failure. I usually do three exercises in a row and then give a minute rest. I give a longer rest after leg exercises like squats, deadlifts or leg presses. I manipulate exercise sequence to keep rest to a minimum too. I now do neck work (Hammer 4 way neck) after legwork so not to waste time. They are getting additional rest while still training. These tricks help to raise intensity and keep rest to a minimum.

WAYS TO INCREASE INTENSITY

1. PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE - The primary way to increase intensity is to increase the LOAD, (or progressive poundages). This is BY FAR the most important way, in fact the other ways are meaningless UNLESS YOU DO THIS AS A TOP PRIORITY. One of my pet peeves with some high intensity advocates is that they always talk about going to muscular failure and maximum muscular contractions as if this were the most important thing. This is important, but secondary to poundage progression. You can go to failure doing pushups or any other bodyweight exercise. If you go to failure using light weights, you are just kidding yourself.

2. MAXIMUM MUSCULAR CONTRACTION (or going to muscular failure).

3. REDUCE REST between sets. If you train for an hour, the more work you do in that hour, than the higher the intensity as you are working more and resting less. Also you are training for strength under adverse conditions. When you get the extra rest when you DEMONSTRATE your strength, you will be even stronger for it.

4. STRICTER FORM. The stricter the form, the more work for your muscles. (Less momentum etc.)

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MINIMUM MENTALITY - By Bob Whelan

Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on June 2, 1999

Reprinted with permission of The Dinosaur Files

There is a cult of underachievers in the strength training field that believes in a "minimalist" training philosophy. These minimum mentality advocates are constantly searching for the minimum amount of training possible. They stretch the limits of recovery to the extreme and train as little as possible. They go far beyond recovery and deep into atrophy. Only in strength training do you find such a negative view of self-improvement. If you want to get better at almost anything, do you brag that you only practice for 5 minutes once every two or three weeks, and try to get better by doing even less? If so, you would NEVER improve at anything you were trying to do--including strength training.

Most of the guys who advocate this underworking philosophy look average and untrained. This is understandable considering they spend just a couple of days per month training. Deep down, they hate training and will come up with every excuse in the world to avoid it. They avoid hard work like the plague. It's easy to see how this philosophy sells. There are a lot of lazy suckers out there who love the idea of taking a two or three-week break between workouts. These types believe that less training is the answer for everything. Not getting stronger? Can't get bigger? Don't work harder or lift heavier, just take three weeks off! What a farce! The truth is that less training is only better when compared to too much training, such as the five and six days per week body part routines. Most people do not need less training, they need to work harder and lift heavier! Everyone should be searching for the right amount of training, which is not always less training.

The minimalists claim that they overtrain unless they get anywhere from 10-21 days of recovery (or more) after a very short workout, usually using a slow speed cadence. I guess they don't believe in muscle atrophy. If you want to just make up your own organization and certification program to back your philosophy, you can say whatever you want, but muscular atrophy is a scientific fact. Usually somewhere in the area of 72-96 hours of recovery is enough and rarely up to about 120-144 hours after a brutal (50s day type) workout emphasizing load. This is not just my opinion but also according to Dr. Wayne Westcott. There is a big difference between an extra day or two of rest once in a while, which is helpful, and regularly grossly undertraining. Too much recovery is deconditioning and will lead to muscular atrophy. Period. You will not get an optimum training effect with two or fewer workouts per month. (Or regularly and consistently taking ten or more days off between workouts.)

Most minimalists train slow, which should require even less recovery, not more. It is almost impossible to get sore when training slow because of the light weights being used. That is why slow training is so good for rehab as it is a gentler way to train. You need less recovery training slow because the lighter weights being used cause far less micro-trauma to the muscles. Ask Drew Israel. A few months ago he was "ambushed" by Dr. Ken and his son, Greg Roman-Leistner, a coach with the Carolina Panthers. They put Drew through a regular speed workout with heavier weights. (When on Dr. Ken's turf, you do it his way.) Drew had previously trained slowly for over a year, mainly because of his history of injuries. He was sore for almost a week. I jokingly refer to this episode of Drew's as "How Drew Got His Groove Back!" The truth is that you need even less recovery training slow because of the lighter weights used. It's the load that causes the micro-trauma.

The underachievers who are aiming to do the minimum will get only minimum results. They spend far too much energy worrying about overtraining, even though most of them have probably NEVER really trained hard in their lives and have probably never overtrained. They are always striving to do the least amount of work to stimulate the muscles, instead of just doing the right amount of work to ensure that the muscles have been hit hard (about twice every seven to ten days), I personally think it is destructive to strive to do the minimum amount of work to stimulate the muscles. I believe this theory is the main reason behind the failures of most underachievers.

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Practical Progression - By John Szimanski, Jr.

Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on June 1, 1999

Every good lifter knows of and accepts the idea that progression is the key to getting stronger. Progression can be in the form of more weight or more reps, or, both. While we all know that being able to do more reps means that we are stronger, it's the increase in weight that brings a smile. It's the increase in weight that demonstrates improved strength.

Typically, regardless of where we start out, we reach a point where it seems impossible to make that next 5 or 2½-pound jump. Sometimes we successfully work past it, by any of a number of strategies; only to re-encounter it a short way down the road. If you are at your maximum potential, you may not be worried about trying to add more weight. Chances are pretty good that you are not so close to your maximum potential that you are willing to stop trying to add weight. There may be a way you CAN continue to add weight.

Let's start by examining the fundamental principle of fractional loading. Stated as a concept rather than a law: the typical human body cannot discriminate, by feel, 1 pound increments with anything weighing over 100 pounds.

To illustrate, load a bar to 100 pounds and load another, identical bar to 101 pounds. Have a blindfolded lifter unrack one bar, then the other several times. Ask him which bar is heavier each time. Unless he is a genetic wonder, he cannot possibly discern a difference in the weights. He might guess correctly 50% of the time; those odds are built in. But, he cannot factually tell. The threshold of human tactile sensitivity cannot detect the difference between 100 pounds and 101 pounds, 200 pounds and 201 pounds, etc.

Here's another example many of you have experienced. Do your bench warm ups and work sets all the way to your final top set as you usually do. We assume your top set is intense, i.e., to failure. Add 5 pounds to the bar, unrack and proceed to lift. You can't make it. The additional 5 pounds feels like a ton. Now, strip the 5 pounds and replace it with 1 pound. Unrack and lift. Bet you made it.

The key is the difference of just a few pounds, two pounds too much might as well be 100 pounds. Regardless, you won't lift it. You see it at meets all the time. Lots of lifters practice 'peaking' and, it's an effective strategy most of the time. But, how many times have you seen a win turned into a loss by a few pounds? How many workouts of 'no progress' have left you dejected?

Let's start at the beginning of a cycle and look at how fractional progression is applied to the utmost advantage. Say your deadlift workout is three increasing worksets with the top set using your maximum weight for the workout. Your previous PR is 400 pounds and you are currently doing 200 pounds for 10 reps at the top. These are easy workouts for you. They get you warmed up and you feel great. You feel like you could add 400 pounds now. But use your head. Be patient. Keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel.

A few days later, after you rest and eat well, you're champing at the bit to HIT the iron. Add 15 pounds to your top set this workout. After several workouts using this procedure, you are using over 300 pounds. Still well within your capabilities, but it is becoming more like work. Slow the increments to 10 pounds for several workouts. As you get around 380 it starts to get tough. Slow down to 5-pound increments for a few weeks.

Now you're up to 395 and you're working your tail off. You have good control of the weight, great form, and you have a little oomph left at the end of each workout, but now you're undeniably working out. Enjoy the success. Take a few moments before the next workout to recall how good this workout was. Savor it. Mull over how great the next workout will be, because you know you will increase the weight and you cannot possibly fail. Now it's time to get fractional.

At the next workout add 1 pound. Just 1 pound! As you work your way to the top set recall that you are absolutely certain to make the weight. You know your body cannot possibly tell the difference between this load and the load at the last workout. You did it then and you absolutely will do it now. There are no other possibilities. It's easy to envision yourself doing it because you know you will do it. When you get there, the top set will seem to fly.

Continue adding just 1 pound, and following the same procedure, at each workout. The old 400 maximum will no longer be an issue. Just concentrate on that 1 pound more you know you will lift at the next workout. Ignore the actual total. Focus on that inevitably successful 1 pound increase.

You will sail right past that old theoretical PR. You will probably have to take a breather from the intensity before you actually fail at a lift. You used to get to 400 and stall for 3 months with no progress. This time around, at the end of the same 3 months, and before you know it, you are lifting 425. And, you are smiling. "Big time". The best part is, you're still moving up.

Now is a good time for a reality check. We know we can add 10 or 15 pounds at a time, make progress, then begin to stall. We know if we then slow to 5-pound increases we can keep going. And now we know, if we slow to 1 pound increases, we can go on lifting more, virtually forever. Baaaaahhhh. Wrong. Nobody but nobody goes on lifting ever-increasing weight forever. You could slow down to ½ or ¼-pound increments and go a bit further. But at some point, if you actually could continue on and on, you will reach your true PR range, your true potential, your 'best' condition. So there is a double-edged sword of truth here: you can't go on lifting more ad infinitum yet, how many people do you know, who are at or near their true potential? One, two, none?

The bottom line - there's another tool for your toolbox. You pull it out when it's time. You use it when it's appropriate. There is no magic to it. But, there is guaranteed progress.

Like any other nice piece of equipment, nicely finished, personalized, accurate fractional plates can offer a little extra kick in the motivation department. But there is no denying that hanging ½ pound of peanut butter on each side of the bar will do the same thing. It's your choice 'how'. Just do it.

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Effort and Dedication Make Many Methods Work - by Bob Whelan

Reprinted with permission of Hardgainer, Vol. 9, No. 5 (March-April 1998)

A few years ago, while attending the annual conference of the National Strength and Conditioning Association in New Orleans, I was having a conversation with a well known Ph.D. “researcher type.” We talked for about twenty minutes, and seemed to be getting along great. Out of the blue he asked me, “Do you do power cleans?” When I replied that I did not usually do them (but I had nothing against him for doing them), he abruptly stopped talking to me and walked away.

There are many jerks in the training field. They think that they alone have all the answers, and if you don’t agree with their particular theory or approach, then you are their enemy. Their whole self esteem is based on having you agree with them.

And there are also many narrow-minded robots who can only think in one direction at a time. They take any variation or difference of opinion as a personal insult.

Every time someone thinks he has all the answers, I can find hundreds of strong men who don’t train like the know-it-all says they should, but they are usually a lot bigger and stronger than the “expert.”

Many of these know-it-all types love to argue, and like to use “science” as their defense. There is a big problem here because every camp has its own version of science. Each uses its own “pet” researchers who espouse the “party line.”

I hold a Master's degree in exercise science and can tell you that most professors of exercise science look like they never touched a weight in their lives. They can talk forever about the body’s physiological response to strength training, but have no clue on how to use the various modes and methods of training.

Many of the leading scientists and researchers don’t agree on the best modes and methods of training. Talk to Ted Lambrinides, Wayne Wescott, Ralph Carpinelli, James Graves or Mike Pollock and you may not get the same “scientific” explanation as you would from Mike Stone or William Kramer. And talk to Ellington Darden and you may get something all together different.

There are few absolute rules in strength training

One of the absolute rules I know of is that hard work (or progressive strength training), plus good nutrition and adequate recovery, equals good results. I feel sorry for the beginner who reads the “cat fights” and opposite views each backed by “science” as supposedly the best way to train. The beginner may be so confused that he does not know what to do. One author may have “absolute scientific principles” that “prove” you must train “explosively.” Then turn the page and the next author says he has the grip on “science” that you must, for example, train using extremely slow reps.

There is a big difference between giving an opinion of what works for you, and giving information that is defined as scientifically “proven” as the “best” way to train. According to Dr. Wayne Wescott, the only significant factor in a successful strength-training program is to train progressively in the anaerobic energy system. All other facts are minor compared to this, and provide different results for different people.

The enjoyment factor

Most people will get best results doing what they enjoy. You can’t argue about what someone else likes to do. If you like to train using slow reps, go for it, but don’t tell me that I must do it, too, or that I shouldn’t be moving my facial muscles or screaming as I train. If you like to train fast (or explosively), and can do it without getting hurt, then do it. Both ways can work, but neither is the best way.

Climbing mountains can be dangerous, but if you have a passion for climbing them you should be able to. It’s the same with lifting rocks and sandbags, and doing power cleans or snatches. If you enjoy doing this sort of training, or have a background in Olympic lifting, then do it. I don’t perform the Olympic movements too often because I don’t enjoy them. My background is in powerlifting.

I also don’t believe that power cleans, snatches and jerks work as much as muscle as other exercise variations. I would rather do deadlifts, rowing, presses and shrugs.

I believe that the power clean is only beneficial in the bottom of the lift and, after the initial explosion, the bar is in what Dan Riley calls “upward freefall.” Then you just fall under the bar. No musculature is being worked much after the initial explosion, and the musculature that was worked was only trained intensively through a minimal range of motion. It takes great skill to power clean right and avoid injury. I would rather teach people lifts that don’t require as much learned skill to do them. But I don’t hate anyone who likes the power clean. It can still be a fine exercise if you do it right.

The safety factor

If you are a coach, you have to judge what is best for your athletes or clients considering their different ages, medical backgrounds and injury history. For some people, lifting rocks or sandbags would be crazy. Everyone I train does not perform the same workout. A young tough athlete will be trained extremely hard. A beginner in his forties will be started very carefully and conservatively. I don’t want any deaths in my gym.

Speed of motion vs. poundage

It’s common sense that speed of motion and poundage are directly related, and are like the opposite ends of a see-saw. The faster the speed of motion, the heavier the poundages that can be used. And the slower the speed of motion, the lower the poundage that can be used. Both ways can be productive. But the terminology used in the different camps of training is not the same.

Enthusiasts of slow training would be far more effective at winning over opinions if they talked more about progression and getting stronger, and less about minor details and overcomplicating training. Training is not nearly as complicated as they enjoy making it. It seems to me that most slow-speed enthusiasts are more concerned about the strength curve of the machine that the strength of the person using the machine. They love the word “inroads” but don’t talk enough about strength and progression. Regular-speed proponents like to talk about strength, poundage and progression. These factors should still be the focus if you are training slow, and are the unifying factors of all methods.

Strength is defined as the ability to produce force. Many conventional-speed trainers believe that slow-rep training with less resistance (force) is simply taking strength training one step closer to calisthenics. Most people fall on one side or the other when it comes to speed of motion, but I see no problem with using more than one rep speed. But you need to understand the difference between poundage and progression.

Progression, not the numbers game

Using the highest possible poundage (or the highest number) is not always the same thing as progression. Poundage comparisons only have validity when comparing the same mode of training and rep speed. It’s possible to use bigger poundages but without necessarily having progressed, just as it’s possible to use reduced poundages and yet still make progress.

Certain machine variations of barbell exercises force a considerable reduction in weight used, e.g., the Tru-Squat reduces squatting poundage by 50%. It’s the same thing with speed of motion. You will use a lot less weight going at a slower speed. Poundages are only relative when measured against the same modes, rep speeds and equipment. For example, you may Hammer Leg Press 530 lbs for 8 reps at regular speed (2 seconds concentric, 4 seconds eccentric), but only be able to use 375 lbs for 8 reps at 8/8 speed. You should not let the number 530 make you feel inferior if you if you use an 8/8 speed and the accompanying reduced poundage. The workout with 375 lbs may even be harder and take more effort because it’s on an entirely different scale to that used for the 530 lbs. You can’t compare numbers at different rep speeds. Just focus on progression within the speed used.

Many people will not even consider using certain machines, or training at a slower speed, because they will have to train with lighter weights. It’s an ego thing or numbers game with them. They focus on numbers and not progression.

Don’t be hung up on numbers. Focus on progression—i.e. adding weight (using consistently good form, of course)—in the rep speed and/or on the equipment you are using. Progression, not purely the highest poundage number, is the top priority and the constant unifying factor regardless of the speed of motion or apparatus used.

Slow-rep cadence training has a bad image in the eyes of many poorly-informed conventional-speed people. This is because many people who are not strong are attracted to slow-rep training. They like it because it helps to camouflage the lack of weight being used. They can always have an excuse for the lack of weight by saying that they are going slow. Most of the people I know who do slow-rep training never talk about progression, which is why most of them look so puny. Remember, if you do use slow-rep training, the key is still progression regardless of the speed used.

There are exceptions, and more and more strong guys including NFL teams are now using slow-speed training. People like Drew Israel and Jeff Watson train using slow reps, but keep progression as their top priority; and they are getting great results. You do not have to train 10 up and 5 down. Drew is using 10/10; and Jeff Watson has coined “deep training” which is a single rep, or low reps, of 30 seconds or more for each.

I’m a regular-speed guy, but still use slow training as a change of pace. At least once a month we will use it. The speed of motion I’ve been using for this is 8 seconds up and 8 seconds down, for 8 reps to add weight. Slow training is especially good for rehab.

Don’t let the so-called experts with narrow definitions of science confuse you. Reread Brawn whenever you get confused, and get back to basics. Remember the basic Hardgainer philosophy of hard work, good food, and plenty of recovery time. Combine this with lots of effort and dedication, and you can succeed with one of many specific modes or methods of training.

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Effective Strength Training: Understanding the Intensity-Duration Relationship - By Dave Durell

Originally posted on NaturalStrength.com on June 1, 1999

The optimal number of sets of resistance exercise required to produce maximum increase in strength remains a very controversial topic. In order for any strength training program to be considered effective, obviously that program would have to produce an increase in strength. If two different systems both produced an equal increase in strength, then other criteria must be utilized to determine which is truly the most effective. These additional criteria would be the amount of time invested to achieve the desired result, as well as the amount of effort expended. Thus, the most effective system of strength training (or anything else) would be the one which produced the greatest possible results with the lease possible amount of effort in the shortest possible time. The purpose of this article is to compare single set training to multiple set training to determine which training protocol comes closest to being the previously mentioned most effective system.

Multiple set training is defined as performing more than one set of a certain resistance exercise, typically 2 to 5 sets. Usually a 1 to 2 minute rest period is taken between sets. Traditionally, multiple set systems have been considered a requirement to stimulate maximum strength gains (1). While multiple set training has produced unquestionably good results in a multitude of trainees over the years, this system contains one inherent flaw: it attempts to defy the principles of logic, reason, and human physiology by disregarding the incontrovertible relationship between intensity and duration.

Intensity is defined as the percentage of possible momentary effort being exerted (2). Duration is the amount of time over which such efforts are conducted. To paraphrase, intensity is how hard it is, while duration is how long it takes. There is universal agreement that intensity is the single specific stimulus required to generate increased muscular strength. The critical, yet often ignored, factor involved in strength training programs is that intensity and duration are inversely proportional. This means that as the intensity of effort increases, the amount of time that such an effort can be sustained will proportionately decrease. These are incontrovertible facts not subject to debate which can be readily observed in everyday life. It is literally impossible for a human being to sustain 100% intensity for prolonged periods of time.

Consider, for example, the activity of running, something almost all of us have had experience with since we were children. Picture yourself sprinting at top speed for a distance for 50 yards. Now imagine yourself running a distance of one mile. Can you run the mile at the same all-out pace you used in sprinting the 50 yards? Of course not. Why? Because intensity and duration are inversely proportional. Since you drastically increased the duration of your run, the intensity had to decrease, whether you wanted it to or not.

Once the facts regarding the intensity-duration relationship are clearly established, it becomes possible to manipulate these variables to produce the desired training result. Since intensity is the factor responsible for stimulating strength gains, and duration is inversely proportional to intensity, an ideal strength training program would combine the highest possible intensity with the lowest possible duration. One set per exercise, performed until no further volitional movement is possible, satisfies these requirements.

Have any studies been performed comparing multiple set to single set training? One study performed at the university of Florida (3) consisted of 25 subjects performing 1 set of lumbar extension exercise 1 day/week for 10 weeks. Strength increases ranged from 42% to 102%. A second study performed at the University of Florida (4) utilized a total of 110 subjects who performed either 1 or 2 sets of lumbar extension exercise 1 day/week for 12 weeks. The results showed significant and similar improvements for both groups as compared with controls. The researchers concluded that performing more that one set was unnecessary for increasing strength in the muscles of the lumbar spinal area.

Another interesting study was performed by Golds Gym of Bristol, CT and ESPN cable television network (5). This study compared the effects of a 3-set, 2-set, and 1-set upper extremity resistance training program on 61 subjects. Results showed an average overall strength increase of 16.42% in the 3 set group, 23.54% in the 2-set group, and 26.95% in the 1-set group.

How do these results compare with other similar studies? A review by Fleck and Kramer (1) showed that the average increase in strength for most studies using isometric or isotonic testing and training of a variety of different muscle groups was between 20% and 30%. Thus from a theoretical as well as practical standpoint, it appears that single-set training systems produce comparable or superior strength gains in less time and with less total
effort than typical multiple-set training systems.

How can this information be utilized by the individual wishing to make his own training program as effective as possible? The following guidelines are offered:

1. Make each repetition as intense as possible by maintaining strict form. This includes controlling the repetition speed, taking care to move the weight by muscular force alone without momentum. No quick starts, bouncing or heaving. Lift the weight smoothly, pause at the end position, and lower slowly under full control.

2. Make each set as intense as possible by continuing that set until no further volitional movement is possible, that is, to muscular failure. Continue performing strict repetitions until you are stopped in your tracks during the repetition despite your greatest effort. Remember, if you complete a repetition, no matter how hard it was, you must attempt another one! Make sure, however, you have the proper safety measures in place first, i.e. racks to catch the weight in a safe position and a competent spotter.

3. Make each workout as intense as possible by performing only one set per exercise in the fashion described above. Remember, intensity and duration are inversely proportional; if you do extra sets , the intensity of your workout will decrease, reducing its effectiveness. In addition, keep your workouts as brief as possible by limiting the total number of exercises performed to one, or at the most two, per muscle group.

I hope this article has provided a clearer understanding of the intensity-duration relationship as it applies to effective strength training. Such an understanding, properly applied, is the cornerstone of an effective strength training program.

REFERENCES
1. Fleck, SJ; and Kramer, WJ: Designing Resistance Training Programs. Human Kinetic Books; Champaign, IL 1987.

2. Mentzer, Mike: Heavy Duty. Self Published, 1992.

3. Pollock, ML; Leggett, SH; Graves, JE, et al: "Effect of Resistance Training on Lumbar Extension Strength". Am J Sports Med 1989; 17: 624-629.

4. Hochschuler, SH; Guyer, RD; and Cotler, HB (ed): Rehabilitation of the Spine. Mosby-Year Books, Inc., 1993.

5. Sansone, J; and Fitts, B: ESPN/Golds Gym Fitness Study. Unpublished Study, 1993.

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Nightmare on Seventh Street - By Bob Whelan

Reprinted with permission of Hardgainer, Vol. 9, No. 3 (January-February 1998)

A few months ago Eric Weinstein and Drew Israel drove all the way down to Washington, D.C., from New York City (and drove back the same day) just so I could put Eric through a workout. Drew wanted me to hammer Eric hard like the workouts we had together at my place last year. Eric wanted it that way, too, and was expecting the type of grueling workout that would make Freddy Krueger proud.

Eric is 33 years old, 5’9’’ and a solid 195 lbs. He’s the throwback type—tough, motivated, strong and extremely polite. I’ve gotten to know him, Dr. Ken, Jim Duggan, Jamie LaBelle and other members of the “Iron Island gang” pretty well from my visits to Drew’s place, and Drew’s several previous visits here. Eric and I have trained together at Drew’s a few times, and then gone out to Peter Luger’s Steak House after the workout. This is not a regular habit for any of us, just a tradition when we all get together.

Eric has been training with Dr. Ken since he (Eric) was 16; he has also trained with Drew for several years. So it goes without saying that Eric has excellent mental focus, and flawless form. Since I knew Eric was a high-intensity-training veteran, I did not have to use the same caution that I would with a beginner off the street.

Eric wanted me to put him through a workout on my turf, to add to his collection. Some people collect stamps, others collect coins. Eric collects workouts. I knew that Eric was used to being hammered by Dr. Ken, so I didn’t want to let Eric down. I was pulling no punches and planned on giving Eric a workout to remember.

I had the Marine cadence cassette blasting, and after the cv warmup, static holds for his whole body, and a few warmup sets on the machines to be used. Drew and I were shouting encouragement. Eric was psyched and ready! I had him begin with the Southern Xercise Horizontal Tru-Press with custom (Sutherland) 2.5-inch thick handles. The handles alone weigh 30 lbs. Eric went to failure at 10 reps with 140 lbs, and his chest was in real discomfort. (This machine uses about half the poundage of free-weight bench presses, and is a real ego killer!)

Then it was over to the Hammer Iso-Lateral Row for a set to failure with 200 lbs followed by a few forced reps.

As soon as he got off the Hammer machine I had him go to the 2-inch thick bar for a high-rep set to failure with 75 lbs in the reverse curl, with special emphasis on lowering the bar slowly (at least 5-6 seconds per negative). As soon as he hit failure he put the bar down and gave his hands a shake. Then he picked the bar right back up for a set of regular curls (palms up) to failure, again with emphasis on lowering the bar very slowly. As soon as he put the bar down it was back to the reverse curl for a final all-out set. I then let him take a one-minute rest.

Eric repeated this sequence of Horizontal Tru-Press, Iso-Lateral Row and curls two more times, to failure. On the third (last) time he pushed (in the Tru-Press) and pulled (in the Iso Row) for ten seconds in a static contraction after reaching muscular failure. The reverse curls got his forearms bulging and swollen with blood. His hands, wrists and forearms were so “nuked” that he had a hard time holding onto the handles of the Iso Row on the third series.

As soon as Eric had put down the bar after the third series, it was “Get right up!” on the Hammer Iso-Lateral Leg Press for one set to failure with 430 lbs. Each rep was done with a dead-stop pause at the bottom. The seat was set near the “tightest” position so that Eric’s knees sunk into his chest at the bottom. After 10 reps he was breathing like a steam engine, and paused to take ten deep breaths. He made it to 15 reps and then started to scream on every rep. Drew and I were screaming too! “C’mon Eric, get to 20! One at a time...puuussshhh...” Eric made it to 20 reps, and was shaking. A few reps later he started to moan between the screams, as he approached the end of the set. He paused to take about fifteen deep breaths and kept the set going, with each rep being an all-out, painful, life-and-death effort. He made it to 30 reps before collapsing in the machine. He then rolled to the floor and stayed there for a few minutes. The set was a great effort! Most people would have stopped at 15 reps.

Most people would have been KOed and done with training right now, but not Eric. I knew he would bounce back. He was used to this type of training from all the brutal stuff Ken and Drew do to him. This was just a regular training day for Eric! After a few minutes of rest, we continued. Eric did a few high-rep sets to failure on the Hammer Behind Neck Press with 160 lbs, then a few sets to failure on the Hammer Pulldown with 170, each with a ten-second static contraction on the last set. I threw in some manual resistance for his shoulders, some grip work, and some calf work.

We then went to the Tru-Squat as we wanted to finish with some “ground-based” training. (My tongue-in-cheek definition of “ground-based training,” as coined by Jamie LaBelle, is “ending up on the ground” after a hard set, and has nothing to do with having your feet on the ground.) Eric did a set of 20 reps with 200 lbs, which was even harder than and took more effort than the leg press set. After the twentieth rep, Eric was on the ground for about ten minutes.

The Tru-Squat is one of the best ground-based training tools because it trains you “into the ground.” (For those not familiar with the Tru-Squat, it is an ego killer because you can use only about half the weight of barbell squats.)

After the long rest, Eric felt better. The main course was over. Now it was time for “dessert.”

We went outside to sandbag alley where I store my sandbags. Eric was exhausted, but got a second wind after the needed rest and a big glass of water.

He wrestled with the 200-lb bag and carried it over the course of 225 feet in well under the ten-minute time limit. He only put the bag down a few times, and probably could have done 225 lbs. He had been practicing the sandbag carry with Drew, and wasn’t coming all the way down here unless he got his name put on the bag.

Drew has been training with over 300 lbs in the sandbag carry. Rumor has it that Drew will attempt 350 lbs to set a new Whelan Strength Training record at the second annual Capital City NSCA Clinic (see ad after this article). Big Melvin Tuten holds the current record of 325 lbs, which he got in his last workout before reporting to the Cincinnati Bengals in July.

Eric slumped for a few minutes against the fence that borders the alley, to let his racing heart and steam-engine breathing get back to normal levels. He did a great job today and worked extremely hard, but was glad the workout was over. All he wanted now was a good meal and a good bed! I put his name on the bag with a magic marker. We were all hoarse from screaming.

Shortly afterwards we headed for Morton’s to watch Drew (6’4’’ and 310 lbs) set new world records. Nothing like it after a brutal workout. Good workout, good food, good friends; ah, life is good!

“Maximum” Bob Whelan runs Whelan Strength Training in Washington, D.C.

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Make Mine Freedom - A MUST SEE!

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Getting Pervis Back in Service - By Bob Whelan

Reprinted with permission of Hardgainer, Vol. 9, No. 3 (November-December 1997)




I was checking my messages in mid-July and heard, “Hi Bob, this is Shaun Brown, the strength and conditioning coach of the Boston Celtics. I’d like to speak with you about the possibility of training Pervis Ellison, who lives in the DC area in the off season, until he reports to us in Boston in late September.” That was a phone call I answered right away! I was born and raised in the Boston area and have been a Celtics fan my whole life. There is no other team in the world that I would rather help.

After I spoke with Shaun he said he would call Pervis to see if he was interested, but Pervis had to be willing. This had to be a voluntary decision, not one forced upon him. If Pervis did not want to do it, that would be the end of it. As it turned out, Pervis was very interested, and willing to try anything to revive his basketball career. Pervis is a 6-10 center, and was the first player chosen in the NBA draft in 1989. He won the NCAA championship while at the University of Louisville, but so far has not reached his full potential in the pro’s due to his many injuries.

The background

While in college, Pervis was nicknamed “Never Nervous Pervis” for his clutch play in playoffs. In the pro’s, however, it’s been a different story. Danny Ainge, a former teammate of Pervis with the Sacramento Kings, nicknamed him “Out of Service Pervis.” Pervis has had both of his knees operated on twice. His left knee, especially, has been giving him problems since he shattered his left knee cap a few years ago. Over the last few years Pervis has spent more time in the whirlpool than on the court. But when he plays, he does great. He has excellent production based on time played.

A few days later, Shaun flew down to my place in Washington and we went over Pervis’ training. We hit it off well, as our training philosophies are very similar. Shaun is a no-BS hardcore guy. He has to be to work for Rick Pitino, the Celtics’ new coach and President, who is a fanatic about team strength and conditioning. (Shaun also worked for Coach Pitino at The University of Kentucky.) The Celtics have gone from “the outhouse” to “the penthouse” as far as their strength and conditioning program is concerned. According to Pervis, last year the players were “on their own” for strength training. They would just “dabble with the weights” when they felt like it. Their equipment was little more than a Universal machine. This year, under Rick Pitino and Shaun Brown, they will have about fifteen new Hammer Strength machines to work with. They will have even more equipment next year when their state-of-the-art training complex is finished. They will also have Shaun Brown “in their faces” for every workout. They will be one of the best, if not the best conditioned team in the league.

Pervis arrived a little later, with his agent Bill Strickland. We all found a machine to sit on (or lean against), as I have no unused space. Shaun did most of the talking, explaining to Pervis our training program. Pervis has never consistently trained hard with weights.

Pervis has been with poor, losing teams his whole pro career—ones that had poorly-run strength-training programs. Shaun and I both believe that what Pervis needed was to train his whole body hard and consistently, with an organized and personalized high-intensity program. His knee problems were mainly cartilage ones (not tendon or ligament) that have been repaired (or “cleaned out”) surgically. We were not going to retreat from working his legs. Not working his legs has got him nowhere in the past except to the whirlpool. We were going to attack the problem and have him work his whole body with emphasis on his legs, to strengthen his “weak link” and make his knee joints more stable. Pervis was enthusiastic and ready to get started.

Getting down to business

We then put him through a workout, but did not hit him too hard. Shaun and I both took turns to work him, but we did not want to “cripple” him and scare him away. I wanted him to come back. Our next workout was in just a few days and I didn’t want any cancellations. Pervis thought he had been put through the wringer during that first workout, but he hadn’t seen anything yet.

During Pervis’ first workout (in front of his agent) we found out important things about his training, such as prior injuries, range of motion limitations, proper poundage to use, and any pain felt. He had no upper-body problems. Only his knees “sometimes” bothered him. We started each exercise light and moved him up to find the right training poundages to start out at. We also found the correct settings for him in machine exercises.

Once his training poundages and range-of-motion adjustments were documented, he was ready to go for the next workout. (On the Tru-Squat, I started him on a partial squat, down to only about 6 inches above parallel. Then over the course of a few workouts I moved him, hole by hole, down to parallel-depth squatting.) Remember that Pervis is a professional athlete and only 30 years old. Even with his gimpy knees he is in tremendous shape when compared to the average person off the street. A regular middle-age guy off the street would need several weeks as an adjustment/break-in period before training hard.

The next workout I gave Pervis the same two-hour orientation that I give everyone else. I also had him order The Psychology of Winning and The Magic of Thinking Big (see last issue), and gave him a copy of Brawn. After orientation I had Pervis do a “Fifties Day” workout. He got a kick out of the fifties music playing. I had him do fifty reps on the Tru-Squat, Horizontal Tru-Press, Hammer Behind Neck Press, Hammer Iso-Lateral Row, and Hammer Pulldown. (A weight was selected for each exercise that was heavy enough to require several sets to failure in order to complete the 50 reps.) We also did some extremely slow reps just for his left leg (weakest knee) on the Hammer Iso-Lateral Leg Press. We did extra stretching, ab work, and grip work, and I even initiated Pervis with a visit to sandbag alley. I had to help him get the 150-lb bag up to bear-hug position, but once he got his arms around it he managed to get it up and down the course. Pervis really worked his ass off!

I push Pervis real hard, but good form always comes ahead of poundage with me. I make Pervis use flawless form to minimize the chance of injuries.

He told me that those 50 reps on the Tru-Squat got his legs and glutes so sore that he had to use his baby’s foam-padded toilet training seat for a few days (even though he could barely fit onto -it). Now that’s sore! Pervis loves the Tru-Squat (Southern Xercise 800-348-4907, see my article on page 47 of issue #49). But being 6-10 he could never come close to doing a parallel squat with a barbell.

Training specifics

Pervis’ strength-training workouts had a core structure. We always started with a warmup consisting of five minutes of cardiovascular work immediately followed by ab work and static stretching. Then came five multi-joint major movements: (1) Horizontal Tru-Press (or Hammer Chest Press), (2) Hammer Row, (3) Tru-Squat (or Hammer Leg Press), (4) Hammer Behind Neck Press, (5) Hammer Pulldown. I use a lot of variety as some workouts are done with 3 straight sets per exercise, some in breakdown style, some with one arm or leg at a time (i.e., dumbbell style, as all my machines are iso-lateral—can be used one limb at a time), some are done barbell style (i.e., with both arms or legs working simultaneously). Plus once a month there’s a fifties day, and at another workout each month there is a slow day. We do a variety of manual resistance almost every workout (especially for inner and outer thighs, and hamstrings). Time permitting we do additional slow work for his weak leg, plus curls, grip work, and a sandbag carry.

I see most of my regular clients only twice a week, for just strength training. Pervis is almost a part-time job. I spend 2-3 hours per day with him, usually four days a week. I do conditioning (e.g., running drills on a basketball court), plus cardiovascular work and extra stretching with him. We train with weights on Monday and Thursday. On Tuesday and Friday we go to Catholic University (where I was the strength and conditioning coach several years ago, and still have a few contacts) to run on the quarter-mile track, swim in the pool, and do running drills on the basketball court. Sometimes he uses the Stairmaster instead of the swimming. I’m pretty much on my own with the strength-training part of the program, but defer to Shaun and follow his program to the letter for the conditioning part.

Results

Pervis is getting stronger each workout, and has gained almost 20 lbs of muscle over the summer. His playing weight was under 235 lbs last year. He is a few pounds over 250 at the time of this writing. He will get even bigger and stronger because Shaun will work him real hard all season long. So far, his knees are feeling better than ever. The intensive running has caused his back some problems and he had to lay off a few times, but nothing serious. To help counter this problem we do a lot of stretching, and alter the intensity of the running. But he will have to be able to run hard to play for Rick Pitino.

Pervis is so big that a 20-lb gain in bodyweight only had the visual effect of a 10-lb gain on a regular-size guy. I advised him to eat a good breakfast every day. He has three main meals that include 5-9 portions of fruits and vegetables, and at least 8 glasses of water per day. A simple vitamin-mineral pill per day was the only supplement he took. I also had him eat two cans of tuna per day (between meals), one in mid-morning and one in the afternoon. So he had five feedings per day. I also encouraged him to drink a lot of skim milk each day. Natural food is the best protein supplement. The strength training has greatly increased his appetite, so he has no problem eating!

Shaun flies down the DC every 2-3 weeks to watch me put Pervis through his paces. The more Pervis sweats and screams, the bigger the smile on Shaun’s face. We have daily progress reports on the phone after each workout. Believe it or not, Pervis really likes the strength-training part of the program and realizes how important this could be to his career.

Pervis has made great short-term gains despite the fact that he has missed more than a few planned workouts (especially the running). But when he trains, he really works very hard. He will come to three workouts in a row, and then not show up. Then he will come back and work extremely hard for another week, and then miss a workout. Mind you, considering how well he has progressed, perhaps he needed the unplanned extra rest days in order to fully recover from each group of intensive workouts. Pervis has the potential to be as big and strong as Karl Malone if he applies totally commitment.

Since Rick Pitino took over, the Celtics have made so many roster changes that only a few players from last year remain on the team. Pervis could be a member of the Miami Heat of some other NBA team by the time this article comes out. But I hope he stays with the Celtics and is able to contribute. High-intensity strength training is just what Pervis needs to get back on the court and reach his full potential. If he stays with the Celtics, Shaun will make him train year round. It could be the piece of the puzzle that was missing for him to play regularly and injury-free.

Lessons to learn

There are many lessons that regular trainees can learn from Pervis’ strength training. Even an elite level guy needs to adapt to a new training program, determine safe ranges of motion, apply correct form, train very hard and briefly, eat every three hours or so, follow a sound diet that includes fruit, vegetables and plenty of water, and focus on progressive poundages in good form. The formula works for Pervis and my other clients, and it will work for you too.

“Maximum” Bob Whelan runs Whelan Strength Training in Washington, DC.

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Why Do People Have to Be So Selfish? - By Kathy Roberts

Originally posted on the old NaturalStrength.com site on May 20, 1999

I would like to share some of my personal experiences in dealing with people who have used or are currently using steroids or other strength enhancing drugs. I was in a relationship with someone who has used anabolic steroids. In this relationship I saw this person hallucinate, talk to himself on occasion (as if someone were therefore), submit himself to self-inflicted pain, experience low self-esteem, have a very bad temper, and threaten to commit suicide. This situation was the very first situation that I have ever had to deal with on a personal basis. The relationship ended a little over a year and a half ago. In dealing with this situation, it caused me total stress, because I thought that I could fix this person's problem myself instead of leaving it in the hands of God. This situation put my health in jeopardy, both mentally, physically, and emotionally. I thank God that he gave me the strength to stand up and to see things in the way in which I had refused to see them.

This person never told to me that he was using steroids until people around me started suspecting it. When I asked him about it, he was in total denial about it. I continued to ask him about it and finally got an answer. The answer was "yes," he was using steroids.

I suppose I was lucky that I finally got the truth out of this individual. Even though I didn't have any control over the situation, at least I knew what he was doing and what the end result could be. There are people every day who lose people that they love due to steroid abuse, who never have a clue that their loved-one was using drugs. HOW CAN THESE USERS BE SO SELFISH?

I received a phone call from someone who was calling around, searching for answers. I called this individual back, not knowing where the call would lead. The caller asked me if I knew a certain individual. I thought about it and asked if he was a powerlifter. The caller said yes, he was a body builder and powerlifter. I asked her if he had attended a meet late last year, and she confirmed that he had. She then told me that her husband had died in March of this year. I was totally stunned. The doctors told her that he had a heart attack. When the autopsy was completed they asked her if her husband was a drug addict. She had no clue.

We talked for a while and she told me that she never knew that her husband used any drugs. He sold supplements and was very health conscious. She said that they were devout Christians and that he was a good man. HOW COULD HE BE SO SELFISH? He has left a wife totally confused and alone. She will wonder all her life about why he never confided in her. She will wonder if she ever really knew the man she married.

I think that this is just one example of the lies and deceit that go along with drug use. The people who choose to use drugs are SELFISH, they are only concerned with the way they look, how big they get, and how strong they appear to be. They don't think of the circumstances. They don't think about their family and friends. They don't realize that in their quest to be super humans, that they will possibly ruin the lives of people who love and care for them. IS IT REALLY WORTH IT? DO YOU WANT TO DIE BECAUSE OF STEROIDS AND HAVE THE CORONER ASK YOUR HUSBAND, WIFE, OF PARENTS IF YOU WERE A DRUG USER?

You might think you look good on the outside, but you are ruining your insides. Your heart is growing to sizes unimaginable, your kidney and liver are being deprived. THIS IS NOT NORMAL.

I ask again, WHY DO HAVE TO BE SO SELFISH? THINK ABOUT IT!

I just wanted to add that not every athlete who dies of heart problems or some other health related problems are using drugs. People should not assume that they are. Those who are using the drugs know who they are and eventually the truth will come out.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write Kathy Roberts at P.O. Box 6605, Alexandria, VA 22306.

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Steroids, Supplements and the Decline of True Physical Culture - By Sean Toohey

Originally Posted on the old NaturalStrength.com site on May 16, 1999

A few months ago, there was a long discussion on one of the internet bodybuilding boards about the use of anabolic steroids. Most people, on reading that opening sentence are thinking, "So? That ain't a surprise!" They are right. It isn't a surprise. And that is a shame. The use of anabolic steroids has virtually destroyed what was once the greatest sport on earth! I'm talking about lifting weights here... not "bodybuilding" per se. Call the whole endeavor, "physical culture" and you are on the right track.

Way back when men decided that they wished to be bigger and stronger, the advice was relatively simple to get. The difficulty in learning the craft of physical culture wasn't so much in getting good advice as it was in finding someone who knew what lifting weights was! There wasn't this whole infrastructure of nonsense that there is today, and the crazy advice wasn't plastered on four out of five magazines on every newsstand. If someone went to a gym, and that gym happened to contain a few bodybuilders, the advice was readily available... whether the goal was to gain or lose weight. More importantly, the advice worked. Today, you can go just about any place in the world and find a gym. A gym full of pumpers and toners - and guys that take anabolic steroids because without them, they don't grow muscles.

I had a conversation with a 'roid boy once. Basically, I explained that not only were steroids unnecessary but they were something that was ruining the sport. He asked me to explain myself. I explained that you could get as big as you wished just by lifting properly and eating correctly. After all, that is what the old-timers did! He laughed in my face and said that no old timer would win contests today! I mentioned that Doug Hepburn would blow most guys out of the water with his strength feats. He wouldn't hear a word of it. But he had struck a chord and I realized that the truth behind much of what we are experiencing today (having to do with performance enhancement) was linked directly to the almighty dollar.

Athletes are marketable products. They are marketed for one reason only - they win medals or games, and that makes money. Nobody wants to pay money to see a mediocre performance, and advertisers certainly will not pay top dollar to attach their names to a loser. Unfortunately, with performance enhancing drugs, many athletes become losers when they refuse to start taking them. The end result? The athlete feels that he or she has no other option but to start using.

One of the major issues directly linked to steroid use is food supplementation. Not that long ago, Weider was taken to court over his claim that his Anabolic Mega Packs (nothing more than vitamins) were as potent as anabolic steroids. The link in this situation is quite clear... promise the results of drugs, without having to use. The problem once again, is that the use of drugs is driving a sale. More specifically in this case, it is the promise of the benefits of drugs without the terrible side-effects.

The horrific appearance of today's bodybuilder is freakishly absurd. In every single glossy magazine about bodybuilding, you are looking at people who's grossly unnatural development is a result of DRUGS, not training. The training that these guys do is so silly that most of the bodybuilders would grow better just leaving it out altogether. Those that actually DO train properly grow to such proportions that it renders them freaks for life, and takes a dastardly toll on their health. Read that again... most professional bodybuilders are actually so idiotic about their training, that it is a disadvantage. The drugs they take are more than enough to make up the difference!

Now, when a neophyte lifter tries to learn about lifting, where is the most readily available source of information? Well, either the largest guy in his gym (who is genetically blessed, using drugs, or both) or from the magazines. What does he learn? He learns that he must "pump up" performing enormous amounts of useless work. The incredible volume of this information is such that even a well founded and clear argument against such training tactics will fall on deaf ears. You can actually explain the sound and reasonable principles behind lifting weights to a pumper, and they will admit that it makes sense... but they will continue to "blast," "bomb," and "blitz" their way to "behemoth biceps." All according to the muscle comic books. Most of the young guys fail on routines like this. How bad is it? If one out of a hundred new gym members keeps their membership for more than two years I'd be surprised.

So why is the turnover so high? The information is BAD, plain and simple. But, you see, you don't need good information to grow muscles if you are taking enough drugs to cure the muscle wasting that is caused by having a nuclear warhead detonate right next to you! You just need the drugs. It is absolutely disgusting. AND, it is getting worse.

Those guys that refuse to take drugs can now take garbage that is close enough to a steroid that it only needs one slight change to make it one. People like Mark McGwire are touted as heroes even after publicly admitting to using "pro-hormones" to enhance their athleticism. What kind of message is THAT sending to kids? Sales of compounds that are not just useless, but dangerous is easy to do! So called, "fat burners" contain stimulants that have killed people who have an unknown sensitivity to them. It is beyond me why ANYONE would bother.

Basically, things have now gone over the edge. To the new trainees, you are either "toning" or you are a bodybuilder. And if you are a bodybuilder it is commonly believed that you must use both food supplements and drugs! The funny thing is, only in the last few years have bodybuilders become large to the point that they exceed what is capable without drugs. They are also dying in numbers that are far too high for their demographic. I have heard kids say, "I need to buff up man, I need some juice!" Believe me, they weren't talking about orange juice.

So what do you do? Well, for one you begin to train honestly. You do not succumb to the temptation offered by the false-fix of drugs. It isn't even a fast fix. Squatting hard, eating big and dieting off the fat will get you in shape faster than any super-program that requires drugs to make it work. Think of it this way. The muscle magazines say that a 10 pound gain of lean tissue per year is a phenomenal amount of progress for a bodybuilder (assumed to be using drugs). Well, by following a 20 rep breathing squat program, Dr. Randall Strossen put on 30 pounds of muscle in six weeks! Unfortunately for the world at large, supplement companies have been so dishonest that the public has been conditioned not to believe outrageous claims... even though in this case they are true!

And make no mistake! The companies that are selling supplements are directly linked to the drug industry. The supplements today are actually advertised as mimicking steroid-like gains! Consider this fact as well - it is not in the best interest of a bodybuilding product manufacturer for you to make gains. If you did, you would cease to purchase the miracle supplement that got you there. And if you don't take the supplement at all, but opt for steroids, the company will still gladly pay you to endorse the product.

How closely linked are these "bodybuilding" companies with other sports? Well, EAS has members of the National Football League endorsing products, as many other supplement companies do. And EAS is one of the companies that produces and distributes "pro-hormones" which are nothing more than "almost steroids." Essentially, the industry that claims to be providing instruction on strength, health, and well being, is pushing a series of events that are leading the world to either get no gains at all, take risky drug-like supplements, or opt for the drugs themselves. And the bottom line here is that the walking advertisements of this industry aren't even bothering with the first two options. THEY just shoot up syringes full of anabolic agents to the tune of nearly $50,000.00 per month and PRESTO! Instant gains.

So what kind of gains are these guys getting by doing the drugs? Are they that much better than the gains of the pre-drug, golden era of physical culture? No. They aren't. Bodybuilders today are ugly freaks. They looknothing like the well developed, incredibly strong people from the early years of this sport. Funny thing... the measurements haven't changed all that much. It is the appearance that is altered so significantly. Bloated, drug-engorged muscle is horrifying to look at, weak, and freakish. Weak? Yes weak! The lifter's of old could destroy today's crop of lifters in a contest! How is this possible? Let me explain...

Men from the golden age of strength didn't bother with drugs. They didn't bother will "isolation" work and "pumping up." They lifted weights in such a manner that they built incredible physical strength... and not just the ability to demonstrate strength either! They actually improved their body's capacity to tolerate exercise by working such things as their lungs, connective tissue, and stabilizing muscles. They applied themselves diligently and progressively... and the end result was a body that would not get injured, would not soften up and lose size if exercise was dropped for a few weeks, and they lived productive and healthy lives. Compare that with today's crop of athletes (if you can call them that). Today you have nothing but injuries, high blood pressure, weak stabilizers, tendon and ligament problems, heart conditions and early deaths. And that is among a group of people that are supposed to represent the HEALTHY benefits of training with weights!

Andre said, "Image is everything." Andre was wrong. The image of the drug bloated monster, the image of the lighting fast athlete, the image of the greatest football player, or the fastest runner - these things are often just fakes. REALITY is everything. And the reality is that you can do it without drugs. You can be bigger, stronger, faster and live longer and healthier without drugs. You can break records without drugs. You can make the industry thrive again. It is up to everyone on an individual level. And it is a choice you must make - to stay clean, and stay strong.

Your children are counting on you.

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That quick response to your athletes' training needs. - By Ken Mannie

Ken Mannie is the Head Strength/Conditioning Coach at Michigan State University. email: mannie@ath.msu.edu


Reaction time is a commonly overlooked or underestimated element of the coaching program. What we refer to as "explosiveness" is usually just great reaction time. Every sport we watch is constantly marked by exciting reactions to auditory
and visual cues. The athlete's ability to respond quickly and precisely to the message being sent to his mind and body is of the utmost importance in the conditioning protocol.

Before outlining a game plan for the training process, we would like to clarify a few vital points. The term "reaction time" (RT) actually has a different meaning than the context in which it is usually couched In the motor-learning literature, it is defined as "the interval of time between the onset of a signal (stimulus) and the initiation of a response." It is important to note that reaction time does not include the movement itself, but only the time prior to the beginning of the movement.

Whereas the term movement time (MT) is used to define the interval of time between the initiation and completion of the movement, response time refers to the total time interval represented by RT plus MT. As you can see, the improvement in response time involves RT, MT, or both. Four factors can help athletes develop a strategy for improving their response time to various cues.

Proper training with visual cues can hone your player's reactions and improve his performance:

1. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STIMULUS-RESPONSE CHOICES:

The task can be accomplished in various ways, with some being better than others and a few being considered the best.

The fact is that the average person has a limited ability to acquire, store, and use meaningful information in learning specific tasks. The wise coach will focus on teaching a few things very well rather than a lot of things poorly or just adequately.

Choices will often have to be made on the run, especially in "open skills" - those that depend heavily on feedback, particularly after movement has been initiated.

Unlike a "closed skill," the open skill involves much more than merely moving from Point A to Point B with no concern for making adjustments in between (such as running a 100-m. dash).

The option play in football offers another prime example. When the QB has to make a decision while on the ran, it becomes imperative to focus on a specific key to make the decision.

Football coaches know that a good option game must be defended with numerous "looks" and change-ups; and since this obviously calls for a lot of extra preparation time, it makes limited response choices all the more important.

Experienced players tend to make better use of vital cues in determining their responses, as they are more capable of penetrating the "surface" of things. This enables them to process the information quicker and make better responses to what they see.

2 SEARCH FOR PREDICTORS:

How often have you heard an athlete say, "I knew what was coming because they telegraphed it."

What actually happened was that the athlete had more time to prepare a response because he anticipated the opponents' move. The more predictable the stimulus, the quicker and more accurate the response.

This element is closely related to the minimization of stimulus responses, as the athlete learns what is important and what is not before being required to make a response. In other words the visual cue (or other sensory indicator), such as a "pre-snap" read by the QB, will often narrow the possible options to one or two good ones.

A study by Christina et al (1990) investigated the effect of a four-week videotape training program designed to improve the linebacker's response-selection mechanism ("reading") without sacrificing speed.

The player was asked to view 20 different plays taped at angles corresponding to the LB's views from the field. The player had to respond as quickly and accurately as possible to each cue by moving a joystick in the direction he'd take in a game.

Question: Could this mental practice benefit the player's cognitive ability? Answer: Yes. The subject improved his response selection with each training session, while maintaining his response speed.

It was more difficult to ascertain whether this type of mental practice would transfer to the field - enable the athlete to make his game read and response as quickly and accurately as he did in practice.

The principle of specificity holds that the practice situation must be exactly the same as the game situation for a positive transfer to occur. In this case, the coaches concluded (subjectively) that the training program had a positive effect.

The main reason we study our opponents so intensely (through game tapes, scouting, etc.) is to identify these predictors and utilize them in our preparation scheme.

3 INSURE AN OPTIMAL AROUSAL LEVEL:

Get fired up! How often have you heard that exhortation before or during a game? We are speaking primarily of an emotional mind-set, an intangible product of motivation. Many coaches believe that athletes can improve their performance in direct proportion to their increase in arousal.

Coaches must be careful, however. Emotion can carry you just so far in a contest, and emotion without proper preparation and confidence can negatively affect performance.

Proper preparation breeds confidence and confidence usually produces successful performance - "all other things being equal."

4 DESIGN QUALITY, TASK-SPECIFIC PRACTICES:

Once the best responses have been defined for the situations to be faced, the players should be drilled on the correct cues (keys) and reactions.

Game situations offer the best way to develop motor memory. Proper (specifically designed) practice will reduce uncertainty in situations involving unfamiliar stimuli or extremely complex tasks.

Most game situations require the athletes to adjust their techniques to cues received while on the move. The motor-learning literature refers to this variability as "forced-paced" actions, and these add tremendously to the difficulty of both the teaching and learning processes.

To get the desired result, coaches are obligated to practice under the anticipated game conditions.

CONCLUSIONS:

Improved reaction (response) time doesn't happen by chance, nor is it just a matter of physical enhancement. With proper planning and the proper specificity of the training medium, you can make inroads in the perceptual, sensory, and motor aspects of performance enhancement.

References

R.W. Christina, J.V. Barresi, & P. Shaffner: The Development of Response Selection Accuracy in a Football Linebacker Using Video Training. Human Kinetics: The Sport Psychologist, Champaign, IL, 1990. R.W. Proctor & T.G. Reeve: Research on Stimulus-Response Compatibility: Toward a Comprehensive ACcount. In Stimulus-Response Compatibility: An Integrated Perspective, Elsevier Science Pub., The Netherlands, 1990.

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A Good New Book

I just read WORKFORCE WARRIOR kindly sent to me by the author Todd Baisley. It is a quality book filled with good information, straight to the point and no B.S. Highly recommended. - Bob Whelan, NaturalStrength.com

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ENDURANCE by Earle E. Liederman - Author and Publisher, (1926), - Chapter 15 (Last Chapter)

It is almost unbelievable what the human body can endure. To the average person it seems impossible that a man can outrun a horse; and yet it has been done. But the runner who can accomplish probably does not think any more of it than does the average office worker of going out on his day of recreation and playing a game of baseball or indulging in some other pastime, to give his inactive muscles the activity for which they are craving.

My friend, Ottley Coulter, knowing that I contemplated writing a book of this nature, was kind enough to supply me with a few records of endurance feats, which he thought might interest my readers. I am giving them to you just as I received them. Some seem almost incredible—but there are the records! I sincerely hope that none of you will be foolish enough to attempt to beat them, for, as I told you previously in this book, my main object in offering it to you was to help you attain that degree of strength and endurance as would enable you to save your own life. Aspiring to dance, run, swim, or what not, longer than anyone else is, in my opinion, folly. All you should strive for in the physical line is robust health, vitality and a well-proportioned body. To try to become a muscular monstrosity and to strive for laurels that will probably mean creating a mental obsession that will be just as much of a drain upon your system and life as that obsession caused by breaking the Tenth Commandment in hectic lustful cravings.

Max Danthage of Vienna, Austria, performed the deep knee-bend 6,000 times in four consecutive hours, on June 4, 1899.
Max Danthage on April 19, 1899, pressed with two hands, 74.9 pounds 845 times and followed this with 1,505 knee-bends.
Georg Ernst, on March 27, 1899, at Vienna, pressed 84.2 pounds 720 times in half an hour, and in the following hour performed 1, 450 deep knee-bends.
4-pound dumb-bell put up, one hand, 6,000 times in 59 minutes and 53 seconds at Lynn, Mass., on June 22, 1885, by Ed. C. Stickney.
10-pound dumb-bell put up, one hand, 8,431 times in 4 hours and 34 minutes at New York, December 13, 1870, by H. Pennock.
12-pound dumb-bell put up 14,000 times with one hand by A. Corcoran at Chicago, on October 4, 1873.
25-pound dumb-bell put up 450 times by G.W. Roche, San Francisco, Calif., November 25, 1875.
162½-pound dumb-bell, raised with one hand from floor to shoulder and then pushed to arms’ length above the shoulder 36 times by Louis Cyr at Chicago, May 7, 1896.
C.O. Breed lifted with one hand, from the floor, a barrel of flour weighing with fixtures 219½ pounds, 240 times in ten minutes at Lynn, Mass., on December 13, 1884.
110-pound dumb-bell put up with one hand from the shoulder, 27 times by William Conture, weighing 149 pounds, at Bath, Me., on February 11, 1892.
Henry Saltiel put up a 71½-pound dumb-bell 118 times, changing hands each time, Newark, N.J., June 12, 1897.
Anthony McKinley at Philadelphia on November 28, 1895, put up a 10-pound, 1½-ounce dumb-bell 10,000 times in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds, averaging over 75 times per minute.
Frank Delmont roller-skated 50 miles in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 45 seconds, at Buenos Ayres, S.A., on October 22, 1893.
222.7 pounds pressed on feet 241 times by Anton Endres on April 8, 1986.

Swimming
Captain Webb swam from Dover, England, to Calais, France, a distance of 35 miles, in 21 hours and 45 minutes on August 24-25, 1875.
Captain Webb swam 74 miles in 84 hours, restricted to 14 hours per day in Lambeth Baths, England, starting May 19, 1879.
T.W. Burgess swam the English Channel, Dover to Cape Grisnez, September 6-7, 1911, in 22 hours and 35 minutes.
Captain Alfred Brown swam through the Panama Canal, 48 miles, at the opening in 1914; also from Battery, New York, to Sandy Hook, in 13 hours and 38 minutes on August 28, 1913.
10 miles, 2 hours, 30 minutes and 49 seconds—L.B. Goodwin, St. Louis, Mo., September 5, 1910.
20 miles, Dover to Ramsgate, England, 6 hours and 35 minutes—Jabez Wolfe, July 6, 1906.
34½ miles, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 28 seconds, July 10, 1910, by Charles Durborow.
23 miles, 7 hours and 1 minute—Miss Eileen Lee, London, England, June, 1916.
23 miles, 8 hours and 11 minutes—Miss Annette Kellerman of Australia, at Vienna, Austria, June 12, 1906.
36¼ miles, 10 hours and 17 minutes—Miss Eileen Lee, London, England, Thames River, August 18, 1916.
35 miles, 11 hours and 35 minutes—Miss Ida Elionsky, New York, September 24, 1916.

N.B. Coykendall
In June, 1918, swam from Milford, Pa., to Delaware Water Gap, Pa., in Delaware River, 39 miles, in 6 hours and 22 minutes, at a flood or freshet swim (meaning high rivers after a rainfall).
In September, 1919, pulled 27 people in 2-ton motorboat one mile with hands and feet shackled in regulation handcuffs, at Silver Lake, Fairmont, Minn.
In July, 1924, swam one mile roped to a 110-foot, 1-inch rope. The police and two navy captains declared him to be absolutely helpless at the time.
About same time as above, swam 150 feet standing on his head; time, 1 minute and 45 seconds.

Henry Elionsky
Swam continuously for over 60 miles. He started from 189th Street and Hudson River and swam to Swinburne Island in the Lower Bay and then from there to Fort Lee, N.J., and from there to Woolworth Building. The judges of the swim judged the distance or mileage to be over 60 miles. This was in August, 1914.
Swam from the Battery to Swinburne Island and returned to the Battery, a distance of over 25 miles, with hands and feet shackled. Time, 11 hours and 30 minutes.
In November, 1915, swam from Brooklyn Bridge to Bay Ridge, with hands and feet shackled and towing 7 men in a sea dory. The distance was 7 miles, and the time, 3 hours and 40 minutes.
Swam from the Battery to Fort Wadsworth in the Narrows with a 200-pound man tied on his back. Distance of 10 miles, and time, 4 hours and 50 minutes.
Swam Hell Gate bound in a straightjacket with feet tied with 15 feet of iron chain. Distance, 5 miles; time, 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Swam Hell Gate with hands and feet shackled and two men bound on back in November, 1915.
Swam from Bay Ridge to the Battery tied in a chair. He made it in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
In October, 1913, swam from Battery to within a quarter of a mile of Coney Island in 5 hours and 30 minutes. The distance was 14 miles.
At Palm Beach, Fla., hauled a sea dory containing 9 men and carried two more on his back, with his hands and feet shackled, five miles, through a heavy sea, in 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Running
15 miles, 1 hour, 20 minutes and 4 3-5 seconds—F. Applegarth, Stamford Bridge, London, England, July 21, 1902.
20 miles, 1 hour, 51 minutes and 54 seconds—G. Crossland, Stamford Bridge, England, September 22, 1894.
25 miles, 2 hours, 18 minutes and 57 3-5 seconds—Hank Zuna, Boston, April 19, 1921.
26 miles, 385 yards; 2 hours, 32 minutes and 35 4-5 seconds—Hannes Holehmainen, Antwerp, August 22, 1920.
30 miles, 3 hours, 17 minutes and 36 1-5 seconds—J.A. Squires, England, May 2, 1885.
45 miles, 5 hours, 32 minutes and 2 seconds—E.W. Lloyd, Stamford Bridge, England, on May 12, 1913.
100 miles, 13 hours, 26 minutes and 30 seconds—Charles Rowell, New York, February 27, 1882.
200 miles, 35 hours, 9 minutes and 28 seconds—Charles Rowell, New York, October 24, 1882.
300 miles, 58 hours, 17 minutes and 6 seconds—Charles Rowell, New York, February 28, to March 2, 1882.
400 miles, 84 hours, 31 minutes and 18 seconds—James Alberts, New York, February 9, 1888.
500 miles, 109 hours, 18 minutes and 20 seconds—P. Fitzgerald, New York, on week of May 2 and 3, 1888.
In a 142-hour go-as-you-please running race distances are: George Littlewood, England, 623 miles; James Alberts, United States, 621; P. Fitzgerald, 610; Charles Rowell, 602; George Noremac, 566; Frank Hart, 565; E.P. Weston, 550; H.O. Messier, 526; Peter Hegelman, 526 miles.

Walking
100 miles, 18 hours, 4 minutes and 10 1-5 seconds—T.E. Hammond, London, England, on September 12, 1908.
97 miles, walked in one day by James H. Hocking, New York, Times Square to Philadelphia City Hall.
67 miles without a rest, by James H. Hocking, June 5, 1919.
600 miles, New York to Cleveland, May 30 to June 10, 1919, by James H. Hocking.
Dan O’Leary walked 100 miles in 23 hours and 54 minutes on his 79th birthday.
Dan O’Leary walked 503 miles in a 6-day race in Chicago in 1875.
Edward P. Weston, age 70, New York to San Francisco, 3,895 miles in 105 days.
Edward P. Weston, age 75, New York to Minneapolis, 1, 546 miles, June 2 to August 2, 1913.
John Ennis walked from Coney Island surf to the surf in San Francisco, 4,000 miles in 80 days and 5 hours.
Mrs. David Beach walked from New York to Chicago in 42½ walking days.

Skating
25 miles, 1 hour, 31 minutes and 29 seconds—J.F. Donohue, Stamford, Conn., on January 26, 1893.
50 miles, 3 hours, 15 minutes and 59 2-5 seconds—J.F. Donohue, Stamford, Conn., on January 26, 1893.
80 miles, 5 hours, 41 minutes and 55 seconds—J.F. Donohue, Stamford, Conn., on January 26, 1893.
100 miles, 7 hours, 11 minutes, 8 1-5 seconds—J.F. Donohue, Stamford, Conn., on January 26, 1893.

Roller Skating
15 miles, 49 minutes and 15 seconds—William Blackburn, Toledo, O., 1910.
24 hours, 279 miles, 319 yards—Jesse Carey, Paris, December 25, 1910.
281 8-14 miles—Robert Wheeler, Denver, Colo., February, 1917.

Bicycle Riding
72 hours, 1,163.2 miles at Paris, by Charles W. Miller.
100 miles, 2 hours, 50 minutes and 17 2-5 seconds, by F.C. Armstrong, August 16, 1898, at London.
24 hours, 452 miles, 1,715 yards, Louis Grimm, Cleveland, O., August 25, 1895.

Rowing
50 miles, 8 hours and 55 minutes, single scull, C.A. Barnard, near Chicago, on May 12, 1877.
91 miles, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 3 seconds, single scull, John Williams, August 13, 1832.
_____________________
50½-pound dumb-bell lifted from floor, right hand only, 7,600 times, by Charles Breed, Lynn, Mass., December 2, 1882 in 1 hour and 30 minutes.
50-pound dumb-bell put up, over head, 94 times with one hand by A.A. Hylton, San Francisco, Calif., May 19, 1885.
Captain Webb swam for 74 hours with only 4 minutes rest at Scaraborough, England, August 9-12, 1880.
John P. Theis played a piano without stop for 27 hours ad 19 seconds at Philadelphia on July 5, 1893.
C.A. Harriman at Truckee, Calif., on April 6-7, 1883, walked 121 miles and 385 yards without a rest.
Peter Crossland at Manchester, England, walked 120 miles and 1,560 yards on September 11-12, 1876, without a rest.
2,280 miles in 912 hours, consecutive, by William Gale, concluding at Bradford, England, May 14, 1879.
Chinning 78 times, Anton Lewis, Brockton, Mass., April, 1913.
Skipping the rope 11,810 times, J.M. Barnett, Carlisle, N.S.W., on February 5, 1913.
Martin Dobrilla swung a pair of 3-pound, 4-ounce Indian clubs 144 hours at Cobar, N.S.W., Australia. Harry J. Lawson did the same for 134 hours at Bundaberg, Australia, on March, 1913.

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BE PREPARED TO TRAIN! - By Bob Whelan

Reprinted with permission of Hardgainer, Vol. 9, No. 2 (September-October 1997)

“All of us were young, healthy, tough, and had the attitude
that you had better throw everything you’ve got at us, because
we came to train!”
—Dr. Ken Leistner

There are many people who truly believe they are doing the best they can, but they are holding back. I get them all the time. Sometimes it takes them weeks or even months before they really understand what an all-out set to failure really is, and the total commitment it takes to do it right. Usually it is a casual attitude and a lack of preparation that holds them back. They are either mentally or physically unprepared to give an all-out effort. Subconsciously they do things to sabotage their training because deep down they really don’t enjoy it.

To get the most out of your training you must want to train hard. No one can help you if you don’t help yourself.

Once you decide that this is what you really want to do, and it is not just the latest fad you are involved with, you must seriously prepare for each workout. Training success is nothing more than a long string of consistent high-quality workouts. You take each “one at a time” while being prepared to make each set as productive as possible.

Mental Preparation

Clear your mind of problems and other concerns before you being training. You need to have all your mental energy focused on battling iron. Talking should be kept to a minimum, and if you do talk, don’t jump into your next set without refocusing your mind. Take about 20 seconds to get your mind in gear (tell you friends to shut up!) and totally concentrate on how you will very shortly be going all out. If you don’t do this, your mind will be on what you were just talking about, not on training, and you will produce a submaximal effort. Remember, you should have your mind ready for war when you train.

I have all my clients order The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz, one of the best motivational/positive thinking books ever written. You should do the same. You can order it at any major book chain (Crown, Olson, Borders, etc.). And order (cassette tapes) The Psychology of Winning by Dennis Waitley, and Mental Toughness by Dr. James Loehr, from Nightingale Conant, 7300 North Lehigh Ave., Niles, IL 60714, USA (800-525-9000).


Warming Up

One of the most neglected and important elements of productive training is a good warmup. Your chance of getting injured is considerably lower if you take the few minutes to warm up. you will also perform better because your muscles will be prepared to go all out.

Before you lift any weights, a cardiovascular warmup (stationary bike, stairclimber, etc.) should be done for 5-10 minutes—to “preheat” your muscles and elevate your core body temperature. But don’t go too long as this is just a CV warmup not a CV workout. Once you are warm and sweating—after about 5-10 minutes—that’s long enough. Going longer is not beneficial and may make you weaker by robbing glucogen from your muscles and liver that should be used for your strength-training workout. This warmup should be followed by a series of static-hold stretches of at least 20 seconds each for the whole body. This should be done before every workout.

Metabolic/Cardiovascular Conditioning

Your metabolic conditioning (i.e., your ability to train hard, without excessive rest between sets, for the duration of the entire planned workout and without getting KOed) is greatly enhanced if you are doing regular CV training.

One of my pet peeves is the abundance of wrong information in “muscle magazines” about CV training. Many authors, usually ex-bodybuilders with no formal education in the exercise field, frequently recommend doing CV training only twice per week. They are concerned with cosmetics (their bodyfat level), not training their hearts. Twice per week is not enough, and three times per week is only the minimum for cardiovascular exercise. Three to five times per week is the proper range. This is not my opinion but that of The American College of Sports Medicine and almost every respected organization in the fitness field.

USA Today had an article a few years ago which stated that “weekend warriors,” or people who do less than the minimum of three times per week of CV training, are at higher risk of “sudden death” in exercise because they never get the desired CV conditioning effect from such a low training volume.

Don’t lump exercise into one category, as strength training and CV training are separate and have different rules. Strength training should mainly be considered only as training for your muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, etc. And CV training should mainly be considered as working your heart muscle and burning fat. Although any exercise is better than nothing for your heart and muscles, in reality your muscles get only minimal strength benefit from CV training; and your heart gets some benefit, but minimal, from strength training. You must do both types of training to be totally fit.

Strength training works the fast twitch fibers and burns only carbohydrates, not fat; CV training works the slow twitch fibers and burns fat predominantly, and, depending on the intensity level, a percentage of carbohydrates. Just because you train with weights twice per week does not mean that you can subtract from the minimum for CV training.

Living a long and healthy life is a higher priority than adding 5 lbs to your bench press, but you can do both! Remember, your goal is not to look big in your coffin!

Your Muscles Can’t Compensate for Poor Fuel

Since you can’t use your fat storage for an energy supply during strength training, it is critical that you have a good supply of glycogen stored in your muscles and liver before you work out. You should consume about 300-400 calories of carbohydrate approximately two hours before you train. People who don’t train hard probably don’t need to do this, but if you are doing a high-intensity workout, especially if you train for over 45 minutes, you burn a tremendous number of calories (from carbohydrates).

If you ever have that weak feeling during a workout, like you are “out of gas,” it is because you have burned all your carbs and are out of fuel. Top of the “tank,” like you do with the car before a long trip, and you should not run out. Have some pasta, rice, potatoes, etc., about two hours before you train and you will be breathing steam! But for those who train early in the morning, it’s nearly impossible to do this without ruining a good night’s sleep. Getting up at 4 am to eat for a 6 am workout, for example, would ruin your night’s sleep. If you train early in the morning you can drink a high carbohydrate drink immediately upon rising. Many types are available at most health food stores. (Everything at health food stores is not garbage, just most things—and I’m only half kidding.)

Getting ALL Your Work Done

Tim Denhoff has been training with me for about four months, and has made good progress. It took him about six weeks, however, before he could train for an hour without feeling sick. We experimented with every possible exercise sequence, doing legs last, taking long rests between sets, keeping reps for legs in the moderate range, etc. But I always managed to get his whole body worked even if the planned workout was cut short. Your top priority should be to finish the planned workout. It is better to modify your exercise sequence to accomplish this than to stick with a larger-muscles-first (legs) philosophy if you can’t then finish your workout.

Most of the people that I like and respect the most, guys like Dr. Ken and other hardcore high-intensity types, usually do their leg work first. This starts off the workout with a bang! You are breathing heavily and dripping in sweat right off the bat. This sets the tone for the rest of the workout and is probably the norm for many hardcore guys. This makes the rest of the workout harder and raises the intensity level “big time.”

Doing a couple of sets to failure in the squat or Trap Bar deadlift to begin a workout is also good when you want to send a message. For example, I remember a couple of years ago when a guy (who made sure, over the phone, I knew how tough he thought he was) called me about training. I didn’t like his overly cocky attitude and, since he was not a beginner, and claimed to have been training hard for years, I thought I’d test him. In his first workout I hammered him right off the bat with high-rep leg work. I had him do 20-rep Trap Bar deadlifts immediately followed by 20 reps in the Hammer Leg Press. That knocked him out, workout over! The guy’s attitude was permanently changed.

Working legs first is great if you like to do it that way. But it is very tough. Some people, and especially beginners, would be better off doing legs at the end of their planned workouts. I know from experience that people don’t like paying for an hour’s workout if they train (doing legs first) for only 15 minutes and then spend the next 45 minutes hugging the toilet bowl! Training hard should be everyone’s goal, but if you knock yourself out early and don’t finish all the planned work, you are selling yourself short. Design your program in a manner that makes you enjoy your training and enables you to finish all the planned work.

There are few absolute rules in strength training, and this applies to exercise sequence. Working the largest muscles first is usually a good rule, but I believe a better description of this rule would be to work the largest muscles of either the upper body of lower body first (by the use of mutli-joint movements), before you do any isolation exercise for the same areas. By using this revised rule you can work upper body first, which for some people is better. If, for example, you are wiped out after deadlifts or squats (or even just impaired) and you do them first, the rest of your workout will suffer. If you get KOed, the workout will be over. My goal as a coach is to get you through the entire workout but have you teetering on the edge the whole time. A work of art would be to have you KOed on the last set of the workout.

Enjoy your training but be prepared both mentally and physically before each workout. Many of the elements of preparation are small details, but they add up to a big difference in the results you achieve.

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