Keys To Progress.
By vishwa on Inspiration, Training
September 20, 2011
As far as progression in the weight room is concerned, Brooks Kubik has summed it up very well in his blog. Perhaps, you cannot always progress the way Brooks has outlined because of several other factors. But do know that if you are not progressing in the gym there are some elements (below outlined), which maybe missing from your protocol. A few other factors are also paramount such as intramuscular tension, total time under tension, the efficacy of the nervous system, physiological makeup of the individual, motivation, environment, stress level, fatigue, and nagging injuries. Last but not the least; your daily nutritional need will also dictate your progress.
It is now time to enjoy Brooks Kubik’s write-up, which I am merely copy pasting here in my blog. Do give it a read.
There are many different ways to make your
training progressive.
1. Add weight to the bar.
1a. Small increments! (They add up.)
2. Perform your exercises in better, stricter
form.
a. For some exercises, progression may mean
moving slower.
b. For other exercises, progression may mean
moving faster.
3. Perform more difficult or more advanced
exercises. (George F. Jowett taught this
method in his books and courses.)
3a. This may involve using more difficult
pieces of equipment — for example, performing
an exercise with a thick bar rather than a
regular bar. Or performing pull-ups while
hanging from two ropes rather than from a
chinning bar.
4. Do more reps.
5. Do more sets.
6. If you’re doing limited range movements in
the power rack, you can progress by increasing
the range of motion very slightly — 1/4 inch
to 3/4 of an inch.
6a. This is a variation on the old William Boone
stand in a hole and perform a partial deadlift —
and then add a handful of dirt the next time so
you stand a little bit higher and therefore start
with the bar a little bit lower.
6b. Paul Anderson did this with the squat.
7. Reducing rest periods between sets.
7a. You have to be careful with this, because if
you go too fast you end up doing lightweight
bodybuilding and you don’t train heavy enough to
stimulate strength gains.But sometimes, reducing
rest periods from 3 mins to 2 mins (for example)
between sets will work wonders.
7b. Or just do the same workout you are doing
right now, but reduce your total training time
by 10 or 15 percent. (A Brad Steiner favorite.)
8. Doing more exercises.
8a. You have to be REALLY careful here, or you’ll
end up over-training in no time.
8b. This works best for a brief specialization
program.
9. Training with greater concentration and focus.
9a. In other words, develop your powers of
concentration in a progressive fashion from workout
to workout.
9b. This is a little know, little used method of
progression — but it’s one of the very best —
and it’s the key that triggers increases in sets,
reps, weight on the bar, better form, etc.
10. Changing form conventional methods of performance
to more advanced techniques such as rest-pause
training.
And of course, you can use combinations of the
above methods. Doug Hepburn, for example, liked
to add one rep per workout, and eventually add another
set, and then add more weight to the bar — and then
drop back and repeat. Good system.
Different methods of progression work better for
different lifters — and what works best changes
as you progress from beginner to intermediate to
advanced — and as you grow older — and it varies
depending on your training goals and preferred
method of training (e.g., powerlifting vs. bulk
and power training vs. Olympic lifting vs.
strongman vs. training for sports vs. conditioning
work, etc.)
That’s why you need to know about all of them —
and do some sensible experimentation over time
to see what works best for YOU!
Always remember — if you’re not making progress
in your training, you’re going backward! So find
the way to keep on moving FORWARD!