- Home
- Strength Training and Conditioning
- Athletic Training and Therapy
- Anatomy
- The Strength Training Anatomy Workout
The Strength Training Anatomy Workout
Starting Strength with Bodyweight Training and Minimal Equipment
Anatomy
by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill
256 Pages
Over one million readers have turned to Strength Training Anatomy for strength training’s most effective exercises. Now put those exercises to work for you with The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
The Strength Training Anatomy Workout is your guide to creating the body and the results you want. Strengthen arms and legs; increase muscle mass; sculpt chest, back, and core; firm glutes; increase hip flexibility . . . it’s all here, and all in the stunning detail that only Frédéric Delavier can provide!
Over 150 full-color illustrations allow you to get inside more than 200 exercises and 50 workouts to see how muscles interact with surrounding joints and skeletal structures. You’ll also discover how variations, progressions, and sequencing can affect muscle recruitment, the underlying structures, and ultimately the results.
The Strength Training Anatomy Workout includes proven programming for strength, power, bodybuilding, and toning that can be used in a gym or at home. You’ll find targeted conditioning routines for optimal performance in more than 30 sports, including basketball, football, soccer, track and field, and golf.
Former editor in chief of PowerMag in France, author and illustrator Frédéric Delavier is a journalist for Le Monde duMuscle and a contributor to Men’s Health Germany and several other strength publications. His previous publication, Strength Training Anatomy, has sold more than one million copies.
Frédéric Delavier is a gifted artist with an exceptional knowledge of human anatomy. He studied morphology and anatomy for five years at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and studied dissection for three years at the Paris Faculté de Médecine.
The former editor in chief of the French magazine PowerMag, Delavier is currently a journalist for the French magazine LeMondeduMuscle and a contributor to several other muscle publications, including Men's Health Germany. He is the author of the best-selling Strength Training Anatomy and Women’s Strength Training Anatomy.
Delavier won the French powerlifting title in 1988 and makes annual presentations on the sport applications of biomechanics at conferences in Switzerland. His teaching efforts have earned him the Grand Prix de Techniques et de Pédagogie Sportive. Delavier lives in Paris, France.
Michael Gundill, MBA, has written 13 books on strength training, sport nutrition, and health. His books have been translated into multiple languages, and he has written over 500 articles for bodybuilding and fitness magazines around the world, including Iron Man and Dirty Dieting. In 1998 he won the Article of the Year award at the Fourth Academy of Bodybuilding Fitness & Sports Awards in California.
Gundill started weightlifting in 1983 in order to improve his rowing performances. Most of his training years were spent completing specific lifting programs in his home. As he gained muscle and refined his program, he began to learn more about physiology, anatomy, and biomechanics and started studying those subjects in medical journals. Since 1995 he has been writing about his discoveries in various bodybuilding and fitness magazines all over the world.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Advantages of working out at home
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes.
Practical Aspects of Exercising at Home
It can be difficult to find a good gym.
Unfortunately, there are very few good gyms for weight training. Many gyms invest in cardio and group classes rather than in weight training, and in many gyms, serious weight trainers are not welcome.
You save time and money.
Going to the gym can be tedious. You have to get dressed, drive to the gym, and change into your workout clothes. Then, after working out, you have to do it all again in the opposite order. All of this can take more time than the actual workout. Add to this the fact that membership costs are more and more expensive because of the amount of activities offered. But why pay for group classes, a pool, or something else when you only want to spend two to four hours a week lifting weights?
You have the freedom to exercise when you want to.
At a gym, you can exercise only when the gym is open, and you can be limited by crowds. Working out at home gives you flexibility. You can work out in the morning, in the evening, or on alternate mornings and evenings to make the best use of your time.
No age limit exists.
Many gyms do not allow people under the age of 16 to use their facilities. This does not mean that people cannot start lifting weights before the age of 16. Weight training will not stunt your growth! On the contrary: The earlier you start, the greater the benefits. In this case, the only solution is to work out at home.
Why Working Out at Home Is the Right Choice
First and foremost: You get results.
Weight training is more than a hobby. You must practice it seriously and not take it lightly. You are training to achieve results, not to pass the time. Unfortunately, most gyms do not want this kind of person as a member. Gyms emphasize the fun aspects of exercising and do not focus on effectiveness. This is why gyms often choose equipment that looks nice over equipment that works well.
You need a place that fits your program.
Gyms certainly have a more social quality than your home can offer, but being social does not make your workout effective. Often, the opposite is true. Many gym members are not really there to work out. They go there to pass some time and to meet people. Sometimes gym patrons think it is strange to see people who are seriously working out.
You avoid the equipment trap.
In many gyms, the equipment choices were made based on cost rather than effectiveness. As a result, you will find equipment that is not effective and does not work well with human anatomy. This equipment is dangerous for muscles and joints.
You have better concentration.
At home, no one will disturb you while you are exercising in order to discuss the weather or to tell you that you are not exercising the right way. You will be able to remain focused and have a faster, more productive workout.
It is the best way to achieve the workout you planned.
In a gym, your resting time is largely determined by other gym members. Your choice of exercises or equipment depends on what is available when you are working out. All of this rarely fits with the program you have set to meet your objectives. Circuit training, which is indispensable for athletes' weight training, is next to impossible in a gym. Working out at home grants you this freedom.
You eliminate ego.
In front of other people, so as not to seem silly, people might perform their repetitions haphazardly with the goal of lifting as much as possible. Ultimately, this will mean slower progress and a greater risk of injury. At home, there is no one to impress. You can focus on effective work and not worry about what other people think.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Learn how muscles build up strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles.
How a Muscle Gains Strength
The bigger a muscle is, the stronger it will be. However, you probably know of someone who is very strong but does not have large muscles. How can this paradox be explained? Muscle size is only one of the factors that determine muscle strength. The power of a muscle's contraction depends on the following five things:
1. Number of Motor Neurons Used
A strong person is someone who has the ability to use the maximum amount of his muscle fibers at a given moment. The use of these muscle fibers is carried out by the central nervous system.
Everything starts at the cerebral level: The command given to contract muscles goes through the nerves in the spinal cord. Motor neurons then carry the command to the muscle fibers. Each motor neuron controls the contraction of a specific group of fibers. The more motor neurons that are activated, the greater the quantity of muscle fibers that will contract. This is why training should be done with heavy weights. The heavier the weight you lift, the more motor nerves you will be able to use simultaneously.
2. Strength of the Impulse Sent by Each Motor Neuron
Motor neurons can send electrical impulses to muscles with varying frequency. If the frequency is low, the muscle contracts sluggishly. However, motor neurons can send a flurry of intense impulses that act powerfully on muscle fibers. The intensity of your training develops your capacity to do the most repetitions possible with a heavy weight. Doing plyometrics also plays an important part in increasing the power of nerve impulses.
3. Size of the Muscle
There is a strict correlation between the size of muscle fibers and the strength they are capable of developing. The stronger a section of muscle fibers that is linked to a motor neuron, the more force will be generated by a nerve impulse. You can develop muscle mass by performing weight training exercises with a weight that is around 80 percent of your maximum strength.
4. Intramuscular Coordination
In a sedentary person, when motor neurons discharge their electrical impulses, they do so in a disorderly fashion. The muscle fibers contract in a random, and therefore inefficient, way. Through training, these discharges become synchronized. The fibers begin contracting in a coordinated manner. Muscles become more efficient. You can achieve this by doing weight training exercises with a weight that is close to your repetition maximum.
5. Intermuscular Coordination
It is rare that you have to contract only one muscle at a time. Generally, a whole group of muscles is activated to produce a movement. When resistance becomes greater, the muscles of inexperienced athletes have a hard time working together in an efficient manner. You can see this when such athletes do pull-ups. They lean to one side more than the other. They cannot pull themselves up in a linear fashion and without jerky movements. The body shifts from front to back.
Through training, the quality of movement improves, simply because the arms will have learned to work together with the back muscles, and the muscles on the right side will be in synch with the muscles on the left side.
This gain in efficiency translates to an increase in strength. It is the same in all areas of fitness when you have to learn a new move. It is the volume of work, and therefore the repetition of a movement or an exercise, that improves intermuscular coordination.
Through regular weight training, an athlete's muscles become accustomed to working together. This advanced work means that an athlete can learn new movements more quickly if he has already been weight training for months.
In summary, among the elements we have described, the size of a muscle is just one of five factors of strength. To increase power and strength, your weight training program must also improve the four factors that are part of the central nervous system.
Practical Consequences
You should glean several practical consequences from these physiological facts:
1. Rapid gains in strength that occur when you start weight training are not because of enlargement of the fibers. They are best explained by improvements in inter- and intramuscular coordination.
2. Therefore, just because you gain strength, at least in the beginning, it does not mean that your weight training program is well structured and that it will continue to help you progress quickly. Someone who is training well can gain strength if only because he is learning to execute movements better.
3. A beginner's gain in strength can be misleading. However, it is still better to gain strength than to lose it. If that happened, it would mean everything was going wrong.
4. You will notice that you are stronger on certain days. The size of your muscles has not changed, so the efficiency of the central nervous system is the explanation for these fluctuations in muscle power. When the central nervous system is well rested, it will demonstrate its efficiency and you will be strong. If the central nervous system has not fully recovered and is tired, then any weight you lift will seem heavier than it actually is.
5. These fluctuations in the central nervous system can create surprises, both good and bad. Before starting a certain training session, you might feel ready to tackle anything, when in fact you are not going to break any of your records. However, there will be days when you feel tired but will be surprised by your own strength because your central nervous system is well rested.
6. A well-rested central nervous system and well-rested muscles do not always coincide. The fact that recovery differs for each makes the task of planning your training that much more difficult.
Read more from The Strength Training Anatomy Workout by Frederic Delavier and Michael Gundill.
Keeping a notebook is key to workout success
You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
Keep a Workout Notebook
It is very important to keep a workout notebook. You should organize this notebook so that each day of training corresponds to a section of the notebook.
For example, if you exercise three times a week, your notebook will be divided into three parts. In this way, you can easily see the work you did during your previous training for the muscle groups that you are going to work again.
A small box should be reserved for your workout start time. Below it, write the time you finish. Then you will know exactly how much time you worked out. Time measurement is important because if you rest longer between sets, your performance may increase, but it will not necessarily mean you have gained strength. To really compare two workouts, they must be approximately the same duration.
Your notebook must be as precise as possible without being difficult to maintain. Here is one example:
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
In this way you know which muscle was worked (biceps) with which exercise (curls). Then you find the weight. Normally, people write the weight lifted by a single arm. We could have written 40 lbs, which is the total weight lifted by both the left and the right arms. You can decide how you want to track the information. What is important is to stick to the method you have chosen and not write 20 lbs one day and 40 lbs the next.
22 lbs
Right: 15 reps
Left: 14 reps
End the entry with the total training time for the muscle (biceps) so you can compare your performance from week to week. As you lift heavier weights, you have a tendency to take longer rest periods between sets. By noting the training time for each muscle, you help prevent yourself from taking rest breaks that are too long.
Keep all the muscles and all the exercises separate. This way you will know exactly what your goals are for your next workout.
Analyze Your Workouts
After each workout, you should examine your training session and ask yourself these questions:
> What worked well?
> What did not work well?
> Why did it not work well?
> How can I make things work better during my next workout?
If you revisit the previous example, here is a sample analysis that you should do for each muscle before your next workout:
> Start with a heavier weight, because the first set may have been too easy (you could do more than 15 repetitions).
> Carry the extra weight through to the second and third sets.
> In the third set, the muscle was starting to get tired, because four repetitions instead of three were lost for an increase in four pounds. So you will need to hang on to get past this fatigue.
> For the last set, the loss of strength is accentuated with a loss of five repetitions for four pounds in additional weight. You should slow down the rate of increase so that you can do more repetitions without using less weight than last time. The new workout would look like this:
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The goal for the next workout will be to increase the weight by two pounds over the last set without losing repetitions. Over three workouts, it will be easy to evaluate your progress.
Biceps22 lbs: 15 reps
26 lbs: 12 reps
30 lbs: 8 reps
35 lbs: 3 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
22 lbs: 14 reps
28 lbs: 11 reps
33 lbs: 9 reps
35 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
Biceps
Curls
24 lbs: 15 reps
28 lbs: 12 reps
33 lbs: 10 reps
37 lbs: 6 reps
Time: 8 min
The pattern that develops over a month, more than one workout to the next, will help you adjust your training program. If the figures increase regularly, then all is well! If the increases slow down, then you must take action by doing one or both of the following:
> Changing exercises
> Taking more time to rest between workouts
In case of a persistent loss of strength, you will need to lighten the workload and increase your number of rest days.
Only a well-kept workout notebook can precisely quantify the evolution of your performance. Do not trust your memory. Of course you can remember past workouts. But how will you remember what you have accomplished in one month? In addition, if you change exercises, how will you remember your past performance when you begin doing that exercise again one or two months later? The workout notebook will be the best record of your progress as well as an ally in creating your future training programs.
Read more about The Strength Training Anatomy Workout.
Related Books
