Ian suggested I write an article on the nuts and bolts of how I train ie sets, reps and recovery. On thinking about it, I realised I do loads of the first two but not much of the third!
Even after several decades of training I don’t think I have perfected the best way to train, certainly not a ‘system’ that anyone could use and get results. What I think I have achieved is the best way to train for me. How I define that is that I am getting stronger despite getting older, I have few injuries and I really enjoy my time in the gym.
I like volume. One work set does not do it for me. I do a lot of sets compared to some. I want muscle endurance as well as muscle strength. Do I subconsciously pace myself knowing I have loads of sets to do? Maybe, even probably, but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.
Let’s look at a leg workout. My last workout was done with stitches in my back from having a cyst removed. I did four sets of 50 reps of Hindu squats. The first two sets were bodyweight only, the next was holding a 10kg plate and the last set was holding a 15kg plate. (Matt Furey popularised the Hindu Squat. Check out how to do them on YouTube). These really warm up my knees and stimulate the Vastus Medialis also known as the teardrop muscle above the knee. I personally believe they are safer than leg extensions.
Then it was onto Olympic bar squats. I did a warm up of 20 reps with one plate aside (my body was already plenty warm from the Hindu squats so the first set was really a check of form). Then it was time for the work sets. I put on another plate each side so that the bar weighed 100kg. I was aiming at a total of 100 reps. I did seven sets of 15 reps so actually did 105 reps. I hustled through these sets pretty quickly, about sixteen minutes.
I then moved onto the bent legged deadlift. I didn’t want to pop my stitches so stayed with 100kg and did two sets of 20 reps. These were normal bent legged deadlifts, not stiff legged or the Romanian variety. As these are done post squat the stimulation to the hamstrings is huge.
I then moved onto calves and a high rep painful technique Ian showed me many years ago. The aim once again is 100 reps. I have made a calve ‘step’ out of wood left over from putting down decking and use the Olympic bar for standing calf raises. The weight was 70 kg. The way this works is that you complete a set of as many reps as you can. In this case I got 25. This meant I had 75 reps left. Therefore I rested for 75 seconds. I then did a set of 20 reps leaving 55 reps to go and a rest period of 55 seconds. My next set was another set of 20 albeit the last couple of reps were done in the rest pause style. This of course left 35 reps and a rest period of 35 seconds and so I went on until I completed the 100 reps. As you can see the farther you progress into the 100 reps and the more fatigued you get the rest periods get correspondingly shorter. This means extreme pain! This is a great technique and can be used for any body part.
My next leg work out which is tomorrow will be something like.
Hindu Squats – 2 sets of 50 reps. Bodyweight only
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Olympic bar squats.
Set 1 – 60kg x 20
Set2 – 100kg x 20
Set 3 – 140kg aiming for15
Set 4 – 150kg aiming for 10
Set 5 – 165kg aiming for 5
Set 6 -165kg aiming for 5
Bent legged deadlift
Set 1 – 100kg x 20
Set 2 – 140 kg aiming for 15
Set 3 – 160kg aiming for 10
Calves will be 6 sets of 10 or so reps with 100kg.
This workout is not so high on the volume in part because I like to go heavy every other workout and secondly because I will be climbing in the afternoon and don’t want to be wiped out.
I like doing 10 sets of 10 or 5 sets of 5 on a multi joint exercise such as the bench press, military press or squat. Sometimes for chest I will go in, set the bench on an incline, do a couple of warm up sets then grab a heavy pair of dumbbells. At the moment I will use the 42.5 kg bells. I will do 10 sets with them. My rule is to never go below 5 reps even on my last set. If it looks like I might I may drop the weight slightly or use the same weight but set the bench flat.
You can see my training is very varied and it probably only makes sense to me. Many bodybuilders, including very famous and successful ones such as Mike Mentzer, Dorian Yates and even our Ian don’t train like this. It is ‘a’ way of training not ‘the’ way.
I have left recovery to the end mainly due to embarrassment. Why, because I don’t really practice it as such. Sure I eat well and regularly, I do take a recovery drink and high GI carbs immediately post training but that is it. I train virtually every day. I don’t actually assign a rest day or days. I find that life usually conspires so that some days have to be taken off; this may be due to work or family commitments or even worse the occasional injury. All the time I am able to I will train every day. ‘Training’ to me is not just weights. It is running and climbing as well. So a week may look something like
Day 1 –Legs / climb
Day 2 – Shoulders
Day 3 – Back and a run if able
Day 4 – Run / climb
Day 5 – Chest
Day 6 – Run / climb
Day 7 - Legs
This type of training is brutal; you need desire and guts to do multiple sets especially on exercises such as squats. If you fancy having a go please, please build up very slowly otherwise injuries and systematic fatigue await you. Be warned!
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