Hardgainer
workout insights
Question #1: In your book BEYOND
BRAWN you state that it's okay to do a very abbreviated routine, but
not for very long periods because it may produce a muscle imbalance. Because
of family/work obligations, I plan on
doing one work set each of squats, chins and dips to failure every six
days for the next three months. (These will be the only three exercises
that I plan to do). Is three months long enough to produce a muscle imbalance?
I plan on returning to my normal routine--1-2 work sets for all muscle
groups--after three months.
Answer: I don't think that three months is long enough to produce
any significant muscle imbalance.
Question #2: I'm an intermediate/advanced lifter weighing about 180
pounds with about 9% bodyfat. I've been lifting hard-gainer style for
two years now and have some decent lifts. I'm currently in the gaining
phase of my cycle and it consists of two different workouts every eight
days.
The first workout involves:
20-rep squats
stiff-legged deads (1 x 15)
incline press (1 x 8)
calf press (3 x 20) and
crunches (1 x 40-50).
The second is an upper-body/arms workout and includes:
shoulder press (1 x 8),
weighed chin (1 x 8),
bench press (1 x 8),
barbell curl (1 x 8) and
L-fly (3 x 20).
I also do one drop set for the incline press, shoulder press, chin, bench
press, and curl.
Okay, so here's my question: After the first workout I'm burnt out and
have a tremendous post-workout "high." But after the second
workout, I still feel like I've more energy left in me; I also don't get
the same post-workout "high."
I'm making good progress but I feel like I should add something to the
second workout. I recover faster from the second workout as well. Should
I add another major exercise, or add some accessory exercises, or do the
second workout more frequently, or anything else that I haven't thought
of?
Answer: The key phrase here is "I'm making good progress."
When you're making good progress, why change anything? You're doing fine
as is. It's not necessary to feel crushed after each workout. I'd suggest
you keep doing exactly what you're doing now, and not mess with a successful
formula. If you absolutely have to make some changes, the absolute most
I'd suggest you do is add neck work and grip work to your second workout.
Nothing else!
Question #3: I've been experimenting a bit and have found that
curl-grip deadlifts are much easier for me to get into than other grip
options. I can hold onto much more weight, and it stays in the groove
without much concentration on my part. Are there any dangers in performing
deadlifts this way?
Answer: In any exercise, and especially in a very big exercise
such as the deadlift, you need to apply 100% focused concentration, even
if you feel you've got the movement mastered. A slight slip up can cost
you a serious injury. So 100% concentration at all times, please! Never
get casual, even if you feel you have the exercise down pat.
My general recommendation, grip wise, for the deadlift and stiff-legged
deadlift, is to use a pronated grip for as long as possible, with a bar
that has deep knurling, and plenty of chalk on your hands. Eventually,
once the weight is substantial enough, a move usually needs to be made
to a mixed grip--supinated one hand, pronated the other. Alternate which
way around you have your hands from set to set, or workout to workout.
If you can perform the deadlift safely, maintain perfect form, without
losing your grip, and while using a curl/supinated grip, then go with
it. But I'd say you're an exception to the general rule.
Three major dangerous aspects of the deadlift are rounding the back, letting
the bar drift away from the legs, or having the bar rotate laterally.
One or more of these form errors can be related to losing one's grip on
the bar. So a secure grip is essential.
Question #4: This is the deal. I'm 41, 5-8, 172 pounds. I lift
five days a week, and do 30 minutes of cardio four times a week. I lost
about 30 pounds from July to September due to stress and injury. I'm trying
like crazy to put the weight back on, but apparently my metabolism has
kicked back in. I would not mind so much if I had the strength I did before,
but the gas is not there. I consume about 200 grams of protein, a gallon
of water, and right around 400 grams of carbs per day.
I've started taking creatine again, but still don't see the weight or
strength. I take six grams after working out. I've been pyramiding and
just started double sessions. I'm doing the cardio in the afternoon and
lifting in the morning. Squats, deadlifts and power cleans are on day
one; chest and tris on day two; back and bis on day three; legs again
on day four but I work in light leg extensions, and calf raises. Abs are
every day whether I'm at the gym or not. I'm open for suggestions.
Answer: You're following a typical conventional overtraining routine,
but this only works for genetic freaks or drug abusers. Regardless of
your age, or any supposed metabolic shortcomings, the routine you're on
will get you nowhere but into the mire of frustration, disappointment
and disillusionment with training. You've got to get off the mainstream
training nonsense if you want to improve your body.
Cut back to weight training just twice a week, do aerobic work three times
a week, and ab work only when you weight train. Sure this will be radical
compared to what you're doing now; but you need to be radical in order
to give your body a chance to recover and grow. As it is, you're way overreaching
your body's ability to cope, so it's inevitable you're going to get worn
down, injured, frustrated, etc.
Creatine is one of the mainstream's no-solution attempts to patch up a
lousy training program. Learn how to train properly, respect your body's
ability to recuperate, and then you won't need to even think about wasting
money on creatine. Food supplements can't make a lousy program into a
good one. And please also keep in mind that creatine can even harm you
healthwise, as well as in your pocket.
Question #5: I contend that pushups should be considered a bodybuilding
exercise (with bodyweight and with added weight) and as such should not
be done more than twice a week by hard gainers. My friend says that pushups
are calisthenics and can be done every day because when he was in the
U.S. Army's bootcamp, he did them everyday. Who's right?
Answer: You're right that pushups can be considered a serious exercise
for bodybuilding and strength training, so long as you use progressive
resistance. But to make progress you must follow the usual rule of progressive
resistance training--train hard and briefly, and then allow sufficient
rest between workouts to permit recovery and growth. So twice a week would
be tops, with a lesser frequency being better for many people.
You can perform the pushups as often as you want, but an increased frequency
will not be compatible with strength training and bodybuilding. The US
Army bootcamp way of doing them isn't going to build significant size
and strength, because the training frequency is excessive.
Question #6: I've recently started going to college and have had
a miserable time making any progress in the gym. I've not been able to
eat enough (the food at my school is terrible and I've a history of stomach
problems), or get adequate sleep (I average about 6-7 hours a night at
college, including a nap, when I need 9 hours to feel rested). In the
six weeks of school I lost about 10 pounds. Since then I've been able
to keep my weight fairly stable, but gaining weight is next to impossible.
Given these less than ideal circumstances (which aren't going to change
for a while) how do you think I should adjust my training to maintain
as much muscle as I can, and possibly even gain a little? Should I increase
the intensity of my training, decrease the intensity, train less frequently
or more frequently? From your experience, where should I start?
Answer: You need to start by forgetting about your training for
a bit. You need to focus on organizing your daily schedule in such a way
that you can eat well every day, and sleep well every day. If you can't
get those two BIG factors in good order, then your training efforts are
going to go to waste even if you're doing everything right in the gym.
Why can't you improve your nutrition? When I was at college I got a part-time
evening job at weekends to earn the extra money I needed to buy the extra
food I needed, because the canteen fare was so lousy. Then I moved out
of college premises so that I could take full care of my own nutrition.
If you're really determined, you should be able to get more sleep, at
least most of the time. Another reason why I moved out of college accommodation
was so that I could escape the noisy and inconsiderate students there,
and be able to sleep better. And I cut myself off from late-night social
activities because I gave my recovery a greater priority.
Please look at how you can reorganize your lifestyle so that you can get
recovery factors put in good order. Sure there will be problems to overcome,
but life is all about overcoming problems. And I know it's easier said
than done. I also know that where there's a will, there's a way. All problems
exist so that human ingenuity and determination can find solutions. If
you want improved training results badly enough, you'll take the required
action to produce the required changes.
Training wise you need to train no more than what your body can cope with
and respond to. But unless you eat and sleep well you will have such a
low tolerance to exercise that you're probably unlikely to be able to
build any significant size and strength. You've got to get the factors
of recovery in good order first. Then you need to get into a very abbreviated
program, and weight train no more than twice a week, preferably with a
different group of exercises at each of the two workouts.
Question #7: My left arm is smaller and weaker than my right arm
(naturally). Because of this my pecs differ greatly, my left being larger
because it has to pick up the slack of my arm. What do I do?
Answer: I suggest you use dumbbells for your chest, shoulder, arm
and back work, but your weights should be determined by your weaker side.
So, for example, if you can only use say a 40-pound dumbbell in your left
hand in the dumbbell bench press, but could handle 65 pounds in your right
hand, you must only use a 40- pound dumbbell in both hands, and perform
that same rep and set count for each side.
Your stronger side will go along for the ride, so to speak, to begin with.
You should stick with this until your weaker side has caught up with your
stronger side. Then both sides can move into new poundage territory, though
you'll likely always find that your naturally stronger side will progress
more easily than the other side.
It could take a year or longer to even out the strength imbalance.
Question #8: I'm thinking of buying a vertical leg press machine.
I know that Hammer and other companies make good machines but I cannot
afford that type. I can't do squats as they hurt my lower back, and I
can't go to parallel. This machine is only $279.00 What do you think?
I know I need to train my legs hard, but is thistype of machine bad for
the knees or the lower back?
Answer: What you can't afford most of all is a knee or back injury
that wrecks your training for a long time. Vertical leg press machines
are among the worst of machines. And one that costs less than $300, new,
is going to be very bad news for your knees and lower back. Don't even
think of using it! And even non- vertical leg press machines can be very
dangerous.
For well under $279 you can get a shrug bar or trap bar with which you
can perform a squatlift. Though the exercise looks like a deadlift, it's
really a squat with the bar in your hands. Not only is it safer than a
vertical leg press--if used properly and sensibly (see my exercise form
book)--but it's a much better training tool. There's absolutely no comparison.
And relative to the barbell squat, the trap bar or shrug bar squatlift
can give your legs lots of work without such heavy lower-back involvement.
Before you go ordering a bar, however, discuss your needs with the manufacturer,
to make sure that the gripping sites' placement will suit you, especially
if you're tall or large.
Question #9: I've been using an abbreviated training program twice
a week for three months. My chest is 2 inches larger, my thighs 1 inch
larger and my abs 2 inches smaller. I'm feeling generally stronger than
before, but my calves have shrunk an inch. Am I doing something wrong
so that my calves are shrinking? Do I need to do complementary exercises
just for the calves?
Answer: Other than perhaps short-term use for special cases, calf
work should always be part of an abbreviated training program. Otherwise,
most people will end up with lagging calf development. Experiment with
training your calves once a week, and twice a week--say two months of
each, comparing the same volume and intensity of work per session--and
see which works best for you.
