The 5 Commandments of Progress!

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by Phil D'amato

Overload: to become stronger, it is essential to add weight or add reps (or at least attempt to do so) at every workout. Even if the increase is only by 1 or 2 pounds, it is still a step in the right direction. Your body will adapt to any constant input, whether it be load, reps, TUL, or any other training variable. By adding extra stress in the form of a greater intensity (intensity=%1RM) or greater TUL (time under load) through added repetitions, your body will favorably adapt. The body adapts to stress in a way that it will be better prepared for that stress in the future.

Exercise Selection: another important facet in the pursuit of strength is the choice of exercises. Although some well crafted machines, such as MedX, Hammer, and Nautilus, can be useful under some circumstances (i.e. hip and back machine, pullover machine), preference should be given to the barbell. In order to increase strength and increase size, you have to stick with the meat and potatoes. This is not very scientific, but big exercises = big body and big poundages. Only multi-joint or compound exercises should be chosen. My recommendation for exercise selection is as follows: squat, deadlift, parallel dip, floor pullup, clean pull, side bend, weighted situp, and some type of heavy grip work. Those are all the exercises you will ever need to become strong and powerful. KISS...keep it simple, stupid.

Training Frequency: "you can work out hard, and you can work out long, but you can't work out hard and long." When training as suggested, three days a week is more than sufficient for progress. The goal of resistance exercise is to apply enough stress for a positive training effect but not to apply too much so as to overtrain. Most lifters tread a very fine line between overtraining and a positive training effect because they do not allow enough time for the body to recover after a highly intensified bout of training. Everybody is different in terms of their recovery time, so it is wise to figure out your own optimal training frequency rather than have me tell you. However, I have yet to meet a person hardy enough to withstand more than 3 days a week training in this style without some kind of negative effect.

Training Severity and Volume: there are three categories in my training: the maximal effort method, the repeated effort method, and the dynamic effort method. The maximal effort method is the most efficient way to increase absolute strength. It consists of lifting a near maximal weight for a 3RM or a 5RM. For these exercises I advocate two to three work sets at about 85-90% 1RM and then the final set attempting to set a new PR. The repeated effort method is for most people the most productive method of stimulating hypertrophy. This method consists of lifting a weight to the point of complete and momentary muscular failure. The dynamic method is used to promote the development of speed strength. This style of lifting should be performed with very low reps (1-3) for a moderate to high number of sets depending on the intensity (%1RM).

Intangibles: in order to succeed on a resistance exercise protocol, you have to take in the nutrients your body needs to recover and overcompensate. It is by no means necessary to follow a strict regimen, but it is a good idea to take in about 4-5 meals a day, eat about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, and get enough low glycemic carbohydrates (fruits and milk) and unsaturated fats (nuts). Be sure to take in about 30-40 percent of your daily carbohydrates within two or three hours following a workout. Sleep is also important; I recommend at least 7 hours a night. Stretching is the most overlooked part of a weight training program. It is essential to stretch especially if you want to perform olympic lifts and deep squats. I suggest stretching 4-5 times a week with static and PNF stretches.