Applied Phase Training
February 22nd 2007 10:58
I believe that a program composed of successive three week phases of hard training and easier training makes sense for a normal person who is serious about weight training and is somewhere beyond beginner status. That is why I have been attempting to describe the Bulgarian theories of the 80s and 90s in the past couple of posts. Today I would like to illustrate how such a program might look. I have chosen only one body part to simplify the task. If you get the idea you'll be able to apply the concept to the entire body. Caution: it takes guts to train easy when all you emotions tell you that everyone else is going all out every day and you are not. The fact is that your body could not care less about your emotions. In fact they can sabotage it so easily that you must apply your rational faculty to training, if you want to come out ahead.
To begin a six week phase for training biceps I would choose two or three movements that targeted both the brachialis muscle and the biceps itself and focus on them for the first three weeks. I would plan around six sets for the two combined. In the first week I would focus on a pattern of repetitions in which I was doing a low rep workout with appropriate weight, then a medium rep workout, and finally a high rep workout. Strict form and all of that, of course. I might use a couple of intensity techniques like forcing repetitions to reach my target number of repetitions.
In the second week I would add a set of each movement in the program. I would be very careful that the weights I chose be the maximum amount I can use and reach my rep target. In other words the workout would be an effort. In this second week I would be sure to add some intensity techniques like forced reps or pauses etc, especially on the last set of each movement.
In the third week I might not only add a set to every movement and really concentrate on the intensity techniques, but I might also add another day to my routine. If I was working at a rate of two biceps workouts a week before, I might ramp up to three. In other words the third week should mark a definite burden on the muscle.
At three weeks, however, my training would contract. In this period I like to engage in very high repetition training. I might choose a curl movement that can be done on the cables, start with a fairly demanding weight and then continue to drop the weight until I had reached 50 or so reps in more or less one huge set. I would then do concentration curls with smaller and smaller dumbbells until I reached 50 or so. That would be my biceps workout. Period. I might do this only one time the first light week and crank it up to two during weeks two and three.
After three weeks of such training I would revert to the active phase,but I would try to add weight to my original movements and start my new phase with one more set than I had started with six weeks ago. Each of the next two weeks I would add sets, concentrate more on intensity techniques, and try to include an extra workout in week three.
You probably get the picture of this kind of phase training. It will do more for a normal person's weight training success than all out all the time. Your servant, as always.
To begin a six week phase for training biceps I would choose two or three movements that targeted both the brachialis muscle and the biceps itself and focus on them for the first three weeks. I would plan around six sets for the two combined. In the first week I would focus on a pattern of repetitions in which I was doing a low rep workout with appropriate weight, then a medium rep workout, and finally a high rep workout. Strict form and all of that, of course. I might use a couple of intensity techniques like forcing repetitions to reach my target number of repetitions.
In the second week I would add a set of each movement in the program. I would be very careful that the weights I chose be the maximum amount I can use and reach my rep target. In other words the workout would be an effort. In this second week I would be sure to add some intensity techniques like forced reps or pauses etc, especially on the last set of each movement.
In the third week I might not only add a set to every movement and really concentrate on the intensity techniques, but I might also add another day to my routine. If I was working at a rate of two biceps workouts a week before, I might ramp up to three. In other words the third week should mark a definite burden on the muscle.
At three weeks, however, my training would contract. In this period I like to engage in very high repetition training. I might choose a curl movement that can be done on the cables, start with a fairly demanding weight and then continue to drop the weight until I had reached 50 or so reps in more or less one huge set. I would then do concentration curls with smaller and smaller dumbbells until I reached 50 or so. That would be my biceps workout. Period. I might do this only one time the first light week and crank it up to two during weeks two and three.
After three weeks of such training I would revert to the active phase,but I would try to add weight to my original movements and start my new phase with one more set than I had started with six weeks ago. Each of the next two weeks I would add sets, concentrate more on intensity techniques, and try to include an extra workout in week three.
You probably get the picture of this kind of phase training. It will do more for a normal person's weight training success than all out all the time. Your servant, as always.
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