Habit Five:
Vary Your TrainingAn amazing number of lifters, at all levels of competition, have their personal "perfect" routine; a framework of fundamental exercises and set / rep schemes that they feel is ideal for them. Once found, this routine is religiously adhered to for most of their lifting career. Unfortunately, no such "perfect routine" exists. The body, with its amazing adaptive ability, derives limited stimulation from that which it has grown accustomed to. For maximum progress, the muscles need to be forced to constantly adapt to new exercises and techniques.
Areas which should be regularly modified include the exercises you use, reps per set, weight (percentage of one-rep max), rep tempo (speed of lifting and lowering the weight), workout pace (time between sets) and volume (number of sets). With this many factors to manipulate, repetitions never need become repetitious.
This is not to say that workouts should randomly be drawn out of a hat. If exercises are changed EACH workout, there is no opportunity to develop strength or mastery in their performance. These adjustments should be designed in a logical manner. How this is done will depend on your specific goals.
Multi-Mr. Olympia, Frank Zane follows a periodization program based on the seasons. In the winter months his workouts involve the use of shorter, less frequent workouts incorporating heavy weight for low reps. As the year progresses, he gradually trains more times a week, at a faster pace and with a slower rep tempo. As he does this he also increases the number of both sets and reps. This approach allowed Zane to focus on strength in the winter and early spring months and muscle hypertrophy / conditioning in the summer and fall.
Left to right: Kristine Morris, Jaime Lacroix, Nicole Talbert.
Exercises
Treadmill, Bike or Stepper:These exercises are done at a slow pace and for short duration just to cause a slight increase in your core body temperature. Use this as an opportunity to get your head in gear or check out the chicks in the aerobics area because once you enter the free weight area, it's ALL business!
Leg Extension:
Not a real size builder but these isolate the quadriceps and are good for pre-exhaust followed by squats.
Leg Press (rest-pause style):
Leg extensions pre-exhausted the frontal quad muscles. Now we are going to take things to another level. We are going to use a technique similar to that used in "squats." Pick a weight in which you can barely finish ten reps in the leg press. Knock out as many as you can and then lock out your knees for the time it takes to take two to three deep breaths. After this brief rest you should be able to press out three or four more presses. Take another short rest (just long enough for two slow deep breaths) and perform as many more reps as possible. Continue until you complete twenty full reps, even if you are forced to pause between each individual press. Feel free to puke if you need to. That warm, acidic taste of bile is a sign that you will be growing soon and one you may grow to appreciate. Try to increase either the weight or reps each workout.
Good Mornings:
This exercise will strengthen the hips, glutes and lower back muscles for the top deadlifts which are a big part of the intermediate workout. Because this is an intense movement, it should be avoided by those with any existing low-back problems. Warm-up thoroughly. Begin with a stance and bar position similar to that used in squats. Keeping the spine in an arched position, bend forward to a position about 15-200 short of parallel. Keep the weight moderate and go for feel as this is not a movement one should push excessively. If this movement is not for you, substitute hyperextensions.