By Dennis B. Weis
There Are Many Different Ways A Body Builder Can Train, And Often
the Workout Schedules Body Builders Use Compliments Their
Psychological Makeup. They Do Physically, What They Feel
Comfortable with Mentally At A Particular Time.
Back in the day I dripped blood, sweat, and tears desirous of Herculean
ambience, training 2-3 hours a day at times (much to my then wife’s dismay)
employing suffer to gain programs.
I’d wade through 20 or more sets per muscle group(s) performing 8 to 12 reps
each. Light poundage(s) were not for me either; I’d challenge the heaviest
poundage(s) I could put to use. Each rep(s) was as fast as I could make it while
maintaining proper form, with sets going together in combinations, Resting was
only a word…. and I’d take only 1 minute’s rest at any time between sets.
Instead of 6 to 8 exercises, my workouts covered 15 or more. Six sessions each
week was my rule; and no layoffs of more than 2 days. Every workout, each
exercise, every moment, in fact, was a challenge, a strain, a fight!
As my work rate in the gym became more severe, the gains in size, strength and
muscularity came faster. I soon realized that the gain factor increased in a direct
ratio to how much I suffered in the gym!
“Crazy training? Maybe, but it seemed perfect for me at the time. I thrived on that
style of training.. I was never tired, and my health improved with each week, as I
loaded up on supplements to provide the raw materials I needed. Glorying in the
size, density, strength and power of my muscles, my energy in the gym seemed
boundless. I saw no signs of ‘going stale’; my interest grew steadily, never
declining.
I never could understand those gutless wimp body builders who exercised as if it
was a chore. As I’ve grown older my enthusiasm for training is still high but my
viewpoint has broadened. This has led me to some conclusions that may
surprise you.
Basically, I now believe that few bodybuilders derive pleasure from actual
performance of the exercise program. For the majority, it is their goal that
provides the pleasure, not the act of the training itself. Having said that, I realize
that some body builders who dedicate themselves to a cruel training program
without missing a workout for months on end, actually may seem to enjoy it.
I feel it is the daydreams of the future rewards of “Olympia Winner Huge”
muscles or great power of a Leviathan that is providing the training incentive; and
gives body builders a euphoric feeling instead of the misery of muscle pain from
the performance of uncle Guido ((GWEE do) style workouts.
Older body builders, though not as ambitious, often “suffer” as much as the
younger body builders, for their aging bodies complain sometimes at even the
mildness of muscle exertions. Sure these men don’t enjoy a Spartan regime but
they DO enjoy the results of more; muscle size, strength excellent health, extra
energy they achieve, makes the task of training more bearable.
But, after all these years, I still enjoy training and look forward to each session
with the heavy iron. Although I’m pleased, I’ve often wondered why my interest
has remained so intense. Since I’m no different from other bodybuilders, I am
convinced that the answer lies in the use of “relaxed training”.
In seriously preparing for a physique contest or a power lifting meet, you must
definitely work hard and there can be no other way. If you are on a tough routine
of specialization, (such as one of those outlined in the Kennedy/Weis book:
HUGE & FREAKY MUSCLE MASS and STRENGTH SECRETS) then too you
must expect to suffer to gain. But the man who is interested only in looking fit,
feeling vital and being physically efficient, can relax in the gym and seek the path
of least resistance and find it. The eventual result of this practice will be
“relaxed training”.
Here are 4 Guideline Factors for implementing
“relaxed training”
1. Employ exercise biased selections you enjoy instead of those that annoy you.
With the wide variety of movements available for each muscle group of the body,
this is not difficult.
2. Perform each exercise, with extreme mental focus, until comfortably tired
NEVER going to beyond failure and into lactic acid paralysis.
3. Gauge the length of the program by the way you feel on a particular training
day.
4. Finally ,train moderately do not rigidly insist on using certain poundage’s but
select poundage(s) you feel like handling without straining much.
All four of the guideline factors compliment the concept of “relaxed training”
where enjoyable workouts are experienced. I and others that I coach in body
building have trained in this manner with tremendous success. From my
observations there is never a reluctance to go to the gym, never feeling of
boredom or unhappiness while training.
Here are 4 workouts which represent the best of
“relaxed training”
No. 1
Rotating Sets and Reps Workout
Monday and Thursday
(Do one or two specific warm-up sets first)
Barbell upright rows or (sub: Incline barbell press) 4 sets x 12 reps
Barbell back squats (High bar style and parallel depth) 4 sets x 12 reps
Tuesday and Friday
(Do one or two specific warm-up sets first)
Supine barbell bench press or (sub: Incline barbell press) 4 sets x 12 reps
Barbell bent over rowing or (sub: Conventional Deadlift) 4 sets x 12 reps
Follow the above workout program for a month or so if you are limited for workout
time. During the first week of the program, adhere to the 4 sets x 12 reps
outlined above.
During the second week, change your sets and reps to 6 sets x 8 reps on the
three upper torso exercises and for the squat movement, do 3 sets x 16 reps.
The third week, change your sets from six to eight and the reps from eight to five
on the upper body exercises.
On the squats, reduce the sets from three to two and increase the reps from
sixteen to twenty. Week four remains the same as week three. Always try to
increase the poundage whenever possible but not at the expense of “technique
emphasis.”
No. 2
Super Fitness Strategy
On this particular 20-minute “Relaxed Training” workout all you will need is a
barbell of a weight can curl five times in good form and two dumbbells whose
total weight is about half of that of the barbell. Since this program is more of a
localized muscular fitness protocol so, the poundage(s) used do not need to be
extremely heavy. Therefore, the routes to success will be in the exacting
technique emphasis employed within each exercise. Spend 3 seconds in the
positive phase contraction and 4 seconds in the negative phase of each
repetition performed.
Do the following exercises and repetitions in the exact following order and
without any rest pauses whatsoever.
BB curl 5 reps
DB lateral raise 10 reps
BB curl (again) 5 reps
BB press (standing) 10 reps
BB bent over rowing 10 reps
DB side bends (one dumbbell only) 20 reps
DB alternate front raises 10 reps
DB front lunges 20 reps
BB shrugs 20 reps
Ab crunches 20 reps
BB back squats 15 reps
DB straight arm pullover 15 reps
Ab knee pull-ins 20 reps
BB bench press 12 reps
BB conventional deadlift 15 reps
DB flat flies 10 reps
One-leg heel raise (hold DB in each hand) 20 reps
(Abbreviations: BB – barbell; DB – dumbbell)
No. 3
25 Maxi-Pump Rep System
This is a race-the-pump, total anabolic workout where one set of 25 maxi-pump
reps are performed for each of the following exercises in literally non-stop fashion
and in the order listed.
(1) One-legged dumbbell heel raises.
(2) Leg curl on machine.
(3) Leg extension on machine.
(4) High Bar barbell back squats.
(5) 30-degree Dumbbell incline press.
(6) One-dumbbell pullover.
(7) 30-degree dumbbell incline press.
(8) Pulley cable cross-overs.
(9) Barbell press behind neck.
(10) Dumbbell lateral raises.
(11) Barbell upright rowing.
(12) Dumbbell shrugs.
(13) Dumbbell press over head (Gironda style).
(14) Neck work (Front, side, or posterior).
(15) One-arm pulley cable rowing.
(16) One-arm bent over dumbbell rowing.
(17) Close grip bench press with E-Z curl bar.
(18) 45-degree Preacher barbell curls.
(19) Lying barbell french press.
(20) 30-degree Dumbbell incline curls.
(21) One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions.
(22) Two hands barbell curl.
(23) Reverse barbell curl, and finally,
(24) Dumbbell concentration curl.
You can walk through the entire 24 exercises in about 27-30 minutes, but only if
all the training equipment is arranged and ready to use beforehand.
No. 4
The Super-Ten
This workout conditions muscle “tonus,” improves heart and lung efficiency, and
builds enduring strength. Use approximately one-third of your bodyweight on a
barbell and begin the exercises, moving from one exercise to the next with
absolutely no rest pauses. The only break you will get at all will be when you
reach exercises 9 and 10 (where a switch of hand orientation is necessary).
Perform each exercise for 15 continuous repetitions each.
(1) Parallel barbell back squats – warm up.
(2) Bent Arm supine barbell pullover (lying supine on an exercise bench).
(3) Barbell upright rowing.
(4) Standing barbell press behind neck.
(5) Barbell standing heel raises.
(6) Barbell (positioned on back) side bends.
(7) Barbell front lunges.
(8) Barbell stiff-legged deadlift.
(9) Two-hand barbell curl, and finally,
(10) Barbell back squats (below parallel).
Before I’m flooded with eMails of outraged protests by you gym rats who insist on
quoting clichés such as; ‘lift heavy or GO home’ or ‘you’ve got to WANT it’ let
me emphasize a point.
This concept of “relaxed training” as represented in the 4 workouts presented
are for the body builder who wishes only to keep fit, strong and well built with a
minimum of effort, in the most pleasant way possible.
Relaxed Training is definitely not for the experienced hardcore body builder,
power lifter; or strongman. They already know there is no easy way for them! I
do feel there is an important place for this system, however.
As just one example, it is difficult to get an older man started with the weights.
Using the “relaxed training” method, he becomes a body builder almost before
he realizes it and will probably keep training painlessly the rest of his life.
In closing I want to make a radical statement. The kind of “relaxed training” I
have talked about can actually, for most natural body builders, even if they have
aspirations on competing, be as productive or more than the heavy duty only
training approach. The “go heavy go home” group tends to train too hard and/or
too much and holds back forthcoming gains.
Keep the unorthodox approach of “relaxed training” in mind – it may prove
valuable, sooner than you think.
