Volume Training

 Volume Training is an intensity aspect of lifting. It takes the number of repetitions per set, number of sets completed, and the weight used for each set. My use of volume training takes just sets and reps into the equation. I look at how many reps per set done at the given weight. Each session I add up the reps to see how much more I have accomplished compared to the last workout. 

There are several ways to include volume training in your workout. I design my current training entirely on Pyramiding. The German 10x10 is another common way to add volume training. Below I will go over both of these routines. But, first, let’s look at Jow Weider’s principle of Pyramid us.

PRINCIPLED TRAINING

Weider Principle 6: The Pyramiding Principle.

It really is almost hard to believe that someone had to invent this it is so second nature to everyone who lifts at this point. Muscle fiber growth is a direct result of contractions against high resistance. The pyramid principle helps handle the problem of moving maximum weight for highest resistance while avoiding injury. Weider believes that a workout should begin with 60% of ones one rep max with a high volume of 15-20 reps. After this weight is added until the same exertion is put out in fewer reps. So x for 15 reps should be as much effort as X + 20 for 12 reps and then X+40 for 10 reps and x+60 for 8 reps. Weight should be increased until 80% of maximum is achieved.

Pyramids also fall under the Weider principle of Progressive Overload. This principle works on the fact that, in order to grow stronger and larger, muscles must be challenged at greater increments. This increase can come per workout session by adding an extra set or increasing the weight used in each set or increasing the number of repetitions. This is the first part of the pyramid routine. The first half of the sets will increase in weight while decreasing the number of reps per set. The second half is a return to your starting weight.

I use nine sets per exercise. This layout and routine has, after a very short period of two weeks now, added 40 pounds to my benchpress and 55 pounds to my squat. This is clearly an ongoing process for me. During this period I have also lost 5 pounds in body weight. The results appear to happen fast.

GERMAN VOLUME TRAINING

The other routine is mentioned previously is the German Volume Training (GVT). This routine uses 10x10. For clarity, that is 10 sets of 10 repetitions. In doing this there is also a short rest between sets of up to 2 minutes. 

Set your weight, say for bench press, at 60% of your one rep max (1RM). This weight will be easy for your first few sets, but will become more difficult as you progress. When you reach 10x10 increase the weight by 10%. 

These are volume training techniques, as defined earlier. The greater volume equates to greater time under tension (TUT).This is the amount of time your muscles are under strain or directly working in the exercise. The greater the TUT, the greater the growth is how this is supposed to work. Many of the old greats swore by these measures.  

I have had solid results in increasing the weight used in each set. I have also made impressive results, as have other lifters, by increasing the weight used in each workout. This is seen in the Russian Breathing Squat. How this applies here is that in each session you do one set of 20 squats. This weight is established by using the weight you use for 3x10. You shoulder the weight and keep going until you hit 20 reps. When the next session comes along you add five to 10 pounds to what you did previously. I am not going to lie, the Russian Breathing Squats

hurt like a bear. This technique will add pounds to your 1RM. It is another example of progressive overload. This is a steady and incremental progress in the weight moved each session. This volume strategy is extremely brutal.

FINAL NOTES

This is not to be done three days a week for a total body workout. The way I schedule this is to break my training into a three day split and do that twice each week. Pyramids also fall under the Weider principle of progressive overload. This principle works on the fact that, in order to grow stronger and larger, muscles must be challenged at greater increments. This increase can come per workout session by adding an extra set or increasing the weight used in each set. This is the first part of the pyramid routine. me a total body workout twice a week. It looks like this:

Monday/Thursday — Squats and shrugs

Tuesday/Friday — Back and biceps

Wednesday/Saturday — Benchpress and triceps

For each workout I do the core lift and one accessory lift. Squats leave my legs totally blasted, so I do shrugs. I do bent row or lat pull (alternating these each back day) and curls. I also pair benchpress and triceps extension. Abs are done every session. 

This structure allows for a full recovery between each session. If an excess of 50 repetitions does not leave you sore for a day or two, the. I need some of your genetics. As you may know, a new routine is going to hurt afterwards. The second week will not hurt as much in regards to delayed onset muscle soreness. This routine still leaves me sore, but able to function. The schedule promotes full recovery between training body parts.

I hope these techniques work well for you. Talk to your doctor first to make sure that you are strong enough and healthy enough to try these. Good luck and good health!

Get Back

Most impressive is the back big enough to rent out as a billboard. It is built through dedication, determination, and a variety of rowing techniques. We are going to look at several of those rowing techniques, talk about how to build a back, and look at one permutation of a back workout. This is not the exhaustive list of back exercises, but it is a solid list.

Bent rows, barbell rows, or bent-over rows, are a popular weightlifting exercise that primarily targets the muscles of the upper back, including the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and rhomboids The diagram to the left will show you our musculature in greater detail. There are several variations of bent rows that can be performed to target these muscles in slightly different ways. Here are some of the most common types of bent rows:

Barbell Rows: This is the most traditional form of bent rows, where you hold a barbell with both hands, hinge at the hips, and pull the weight towards your torso. These can be done with either an overhand or underhand grip for targeting different muscle groups. We can also take a wider or more narrow grip for further targeting of muscles. More on this later.

Dumbbell Rows: Instead of using a barbell, you hold a dumbbell in each hand and perform the same movement as barbell rows.

T-Bar Rows: This is a bent-over row variation that uses a T-bar machine, where you place one end of the bar into a corner and load weight plates onto the other end. You then hold the bar with both hands and pull it towards your chest.

Seated Cable Rows: This variation uses a cable machine, where you sit on a bench with your legs extended in front of you and pull a cable towards your torso using a handle or rope attachment.

One-Arm Dumbbell Rows: Similar to dumbbell rows, but you perform the exercise with one arm at a time, allowing for greater focus on each side of the body.

Inverted Rows: These are performed using a suspension trainer, such as TRX, where you hold onto the handles and lean back while keeping your body in a straight line. You then pull yourself up towards the handles, engaging your upper back muscles.

Lat Pulls: These are conducted at the pull down station of a cable machine or similar pull down apparatus. Set your grip width to target the most muscles in our back and biceps, which will be a little wider than shoulder width with palms facing away from you. Pull the bar down to the top of the chest. As the bar reaches the top of our chest squeeze the shoulder blades together as if trying to squeeze something between them.

Each of these variations has its own advantages and disadvantages and can be used to target different parts of the upper back. It's important to choose the right variation based on your goals and fitness level, and to always maintain proper form to avoid injury.

Let’s look at each row more closely for its targeted muscles and the end states. Each of these are excellent compound exercises any of which makes for a solid back workout.

These muscles include:

Mid to lower trapezius 

Rhomboids

Rear deltoids

Latissimus dorsi

Posterior deltoids

Biceps

Grip

Erector spinae

BARBELL ROWS

The muscles targeted in this row include latisimus dorsi (lats), rhomboids, rear deltoids, central and lower trapezius, and biceps. 

To perform this we take hold of the bar with either an overhand or underhand grip. We can also do this with a wider or more narrow grip that will have our elbows brushing our sides. The difference in grip will put the onus of the weight on different areas of our back. 

Bend at the hips, not the lower back. Yes,it is a back exercise, no this is not how or when we work the lower back and spinal erectors. We want to have a nearly straight line from hips to shoulders. 

An underhand grip with elbows at our side is a focus on the lats. Yes, rear deltoids, lower and middle trapezius, and biceps are involved. This position puts the lion’s share of the workload on the lats.

An overhand grip can target mainly either the lats or the rhomboids, these are the muscles over the shoulder blades. A wider grip, such as just outside of shoulders width or more will have you pulling with your elbows pointed out. As such, this position will target the rhomboids. Conversely, a grip at shoulders width or less will target the lats. 

Pick one width and remain consistent with it for solid results. 

DUMBBELL ROWS

These are done with a dumbbell in each hand. We will bend at the hips and not the lower back. With arms at full length and the dumbbells in hand you pull back as if to strike a target with your elbows. Pull firmly and smoothly until the elbows are just peeking over the plane of the back.

The variation to this is doing one arm rows. As the weight lowers, extend your shoulder and reach for the floor while keeping your spine straight. Pull the weight up towards your midsection d side. Your elbow will come up past the plane of your back. 

Doing one arm dumbbell rows can help identify and even out muscular imbalances across our back.

The angle at which you hold your arms to the centerline will change which muscles are targeted.

T-BAR ROWS

This can be done supported (on a bench) or unsupported. The choice you make will determine how many muscles are used. Unsupported T-bar rows will activate a larger range of muscles in support of the movement. 

Also, to a small degree you will engage glutes and hamstring to fully support this exercise.

The barbell used in this will have one end anchored or stuck into a corner so that it does not move on the one end. Load the weight you want onto the other end. The T-bar handle will fit under the bar near the weight block on the knurled side. Straddle the bar and bend & squat down. Lift the weights into position with your hips and knees bent. Using the muscles in your back and bisceps pull the handle until it touches your torso. Hold it for two seconds and relax until your arms are fully extended. Repeat for the necessary repetitions. 

SEATED CABLE ROWS

These can be done with various grips to target the back in different ways. We will engage all of the muscles in our back, but to varying degrees. 

By taking a wider grip we will target lats, rear deltoids, and biceps. The target of the wider grip is the lats. This will engage the lats more specifically. The narrow grip, done with a V-handle or by gripping a wider bar at the center. This grip will more fully engage the mid and lower trapezius and rear delts. 

Remember to squeeze our shoulder blades together at the full contraction when the handle touches the midsection. Also, roll your shoulders forward at the full extension. These actions will ensure full engagement of the mid and lower traps.

INVERTED ROWS

This is a body weight exercise, at least in the beginning. Set a horizontal bar at about hip high. Adjust the height to make this more or less challenging. You can vary your grip on the bar, but let’s take hold of the bar at a shoulder width. 

We are planning back towards the floor while gripping the bar. Pulling up and contracting the entirety of our back muscles will bring us chest to bar. This is an excellent precursor to pull-ups. 

LAT PULLS

The last pull station can be our friend. It will mimick the same motion as pull-ups and chin-ups depending on how you grip the bar. 

Palms toward us will activate primarily lats and biceps. The same as doing a chin-up. Palms away will target lats, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and biceps. 

IMPLEMENTING ROWS

Each of the aforementioned movements are compound movements, that is engaging multiple muscle groups and joints. A full workout for the back can look like this:

Bent rows 

Lat pulls

Seated rowing close grip

The workout can be rounded out with a few isolation exercises to further target muscles. 

Bulgarian Split Squats vs Squats

Bottom Lime Up Front

Bulgarian split squats and conventional back squats are two exercises that target similar muscle groups, but differ in the way they are performed. Bulgarian split squats involve standing with one foot elevated on a bench or box behind you, with your other foot planted firmly on the ground. You then lower your body by bending the knee of the planted foot until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Conventional back squats, on the other hand, involve standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and lowering your body by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Both exercises target the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, but the Bulgarian split squats require more stability and balance, as well as more focus on the single-leg muscles. Additionally, the Bulgarian split squats are a great way to target the glutes, while the conventional back squats are better for targeting the quads. 

Bulgarian Split Squats vs Conventional Squats

There is no disagreement that the squat is one of the key movements we can do in the gym. We do it for raw power, size, strength, and even for endurance. We do them with and without weights for varied ends. We squat in more than 20 different styles and techniques. Back squats, Hack squats, Goblet squats, and the list goes on. Each variation provides its own benefits. We choose our squat based on desired ends. Here, we will look at the Bulgarian Split Squat (BSS) and the conventional Back Squat. Why do BSS? Why do conventional? What muscles are used in each? How does one split squat? Is there a difference between split squats and Bulgarian split squats? 

Why

This exercise has long been viewed as “just an accessory.” Many lifters, myself included, use this tool in addition to squats and other leg work. Its effectiveness cannot be understated, though. 

The muscles worked in this mostly single leg exercise include glutes, quads, hamstring, and calves. Additionally, there are a slew of other muscles engaged just to balance and support yourself. Muscles and tendons engaged include the area of your ankle, your abdominal obliques, traps, and more. What it does not include, or minimizes, is the lower back. 

BSSs take the load of the weight used off of your back and, if you are using dumbbells, into your hands. This can put the center of the weight below your center of balance. This position takes our lower back mostly out of the equation. By eliminating the lower back strain we can focus more on form and depth. Also, where we position our front foot we can alter how the movement works different parts of the lower body. By placing our front foot, this is the working leg, further in front we put more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes. By placing our foot closer to where our back leg is supported we put the emphasis on the quadriceps. I do mine with the heavier focus on the quads. It’s just my prerogative. Do what works best for you.

Jordan Scott is an IPA world record holder in powerlifting. He also owns Syatt Fitness and is a Westside Barbell-certified strength coach. He feels strongly in favor of the BSS. “For overall strength and size the Bulgarian split squat is, in my opinion, one of the best exercises … it’s got great range of motion, huge recruitment of the quads and glutes, and it’s terrific for building core strength and stability.” The ability to get our hips low and deep into this movement makes it an excellent tool to finish off our legs. 

FORM

How to do this exercise is important. Keep your head tilted down so as not to show that you are crying. Just kidding! This is a somewhat technical move so details are important; however, balancing on one lead foot adds to the complexity and difficulty of the move. That said, once you have the basic mechanics of this move you have command of a method for adding size and strength to your legs.

1. Stand with your calves against the edge of a flat bench or yoga ball or some other support.

2. Step out with one foot to two to three feet in distance.

3. Place the top of your back foot on the top of the support.

4. Flex your front leg to lower your hips.

5. As you lower yourself by flexing your front leg your torso will lean forward a bit, this is normal.

6. Point your support knee to the ground.

7. Go as deep as possible. I lower my hips below knee. Go as deep as you can safely manage.

8. Push up against the floor on your lead leg to rise back to the starting position.

I have previously detailed how to squat in You don’t Know Squat. Quickly, the squat works the entirety of our legs as well as including the back by way of the spinal erectors and our abs for core stability. The foot spacing we each use is a matter of personal preference and build. Some people do very well with a wide stance while others use a narrow foot position. Most people use somewhere between hip width and shoulder width. Find what works best for you before you start stacking on the weights. 

Muscles used in squats include quads, hamstrings, calves, and spinal erectors. Of course your core is engaged for stability while under the weight. Otherwise, squats target the seashells as Bulgarian split squats. 

There are a multitude of benefits in doing squats. Among which you will burn extra calories. This results in a loss of fat, not necessarily weight. I point this out because, if you are watching your weight, the muscles you build will weigh more than the fat that is left. Know that you are burning calories and fat. 

Squats are proven to strengthen your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This will stabilize you in athletic endeavors. As we talked about in You don‘t Know Squat (https://famfitfun.blogspot.com/2019/02/you-dont-know-squat.html?m=1) we talked about the safety of squatting. Physiologically, the deeper we squat the more you engage the tissue around and inside our knees. This tightening actually pulls your knees together tighter. 

Squats are an incredibly beneficial exercise that can have a positive impact on your overall health and fitness. Squats are an excellent way to strengthen and tone your lower body, including your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. They also help to improve your balance, posture, and coordination. Additionally, squats can help to increase your core strength and stability, which can help to reduce the risk of injury. Squats can also help to improve your overall cardiovascular health, as they can help to increase your heart rate and burn calories. Finally, squats can help to improve your flexibility and range of motion, which can help to reduce the risk of injury and improve your overall performance in sports and physical activities.

CONCLUSION

Bulgarian split squats and squats are both excellent exercises that can help strengthen your legs and glutes. They are both great for building muscle, improving balance and coordination, and increasing your overall strength. Adding these exercises to your routine can help you reach your fitness goals, whether you are looking to build muscle, lose weight, or improve your overall health. Both exercises can be done with a variety of weights and reps, so you can tailor them to your individual needs. Furthermore, they can be done with minimal equipment, making them accessible to everyone. For these reasons, Bulgarian split squats and squats are both worth adding to your routine. If you are not doing one of these, what is the issue? Squats are great.

Life lessons from the Gym, pt 2

Going to the gym is a lifestyle for many. Time spent there brings people together. Under the iron we learn intrinsic lessons. These lessons carry on into life outside the gym.

One of these lessons is that we are each stronger than we think we are.

- Are stronger than we think we are

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the nationwide standard for men aged 20 to 49 should be between 13 and 28 pushups, and for women in the same age range, it should be between 11 and 20 (https://kiss951.com/2021/09/03/most-americans-cant-do-more-than-10-pushups/). 

This is more than just moving your body or moving weights with your body. Handling weights at regular intervals teaches you how to dig deep for another rep. You heart friends telling their training partner to get another couple of reps in each set. You may have been the one under the bar looking for what was needed to get that final rep. The bar moves ever so slowly. Muscles ache and quiver. The person under the weight is breathing faster and heavier to provide needed oxygen to those muscles.

This lesson carries over outside of the gym. The consistent facing of a physical challenge teaches you that, somewhere deep inside, is that something you need to go another step or repetition further. Outside the gym that lesson helps you to realize how capable you really are. It shows you that your fortitude runs deeper than you had ever imagined. This is key to completing tasks which seem insurmountable. This is key in facing life’s challenges. This is key when confronting our own demons.

We handle stress and pain better than we previously thought

Lifting weights, jogging, whatever our physical training teaches us, through experience, that we can handle pain. We face physical pain after many workouts. This is the result of lactic acid building up in the fatigued muscles. The muscles themselves have undergone trauma. Yet, the day after, life goes on. We have to participate in life regardless of the residual pain. The body reacts by rebuilding and becoming stronger. We take that basic lesson and apply it to other areas of our life to see that adversity makes us stronger.

There is another pain threshold we face and learn from. Success comes with hard work. By digging deeper into our fortitude and finding strength for a few more reps, or running a few steps faster, we learn to persevere. 

- Stronger sense of self

These previous two lessons help us see ourselves in a different light. We have gained insight into being more capable than we had thought. This now found understanding begins to fill a wellspring of confidence. Physically, our posture changes. We stand up straighter and taller. We step out with inner strength as if nothing in our path will dissuade or impede us.

We have learned that we adapt to stresses in our lives, that these stresses make us better. We put our body and mind through the crucible of fitness training. As a result our confidence grows. We know better what we can handle. We know better that challenges will always be present. We know that we can overcome. As Leonardo da Vinci had put into his codex, every obstacle is destroyed through rigor.

These lessons from the gym translate into other aspects of our lives. They transform us deeply. Keep training and keep growing.

Training Splits

Lifting weights has a multitude of benefits. Stronger bones, reducing loss of muscle tissue in older demographics, and improved mood are just a few of these benefits. Training schedules come in nearly the same variety as trainees. 

Cycling or changing up your lifting routine is important as the body is highly adaptive. Training is actually breaking down of muscle fibers and, as a result, traumatic to your body at that moment. Recovery, ilwhich is talked about later in here, is vital to growing stronger. During recovery our bodies repair the broken muscle fibers, this is how we grow stronger, faster, or bigger & more powerful. 

We adapt to the stresses of a routine. In this way muscle growth stagnates. Changing how you train every three to four months keeps the body guessing and from becoming stagnant in the routine. 

Why split training? Why not just workout daily? Recovery is when we get stronger and bigger, not during the workout, as stated. Splits allow for us to rebuild and recover after we tear ourselves apart in the gym. I am going to go over three splits with you. The three-day, four-day, and six-day splits. Each day of the split is a road map to your strength and health.

THREE-DAY SPLIT

The first and most common split is to work the full body three times a week. This allows for varied intensity at each session. For instance, one can lift with moderate intensity on Monday, do a light effort on Wednesday, and then go for broke and do heavy intensity on Friday. This allows for two days of recovery. The moderate intensity keeps your training schedule and growth going. The light day allows you to train and keep things moving, too. The high intensity day gives you two days to recover before you train again.

This split has you training benchpress, squat, and rowing as well as the accessory or support muscles. This includes, but is not limited to:

Squat or Deadlift (I’ve been coached to not do these on the same day)

Benchpress 

Bent or Seated rowing

Dumbbell press

Pectoral flies

Triceps extensions

Tricep push down 

Standing curls

Decline dumbbell curls 

Abdominals 

This split can be worked with a wide range of sets and repetitions. You can set it up as 3x10, 5x5, or tailored to your needs and desires. It works the major compound movements as well as isolating the supporting muscles. By integrating dumbbells, like the dumbbell press, you can increase the range of motion for a worked group. The dumbbell press pairs well after benchpress. By working deeper in your natural range you will find it easier to benchpress out of the bottom of the range of motion.

FOUR-DAY SPLIT

Another common split is a four-day routine. It breaks training into push and pull days. This, as I have done, schedules two push days and two pull days each week. It could also be a lower body one day and upper body the next. Get creative and see what you can arrange with this split as there are many routines you can write or find to fill this need.

The exercises may vary, but they generally focus on big compound movements first, then the smaller support exercises. Monday and Thursday would be push days. These would start with squats and benchpress. I’ve also kept shoulder press on these days. Then, the routine brings in the support muscles. This way you also get to hit deltoids, chest, and triceps as individually targeted muscles.

Pull day is set up similarly to push day, but for pulling exercises. Start off with deadlift. Then, do bent and upright rows. Add shrugs and movements to isolate lats and biceps and you have a full routine. 

When I did this split, it looked like

MON/THURS

Squat

Leg curls

Leg extension

Calf raise

Benchpress 

Shoulder press

Dumbbell flies for pecs

Lateral raises

Skull crushers 

TUES/FRI

Deadlift

Bent row with underhand grip (focus on lats)

Bent row overhand wide grip (focus on rhomboids and mid traps)

Upright row (deltoids and traps)

Lateral raises (also deltoids and traps)

Shrugs

Curls

Decline dumbbell curls

This provides for a solid level of effort and enables you to have adequate rest time between sessions. 

SIX-DAY SPLIT

Then, there is a six-day split. Like the four-day routine the body is fully worked out twice each week. This schedule allows for a greater focus on core lifts and the supporting muscles than the other two splits. One of the benefits of this schedule is that you do not need to spend two or three hours, or more, in the gym at each session. For instance, my workouts are 45 minutes to an hour. Overall, with six days in the gym, I am spending less time in the gym each week than with the other two splits. 

This split is designed to work each body part twice each week. It can be done with varying techniques and/or intensity levels. Each day is easily tailored to fit your schedule. The primary format for this is squat and legs, back, and then chest each on different days. 

MONDAY, THURSDAY — squat and legs or deadlift and legs

TUESDAY, FRIDAY — rowing, upper back, shoulders, and biceps.

WEDNESDAY, SATURDAY — benchpress, chest, shoulders, and triceps

Abdominals are not specifically listed, though I do work abs four days out of the six. This split allows two to three days recovery for each body section worked. Pick your preferred ab routine. 

For each specific day put in support or isolation exercises. These will specifically target the muscles that you worked in the compound movement. For clarification, let’s look at Monday and Thursday since those will be leg day. 

Squat or Deadlift (alternating these in the week enables you to have experience with the deadlift and allows a high intensity leg day on Monday with a moderate intensity on Thursday, or reverse that as you like)

Stiff legged deadlift

Bulgarian split squats

Leg curl

Leg extension

Calf press/raise

RECOVERY

Alternating muscle groups is by design. This workout begins with one or two compound exercises. Then, it progresses by isolating the muscles already worked for targeted training. This works by over exerting the targeted muscle group through thorough training. It hits from the larger compound movements and specifically focuses on the other muscles within said compound movement. Simply put, it works the whole and the parts synergistically. The two to three days off between body parts allows for a full recovery. 

The intensity levels used can vary based on your personal recovery capacity. This capacity is impacted by many factors. Some of these factors include your age, diet, other stress factors in your life, and sleep. When you go into the gym these factors will impact how much you can give in training. What I do is the first three days of the cycle are worked with maximum intensity. I try to achieve all sets and proscribed reps so that I can increase the weight. The second three days are done with moderate intensity. This is to work through the soreness and keep the body moving. This aids recovery. When I do not achieve the next weight increase, I log how many more repetitions I completed as opposed to the last session. 

Tracking reps in my log and showing also how many more I completed each session motivates and encourages me. I can see when, where, and how I’m growing stronger. Tracking progress is vital to success.

Keep cycling and keep your body growing. Train hard and train smart.