Who thinks routines are pointless?
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| Carl |  | ... | 10-11-2007 @ 21:02 |
 Loves rugby league ... Member 13, 14460 posts SQ 230, BP 180.5, DL 262.5673.0 kgs @ 128kgs UnEq Administrator | this is a personal attack | ||
| Carl | | ... | 10-11-2007 @ 21:04 |
Loves rugby league ... Member 13, 14460 posts SQ 230, BP 180.5, DL 262.5673.0 kgs @ 128kgs UnEq Administrator | oh  | ||
| marc | | ... | 10-11-2007 @ 21:09 |
 Dancing queenfeel the beat from the tambourine Member 84, 2415 posts SQ 225, BP 170, DL 275670.0 kgs @ 103kgs UnEq | Train three times a week, alternate days, deadlift+assistance, bench+assistance, squat+assistance, for me going to the gym is a routine | ||
| jimblanchflower | | ... | 11-11-2007 @ 01:01 |
Teabagger for hire Member 54, 237 posts | A sensible routine is the next best thing to a good coach. You can build a little flexibility into the routine to allow for days that you are up or down. If you compete, your aim is probably to do the best you can at your next comp. and a routine allows you to target this. Going for PBs in the gym because you feel good, is great if that is your aim, and it should always be remembered that doing well competitively is not the most important thing for many people that train. The problem with training without a routine or a coach is that there are so many different factors affecting the decisions that you make. I have had problems with this attitude in the past. I have turned up at the gym due to squat a double on 350 and I start thinking "that isn't much of a challenge, I bet I could do five reps". This is where the trouble starts; - now, if I decide not to do 5 reps, I feel as though I am letting the weight intimidate me. The sensible attitude would be to remember that the aim is to do well 4 weeks from now in a comp. and for that it is best to do just 2 reps now, and save myself for later in the cycle - but now another motivation appears;- if I do well tonight I can go home feeling great. Personally I can get to the point where I am not sure why I am making a decision. This is where a coach is really useful. They can take a lifter who is super-motivated to go heavy all the time, and keep tham on a leash. That way the lifter is never backing off from the weights, they are just listening to the coach. Barry Nelson crystised this advice nicely by saying that the best way to improve in PL is to get a coach that you trust, and then do as you're told. | ||
| Hayden | | ... | 11-11-2007 @ 02:15 |
 memories , like the corners of my mind .... Member 49, 2298 posts SQ 200, BP 132.5, DL 220552.5 kgs @ 123kgs UnEq | Point taken jim . See you on wednesday!!! | ||
| Rick | | ... | 11-11-2007 @ 18:24 |
 I am a bench-only guy Member 3, 10034 posts SQ 185, BP 175, DL 235595.0 kgs @ 140kgs UnEq Administrator | Wise words all the way through imo, Jim. jimblanchflower said: Barry Nelson crystised this advice nicely by saying that the best way to improve in PL is to get a coach that you trust, and then do as you're told. It's early days yet but I'm liking it! | ||
| Fazc | | ... | 12-11-2007 @ 07:15 |
 Sports an extremely muscular arse. Member 38, 6253 posts | Percentage based routines are fine as long as it's understood that just because it's written down is no guarantee of it happening. Flexibility is needed in that regard. General routines (exercise for x sets of x reps) are fine. | ||
| martin | | ... | 12-11-2007 @ 10:02 |
 Why not just not get fat in the first place? Member 132, 1406 posts SQ 331, BP 200, DL 320851.0 kgs @ 98kgs UnEq | I think % based routines are great for newcomers to the strength/power game. Simply because 1) it tells you what to do and when, and 2) tells you when to up your weights. I think the biggest mistakes in training revolve around these two areas - most people do the wrong thing at the wrong time and its hard when you start to know what your capable of. I see people train bench 5 times a week because they have no plan and I remember always ending up under a bench bar not being able to move it because my ego was way bigger than my chest arms and delts... But the more advanced and knowledgeable lifters know that things cant always progress a certain % every week, and if your fired up and ready for a big squat why only do 90% of a PB when you could do 105%? Actually i'll answer my question - to help connective tissue strength develop and reduce injury risk i think is the argument behind the % periodisation routines. m | ||
| little_a | | ... | 17-11-2007 @ 12:37 |
 still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | jimblanchflower said: Agreed. It's always better if you can blame someone elseThis is where a coach is really useful. They can take a lifter who is super-motivated to go heavy all the time, and keep tham on a leash. That way the lifter is never backing off from the weights, they are just listening to the coach. Barry Nelson crystised this advice nicely by saying that the best way to improve in PL is to get a coach that you trust, and then do as you're told. I dont think I've met Barry, but from the things I've heard about him he sounds like a dimond geeza (I know you stalk the forum Baz ). I think it's important to have a coach with a bigger ego than the lifter. Especially if they have the 'on the leash' relationship. | ||
| BlackKnight | | ... | 14-12-2007 @ 09:37 |
Member 175, 74 posts SQ 200, BP 157.5, DL 240597.5 kgs @ 110kgs UnEq | Ive followed a number of routines over the past 1-2 years. Recently Ive been working of planned %'s but I feel like Im becoming a slave to the programmes and not really enjoying my training as much. Also, Ive developed a tendency to 'over think' everything and get too wrapped up in theory about loading, volume, deload etc etc. I would like to free up my training a little and be a little more instictive about what I can/cant do. However, I want to enter my first competition in April, the NW unequipped and Im not sure about how to prepare/train for it in terms of managing intensity and peaking etc. Anyone care to shed some light/advice on my dilemma? | ||
| jimblanchflower | | ... | 14-12-2007 @ 09:55 |
Teabagger for hire Member 54, 237 posts | Whatever system you are training with you should not train hard all the time. I like to cycle my weights up to a comp. I usually allow 6-8 weeks to do this, but sometimes I have ended up with less, the system that I use is always essentially the same. For any of the lifts, I work from what I lifted on my last workout, and I work towards what I expect to take as a second attempt at the comp. I plan to finish on this weight the week before I lift. So, taking squat as an example, if I had been training off-season with a set of 5 on 280, week 1 310 x 2 week 2 330 x 2 week 3 350 x 2 week 4 365 x 2 week 5 375 x 2 week 6 385 x 2 week 7 comp. attempts 360, 385, 400 The jumps get smaller as the weights get heavier. You should also continue doing your light/speed day once a week as well, but keep the same weights for this. The pattern would be similar for bench, but on DL I would finish on opener weight rather than second attempt. We should be doing some more NW training days before April. | ||
| little_a | | ... | 14-12-2007 @ 10:36 |
still a devious weightlifting bastard Member 43, 14374 posts | BlackKnight said: Ive followed a number of routines over the past 1-2 years. Recently Ive been working of planned %'s but I feel like Im becoming a slave to the programmes and not really enjoying my training as much. Also, Ive developed a tendency to 'over think' everything and get too wrapped up in theory about loading, volume, deload etc etc. I would like to free up my training a little and be a little more instictive about what I can/cant do. However, I want to enter my first competition in April, the NW unequipped and Im not sure about how to prepare/train for it in terms of managing intensity and peaking etc. Anyone care to shed some light/advice on my dilemma? Before everything else Andy you have to enjoy what you're doing. If you dont it's pointless. I appreciate I may be in the minority here, and in some respects I'm proud to be. My feelings for routines, loading, volume, deload etc arnt a secret. I've pretty much thrown them all out some time ago and have never been so happy in what I'm doing. You know whether or not you're training hard so get on with it and give that instinct a bash. I agree that for comp build ups you may need a little more of a structure to them, but again, I wouldnt be too rigid as you're still at novice level, and improving rapidly (eg dont settle for a 210 1RM sqt 10 weeks out. Chances are it'll be too low a target at this stage) Without wanting to sound like I'm being antagonistic I believe that you can train hard all of the time, in fact I try to. Again, I suspect I'm in the minority, but it works for me. Dont be scared to experiment with your training. | ||
| BlackKnight | | ... | 14-12-2007 @ 17:32 |
Member 175, 74 posts SQ 200, BP 157.5, DL 240597.5 kgs @ 110kgs UnEq | Thanks for the advice fellas. To summarise I think its a case of training hard, training smart,having high expectations and above all enjoying the whole process. Sometimes its easy to lose sight of what is essentially a simple sport. | ||