tridentstar
02-13-2004, 03:14 PM
In 1999 and the beginning of 2000 Stuart McRobert wrote a set of articles for Ironman Magazine. From them I have taken a few of the ideas that he presented and put them into this document because I believe they are very important for the training of the genetically typical.
§ Focus on achieving the next 5 to 10 percent gain in all your exercises. If you apply yourself to this and keep doing it repeatedly for a number of years, you will eventually get as big and strong as it is possible for you to become. Your short-term goal should be to take the next small step to getting your next set of 5 to 10 percent poundage gain medium term goals.
§ But both the actual and inflated measurements and exercise poundages are irrelevant when it comes to you, your training and your goals. Get real about what matters most as far as training is concerned – you and your training.
§ Urging realistic expectations does not mean accepting mediocrity. Far from it. If you achieve something around the goals that follow, you will have developed a physique that will stand out in almost any company. (Note: A list of goals will not be included although they can be found in Brawn I)
Classification for Hard-Gaining Men Ages 25 to 35
(All numbers represent pounds)
Bodyweight 120 150 180 210
Very Good 700 850 1025 1200
Terrific 775 950 1150 1325
Outstanding 875 1075 1300 1500
§ The leaner you are, the better you will compare with the figures. If you are 200 pounds with 25 percent bodyfat, you will be far weaker than if you were 200 pounds but only 10 percent bodyfat. Bodyweight alone is not an accurate indicator of potential strength. Lean bodyweight would be a much better indicator.
§ What matters the most to you is your progress and comparing yourself with yourself. Everything you study and apply related to training should be geared to this.
§ It might be thought that one more rep, or one more pound on the bar, are similar increases in load on the body. In fact, these two progressive increases are very different. According to the Maurice and Rydin chart for upper-body exercises, an increase in one rep corresponds to about a 3 percent decrease in resistance. If you are overhead pressing 180 pounds for five reps, to increase your rep count to a mere six, is comparable to adding 5.5 pounds while keeping the rep count at five. This is a big increase if the 180-pound five-rep set is already demanding. So adding very small increments while using a constant rep count is a better trick (mentally and physically) for progressing sufficiently gradually that the gains can be steady and consistent.
§ Success in any endeavor is rarely an accident. Success in the gym is never hit or miss. It is planned. If you put together an intelligent program, tailor it according to your own individual recuperative abilities and possible physical limitations, follow it diligently and conscientiously for long enough and fully satisfy your rest, sleep and nutritional needs, then you will get much bigger and stronger.
§ Break the targets down into a series of weekly goals and produce a three month program. Get down in black and white what you need to do with your training, rest and sleep schedule and nutrition. Then knock off the weekly installments of success. Like a competitive athlete closing in on a big meet, deliver the goods every day, every week, and every month.
§ Have your photos taken this week to display your physique in a given number of well-lighted poses. No matter how happy or unhappy you are with how you look, get the job done so that you have a photographic record of your current condition.
§ Set a six month target, and give your all to improving your physique as much as possible, with the litmus test being your next photo session. Then with the proof in photographic reproduction you can see what you did with the previous six months of your life.
These are just a few of the important things that go into getting large if you are truly genetically typical. If you are one of the typical this is a great place to get information. The one thing that I can recommend is to pick up the book Brawn.
Also any advice that Iron Addict gives should be taken to heart as the man knows what he is talking about.
Tridentstar
§ Focus on achieving the next 5 to 10 percent gain in all your exercises. If you apply yourself to this and keep doing it repeatedly for a number of years, you will eventually get as big and strong as it is possible for you to become. Your short-term goal should be to take the next small step to getting your next set of 5 to 10 percent poundage gain medium term goals.
§ But both the actual and inflated measurements and exercise poundages are irrelevant when it comes to you, your training and your goals. Get real about what matters most as far as training is concerned – you and your training.
§ Urging realistic expectations does not mean accepting mediocrity. Far from it. If you achieve something around the goals that follow, you will have developed a physique that will stand out in almost any company. (Note: A list of goals will not be included although they can be found in Brawn I)
Classification for Hard-Gaining Men Ages 25 to 35
(All numbers represent pounds)
Bodyweight 120 150 180 210
Very Good 700 850 1025 1200
Terrific 775 950 1150 1325
Outstanding 875 1075 1300 1500
§ The leaner you are, the better you will compare with the figures. If you are 200 pounds with 25 percent bodyfat, you will be far weaker than if you were 200 pounds but only 10 percent bodyfat. Bodyweight alone is not an accurate indicator of potential strength. Lean bodyweight would be a much better indicator.
§ What matters the most to you is your progress and comparing yourself with yourself. Everything you study and apply related to training should be geared to this.
§ It might be thought that one more rep, or one more pound on the bar, are similar increases in load on the body. In fact, these two progressive increases are very different. According to the Maurice and Rydin chart for upper-body exercises, an increase in one rep corresponds to about a 3 percent decrease in resistance. If you are overhead pressing 180 pounds for five reps, to increase your rep count to a mere six, is comparable to adding 5.5 pounds while keeping the rep count at five. This is a big increase if the 180-pound five-rep set is already demanding. So adding very small increments while using a constant rep count is a better trick (mentally and physically) for progressing sufficiently gradually that the gains can be steady and consistent.
§ Success in any endeavor is rarely an accident. Success in the gym is never hit or miss. It is planned. If you put together an intelligent program, tailor it according to your own individual recuperative abilities and possible physical limitations, follow it diligently and conscientiously for long enough and fully satisfy your rest, sleep and nutritional needs, then you will get much bigger and stronger.
§ Break the targets down into a series of weekly goals and produce a three month program. Get down in black and white what you need to do with your training, rest and sleep schedule and nutrition. Then knock off the weekly installments of success. Like a competitive athlete closing in on a big meet, deliver the goods every day, every week, and every month.
§ Have your photos taken this week to display your physique in a given number of well-lighted poses. No matter how happy or unhappy you are with how you look, get the job done so that you have a photographic record of your current condition.
§ Set a six month target, and give your all to improving your physique as much as possible, with the litmus test being your next photo session. Then with the proof in photographic reproduction you can see what you did with the previous six months of your life.
These are just a few of the important things that go into getting large if you are truly genetically typical. If you are one of the typical this is a great place to get information. The one thing that I can recommend is to pick up the book Brawn.
Also any advice that Iron Addict gives should be taken to heart as the man knows what he is talking about.
Tridentstar