Saturday, February 11, 2017

Training Evolution: From Magazines to Actual Things That Help

When I first started training there simply were not many resources like there are today.  You have YouTube, websites, Facebook, hell even Instagram has some quality guys on there giving tips (Coach Eugene Teo is an excellent resource on IG and he offers coaching).

So back in 1991 when I started this "never ending journey" I just had magazines. No books, because mom wasn't buying any.

Workouts were written in Flex and Muscle and Fitness. Laid out halfway decent too. But featured established bodybuilders routines, that often times didn't take into account things like tension, load, set and rep sequencing. Yes, it's bodybuilding and it doesn't need to be super complicated, but those things need to be taken into account when a program is put together.

What I'm saying is your training has to be more than what you read in a magazine. I only get them for pictures these days.

Why is the evolution of your own training important? Well for one, the body just doesn't work in a straight line. So things have to change at certain periods in time.

Second, the body just gets old. Load plays a role, but you can't go banana's with it as much as you could when you were younger. That's not to so say go light, but you. me and others aren't Ronnie Coleman. That heavy, ballistic style of training will catch up to you.

Same as volume....while there's rarely a "sweet spot" for volume, it can be played with until you find something that beats you good, yet doesn't debilitate you.

Another subject that wasn't really covered in magazines in direct terms is tension. All that means is to keep pressure on it. Usually it's done with slower movements or some type of rep tempo. I've gotten more into tension, due to the fact that things I just have to work around. Keeping a tempo helps me keep all the weight on the target muscles.

Variety plays a big role in training evolution. With so many variations available for bodyparts and how angles can be played with, a trainee can experiment with much. Just remember to keep a log of what works and what doesn't.

Training is rarely a straight line. many nooks and cranny's. These are just some of the things I've found along the way in my own evolution. And thanks to many coaches, authors, etc....it continues to grow.