Hardgainer Issue 61 Jul99

7/26/2019 Hardgainer Issue 61 Jul99

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Welcome to your

free electronic

sample issue of

HARDGAINER

What makes HARDGAINER different

to other bodybuilding magazines?

1. HARDGAINER is the specialist source for everyone of average geneticpotential who wants to develop a terrific physique without usingdrugs, and without being a slave to a gym or having to sacrifice abalanced life. Though small in size, were big in our specialization.

2. HARDGAINER is almost totally free of paid advertising. So you donthave to wade through countless pages of ads. While there are only 48pages per issue (this 2-page introduction is additional to the usualpage count), what we have is almost totally practical information youcan really use to maximize the results you get from your training. Itsno exaggeration to say that HARDGAINER has more truly practicaland useful information for drug-free typical trainees than most of the

mainstream magazines have in a year of issues. Please judge us on ourcontent, not our appearance or page count.

3. HARDGAINER has absolutely no time for bodybuilding drugs andthe physiques that owe much of their development to drug abuse. Youwont find photos of todays elite bodybuilders in HARDGAINER.Some people may say the magazine is old fashioned, but we proudlypromotegenuine Physical Culturehealth, strength and physique.

4. While most mainstream printed sources of bodybuilding informationdont actually promote drug abuse, they promote training methods


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and routines that usually only work if youre a genetic phenomenon,or if youre pumped to the gills with drugs. (Some mainstreammagazines do, however, give advertising space for how-to books ondrug abuse.) HARDGAINER promotes methods and routines thatdont need drugs or fantastic genetics to make them work.

5. Because we dont have to pander to advertisers, dont support drug-fedphysiques and their contests, and have no parent food supplementcompany to promote, HARDGAINER is truly an independent trainingmagazine. And because we dont admire drug-fed champions, wedont have to turn a blind eye to the squalid mess of drug abuse amongthose champions and in much of bodybuilding in general.

6. HARDGAINER publishes few photographs. Theres no shortage ofphotographs in the training world, but there is a major shortage oftraining instruction thats 100% relevant to the training masses. Thatswhat we concentrate on. Photographs are, however, essential forteaching proper exercise form. To that end there are nearly 250photographs in our book on exercise technique.

7. Relative to what you read and hear in the mainstream, HARDGAINERpresents a rebellious perspective. You need a rebellious perspective;otherwise youre going to fall prey to the training mainstream due toignorance.That many magazines and books give similarly irresponsibleand even harmful advice will never make that advice right.

Please see WHY CONVENTIONAL BODYBUILDING METHODS SUCKat http:/ / www.hardgainer.com/ sucks/ for the details on whats wrong

with mainstream bodybuilding.

HARDGAINER has been published every other month since July 1989.Heres a sample copy in electronic formatissue #61. The four photos inthe printed edition have been substituted by text boxes (or enlarged type),to reduce the downloading time of the electronic edition. HARDGAINERis not available at newsstands. If youre interested in subscribing to theprinted magazine, please go to http:/ / www.hardgainer.com/ order.html


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Publisher and EditorStuart McRobert

Subscription rates16 issues/12 months: US $29.95, UK 18.9512 issues/24 months: US $54.95, UK 34.95

HARDGAINER (ISSN: 1019-519X) is published bimonthly byCS Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 20390, CY-2151 Nicosia, Cyprustel: +357-233-3069 fax: [email protected] www.hardgainer.com

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Copyright HARDGAINER 2000. All rights reserved.

July-August 1999Vol. 11 No. 1

4 Editorial

5 Christy Mid-Year Checkup9 McDonald HARDGAINER Nutrition 109

13 McRobert Ten Years Wiser

17 Wilkinson The Bottom Line

18 Minogue Injury Recovery

22 Whelan Common Sense Periodization

25 Piche Information Overload!27 Finander Finding Your Optimal Program

33 Rydin & Maurice Questions & Answers

38 Leistner The Steel Tip

42 Strasser From the Grassroots

44 Steiner Shoulder Pain

46 Forum

issue#61


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HARDGAINER4

Ive long been urging people topersonalize their training programs.

What may seem to be just a minor

change, can, however, have a major impacton overall progress.

Last year my squatting progress was

grinding to a halt, and pre-workouttrepidation was becoming extreme. At the

time, I was squatting (Tru-Squat) one day

each week, and stiff-legged deadlifting atthe other training day.

I thought that seven days between squat

workouts was enough time for recovery. Soto help recovery Idropped the stiff-legged

deadlift. Immediately, progress on the squat

started moving easily. I could guaranteegetting my 20 reps with half a kilo more on

the weight carriage each week. Not onlythat, but the intensity of effort needed to getthe 20 reps actually dropped. I still had to

work hard, but not as hard as before even

though the volume of squatting wasidentical to before, and the resistance

actually more.Not training my lower back,

hamstrings and glutes at the second workoutday each week enabled me to recuperate

fully from the squat workout.

I continued to progress steadily forseveral months. The only glitch was a

down period due to an overseas trip in

December followed by a week of sickness.I needed several weeks after returning from

the trip before I was back to where I was

just before I left the island. Then progresscontinued as before. And still the intensity

of work needed to get all 20 reps did not

increase noticeably, despite a tad of irongoing on the carriage nearly every week.

Recently I wondered whether the

explanation for the boost to my squatting

was the result of dropping the stiff-leggeddeadlift, or of not working my lower back,

glutes and hamstrings at asecond day eachweek. So, I reinstated the stiff-legged

deadlift. The squat is still the focus exercise,

so the squat is done first in the workout, andthe stiff-legged deadlift later on in that

workout. While the latter will suffer a tad

relative to if it was done first, the differenceis marginal so long as enough rest is had

between the two exercises. So far, progress

on the squat is unaffected. If Im able towork into new ground on the stiff-legged

deadlift while not hampering the squat, Ill

know that the former wasnt the problemearlier on, but where I had it in my program.

Of course, my situation is not yours. But

I reckon that some people are strugglingbecause they are squatting one day each

week, and performing some form ofdeadlifting on a second day. That means twoheavy poundings over the week for the lower

back. Putting both exercises in the same

workout, and thus giving a full seven daysbetween heavy lower back work, may make

all the difference. While overall training

volume, frequency and set/rep format maybe bang on target, if the arrangement of

exercises is not rightfor you, the progress of

the whole setup will suffer. An apparentlyminor adjustment of exercise arrangement

can make a big difference. Dont necessarily

go making wholesale changes if yourtraining is not going well. Relatively minor

adjustments may be all you need, assuming

that youre following an already abbreviatedand sensible training program.

Personalize your training program

By Stuart McRobert

EDITORIAL


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By the time you receive thisissue of HARDGAINERwe will beabout half way through the

year. So its a good idea to take stockas to how your training is going so far,so that you make the rest of the year asproductive as possible.

Question #1Are you stronger now than you were atthe beginning of the year?

This will always be my number onequestion. If youve been trainingconsistently for the past six months, youshould be stronger now than you were inJanuary. If you arentwhy? If youre abeginning or intermediate weight trainee

you should have increased your strengthon the big basic movements by at least10%. An advanced trainee should be upat least 5%. For instance, if you weretraining under my guidance and werecapable of completing six reps with 200pounds on the bench at the start of theyear, you would be handling at least 220pounds by now. By the end of the year itwould be at least 240 pounds for six. Ifyoure not making this kind of progress(and your goals are to get bigger andstronger), your training isnt working.There may be many reasons for this. Thefollowing questions should help yourealize the answers.

Question #2Are you breaking the rules of

sensible training?

If youre using a single progressionformat, are you adding weight at a rate

that the body can adapt to, or are you

letting greed run the showmakingweight increases that are forcing poorform and stagnation, and possiblyinjuries? If youre using a doubleprogression approach, did you reallymake the goal rep in good form? Ordid you cheat a little so that you couldadd weight? If you want to get results,you need to follow the rules. If youvebeen a regular reader of HARDGAINERyou know what Im talking about. Ifyoure new I suggest that you purchasesome back issues or, more importantly,buy BRAWN. This book will get you upto speed fast.

Question #3If your goal is to get bigger, how muchweight have you gained since January?

You should be at least 12 poundsheavier by now. Thats 2 pounds permonth. At my facility, if someone wantsto seriously gain some weight, wewould be pushing for 34 pounds permonth. How would you feel right nowif, for example, you weighed 180muscular pounds instead of the 160pounds you started the year at? I can tellyou from witnessing this that you wouldfeel great! So, why havent you gainedthe weight? I can probably tell you. Youhavent dedicated yourself to gettingyour six feedings in every day for sixmonths. Tell mewhy not? And dontmake excuses because making excuseswont help you to correct the problem.

One of the major reasons for not

getting your six feedings in every dayis the lack of preparation. Think ofhow many times you knew that youshould be eating and you only had a

MID-YEAR CHECKUPBy John Christy

ISSUE #61: JULY-AUGUST 1999


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HARDGAINER6

15-minute break at work, and you hadno food prepared. Ive heard thisscenario beforeyou have to plan andyou have to prepare!

As Ive stated before, use Sunday asyour food preparation day. Make a bunch

of pasta or rice, put it in a container sothat it can be flavored quickly, heated upor even eaten cold. Make 1015sandwiches and stick them in the fridgeso that you dont have to make then inthe morning before work (when youshould be preparing and eatingbreakfast). Mix up enough protein drinkso that it will last you at least a couple ofdays. Prepare a dozen hard boiled eggstalk about protein to go! Like anythingelse, if you want to succeed bad enough,you will do it. Do this so that you canmake the most out of the rest of the yearand be 1020 pounds bigger.

Question #4How many different programs haveyou tried over the past six months?

Four or five? You tried a particularprogram for several weeks but it justwasnt bringing home the results. Thenyou read a great article about 20-repsquats, and you were sure that theywould give you the results you desired.After about three weeks you tired ofthem, and youve a buddy who tells youthat high-intensity training is the way togo. Of course, after a couple of weeksyoure off looking for something else.On and on and on. If this is you, youbetter make a decision to stick with atried and true program for at least sixmonths, and follow the rules of theprogram to the letter! If you dont,youre in for a long haul of frustrationand unproductive training.

Question #5Do you have a lingering ache or painthats coming from a particular

exercise thats not severe enough (yet)to make you stop doing it?

If youre getting pain, something iswrong. For instance, if dips are hurtingyour shoulder, youre going to have to

stop doing them for a while, till the painsubsides. But, you say, I love dips andthe pain really isnt that bad. Im notsaying you have to stop doing themforever, but you better let the paindisappear and then reapproach theexercise slowly, making sure your form isperfect. If youre getting pain, youredoing damage and some day the pain willget severe. So, address it now and cleanup your form so that you can enjoy doingthe exercise for a lifetime.

Question #6Have you been performing aerobicwork two times a week for at least 20minutes, and stretching before andafter workouts?

In my opinion, aerobic work should beperformed by everyoneperiod. Even atrainee who is extremely skinny should doaerobic work. The aerobic work is notgoing to prevent you from putting onmuscle as long as you implement itcorrectly and are getting a caloricoverload. As a matter of fact, it willactually help you in your weight-trainingefforts by increasing the rate of recoverybetween workouts, and help to limit thefat that you gain. Most of all, aerobicwork will keep your most importantmuscle in shapeyour heart.

You need to stretch. Yes, Ive readthe various reports that stretching isnot necessary. My opinion? There aremore studies supporting stretching thanagainst it. As a matter of fact I dont

really care what some report says. Iknow that stretching is importantfromworking with a thousand trainees overthe last 14 years! You dont have to


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devote an hour to stretching and try tobecome some kind of human pretzel.Our basic stretching program takesapproximately seven minutes. Sevenminutes! We do this before and afterevery weight workout and aerobic

session. I promise you that a basicstretching program performedconsistently will help to preventinjuries, and may relieve some of thejoint aches and pains that you have.

Miscellaneous thoughtsBe careful whose advice you listen to,but be respectful of someone trying tohelp you. Many people are giving advicethatin my opinionis ridiculous. Idont just mean in mainstream musclemagazines either. The internet is full ofit. Even our own HARDGAINER RoundTable has its share. Now dont get mewrong, I think TRT is great! I reallybelieve that these people mean well.Many of them are giving advice basedon many years of their own experience

in the gym. Some of this advice is good,but only if youre put together(physically and lifestyle wise) the sameas they are. And thats the key point.

In my opinion, an authority in theIron Game is someone who has loggedmany hours in the gym under the barand has helped many, many othertrainees (with various physical andlifestyle differences) to achieve theirgoals. I know that what has given memy understanding of this game is notso much my 25 years under the bar,but logging (in training log books) over35,000 hours of training, hands on, on avery diverse cross section of thepopulation. And let me tell you that Istill dont have all the answers! Thereare many fellow trainees out there that

you can learn fromjust be carefulwho you listen to.

My purpose in telling you this isthat Ive been hearing from readers

who are not selective enough in theadvice they listen to. Not only are theynot getting anywhere, but they aregetting hurt. Some of the time, theadvice that was given wasnt that bad,just not applicable to that particular

trainees physical and lifestylemakeup. I want you to be successfuland not waste years of your training lifedoing things wrong. Stay with thebasics of sound exercise programs andgood nutritional practices.

Curl challenge updateIf everything always went as planned, Idhave 25-inch arms by now. About amonth ago my curls were rolling alongat a pound a week, and then I came downsick with an upper-respiratory infection.When I was in my teens or twenties thiswould have thrown me for a loop, butbeing an experienced trainee I knew thatthis was just a temporary set back. I wasforced to miss a couple of curl workouts.

So, what did I do after missing two

weeks of curls? I put my old weightback on and being the bad ass that Iam, I hammered out the repsonly tocause an injury to my elbow! Justkidding. I took 90% of my last curlweight and started over by using that.The next week 95%; and the third week100%. So, four weeks after getting overthe infection Im into new territoryagain. No big deal. Listen, this sort ofthing is going to happen from time totimedont let it throw you.

To update the scoreboard Ill be up27 pounds for 6 reps (instead of the 32pounds if I hadnt been sick). Not badprogress for 32 weeks of training. Iexpect that all of you are up 32 poundsif nothing has side-tracked you. For thenext issue I should be up another 8

pounds (as well as another notch or twoon my arm size), along with many ofmy students; and so should you be ifyouve accepted this challenge.



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Recommended readingLeafing through some back issues ofHARDGAINER I ran across one ofmy favorite articles. Its Stuartsarticle entitled All-Time #1 Article.Its in issue #28. If you have it, I

suggest you study it. If you dont, youshould get your hands on it. Its great.I would like to leave you with anexcerpt from this article:

Id be experiencing the mostimportant motivating input of all formy unrelenting efforts on the mightyfivesome [squat, deadlift, bench press,

pulldown or row, and press]biggermuscles from month to month. Howmany of those who go through scoresof different exercises over eachyear can say the same? Results arewhat count, remember, not hours

in the gym, not exercise varietyand approach according to the currentcommercial angle, and not keepingup with supplement fashions. Results!And they come from focusand progression.

John Christy owns Total Fitness, Inc., inIndianapolis, tel. (317) 466-9933.

HH

Exercise selection and form

Your choice of exercises should be determined by what is safe and productivefor

you. No matter how productive an exercise may be for someone else, if that

exercise does not suit you, it will do you no good but perhaps do you harm. When

considering an authors preferences, always keep in mind your own limitations and

technical proficiency. When necessary, either modify an authors suggestions, or

choose alternative exercises. Naturally you should choose from comparable

exercises. A pec deck cannot substitute for the bench press, but the parallel bardip can. Laterals cannot substitute for presses behind the neck, but dumbbell

presses can. Upright rows are not a good alternative to high pulls, but deadlifts

are. And if a machine variation of an exercise is safer for you than a free-weights

version, use the machine. The bottom line is what allows you to train safely,

intensively and progressively.

Because I have physical limitations due to having damaged myself as the result

of poor exercise selections during my years of training foolishness, which was atime when I gave training intensity greater priority than good technique, I am

particularly aware of the need to personalize exercise selection according to the

individual. A conservative approach to exercise selection, and strict adherence to

perfect form, are the priorities for safe long-term training.

Using perfect and controlled exercise form means having the discipline to use

good technique even when training intensively. Breaking form in order to be able

to gut out additional reps in the name of intensity is the mark of undisciplined

training that will sooner or later injure you, and ruin your progress. Stuart McRobert


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IntroductionIn my previous two articles I addressedthe topic of setting up a baseline diet,and then adjusting it for varying goals(primarily bodyfat loss and musclegain). Additionally, strategies fortracking progress (e.g., bodycomposition) were discussed, as thisprovides a way for trainees toobjectively track their progress.

In this article Ill discuss a few waysthat trainees commonly modify theirdiet for better progress. While Im notgoing to talk about specific dietinterpretations, some of what will bediscussed will be applicable to those

diets. Possible strategies which can betried are specific supplements, changesin protein intake or type, changes incarbohydrate intake or type, andchanges in fat intake or type.

One important caveatBefore discussing possible tweaks tothe diet, theres a very important pointI want to make: You must establish abaseline diet before trying any of theadjustments discussed in this article.Conceptually, this is no different thansetting up a baseline training program,and testing it out, prior toexperimenting with more advancedtechniques (partials, rack work,different set and rep schemes, etc).

Without knowing how your body

responds to a good baseline diet ortraining program, it will be impossible toknow whether a given adjustmentprovided better, worse, or the same

results. Although there are no hard andfast rules, I think it probably best toestablish a baseline diet and couple itwith a good, basic training program overat least one or two full cycles of training.This, along with good record keeping,should give you a rough idea of howyour body responds. Once this baselineis established, other nutritional ortraining strategies can be tested. Youreencouraged to change only one variableat a time, so that results can beobjectively determined. Of course, insome situations, changing one variable,for example carbohydrate intake,requires that another variablefatintakebe changed at the same time.

SupplementsSince many of the questions Ivereceived for this column addresssupplements, let me cover those first.In the first article of this series I tried tomake this point regarding supplements:theres no magic pill currentlyavailable that will make you gainmuscle if your training and diet arentin order. Assuming youve dialed inyour training and diet, even the bestsupplement can only add perhaps 5% toyour gains. Yet many trainees concernthemselves with the 5% before theyhave gotten the 95% taken care of.

All Im going to say about themultitude of magic pills on themarket is that if youre determined to

try a supplement, first establish yourbaseline response as described above,and then try adding supplements oneat a time. Many trainees continue to


HARDGAINER Nutrition 109:Making Minor Dietary AdjustmentsBy Lyle McDonald


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take supplements based on somevague notion of, I think I recoverbetter, or I get a better pump, butthis is no substitute for objectiverecord keeping. If your gains in termsof mass, strength or fat loss are

significantly better with a givensupplement compared to the baseline,that supplement may be worthwhile. Ifnot, its not. Simple as that.

Quantity of proteinProtein is probably the nutrient thatmost lifters concern themselves withthe most. As well, the bulk ofmagazine advertisements typicallydeal with protein. As discussed inissue #55, most data points to a proteinintake of 0.8 gram/pound as beingsufficient for lifters as long as caloricintake is sufficient. However, thisdoesnt mean that individuals may notbenefit from higher (or lower) proteinintakes. As discussed in other articlesin this series, a key aspect of protein

intake is caloric intake.Frequently, the individuals

reporting increased gains fromincreased protein intake areunderconsuming calories in the firstplace, and the excess protein is servingprimarily as an energy source. To trulydetermine if protein above 0.8gram/pound is going to be beneficial,trainees must have established theirmaintenance caloric intakei.e., yourbodyweight should be stable orincreasing slightlyand be consumingit on a consistent basis. Once that hasbeen accomplished, trainees mayexperiment with higher protein intakesthan 0.8 gram/pound to see if gainstruly come faster or easier. As an easyexperiment, trainees might add an

additional protein feeding to theirdaily meals. Alternately, an additional510 grams of protein might be addedat each meal.

It would be a rare situation where atrainee needed to see if less than 0.8gram/pound of protein provided bettergains. However, some trainees havereported better (or at least no worse)reducing protein from very high levels

(1+ gram/pound) to more reasonablelevels. As well, as an odd data point, astudy done near the beginning of thiscentury noted better gains in strengthwith lower versus higher proteinintakes. As a final comment,individuals should recall that anincrease in protein intake necessitatesan increase in water intake as well.

Type of proteinTo reiterate the point made in issue #55(protein intake), and a point which hasbeen made by other HARDGAINERauthors, theres little evidence tosuggest that one high-quality proteinwill be better than any other high-quality protein. About the only timethat protein quality becomes of major

importance is at below-maintenanceprotein intakes (e.g., as seen in manyThird World countries). At the types ofprotein intakes seen in mostbodybuilders (near 1 gram/pound),protein quality becomes fairly moot.

As long as trainees are deriving theirprotein intake primarily from high-quality sourcesdairy, eggs, meat,chicken, some types of beansit seemsunlikely that gains will be significantlydifferent with the use of other types ofprotein such as whey protein. Forbodybuilders to spend twice as much ona protein supplement to gain a claimedfew percent improvement in proteinquality is sheer folly.

Quantity of carbohydrate

In the past few years there has beenquite an outcry against carbohydrates.Carbohydrates, and specifically theinsulin response which occurs from


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their consumption, has been blamed forany number of ills including obesity andmany diseases. Theres little doubt thatthe overconsumption of carbohydrates(especially refined carbohydrates), andespecially when its coupled with

inactivity, can be problematic.There is, however, little doubt that

many cultures successfully consumehigh levels of carbohydrates, althoughthis is typically offset by activity andcarbohydrate choice (e.g., vegetablesrather than refined starches). Theresalso little doubt that carbohydrates arean absolute requirement for optimalhigh-intensity exercise performance.The question, which is as of yetunanswered, is just how manycarbohydrates weight-trainees trulyneed, especially those involved in low-volume, infrequent training.

Along these lines, certain individualsmay find that they gain adisproportionate amount of bodyfat withexcessive carbohydrate intake. It should

be noted that overconsumption ofcarbohydrate (relative to energy needs)also causes an overconsumption ofcalories. As a general guideline,anywhere from 4555% of total caloriesmay come from carbohydratesfor most trainees.

Trainees may wish to experimentwith higher intakes (usually duringmass-gaining phases) and lower intakes(usually during reducing diets). Whileon a reducing diet, lowering dietarycarbohydrates has a primary effect oflowering caloric intake. Additionally,some evidence shows greater fatutilization when muscle glycogen ismaintained at lower levels. Of course,this also tends to hamper recovery, soits a double-edged sword.

Source of carbohydrateIn all likelihood, many of the ills whichare ascribed generally to carbohydrates

(high insulin levels, etc.) are due to thereliance on highly-refined carbohydratesources in modern society. Asmentioned earlier, many cultures do justfine with high carbohydrate intakes, butthey are not eating the refined carbs

found in most modern diets. Generally,carbohydrate sources are divided intostarchy (e.g. potatoes, rice, pasta, fruit)and fibrous (vegetables). Carbohydratescan also be rated by glycemic indexrefer to issue #57 for more details.

In general, but not always, sourcesof fibrous carbs have a lowerglycemic index than sources ofstarchy carbs. In all likelihood, anideal diet would contain some mix ofstarchy and fibrous carbs. Someindividuals have reported less fatgains, but good mass gains, with dietsmade of primarily fibrouscarbohydrate sources. Increasing theintake of fibrous carbohydratesources can also be good on reducingdiets, for a few reasons. First and

foremost, sources of fibrouscarbohydrates generally have fewercalories for a given volume of food.This means that a greater amount ofveggies can be eaten (helping withfullness) with less total calories. Aswell, the insulin response to fibrouscarb sources is much lower, whichmay enhance fat burning.

Quantity of fat intakeAs discussed in issue #56 (dietaryfats), the average trainee should aimfor a fat intake of 1525% on a dailybasis. With few exceptions, I generallythink its a bad idea for the averagetrainee to use extremely low-fat diets,as this may lower testosterone levels.Individuals at high risk for

cardiovascular disease may stand tobenefit the most from relatively low-fat diets. There can be both pros andcons to higher fat intakes.



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HARDGAINER12

For many individuals, higher fatintakes tend to promote feelings offullness. While this may be verybeneficial during reducing diets (notethe popularity of lowered carb/higherfat diets, which tend to control hunger

better than very low-fat diets), it can bedisastrous during mass cycles bypreventing a trainee from eatingenough calories. If individuals arealready having trouble meeting theircaloric requirements, an increased fatintake may make it doubly difficult, byincreasing fullness, so that the traineedoesnt want to eat as frequently. Onthe other side of the coin, assuming thatoverall appetite is not decreased, thecaloric density of fat may make iteasier for some individuals to obtainsufficient calories.

Type of fatNumerous studies have linked high-fatintakes with an increased incidence ofheart and other diseases. It should also

be noted that other factors such as a highintake of refined carbohydrates, andlifestyle habits such as smoking andinactivity, also contribute.Unfortunately, most studies payattention only to fat quantity, not quality.

A trainee obtaining 25% of totalcalories as unsaturated fats (vegetableoils) is in a far different boat than thetrainee obtaining 25% of his totalcalories from saturated fats (animalfats). It has been suggested that the lowincidence of heart disease in manyMediterranean countries, despite ahigh fat intake, is due to the highintake of unsaturated fats (althoughfactors like activity, low sugarconsumption, and high vegetableconsumption surely play a role).

Trainees who consider using higherfat intakeseither to decrease appetiteon reducing diets, or to increase caloricintake on gaining dietsshould

consider the long-term healthconsequences. Ideally, increased fatintake should come primarily fromunsaturated sources like vegetable oils,nuts and seeds. As well, trainees areencouraged to have their blood lipid

levels tested to ensure that damage is notbeing done by ones diet choice.

SummaryAs a general summary, once a baselinediet has been established, there are anumber of minor modifications thatcan be tried with the diet. Heres anoutline of each of these modifications,as a final summary.

1. Increased protein may increase thepotential for mass gains, but above acertain point, excess is simply usedas an expensive source of calories.Also increases water requirements.

2. Increased carbohydrate intake is agood way to increase calories when

on a mass gaining diet.

3. Decreased carbohydrate intake maybe useful during reducing diets asthis will reduce total caloric intake,and may enhance fat burning.

4. Increasing dietary fat intake isanother way to increase caloricintake as long as increased fullnessdoesnt compromise intake at othermeals. As well, many diseases havebeen linked to excessive fat intake,especially saturated fats.

5. Decreasing dietary fat may increasehunger. At the same time, however,total caloric intake may fall.Reducing dietary fat is also one way

to lower caloric intake on fat-lossdiets, although excessively low fatintakes tend to have the oppositeeffect desired. HH


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Excerpts from issue #1This routine is a great start to a long andsustained period of appropriate and effective

training. A simple but sound initiation (or

return, as the case may be) to rationaltraining methods for you. This routine itself

will give you twelve weeks or more of

progressive training. If correctly carried out,it will give your strength and muscular size a

very satisfying increase. Twelve weeksarent enough to transform your body, but itsenough time to make obvious physical

improvement; and to establish some of the

changes in training methods that are requiredto bring about a long-term metamorphosis.

This routine is simple and basic for one

reason onlythis is the only sort of approachthat offers the chance for a hard gainer to get

impressive. Lets not have legions more of

hard gainers trying to prove to the contrary!We must rid ourselves of the mentality that

lots of exercises and very frequent workouts

are the way to progress. The more work thatsdone, the more that the effort put in is diluted.

The routine isnt just the given number

of exercises. Its the unified whole of thechoice of exercises, manner of exercise

performance, rest, cycling of intensity,

frequency of workouts, nutrition, keeping ofrecords, planning, progressive poundages,

will, effort and persistence. A large

combination of important factors.

To start off this routine, take ten days of

complete rest from the gym. Rest, relax andget fully recovered from all signs of

overtraining. Return to the gym no more

often than twice a week. Assuming that youdont have access to quality sophisticated

machines, use the following routine of free-

weights exercises. Only modify or changean exercise if you have a sound reason to.

1. Crunch style situp2. Squat

3. Heel raise

4. Deadlift (once a week only)5. Bench press

6. Pulldown to the chest, or barbell row with

head braced [see revised views]7. Press behind neck[see revised views]

8. Barbell curl

9. Nothing else, absolutely nothing!

Rep targets are 20 for calves, 10 for

crunches and squats, 8 for everything else.If youre new to training, we advise you to

get [the assistance of] an experienced

instructor or friend.Well start out training very comfortably.

For the first workout, following a warmup

set or two for each exercise, select apoundage that you could comfortably use for

5 more reps than the target number, but only

do the target number, 2 sets per exercise.


TEN YEARS WISER...This issue of HARDGAINER marks the start of our eleventh year. In it were starting a new

series in which an article from exactly ten years prior to the current issue will be reviewedand updated, to reflect what the respective author has learned over that ten-year period.Because I wrote most of the articles in the early issues of HARDGAINER, Ill be writing theearly installments in this new series. But later on, other authors will be involved.

Stuart McRobert

Training On The Right LinesBy Stuart McRobert,from HARDGAINER issue #1, July-August 1989


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Please avoid training hard for the first part of

the program. We need to get a gaining

momentum goingperpetual progression.Now comes the intensifying factor

every workout, add 5 pounds to exercises 2,

3 (if using a machine) and 5; 10 pounds to

once-a-week deadlifts, and 2.5 pounds to allthe other exercises. In practice, this roughly

means that the first two weeks are very easy,the third needs a bit of effort, the fourth and

beyond are quite hard through to super hard.

Only do the target reps, remember.As the weeks accumulate, itll become

impossible to maintain the target reps for

both top sets of each exercise. When thishappens, either drop the second set, or, if

you have the energy, do the second set with

a 10% poundage reduction.As the poundages build up it will

become impossible to maintain the target

reps for even the first top set. When thishappens, let the target reps drop, as slowly

as possible, to a minimum of 15 for the

calves and 6 for everything else. Take apause for a few seconds between the final

reps of sets. Use this modified rest pausetechnique to enable you to keep getting thereps out. Keep exercise form good. A bit of

relaxation of form on the final rep or two of

a set is all right, but nothing more. [This isnot all right! See my revised views.]

When at the minimum target reps,

reduce the poundage increments to onceevery other workout. Keep this going for

another few weeks. When the workouts

become brutally hard, youre recommendedto reduce training frequency to no more than

three times every two weeks. Deadlifts

should still be done at alternate workoutsonly once every nine or ten days now. At this

stage, add one or two forced reps once a

week for each exercise. Get a trainingpartner or spotter to give just enough help to

make the rep happen. Push hard!

Concerning training frequency, avoidbeing locked into a fixed pattern. Take an

extra day or two between workouts

whenever you feel the need for it. Some rare

people even have difficulty recovering

properly from workouts done more

frequently than once every six days. Thismay particularly apply to you if you do a lot

of manual labor. If you do work thats

physically very demanding, take extra rest

between workouts, while simultaneouslydoing [fewer] sets when in the gym.

On the other hand, if you truly feel fullyrested after only three days between

workouts, then train again. Just be

absolutely honest with yourselftake theextra rest if in doubt. Youre the judge.

Keep a written record of each workout.

Know exactly what you did at your previousworkout. Write down exactly what needs to

be done at the next session.

Aim to do this program for a minimumof twelve weeks, with every week being

progressive. When youre absolutely at your

maximum, for the minimum target reps, youshould have well exceeded your previous

6/15 rep bests in these exercises. Not only

will you be stronger but you will be manypounds heavier in muscle.

All this will work if, and its a big if, youtruly push yourself when the workoutsbecome tough, holding absolutely nothing

back! Maximum fighting to resist dropping

the reps. Adding the required poundagewhile not cheating and just heaving the

weights up; keep things strict. Resist the urge

to add more exercises, sets, reps or workouts.Many people think they are training hard

when in fact they are ending every set a

couple or more reps before the true end of theset. Beyond the early easy workouts (and

warmup sets aside), you must give your

absolute all to do everypossible rep!If youre thin, be sure you eat enough,

especially when the training gets tough. For

the hard gainer itll likely be a waste of timetrying this routine if you dont intend

combining it with some substantial eating of

quality food and substantial drinking ofmilk. When training heavily, at least for the

extreme hard gainer, you must eat heavily.

Prudent and thoughtful use of quality food


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15

supplements is recommended if you can

afford it. If you find gains extremely hard,

then keep all non-bodybuilding athleticactivities to a minimum, or, better still,

temporarily eliminate them. We need our

recovery capacities to concentrate fully on

restoration from our gym activities.Lets take the squat as an example,

Suppose that before reading HARDGAINER youcould just manage to squat 250 for 6 reps. To

start this program, select 200 [80%] and do 2

sets of 10 reps (2 x 10) even though you coulddo 15 without much struggle.

Week 1: Mon 200 2x10 Fri 205 2x10Week 2: Mon 210 2x10 Fri 215 2x10

Week 3: Mon 220 2x10 Fri 225 2x10

Week 4: Mon 230 2x10 Fri 235 1x10, 1x8Week 5: Mon 240 1x10 Fri 245 1x10

Have dropped the second top set.

Week 6: Mon 250 1x10 Fri 255 1x10Week 7: Mon 260 1x9 Fri 265 1x9

Week 8: Mon 270 1x8 Fri 275 1x8

Week 9: Mon 280 1x7 Fri 285 1x6Now training three times every two weeks.

Week 10: Wed 290 1x6Week 11: Mon 290 1x7 Fri 295 1x6Week 12: Wed 295 1x6

Week 13: Mon 300 1x5

End of cycle, terrific progress!

While doing this routine, perform some

progressive warmup work prior to the topsets. Do 2 or 3 warmup sets for the

powerlifts, and 1 or 2 for the other exercises.

Now ten years wiserHere are five major areas in which Ive

modified my views relative to when Iwrotethe 1989 article. These changes evolved as a

result of additional personal experience, and

from studying the experiences of others.

1. Im more conservative with exercise selection.

For example, I no longer recommend thepress behind neck, or barbell row. In fact, I

now discourage those exercises. (Though not

relevant to this routine, neither do I

recommend the T-bar row, any sort of squat

with heels elevated, or any explosive

movement, unlike ten years ago.)

2. Im far more insistent on the use of good

form. (I cringed at the sentence Iwrote ten

years ago: A bit of relaxation of form onthe final rep or two of a set it all right...No

its not all right!) Impeccable exercise formis the bedrock of bodybuilding, or any type

of resistance training. Without good form,

injury is inevitableand sooner rather thanlater. I suffered serious injuries since

writing the 1989 article, and Ive learned

the hard way of the paramount need to trainwith perfect form, and to take no liberties

whatsoever. Back in 1989 I used to give

intensity more importance than form. Thisexplained why Iused to hurt myself so

oftenId compromise a tad on my form,

in order to get out an extra rep or two, justlike many others do. Now, Ihave no time

for this sort of undisciplined training, and

neither should you.

3. Though the 1989 article doesnt mentionrep speed, I didnt object to explosive formin those days. Im cringing again! Safe

exercise form is not just about the pathway

a bar takes during a given exercise, ascritical as that is. Its also about speed of

movement. Explosive movements greatly

increase the risk of injury. Inow urge atruly controlled rep cadenceabout 3

seconds for the ascent, and another 3

seconds or so for the descent. Longstroke exercises take longer than short

stroke exercises. Idont, however, urge

the counting of seconds. The focus needs tobe on effort and poundage progression

while maintaining perfect form. Just keep

the bar moving in a controlled mannernoexplosive movements. The key word is

smooth. Keep every rep smoothno

jerky or sudden movements.

4. As abbreviated and infrequent as the training

routine in issue #1 is relative to conventional



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training, I now recommend even more

recovery time, and in some cases even a

reduced volume of training per workout too.

5. Training cycles dont have to be

structured quite as rigidly as described in

this 1989 article. Even better results canbe had from using cycles with no

predetermined end datesones lastingeven over a year at a time. Consistent

gains are the greatest motivating factor.

Properly designed and personalizedprograms can produce poundage gain on

each major exercise every week or two for

very longperiods.

In most cases Iwould no longer urge a

reduction of 20% of weights to start a newtraining program. A 1015% reduction

would be adequate.

I also wouldnt urge twice a weektraining of all exercises (aside from the

once-a-week deadlifting). Id generally

recommend training each exercise just oncea week. So, the listed eight exercises

(substituting the front press or dumbbellpress for the press behind neck), would bedivided into two even groups, one group

trained on day one, and the other on day two.

Id also add two exercisesthe sidebend (so long as there are no back problems

that preclude this exercise) and the L-fly,

one at each workout. Heres the revisedprogram of ten exercises:

Monday1. Squat

2. Stiff-legged deadlift

3. Press (barbell or dumbbells)4. L-fly

5. Crunch style situp

Friday

1. Bench press

2. Pulldown or, preferably, the pullup/chin3. Curl (barbell or dumbbells)

4. Heel raise

5. Side bend

Ive substituted the stiff-legged deadlift

for the deadlift, and put it in the same routine

as the squat. Some may prefer the deadlift,or the partial deadlift. And some may prefer

to put their choice in the non-squat routine.

But others may not respond well to that

arrangementsee my Editorial in this issue.Id written, If youre new to training, we

advise you to get [the assistance of] anexperienced instructor or friend. The last ten

years have taught me that experience is no

guarantee of expertise, and finding trulycompetent instruction on form is nigh on

impossible to find in most gyms. This is one

of the major reasons why Iwrote a book onexercise techniqueto provide a reference to

help people become their own form experts.

In the 1989 article I recommended thepulldown, or the bent-over row while keeping

the head braced. Today, I rate the chin/pullup

as a superior exercise to the pulldown (so longas theres sufficient strength to perform chins

correctly). And today Id never recommend

the barbell bent-over row. The one-armdumbbell row is a much safer exercise.

With training frequency for eachexercise reduced, there would be feweroccasions over the twelve weeks for

poundage increments. Though the weights

wouldnt be cut back so much, the cyclewould need to be extended in order to match

the sort of gains given in the illustration in

the 1989 article. But this would tie in withmy preference today to have longer cycles,

using smaller poundage increments once

youre in new poundage territory.This slower and extended progression

schedule would help to minimize if not

eliminate perceived increase in intensityfrom week to week, once youre back at

your best working weights. This is vital for

producing long-term consistent gainsbecause it means you can keep adding a tad

of iron every week without having to work

harder to get your rep targets. This is TheGolden Fleece of trainingincreasing load

on the bar but without any perceived

increase in training intensity. HH


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17

For quite some time now Ivefound I make better progress(progress being defined

as consistently adding weight to thebar), by terminating a set 1 or 2 repsshort of failure.

A typical routine for me consists ofthe squat, bench press, shoulder press,chin or pulldown, rear shrug and someab, calf, grip and neck work. I spreadthis out over two workouts. I alsoperform some insurance exercisessuch as back extensions and the L-fly,to help prevent injuries. For the first 8weeks of a cycle I build back to mybest one-set max poundage, so theweights dont start to feel challenginguntil Im into week 6 or 7. At this point

I risk overtraining, or morespecifically, killing the progressionand gaining momentum Ive built upover previous weeks, so I increase restdays between workouts and switchfrom twice-weekly training, to 3 timesevery 2 weeks (Monday, Friday,Wednesday, Monday).

By the time week 8 rolls around Imstill performing 2 sets, Im stilltraining a couple of reps short offailure and Im still able to add weightto the bar each workout. This is myfirst sign of real progressImperforming 2 sets of an exercise, usinga poundage that I previously onlymanaged to use for 1 set and, moreencouraging for me, it feels easier! Iknow that if my weekly increments

were too high, or if my build up wastoo short, because at this point the repswould be difficult to attain. I believethis is a matter of intensity and I define

intensity as the amount of effort

required to perform the task at hand, inthis case, getting all my sets and reps.Ive experimented in the past with

training to failure on most of myexercises, usually in the hope that itwill further my progress. I found it didnot. At the time I believed I wasgaining benefit from training tofailure, but looking back with wisereyes I can see that was not the case.To-failure training did not deliver thepoundage gains for me, which is thepriority, in my opinion.

I would like to point out for thosepeople who may think Im loafing inthe gym, that training 1 to 2 reps shortof true failure, is still hard training andcertainly harder than whats done bymost gym members. However, I do feel

we should not get hung up on how hardwere training, but rather, we should befocusing on howproductive it is.

The famous saying work smarternot harder can be applied here. Iftraining to the point of momentarymuscular failure does deliver thepoundage gains faster for you, thenstick with it, as thats obviously thesmarter approach for you. Think aboutwhat youre doing, and ask yourselfwhy youre doing it. Dont think thatmore is necessarily better, be thatvolume or intensity. HH


THE BOTTOM LINEBy Daryl Wilkinson

BACK ISSUESAl l back issues of HARDGAINER areavailable, but the first 26 are in

photocopy format only. The backissues represent a treasury ofexperience and advice.


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HARDGAINER18

The reality of physical injury isomnipresent to all human beings.Whether it comes in the form of

broken bones, muscle tears, strains orsprains of connective tissue, damage toour all-too-fragile form is a cost of doingbusiness on earth. While a proper strengthtraining program can do much to decreaseour risk of injury from outside forces, itcant make our bodies impervious. Notonly that, but improper exercise can domuch to inflict the injuries that we try toavoid. But even with the safest training

practitioners and environments,sometimes people still get hurt.

Once an injury occurs, the body mustbe allowed to heal. But the process is

rarely as simple as just bed rest. Thedamage which our muscles, bones andconnective tissues can incur whileexercising can be drastic, and oftendifficult to discern from the naked eye.To promote full recovery from an injury,the sufferer must ensure proper steps aretaken. Put generally, these are: (1)diagnosis, (2) rehabilitation and (3)recovery. Each of these steps needs to beexplored in the event of an injury, so thatfuture damage to the same areas can beavoided, and long-term pain and loss ofmobility do not result.

DiagnosisThe first step to be taken whenever anindividual suffers a training-relatedinjury, is proper diagnosis. Its

In this issue there are two injury-related articlesone from Dr. Gregory Steiner,a chiropractor and professional injury specialist, and the following grassrootsone from a reader. When I was in my youth I had no time for injury-prevention or

injury-awareness type articles. I only wanted articles on training, or inspirational typepieces that would help crank me up for my next bout with the weights. It was,however, my neglect of injury prevention, my taking of liberties with exercise form, and

use of high-risk exercises, that, eventually, was my downfall. There was nothing unusualabout my attitude. It was the typical macho it wont happen to me type outlook, and

the no pain, no gain madness that have been the undoing of millions of trainees overthe years. Im training injury-free today, but Im unable to safely perform some of themost productive exercisesmost notably, I cant barbell squat, or do any type of bent-legged deadliftingwhich is a major loss.

Part of the training strategy needed to minimize the chance of injury, isavoiding high-risk exercises. While a few people like to boast of their heroics withhandling heavy awkwardly-shaped objects, for example, for each reported success

there are many people who got hurt trying to do something similar, and rue theday they got caught up in such high-risk lifting. Play safe, be sensible, and dont

take unnecessary risks.A body free of limitations that you can push hard for the rest of your life is a lot

more satisfying than a body limited by injuries but accompanied by a few anecdotes ofwhat you used to be able to do in former it wont happen to me days.

Stuart McRobert

INJURY RECOVERYBy Brian Minogue


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19

imperative that we, as exerciseenthusiasts, dont attempt selfdiagnosis. Unfortunately, this is one ofthe steps in injury recovery which ismost often forgotten. Strength traineescan often become a hodge podge of

varied anatomical, kineseological andbiological information. This laypersons level of knowledge cantreplace the expertise of a medicalprofessional. Dont self diagnose.

As an example, allow me to relatethe recovery process of one of mytraining partners. This individualsuffered numerous shoulderdislocations, following the initialinjury that resulted from a nasty fall. Inresponse he and I, with only a limitedunderstanding of the function andanatomy of the rotator cuff, decidedthat the injury was the result of anexcessive mobility in the shoulderjoint, which had been caused byoverstretching of the rotator cuffmuscles in the initial fall.

To a degree, our attempt at selfdiagnosis was correct. The rotator cuffmuscles had been stretched. To correctthis problem, my training partner beganusing an array of dumbbell rotationmovements to strengthen, and therebystabilize his rotator cuff. Once he hadstrengthened the area considerably, hereturned to a normal strength trainingprogram. After a month or so, hisshoulder dislocated once again, whileperforming a overhead press, causingeven greater damage.

What our diagnosis could notdetermine was that, along with theoverstretching of the rotator cuffmuscles, my training partner hadsuffered damage to the bonyprominences on the head of the

humerus. These raised points had beenconsiderably reduced in size, and couldno longer function to prevent thehumeral head from moving too far out

of the shoulder joint. Only with themedical expertise of a professionalcould such a determination be made.

If an injury is harsh enough to causeyou to stop training, either by sharp painor prolonged discomfort, its severe

enough to seek proper diagnosis. Youvenothing to lose by seeking a medicalopinion. If the injury proves to be aminor strain, then a few days of rest willbe all thats necessary to return to yourprevious best. But if youve causedexcessive damage to your body, you willneed to know that. Any attempt toignore or work through physical harmwill only cause greater pain and injury.

As a trainee seeking a medicalopinion, you must attempt to find aprofessional with some level of trainingexperience or understanding. Obviously,in cases of an injury causing great pain,emergency medical assistance isrequired, and the need for a training-knowledgeable provider will have towait for follow-up care. But, in any case,

to provide you with a full understandingof your injury and its repercussions, themedical professional must possess amoderate appreciation of strength-training practices and methods. Ifyoure in any doubt as to the ability ofyour care provider to understand yourneeds as a training practitioner, dont beafraid to voice these concerns, or seekfurther medical advice.

Its vital that you, as a patient, be anactive participant in your diagnosis andinjury recovery. This requires what Irefer to as full disclosure with yourdoctor or rehabilitation specialist. Youmust do your utmost to explain to himor her the level of activity youparticipate in, what movement youwere performing when the injury

occurred, its relative difficulty for you,etc. If you were using poor form,cheating a dangerous rep, then yourdoctor needs to know. If, on the other



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HARDGAINER20

hand, you were using strict form, usinga weight that was fully under yourcontrol, and something totallyunexpected happened, this also has adirect bearing on a full diagnosis.

Anything that you hold back, or fail

to explain fully, can affect the quality ofyour diagnosis. Remember, most peopledont participate in serious strengthtraining; so express your previoustraining experience to assist your careprovider in determining if any long-term injury abuse has occurred.

RehabilitationFollowing a full diagnosis of yourinjury, the second step is rehabilitation.This is the healing step on your roadback to strength training. Dependent onthe severity of your injury, this processcan be extensive or a minor concern.Whatever the result, you need toexercise patience more now than ever.As a strength trainee, its very probablethat you have an almost addictive need

or desire to train. You must curtail yourinternal drive to rush back to peaktraining, as such an action would onlycause more damage.

Your doctor and/or recoveryspecialist will provide you with aprogram and time line to follow. Youneed to be an informed consumer of thecare being provided to you. Be equallyconcerned with how you perform yourrehabilitation program properly, andwhy this program is formatted as it is. Ifyoure not satisfied with theinformation provided, be morepersistent. If the practices of yourdiagnosis and/or rehabilitation seemcounter to what you know of safe andproper training, or your symptoms, askquestions. While its very dangerous for

a non-trained person to attempt selftreatment, its equally dangerous for aninjured person to be treated by a poorlytrained professional.

Not all medical care providers arecreated equal. Unfortunately, therealities of insurance programs oftendemand that we as patients take whatwe can get, regardless of the quality ofthe care provided. Do the best you can

with the care you can afford. Hopefully,if youre dealing with a caring medicalrecovery facility, and broach yourconcerns in a considerate manner,together you can find an acceptablepath to recovery.

Once again, full disclosure is veryimportant at this stage. What a typicalperson considers full recovery may varyconsiderably from what you consider itto be. Remember, the average personhas no interest in pressing severalhundred pounds overhead in a fewmonths. Your desire to get back to a400-pound squat may be beyond thegoals of your rehab specialist. Explainyour long-term desires for yourrecovery. What do you want out of yourbody in the future? How possible are

your goals given your injury? These arequestions you need to work with yourcare provider to address.

Whatever restrictions are placed onyou during the rehab stage, if they areexplained in a reasonable fashion to you,stick to them. If you allow your passionfor strength training to get ahead of yourrational mind, you may quickly return tothe pain and suffering you experiencednot long ago. As frustrating as it is towatch hard earned strength and muscleatrophy, you must be patient.

In the meantime, apply the same zealand perfectionism which you give toyour normal training, to your rehab. Ifyou rest assiduously for your squat, doso for the strain in your lumbar. If younever miss a scheduled workout, dont

ever miss a rehab session. In themeantime, you should discuss yourlong-term training realities with yourmedical professional. What can you do


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now? Which movements are out on atemporary basis? What movements areout for good?

RecoveryFollowing a full rehabilitation, the third

step in injury recovery is recoveryitself. This is the point at which youreturn to the gym, ready to reapplyyourself to your passion for muscle andstrength. Now you will have to come togrips with the long-term trainingrestrictions which your injury mayplace on you. You may need to findsuitable exercise replacements, whichaddress the same muscle areas, butwhich dont re-injure you.

Returning to the example of mytraining partner, his rehab specialist toldhim that the overhead press was out, forgood. As good a movement as theoverhead press is, for him it was anunacceptable risk. Instead, he performeda high-incline bench press. His pushingmusculature was being worked without

risking re-injury.In the recovery phase, you must still

temper your training passion, at leasttemporarily. Returning to previousweights too soon is not good for yourtraining future. Start slowly, and withlighter weights. It will be hard to reducethe poundages and gradually work back,but you will work back without re-injuring yourself.

Any new movements which youveadded in place of unacceptableexercises will need to be mastered forform and speed. And old lifts will alsohave to be re-learned in some cases. Adeadlift before major back surgery maynot feel the same as after. You may findnew limitations in your pre-injuryrange of motion. Adapt.

Dont force your body to act as it didprior to your injury. In many ways, yourbody may no longer be the same. Ashoulder which has been surgically

tightened and altered, for example, is notthe same one it was before. Bone andmuscle structures have changed. Treatthese new joints as training neophytes,by working back slowly.

Now that youve returned to your

training, take the time to consider thepractices which may have led up to yourinjury previously. If you used shoddyform in the past, or accelerated throughyour reps, take a different tact now. Takethe time to reconsider your trainingmethods so as to do your best to injury-proof your routine and body. Slow downthe reps, use strict form on soundmovements, move through the range ofmotion which is appropriate for you.Remember, training is intended to be alife-time activity. What you do withyour trick elbow now may causetwenty to thirty years of pain andsuffering down the road.

Dont be afraid to use yourrehabilitation specialist as a resourcein redesigning your training regimen.

You may not completely see eye toeye regarding proper training, but aneducated opinion can only benefityou. Considering the value of anoutside opinion, even if you choosenot to take the advice, will expandyour training knowledge.

Whatever your history of injury,dont forget, human bodies can livehealthy, pain-free lives for manyyears, or they can suffer with achesand limitations for the same period oftime. If you suffer pain, its a signalthat some kind of damage hasoccurred. This, by definition, is aninjury. Taking the proper actionnowby way of (1) diagnosis, (2)rehabilitation and (3) recoverycan,in most cases, make great strides in

reducing or completely removing thepain. Such action is definitely to yourbenefit. Remember its your body tosave or destroy. HH



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HARDGAINER22

Periodization means to divideinto periods, when defined bymost dictionaries. Thats also

the way that I view this term as itapplies to strength training. Im a bigbeliever that some form of change in aroutine every three or four months or sois as good mentally as it is physically. Inaddition to this, as noted in someprevious articles, I like to have a day ortwo each month when I mix things up alittle bit. The change keeps enthusiasmhigh, helps you through sticking points,bolsters your motivation, and re-energizes your training.

I want to be very clear on one thing.When I use the word periodizationIactually call it common sense

periodizationIm not advocating theorthodox definition used by the NSCAand some other organizations. I find thatdefinition illogical. I dont believe in ahypertrophy phase as being separatefrom a strength-building phase. Thereare also other aspects of the orthodoxdefinition that I dont agree with, butrather than get into all of that Id ratherjust focus on my definition.

If you love strength training, as I do,then common sense periodization isgreat. You can try many trainingmethods and find what works best foryou, or just what you enjoy best. Youmay find that several methods workwell for you, as I have. Personally, Ilook forward to the change after aboutevery four months. Even though many

strength-training methods absolutely dowork, at least for some people, whatdetermines what worksfor you is oftenin your headits the enjoyment

factor. This factor should be strongly

considered when you choose a trainingmode or method. You should enjoytraining. You will not stick withsomething, or do well at it, if youdislike it. Find a method that you like.There are many schools of thought inthis field, and several of them are good.The problem is that many people,especially beginners, get confused andneed to label the type of training theydo. Forget the labels. There are alsomany dogmatic writers andorganizations who think youre scumunless you train exactly like they do.Ignore these people.

Many people label me as a high-intensity training (HIT) advocate; infact, Ive even used this description ofmyself, so I dont mind the label. But I

also do many things that are notstandard party line HIT. I spend agood part of the year doing lower reps.In some articles Ive even coined mytraining as lower-rep HIT. But this isjust for part of the year. With my clientswe still do the higher reps too, such as20- and even 30-rep squats, fifties days,etc. I occasionally do singles (myself),but rarely with clients. The best way todescribe my type of training is natural,hard and progressive.

An illustrationI sometimes do multiple work sets, butnever more than 3. In fact, Ive spentmost of my training life doing 3 worksets per exercise, but my friendshipwith Drew Israel influenced me to try

one-set-to-failure (for work sets). Forthe last few years Ive used the one-set-to-failure approach a lot, andexperienced great results.

COMMON SENSE PERIODIZATIONBy Bob Whelan


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23

Ill be 45 this summer, and Im at all-time personal best strength levels inmost exercises. I recently got 360 for 9,followed by 390 for 5 and 410 for 3 onthe Hammer Incline Press. (I usually dojust one work set, but felt so strong that

workout that I wanted to test myself.)About three years ago when I visitedDrew in New York (Training andEating in The Big Apple, in issue #45),I barely got a single rep with 400pounds, and that was a PR at the time.Additionally, I recently got 255 for 10 onthe Nautilus Power Plus Military Press,300 for 9 on the Hammer Iso Row and555 for 12 on the Hammer Iso Leg Press.All PRs. Im a lot stronger than I was afew years ago, and probably ever. Isntthis stuff great? In fact, one-set-to-failureis so great, it can make you feel almostguilty because it takes so little time. Imconvinced that the one-set-to-failuretraining has helped me a lot.

If you use one-set-to-failuretraining you will burn fewer calories

than you would with multiple-setwork, so you must either make up forthis by consuming fewer calories, orby doing more cardiovascular exercise.Keep this in mind if you notice yourbodyfat creeping up when you switchto one-set training.

I still use 2 or 3 work sets for mostof my clients on most exercises. One-set-to-failure works better for experiencedtrainees with a solid training foundation,who truly understand what it means togo to failure. Many newcomersdont understand this, have no trainingbase, and end their sets 1 or 2reps prematurely.

You can experiment with yournumber of sets in the common senseperiodization format. Do 2 or 3 work sets

per exercise for four months, and thentry just a single work set to failure perexercise for four months. Take goodnotes and trust your own instincts.

Machines or free weights?I dont consider machines to be superiorto free weights. I spent most of mytraining life using free weights almostexclusively, but now its the opposite. Imainly use the fine machines from

Hammer Strength and the Tru-Linefrom Southern Xercise, as do my clients.(There are, however, many poor andeven dangerous machines on themarket.) But with any piece ofequipment, its how you use the devicethat counts. My heavy use of machinesnow is mainly a business decision. Itmakes my job a lot easier because Ichange plates and spot people all day.Machines also reduce my liability andthe chance of injury for my clients,some of whom have little experiencewhen they start.

If youve access to both the goodmachines and free weights, commonsense periodization is a way to enableyou to use both. For example, do theHammer Incline Press for four months

then do free-weights incline pressesfor four months.

Free weights are not more manly,and neither are machines for wimps, assome people have written. Anyone whohas used the Tru-Squat can attest to that.Machines and free weights are bothgood. Dr. Ken, Drew Israel, Dan Riley,Ken Mannie and others are hugemachine advocates. Use what you like,and ignore the critics.

Odd-object liftingOdd objects are also something toconsider using to add variety. I dont dothis type of training on a regular basis(at every training session) but as achange of pace every few weeks. Myclients are usually hammered after the

(regular equipment) workout, so thefinishers would be like swatting a flywith a sledgehammer, and lead toovertraining if done on a regular basis.



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We will, for example, do the sandbagcarry or farmers walk as a finisherafter all the barbell and machine work isdone, but not to replace any of it.

Im not an advocate of trainingexclusively with odd objects (to replace

machines or barbells) for an entireperiodization cycle, or even for just oneentire workout. Everything old is notalways good or better. A sandbag curl isnot nearly as good as a barbell curl. Youcant hold onto a sandbag well, and eventhough it may toughen your hands, it willnot work your biceps as well becauseyou cant hold onto enough weight.Dont make the mistake of sacrificingmajor muscle groups in the name ofgrip work. Its usually better to do thegrip work separately.

There are many modern devices thatare a definite improvement over whatthey had 50 or 60 years ago. Do youthink that John Grimek would have donefree-style leg presses with weightsbalancing on his shoes, like in the old

Mark Berry poster, if he could have useda Hammer Leg Press instead? Cmonnow! John wasnt a fool.

Though odd object may be trendy invery limited circles, odd objects areinferior to a barbell or HammerStrength/Southern Xercise typemachines for use on an ongoing basiswhere progression is monitored.Additionally, if youre only trainingyourself, thats one thing, but whenyoure responsible for the well-being ofotherswho are entrusting you withtheir bodiesyou must use a safer modethan anvils and barrels, etc. The sandbagcarry or farmers walk, however, as afinisher for the young or wellconditioned trainee (or athlete) is a fineaddition to a workout.

Rep speedEven speed of motion can beexperimented with. We use an 8-second

rep speed workout once in a while as achange of pace, and its brutal. DickConner does the same thing at The Pit.Dick notes, and I agree, Slow training isdefinitely not for wimps. Anyone whosays it is, has never tried it as I use it.

The problem I have with slowtraining is not the actual training, butthe dogmatic individuals whorepresent this philosophy. Many inthis camp also put no emphasis onprogression, and are virtually nothingbut glorified toners. Slow trainingcan be a great change of pace and evena permanent way to train if you like, aslong as you make progression a toppriority, as Drew Israel does.

SummaryDont get caught up in the trends or thephilosophical catfights. Many methodswork. Life is too short, so enjoy yourtraining and experiment (sensibly, ofcourse). Consider changing your repranges, exercises and various modes

and methods every four months or so,while sticking to the basic coreHARDGAINER-type philosophy. The onlydefinition or label you need is natural,hard and progressive.

Maximum Bob Whelan runs WhelanStrength Training in Washington, DC.

HH

The methods promoted inHARDGAINERwill pack on muscle andstrength for all who conscientiouslyand diligently put them into practice.But the practical application demands

great resolve, dedication, effort andpersistence. We provide the trainingadvice you need, but only you alonecan provide the resolve, dedication,

effort and persistence.Rise to the challenge, and then youllreap the wonderful rewards!


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You must go slow. You must go fast.

Supplements are good. Supplementsare bad. Do 20-rep squats; no, do

heavy singles. You must bulk. You must

keep your bodyfat as low as possible. Cycleyour training. Split your training into

phases. Time your sets with a stopwatch.

What program are you using: Heavy Duty,Hardgainer, SuperSlow, Periodization...?

Talk about information overload! Its a

wonder most new trainees dont just grab abeer, a bag of chips, and become a couch

potato watching TV!

Whats a trainee to do? Maybe theresmore in common among the various groups

touting different lifting methods than most

people realize? How about looking at thecommon denominators that exist in the

groups, rather than argue over differences?These common denominators would be partof the foundation of common sense. In this

article, well find some of the commonalties

among the various groups and programs.

Add the iron!I dont think Ive read any of the advocatesof various training programs state: Keep

the weight the same at all timesadding

weight to the bar isnt important. To getstronger, and bigger, you must add iron to

the bar! Its called progression. It doesnt

matter if you do singles, 20s, SuperSlow, apseudo-scientific plasmatic cycle, or

measure the time under load. If you arent

adding iron consistently over a significantperiod of time, dont expect much. This is a

common denominator.

The big movementsI dont think youll find exercises like

triceps kickbacks, concentration curls and

sissy squats as a common denominator.

What you will find as a commondenominator is using the big compound

exercises that involve a lot of muscle inone movement. Deadlifts, presses, bench

presses, and yes, the O-lifts involve a great

deal of muscle. How about squats? Thechoir sings in unison with this exercise.

Its a great one.

Hard training!To progress, you should go to the gym and

not break a sweat. Dont pushyourselfever. How many groups do you

hear singing this tune? Everyone, and I

mean everyone, seems to understand thatto get bigger and stronger you must put in

some hard training. The differences lie in

the details of what constitutes hardtraining. However, the bottom line is that

hard training is necessary to force the bodyto change and adapt by getting bigger andstronger. Yet another common

denominator is found.

TechniqueYou must use good technique. Most will

agree that even if youre lifting a rock,barbell, or using a machine, proper

technique needs to be used. A breakdown

in technique is one of the majorcontributors to injury regardless of the rep

speed, rep range or lift performed. Many

coaches and trainers dont emphasize itenough in my opinion, but they certainly

dont advocate out-of-control technique.

OvertrainingOne of the most ridiculous statements Ive

ever read was in an article by a probodybuilder, or should I say ghostwriter,

who stated, Theres no such thing as

overtraining, only undereating. A common


INFORMATION OVERLOAD!By Bill Piche


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denominator among all the groups is that

overtraining does in fact exist. What leads

to overtraining is often argued in terms ofvolume and frequency, not whether it exists.

Lifting belts

I believe the majority agrees that a liftingbelt isnt necessary in the quest to become

bigger and stronger. Some lifters wouldrather die first than give up their belt. Some

powerlifters state that a belt makes it safer

to lift. In my opinion, this is hardly the case.If you watch an Olympic-lifting

competition, youll rarely find the lifters

wearing any belt at all. A lifting belt reallyisnt needed to become bigger and stronger.

One more tick mark under the category of

common ground.

NutritionEat like a bird! Chips and soda to feed thebody! Candy, cookies, and creme puffs are

the ticket to building muscle. Nobody

advocates such nonsense. The commonopinion is that good food is needed to

build muscle. You must provide the fuel.The arguments are about quantities, types,and percentages. Another one in the

common ground category; you must

provide the fuel in the form of good foodto build muscle and might.

SupplementsHow many groups do you see arguing

over whats the best supplement? Can you

picture Fred Hahn and Dave Mauricebattling over what creatine to use? Not

likely! Could this be one of the common

denominators? The common denominatoris you dont need supplements. They

arent necessary, period. So, who are the

people touting supplements and traininginformation? They sell the supplements!

And, often the training articles in their

magazines are nothing but supplement adsin disguise. Definitely, these articles are

only good for floor protection when

training a puppy.

SleepEveryone agrees that sleep is an important

ingredient to build strength and muscle. Youwont find anyone arguing that sleep doesnt

matter in the muscle growth equation. Yet

another common denominator: you must get

enough quality sleep.

Avoid injuryTheres certainly no group that advocates

getting injured! Im sure avoiding injury is

a common denominator. Yet, Im sometimespuzzled why injury prevention isnt given as

much attention as it deserves in articles and

books. Maybe some coaches and trainersare afraid their methods will be

questioned? Maybe their egos are too big to

admit they made a mistake? I dont know.But, Im certain they advocate injury

avoidance. I do know that if you get injured,

you can be sure that the person at fault canbe found in your closest mirror.

The final wordThere certainly can be information

overload when it comes to training. Toomany trainees get caught up in the intricatedetails and lose sight of the basics. There

are basic common denominators shared by

all the different methods, programsand groups. These are essentially the

basic elements for becoming bigger and

stronger. To summarize:

1. You must strive to continually add iron

to the bar, and do it consistently.2. Use the big movements that involve a lot

of muscle, e.g., squats, deadlifts, presses.

3. Train hard!4. Use excellent technique, whether youre

using a barbell, rock or machine.

5. Avoid overtraining.6. You dont need a lifting belt.

7. You must fuel your body with enough

good food to grow bigger and stronger.8. Supplements arent needed.

9. Get plenty of sleep.

10. Avoid injury. HH


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Many people, even after years of

training, are still searching for theperfect workout: one that will

give them the most gains (mass, strength,

etc.), the fewest injuries, and the best lookin the least amount of time. Most successful

lifters have learned that the perfect workout

does not exist. Being successful does notmean being the biggest or the strongest. It

means getting the most out of lifting in terms

of enjoyment and health benefits.For many reading this, the end result of

your time and effort in the gym matters most,

but for others, its the journey to that endresult that matters most. Yet another group

will say its both the journey and the results.

Whichever group you belong to, theres notrue perfect workout. Theres no optimal

routine. Your needs change as your bodychanges, and are often different from one yearto the next, or even one season to the next.

My goal in this article is to take you

through general workout design andobjectives in order to improve your lifting

experience and results. Whats here applies to

beginning, intermediate and even advancedtrainees. Im hoping that as a result of looking

into the suggestions here that youll be able to

enjoy weight training as a life-long healthfulactivity. Below Ill discuss the main variables

involved in developing a training routine.

Where to train?One of the first questions when starting out,

or even after many years, is do I sign up orrenew my gym membership? For me, the

answer was no. I prefer to be able to

concentrate on my lifting with no lines, nosocialization, and no one getting in my way.

Im an antisocial fellow when Im into my

workout. Ill answer questions when asked,

but I hate having to find polite ways to

extricate myself from training conversationsin the gym before I lose the warmth in my

muscles and joints and have to warm up allover again. On the other hand, my wife cant

stand training at home. Shed rather not train

at all or simply go for walks. She absolutelyloves the gym. Not that she really talks to

anyone there. She likes to get in do her work

and get out. For her, working out at home islike pulling teeth. We both find excuses to

miss our workouts if we dont work out in the

environment we like.There will be people out there that tell

you that you must join a gym or you must

have a training partner. Both are false. Thereare very few musts when it comes to

tailoring a workout to your needs. In the end,

you can set yourself up with a nice home gymthats safe and every bit as functional and

effective as a commercial gym, for the priceit would cost for a few years gym access.However, you can always join a gym as well,

or even alternate depending on how you feel

during a given time in your life.For beginners its probably a good idea to

purchase a short access to a gym and try it

out. You may even want to do that for morethan one facility after each short-term

membership expires. If you enjoy it, by all

means, stick with it! Anything that addsenjoyment to lifting is something that will

help you maintain consistency in your

training over the long haul. However, if youfind that you dont like the gym, or absolutely

cant stand it, then invest in a home gym. If it

turns out you want to return to the gym later,you still can, and you can even resell the

equipment if you wish.

Training frequencyYour next step will be to determine how to

schedule your workouts. Twice a week is a


FINDING YOUR OPTIMAL PROGRAMBy Ari Finander


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HARDGAINER28

good rule of thumb. More than this and

youre pushing it with regards to overtraining

the small stabilizer muscles that are involvedin just about every movement, and which get

an indirect training effect every workout.

You can always cut back to once-a-week

during periods where your recovery ishampered by life stresses. The real issue is

which days to schedule your workouts on.There are two basic schools on scheduling

workouts: days of the week or intervals.

Working out on certain days each week isvery good in terms of establishing a routine of

training. You know which days youll have to

train on, and can make sure to schedule thingsso that there wont be conflicts with your

training on those days. Also, you can

schedule these training days so that they dontconflict with work or school commitments.

The days are set, so there are no surprises, and

few excuses. The main drawback occurs withrecovery. Your body doesnt know which day

of the week it is. If you need to take an extra

rest day to be fully recovered, it will impacton the next break between workouts by

narrowing it. This can sometimes throw thewhole routine out of sync and cause you tomiss workouts, or worse yet cause you to take

an unnecessary break from training to

reevaluate your training regimen. If this iswhats been happening to you, the optimal

workout for you is not based on fixed-days-

of-the-week training.Alternatively, you can have a fixed

recovery interval between workoutsa fixed

number of days before you complete the nextworkout. For shift workers, it could even be

a fixed number of hours (e.g., 72 and 96). If

you need to take an extra day of rest beforeyour next workout, it doesnt mess things up,

because you simply revert to the normal

interval after that workout and keep movingalong. The drawback with this sort of routine

is that it lacks some of the structure of the

fixed-days-of-the-week type of plan. If youeasily find an excuse for missing a workout,

or delaying it for days, then this is not the sort

of regimen for you. In all likelihood youll

end up missing workouts, or worse yet take

an unnecessary break from lifting to

reevaluate your training.

Program designThe next steps in creating your perfect

workout require some experience. If yourean absolute beginner, its vital that you stick

with a certain program for at

Hardgainer Issue 61 Jul99

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