Here’s a throw back to the past. This post about lifting strategy is the second post ever written on Project Swole. The point of it is I was getting back into training seriously after some time off, and I was going to use this site as a training journal. After a short time I realized the site would be better used as a repository for the knowledge and experience I’d gained as a personal trainer, and through 14 years of research and training experience as I’d started my fitness journey around 1993.
This isn’t much more than an outline of my personal thoughts and strategies towards gearing up for a workout, training, and then post workout recovery. If this post has inspired or helped even one beginner athlete, then I can consider my goal accomplished.
Lifting Strategy Basics
The first workout went pretty well. I’m starting with the basics to make sure that I don’t end up injured in my first week back. It’s always better after a layoff or as a noob athlete, to go easy the first couple of weeks so you can ease into the routine, find your working weights, and adjust your form. Pick weights that you know won’t take you past failure – the goal here is to find your working weights for the next time you perform each exercise.
Pushing your body too hard too fast will absolutely leave you extremely sore with the potential for injury. After a week or two though you should start to transition to higher effort, bigger weights, and increased pace.
Pre-Game
Before each workout, I like to go through a bit of preparation to get myself psyched up. I make sure to eat something with 20-40 grams of carbs and some protein within 45 minutes of my intended workout. Today it was some pretzels and a Pure Protein Deluxe Chocolate bar.
Normally I would also drink either a cup of coffee or an energy drink. Today it was a sugar-free Monster energy drink. Very tasty, I prefer them to Red Bull. In due time, my energy drink will consist of a cup of coffee, a serving of NO-Xplode, and a scoop of XTend.
Warming Up
I always make sure to test each muscle with a bit of warm-up tension. For 5 minutes I swing various weight plates around and perform some bar exercises with just the bar.
Update: in recent times I’ve discovered the benefits of a dynamic RAMP warm-up as part of my lifting strategy. What is a RAMP? It is a series of bodyweight dynamic stretches, mobility work, sometimes foam rolling, and a sprinkle of speed work to get the CNS up and running.
As an acronym, RAMP means:
- Raise – Increase muscle temperature, core temperature, blood flow, muscle elasticity and neural activation.
- Activate – Engage the muscles in preparation for the upcoming workout.
- Mobilize – Focus on movement patterns which will be used during the workout.
- Potentiate – Gradually increasing the stress on the body in preparation for the workout.
Time to Train
The first exercise is always the biggest exercise of the day. I’ll complete a couple of warm-up sets and then push ahead for 2-3 heavy work sets. I was weak and slow today, but that’s to be expected. My body felt healthy though, so I think I’m on the road to a successful Project Swole.
The volume game: Supersets, giant sets, tri-sets, etc… refer to grouping exercises together as a circuit to get more work done in a block of time. For example, on chest day you might group bench press with a core exercise and/or throw in a few sets for traps, biceps, or calves. On leg day you can pair squats with core, traps, arms, calves, and/or chin ups. The combinations are endless.
The intensity game: some exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, and rows, lend themselves to max effort or max intensity. You want to push these compound movements to stimulate muscle and strength gains by training almost to failure, increasing the weight each workout, and attempting to set PRs (personal records) from time to time.
The mental game: As I make it through each set in my workout I can remember why I used to do this in the first place. This is a game of mental preparation and physical limitations. I have seen regular men pick up pressure washers and washing machines that weigh 200, 300, and 400 pounds, yet if they were to set foot in the gym they would not be able to deadlift much more than 135. Why?
You have to WANT it. To lift 400 lbs, you have to want to lift 400 lbs, or better yet 500 lbs. This is about not setting limits. This is about blowing your perceived limitations out of the water. It’s about setting goals and knowing that you will reach those goals after you’ve put in the required time and effort. Even on my first day back after a half-year of perpetual laziness, I still know what I want and I know what I have to do to get there. This is determination… THIS is Swole.
Cool it Down and Stretch it Out
Stretching can be turned into a workout within itself. As part of my lifting strategy, I prefer to stretch most of the main muscle groups for about 20-30 seconds, making sure that nothing is injured or overly tight. I do some static stretching here but also still prefer dynamic stretching after an intense workout. After about 5-10 minutes of stretching, especially my hamstrings, I hit the showers and hope to be able to relax in the coming hours.
I will publish my numbers from this workout in a subsequent post. Until then, don’t forget that you’ll never see a magazine or a blog post lifting any weight. If you want results get in the gym and get started!
Update: I only published a few of my personal workouts, but there is a lot of other great information here at Project Swole. I hope you will check some of it out.
Post-Game
This is an opportunity to fuel your machine. A post-workout drink or shake containing carbs and protein should be used within a half hour of training. This can include some sugar to refill muscle glycogen and to help kickstart the absorption of amino acids into the muscles. The protein supplies the amino acids. I like to get around 10-20 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein in my post workout shake. Stay away from adding fat to this shake/meal as it will impede digestion and absorption.
A bit later I’ll have a small meal consisting on non-sugary carbs and more protein, at this point it’s ok to introduce a little healthy fat. Drink plenty of water and sometimes opt to add electrolytes “just because” and specifically if you are feeling dry or deydrated.
Always remember nutrition is 70% of the game training is 20% of the game and a healthy lifestyle is 10%. That being said, a poor or unhealthy lifestyle (or lifting strategy or nutrition) can derail the entire process even the other ingredient are solid and in place. Don’t forget to get a good nights sleep 6-8 hrs consistently. Good luck getting Swole!
Read more: The Swole 3×5 Workout – A Fresh Approach to Strength Training