Improve you muscular showcase with these Arm workouts for men and women

Ask anyone with even a passing interest in working out to “show you a muscle” and they will inevitably raise their arm, bend their elbow and flex their biceps.

The biceps and their close cousins, the triceps, are arguably the most famous muscles in the body and very few men would admit to not admiring or aspiring to bigger arms.

The thing is, while a lot of men want bigger, stronger, fuller biceps and triceps, very few ever realize their goal. Poor exercise technique, improper program design, too frequent or too infrequent workouts and trying to develop the arms in isolation are just some of the reasons some guys never beef up their upper arms.

First things first, it is important to realize that it is almost impossible to build big arms without adding muscle mass to the rest of your body. Nature, that cruel mistress, likes everything neat and balanced and she won’t let you hang 18 inch arms off a scrawny pair of shoulders.  Make sure you train your entire body and not just your arms if you are serious about filling out your sleeves.

Next, understand that stronger muscles are bigger muscles. Too many exercisers forget how important strength is for packing on muscle size. Light to moderate weights and lots of reps and sets will give you a wicked arm pump BUT don’t do a lot for increasing the size of your muscle fibres. Try to get stronger in the “big three” of squats, bench press and deadlift and your arms will grow by default.

Finally, remember you need to feed your muscles to make them grow. That means you need adequate protein, carbohydrates and good fats, plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre and lots of plane water. Add in eight hours of sleep per night and you will ensure you are supplying your muscles with everything they need to grow. Failing to eat or sleep properly will stop your progress dead.

So, all of that being said, here are some tried and tested workouts that can add inches to your arms. Pick one workout, do it twice a week for four weeks and then move on to another. Keep trying to add weight to the bar or do more reps to ensure you push your muscles a little harder week by week. Doing the same weights, sets and reps week after week will simply result in maintenance of your current muscle mass and not trigger new muscle growth.

Workout 1 – High Intensity Arm Training – Arm workouts for men and women

Biceps – hang from a pull up bar using an underhand, shoulder width grip. Slowly pull your chin up and over the bar – take 20 to 30 seconds to pull yourself up. Without pausing, take the same amount of time to slowly lower yourself back down to full arm extension. Immediately move onto the next exercise…

Load a barbell with around 75 percent of the weight you normally use for a set of 10 to 12 reps of barbell biceps curls. As soon as you have finished your slow cadence pull ups, immediately grab the bar with an underhand, shoulder width grip and do as many curls as you can. Rest for 15 seconds and do another all out set. Rest for a further 15 seconds and go again. Stop when you have completed 30 reps in total. Rest for five minutes and then move onto the triceps portion of the workout.

Triceps – using the same slow tempo protocol that you used for the pull ups, do a single parallel bar dip. Start at the bottom of the movement and push yourself slowly up into full arm extension and then take a similar time to descend. Immediately move onto the next (and final) exercise.

Load up a triceps push down machine with around 75 percent of your normal 10 to 12 rep weight.   As soon as you have finished your slow cadence dip, immediately grab the bar (or rope handle if preferred) and do as many reps as you can. Rest for 15 seconds and then do another all out set. Rest and go again. Continue until you have completed 30 reps in total.

Workout 2 – Escalating Density Training – Arm workouts for men and women

Choose a single biceps exercise and a single triceps exercise. Place them close together to make this workout as convenient and effective as possible. Load up the exercises with a weight you can lift eight to ten times and set your timer for 15 minutes.

Start your watch and do a set of six repetitions of your biceps exercise and then immediately do a set of your triceps exercise. With only a brief rest, go back to your biceps exercise. Continue moving back and forth from your biceps to your triceps exercise while trying to clock up as many repetitions as possible in the prescribed time. At the end of the 15 minutes, make a note of the number of repetitions you have completed and do your best to beat this score when you repeat the workout.

Workout 3 – The Singles Club – Arm workouts for men and women

Using an online calculator or smart phone/tablet app, calculate your three repetition maximum for barbell biceps curls and narrow grip bench presses. This is a weight with which you can do three reps but not four. Load up the bars and place the curl bar next to the bench press. After an appropriate warm up, do a single repetition of the curl and then a single repetition of the bench press. Rest exactly 60 seconds and then do another rep of each exercise. Keep going until you have completed 10 repetitions of each exercise or you are unable to safely complete another single. If you managed all ten reps then put the weight up by a kilo or two next time. If you didn’t get your ten, use the same weight for your next workout but strive to get all the required reps.

There you have it   three very different workouts that are all equally very effective. Each one is hard but that’s why they work. Building bigger arms is not an easy task but that’s why a relatively small number of men actually have good sized arms. Work hard, work smart and you too can add significant size to your upper arms.

Anterior deltoid – located on the front of your shoulder joint and the main muscle in overhead presses and front raises.

Medial deltoid – located on the side of your shoulder joint and also called lateral deltoid in some texts. This muscle is the focus of side raises.

Posterior deltoid – located on the back of your shoulder, this muscle is often overlooked as it is out of sight and therefore out mind but its main job is extending your arm behind you.

To develop well-rounded shoulders, it is important to work them from a variety of angles. This ensures that each of the aforementioned heads gets at least some attention. Focusing excessively on the anterior deltoid by doing nothing but pressing for your shoulders can result in a shoulder muscle imbalance which may, in turn, affect shoulder joint function and may even lead to injury.

Here are two different but well-balanced shoulder workouts for you to try…

Workout one – Barbell only shoulder workout – Good Shoulder Workouts

Perform two to four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of each of the following exercises. Rest 60 to 90-seconds between sets.

Barbell Bradford press
Targets: Entire deltoid region with an emphasis on anterior deltoid
How to perform: Using a shoulder-width, overhand grip, rest and hold a barbell across the front of your shoulders. Press the weight up and over your head and then lower it behind your neck. The bar should only just clear the top of your skull. Immediately press the bar back up and over and return it to the front of your shoulders.

Barbell upright rows
Targets: Entire deltoid region with an emphasis on medial deltoids
How to perform: Grip your barbell with an overhand hip-width grip and stand with your knees slightly bent for extra stability. Lift your chest and pull your shoulders down and back. Leading with your elbows, pull the barbell up the front of your body until it is just below your chin. Lower the weight and repeat.

Barbell wide grip row to chest
Targets: Posterior deltoids
How to perform: Grip your barbell with a wider-than shoulder-width grip. Bend your knees and hinge forward from your hips so that, without rounding your lower back, your torso is inclined to around 45-degrees. Leading with your elbows, pull the bar up and into your chest; squeeze your elbows together. Lower the bar slowly and repeat.

Workout two – Dumbbell only shoulder workout – Good Shoulder Workouts

Perform two to four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of each of the following exercises. Rest 60 to 90-seconds between sets.

Batwings
Targets: Posterior deltoids
How to perform: With a dumbbell in each hand, lay face down on a flat or slightly inclined exercise bench so your head is not supported by the bench top.  Keeping your neck properly aligned, bend your arms and, leading with your elbows, pull the weights up and into your armpits. Hold this position (but not your breath) for 30 or more seconds. Keep your shoulders pulled tightly back throughout but do not allow your shoulders to shrug upwards.

Lean away side laterals
Targets: Medial deltoids
How to perform: With a single dumbbell in your hand, grab hold of a sturdy upright pole and lean away from it so your body is inclined to around 15 to 20-degrees. Let the dumbbell hang straight down vertically from your shoulder. Without swinging, raise the dumbbell up and out to shoulder-height and then lower it gain. Do an identical number of reps on each side.

Surfboard press
Targets: Entire deltoid region with an emphasis on anterior deltoid
How to perform: Hold a dumbbell so that it is standing vertically in the palm of your hand at shoulder-level. Place your other hand on top for balance. Press the dumbbell up and over your head so that it now rests on your opposite shoulder. The dumbbell should describe an arc as it travels over your head. Continue switching sides for the duration of your set. This exercise can be performed seated or standing.

Strong shoulders not only look good but they are more resistant to injury and perform better. Dedicating one training session per week to your shoulders makes not just aesthetic sense but functional sense too.

Adding Occlusion Training to your Workout Routine

You might be thinking that the scientifically named Occlusion Training is some new form of system applicable only to advanced athletes.  In reality, though, this form of training is easily available, and even beneficial, to a huge variety of people.

The definition of occlusion is literally a closure or blockage; and from a physical training perspective it simply means the restriction of blood flow within the body.  More specifically, occlusion training aims to give enough of a closure or blockage to prevent venous blood flow out of the body part being trained, whilst still leaving that body part with the ability to pump arterial blood in.  Not only does this give the body part an undeniable pump, it has been suggested that the method could actually improve strength and size development even when lifting as low as 20% of your one rep max.  Read on to learn a little bit more about where occlusion training began, how it works, and how you can put it into use yourself.

The Science behind Occlusion Training.

Occlusion Training was first developed in Japan by Yoshiaki Sato, who began experimenting with the idea as early as 1966 after noticing the strange sensation he would get in his legs after being sat upon them for many minutes. Unfortunately his uncontrolled occlusion sessions in the sixties and seventies resulted in him developing blood clots and severely jeopardised his health. Working to solve this problem, Sato eventually released a device that he called the Kaatsu Master (Kaatsu literally means ‘added pressure’) which induces occlusion but monitors pressure and blood flow to reduce risk. Since then, Sato’s ideas have spread worldwide, and numerous studies have been conducted based on the principles he laid out.

There have been plenty of reasons laid out as to how occlusion training works, including the concept of ‘cell swelling’, In which the muscle cells become so ‘full’ in training that they either have to grow or burst! More reliably, however, is that occlusion training works by preventing the release of lactic acid and other waste products from the working muscle group. The result of these products remaining inside the muscle is one of increased muscular stress, which in turn creates a chain of hormonal responses that encourage muscular growth. Going into a little more detail, increased muscle stress specifically stimulates an increased production of IGF-1, otherwise known as Insulin Growth Factor. IGF-1, like testosterone, is a growth hormone, and one of its main functions is to synthesize protein uptake both by creating new muscle fibres and by acting to prevent muscle wastage or ‘atrophy’.   It has also been suggested that the process of metabolite build up in the muscle leads to the quicker fatigue of type I muscle fibres, meaning that ‘fast twitch’ type II fibres have to be recruited as well. These type II fibres are usually reserved specifically for explosive movements utilising a much higher percentage of a one rep max.

If these claims are true then blood flow restriction as a training method could hold massive benefits. It could serve to increase muscle mass and strength development as well as stimulate muscle fibres not usually stimulated by training with lighter weights. Moreover, as a training method it is cheap to set up, simple to follow and could work for a wide range of different individuals.

You’re probably thinking at this point, “okay, sounds good in theory, but give me some proof,” and luckily for you, dozens of studies have been undertaken on occlusion training. One of the most prominent was undertaken by Takarada in 2000, and looked explicitly at growth hormone response to blood flow restriction when paired with low-intensity knee extensions at around 20% of the subject’s one rep max. The study found that IFG-1 levels were elevated an astounding 290 times after 5 sets. For further reading check out:

Takarada Y, Nakamura Y, Aruga S, Onda T, Miyazaki S and Ishii N., ‘Rapid increase in plasma growth hormone after low-intensity resistance exercise with vascular occlusion.’ Journal of Applied Physiology 88: 61-65, 2000.

Another more recent study by Manimmanakorn in 2012 looked at the impact of low intensity resistance training in combination with blood flow restriction and/or hypoxic training (limited oxygen at around 80%) The study used thirty netball players from the same team, all in their late teens to early twenties. For five weeks the subjects trained three times per week using knee flexion and extension at 20% of their one repetition maxes. The end results were pretty clear, both the occlusion trained and hypoxic trained subjects showed significantly greater improvements in comparison to the control group, with the occlusion trained group also showing greater improvements than the hypoxic group in tasks such as sprinting and agility.

Last but not least, JP Loenneke, the so called ‘godfather of occlusion training,’ has personally conducted multiple studies into blood flow restriction training, and his results have been promising. For more on his work check out:

Loenneke JP, Abe T, Wilson JM, Ugrinowitsch C, & Bemben MG (2012) Blood flow restriction: how does it work? Front Physiol, 3, 392.

Or…

Loenneke JP, Wilson JM, Marin PJ, Zourdos MC, & Bemben MG (2012). Low intensity blood flow restriction training: a meta-analysis. Eur J Appl Physiol, 112(5), 1849-1859.

He is also the man most linked to the concept of ‘cell swelling’ as a reason for the muscular growth caused by blood flow restriction. He argues that although lactic acid build up and the Insulin Growth Hormone response is one of the reasons for muscular growth, it cannot explain why a level of muscular growth also occurs when using occlusion training without any form of weight lifting (For example when walking.) Although his work can only be truly called hypothesis, it definitely makes a good starting point for anyone interested in further research on the subject. See these two studies for more information:

Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Wilson JM, & Bemben MG (2011). Blood flow restriction: the metabolite/volume threshold theory. Med Hypotheses, 77(5), 748-752.

Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Rossow LM, Abe T, & Bemben MG (2011). The anabolic benefits of venous blood flow restriction training may be induced by muscle cell swelling. Med Hypotheses, 78(1) , 151-154

Practical applications of Occlusion Training

Okay, then, so there’s some science behind occlusion training, but where would it actually be applied? It may have potential benefits but couldn’t you just use heavier weights rather than blood flow restriction? The simple answer to the latter question is yes, you could just use heavier weights, interestingly though, and one of the major practical applications of occlusion training is its use within rehabilitative circles. Imagine, for instance, that you’ve been training intensely for a few months but suddenly you pick up a joint injury. The reality is that you would have to stop you’re heavy training to allow for recovery, and in doing so you would undoubtedly lose some of that hard-earned progress you’ve already made. With blood flow restriction based training, one the other hand, you could continue training using much lighter weights, minimising stress on the joints and ligaments whilst they heal, and also preventing muscle or strength decline.

Occlusion training could also be a great practical choice for travelling, as rather than lugging around dozens of heavy weights you could get an amazing workout using much lighter ones.

As a quick word of warning with regard to practical application, there are certain groups that should not use occlusion training methods, so if you happen to be one of these, best to stay away. Cases for avoiding occlusion include anyone with a blood pressure condition, with a family or past history of circulatory issues, or with any past cases of venous, arterial or nerve related injuries.

Getting started Occlusion Training Bands and How to Use Them

To get started, you won’t actually need one of those fancy Kaatsu Master devices mentioned earlier, all you’ll need is an efficient and easy way of restricting blood flow. Any form of elastic or rubber wrap can do the trick, and even bandages can be used if you can’t find anything fancier. From a gym-goers perspective, most sports shops will stock elasticated knee wraps, and these will also work perfectly well. Once you’ve bought them, all you need to do is literally wrap them around your desired body part and tie them so as to keep them in place.

When applying whichever band you choose to use, the most important thing to remember is that you do not want to make them too tight; if in doubt, always ere on the side of caution. Pressure wise, you should imagine a scale ranging from 1 to 10, where 10 is the most pressure your body part could manage. For your legs, you’re going to want to get this pressure at around a 6 or 7, whilst for your arms you’re going to want to aim for closer to 5 or 6.

Within your workout you should aim to attach the occlusion device to the proximal head of each body part. For example, you should aim to tie your band as close as possible to the shoulder-end of the arm when preparing to do bicep or tricep work. Similarly, you should aim to apply your device at the groin-end of your leg in order to do extension or flexion work.

A good usage of occlusion training, according to most studies, is 2-3 times per week, with 3-5 sets in one session. When performing these sets, you should aim for 15-30 repetitions with a brief rest of 30 to 45 seconds between sets. You should be working between 10 and 30% of your one rep max, any more would place unnecessary and unsustainable stress upon the muscles. With regards to the bands, keep them applied throughout the set and as you recover, removing them only when you have finished all three or four sets.

As a word of warning, be prepared to hurt, occlusion training forces your muscles to hold onto waste products such as lactic acid, and you will feel them.

A One week Occlusion training routine

Here is quick and simple weekly routine that you can use to get started with your occlusion based training. It is important to remember that the routine below is a supplement to a normal training routine and is not the only training method used. In other words, occlusion training is to be used as a ten to fifteen minute ‘finisher’ after you have already completed your chosen workout that day. The routine is based around a very standard upper lower split

Monday – Lower Body

Leg (knee) extension, 3 sets in the order of 30 reps, 15 reps and 15 reps

Leg (knee) curl, 4 sets in the order of 20 reps, 15 reps, 15 reps, 15 reps

Wednesday – Upper Body

Tricep extension, 4 sets in the order of 25 reps, 20 reps, 15 reps and 10 reps

Bicep curl, 3 sets in the order of 25 reps, 20 reps and 15 reps

Friday – Lower Body

Leg (knee) curl, 3 sets in the order of 30 reps, 15 reps and 15 reps

Seated Calf raise, 4 sets in the order of 25 reps, 15 reps, 15 reps and 10 reps

You’ll notice that all the movements are isolation exercises. This is so that you can really target those specific muscles by focusing on that mind-muscle connection and properly going for that pump. Each week you can try to add slightly more weight to each of the individual movements, and in very little time you should start to see some considerable results.

Getting fit isn’t always as easy as magazines and websites would have us believe.

They all seem to assume that we have infinite access to barbells, dumbbells, squat racks, benches, ropes, tyres, bands and a dozen other pieces of training equipment. 

Problem is we often don’t have any of that stuff, sometimes all we have is some space, motivation, and our own body. This is precisely where bodyweight training comes in! This article will look at what bodyweight training involves, who it works for as well the benefits it gives. And if that wasn’t enough we’ll also be giving you a full routine that you can use to get started today. So read on and discover exactly why you’ll never need to miss a workout again.

What actually is a bodyweight workout?

There seems to be some confusion when it comes to bodyweight workouts, largely due to certain internet ‘experts’ claiming that only certain things count as bodyweight workouts. Well here’s the truth, a bodyweight workout is exactly what the name implies, a workout that uses your own bodyweight as a resistance rather than a machine or free weight. That’s it. There are no secret exercises, just a basic understanding of human anatomy and physics.

Advantages and disadvantages of a bodyweight workout

The most obvious advantage of a bodyweight workout is that you won’t need any fancy gear, equipment or gym memberships. This means that you can save a tonne of money. You’ll also have loads more flexibility in regards to where and when you train. Plus if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also never have to queue for a piece of equipment, meaning no more standing around wasting your valuable workout time!

You’ll also be able train outdoors, giving you access to the fresh air and sunlight, both of which will improve your mood and give a good dose of the often neglected vitamin D.

As with anything there are some downsides. Firstly, you’ll have to be a little more inventive when it comes to exercises if you want to get a true full body workout. But to be fair this is nothing that thirty minutes of research can’t overcome! There’s also geographic location to consider. Whilst you might be able to head outdoors and enjoy beautiful weather if you live in Florida, you might struggle a bit more if you’re up in Alaska or if you live across the pond; again though this obstacle can be overcome simply by being prepared to workout indoors a few more times a year.

All in all, bodyweight workouts offer a time efficient, value for money option with enough advantages to make it worth your while. Read on to find out a bit more about exactly who bodyweight workouts are best suited to.

Who are bodyweight workouts ideally suited to?

This is where most people get it all wrong! You may be tempted to say that bodyweight workouts are only for beginners, or only for people short on time that need quick, effective workouts. Well to be honest bodyweight workouts are good for both of these groups of people, but they’re also good for pretty much everyone else too!

Check out these pictures below, would you tell either of them that bodyweight workouts are only for beginners?

And if you still don’t believe me, check out this video of Frank Medrano. I’m promising you now you won’t believe just how much you can do with your own bodyweight until you’ve seen this video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvJHw64fxgQ

Bodyweight workouts can be as easy or as hard as you want them to be. And they can take as little or as much time as you want them too. Don’t get bogged down thinking that they’re only for certain people.

There are some limitations of course. If you’re a Powerlifter or an Olympic lifter that wants to compete then you’re obviously going to need access to a barbell. Similarly if you’re a high level bodybuilder looking to compete then you may need access to certain weights or machines to work on ‘lagging’ body parts. Overall, though, you can achieve a pretty amazing lean and ripped physique using bodyweight workouts.

Is anyone famous using bodyweight workouts?

Well let’s start with the sportsmen and women shall we? In the 2012 Olympics the US Women’s team dominated, earning them the nickname the ‘fierce five’. Let’s not forget that their training was almost completely bodyweight based!

Also, how about John Carroll Grimek, one of the greatest and most successful weightlifters and bodybuilders of the 20^th century. The Mr. USA winner and 1936 Olympic Champion had one of the most varied training systems going. And frequently trained used gymnastics, handstands, acrobatics as well other forms of bodyweight exercises to compliment his routine.

Then let’s not forget that NFL athletes and Rugby players use bodyweight based exercises constantly as part of their general conditioning and ground contact preparation drills. (You didn’t think they take those slams without preparing their bodies for contact did you?)

Ok, sounds good, but what are the Health benefits?

The advantages of a good bodyweight workout are much the same as a good machine or free-weights workout. You will be stimulating your muscles to adapt and forcing changes in muscle fibres. You will be burning calories and working towards fat loss. And depending on how you organise your exercises and rest times you might also be getting a good cardio session too.

As a result of all this you’ll be strengthening your heart and lungs, which will be improving lung capacity and oxygen circulation. You’ll have more energy, feel better, and save yourself an absolute fortune in healthcare. Now that’s what I call a win!

Different styles of body weight workouts

As you’ve probably guessed, there are a variety of styles of bodyweight workout. For starters, there’s the commonly used circuit format, i.e. multiple bodyweight exercises performed back to back with little or no rest. This format gives a good balance between developing strength and fitness. Alternatively you could use a station format, i.e. sticking to one bodyweight exercise for a given number of sets and reps. This prioritises strength development.

Typically the circuit format will be used in group classes and boot camps, so if you’re looking to get involved in group exercise then this is what you’d likely be doing. This style of bodyweight workout is particularly good for motivation and camaraderie.

More advanced bodyweight workouts include gymnastics and gymnastic variants. These usually put together multiple movements or multiple positions with varying degrees of difficulty. This kind of bodyweight training puts an even greater emphasis on muscular strength, alongside an increased emphasis on technique. If you’re going to try out this kind of training its best to start as part of a club with good coaches and plenty of safety gear!

For the more adventurous of you, there’s also ‘animal flow’ workouts. These are bodyweight training sessions based on primal movements in multiple different planes. In essence, you’ll be moving like an animal to develop strength, fitness and mobility! Check out the link below for more details:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLYZ-3beDeI

So where do I start?

Since there’s so much to choose from it can be pretty difficult to know where to start. Luckily I’ve provided a trio of sample workouts at three different levels of ability. They’re both arranged in the circuit format mentioned above, so you’ll be getting a good mixture of strength and fitness development.  Plus every workout only has 5 moves so they’re easy enough to follow. If you’re not sure which programme to start on I’d recommend starting on the beginner routine and moving up after six weeks if you want to. As a ward of warning, it’s not uncommon for people with a good history of strength training to find some of the movements hard. Don’t think that just because these are bodyweight routines you won’t feel the burn!

Beginner’s 6 week bodyweight routine

30 seconds per exercise, with 15 seconds rest between exercises

You will do 3 rounds (off all 5 exercises) with 2 minutes rest between those rounds

Try to perform more repetitions in 30 seconds every single week

 

Monday                         

Squats

Press-ups (can be on knees if needed to begin with)

Low bar rows (can use an indoor table or chair)

Plank

Russian Twists

 

 

Wednesday                  

Lunges

Shoulder press-up

Tricep dips

Glute/Ham Thrusts

Mountain Climbers

 

Friday                            

Single leg deadlift (unilateral stability)

Bear Crawl

Squats

Burpees

Side Plank (Left & Right Sides)

 

Intermediate Bodyweight routine

*Only move up to this routine when you comfortably complete the beginner workouts. For me this means being able to perform at least 15 reps of every exercise with good form within the 30 seconds.

30 seconds per exercise, with 15 seconds rest between exercises

You will do 3 rounds (off all 5 exercises) with 2 minutes rest between those rounds

    

Monday                         

Jumping Squats

Staggered press-ups

Pull-ups (If you can’t find a high bar then try ‘one arm Low-bar pull ups’)

*Hint: You can use a table or chairs for this one

Plank with one arm and one leg off the ground

Russian Twists whilst fluttering legs

 

 

Wednesday                  

Reverse Lunges

Judo Press-ups (also known as Dive Bombers and Hindu Press Ups)

Tricep dips

Single leg Glute/ham Thrusts

Mountain Climbers

 

Friday                             

Single leg deadlift (unilateral stability)

Reverse Bear Crawl

Squat hold (at 90 degree position or just below)

Burpees

Side Plank with top leg raised (Left & Right Sides)

 

Advanced Bodyweight Routine

*These workouts are so tough there should be a health warning attached! Don’t even think about attempting them unless you’ve completed a few weeks of the intermediate routine and it’s starting to feel easy!

30 seconds per exercise, with 15 seconds rest between exercises

You will do 3 rounds (off all 5 exercises) with 2 minutes rest between those rounds

This IS going to hurt, just don’t say I didn’t warn you!

 

Monday                         

Tuck Jumps

Clapping Press-ups

One arm ‘negative’ pull-ups (holding as long as possible on way down)

Inchworms

Russian Twists whilst fluttering legs

 

 

Wednesday                  

Multi-directional Lunges (Forward, side, reverse on right then same on left)

Handstand press-ups (Can use a wall for balance)

Tricep dips

Single leg Glute/ham Thrusts

Squat Thrusts

 

Friday                             

Single leg deadlift (unilateral stability)

Reverse Bear Crawl

Single leg squats (also known as pistol squats)

Burpees with tuck jump

Side Plank with top leg raised (Left & Right Sides)

 

Let’s wrap this up

If you’ve stuck around ‘til the end then now you know a good deal more about bodyweight exercises. You know who uses them, why they use them and the advantages of following a bodyweight training routine. Now all that’s left is for you to choose one of the three routines I’ve provided and get to work. Go get fitter and stronger using bodyweight training. And no more excuses, remember that with bodyweight training, you are your next workout!

Good Luck.

And don’t forget to let us know how you get on. If you’ve got any tips or advice on bodyweight exercise help out by posting them in the comments section!

Broadly speaking, there are four “regions” to the chest – upper, middle, lower and inner.

The upper chest is best targeted with incline bench exercises such as incline dumbbell presses, incline barbell presses and incline machine chest presses. The ideal angle is around 30 to 45-degrees as any steeper places too much stress on the shoulders and too little on the pecs.

To target the middle fibres, the most effective exercises are those where the arms are pushed forward perpendicularly to the body i.e. flat bench presses using a barbell or dumbbells. To get the most from these exercises you should use a full range of movement i.e. lower the bar to your chest, and use a grip that is wide enough so that your forearms are vertical at the bottom of the movement. A narrower hand placement means your triceps will end up doing the brunt of the work and not descending deep enough simply reduces the effectiveness of these chest building exercises.

The lower pecs are best targeted with decline exercises such as decline dumbbell or barbell presses, push-ups and parallel bar dips. Ideally, the angle of decline should be around 30 to 45-degrees.

To work the inner chest cable crossovers and dumbbell flyes are the answer – make sure you squeeze your hands together at the top of the movement to maximize the effectiveness of these exercises.

It’s worth noting that some exercises address more than one aspect of the pecs. For example, decline dumbbell flyes work both the lower pecs and the inner pecs. Choose your exercises wisely to avoid unnecessary overlaps or to preferentially target areas of weakness.
Here are a few good chest workouts to try…

Good Chest Workouts – Workout one – Pre Exhaust

Perform two to four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions of each of the following exercise pairs. Move quickly from one exercise to the next in each par. Rest 60 to 90-seconds between paired exercises.
1a. Incline dumbbell flyes
1b. Incline barbell press
2a. Decline cable cross overs
2b. Dips or push-ups
3a. Flat bench dumbbell flyes
3b. Flat bench barbell bench press

Good Chest Workouts – Workout 2 – German volume training (GVT)

Using around 60-percent of your one repetition maximum (1RM – a weight you can lift once but not twice) perform ten sets of ten repetitions with exactly 60-seconds rest between sets. If you are unsuccessful i.e. can only do 8 for the last couple of sets, leave the weight the same. If you complete all sets of ten, put the weight up by five to ten-percent for next time.
1. Barbell bench press 10 sets of 10
2. Incline dumbbell flyes 3 sets of 8 to 12

Good Chest Workouts – Workout 3 – mechanical drop sets

In terms of strength, you will be able to press more weight in a declined position than in an inclined position. This workout takes you from your weakest to strongest position. Move quickly from one exercise to the next (by simply changing the angle of your bench) while keeping the weights the same. Stop one repetition short of complete failure on all but except the final exercise where you should rep out and do as many as you can.
1a. Incline dumbbell press
1b. Flat dumbbell presses
1c. Decline dumbbell presses
You can achieve a similar workout using push-ups…
1a. Feet elevated push-ups
1b. Feet on the floor push-ups
1c. Push-ups on the knees

Good Chest Workouts – Workout 4 – Classic Bodybuilding Chest Workout

1. Barbell bench press 12, 10, 8, 6, 6 repetitions – increase the weight set by set
2. Incline dumbbell flyes 3 sets of 12 repetitions
3. Parallel bar dips 3 sets of AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)
4. Push-ups 100 reps in as few sets as possible
As important as chest training is, it is equally important that you spend a similar amount of time working on your upper back and your rear deltoids. These muscles counterbalance your chest and keeping them in good shape will help preserve your posture and maintain healthy shoulder joints. Monday may well be National bench press day but, by that token, Tuesday should be National upper back day!

So you’ve made the decision that you want to get bigger

You want to pack on the kind of mass that would make a charging bull stop and run the other direction.  You also want to do it as quickly as possible.  Perhaps you’ve even heard rumours, whispers in the back of the gym, that there’s a programme designed to deliver just what you want in the most efficient way possible.

Enter…German Volume Training, the mass building system that you need to know about!  This article looks at one of the most effective, and one of the most brutal, training routines known to the world of muscle and strength.  We’ll be talking about how it works, who recommends it, and even giving example training programmes that you can get started with right now.  Sit back, grab yourself a protein shake, and get ready to learn all about gaining quality muscle mass, German style!

What is German Volume Training?

Ok, first things first, what does German Volume Training actually involve?  Put simply, it’s the process of performing 10 sets of 10 reps with limited rest in between.  It’s for this reason that German Volume Training (GVT) is also known as the ‘ten sets method’ in strength training circles.  It originated, according to most accounts, in Germany during the 1970’s, and its popularity has been linked to Rolf Feser, Germany’s national weightlifting coach at the time.   With that said, variations of the system have been traced back into the 1940’s, so you can be pretty sure that this training style has survived the test of time.

Sounds cool, but how does German Volume Training work?

GVT works in one of the most brutally simple ways possible, by creating a huge build-up of lactic acid within the working muscle group.  What this lactic acid does is place that muscle under a huge amount of stress, stimulating production of IFG-1, also known as Insulin Growth Factor.  This little baby is a completely natural growth hormone, like testosterone, that functions to synthesize protein uptake by creating new muscle fibres and acting to prevent muscle wastage (also known as muscle ‘atrophy’)  If you want to know a little more about the process of lactic acid build-up, check out my article on Occlusion Training.  To summarise though, the good news is that you’ll be a mass building machine!  The bad news, on the other hand, is that you’re going to hurt like hell both during and after the workout.  Most newcomers to German Volume training find themselves sore for three to four days after their workouts!  You’d better make sure you’re getting plenty of food, plenty of sleep and plenty of water to maximise your recovery.  Believe me, this is a training routine that you’re going to remember!

Okay, I’m pretty tough, but who else has used German Volume Training?

For starters, it’s a pretty good bet that dozens of members of the German Olympic squad have been put through their paces with this mass building method.  Then there’s Canadian weightlifter Jacques Demers, who won a silver medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Plus female bodybuilder Bev Francis also famously mentioned that German Volume Training was one of her favourite methods of gaining quality mass.  Not to mention the system as a whole has the approval of world-renowned strength coach Charles Poloquin, who has trained hundreds if not thousands of high performance clients.  All in all, I’d say those examples alone should be a good enough reason to try the programme for six weeks.

Sweet!  Now tell me the nitty-gritty

Time to pay attention, these next few bits are crucial for maximising your gains in lean muscle mass.

Exercise selection: let’s start with the biggest factor in GVT success, exercise selection.  You want to be using, big, bad compound exercises designed to give your body the biggest possible stress.  We’re talking about Squats, Bent over rows, chest presses and overhead presses here.  If you really want to hit your biceps, triceps and other bits of isolation work you can do them as accessory exercises after your main Volume Training.

What about Deadlifts:  You’re more than welcome to put a deadlift into the mix.  But be warned, deadlifts are massively taxing so you’ll have to be pretty clever on how you plug them into your programme.  Personally I would choose either Squats OR Deadlifts then change after 4-6 weeks.  If you really want to use both squats AND deadlifts then they either need to be separated by least 2 days, or used as a super-set during the same workout.  My recommendation would be to use RDL’s (Romanian Deadlifts) and focus on glute/hamstring activation as part of a superset with squats.  Either way, just make sure you keep good form during those last few tough sets.

Agonist/Antagonist:  Most German Volume routines use agonist/antagonist supersets.  This means they’ll often put muscle groups like chest and back together in the same workout, giving two exercises worth of 10 by 10.  This is what I would recommend for an intermediate with a good training history.  For beginners it may be a bit too much volume, so I’ve provided an introductory programme specifically designed to maximise growth for everyone new to the brutality of the German Method.

Sets, reps and weight used: As we discussed earlier, you’ll be doing 10 sets of 10 reps, and your rest interval will be short, typically 60-90 seconds.  I know what you’re thinking, is that even possible? The answer is Yes, but you need to remember to use a weight that is around 60% of your 1 rep max (also known as a weight you could perform 20 repetitions with normally)  This will feel really light for the first two or three sets, but trust me, DO NOT be tempted to increase the weight.  Stick with 60% for all ten sets and by the time you’re on set seven you’ll be begging for it to be over!

Progression: In terms of progression, you should add weight to the movement only when you can perform the full 10 sets of 10 reps with acceptable form.  If you perform 7 sets of 10 followed by 3 sets of 8, you need to repeat the workout and achieve the full 10 sets of 10 before you increase your weight.

Tempo: This is often overlooked but we should really be aiming to maximise our time under tension, and with German Volume Training we do this using a 4-0-1 or 4-0-2 tempo.  This just means that you should aim to do the eccentric (lowering) part of the movement in 4 seconds before immediately performing the concentric (raising) portion of the movement in 1 or 2 seconds.  All in all, this is the least important factor in GVT, just remember to be controlled and avoid bouncing around like you’ve been hit by a Taser!

Okay, I’m in; got any programmes for me?

By now you’re probably pretty psyched up to get started (and if you’re not, then maybe you’d be interested to learn that some people have seen results such as 10lb of muscle gain in as little as 4-6 weeks!)  Below you’ll find three different German Volume Routines designed specifically for three different levels of training.  A word of warning, choose the programme that’s appropriate for you or you’ll risk serious overtraining.  Let’s put it this way, even if you’ve been strength training for a few years on a 5×5 programme or a standard 8-12 reps hypertrophy routine, I’d still recommend starting on the beginner programme.  It’s called VOLUME training for a reason, and simply put, you’ll be doing more total repetitions than you’ve ever done before!

Beginner/Introductory Programme (4 weeks)

Monday  

Squats, 10 sets of 10 reps

Hamstring Curls, 3 sets of 8-12

 

Wednesday  

Bench Press, 10 sets of 10 reps

Tricep Pushdowns, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

 

Friday    

Barbell Row, 10 sets of 10 reps

Bicep Curls, 3 sets of 8-12 reps

 

*You could also do Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

Intermediate programme (4 weeks)

The main difference with the intermediate programme is that the volume has been increased through the use of supersets.  So you’ll perform 10 reps of A1 followed immediately by 10 reps of A2.  You’ll then rest 90 seconds before repeating 10 times!

 

Monday

A1) Squat                                                               10 sets of 10

A2) Superset hamstring Curl                              10 sets of 10

A3) Calf Raise                                                         3 sets of 8-12 reps

 

Wednesday

A1) Chest Press                                              10 sets of 10

A2) Superset Chin-ups                                  10 sets of 10

A3) One arm Dumbbell Row                               3 sets of 8-12

 

Friday

A1) Tricep Dips                                               10 sets of 10 reps

A2) Hammer Curls                                         10 sets of 10 reps

A3) Dumbbell Shoulder Press                              3 sets of 8-12 reps

 

Advanced Programme (3 weeks in cycles)

When you get to an advanced stage you’ve probably experienced at least a full years’ worth of high volume style training and started to hit some plateaus.  With this advanced routine you won’t be making progress as fast as you would on the beginner routine, but you will be busting through those plateaus.  It’s also more complicated than the earlier routines so you’d best be writing everything down!

Basically you’ll be following the same programme split as you were at an intermediate level.  The difference is that you’ll be changing reps and intensity each week.  Specifically you’ll be following a 3-5% weight increase between workouts and a 4 week rolling reset.  Here’s an example for someone that has done GVT at an intermediate level but just can’t get complete their bench press at 225lb for 10 sets of 10.  They would do:

 

Week 1:                             10×8 at 225lb

 

Week 2:                             10×7 at ‘225lb plus 3-5%’ (so 235lb)

 

Week 3:                             10×6 at ‘225lb plus 6-10%’ (so 245lb)

 

New week 1:                    Your new week 1 is then 10×8, using week 2’s weight.  (So 10×8 at 235lb)

 

Repeat this process a couple of times and then re-test your full 10 sets of 10 reps.  I’ll bet you that you can now easily perform the weight you had previously struggled with.

How Long can I use German Volume training for?

Since German Volume training is so intense, I wouldn’t recommend doing it year-round.  Instead you should use a German Volume routine for 4-8 weeks, go hard, and then take a month or so doing a lower volume programme.  This will allow your body to recover and to experience what’s known as strategic de-conditioning.  This means that your body will lose a little bit of its ability to handle volume.  This is actually a good thing, because when you come back to GVT your body will once again be ‘shocked’ into making massive gains!

Let’s wrap this up German Volume Training

Okay, so what have we learnt so far?  German Volume Training should be used for 4-8 weeks to achieve huge gains in muscle mass through lactic acid build up.  You should use big, tough compound movements to get the most ‘bang for your buck’.  Your rests should be short, and you should follow the programmes set out above for optimum results.  You should be prepared to experience some serious fatigue, but for those of you tough enough to weather the storm, the results should absolutely speak for themselves.  Train Hard, eat lots, and go get that mass!

Good Luck.

Any other tips or advice about German Volume Training? Or maybe you’ve tried another programme and had better results? Let us know in the comments section.

To get a six-pack, you need to watch your diet and gradually reduce your calorific intake. This will force your body to burn fat for fuel. You can further enhance fat burning by increasing your activity levels such as doing more cardio or simply walking more each day.

As your fat levels come down, you can simultaneously work your rectus abdominus and the other muscles of your midsection so that, once the fat comes off, your abs are strong, firm and will look their best.

Strong abs not only look better, they function better too. Your abs and the other muscles of your midsection are actively involved in just about every activity you perform. These muscles bridge the gap between your legs and arms and help support your spine. In addition, they are responsible for producing a lot of power in movements like punches, kicks and throws.

Unfortunately, many people do not work their ab muscles effectively and ironically, the most commonly performed ab exercises, the sit-up and the crunch, are arguably the least effective.

In these and other similar ab exercises, rectus abdominus moves works through a very limited range of movement and exposes the spine to a lot of repeated flexion which many experts believe can lead to intervertebral disc damage. In addition, it’s very rare for a daily and sporting activity to involve this type of movement which means crunches and sit-ups are not what you would call functional.

Thankfully, there are several good alternatives to crunches and sit-ups that you can perform to strengthen your abs safely and effectively…

Planks – kneel down and place your elbows and forearms on the floor. Clasp your hands lightly together. Walk your feet back so your weight is supported on your arms and toes only. Your body should be straight and your upper arms vertical. Hold this position (but not your breath!) for as long as you comfortably can. Do not lift or lower your hips. Bend your legs and rest on your knees if you find this exercise too demanding.

Roll-outs – using an ab wheel or a barbell loaded with small-diameter plates, kneel on the floor and place the wheel/bar in front of your legs. Grasp it firmly with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Keeping your arms straight, push the wheel/bar away from you and lower your chest toward the floor. Do not drop your hips. Use your abdominals to pull yourself back up and into the kneeling position. Inhale as you push away and exhale as you pull back up.

Russian twists – sit on the floor with your legs bent and feet flat. Lean back so your upper body is inclined to around 45-degrees. Extend your arms out level with the floor and clasp your hands together. Rotate your arms and shoulders as far as you can to the left and then to the right but do not sit up or lean back any farther. Make this exercise more demanding by holding a medicine ball, weight plate or dumbbell in your hands.

Medicine ball slams – stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a medicine ball in your hands. Lift the medicine ball up above your head and then, using your abs as much as your arms, hurl the ball down at the floor around 12-inches/30-centemeters in front of your feet. Catch the ball as it rebounds and then repeat. Imagine your abs are the string in a bow to get the most from this exercise.

Cable wood chops – stand sideways on to an adjustable cable machine set to around head-height. Grasp the handle in both hands. Keep your hips square and turn your arms and upper body through approximately 180-degrees while lowering your hands to around hip-height. Imagine your arms and torso is a tank turret and your legs are the body of the tank; your upper body should move independently of your lower body. Return to the starting position and repeat. Do the same number of repetitions on each side. This exercise can also be performed with the cable set to shoulder-height or using a resistance band if you do not have access to a cable machine.

Unlike crunches and sit-ups, these exercises will improve both the function and appearance of your marvellous midsection muscles but remember – a six-pack is the result of a holistic approach to exercise and diet – not just more ab training. If you want a six-pack, you need to watch your diet, do your cardio, strengthen your entire body and also work your abs hard and smart.

The 7 Best Cardio Workouts for Men – That are Also Fun.

Given the choice, most men would rather lift weights than join a group exercise class.

For many men, fitness is about how they look on the outside rather than what is going on inside their bodies. It’s no wonder then that men, even those who exercise regularly, are more likely to suffer heart and circulatory issues than their cardio-loving female counterparts.

Of course, this is a sweeping generalization but you only have to look around most gyms to see the truth; the free-weight area is almost entirely populated with men whereas the group exercise studio and cardio machines are more commonly used by women. Weight training, it seems, resonates more with men while cardio resonates more with women.

Men need cardio just as much as women need to do some weight training so here are some great masculine cardio workouts that will appeal to even the most weight-training obsessed guy…

Heavy bag intervals – Cardio Workouts For Men

boxing is about as manly as it gets and whaling on a heavy bag is a fantastic form of cardio. Set your timer for two or three minutes and then just unload on the bag. Try to move your feet and build combinations rather than just swing wildly and don’t be surprised if you are exhausted in 30 seconds or less. At the end of your “round”, take a break for 60 seconds and then go again but this time pace yourself! Always wear bag gloves or wrap your hands when using a heavy bag as a broken hand will severely curtail your workout.

Jump rope – Cardio Workouts For Men – Number 1

continuing with the boxing theme, you can get a great cardio workout by jumping rope. Load your favourite music onto your MP3 player, grab your rope and rock out while you exercise. Ten to twenty minutes of jumping rope is a very effective way to develop aerobic fitness and burn calories while intervals (e.g. 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow) will increase your anaerobic fitness.

Sprints – Cardio Workouts For Men – Number 2

sprinting is a very manly form of cardio; just imaging you are chasing down some game or making a run for glory on the rugby pitch. Sprints build muscle, strip fat and will get you fit in double-quick time. Try this sprinting workout…

Sprint out 25 meters – walk back to recover
Sprint out 50 meters – walk back to recover
Sprint out 75 meters – walk back to recover
Sprint out 100 meters – walk back to recover
Sprint out 75 meters – walk back to recover
Sprint out 50 meters – walk back to recover
Sprint out 25 meters – walk back to recover

Rest three minutes and repeat.

Circuit training – Cardio Workouts For Men – Number 3

instead of doing straight sets of your strength training exercises, organize your workout into a circuit to get a cardio benefit from non-cardio exercises. Not only does circuit training crank up your heart and breathing rate, it is also very time efficient as you eliminate the vast majority of your between-sets rest periods. While circuit training commonly uses high reps and low to moderate weights this needn’t be the case – you can also use heavy weights and low reps so you build strength with your fitness.

High rep squats – Cardio Workouts For Men – Number 4

load up a bar with a decent amount of weight and then start squatting. Try and crank out 20-reps without pausing. On completion check your heart rate and you can all but guarantee it’ll be higher than it normally gets when you do your regular cardio. High rep squats are man makers as well as muscle builders and are not for the faint of heart but they certainly deliver results. Try and see how many times you can squat your bodyweight in ten-minutes for a real man-sized cardio workout.

Rowing – Cardio Workouts For Men – Number 5

Of all the cardio machines at the gym, the rower is arguably the best one for most men. Rowing is a full body activity that requires upper and lower body strength and the slow, powerful tempo makes it an ideal fit for manly cardio. If running isn’t for you and track sprints bother your knees or hips, a rower could very well be the answer to your fitness prayers as, being low impact, it’s suitable for virtually every exerciser.

Sledgehammer training – Cardio Workouts For Men – Number 6

take an old SUV tire and lay it on its side. Next, take a regular sledgehammer and hit the wall of your tire 20 to 30 times as hard and as fast as you can. Stop and check your heart rate – it’s going to be significantly elevated! Take a brief rest and repeat. Hitting a tire with a sledgehammer is a uniquely satisfying cardio workout – how often do you get to hit stuff and not get into trouble for doing it? If regular cardio leaves you cold, try sledgehammer training.

Heavy carries – Cardio Workouts For Men – Number 7

weighted carries are great for developing fitness and strength simultaneously and there are so many variations that your workouts need never be boring. Grab a heavy sandbag, shoulder a loaded barbell, hold a dumbbell or pair dumbbell at your side or overhead, sling a partner over your shoulder, put on a heavy rucksack…just pick something heavy up and walk with it.  Go for time or distance, vary the weight and the training implement and you have a virtually unlimited number of weighted carry workouts. Weighted carries are a great way to finish your regular gym workout.

Big biceps are great but if your heart is the size of a sparrow’s, you are doing yourself a large disservice. Cardio in the traditional sense may not be your cup of tea but skipping your cardio could be doing you a lot of harm. Man up and do your cardio but skip the group exercise classes – do one of these manly cardio workouts instead.

Breaking Though Your Plateau with Progressive Overload

You were making great progress in the gym, getting bigger, stronger and dropping that body fat percentage – then it all stopped…time to introduce you to the concept of progressive overload.  In short, progressive overload is the addition of new or increased stimulus to the body in order to keep it adapting. 

Your body fundamentally gains muscle as a defensive mechanism, i.e. your body is placed under stress and responds by changing itself to better handle that stress.  In the case of bodybuilding, your body is adapting to increased stress by increasing the cross sectional area, a.k.a. size of the muscle.  However, once your body has adapted to that stress it will no longer need to change or grow, so if you keep training with the same resistance week in week out, don’t expect to get any bigger.  This article will explore not only the science behind progressive overload, but also how you can apply it, how you can incorporate it into your current workout, and a real workout example to get you started on the road to constant muscle gain.

The Science behind Progressive Overload

The idea of pushing your body harder in order to continually adapt is not a new one, and has been present in warriors and athletes dating back thousands of years.  The phrase Progressive Overload Principle, however, is actually a fairly modern invention, dating back to Doctor Thomas Delorme and his rehabilitative treatment of soldiers following world war two.  He believed that the backlog of rehabilitative patients in the hospital to which he was assigned was not just due to massive demand, but also due to inefficient methods of rehabilitation.  As a result of this belief, Delorme began testing new principles to speed up the recovery of rehabilitative patients.  His testing was a great success, and his new methodology became known as the Progressive Overload Principle.

The principle, as mentioned above, is simply that more stimulation needs to be added to the body on a regular basis in order for it to maintain its adaptive processes.  To give a very basic example, say you were squatting around 110lb for three sets of ten repetitions.  You would begin and likely find the set challenging, but over a few weeks your body would adapt until you began to find it much easier.  At this point your body will not grow stronger using these training parameters, and so they must be changed.  You could, then, decide to aim for twelve repetitions using the same weight, or simply to add a small amount of weight to your squat, bringing it up to 115lb for example.

The benefit of progressive overload is that you will continue to get bigger, stronger or fitter depending on the training variables you have manipulated.  Without progressive overload your progress will halt, you will not pass go, and you will not collect $200, it’s as simple as that.

As far as studies go into the subject of progressive overload, it is best to start where it all began, with none other than Thomas Delorme and Arthur Watkins’ Technics of Progressive Resistance exercise, released in May 1948.  The text is not a study in the modern sense in the word, it is not focussed on analysing results or drawing broader inferences, rather it is a text aimed explicitly at demonstrating how best to apply progressive resistance in a rehabilitative capacity.  More recent studies have only served to further demonstrate the beneficial effects of progressive resistance training.  BW Craig’s study found that progressive resistance training had a positive impact on growth hormone and testosterone levels in both young and elderly subjects, with a much more noticeable increase in the younger (age 20-25) subjects, for more information check out:

Craig BW¹, Brown R, Everhart J., ‘Effects of progressive resistance training on growth hormone and testosterone levels in young and elderly subjects.’

JE Layne’s study found that Progressive Resistance training had a positive impact on bone density, making it especially useful within rehabilitative circles and for combating the effects of osteoporosis as we age.  For more on this see:

Layne JE, Nelson ME., ‘The effects of progressive resistance training on bone density: a review. Med Sci Sports Exercise 1999 Jan; 31(1):25-30.

And last, though certainly not least, BS Cheema’s study found that progressive overload training had noticeable positive effects on muscular hypertrophy, muscular strength and health related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease.  For more information have a look at:

Cheema BS, Chan D, Fahey P, Atlantis E., ‘Effect of progressive resistance training on measures of skeletal muscle hypertrophy, muscular strength and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.’ Sports Med. 2014 Aug;44(8):1125-38. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0176-8.

To summarise, then, progressive overload based training programmes have been shown to increase testosterone, growth hormone, bone density, muscle size and muscle strength in young, old, healthy and health impaired subjects.

Practical applications of using progressive overload training

Now that you know more about Progressive Overload as a process, you’re probably wondering how to put it into practice in the real world.  Luckily this is fairly straightforward and comes down to manipulating certain variables involved in the process of training.  The five main variables that can be manipulated are as follows:

Load: In order to apply progressive overload in this sense, you would add an additional amount of weight or resistance to the exercise in question

Volume: To progress volume you would increase the total amount of repetitions or sets completed in a workout

Density: This is all about rest intervals, if rest is reduced then the same volume of exercise is fitted into a smaller timeframe, making the overall session more difficult.

Frequency: Here you would be keeping the same volume or load, but training that volume or load much more regularly across the week.

Intensity of Effort: Although intensity is usually expressed in relation to your one rep maximum, it can also be increased through a better focus on controlled form, or through utilising more advanced training methods such as rest pause, negatives and forced repetitions.

In order to achieve progressive overload you can choose to progress according to one of these principles, or according to multiple principles in combination.  The next section will go into greater detail about how to choose which variables to overload.

Getting the most out of your current workout with progressive overloading

If you’re not already incorporating progressive overload (many of us do so without even realising that we are doing so!) then you need to start doing so as soon as possible.  Moreover, even if you are using the progressive overload principle, there is always room to more intelligently organise and structure your training in order to achieve better results.

There are, of course, a few factors to take into account when deciding on the best way to apply progressive overload to your own training.  The most important of these factors is training level, i.e. whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced lifter*.  A beginner level lifter will want to keep their overload choices as simple as possible, pick one variable and stick to it for as many weeks as possible until progress starts to diminish.  As a beginner you do not want to be over-complicating your training, keep things simple and you will enjoy the best results of your entire training career.  If you’re a more experienced lifter then you may have to look at ways of incorporating multiple overload variables in order to maintain progress, and the more experienced you get the more sophisticated your programming of these variables must become.

To give a brief example, a beginner lifter on a three day per week full body workout programme could apply progressive overload based purely on load.  They should be able to add weight or resistance to the bar every single week providing their nutrition is acceptable.  An intermediate lifter, however, might have to increase their frequency to four days per week and increase their volume in order to see their progress maintained.

Another important factor when applying progressive overload to your workout is your training goal.  If your goal is to gain muscle, for instance, then you should be aiming to progressively overload volume until your repetitions begin to exceed twelve, at which point you would add a little more resistance and then begin again with progressing volume.  As an extension of this, there would not be much point for a bodybuilder to keep adding load if they were only ever performing five or fewer repetitions.

To summarise, then, applying progressive overload to your own workout programme will depend largely on your training level and on your training goal.  Aim to keep your overload as simple and as specific as possible for as long as possible in order to maximise your results!

*There are no set rules as to what constitutes a beginner, intermediate or advanced lifter as you can theoretically be lifting for years and still be a beginner in terms of muscle and strength gain.  As a guideline, though, an intermediate lifter is someone who has pretty much exhausted their potential using a three day full body style training programme such as a classic body part split or a 5×5 strength programme.  An advanced lifter will typically be someone who has exhausted most of their programming options as an intermediate and needs more complex periodization to allow for recovery.  Remember, less is more, and you will make slower progress on more advanced workouts, so keep things simple as long as possible.

Progressive overload programme example:

The following programme three days per week and trains the whole body in each session.  It is intended for someone training at a beginner level with the goal of gaining as much muscle mass as possible.  It is divided into four weeks with progressive overload of volume applied (occasionally assisted by an increase in load.)  All exercises are performed using a load that is 70% of an estimated one rep maximum.  For a quick tool to help you with this check out: http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html

 

Week One:                               

Workout A:

Back Squat                         4 sets of 8 reps

Chest Press                        3 sets of 8 reps

Barbell Row                       3 sets of 8 reps

              

Workout B: Lunge          3 sets of 8 reps

Shoulder Press                 3 sets of 8 reps

Romanian Deadlift          3 sets of 8 reps

 

Week Two:

Workout A:

Back Squat                         4 sets of 10 reps

Chest Press                        3 sets of 10 reps

Barbell Row                       3 sets of 10 reps

 

Workout B: Lunge          3 sets of 10 reps

Shoulder Press                 3 sets of 10 reps

Romanian Deadlift          3 sets of 10 reps

 

 

Week Three:

Workout A:

Back Squat                         4 sets of 12 reps

Chest Press                        3 sets of 12 reps

Barbell Row                       3 sets of 12 reps

 

Workout B: Lunge           3 sets of 12 reps

Shoulder Press                 3 sets of 12 reps

Romanian Deadlift          3 sets of 12 reps

 

Week Four:

Since you want to be training with 8-12 repetitions for maximum size gains, it makes no sense to keep adding repetitions.  Instead you would re-calculate your new one rep max based on week three’s totals and begin the programme at week one but using a slighter greater resistance.

Follow this programme of progressive overload alongside a good quality nutritional plan (remember that muscles grow when you rest and recover) and you should be well on your way to some serious and, most importantly, non-stop muscle growth.