"Body Sculpting" by Denis Pedneault

#7: Building the Back

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Written by Denis Pedneault Denis Pedneault

Created: 15 December 2008 15 December 2008

Q: Denis,

Thank you for the informative articles. They are some of the best I have ever read. I have a question about training the back muscles. I usually can't feel the back muscles when I train them like I feel other muscles in my body. For example, my biceps burn when I train them hard, but my back never does. My back muscles also don't develop the same. What can you suggest?

Thank you,

. . . Tom Ainsley

A: Hi Tom,

Thanks again for the comment about my articles. I know I say this every time, but I really appreciate it when people tell me that I helped them in the pursuit of their objectives.

Your question is very interesting, as many bodybuilders experience a lot of trouble developing their back adequately. The main reasons for this are lack of knowledge of anatomy and minimal understanding of the biomechanics of the human body. A lot of trainers and so-called fitness "experts" think they know their anatomy until you start using specific terms; you then quickly realize their limitations, and it’s amazing how fast you lose them! They prefer to go with intuition rather than investigation and rarely do they use a really scientific and logical approach, which is what kinesiology (the science of human movement) is all about.

To answer your question, I will illustrate my point by analyzing one of the problems many bodybuilders face (even at the professional level): let’s call it the "high lats" problem. To clarify -- the situation is that they will say that a certain bodybuilder will have "high lats" because the muscle belly under the armpit won’t go as low on the sides as that of a bodybuilder with a very great "V" shape (taper). They will then assume that the guy has either "higher lat attachment" or, even worse, that he has to train his "lower lats" more to overcome the problem. Well, this clearly shows that these guys have no idea what they’re talking about and need to go back to school if they want to be called "professionals." I’m sorry but it’s true.

Doug Schneider once sent me a copy of some of Vince Gironda’s articles. He did so because he told me that my articles (and my thinking) reminded him of the way Vince wrote. As I was reading the material, I quickly realized what he meant. Like me, Vince thought that you can literally "sculpt" your physique as long as you really understand how the human body works, and in order to do that successfully you need to be specific and severe about exercise form. Interestingly, he particularly referred to the chin-up as an example to illustrate his point. I found this amusing, as I do use this very example a lot with my students and in my seminars, so I will cover it once again but for the first time in an article. (Keep on reading as this may change the way you look at your exercises.) We will, thus, take the chin-up as an example.

In my previous articles, I was a bit worried about going too deep into details. But this time, I have no choice but to get even deeper in kinesiology terminology (this means though that you get a free functional anatomy crash course). I will try to simplify as much as I can, but you may need to refer to an anatomy book.

First with the big news: there’s no such thing as "high" or "low" lats as the muscle insertions are the same for everyone (with maybe some few pathological exceptions). If you are suspicious, open any book on anatomy and see for yourself. Now, I know some will tell you (as an excuse) that there’s always a genetic factor that comes into play (of course), but rather than just comparing yourself to others, you can always improve your own body composition by carefully selecting and performing your exercises. Personally, I’ve been training for 15 years and I still I feel my back muscles after every workout, and most of the time I’m even sore for 2-3 days.

Here’s the real picture: the fact is that there are two distinct muscles under the armpit that create that "V" shape: the teres major and the latissimus dorsi. The teres major is a single-joint muscle that connects your humerus (arm) directly to the scapula. It is thus only responsible for movements at the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder (movements of the arm). The latissimus dorsi inserts around the same place on the humerus, but covers the lumbar region and the lower half of the thoracic region by stretching all the way down to the sacrum making it the largest muscle of the upper body (isn’t that low enough?). Those two muscles execute the same movements at the glenohumeral joint: medial (inward) rotation, adduction, and extension of the arm. The only difference between the two is that only the latissimus dorsi expands outside the scapula and is thus also responsible for the depression (lowering) of the shoulder and lordosis (arching) of the lumbar spine (lower back).

One thing people don’t realize is that the teres major comprises much of the muscle volume you see right under the armpit, because at this point the latissimus dorsi is nothing but a thin layer of muscle fibres, as it has to circumvent the teres major and insert in front of it on the arm. This means that the bulk of the teres major is more related to shoulder width, and the straight line of the latissimus dorsi has more to do with a linear "V" shape. All this information should already give you a hint about what you need to do to overcome the above problem. But let’s go further in our analysis.

At first, make sure that you don’t have posture issues. If you’re like most bodybuilders out there, you probably don’t do any really specific stretching for the anterior region (mainly pectoralis major and serratus anterior) and can’t manage to open your rib cage efficiently. If you have restricted range of motion and can’t open the front of your body thoroughly, it will be impossible for you to successfully contract your back muscles. That’s a major factor people never consider right there.

Here’s another important principle. To better isolate a muscle you have two options: either you choose to respect its vector (line of fibres) by doing the exact movement it is responsible for, or you choose to bring that particular muscle (or group of muscle fibres) into its fully stretched position, forcing it to react and become the primary mover. By the way, research showed that stretching plays a major role in muscle hypertrophy. This means that selecting the chin-up with a supinated (underhand) grip in the first place will have better targeted the two muscles, because doing so will have brought a better stretch by placing the arm in maximal flexion and lateral rotation (opposite of extension and medial rotation).

You must also take into account that a single-joint muscle is usually stronger than a multi-joint one and that the body will always use its best player(s) to get the job done when performing an exercise. Basically, this means that every time you do a pulling exercise, there’s a good chance that the teres major muscle will do most of the work at the shoulder joint. You see where I’m heading to? This situation will never allow the latissimus dorsi to be fully stimulated unless you bring a slight "twist" to your exercise, which would be to either elevate the scapula (shoulder) and/or bring your lower back in kyphosis in the stretch position. This will bring the muscle into its fully stretched position and force it to react. For the upward motion, instead of pulling dominantly with your arms (like most guys you’ll see in the gym), start by pulling your shoulders down and roll them backward as you try to bring your elbows back and close to your body (extension and adduction of the arm). Once at the top, voluntarily open your chest and arch your back to further bring the latissimus dorsi into its fully contracted position (lordosis). To make it easier for you to understand, I made some drawings to illustrate this particular motion:

Start

On the left, the picture illustrates the way most people start the motion at the bottom position, with arms fully straight and shoulders down. The teres major is highlighted because much of the movement is performed at the glenohumeral joint. To really stretch all the fibres of the latissimus dorsi, you need to slowly go deeper into the stretch by allowing an elevation of the scapula to a point where you literally feel "trapped" between your shoulders (under control, of course). It is at this point that you could get an even better stretch by rounding your lower back (kyphosis).

Finish

Here again on the left, you see the usual way people end the chin-up with the bar as close as possible to the chest. On the right, is the movement you should be doing past this point, where you slightly bend backward in a circular way, bringing the lower back into an exaggerated lordosis (arch). Stop that motion when you really feel the contraction low in the back. You want to really focus on your back, so don’t strive to pull with your arms either; just think about bringing your elbows together behind your back to force the adduction.

You should be conscious of all the phases of the exercise as you perform it, which means neither bouncing nor swinging. If you don’t pay attention to those details when performing a chin-up (or any back exercise for that matter), then you’re probably one of those bodybuilders who have great shoulder width but complain about their "V" shape, which you now know is in almost every case an overdeveloped teres major as opposed to an under-stimulated latissimus dorsi.

Remember that the back comprises many muscle groups that work in different ways. This was just an example for one vertical motion for the back muscles. To fully develop your physique, you would have to apply the same logic to all the movements that work the muscles of your back. Think about the difference it would make if you did this to all your exercises. Look around and you’ll rarely see people actually paying attention to any of these details, which is why a lot of people have trouble developing a well-balanced physique.

Concentration is another factor you need to consider. When training your back, you really need to be focused as you don’t actually see the muscles working. The most you can do is "feel" them and the chin-up is really the best exercise you can do for your back. One of the reasons is that the function of the latissimus dorsi is to maintain the stability of the glenohumeral joint when the humerus is hanging. By selecting the chin-up instead of an exercise like the pulldown machine, you will have made a better choice, because having to hold your bodyweight onto the bar will activate that muscle even more. By the way, don’t use the gravitron machine (the one with the lever that helps you with supporting weights) as it takes most of the eccentric mechanical stress and, incidentally, your much anticipated results away! The eccentric part of the exercise plays a critical role in hypertrophy. I even suggest that you use heavy weights (that you can still handle properly) when training your back to increase the negative part of the exercise. I also have all of my clients pause for a second or two at the top and at the end of the movement to fully contract or stretch the targeted muscles.

I think the only other exercise that can come close to the chin-up in terms of stimulation and results is the upside-down row. You don’t see that one performed very often and I think the only time I saw it was in Vince’s books. I use it a lot in my own training and it’s definitely my favourite back exercise. I would be more than pleased to discuss it in detail but I think that’s enough for now with the quick functional anatomy crash course. Maybe in another article.

Have a nice time training!

Sincerely,

. . . Denis Pedneault, Canadian Champion 2005, 2006

#9: On Competing Again

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Written by Denis Pedneault Denis Pedneault

Created: 15 April 2009 15 April 2009

Q: Hi Denis,

I saw that you competed in the Arnold Amateur and the Canadian National Natural Physique Championships, winning the Canadian one.

How did it feel to compete again? Did you do anything different for these competitions than before? When do you plan to compete again?

. . . Todd Rickler

A:

Hi Todd,

Competing after two years away from the stage was strange for me because I had never taken a break before, and I must admit that I was a bit worried about my condition before the contest. Whenever I get ready for a show, I look at the photographs of myself on the wall at my gym and tell myself: "This is the guy I have to beat!" That’s what bodybuilding really is: surpassing yourself and yourself alone. Although you will be compared to others onstage, you can only make the most of your own attributes. So there I was, looking at my pictures and marveling at the condition I was able to attain in 2006. Then I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered whether I would be able to get into better shape or not. I’m a highly competitive guy, and although I usually succeed in what I do, I’m never completely satisfied until I see the end result of my efforts. I knew I would come in bigger, but would I come in better condition?

This year is going to be special for me because I had a guest posing this past November (and thus had to be in condition) and then did two contests in a row this spring, the Arnold Amateur and the Canadian Natural Physique Championships. I have to stay in shape right now because I have another guest posing coming up in May and I might get involved in some photo shoots. Only after this will I have a short break before the IFBB World Championships at the end of the year. So, as you can see, this is going to be a very long year for me. However, being on a diet is easy for me, and I like to see myself in condition so it’s not going to be that painful (at least in my mind!).

I really enjoyed my comeback: the feeling of being backstage, the thrill, meeting new people, and bumping into old friends. Bodybuilding is a small world and it is fun to compare notes and stay in contact with the people you meet over time. For example, doing the Canadian Natural Physique Championships gave me the chance to meet up again with my 2006 rival, John Raposo (in photo right). John exemplifies the kind of man and athlete for whom I have the highest respect. He introduced me to his family, we chatted and had some fun backstage, and then we both won our respective categories again. Congratulations on your win, John, and I’ll be more than glad if I’m still in the shape you’re in when I hit my own 50s!

The reason why I took a break from competition is that once you’re competing at an international level, it gets harder to place well (especially if you’re a lifetime drug-free athlete and other people are willing to do anything to win). It’s even more important to pay attention to details and work on every weak point your body seems to present onstage. In my case, what I needed in order to be competitive against the top five in the world was more upper body mass, especially in the arms, back and shoulders. After 15 years of training, it takes time to see significant improvements and that was too much to expect to achieve in just six months, so I took two years off. (Since it takes six months just to get back into shape for a contest, one has to factor that time into one's  off-season training.) Although I was reticent at first because I love being onstage, it turned out to be a very wise decision. I really feel my physique is getting fuller and better proportioned. Below is a little montage I did where you can see me at my three national-level wins (2005, 2006 and 2009). I think you’ll agree that the increase in muscle density in my upper body is quite noticeable.

2005, 2006, 2009

My main concern right now is the condition I will be able to maintain until the world championships, mostly in terms of muscle mass. As a natural athlete, it is hard enough to maintain lean bodyweight while preparing for a contest; it’s even harder to maintain it over an extended period of time. When you’re "clean," there are no short cuts. You need to be very conscientious and meticulous in your planning. Saving my energies and being at my best for the world championships is my main goal this year. I wasn’t really worried about winning my class at the Canadian Natural Physique Championships and I did the Arnold Amateur just for the fun of it, so I didn’t go overboard for these two contests. I was going to see the Arnold Classic pro contest with a couple of friends anyway, so being two weeks short from my contest shape for the Canadian Natural Physique Championships (and being entitled to compete at that level), I said "Why not step onstage?" (If I remember correctly, I think Doug Schneider was the one who got me into this in the first place.) That’s why, even though I still placed second at the Arnold Amateur, I simply wasn’t "hard" enough and didn’t win my class there. The Arnold also gave me another chance to meet and talk to incredible people such as my idol Frank Zane (in photo right). That kind of experience has no price.

Even at the Nationals, I knew I wasn’t at my peak (about 1-2 weeks from it) because, like I said, this is going to be a busy year for me and I want to do well and I sure didn’t want to exhaust myself. Nevertheless, since I had the opportunity, I allowed myself some leeway to try different things in my preparation; here are some examples:

High volume

Usually I don’t like to prescribe high-volume routines because I believe quality is always superior to quantity. The only time I permit myself to increase the volume of my training is when I prepare for a contest and want to get more shredded. In order to do that, I took some ideas from Steve Holman, Vince Gironda and Charles Poliquin and created a new program. (I love to work my mind and manipulate conceptual ideas). To sum it up, I used a T/NT (traumatic/non-traumatic) approach combining techniques like unilateral, bilateral and alternated sets, as well as strategies like 5x5s and 10x10s, all mixed up in a two-week, cycled program of either bodyweight, dumbbell or cable exercises. We also trained each body part twice a day, the morning workout being the traumatic one and the evening being some sort of a feeder workout. Again, when you don’t use drugs, you have to carefully cycle your workouts when designing an integrated program that combines intensity and volume, because you don’t want to overtrain and lose preciously earned muscle. I can say, though, that this one worked amazingly. I have a very physical job (kinesitherapy), I was on a strict diet, and I was working out 10 times a week (for 45-60 minutes each workout) and still the weight increased steadily until the final week. Everything went as I planned and, in fact, it worked so well it was the first time I was worried about making my weight class. Of course, I credit some part of that success to my supplementation plan, because even with all that physical stress I imposed to my body, I didn’t get sick the whole winter (remember I live in Quebec!). That proves that even if you don’t use drugs, you can achieve amazing things if you plan everything carefully.

Indirect and frequent training

To improve my arms, I used what I like to call indirect training. Remember that the body adapts specifically to the mechanical stimulus (stress) that is put on it. That means that if you train a certain body part more often, the body will react and increase its muscle size accordingly. This will only happen, though, if recovery time is allowed. To do this, I specifically selected my exercises so that every day I would hit my arms indirectly even if I was focusing on another body part that day. That was in addition to the actual "arm day" that was at the end of each week (Friday). This method seemed to work pretty well, as my arms are a lot fuller than they used to be and, for the first time in my life, I was finally getting attention because of my arms rather than my legs. It’s always a delight when you are complimented on a body part. Here's a funny little story about that: While I was at the Arnold Expo, I happened to run into a great guy, Roland Kickinger (in photo right), the guy they chose to play Arnold in the movie See Arnold Run, and the first thing he said to me when I shook his hand was, "Nice set of guns; I like that!" So I guess I’m not the only one who noticed the change.

Bodyweight movements

I had to find ways to improve the overall structure of my upper body (particularly the scapular region). I love gymnastics; I personally think it’s the discipline that exemplifies best the overall ability of the musculoskeletal system. When I want a result, I look at the people who seem to get that result and try to discover some tips I could use. So, last year I was looking at the Olympic gymnasts and was amazed by the incredible density of their upper bodies. I asked myself what might a gymnast do to get an upper body like that and the answer was simple: bodyweight movements. There is truth in the old saying "the body becomes its function" as it’s only logical that if you constantly force the body to stabilize the shoulder joint while hanging onto a bar it will force it to adapt and overdevelop all the muscles surrounding the upper limb. For a gymnast that may mean more ability, but to my ears that meant a wider "V" taper and bigger arms. I’ve always known the value of bodyweight exercises and used them a lot in my workouts, but I never really made them the core of one of my programs. Boy, did it work! You couldn’t believe the pumps we were getting while training; I felt like there was not enough space left for my humeral bone in my shoulder joint. It completely changed the way my upper body looks and all the feedback I got this year was referring to my unmatched proportions. I really think bodyweight moves are underrated and should be used more often by bodybuilders.

Change in training partner

My girlfriend Marie-Pier Blais (in photo right) is my actual training partner (yes, a girl!), and she is just unbelievable. Marie-Pier is an ex-sprinter and she likes challenges. She followed me in everything I did, as she was preparing for the Nationals too (as a figure competitor) and needed to improve her taper. I’ve never seen a girl train like her; she was so determined and intense, her physique was changing every week. Training with someone who forces you to surpass yourself is the best motivation a bodybuilder can have when preparing for a contest. Remember when I said I’m a competitive kind of guy? Well, seeing her getting in condition so quickly made me push even harder in order to catch up. I was so impressed; she drove me like nobody had done before. Think of it. On a particular day, we would get up early in the morning and go to the gym to perform 10 sets of 10 of either pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, push-ups, inverted rows and/or inverted push-ups (straight upside-down on your hands). My girlfriend didn’t really have a great upper body when I met her, but I can assure you that she had the best back pose in the whole line-up at the Nationals and it didn’t surprise me that she had won the overall at her first show a few months before. I’m sure you can count on one hand the women who can actually chin themselves a hundred times (and I do mean real chins and pulls) three times a week on a restricted diet. I have no choice but to credit her with the motivation she gave me for this contest preparation.

Frequent massage therapy

My girlfriend and I both have master degrees in kinesiology-kinesitherapy. That’s great because we can take care of each other to make sure training conditions and recovery are optimal. She treated me with massage therapy on a weekly basis all the way to the contest and it was the first time, even with the very high volume and intensity of our training routine, that I didn’t have all the little discomforts I usually have when preparing for a contest. That’s incredible because, for me, staying healthy is as important as, if not more than, competing itself. This aspect, often forgotten, is of prime concern, because only when the body mechanics are functional can the training and results be optimal. I strongly recommend that any serious bodybuilder get some kind of massage therapy at least on a monthly basis.

No cardio

One particular thing I tried this time was to keep cardio to the minimum. I attended a seminar by Charles Poliquin and he repeatedly said that he never gives cardio to any of his clients and yet they all seem to be in condition (according to his words). When you think about it, it’s a fact that bodybuilders rarely do cardio for the upper body and they still get ripped in those areas, so why not try the same for the lower body and only do short but more frequent workouts? So I gave it a try. To be honest, that one didn’t really pay off, and everybody told me that my legs (which are supposed to be my strong point) were softer than usual at the Arnold and that I would have won if I had been in better condition. After the Arnold, I thought about it for a while, and although I must admit that my legs looked fuller than usual, they looked kind of engorged, weren’t as vascular, and the skin wasn’t as thin as it used to be in my previous contests (when I was doing cardio).

I remembered the functional adaptation process and did the same thing I did with the gymnasts and asked myself: "What kind of athlete’s leg development would I like to have?" Have you ever seen a cyclist’s legs? I think that regular cardio offers many advantages: it works the cardiovascular system to a greater extent than weight training alone; it helps improve circulation and gets rid of any edema in the lower limbs; and it increases the action of the capillaries, giving you big, striated and vascular legs. This is what I did the last time at the world championships in 2006 and I was said to have the best set of legs in the line-up. After the Arnold I had a two-week window until the Canadian Natural Physique Championships, so I got back on the cycle machine for just 30 minutes for 10 days and the difference was astonishing. Want to know something else? I’ve been doing cardio five days a week since (for only 15 minutes), and my legs are even better as I’m writing this than they were at both shows. What I always knew but now more clearly realize is that being cut is one thing, but being cut and ready for a bodybuilding contest is something else.

In my last article, I pointed out that bodybuilding is more an art than a sport – it is the only discipline in which how you look actually counts. Athletes and bodybuilders are apples and oranges; so if you’re a bodybuilder, I say stick with the cardio if you want to beat everyone in the leg department, period.

I hope this article is interesting and that it gives you some worthwhile tips. I think the take-home message here is that there are no bad experiences, just experiences! Just remember the old saying: live and learn.

Good luck in your own success!

. . . Denis Pedneault, Canadian Champion 2005, 2006

#8: On Strength

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Written by Denis Pedneault Denis Pedneault

Created: 15 February 2009 15 February 2009

Q: Hi Denis,

How important is strength when it comes to bodybuilding? Will I always get stronger as I improve? Or is it possible that I can improve my muscles and not increase my strength? I am interested in your opinion on this.

Thank you,

. . . Charles Rolain

A: Hi Charles,

To me, bodybuilding is more an art than a sport. Don’t get me wrong: bodybuilding does involve physical activity like other sports, but there is no strenuous exercise during the performance. The proof is that a lot of bodybuilders aren’t really in shape at all. (I have seen many who having trouble just walking or breathing!) The usual athlete uses weight training to improve his performance, while the bodybuilder uses it to "shape" the appearance of his physique which he will have to present onstage via a performance that is closer to a demonstration than a sporting activity.

On the stage, you’ll be judged on the way you look, not on your lifts. I often compare bodybuilding to sculpture; exercise is your tool and your own body is your medium. That’s why I give exercise form and selection an important place in my training programs. A great bodybuilder really is a "living" work of art, and when I look back at the "golden age" of bodybuilding, it is how it was conceived. That’s why everyone can weight train, but not everyone can be a bodybuilder, as genetics and talent aren’t equal among people. And among those who aspire to be bodybuilders, only the ones with the talent and that sense of perfection will be successful.

As an athlete who trains with weights, I do want to get stronger. But as a bodybuilder, my primary goal is to sculpt my body through exercise and then do an exhibition in front of a crowd that has probably paid to see what I’ve accomplished. As the years go by, I do see a progression in my strength, but the biggest changes are in the way my physique looks, and that’s how I want it to be.

To the bodybuilder, improvement is the primal factor. To make improvements, you need to seek for progression. That means that you should aim for a progression in the weight you work with, using strict form, but you should never compromise good form for more weight. I recommend to all my clients to write down their weights and their reps on every set. That helps them to keep track of their progress and gives them objective data to judge if they are allowed, or not, to increase the load at the next workout. Thus, their progression is not based on intuition but, rather, on a logical approach in which they evaluate their results with reliable facts. Here’s an example of how I make sure my clients improve:

Let’s say I give you three sets of bench press of six to nine reps. On your training sheet, you won’t have one line saying: bench press, 3 x 6-9. What you will see is a full line for each set where you will have to record the reps you did on each set, which should be between six and nine. The weight you will use should challenge you to execute the predicted number of reps on all three sets. If you do nine reps on the first set, eight on the second and six on the last one, you have the correct weight because you are between six and nine on each set. However, your goal is to be able to complete all three sets of nine. If you did your nine reps on all sets, but you had to stop every time, rack the bar, catch your breath, grab it again, in order to finish those nine reps, you haven’t quite made it. The number you did the first time before you stopped is the number you write on the line and you work to get as close to nine as possible without stopping. This technique will force your body to adapt and make progress. Only the day you can perform the indicated number of reps (or are very close to it) on all your sets is when you can increase the weight. As a result, on every workout either your reps or your weights are progressing. Here’s an example of what it could look like over the weeks:

EXERCISE	SETS/REPS	WEEK 1	WEEK 2	WEEK 3	WEEK 4
Bench Press	1 x 6-9	9 x 125 lbs	9 x 125 lbs	9 x 125 lbs	9 x 130 lbs
Bench Press	1 x 6-9	8 x 125 lbs	8 x 125 lbs	9 x 125 lbs	8 x 130 lbs
Bench Press	1 x 6-9	6 x 125 lbs	7 x 125 lbs	8 x 125 lbs	7 x 130 lbs

Progress is the key and, as you can see, the weight wasn’t increased until after the third week when two sets of nine reps and one set of eight reps were done. Even though nine reps weren’t completed on that final set, that’s close enough. Furthermore, as long as you increase either your reps or your weight on any given exercise, your physique will adapt. In fact, any improvement you achieve will induce a change. Sometimes, I correct the form for one of my clients on an exercise, so that he can feel the working muscle properly, and most of the time he has to drop on the weight he was using. Even if there’s a decrease in the load, just setting that new goal (improving exercise form) will better stimulate the targeted muscle and will constitute an increase in quality of training, which will generate new growth.

It’s true that strength is in some way related to muscle mass, but, like I say repeatedly in my articles, there’s much more to hypertrophy than just pure strength itself. To understand that, you have to consider neurology. The muscle only reacts and adapts in response to neurological stimulation: the better the stimulus gets, the better the results. This can be accomplished by many means other than just increasing the weight on the bar. For example, intensity is a much underrated factor in training. Personally, I believe the reason I get better results than most of the guys in the gym is because of my level of concentration and intensity while training.

You can also use techniques to increase the intensity of your sets in order to bring further growth (giant sets, drop sets, supersets, etc.). Varying your exercises or the rep range for the same exercise constitutes other ways you can go to make improvements, especially when the weight gets too heavy to use with good form on a specific exercise.

Nevertheless, strength is still a factor you can rely on – just don’t stay focused on that issue. For example, I often use it as an indicator to see if my client is making progress or is losing muscle mass while dieting. If he loses weight but strength is still up, then I know he’s not wasting muscle mass; otherwise it would mean that he needs some adjustments in his training. With all that said, remember those two words every time you hit the gym for a workout: intensity and progression.

Remember: Train like a bodybuilder if that’s what you want to be.

Have a nice workout!

Sincerely,

. . . Denis Pedneault, Canadian Champion 2005, 2006

#10: Routine Changes

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Written by Denis Pedneault Denis Pedneault

Created: 15 June 2009 15 June 2009

Q: Hi Denis,

I’ve been doing the same training routine for a long time now. I hear of some people who change their routine almost every workout. Others I know stick with it for months, even years. What’s your opinion on this?

. . . Jim Whelan

A: Hi Jim,

One thing I don’t believe in is that so-called "confusion" principle, where people think they are tricking their body by constantly changing their routine every workout. One of the big mistakes people make is changing their exercises and/or routines too frequently, which prevents them to fully benefit from their program. Training is about progression, and to ensure significant progress you need a plan that will get you where you want to be.

If you want your body to be in constant evolution you need to chose and follow some path or goal. Every time one of my clients comes to me for a new program, I always start from what he has done in the past by asking him what worked well and what didn’t, and then I build from that. That means that most of the exercises comprising the base of his program will stay and some new ones will be incorporated. This will enable him to make steady progress on these exercises while imposing a new stress on his body by learning new ones (forcing adaptation). That way, you don’t have to start all over again every time you change your workout. It also permits you to apply changes without losing the positive neurological adaptation effect you have already gained from performing a specific exercise, because as you get better at it and are able to feel the working muscle more, and/or use heavier weights, you’ll become even more efficient, which will inevitably give you better results.

Changes can (and in my opinion should) be subtle. It could be a slight variation in the rep scheme, a switch in the exercise order, a substitution in exercise category (cables, free weights, bodyweight, machines), or using a different intensification technique (supersets, giant sets, rest/pause, negatives, etc.).

As for the time you should stay on a particular routine, I usually give my clients 8 weeks on a program (12 at most). I tell them to stick with it as long as they see significant results. This period will be immediately followed by a full recovery week of detraining when I have them do whatever they want, as long as it is outside the gym! This phase is necessary if you’re looking for a steady progression and want to avoid injuries and chronic musculoskeletal disorders. It allows better recovery of not only the energetic, hormonal, and musculoskeletal system, but also the neurological system (which takes the longest to recover from cumulative stress).

The time you should stay on the same routine will vary depending on your own ability to adapt (genetics) and the type of routine you are following. For example, someone very experienced will adapt faster than someone who is still learning the proper mechanics of the exercises he’s performing. The same will be true if you’re on a routine that has you perform the same workout every other day (like a push-pull or full body workout), because doing the same workouts more often over the 8-week period will lead to a quicker adaptation than if you use a multi-split routine.

One thing I’ve been recommending for more than a year (for myself and some of my experienced clients) that gives interesting results is using a two-week cycle approach where I make two versions of the routine (often using a traumatic/non-traumatic approach) which I alternate every week. It means that by the end of an 8-week phase, I will have performed each routine four times. I got the idea from reading some of Charles Poliquin’s material. It enables me to cycle the intensity and/or the volume of the same program, ensuring efficient recovery and progress at the same time. This strategy will, of course, allow you to stay longer on the program. To be honest, it has proved to be very effective, but I think it’s more suitable for experienced trainers, so I wouldn’t recommend that kind of approach for a beginner or intermediate who is still adapting to weight training.

As you can see, designing a weight-training program can become a little complex when you’re willing to consider as many factors as possible in order to make it work.

The important factor to consider is progress. As long as you make some, you’re on the way to success.

Have a nice workout!

Sincerely,

. . . Denis Pedneault, Canadian Champion 2005, 2006