Having a little mental block when it comes to training and choosing a program.
I want to follow the rules of Accumulation/Intensification phases for 4-6 weeks. Am I on the right track if I just pick a group of programs (GVT, Split training, OVT, 5x5, HSS-100, etc…) and then just go threw each one, one after the other?
[quote]hell bent wrote:
Having a little mental block when it comes to training and choosing a program.
I want to follow the rules of Accumulation/Intensification phases for 4-6 weeks. Am I on the right track if I just pick a group of programs (GVT, Split training, OVT, 5x5, HSS-100, etc…) and then just go threw each one, one after the other?
[/quote]
I actually don’t like to speak in terms of programs. In my whole life I never followed a program, I always autoregulated. I now regret writing programs, which were basically meant to illustrate a concept.
Before doing ‘a program’. People should learn to autoregulate.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
I actually don’t like to speak in terms of programs. In my whole life I never followed a program, I always autoregulated. I now regret writing programs, which were basically meant to illustrate a concept.
Before doing ‘a program’. People should learn to autoregulate.[/quote]
I’m sure (hopefully) i won’t be the only person that went “What???”
How do you mean autoregulate ?
Without a program i’d be screwed god knows what i’d be doing !
[quote]SmallToBig wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
I actually don’t like to speak in terms of programs. In my whole life I never followed a program, I always autoregulated. I now regret writing programs, which were basically meant to illustrate a concept.
Before doing ‘a program’. People should learn to autoregulate.
I’m sure (hopefully) i won’t be the only person that went “What???”
How do you mean autoregulate ?
Without a program i’d be screwed god knows what i’d be doing ![/quote]
Read this if you haven’t and you will have a better idea of what CT is talking about: Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION
I imagine this is why CT always emphasizes that a trainee’s program or split is not worth obsessing about, as long as it’s not idiotic. Managing fatigue or recovery along with nutrition is more important in the grand scheme of things. I have never followed a “program” either, but I do take advantage of the days when I feel invincible and then rest as long as I need to. CT has done a great job in explaining how important managing fatigue really is, given us a process of activating the nervous system, and regulating our workload based on how we are performing.
[quote]SmallToBig wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
I actually don’t like to speak in terms of programs. In my whole life I never followed a program, I always autoregulated. I now regret writing programs, which were basically meant to illustrate a concept.
Before doing ‘a program’. People should learn to autoregulate.
I’m sure (hopefully) i won’t be the only person that went “What???”
How do you mean autoregulate ?
Without a program i’d be screwed god knows what i’d be doing ![/quote]
Well, I DO have a basic plan and recommend doing so. But I never plan the number of sets and the weight to use for example.
I know, for example, that today I will be working chest and back.
I know that my intensity zone will be 3 reps for the main movements and 5 reps for the auxilary movements.
I know that my primary movement for chest will be a form of pressing and that my main back movement will be a form of chin-up/pull-up.
I know that my auxiliary movement for chest will be another form of pressing, involving less CNS strain and that my auxiliary back movement will be the pullover machine.
I do NOT know how many sets of each I will do. I start each exercise at around 60-70% of my maximum and perform the selected number of reps (3 or 5 in my case). I ramp up the weight at every single set, until I reach the max amount of weight that I can handle for the selected number of reps. When I reach that max weight, I stop the exercise. So I might do 3 sets or I might do 10 depending on how my performance is going.
If after those 4 exercises I still feel energetic, activated and motivated I might add another exercise for each bodypart.
If I don’t feel the muscles while doing an exercise, I change it for another variation or drop the exercise completely.
THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT YOUR BODY WILL BE ABLE TO DO AND WHAT IT WILL NEED TO GROW ON ANY SPECIFIC DAY.
Sure you should have a basic plan, but on every single day you should adjust the program to fit what your body can do and what it needs.
[quote]usctrojansfan wrote:
SmallToBig,
You can always approach your week or month/cycle with a concept in mind or purpose of the training session. Auto regulate is basing the details right when you enter the gym based on how you feel. Check out the most recent article section in TMUSCLE and see Christians interview with Nate Green. He expains it all there.
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Pretty much correct. But it is not really based on how you ‘feel’, but rather on how your body is responding during the session.
[quote]gymnast wrote:
I imagine this is why CT always emphasizes that a trainee’s program or split is not worth obsessing about, as long as it’s not idiotic. Managing fatigue or recovery along with nutrition is more important in the grand scheme of things. I have never followed a “program” either, but I do take advantage of the days when I feel invincible and then rest as long as I need to. CT has done a great job in explaining how important managing fatigue really is, given us a process of activating the nervous system, and regulating our workload based on how we are performing.
[/quote]
Cool to see somebody who gets it!
I had a good trainer 
!!!
Wow thanks for that post seriously just cleared it all up !
Apologies for the time taken, i tend to avoid reading to much about programming or stuff or else my mind goes into overdrive trying to make it better.
So basically:
Have an idea of exercises that work for you
Have an idea of what rep zone you work in
Then ramp up to your top weight if it feels light continue on until you can’t go on
Continue for other exercises.
One final question before i go back into hiding again for 3-6 months with a new program, saves alot of people a whole lot of questions !
In regards to this:
How do you er “feel” your muscles working ?
I know when my biceps are working curling or my CGBP is this only in relation to isolation exercises or do you have pointers to know if the bigger exercises are working for you ?
Thank you for taking the time to outline that, it’s 100% clear now.
Much appreciated, some stuff i read i swear i need to go take several courses to understand what the hell they are saying ! you just broke it down to a few sentences ! Thank you Sir !
Wow i owe an apology… just read your “New Training Questions” seems some people still not got it there.
Even more thanks so for re-typing it in a different fashion.
[quote]gymnast wrote:
I had a good trainer !!![/quote]
There are few and far between… you were lucky
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
gymnast wrote:
I had a good trainer !!!
There are few and far between… you were lucky[/quote]
Very. But your work helps me understand why my training works efficiently. Especially CNS activation, ramping, and auto-regulate. I did that stuff first by guidance and made it a habit, but knowing why that stuff works helps me fine-tune my training on the fly. Plus utilizing common sense during training works too. Now I feel that I can train myself effectively.
About movements that involve less CNS stress - do you mean any movement that allows less weight (overhead press vs incline vs flat bench) or probably any of those perofrmed with dumbells is less taxing ?