Rational Resistance Training

A Tried & Tested Approach to Exercise 30 Years in the Making

Copyright Paul Marsland .

All rights reserved parts of this publication can or should copied or published without the
authors express permission.

Table of Contents
 How it all began.,

The People who Have Influenced Me.

Training With High Intensity Legend Fred Fornicola,

Types of Training Methods I've used pros and cons.

INTENSE REPS How less is More ,

Muscle Function Explained & Optimal Exercise Choice.

Fatigue Rate Testing and its Implications.,

Why a change in Workout Demands and Protocol is essential for longevity.

The 3 Tier Approach to Exercise, Physical, Mental & Spiritual

Workout Design and Sample Routines.

Full Body VS Split Routines Pros & Cons.

How to make one set to failure per exercise work for you.

Myths & Fallacies of Current Exercise Debunked.

Exercise Science Principles Explained.

Understanding the Cardiovascular System & Cardio based Exercise

A Brief Note on Nutrition and Diet

Testimonials

Mike Lipowski President,I.A.R.T./ PURE PHYSIQUE Author and Pro-Natural Bodybuilder

Paul is in a very small class of fitness professionals that has a solid understanding of exercise performance
as both a science and an art, and can break it down to its most fundamental level as well as demonstrate
how it can be applied in the most advanced manner imaginable.

James Biddle, Owner United Exercise

I have been corresponding with Paul now for many years. He is extremely well versed on the subject of
strength training, particularly high intensity style applications. I have no doubt that anyone wishing to
 embark on a strength and conditioning program would get first class advice from Paul, giving them the
best chance of achieving their goals.

Franny Goodrich Author: "Diet, Exercise, & Weight-loss SELF-DEFENSE" "Diet, Exercise, & Weight-
loss Bull**t-Exposed!" Founder: Body Coaches of America (Consumer Protection Group against
fraudulent claims by Fitness and Weight-loss industry)

"It is sad to see the state of strength training these days. For every informed strength professionals out
there, there are 10 others who continue to teach outdated, anecdotal, and non-evidence-based training
protocols. Paul Marsland represents what is "right" in our industry. His years of experience and firm
grasp of strength-training science is refreshing. I would enthusiastically endorse Paul Marsland as a
strength training expert to any organization or group who is seeking a to properly enrich the minds of
their young athletes. I am certain that they will takeaway valuable strength training principles that will
serve them well over the course of their entire athletic career."

Chris Lutz

Paul is a member of my professional network of few individuals who I can really say that I trust and
know what they are doing. I'd gladly recommend Paul and be happy to refer anyone to use his services.

Craig Murway CCS CPT IART Certified Fitness Clinician 2008 Nominee for Trainer of The Year by
Exercisetv.cityvoter.com Director of Training for Prescribed Exercisewww.prescribedexercise.net

When it comes to brief, efficient & truly effective exercise prescription Paul Marsland is second to no one.
He practices what he preaches & he is the genuine article. I recommend his teachings/writings to anyone
who wants to learn the correct way to train.

Joel Waldman owner Belmar Fitness-Iron City Gym since 1972 High Intensity Strength trainer
since 1970

While Paul and I have never met...we have chatted many times online about the parameters of "proper"
strength training. His insights are keen, his practical and theoretical knowledge vast, and he is no
armchair expert as his impressive physique will attest to. He has produced real world results with his hi-
intensity methodology and I highly recommend that if you have the opportunity to see him lecture, move
mountains to attend. Paul is the real deal.

Brandon Schultz, D.C. President, Alignment Is Life Health Center, Inc. Personal Training Program
Coordinator, Pinnacle Career Institute North, Kansas City, MO, USA

I have communicated with Paul for many years. From our discussions, I have come to admire the ability
of Paul to wade through the ideologies in the fitness world and if it "sounds" good but doesn't work, he
quickly discards it. He is a man of integrity because he won't say a word about anything until he has
DONE it himself. I respect Paul's professionalism, his intelligence, and his consistency.

Michael Petrella Owner STG Strength and Power IART MEDX HIT Certified Coach to 39 World
Records in Powerlifting

Paul Marsland is one of the rare few in this industry that is a combination of real world understanding of
 exercise theory and practice, and demonstrated results both in physique and strength. Paul separates
himself from others by being a great teacher of strength training while continuing to be a student of the
practice himself. Anyone interested in strength training, sports development or physique enhancement
would be well advised to listen when Paul speaks"

Prologue
I thought I'd write a book on my experiences through the years, the methods and protocols
I've used, the mistakes I've made and the lessons I've learned. What follows is an accumulation
of thirty years personal experience and knowledge

I hope you like it and gain something from it.

Yours in Training

Paul.

How it all Began

My first memories of training are when my Dad who used to do full contact karate had a
weights set in the garage of our home. It was pretty basic consisting of a multi bench and a
weights set, my Dad had also made his own lat pulldown and low pulley row station from
girders, the weights we used for the weight stack were balancing weights used on elevators,
basic but it worked!

I remember being bored at home one day, I was around 18 years old at the time and was your
typical skinny teenager, so I ventured into the garage to have a play around, I did the usual
bench press and curls, but the feeling I got after doing my first few sets was something special,
it just felt right...the next day I went back and did the same, this continued for about a week. I
was sore to the point I couldn't bend my arms but I loved the feeling, it was like something
inside me clicked, my passion for training was to be ignighted and I've never looked back.

With this new found interest I started buying the muscle magazines and read them over and
over devouring the information they held, I like many other people picked a routine from the
current champ of that time (whose name escapes me now) and started on my first bodybuilding
workout..thinking that If I trained like them I would end up looking them.Not realising at the
time the significance that genetics ultimatlely play.

I can specifically remember one workout, doing 22 sets for my shoulders as for some reason,
they unlike all the other body parts I trained, never got sore. I figured (wrongly) that muscular
 soreness was related to muscular growth. l later learned that it has nothing to do with
muscular growth and that it is purely genetic, i.e. some people get post workout muscle
soreness and some don't, although from a psychological view point it does serve to motivate, as
you feel like you have achieved something worthwhile.

Yet despite doing 22 sets my shoulders were still not sore, however being one of my more
responsive body parts grew in spite of this madness! I continued on this path for a few months
till I came across an interview in the British muscle magazine called Muscle and Co, this was
about 1988. It was by a guy called John Little who was interviewing Mr Universe and Mr
Olympia competitor Mike Mentzer. Mentzer's physique was impressive being both very thickly
muscled and huge! But what struck me most was Mentzers intellect, instead of the usual high
volume and high frequency workouts, he advocated low sets of high intensity effort and
infrequent workouts , he explained in great detail why scientific principles backed him up. I re-
read the article and decided to give this style of training a try, inside the magazine was also an
advert for Mike Mentzers Heavy Duty Journal which I promptly ordered. I waited with
excitement for it to arrive, a couple of weeks later it finally arrived and contained within its
pages was more training information and joy of joys Mentzer's own Mr Olympia workout!

These journals are now considerd a classic especially after Mentzers death in 2000 and fetch
large sums of money on Ebay for original copies. Sadly I lost mine some years ago.

I began in earnest using Mentzers methods and immediately started to see a change in my
physique, much faster than before ( a testament to this day, some 30 years later, I still use high
intensity training but in a style which is tailored to my own specific needs, something I've
learnt through application and experience ) by now I had also began training in a commercial
gym owned by a former Nabba Mr Universe.

I was also, or so I thought an expert on Mike Mentzer and his methods. Two of my friends also
trained there but they used the more popular multi set approach, in contrast I stood out like a
sore thumb and often got quizzical looks as I trained like a mad mad, pushing myself through
those gruelling workouts. I was a high intensity training zealot!

* Side note I've come to learn that such ultra intense and demanding workouts are not desirable, much the
same as workout volume and frequency, more is not better and intensity of effort needs to be regualted in
the same way. More on this later *

One day the gym owner who was very muscular came up-to me while I was training and asked
. What's that type of training you are doing?....I replied High Intensity, its what Mike
Menzter does....he then replied, Do you know Mentzer has never won a bodybuilding
title?....now this was like showing a red rag to a bull, as Mentzer was my hero, I shot back...
Really?? that's funny as he's won both the Mr America and Mr Universe getting a perfect
score...somewhat taken aback by my response, he blurted out You know if you want to build
a big chest, bench press are best...again I shot back...OK, What's the primary function of the
pectorals then?...he couldn't answer and stuttered,... OK smart arse I bet you 3000 that I can
get your friends bigger than you in three months

I accepted his bet and as it turns he fell short on his promise as I was much bigger than my
friends at this point I never did get that 3000. Needless to say I wasn't his most popular
member, but I didn't care... Another time a professional body builder from America called Mike
Quinn was giving a seminar at the same gym, he was huge and very impressive, he talked about
his training and quoted some of his measurements claiming 22 inch arms and 17 inch forearms
amongst others. He then opened the room to questions, upon seeing my hand go up, apparently
the gym owner covered his face with his hands, dreading the worst........ I asked Mike Quinn
what he thought about the likes of Mr Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger training using nautilus
machines and the methods employed by them. . He replied that this was untrue, I countered
him by saying I had books with pictures of Arnold training on said machines, and while I was at
my home I would get a tape measure so we could tape his so called 22 inch arms, if looks could
kill I'd be dead, as he glared at me menacingly and quickly changed the subject. He was still
good enough to pose for a photo with me afterwards though..I later learned a couple of years
later, that he was beaten to within an inch of his life with a metal pole by a Mafioso gangster
outside a bar in Miami and never competed again which was a real shame as he had
tremendous potenial as proffesional bodybuilder.

Whilst training at that gym I met some of the best body-builders of that time, (circa 1989-1990)
guys like Berry Demay, Tom Platz, Rich Gaspari and my favourite Gary Strydom, of whom is still
competing today and looks just as good if not better than he did back then.

I also got to meet former Worlds Strongest Man, Bill Kazamier. I'd watched Worlds Strongest
Man on TV since I was about 13 (and still do to this day and would later in fact train for
Strongman competition) Kazamier was like a grizzly bear everything about him was huge and
his strength was unquestioned, after his seminar he gave a strength demonstration. I can
remember him picking up the heaviest dumbbells are gym had and pressed them overhead like
they were nothing.

A few years later I also got to meet another body-building hero of mine and Mr Olympia winner
Dorian Yates, it was about 1992. Dorian like me was a disciple of high intensity training and
quoted Mike Menter as a major influence, he was proof indeed that with the right genetics
amongst other things, high intensity training worked,with him being the best body-builder in
the world at that time. I'd followed Dorian for years from his early days of winning the British
Championships and obviously knew he was a big guy, but nothing prepared me for seeing him
in real life. I literally could not believe someone could get so big!! He tipped the scales at 300lbs
and still had his abdominals showing...I was literally in a state of shock upon seeing him on
stage. Once over my intital shock, I even managed to get a signed copy of his book which was
available at that time. In the passing of time I somehow managed to lose that autograph and
book...not my best move.

By now I considered myself a fully fledged body-builder and thus decided I was now going to
compete.!!..(god knows what I was thinking at that time) ..so I decided to enter the North West
 Championships and Mr Liverpool, competing in the Under 21 Juniors class. I'd been training
just over 18 months at this time and was still very skinny, I also had no idea how to diet for
these types of contests.

I was to be in for a reality check. I got to the North West and upon checking in backstage could
not believe the size of the competitors in my class, compared to me they were huge. I couldn't
understand it and was downhearted to say the least, never the less I gave it my best and came
fourth out of a class of six.. I was praised for my posing routine though. A few weeks later I
entered the Mr Liverpool and won my class but it was between me and another competitor, but
as I walked off stage trophy in hand, the owner of my gym (Mr anti Mentzer) said, You know
son, if there was a trophy for best posing routine you would have won it hands down, well
done....I was both elated and shocked by his comments. I still have both trophy's from those
contests to this day.

I had initially forbidden my Mum and Dad to come and see me for fear of getting embarrassed ,
but as I left the dressing room, lo and behold there they were, they had sneaked and in and
watched me, that probably explained the loud cheering I could hear from the stands! My Mum,
being my Mum burst into tears and gave me a big hug saying how proud she was of me....If I'm
honest I got quite emotional myself and I'm glad they came to see me. After that though I never
competed again as I was left bewildered why everyone was so much bigger? I was later to learn
why....

As well as competing myself, I used to attend the various contests that some of the other gym
members competed in. I remember one in particular, where about 15 of us had air horns and as
the guy who was competing from on our gym came on stage we let rip, it was so loud you
couldn't even hear his posing music, he completed his routine and left the stage with the air
horns still blasting!! There was also a guy in our gym who was the current Junior Mr Britain, he
was probably one of the most genetically gifted people I've ever seen, for his age he was simply
staggering and looked like a mini professional he was that good, the last I heard of though was
that he had stopped training which is a shame, for him it was probably too easy and he lost
interest. It would seem for those who find building big muscles easy they give it very little
thought while those who are not so fortunate seem to obess over it to the point it can be often
all they think about.

I got to know quite a few of the guys who competed and some became good friends, one in
particular was a guy called Dave Lewis, he was as hardcore as they came and would often give
us tips in the gym. I lost touch with Dave after I left the gym but was to later learn a few years
later he was tragically killed in a motorbike accident in which he lost control, but that was Dave
always living life on the edge.

I carried on training and was making steady progress but noticed I was not gaining in size
anywhere near the rate of the other gym members, now I knew that body builders took steroids
but had no idea just how common or easy to obtain they were. I asked my friends what they
thought as they seem to have gained a lot of size lately and they said if I wanted to try them
 they could put me in touch with someone . I thought it over and in the end decided that I too
would try them just too see what they were like. At this time I had just turned 21 and my
weight was around 160lbs.

I bought my first course of steroids and with some trepidation began at first I didn't notice a
change then after a couple of weeks my strength started to increase rapidly as did my size, I
was growing so fast it was unreal, people were now starting to comment on my increased size..I
grew so fast I had stretch marks on my legs, chest and arms and In the space of 3 months I had
gained approximately 40lbs, most of it muscle . I actually looked like a bodybuilder for once.

I can recall on a few occasions , when before taking steroids I was struggling with the 30 kilo
Dumbells for One Arm Rows in the gym, after just a couple of months I was repping out with
ease with the heaviest dumbells which weighed 70 Kilos. I was also doing for reps Incline
Dumbell Press with the 50 Kilo Dumbells and Barbell Squatting 500lbs for reps. Back then
though in the early 90's most if not all of the steroids available were pharmacutical grade and
much more potent than the black market stuff which is sold today.

As my course ran out I just simply stopped rather than taper down, navely thinking I would
keep all my new found size and strength. I couldn't have been more wrong. I developed a
terrible cold,(as steroids repress the immune system) and my size and strength plummeted
back to where I had started.. After a couple of years I changed gyms to a more body-building
focused one, which had much better equipment and was owned by a successful local body-
builder, it also had a solid reputation of producing competitive body-builders which was what I
aspired too. After a while I decided I would give steroids another try. I bought my new course
and my size sky-rocketed to a new high, upon weighing myself one day I tipped the scales at
212lbs...I was flabbergasted! I recall one day after finishing my workout the owner asked me
what type of training I was doing and what steroids I was taking. . Reluctant to answer, I asked
him Why? he replied Because whatever it is you are doing is working as I've never seen
anyone grow so fast.....I walked out that gym like I was on cloud nine.

At this time I was doing Mike Menzters Heavy Duty workouts and I can honestly say my
progress on this was nothing short of staggering, nothing I've done since has come close. The
routine was a four day split, were by I trained Chest, Back & Shoulders on a Monday and
Thursday and Legs & Arms, Tuesday & Friday. It featured heavily on the use of the pre exhaust
principle. So for example a chest workout would look something like this. Chest Fly to muscular
failure for 6-10 reps, the straight into Chest Press for 6-10 Reps. This cycle was repeated twice
for a total of four sets.

I continued like this for a couple of years but never seemed to get any bigger then my inital
gains, again many years later I learnt that in order to get even bigger I would need to eat a lot
more and take more potent steroids and in greater amounts. Unsure of which direction to go in
and also not wanting to upset my girlfriend at that time I quit taking steroids and embarked on
the next phase of my training career which would last over ten years..
 The People who have influenced me

Reading Mike Mentzers books he often talked about the person who had first introduced him to
high intensity training, this guy was called Casey Viator. At just 19 years of age he had won the
Mr America, unlike every body else at that time who were training six days a week and using up
to 20 sets per body part, Casey trained just three times per week, training his whole body each
workout and using only set per exercise to muscular failure.

Viator was trained by Arthur Jones the inventor of Nautilus Machines, and a guy called
Ellington Darden also worked for him, who had also written quite a few books on using Nautilus
Principles with free weights. Intrigued I purchased one called Massive Muscle in Ten Weeks,
using the principles outlined the test subject it featured had made some very impressive gains.
I read it cover to cover and was convinced that this book would unlock my potential even
without the help of steroids.

I followed the routines outlined in the book to the letter, but my gains where some what less
impressive than promised and certainly nothing like the test subjects, feeling I needed more
extreme routines, I ordered the latest book titled Bigger Muscles in 42 days. Again it featured a
test subject who was even more impressive than the last book and using the methods outlined
made tremendous gains, but again despite my best efforts I failed to realise the same results as
promised.

A few months passed and while reading another muscle magazine, I saw an advert for the book
B.I.G (Bulk Instructional Guide) it featured the same subject from the original Massive Muscles
book, but this time he using a method of training called Super Slow. Using this method he had
made even more impressive gains than before.So like the two previous books I began in earnest
to apply the principles and routines outlined.

I can recall performing Super Slow Squats for the first time, I can honestly say it was probably
one of the hardest exercises I have ever performed my legs were shaking like crazy and burned
like nothing I had felt before, after it I was left gasping on the floor like a fish out of water. To
quote a famous phrase as it relates to high intensity training it was Hell On Rubbery Legs

I made slightly better gains using the methods in this book but still far short of what was
promised, to this day I still have those books as I managed to re -obtain them from Amazon for
a fraction of their original price. In total I probably have owned about 40 books on training as
the years have gone by. I'm always looking to further my knowledge in this field. Some books
I've now sold or given away as I no longer felt the need for them.

It was also around this time I also purchased the book Brawn by Stuart McRobert, which was
specifically aimed at the drug free lifter. Upon reading it I was somewhat puzzled, where were
the glossy pictures of the professional body-builders and the split routines? Instead McRobert
talked about training on the basic exercises and focusing on getting stronger each workout by
micro loading (adding a small amount of weight each workout).. He talked at length that most
people who train with weights tend to be hard gainers, and the professional body-builders you
see in the magazines have nothing in common with them.

Now in some ways I could relate to this as my progress whilst not bad was in reality nothing
special, especially drug free. So armed with this information I began training on a very basic
workout. I had also started training at home as myself, my brother and my Dad had built a gym
in the garage of our new house which was more than adequate for our needs. It was definitely
not your average home gym, we had a heavy duty squat rack capable of supporting 1000 lbs,
adjustable heavy duty bench, numerous bars, a special bar for dead lifts called a Trap Bar , a
back multi station and about 1000 lb in various plates. I focused on the basic lifts and
consistantly looked to increase my reps and add weight to the bar, sometime as little as 2lbs at
a time. I trained in this manner for nearly ten years.

I can recall training in the garage gym in the winter and it was so cold you needed to wear
about three layers of clothing, I can specifically remember watching the steam rise from my
body heat as I toiled my way through those workouts, I loved training in the garage and it was a
very special time in my training career one of which I will always remember fondly.

* Side note as of this time of writing Febuary 2017, I have returned to a style of training which
is very similar to how I used to train all those years ago*

In addition to his books McRobert also published a bi-monthly magazine called Hard Gainer
This was a great magazine and packed full of useful information, Over the the years it was
published, I was also fortunate to have had a couple of articles published in it .

I especially liked reading articles by a guy called Dr Ken Leistener who was by profession a
chiropractor but at that time he also co owned a gym called Iron Island Gym, located on Long
Island, New York . He was a renowed strength coach and had also trained and coached NFL
Players and Powerlifters. He alos contributed to PowerLifting USA magazine and he highly
regard in the field of strength training.

His articles focused on the basics and how to focus on progressivly getting stronger, they were
absoulte gems and still relevant to this day. Other great contribtors where guys like Bob
Whelan , Dick Conner to name just a few. HardGainer was published for just over 10 years till
sadly it stopped in 2000. I have most of the copies that were published during that time and still
have them to this day.

I remember one year my Mum & Dad were visiting New York and I'd upon arriving there I'd
given my Dad a mission to visit Iron Island Gym with a copy of HardGainer for Dr Ken to sign.
My poor Dad had to take two trains to get there and upon arrival was told that he had just
missed Dr Ken!
Ralph the co owner upon hearing my Dad's accent asked him what had brought him specifically
to the gym, my Dad then explained what I'd asked him to do . Upon hearing this Ralph gave my
Dad a full VIP tour of the gym which he video filmed for me. He took the copy of HardGainer off
my Dad saying he would give it to Dr Ken for him to sign upon his return and post it out to me
in England. True to his word a couple of weeks later my signed copy of HardGainer came in the
post along with Dr Ken's own High Intensity News Letter, both of which I still have to this day.
To top it all off my Dad also bought me an Iron Island Hooded top which I've barely worn and
still have. Sadly Iron Island gym was later sold and changed names, such is the nature of the
gym business, Dr Ken is I'm glad to say still very much alive and active and still training hard.

After applying the methods outlined in the book Brawn and in the pages of HargGainer my
strength was steadily increasing and lo and behold I was starting to put on some size nothing
like before whilst on steroids, but nevertheless I was making progress. I also noticed that I
tended to be much stronger than my size would suggest..I would later come to learn and
understand why.I had built my strength to a point at just 190lbs I was able to Deadlift and Squat
in excess of 500lbs and Overhead press more than my own bodyweight.

I'd begun to purchase even more books on training as my thirst for information grew . One day
whilst surfing the internet circa 1999-2000. I came across a book written by a guy called Ken
Hutchins, titled The SuperSlow Techincal Manual. I was already familiar Super Slow having
tried it briefly before in the book BIG

I ordered it from Amazon and waited patiently for it to arrive, as it was a special order from
America it took over two months to get here. Ken Hutchins as it turned out was a former
employee of Arthur Jones and had worked at his facility in Deland Florida using high intensity
principles on Jones Nautilus machines. Hutchins talked about such things as inroad, upper and
lower turnarounds, reducing momentum and how moving slowly allowed for greater muscular
involvement amongst other things.

This type of training seemed to suit my nature as I liked the way you really had to focus on the
movement and the deep muscular fatigue it produced, it wasn't fun in fact it was brutally hard
but there was just something about it that really seemed to click with me. Over the years
SuperSlow has come under some harsh critism and its protcol has changed from the original
cadence of 10/5 to 10/10. It now comes under the guise of RenEx which is owned by Ken
Hutchins and a good friend of mine and former professional top level natural BodyBuilder,
Joshua Trentine.

With the onselt of the internet I had also began to participate in some of the online weight
training discussion forums and one in particular was run by a guy called Fred Hahn which
focused primarily on using Super Slow.

One day whilst browsing this forum I noticed a post by a guy called Brian Johnston, he'd
responded to a post I'd made a comment on regarding training slow...and why in my opinion I
thought it was the best way to train...he'd responded in kind by asking me Why? and what
specifically was so special about this way to train, compared to other methods ? Now I thought
I knew my stuff when it came to training and was if I'm honest a bit arrogant...I thought I knew
all the current writers in the world of high intensity and had never heard of this guy...and who
 was he to challenge me? A virtual encyclopedia of training knowledge!!

The truth was I couldn't answer him and felt humiliated so I responded with a childish and
hostile answer...a few days passed and I decided to find out who this Brian Johnston was, a
google search came up that he was the president of the International Association of Resistance
Trainers....and was very well respected in his field and had in fact written more than a few
books on the subject not to mention having worked personally with my hero non other than
Mike Mentzer!

I emailed him apologising for my actions, fully expecting him to tell me where to go, but
instead he replied saying it wasn't a problem and this is why he hated such internet forums ( He
still does to this day) . He even gave me a challenge that if I bought his book Prescribed
Exercise, then this would explain in more detail where and how I was going wrong, if I didn't
like it I could have my money back no questions asked .

This was to be the greatest and most influential decision I would ever make and would forever
change how I thought about exercise forever. I was also later to become an honorary member
of the I.A.R.T for my contributions and remain good friends with Brian to this day. I bought
Prescribed Exercise and numerous other books from the I.A.R.T and increased my knowledge to
the point where I felt confident enough to write an extensive article on the subject of exercise
science which was later published in its 2003 Synergy Annual, something which I'm proud of to
this day. I've also just recently had another article published in the 2013 edition of the IART's
Synergy Annual.

As you can probably tell writing is something I've always enjoyed........

Training with High Intensity Legend Fred Fornicola..

One of the highlights of my training career, was when I visited Fred Fornicola on a trip to
America in 2005. Fred is well respected in the high intensity training field and someone whom I
had admired and looked up to for years. So to get the chance to meet and speak with him was
something I was really looking forward to, when he suggested a workout I couldn't resist.

I was accompanied by my friend Mark Collins who also lived in New Jersey where Fred had his
training facility and my girlfriend who took lots of pictures.

I trained Chest, Shoulders and Triceps and under Fred's expert instruction gave it every ounce
of effort I had. Afterwards we went for a bite to eat at a local deli and talked about high
intensity training amongst other subjects , he was very down to earth and we agreed on quite a
few things, but all too soon it was time to leave for New York, but it was an experience I will
 never forget. I wrote an article about my experience and it was later published on the
Cyberpump Web Site.

Due to things like Face Book and other social media and I'm fortunate enough to have been able
to remain friends with Fred to this day and we often speak about training.

The Types of Training I've used over the Years.

Dinosaur Training,

This type of training is so called because it harps back to the very earliest days of weight
training, using very basic exercises, for as low as one rep in some cases, this type of training got
me very strong in certain exercises but did not yield a great increase in size and after a while I
eventually got bored and tried something else. It also encouraged the use of unusual
implements such as barrels and sandbags as this would help build total body strength. The
upside of this type of training is that you don't need a lot of equipment to get a full body
workout but due to the nature of the equipment it also has a lot of potential for injury so
caution should be exercised at all times. In mainly tends to focus on the use of very low reps,
sometimes as low as 1 repetition per exercise and using multiple sets. Its a brutal way to train
and is effective at building strength but in my opinion not effective enough to build size.

SuperSlow

As previously mentioned this type of training comes under the high intensity umbrella as its
focus is on very brief workouts with some practitioners training just once every 7-10 days on as
little as 3 to 5 exercises per workout. The trainee lifts the weight in approximately 10 seconds
and lowers it in 10 seconds. I found through experience that it lends itself better to machines
rather than free weights due to the varied strength curves that free weights produce so whilst
being very productive it can be somewhat self limiting in this regard. Also due to the high
levels of discipline and concentration it requires not to mention being a very intense way to
train, it may not be suitable for everyone.

But it is extremely safe due to the slow speed of movement which in turn reduces force levels
thereby reducing the potential for injury. The downside is that as weights increase intra
muscular bracing can occur ( bringing into play outside muscles to assist in the lifting of the
resistance) this potentially reduces the results produced from this method as the load is
transferred away from the targeted muscles and onto the joints , so therefore it is usually best
practised under the supervision of a qualified instructor or someone who is familiar with the
method, I still rate it as one of my favourite ways to train, especially if I have limited time or
simply for a change of pace.

Power Factor Training

This type of training allows for the trainee to lift the heaviest possible weights, by training in
the strongest part of the range of motion and using only a partial range of movement, the
theory being that if one fails in the strongest range, this will stimulate the strongest growth
response. I did try this method and it is fairly intense, but its flawed on many levels, in that
training in this manner places a massive amount of stress on the joints, also the increase in
strength in the strongest part of the rep, had no carry over effect when I returned to regular
full range of movement repetitions. , This can be attributed to something which has been
referred to as type S (Specific) and type G (General) strength curves, what this means Is that
some people will gain over the entire range of movement regardless of what range of
movement they employ (Type G) and some will only gain In a specific part (Type S).

Due to the chronic joint pain I began to experience using it, I abandoned this type of training
after a few months. Also in addition to Power Factor, another method called Static Contraction
Training was developed, instead of lifting the weight in the strongest position you simply held
it there statically, as you are approximately 20 % stronger when holding a weight statically
than when lifting in a positive fashion. I tried it briefly but I've found it tends to work best
when used as a set variable at the end of a set to make it more demanding.

Negative Based Training

As has been previously mentioned, you can in fact lower (approximately 40%) more weight
than you can lift. Training in this manner you can therefore theoretically fatigue your muscles
to a much deeper level, thereby invoking a greater response for them to grow bigger and
stronger.

Negative Only Training due to the manner in which this type of training is employed you need
one or sometimes two people to lift the weight for you, whilst you attempt to lower it slowly in
approximately 10 seconds for a given number of reps or until you can no longer control the
lowering. This can prove difficult at best, as lifting the weights for you is almost a workout in
itself, so finding these very helpful people is near on impossible.

Also as fatigue sets in it proves ever more difficult to control the lowering of the weight making
it potentially very dangerous. Its also extremely taxing on the body and should be used
sparingly to avoid overtraining.

It is best used on such exercises as Chins or Dips as you can use your legs to do the lifting for
 you whist you then lower yourself. If you have access to certain machines you can do negative
accentuated whereby you lift with two limbs and then lower with one, alternating the lowering
as you go, its not as effective but offers a good compromise.

In 2015 I was fortunate enough to be able to train on the X-Force machines. These machines are
extremely clever in that they have a tilting weight stack, so you are able to do the postive part of
the rep but the weight stack then tilts to provide a much stronger negative phase, it then repeats
the process till you reach fatigue. In all the years I've trained I can honestly state I have felt
nothing like it both during and after the workout, the muscular fatigue and soreness was on a
level and yet to experience.

Rest Pause

I first heard of Rest Pause upon reading Mike Mentzers journals. Its a system of training
whereby you pick a weight that you can just about get one repetition in good form, you then re
rack the weight for 10 seconds, this allows some or initial respite and for temporary recovery of
the muscle fibres, you then attempt another repetition, and repeat the process for
approximately 4 to 6 repetitions, you may find that by the third repetition, you will have to
reduce the weight in order to

complete them, its also handy to have someone standing by in case you don't complete the rep,
on your own. Its a very intense method of training and like negative only training should be
used sparingly in your workouts, it tends to lend itself better to pressing movements.

I did try it in my own workouts, but did not see any better results when using it. What can also
happen is that due to the fact you are using extremely heavy weights, you tend to focus on how
much weight you can lift and not how you lift, so you subconsciously look for ways to make it
easier by shifting your body into a more mechanical advantageous position, the opposite of
what you should be trying to achieve.

Jreps or Zone Training;

This was developed by Brian Johnston of the IART and was brought about by his experiments
on the bowflex machine and upon using such methods as Stage Reps. Unlike Stage Reps which
had limited application to single joint exercises, it takes the concept much further. Zone
Training is a method whereby you break the exercise range of motion down into relevant
zones.

The idea is to create fatigue in each zone working from the hardest to the easiest, for example
in the chest press due to a mechanical disadvantage you are weakest at the bottom half and
strongest at the top, so you start by working the bottom half of the exercise coming up to a
point just below half way, upon reaching failure or the desired number of repetitions, you then
move to the upper half but avoiding lock out as this then places the stress onto the triceps and
joints, the exercise should be very fluid in motion and does take some practise to achieve.

It can also be applied to any exercise and for a more in depth description of this method I
would refer you to the Zone Training books. Of all the methods I've tried , this has been one of
the most productive in terms of results produced both in the short and long term and still use it
in my workouts to this day. I even submitted a hypothesis to the 2nd Edition Zone Training
book on how training in the stretched position of an exercise can induce a greater than normal
IGF-1 response (a hormone which forms part of the muscle building process)

Its a very intense way to train and the muscular pumps and lactic acid burn have to be
experienced to be believed, the emphasis on this method focuses on not how much weight you
are lifting but how you lift it, Its more about feeling the exercise and focusing on a stretch and
contraction than simply lifting it from point A to point B with no real thought process. For
bodybuilding application I can't recommend it highly enough.

Strongman Training

Whilst this is technically not a method of training I feel its worth a mention. I've always been
into Strongman watching it on TV from a very early age and the idea of being strong as well as
big, always appealed to me. Having mainly trained on body building workouts with reasonable
success I decided to train specifically for Strongman with the goal of eventually competing In a
local competition. I managed to obtain much of the equipment I needed in order to be able to
train for competition, this included, a 800lbs Tractor Tyre for flipping over, a Steel Strongman
Log for Pressing, a Thick Bar for pressing, and a couple of concrete Atlas Stones which are
picked up and placed onto platforms of various heights, everything else I could train for using
the gym equipment at my current gym.

Two workouts were focused on gym work and the third was specifically for events training, in
these workouts I would practise the specific events in preparation for the competition. I was
making steady progress and despite a few niggling injuries was on course to compete, however
whilst working as a bouncer one night, I was jumped by three guys, with one of them jumping
on my back as I tackled his other friend, the force of him jumping on my back and me trying to
stay upright as a result, put my lower back out and forced me to cancel my plans of competing,
I was gutted. My lower back has never really been the same since and ended my plans of
strongman competition.

P.H.A Training ( Periphial Heart Training)

This type of training is designed to get the heart working and pump blood from one end of the
body to the other, were as tradiitional routines has you working muscles groups in close
proximity such as Chest & Back, with PHA training you would work the Chest and then do an
exercise for Calves for example. Its a great way to get the heart working and get an oveall
bodypump , I will often use it as a change of pace in my workouts.

High Density Training

High Density Training combines a higher level volume than HIT but keeps the total workout
time short, by keeping the time between sets minimal , usually in the region of 20 seconds. Its
very similar to PHA training but there is also a strong element of bodybuilding to it, when I'm
not doing my typical HIT workouts I will usually return to this as a means to try and shock my
body into renewed growth, but as will all methods it becomes a case of diminishing returns so I
tend to use it for macro cycles of about three months.

As well as wanting to get as big as possible I've always admired great strength and over the
years I've achieved most of the goals I set out for myself in terms of weights lifted:

Here are some of my achievements in the gym.

Barbell Deadlift 600lbs

Thick Bar Deadlift 450lbs

One Arm Deadlift 380lbs

Hammer Strength Deadlift Machine 700lbs

Barbell Squat 600lbs

Hammer Strength OverHead Press 300lbs

Strongman Log Press 250 lbs

Farmers Walk Holding 250lbs in each hand

Strongman Tyre Flip 800lbs

250 lbs Atlas Stone

 Hammer Strength Decline Press 400lbs

Intense Reps a Lesson in Less is More

I had been experimenting with Negative Emphasised Training, having read a study whereby
advanced trainees using this method made tremendous gains in size and strength. The idea is
you take a slightly heavier than normal load and lift in a controlled manner, the focus is on
lowering it slowly emphasising the negative portion of the repetition . Having giving it some
thought and discussions with my HIT colleges , I decided on a 2 second positive , followed by a 8
second negative, thereby making for a total of 10 seconds per repetition, this would make it a
nice round number to track and record and was slow enough for safety reasons. Having used
this method for a number of weeks I experienced gains that far surpassed my expectations,
the workouts while brief are extremely fatiguing and taxing to the point I used an A & B
workout to keep the demands to a sustainable level. Which then got me thinking could I
improve on it even further?

I came up with what I believe was a very effective means of training, it combines the best of
rest pause and negatives. The idea is you pick a weight so that you can just about get one rep, it
should be an all out effort in good form, you then lower it in approximately 15-20 seconds, you
then rest five seconds and try again. This process is repeated for 3-4 reps, but you may need to
reduce the weight on the second or third repetition due to muscular fatigue and inroad. Its an
extremely demanding way to train and I would advise you only train once per week using it or
use it on just a couple of exercies as a shock tactic.

*In retrospect whilst this method has proved effective for me, it has to be noted that there is a
point of diminishing returns and. Also for many its simply too taxing, so as with all other
workout demands, more in terms of the applied stimulus is not always better*

Fatigue Rate Testing & Its Training Implications

After reading an article by Brian Johnston formerly of the IART. I decided to experiment and
do some fatigue rate testing to help determine what my optimum time under load is for both
my upper and lower body. Everyone has a different ratio of muscle fibre types which consists of
fast twitch ( fast to fatigue) intermediate ( somewhere in the middle) and slow twitch ( slow to
fatigue) . The idea behind this test is to help determine what dominant ratio you have, its not
ideal nor is it perfect as this would require expensive testing equipment but its useful for giving
you a general guideline in terms of time under load and optimum rep ranges especially as it
 relates to hypertrophy.

The implications of this, are quite significant in how well we do from anaerobic exercise
specifically resistance training . If you study your training patterns and general response to
exercise you should already have an idea what rep schemes work best for you.

In my own case I've always suspected that I have a high level of fast twitch muscle fibres and a
high level of neurological efficiency ( the nervous systems ability to recruit muscle fibres) as
I've always been relatively strong compared to my size. This would also indicate why I've also
tended to respond better to low volume sets , as multiple sets over tax my fast twitch fibres
and I end up over trained in a very short space of time, as the fast twitch fibres require
extended periods of rest to recover from intensive bouts of exercise. So for me sets of relatively
short time under loads and low reps tend to work best, you might be different.

So with this in my mind here is how you perform the test.

For lower body, take a single joint exercise , multiple joints are not appropriate due to a
number of muscle groups being involved. Ideally use either the Leg Extension or Leg Curl for
testing purposes. Then using a cadence of 2/4 ( 2 seconds up, 4 seconds down) determine your
1RM ( 1 Rep Max). Once you have done this , rest briefly 30-45 seconds, don't rest too long as
this could skew the data. Then take 80% of your 1RM and using the same 2/4 cadence perform
as many reps as possible till you reach failure. So if your 1RM is 100lbs, take 80lbs and do as
many reps as possible.

In my own case I got 5 reps with 80%, which indicates a high level of fatigue ( something I
already was aware of and suspected) so an optimum rep range for my lower body is 4-6 reps on
single joint exercises and 6-8 on multiple joint. Giving me an optimum time under load of 30-60
seconds to allow the recruitment and fatigue of all the available muscle fibres not just the fast
twitch.

The same test on my upper body produced very similar results. Again let me point out this test
is not exact and is to help you determine an optimum response to exercise.

Which leads me onto my next chapter..

Increasing Demands Why Its Essential for Longevity.

Whilst the basis of my workouts center around the principles of high intensity training over
the years I've become much less stoic in my approach to exercise and have experimented with
other methods and protocols. One of the most important lesson I learned is that the body once
exposed to a set level of demands quickly adapts, its simply not enought to continue to train
hard if the stimulus is of the same level workout after workout. So the best way to continue to
make progress especially as you become more exprienced and advanced is too implement
periods of increased workout demands, this could entail the use of slightly higher volume, set
variables or different protocols and slightly more frequent workouts. Because the stressor is of
 such an unusual level what it has been used too it is then forced to adapt in the form of
renewed growth. This strategy can and should be used in the short term otherwise you run the
risk of over training as the demands are of such a high level it is best used as shock tactic.

Intelligent application is the key to success when using this method and what you should do is
sit down and map out a week by week basis on how and what you are hoping to achieve and
how you plan to go about it. For example if your goal is to bring up your pectorals as you feel
they are lagging then you should design a program to work on this. This could be the use of
greater sets on a couple of exercises or the use of set variables ( force reps, drop sets, etc.) to
make each set more demanding , be creative in your approach, a good trainer will be able to
adjust their goals and workouts on the fly. Sometimes a certain exercise might not just feel
right, so rather than stick with it, you will change it for something else and maybe change the
way you perform it. Again you have to understand the body is very resistant to change and will
often look to adapt in the most efficient manner possible. Muscle by its very nature is a very
expensive commodity to add and maintain in terms of energy expenditure so it has to be
literally forced upon.

You will need to determine a certain level of structure, otherwise you have no means of
measuring a program or protocols effectiveness. Also give each change a fair period of
evaluation as jumping from one thing to the next without giving it a fair trial is just as bad as
doing the same thing over and over.. What I tend to do is have a core set of routines and
protocols i like to use for each body part and rotate them each workout.

Here is a brief outline and example of some of the ways you can increase demands.

Force Reps.

Force reps are used when upon reaching muscular failure you continue with the assistance of a
training partner or if doing a single limb exercise you apply assistance using the other limb, the
assistance should be just enough to allow you to compete a few more repetitions in good form,
don't over do this variable as its very taxing.

Compound and Giants Sets

This variable allows you to group a certain number of exercises in a sequence be that
compound movements or isolation movements or a combination of the two, the idea being to
increase the volume and demands for a particular muscle group and shock it into growth.

1 & repetitions

This is mainly used were there is a position of full muscular contraction, the way to perform it
is as follows using the chest fly as an example. Lift the weight slowly to a position of full
contraction and then slowly lower the weight a quarter of the way back down, briefly pause
and lift the weight back to the full contraction and then slowly lower the weight to full stretch,
continue until muscular failure.

Drop Sets,

is a system of training whereby upon reaching your desired number of repetitions or muscular
failure with a given weight, you reduce the weight in order to carry on with the set, the theory
is that it will fatigue the muscles to a much deeper level. There is some merit to this, as you are
effectively calling into play more muscles fibres, however there are limitations to this system
as once all the available fibres have been called into play (its physiologically impossible to
fatigue all your muscle fibres as evolution will always have some in reserve based on the fight
or flight syndrome) you are effectively just retracing your steps and just making further
inroads into your recovery ability. Like other methods it should be used to add variety to your
workouts.

Pre Exhaust

This method is where you use a isolation exercise to pre fatigue a muscle to fatigue, as with
most multi joint exercise there is often a weak link which fails before the larger muscle has
been taxed, for example the use of cable crossovers on a pulley machine, serves to isolate the
pectorals and illuminating the triceps, then immediately followed by Chest Press, the pectorals
are already fatigued but the fresh triceps allow this fatigue be taken to a deeper level. Its quite
effective and I often will use it in my own workouts for a change of pace.

Here is an example of a set core of exercises for a chest workout. This is a 3 week cycle
using set variables and techniques

Sets and reps are a personal choice but I would personally use no more than one or two sets per
exercise.

Week 1. Incline cable chest fly one and quarter reps Seated Chest Press Super Slow Dips

Week 2. |Cable Crossovers Jrep Halves Decline Press Smith Machine Jrep Halves Push Ups

Week 3. Seated Chest Press Super Slow Cable Crossovers 1 & reps Negative Only Dips
 The 3 Tiers of Exercise, Physical, Mental and Spiritual.

As I've gotten older and through personal experiences in life I've come to realise that training
is so much more than simply lifting weights, there is a strong mental and even spirtitual
element to it. The mental and spritual aspect of it are something which needs a little more
explanation.

Pre workout visualisation is a method I use prior to every workout, and its a very powerful tool
once mastered. What I do about half an hour before I train, I mentally go through the workout
in my mind step by step, I'm so attuned to this process now that I can virtually feel each
exercise as I perform it. It may seem a strange process at first but if you wish to get the very
most from your workouts its something I can't recommended enough. If you talk to any
succussful athlete they will often tell you that they always visually knew they would succeed
before the event had even happeded, thats the power of a positive mental attitude.

Another important aspect of obtaining a solid pre workout mental focus and is something I
very often see when personal training my clients especially during a high intensity workout is
the fear factor. What effectively happens is that as they begin to approach muscular failure
their body senses this and then triggers a basic primeval instinct to stop what they are doing
for fear of being immobilised . Its akin to the flight or fight syndrome one experiences when
faced with great danger or peril, understand that your body and muscles have no idea you are
in the gym on a machine or lifting a barbell. It just knows that it is being placed under a
stressful situation, as fatigue sets in and the trainee loses the perception of movement in their
limbs. The alarm reaction is triggered to run away from this threat and as such it sends a signal
to STOP OR YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS THREAT, its at this point most trainees state they
can't continue or give up , this is where you need to have the discipline and will power to
succed no matter what.

I myself still feel this response when training and it is a genuine feeling of fear, but I've learnt
to over come this response and can continue to lift until muscular failure, with time and
discipline it can be learnt by most everyone.

In order to discuss the spiritual side of training I need to digress slightly. Some years ago I lost
my Mum and with this came the onset of depression. Over the following months and with the
help of medication and support from my friends and family I slowly began to claw my out of
the depression I was in. During this time I had still continued to train,

simply because it was an escape for me and the other postive benefit was that it made me feel
better about myself. During the following months and years training and indeed my outlook on
life has taken on a much more spirtual outlook. What this simply means is that I'm much more
in touch with myself and who I am as a person. For a good few years after I lost my Mum I really
struggled to find myself as it took a long time to come to terms with losing my her. Why did
this happen to me? Was a question I often asked myself. My training whilst regular lacked any
real sort of direction. I wanted to get bigger then I just wanted to get fit and wasn't bothered
 about being big and then I wanted to be more atheltic and functional . So I would train like a
bodybuilder, then I took up running , then I started to do more strength and conditioning stuff
and so it continued.

Once I began to finally come to terms with everything that had happened to me my outlook on
life took on a much more postive level. Training is like life, its about setting yourself challenges
and overcoming them its about having the discipline and desire to succeed even when the odds
are against you and its about doing this for year after year . The only person who can truly
make you happy is you, corny as it may sound if you don't learn to love yourself then no one
else will.

I honeslty and truly believe that training saved me from myself during those dark times after I
lost my Mum. In fact I wrote a blog about how I belived this to be the case and it was published
online in the view that it might help others who had experienced the same thing.

Workout Design and how best to apply it.

Designing a workout should be a very simple process but I'll the first to admit that I have
wasted many hours pondering over the finer details of what I thought would be the perfect
workout, but the reality is no such thing exists. As with many things your workouts should be
tailored to your specific needs. In order to design a routine what you first need to understand is
the primary functions of the muscles you are training, it still amazes me just how many people
go to the gym with no real thought process of what they are doing and not have a basic
understanding of the muscles they are training, many simply follow or copy what everyone else
is doing.

Before you even step into the gym you should have a clear focus of what you wish to achieve
and a plan of the exercises you are going to use. A workout log is invaluable for this as you
often refer to how well you have done, what worked and what didn't. Some of my workout logs
date back to over 20 years where I can see every set and rep I did, the type of training and the
weights I was using at that time.

Without any sort of directon or plan you are less likely to stick to the program or will not see
any real results for your efforts as you have no objective way of measuring your progress. Stick
to the basic exercies and focus your efforts on the major muscle groups. Just remember all a
workout is, is a sequence of exercises grouped together in a certain order there is no magic
formula so stop wasting time looking for it.

Full Body Vs Split Routine, Pros and Cons Explained

 Full Body

Its generally advocated that when performing full body workouts, you train the largest muscle
groups first as they demand the most energy. What I've found and again this seems to be a
common practice , is to start with something like chest press or overhead press and then train
my upper body first as this isn't as metabolically taxing and still leaves enough in reserve to
train legs with sufficient intensity. Don't fall into the trap that just because Mr so and so says
you need to do this and that you should stick to it religiously , adapt the workout to your
individual needs.

The main advantage of full body workouts is that they are time efficient and allow you to work
all your major muscle groups with a low level of volume, however for some, especially those
who are fairly strong it may simply prove metabolically too taxing, what this means is that due
to the high level of intensity and the demands it places on the individual, it becomes mentally
and physically too taxing for the trainee. The general guidelines is too then do even less and
reduce the frequency of your workouts, but what can then happen is the stimulus is now too
infrequent and the body will then look for the least metabolically expensive way to adapt, this
normally occurs through the neurological system , i.e. you effectively become more skilled at
lifting heavier weights and as such some trainees complain while they continue to get stronger
they are not seeing a corresponding increase in size, this is why I advocate periods of higher
demands in order to combat to this.

Here is a sample of basic Full Body Routine I often use

Chest Press

Pulldown

Shoulder Press

Rows

Leg Press

Leg Curl

Leg Extension

Biceps Curl

Triceps Extension
 Each exercise is performed for 30-60 seconds of time under load to muscular failure, using a
slow and controlled cadence, , I usually wait for a couple of workouts before adding weight to
make sure the strength gain is a true one and the do so aggressively by adding 5 to 10lbs at a
time.

Beginners should start out by using two to three sets per exercise, whilst training three times
per week, as you begin to get stronger and the demands of the workout increase, look to reduce
your sets down to one per exercise and your workouts to twice per week or once every three
days.

Split Routines

The advantages of using a split routine is that it allows you to perform more exercise for your
chosen muscle groups and you can devote more energy to body parts that are lagging. However
caution should be applied as too much of good thing can turn bad, slightly increase your sets
and note the results till you get to a point of diminishing returns, i.e., a point in when no
further exercise yields a positive response this will take some experimentation on your behalf
but if you are serious about your training then this should not be a problem, become your own
personal trainer.

When performing a split routine I find it best to group the relative muscle groups together as
this helps keep localised fatigue in check, so for example I would do, Chest, Shoulders and
Triceps,

Rest one day, Legs and Calves, Rest one day, Back and Biceps, then take the weekend off for
extra recovery. Understand that most pressing and pulling movements use your arms as a
primary mover so doing something like Chest & Biceps is in my opinion counter productive as
when you come to train Back at a later workout , you are taxing your biceps again which will
eventually lead to over training of that muscle group.

In terms of sets I can only give you a guideline as everyone has a different tolerance to exercise
stress but there has to be sufficient volume in order to illicit a hypertrophic response, generally
speaking I use 4-8 sets for large muscle groups, and 2-4 for smaller ones anymore and I tend to
feel over trained very quickly.

Side Note: A stronger muscle is a bigger muscle or is it?

While there is no denying this, it is not entirely set in stone especially when it comes to
increasing size. Increasing the strength of a muscle by lifting ever heavier weights is one means
of increasing its size, but just because you have gotten stronger does not guarantee that your
muscle size has increased, as you could have simply become more neurologically efficient. You
can increase the size of your muscle in other ways such as by increasing the demands placed
upon it, and achieving a good muscular pump.

How to make 1 set per exercise work for you.

Over the past thirty years Ive predominately used a resistance training method that is referred
to as H.I.T or High Intensity Training . Its basis is that of brief workouts , on a limited frequency
and using a high level of effort or intensity, were by each set of every exercise performed is
taken to muscular failure or the point were no additional repetitions can be performed in good
form. Its important to understand that as you continue to get stronger in your workouts the
greater demands this will place on your body as such you will need to begin to regulate the
variables that govern your workout such as volume and frequency.

As your strength continues to grow, your ability to recover from such workouts does not
increase at the same rate. Learning to train with a high level of intensity is a skill and can take
months or even years to master, some people will simply not have the required mindset or
phyical capabilites to train at this level and as such there workouts need to be modified
accordingly depending on their specific needs.

Training is merely the stimulas you then have to allow time for this stimulas to transpire into
growth. What the body must do first and foremost is replace what has been used up during the
workout and this takes time and rest.

If you do not allow enough time to recover from your workouts by training too often or by
using too great a volume (relative to your individual tolerances and needs) you will short
circuit the process and your results will suffer as a result .The idea of a workout is not too see
just how much exercise you can tolerate it should be to fatigue your muscles as quickly and as
efficiently as possible in the safest manner.

So just how infrequent can your workouts become and still be progressive in nature? Well
there is some scientific evidence which actually supports the premise that training just once
per week or even every 10 days is enough, providing your workouts are of a high enough
intensity as per the Dose Response Relationship of Exercise, i.e. the greater the stimulus placed
upon you the less you need or can tolerate in order for growth to take place.

It should be noted that the court is still out on this one as many feel it is far too
 infrequent especially as it relates to bodybuilding*

Is this level of workout frequency suitable for everyone?

No, as beginners and novice trainees would do better to train slightly more frequently to allow
the skill of training intensely to be learned and to get accustomed to the discomfort of high
intensity resistance training, , but if you have been training long enough (intermediate and
advanced) it should be something you might want to consider, especially if your gains in terms
of size and strength have come to a grinding halt. Doing more is rarely the answer to your
problems especially when it comes to resistance training , its more prudent to tweak the
stimulus using the various methods and protocols I have outlined previously.

But I enjoy going the gym and training? is something that is often expressed when faced
with the notion of training once a week or less... How can once per week possibly be enough?

There is a distinct difference between exercise and recreation, proper productive high intensity
exercise is not fun in a recreational sense and as such you can only tolerate very little.
However you should not dread or feel burdened by the thought of these workouts either. If you
struggle to train with enough intensity on your own then you should try to seek out a suitable
training partner to help you get the most from these workouts otherwise your results could be
much less.

Training in this manner is not without its flaws or faults nor is it perfect or even optimal for
some certain types.

One of the complaints of those that practise high intensity exercise is a feeling of being drained
for a few days after the workout, Dr Doug McGuff has termed this feeling, ROBAT (run over by a
truck) and I can personally testify to this feeling as for a few days after my workout I feel
lethargic and sometimes even irritable, what I also noticed is that my muscles appeared to be
flat and lacked any fullness (something at one point I mistakenly thought that my workouts
were ineffective in stimulating a response ) ...this is due to the fact that high intensity
resistance training places a huge demand on the endocrine system, as you are a placing your
body into a highly stressful state, high intensity resistance training being a form of anaerobic
stress (meaning without oxygen) it therefore stands to reason that your body will act in this
way in order to combat this threat to its very being.

( See the General Adaptation Syndrome or G.A.S later in this Ebook for how this applies)

This effect became more pronounced even when I was training just twice per week, at first I
became discouraged thinking that my training was ineffective ( which I really should have
known better) but purely by accident one week due to work commitments I was unable to train
for just over a week, upon undressing I noticed that I was looking not only much fuller than
usual but a rad bigger! I was puzzled at first and maybe thought it was just the light making me
 look better, but I was also aware that I felt more energised of late and was hungry to train
again, something which had been lacking for the past couple of weeks a clear sign of over
training....as training to muscular failure requires both high degrees of both volitional effort
and physical effort.

Could it be that I was able to generate such high levels of intensity, that training once per week
was now not only optimal for me but a necessity? The mirror and my mental focus and indeed
appetite (which is ravenous after a workout for hours) would confirm this to be true!

With this in mind I decided to have the courage of my convictions and continue to train just
once per week using about 6-10 exercises for my whole body.

I continued to train just once per week and my gains did not slow or stop, I still get that ROBAT
feeling but instead of ignoring it and going to the gym because I feel I should or that I'm not
that big or strong yet, I wait until I feel fully recovered and my physique fills out again
indicating that overcompensation has taken place.

In future if my will can hold out, I may even extend my rest periods to once every ten days, as
this of writing and since December 2014 I've continued to train just once per week with good
results.

Update June 2015.

After a period of training with increased volume and frequency I was being discouraged with
my results in spite all the extra work I was performing I even began to dread my workouts
which is not like me at all. I posted my thoughts on a social media group and my good friend
and mentor Fred Fornicola messaged me. We discussed my training and what he had been
doing and we decided to go back to what I do and gain from best, namely High Intensity
Workouts. This time I would take me training to another level in terms of volume and
frequency. I was too return too slow cadence reps settling on a 3-1-5 cadence ( 3 seconds
positive, 1 second static hold, 5 seconds negative) I've always like slow reps so I was more than
happy to return to them. The most dramatic change would come in m workout itself, it would
compromise of 3 separate workouts done once every 4-5 days.

One set of 5-8 reps too failure would be performed Workouts as follows

A: Chest Press, Pulldown, Leg Press, Calf Raise

B. Leg Extensions, Leg Curl, Chest Fly, Rear Delt, Side Delt, Pullover, Bicep Curl, Tricep Ext,
Lower Back

C. Shoulder Press. Low Rows, Leg Press, Shrugs or Neck.

 Side Note : The importance of understanding genetics limits.

While I have stated in this article I continue to gain in both size and strength , its important to
put this into perspective, as my gains are now very subtle and for the reasons that I'm now very
close to my own genetic limits. At present I currently tip the scales at a bodyweight of
approximately 240 lbs. Its simply not possible to continue to gain size and strength on a
significant basis as with everything there has to be limitations, if you are a beginner or
intermediate trainee then and providing you are training correctly your gains should still be
very noticeable if they are not then you should begin to question the effectiveness of your current
training. Whether people choose to accept it or not , we are all bound by our genetic limits and
even those with tremendous genetic potential will see a slow down in their progress over the
years. A lot of people and companies have gotten very rich by selling the notion that anyone can
do it or be just like the champion bodybuilders you see in the magazines. I myself bought into this
belief many years ago. But while I have been able to gain well beyond my initial expectations in
reality it still falls way short of my dreams of becoming like the body-builders I used to aspire
too. This is not too say you should give up on your dreams and aspirations as the only person you
should compare yourself too, is you and the only way you can evaluate your results is in
retrospect. Not amount of training or method can make you exceed your genetic potential.

Myths, Fallacies and Half Truths of Modern Exercise and Weight Training.

"Now we have millions of people who care about exercise and perhaps a couple of dozen who
know anything about it." Arthur Jones

"When you stop training your muscles turn to fat"

False! The two have no relation one being a contractile tissue and the other simply being a
means of stored energy or excess of calories. You can't flex fat, and muscle is much denser than
fat. Where this myth has come about is that those that weight train and that tend to carry a
large degree of muscle mass are usually very active and consume a larger number or calories in
order to maintain activity levels and the muscle mass they have. Muscle tissue is metabolically
very expensive to maintain and as such you require a larger number of calories to sustain it.
 What happens is that if you stop training the muscles you have shrink (atrophy) as the body
has no need to maintain this large amount of muscle. Muscles are simply a defensive barrier
against anaerobic stress, so when you stop training the body perceives the threat has gone and
as such your muscles then atrophy. If you continue to eat the same number of calories as while
you were training and relative to your energy needs, the excess calories are then stored as fat,
so it then appears that your muscles have in fact turned into fat. If you simply reduced your
calories in relation to your current activity levels then you would stay relatively lean.

"Muscle growth, particularly new muscle growth, is a defensive reaction of the body to the stress
of exercise, and the body must literally be forced to see necessity of adding more strength and
size. Arthur Jones

"Training a certain exercise can make a muscle longer"

False!

Muscle length is determined through genetics and cannot be altered through exercise, it is
physiologically impossible. A popular myth is that by performing certain exercises for the
biceps you can make them longer, this is untrue, as bicep length is again determined by
genetics and no amount of exercise will lengthen them. A muscle will only grow as large as its
cross sectional height will allow, so if you have short muscle bellies in your biceps and triceps
chances are you will not

build big arms, and no amount of preacher curls or tricep pushdowns will change that. This is
sometimes very difficult for people to accept but its a reality of genetics, chances are if you
have good genetics for building big muscles you will already have them.

"You can isolate parts of a muscle with certain exercises and body position"

False!

Muscles contract and lengthen, that's it, and based on the all or nothing principle the muscle
fibres are called into to play or they are not. If you think this is not true make a muscle with
you biceps, (bi-cep meaning two heads) now try to relax one of the heads of the bicep while
keeping the other contracted...answer is, you can't. Anyone that tells you can isolate a certain
part of a muscle is a either fool or has no basic understanding of muscle physiology . Its
important to note that muscle fibres are also called into play in a set sequence, going from the
slow, to the mixed and then finally the fast twitch, you cannot train or isolate certain muscle
fibres by lifting heavy or fast per se, in order to fully tax all your available muscle fibers you
need to train with enough resistance and ensure that your intensity is of a high enough level
 and that your sets are of a long enough time under load.

"Higher Repetitions for the abdominals"

False! There is somehow the premise that the abdominals require higher repetitions (in the
hundreds) than other muscle groups, how this came about I'm really not sure. Whilst it is true
that some muscle groups respond better to higher reps due to slower fatigue rates the rep
range for these is normally in the 15-20 range. The abdominals are usually engaged on a day to
day basis in the action of keeping the torso straight as is the lower back. If one really feels the
need to perform exercise for the abdominals then the same principles that apply to other
muscles groups should be employed. Performing set after set will not spot reduce fat away and
if anything cause localised over training. The opposite of what you are trying to achieve, a
couple of sets of 8-15 reps will be sufficient to stimulate the abdominals into growth. Also as
many people tend to do , anchoring the feet is a mistake as this brings into action the hip
flexors and in fact takes away the stress on the abdominals, the best exercise for the
abdominals is the crunch which has a very short range of motion. As previously mentioned you
should always choose an exercise which mimics the primary function of the muscle you wish to
train. Do not be bound by here say and tradition,

"I just want to tone up

is a phrase often used especially by women, the simple fact is there is no such thing, the word
tone is derived from the word tonus which is Greek for non flaccid. Women have the same
muscles as men, their muscles respond in the same manner and therefore should be trained in
the same way, (high intensity resistance training) the correct term for larger muscles is,
Hypertrophy. Women have nothing to fear when it comes to building big muscles as they lack
the testosterone required for this to happen and women have even less genetic potential than
men, although they do posses a much higher pain threshold.

If 99.9 % of the men of this planet struggle to add just a few pounds of muscle each year given
their higher genetic potential and testosterone levels its highly unlikely and near on impossible
for a women to get too bulky

Your muscle shape is determined at birth and the best way to improve your shape is to weight
train to increase muscle mass and if need be follow a calorie restricted diet, or avoid over
eating to help keep body fat down this will then allow your muscles to stand out in bold relief.
 "Higher repetitions for definition and lower repetitions for Bulk"

This is pure nonsense. Muscular definition is solely diet dependant and requires one to
significantly reduce their body fat percentage in order for this too happen,. Weight training
does not burn a significant number of calories to make any impact in this regard nor does the
ever popular myth of cardio, which is simply short for cardiovascular system.

If you wish to get leaner you need to increase your muscle mass and make sure you are in a
negative calorie balance i.e. you are burning and eating less calories than you require, however
do not reduce your calories to such a low level that it becomes detrimental to your health,
there is evidence coming through now that such extreme low calorie diets are leaving
individuals with what has been termed a damaged metabolic rate and as such they find it
near on impossible to lose any further weight or can end up gaining a significant amount of
weight back.

Bulk is just another term for larger, low repetitions have no bearing on this outcome and just
how low is low in relation to medium or high reps? This advice is vague at best.

"Lifting fast makes you fast".

This is a very popular belief but has no basis in science what so ever. The speed of a movement
is governed by two main factors, the strength of the muscles involved in a specific skill and the
ability of the body to recruit the muscle fibres at any given time (see Neurological Efficiency)
speed of movement has no bearing on this. If this were true then the opposite should occur, if
one lifts slow it will make you slow, and what if you just lift at a regular speed ,what happens
then?

An important aspect of lifting fast is what while it does not make you faster, what it does do is
increase the rate of force placed on your muscles, connective tissues and joints dramatically ,
its this increased rate of force that puts you at a greater risk of injury.

Side note the difference between rep speed and rep cadence. This is something that it often
assumed to be the same thing but while they relate to each other they are very different.

Rep Speed VS Rep Cadence

Rep speed
The speed at which you lift is determined by a number of factors, the range of movement of the
exercise you are performing as a calf raise as a very different range of movement to that say of
a Supinated Pulldown. And is also determined by your chosen rep cadence.

Rep Cadence

Is the tempo at which you lift for example 10/5 or 5/5 or 10/10. In order to maintain a certain
rep cadence you will need to alter or maintain a certain per speed, as using the example of the
Supinated pulldown earlier in order to maintain a rep cadence of say 10/10 you would need to
lift at a certain speed due to the range of movement your arms have to travel. Now compare
that range of movement to a calf raise as the the range is so short your rep speed will be lower
in order to maintain the same cadence. What cadence you use is a personal choice.

Anyone that lifts in an explosive manner and or does plyometric exercise deserves what they
get.......Hurt! Arthur Jones- Inventor of Nautilus Machines

The next time someone suggests that you move suddenly during any exercise or movement smile
and walk away as you are talking to a fool, and do not over look the fact that a very long list has
large muscles and another long list has academic credentials

Arthur Jones

"Bigger muscles make you muscle bound or make you slower"

Again this is pure nonsense, a stronger and larger muscle is able to produce more force, which
when applied to a skill or exercise in a specific manner allows one to produce more power,
thereby making the athlete more powerful, i.e., faster, not slower!! One of the main benefits of
strength-training through a full range of motion is that it improves flexibility and increases
functional ability therefore making you MORE mobile not less!

You can lift weights and be called muscle bound and not lift weights and actually be muscle
bound Gary Bannister
 "In order to train the core your need to train on a unstable surface"

This notion is very popular amongst the functional training crowd, but the science does not
bear this out. Even someone with common sense can see that in order to train a muscle
effectively its best to train that muscle in isolation with an exercise which mimics its function
and strength curve. Training on a unstable surface actually reduces the muscular involvement
of that muscle being targeted as other muscles are then brought into play, the opposite of what
you should be trying to achieve and is also dangerous as you are effectively balancing on a
unstable platform whilst holding a weight ,what if you were to roll off or slip while holding this
resistance In place? Injuries are bound to happen. Leave the balance balls to clowns in the
circus and not the gym..

Jump from your bathroom shelf onto your scales to see how much you weigh, in the air you'll
weigh nothing and when you land you might register a weight of several hundred pounds
Arthur Jones

"You can transfer the skill of one lift to another exercise or sport skill".

One of the more popular myths is that if you mimic a certain skill with weights this then
transfers over to the same skill performed without weights. A common one is punching with
dumbbells in the mistaken belief that by adding resistance to this skill when you then punch
without the added resistance your punching power will have improved. Based on the principle
of specificity this can and does not happen, as the motor skills of a punch are specific in nature
and by adding resistance your brain will have to alter the motor skills in order to accommodate
the extra resistance , there is zero if any transfer. If you wish to increase your punching power
the best approach is to strength train the muscles involved in this action, and then practise the
specific skills of punching in a boxing gym. Its really that simple.

The alteration of any element of a movement including a change of speed or force imposed on
the muscle establishes a NEW motor program , a non specific SKILL that the nervous system must
identify and process. Gary Bannister from his Book If you enjoy exercise chances are you are
doing it wrong
 The Science of Exercise and its inherent principles explained.

Once you understand these principles it will give you a better understanding of how best to
apply yourself to your workouts.

High Intensity what does it mean?

High Intensity Exercise is defined as "a % of one's momentary & volitional muscular effort". If
you're at positive momentary muscular failure I your rep/set, you're said to be using 100%
intensity of effort. No one knows FOR CERTAIN just what % is required to stimulate growth, but
by training at a high level of intensity, you can at least make sure that you have done every
thing possible to stimulate a positive response. Also you can measure what you have done &
not what you might have done on a workout-by-workout basis. Which is important for accurate
record keeping. If for example 95% intensity of effort were all that was required to stimulate
growth, how you would measure it? Answer? you can't.. By training to momentary muscular
failure, or 100% intensity of effort, you therefore would cross this threshold of an imaginary
95% and stimulate growth??.in theory. Realise that growth stimulation is directly linked to
intensity of effort, so the higher the intensity (within limits) the better the growth response
should be. However, as with volume and frequency of workouts, intensity must also be
regulated, as too much can cause a negative response (on a long term basis, which is different
to what you can tolerate on a short term as per I.A.R.T Blitz cycle). Basically this means if you
train too intensely, (long term) or as you become more advanced, in terms of muscle mass and
strength, the likelihood of over training becomes ever more greater, as you are in effect placing
greater and greater demands on you bodies ability to recover and grow. In my early days I often
made the mistake that thinking if hard training was best then even harder training would be
better and I would often use such methods as SuperSlow flys , followed by Negatively Only Dips
for Chest , overkill for sure and it never produced the results I desired, no wonder as it would
have taken days for my body to recover from such crazy workouts let alone grow......hindsight
is a wonderful thing.

Anaerobic exercise what is it?

Anaerobic exercise is measured in terms of intensity, as is also aerobic exercise. Weight

training is anaerobic in nature so in order for it not to turn into aerobic exercise, which is
endurance-based training it, must be of a high intensity or of a more demanding nature. So if
one is training anaerobic- ally, you will and should be using a high level of intensity, which will
require that your workouts are brief in nature. How brief is dependant on the overall volume of
the workout, the level of effort you are putting forth, rest between sets & exercises etc.

So what is the answer? This is based on many individual factors, such as, rates of
 fatigue for different muscle groups, fibre types, intensity of effort, tolerance to stress and
motivation, to name a few So a one theory fits all as is espoused in some high intensity circles,
is a mistake, as this does not address these individual factors. You will have to experiment a
little to find the optimum dose for YOU. As an advanced trainee, there will & should be times
when you will have to increase the demands of your workouts. This can be done by slightly
increasing volume, frequency or intensity via the use of variables such as force reps, strip sets,
negative reps & static holds etc. As mentioned previously what you can tolerate on a short-
term basis (generally 2-3 weeks) can far exceed what you can tolerate in the long-term.

While it is true that we are all the same as humans physiologically, other wise modern medicine
would not exist. We are all different in terms of personality, skin texture, eye colour, etc. Not
do what works for you but ?How?? should be the underlying question. So the need for an
individual exercise prescription based on the above factors is essential to ensure optimum
progress is obtained in the gym.

The S.A.I.D Principle

This stands for Specific Adaptation To Imposed Demands. This means the body will adapt (See
General Adaptation Syndrome) to a specific stress or stimulus in a specific manner. The body is
effected by stress in a general manner, bit it is always of a specific nature. Take a suntan for
example. The suns ultra violet rays are a specific form of stress to the skin. The body recognises
this and responds to this alarm reaction by the production of a suntan, which is a defensive
barrier. But the stress must be of certain level of intensity, in order for the body to alter its
state or balance. Going out in the weakest sunlight will not be enough of a threat to the body in
order for it to change the skin colour to protect it from further stresses or in this case
exposure. The same is true for weight training. Larger muscles are the bodies form of defence
against stress, anaerobic exercise stress to be precise. So how does this all fit together? We
know that we need to stress the bodies system with high intensity anaerobic exercise. This will
then send a signal to the body saying, adapt or change or this stress will eventually kill you, or
in other words it sends a signal, that the bodies homoeostasis (balance) is being threatened.

It then adapts in the form of larger and stronger muscles (but not always, as the body can adapt
in other ways also, i.e. lifting proficiency) in order to cope with the possibility of further
attacks. This is why training to muscular failure & beyond (where possible) is crucial, as the
body is very resistant to change. It likes balance and sees no real reason to change unless it is
demanded to. This explains why a suntan fades when you stop going out in the hot summer sun
and why muscles shrink or atrophy when you stop exercising with weights. The body does not
want to become bigger, as the cost of maintaining extra muscle mass is very metabolically
expensive; i.e. requires more energy to maintain. The body is LAZY!

General Adaptation Syndrome.

The G.A.S theory was first published by Dr Hans Selye, and is generally accepted as the theory
of Stress. Seyle discovered that whenever the body is is exposed to a stress it goes through
three distinctive phases. Alarm Reaction, Resistance and Exhaustion. However what he also
discovered that in order for the body to enter these phases the stress must be of a high enough
magnitude/intensity.

In order for you training to be productive it must also be of a high enough intensity this will
then send a signal to the body to adapt , thus entering the first phase of Alarm Reaction. After
the workout you should then allow enough time for the body to recover from this bout of
intense stress you are now in the Resistance phase of the cycle (understand the body does not
know you are weight training all it knows is that it is under threat) if enough time is allowed
between workouts then and only then will it overcompensate.

However if you train again before you have fully recovered and do so on a regular basis you
then enter into the Exhaustion phase, eventually this will lead to over training and a lack of
progress, taken to the extreme it is actually potentially harmful to you physical health.

Recovery Ability

Recovery ability is something that is very important, yet rarely addressed, when it comes to
understanding high intensity exercise. Whenever you train you make what is known as an
inroad or hole into your limited recovery ability. We do not know for sure just what the exact
amount of recovery ability we have and it varies from individual to individual. But it is limited,
for if it were not, you would be able to train everyday all day with no signs of fatigue. Providing
of course you train with a reasonable level of intensity.

The first thing your body must do after a workout, is replace what has been used up. It must
first recover, before it can even begin to adapt or over compensate in the form of larger
muscles.

Just how long it takes to recover between workouts is an individual factor as we all have a
different tolerance to stress. This is solely dependant on genetic traits. Your recovery ability
does improve over time, but only to a certain extent. In order for the body to recover & grow,
there must be sufficient time in-between workouts. If you train too often or with too much
volume you place an excessive demand on the body resources, which could result in over
training. The last thing it will do is get larger and stronger as this is purely secondary. By
keeping your workouts brief and spaced well apart and providing you are training with a
sufficient level of intensity, you will be giving the body the required of amount of stimulus and
time for it to recover and grow.
 Inroad

Inroad, what is it, what does it mean?

Inroad (muscular in this case) is key when training. In fact the main priority of when you train
should be to inroad (reduce/fatigue) your muscles strength levels as efficiently & quickly as
possible. It is not to see how much weight you can lift, although you obviously need
resistance/overload to have a workout. But the idea is to reduce your starting level of strength
to a point, which is below the weight of which you are lifting. Simply put, if your starting level
of strength is 100lbs, you then perform repetitions, which progressively makes deeper and
deeper inroads into your strength, until it drops below 100lbs and at that point you fail on the
rep. Some people will make such a deep inroad, that after a set of e.g.: 6 repetitions to muscular
failure they cannot lift a weight that was fraction of what they started with.

Some people are in fact the opposite and will be able to reproduce the first set and sometimes
even exceed it. This can be related to neurological efficiency, rates of fatigue, fibres types, i.e.;
fast twitch, slow twitch. Generally speaking, the higher the neurological efficiency, the greater
the potential to recruit and use more muscle fibres, therefore the deeper the inroad the greater
the growth stimulation. However, like intensity, the greater the inroad, the greater the
demands placed on the body. So those with a potential to deeply inroad their strength may
require less overall exercise and have to train even more infrequently (than those with more
mixed fibres types) in order for them to progress.

These people in general will also have a higher level of strength relative to their size, as they
tend to have a high degree of fast twitch muscles fibres, which produce a lot of force, but
fatigue very quickly. This explains in part why they cannot lift a fraction of the original weight
they started with. Such is the level of inroad/fatigue they have produced.

Time Under Load or Time Under Tension.

Time under Load (TUL), is what the amount of time that your muscles should be effectively
loaded for. The general opinion in the scientific training community on this principle, is that
for general muscle building and strength purposes a TUL of between 60 to 120 seconds of
quality muscular loading should be performed. If one was performing reps in the standard
Nautilus guidelines this would equate to 8 to 12 repetitions performed in a 2 seconds up 4
seconds down manner. If one is performing slower repetitions, the rep count should be
adjusted accordingly, i.e. Super Slow would be 3 to 5 repetitions or something very similar.
However if one has a high rate of fatigue in a certain muscle group, it will be necessary to
determine what the ideal TUT is for THAT particular muscle group, as it can & does vary from
muscle group to muscle group.

It has been argued that has one gets stronger they may need to reduce their TUL/TUT & reps,
as the effects of a longer TUL/TUT could result in over training & overuse atrophy, which
would reduce progress at best.
 This ties in with the premise that as one gets progressively larger & stronger, more intense
demands are placed on the body. Realise that the body simply cannot tolerate a great deal of
exercise or stress (over the long term) and the greater the demands the less overall it can
tolerate. Also as strength increases recovery ability does not increase to the same level. The
purpose of the workout should be to fatigue the muscles within a certain time frame, TUT/TUL
as efficiently as possible.

Metabolic Work

Metabolic work is very important when it comes to high intensity exercise. More important
than how much weight you lift is how you lift it. . The action of the limbs to lift the weight is
mechanical work, the by-product of this work is metabolic work, or the work your body is
doing on a cellular level. As you perform your repetitions (assuming you are training to
muscular failure) you will begin to notice a more profound metabolic effect and as your reps
get harder, this effect will be felt in the presence of laboured breathing, muscular burning,
discomfort and a elevated heart rate. In effect brutally hard work!

Productive exercise is not meant to be fun its meant to be hard, bloody hard, anything that is
considered to be fun is recreation, such as football, tennis, golf etc. Do not make the mistake of
comparing your workouts to recreational activities. Accept the fact that in order for you to get
progressively bigger & stronger, you are going to have to train with a high level of intensity for
best results. Such work is not fun, but if you have the motivation and mentality, your results
will be more than worth the discomfort that this type of training produces.

"If you like exercise, chances are you are doing it wrong." Arthur Jones

Muscular Loading

Why is muscular loading important? Surely the idea is to simply lift as much weight as
possible? Remember you are weight training not weight lifting, of which there is a big
difference. The purpose of the workout should be to load or work the muscles through a
complete and as comfortable range of motion as possible. You should, if possible try to load the
muscle from the start of the repetition to the finish. By doing this you will effectively recruit
and stimulate more muscle fibres. So just how is the best way to effectively load the muscles?

Simply stated, perform your repetitions in a slow & deliberate manner with no sudden jerks or
acceleration. Jerking the weight in an explosive manner, will increase the force generated
dramatically and increases the possibility of injury. No one knows for sure just what the tensile
limit is of the tendons, which are the sinews, which attach the muscles to the bone. I for one
wouldn't like to find out, would you? So avoid explosive type lifting practises and this should
hopefully never happen. Injuries are usually caused through the use of excessive force & not
 the actual weight on the bar itself.

So you can see that the performance of 1 Rep, high force repetitions is not the best method of
building size & strength. To state it simply, BUILD STRENGTH DON'TDEMONSTRATE IT or
Weight TRAIN not Weight LIFT.

Neurological Efficiency

Neurological Efficiency, is the bodies ability to recruit muscle fibres at any given time, someone
with a high neurological efficiency will usually posses higher than normal levels of strength
regardless of their muscular size, this can sometimes explain when you see a smaller guy out
lifting a much more muscular guy. It also explains why you can lift more with one limb in terms
of the total weight combined,. For example you may be able to curl 100lbs with two arms , but
can curl 60llbs with one, totalling 120lbs, this is because the neurological signal is much
stronger when using one limb rather than being spread between two limbs.

Indirect Effect This is best explained whereby the larger amount of muscle groups an exercise
involves the greater the indirect effect, for example an exercise such as Squats while being an
exercise to work the legs, involves numerous other muscle groups, and as such places a large
amount of systematic stress on the body. This systematic stress is carried over to other muscle
groups causing them to grow. This is why its important not to neglect leg training or exercises
such as Dead lifts, as many people do as the effect is felt throughout the body, by avoiding such
exercises you are doing the rest of your muscle groups a disservice.

The (progressive) Overload Principle

The overload principle is a crucial principle if you wish to progress with your workouts if you
do not actively seek to progressively overload your muscles with more repetitions with the
same weight or increasing the level of resistance you lift then your size and strength gains will
cease, you need place greater demands on your muscles by asking it to do the previously
impossible , this way it is forced to adapt to this greater threat in the form of larger and
stronger muscles. Lifting the same weight for the same number of reps is not enough of a threat
to disrupt the bodies homoeostasis and as such your gains will come to a stop.

Understanding Cardio and what does it mean.

 . Cardio is simply a shortened version of cardiovascular which refers to the heart and lungs.
Lots of people mistakenly perform extended periods of low intensity aerobic exercise in the
belief that it will tax the heart and lungs in isolation from the muscular system, so they
perform, what has been termed cardio

What they fail to understand is that in order to tax the heart and lungs they automatically
engage the muscles of their body and as such and what is most important, the muscles will be
performing what is refered to as mechanical work. The function of the cardiovascular system is
to support the muscular system, not the other way around.

So why then don't you need to perform cardio in the traditional or more commonly seen sense?

Again if we consider the fact that all movement is mechanical in nature then it makes more
sense from a metabolic standpoint to lift weights as opposed to running on a treadmill.

When you lift weights using a high level of intensity and move from one exercise to the next,
what you will experience is a profound metabolic effect in the form of increased heart rate and
increased oxygen debt, , the very same outcome and effect than when performing steady state
cardio but at a much higher output and as such, this then eliminates the need to perform
additional exercise as by doing so you are simply placing greater demands on your recovery
ability. Just as your muscles adapt by growing bigger and stronger your cardiovascular system
will also adapt in much the same manner by becoming more efficient at carrying out the given
tasks. If however you need to increase your cardiovascular endurance then your training
should be tailored specifically towards this but for general health reasons all the benefits can be
derived from lifting weights in the manner I have prescribed. In so much now it has become
widely accepted that high intensity interval training is just as if not more effective than steady
state cardio, the key defining factor here is that of intensity.

Again it is important to remember that any form of exercise above base level, is deemed to be
a negative by the body and will use up resources which have to be replaced and when taken to
extremes overuse atrophy can occur meaning a loss of muscle mass as the bodies ability to
recover has been exceeded so it will begin to break down muscle tissue as a source of energy.
Many people that perform traditional cardio fail to lose fat and often end up weak or suffer
from injuries, this is because they are not actively strengthening their muscles via strength
training. The benefits of strength training over cardio are many, increased bone density,
improved insulin sensitivity, post workout increased metabolic rate, lower blood pressure,
increase in muscular function and ability..the list goes on and on. If however you wish to run or
do cardio for recreational purposes or it is required for your sport then it is fine, it can if
implemented correctly form part of your overall training program should you wish to do so,
But do so in the understanding of what you are undertaking

A Brief Note on Nutrition.

 I've been asked many times why I haven't covered the topic of nutrition and diet. The simple
answer is, that wasn't the focus or my reason for writing this book. In terms of diet its both
very difficult and simple. The difficulty is that when it comes to diet, its very hard to prescribe
on an individual basis what foods you should eat as we all have different tastes, tolerances
which we have developed over a number of years and as such its impossible to prescribe a diet
that will be optimal for everyone, what I can say when it comes to diet is too stress the concept
of eating a balanced diet do this and you will take care of pretty much all your nurtionional
needs and requirements

You should look to include foods which are of a high nutritional value. Plenty of fresh fruits,
vegetables, lean meats and fish should form the mainstay of you diet, if like many people you
struggle to obtain the optimal number of fruits and vegetables per day or you find them
unappealing, a great way to do this is to blend them or juice them. Its possible to easily meet
your nutritional needs by blending your fruits and vegetables , the other upside is that as the
food is already broken down into tiny particles your body will begin to absorb or the nutrients
that much quicker.

Avoid eating foods which are nutritionally low and high in calories, generally speaking things
like processed or refined foods and junk foods, really should be eaten only in very limited
moderation.

In terms of calories per gram they break down like this. 1 gram of carbohydrates equals 4
calories, 1 gram of protein equals 4 calories, 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories.

So while fat is more calorie dense it does not mean that eating fat makes you fat, its an over-
abundance of calories regardless of the food source which can cause a fat gain, again all things
in moderation is the key.

The benefits of drinking enough water throughout the day cannot be recommened enough if
we consider that are muscles are roughly 70% water and it makes sense to stay fully hydrated
throughout the day as dehyrated muscle is a smaller one. As a general rule I would advise you
to be drinking at least two to four litres of cold water a day. Its important to drink it cold as this
helps with thermogenisis or in simple terms the body has to use or burn calories to help bring
the water to body temprature.

Another benefit of High Intensity Training which is worthy of mention, is that due to its nature
it requires tremendous amounts of energy to fuel the workouts. The primary source of fuel
being glycogen which is stored in the muscles, so during the workout huge amounts of these
stores are depleted. This is beneficial for a number of reasons but one of the most important is
that of insulin sensitivity , if you have an excess of glycogen in your body due to the ingestion
of carbohydrates both simple and complex , the body will mobilise insulin to regulate it and the
excess is then stored as fat for later use. So training in a high intensity manner it helps keep
the fat storage at bay.
 Side Note

I'm aware that some may disagree with my recommendations and advice, with any form of
information take from it what you will and don't be afraid to tailor to your own specific needs.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this bulletin and I hope you can use some of the information
within to help you with your own workouts

Dedicated to the memory of my Mum whom I lost in 2011.

Recommended Links to Useful Learning resources

http://www.iartexerciseeducation.com/resources/

http://www.arthurjonesexercise.com/

http://www.bodybyscience.net/home.html/

https://www.mikementzer.com/

http://www.gridironincny.com/