"I am reading your second book, which is really great, and am wondering if I could modify your Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph program, since I don't consider myself fully an ectomorph. I don't have the typical ectomorph body, but still I think I am a hard gainer and am slow to put on muscle mass. The rep range is 10-8-6-15, and I want to know if I would profit from modifying it a bit - for instance by making the rep range 9-8-5-12 or so?"
-CS
My Answer: Perfectly fine to do that. People who have been training longer will find that over time, they will need to lower the reps and work with heavier weights. Part of the reason is that intermediate and advanced trainees have learned to tap into higher threshold muscle fibers.
Newbies don't have that ability, because the movements are still new to them. So to compensate, they need longer time under tension. In other words, longer sets from more reps. The greater number of repetitions helps newbies develop the neural pathways that tap into those muscle fibers.
Intermediate lifters can use a lower rep range, because their neural pathways were already developed from lifting. The exception of course is when the exercise is completely new. In this case an intermediate lifter would need to lift with higher reps to develop the neural pathways for that particular exercise.
So a pyramid with a lower rep range would be perfectly fine. That would be the natural progression of the Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph program.
So here's an article from Maria Cheng of the Associated Press on the superiority of HIIT to steady state cardio:
People who complain they have no time to exercise may soon need another excuse.
Some experts say intense exercise sessions could help people squeeze an entire week’s workout into less than an hour. Intense exercise regimens, or interval training, was originally developed for Olympic athletes and thought to be too strenuous for normal people.
But in recent years, studies in older people and those with health problems suggest many more people might be able to handle it. If true, that could revolutionize how officials advise people to exercise — and save millions of people hours in the gym every week. It is also a smarter way to exercise, experts say.
“High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise,” said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. “This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well … we should immediately throw out the old way of exercising.”
Intense interval training means working very hard for a few minutes, with rest periods in between sets. Experts have mostly tested people running or biking, but other sports like rowing or swimming should also work.
Helgerud recommends people try four sessions lasting four minutes each, with three minutes of recovery time in between. Unless you’re an elite athlete, it shouldn’t be an all-out effort.
“You should be a little out of breath, but you shouldn’t have the obvious feeling of exhaustion,” Helgerud said.
In Britain and the U.S., officials recommend that people get about two and a half hours each week of moderate exercise.
Helgerud says that time could be slashed dramatically if people did interval training instead. He said officials have been too afraid of recommending intense training, fearing it might be too much for some people.
“I’m much more afraid of people not exercising at all,” he said. “Inactivity is what’s killing us.”
When compared to people on a normal exercise routine, like jogging, research has shown those doing interval training can double their endurance, improve their oxygen use and strength by more than 10 percent, and their speed by at least 5 percent. Even studies in the elderly and in heart patients found they had better oxygen use and fitness after doing interval training.
Still, most studies have been done in young, healthy adults, and experts advise people to consult a doctor before starting any fitness program.
For Adamson Nicholls, a 36-year-old Londoner and martial arts enthusiast, interval training is a way to boost his endurance so he can outlast sparring opponents. “It’s a shortcut to explosive fitness,” he said, adding the training results in snappier and heavier punches.
Using interval training, Nicholls got into top shape last year in about six weeks, using weekly 45-minute sessions. He estimates the same level would have taken about three months via regular training.
Experts say that’s because intense bursts of activity are precisely what the body needs to build stronger muscles. Traditional workouts lasting an hour or more simply don’t push the body enough.
“A lot of the (benefits) from exercise are due to a stress response,” said Stephen Bailey, a sports sciences expert at the University of Exeter. “If you disturb your muscles, there’s an imbalance created and your body will start signaling pathways that result in adjustments.”
Bailey said intense bursts of exercise help the body to convert one type of muscle fiber into another type that uses oxygen more efficiently and is capable of exercising a lot longer. Even though interval training only takes a few minutes, its effects last for hours.
“You’ve exercised at such a high intensity that you’re going to create a massive disturbance in your muscles,” Bailey said. That creates a higher metabolism for several hours afterward, which the body will bring down by burning fat and carbohydrates.
Helgerud and others predicted that as further studies confirm interval training is safe for wider populations, authorities will include it in their exercise guidelines.
“This is definitely the way forward to save time on your exercise,” Nicholls said. “The results are worth it.”
I find absolutely frustrating that people find this to be news. It's like when they have news stories every once in awhile about how you should drink lots of water or eat your fruits and vegetables: no sh!t Sherlock!
News is supposed to be new information. Bodybuilders, trainers, athletes and martial artists have known this information for decades. It's not about the amount of work you do, it's about the amount you do within a given period of time. So the more work you can pack per unit of time, the better.
Your body is meant to execute bursts of physical activity, then back off. It was meant for combat and hunting, not long distance running. Jogging, by definition, is HALF-ASS EFFORT. Why waste your time doing things half-ass?
This concept of doing more work in less time is not exclusive to cardio. You can do this in weight training as well. Neo-Classical Bodybuilding goes over in great detail how to train more efficiently, how to pack more work per unit of time (density phases), then backing off (decompression).
Most newbies do everything but train efficiently. Instead of focusing on a single exercise per body part and keeping their workouts short and sweet, they include every damn exercise and prolong their workouts to an hour and a half to two hours. That is more work but in more time.
And instead of working each body part more frequently and packing in more workouts per unit of time (a week), newbies choose 4-way split routines and hit each body part less frequently. In the scope of a week, they do less work per unit of time.
And yet somehow, people cling to this idea that bashing each body part through multiple exercises once every 4-7 days is the best way to go. That strategy is the antithesis of training efficiency.
Newbies: do yourself a favor and train briefly, intensely and frequently. You'll make much better progress training this way.
"First I wanted to say thanks for the article on widening your back. I just read it over, and yes it looks brutal, but that's what I'm looking for in some back exercises. I only have one question and it might seem dumb, but are the 4 different techniques meant to be all on one workout or are they meant to be separated? Currently I'm doing my back exercises on Wednesdays with 3 sets of 3 techniques. Should I take one of these techniques and sub it into one of my current techniques, or should I drop the 3 I do now and use all 4 of your techniques?
Simple, maybe dumb questions, but I thought I'd go right to the author for some info.
I've been really dabbling into bodybuilding for the past few months and have loved all the information I've found. I've learned a lot and I know I still need to learn A LOT more. I've lost about 35 pounds since April 2008.
Thank you in advance for you assistance,"
- Corey
My Answer: Well first off, let me say congratulations on losing 35 pounds. Bodybuilding is very different from regular exercising in the sense that you have to be much more focused. You have to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your physique and prioritize your training and eating to develop a complete look. Most people just go to the gym and have no focus in their workouts, and have no goals in mind to accomplish. They just go to the gym to workout. It's like driving a car with no destination in mind. You might have gone for a nice ride, but that was all you accomplished. Bodybuilding requires that a workout produces a result.
Each one of the Wingspan Workouts is a workout, so yes, each technique is a different workout. If you want to incorporate them into your program, then simply choose one of the techniques and substitute them for you back workout.
I just wanted to say that I have been following your mesocycle program [from Volume Two] and have seen excellent results after just a few weeks. I am in week 5 now and my shirts are all of a sudden much smaller! I have been lifting for 5 years now and have never had results so quickly. Thank you!
- Dan B.
My Answer: I'm happy that you like the program, Dan. Strength and Physique, Volume Two is a very tough program, but those who follow it to a T will be rewarded with newfound size and muscularity.
I'm actually working on another bodybuilding book, which will be about training and lifestyle for the busy bodybuilder. Whereas Neo-Classical Bodybuilding is about the most you can do achieve mass and muscularity in an ideal situation, this new book is going to be about the least you can do to achieve mass and muscularity while still living a life outside the gym. It's meant for the Renaissance Man who wants a phenomenal physique, but also wants to live life and pursue other interests.
This idea came about simply because my life has gotten busier and busier over the years. Most of us have to juggle work, family and hobbies, and yet most magazines and books will prescribe you a program where you have to commit to the gym often. This new book will show you how to train differently and more effectively for a busy and unpredictable schedule.
Like I said, I'm still working on the book, so I'm not sure when it'll hit the market. My wife and I are expecting, and the baby is now overdue. So it may be awhile before I get this book out.
In the meantime, if you want to keep up to date on this blog while on Facebook, then check out the new Fan Page and join.
I inquired before about the 10-8-6-15 training, and I'm planning to use it again in the gym for mass building. I just enrolled in a gym (before I just worked out at home).
I would just like to clarify: if I have 3 consecutive days off (Monday to Wednesday), then how would I use the ectomorph training? I mean, I would like to work out on those 3 days, or at least 2 days, but my work schedule is crazy sometimes. As much as possible, I would like to maximize those days off as workout days.
One more thing sir, if I work out at night, is it healthy for my muscles to work out the next day in the morning or day time?
Thanks sir! I really respect your teachings!
- G.C.
My Answer: If your schedule only allows for training Monday to Wednesday, then the Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph program is not for you. No point in trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Life dictates your training schedule, and it doesn't give a crap about what's your optimal workout schedule. With that said, you can modify the program from a whole body workout to a three day split:
Monday: Chest and Back Tuesday: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves and Abs Wednesday: Deltoids, Biceps and Triceps
Choose 2 exercises for each body part and follow the 10-8-6-15 rep scheme for each exercise. As I have explained in the article, high volume split routines are not the ideal routines for ectomorphs. But if your schedule doesn't allow for high frequency whole body routines, then just go with the flow, even if it's not optimal.
"Questions about routine: Should I avoid cardio altogether? When should I do ab workouts? Should I avoid dips, box jumps and deadlifts? I weigh 150lbs. How much calories should I be looking to eat per day in order to achieve growth?"
-Illin' BMW
My Answer: Let me guess... you don't believe in introductions and foreplay with women, huh?
Anyway, I don't know what your background is or which one of my programs you want to try. Let me assume you're referring to Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph. So let me be as brief with you as you are with me:
Yes. Never. No. As much as you can ingest without throwing up.
