2024 Strength Training Programs (FREE DOWNLOADs)

For 2024, I’ve created two workout cycles. The first is a 26-week cycle based on Brad Schoenfeld’s Max Muscle Plan, with some tweaks by yours truly. It is an excellent book; it is well-researched with practical guidelines and suggestions. This program is ideal for intermediate to advanced lifters looking to take a more systematic approach to their training and or looking to mix things up. … Continue reading 2024 Strength Training Programs (FREE DOWNLOADs)

Optimal Training Volume Made Simple

“Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn’t formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.” Lee Haney

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Determining optimal training volume is not a straightforward proposition. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I will simplify the process and provide some parameters, but you will have to discover what is optimal for YOU. Scientific studies should guide our training, but ultimately, we must decide what works best for us through trial and error. The primary factor to consider is your ability to recover.

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Strength Training Intensity – How Much is Optimal

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The latest issue of Muscle & Fiction and all the High-Intensity zealots would have you believe that if you don’t take a set to absolute muscular failure, you are wasting your time. That just isn’t true. On an effective strength training program for the natural lifter, most sets should stop 1 or 2 repetitions short of failure. We should avoid going to failure on all but the last set of each exercise. A simple, yet effective way to evaluate your rating of perceived exertion (RPE), is using this table developed by respected strength coach and competitive powerlifter Mike Tuchscherer.

RPE Scale (lifting)

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The Fat Loss Habit is NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!!!

The book contains:
•7 Change Strategies for Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle
•A Flexible Diet Program that Doesn’t Put Any Foods Off-limits, including Alcohol
•20-Week Workout Log with Progress Assessments (Downloadable PDF)
•3 Strategies for Resetting your Body Weight Set Point to Keep the Weight Off
•A Training Program Based on Science, not Bro Science.
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Training to Failure doesn’t Trigger Muscle Growth. Progressive Overload does!

Book NOW, Available on Amazon!

Countless studies have demonstrated that progressive overload is the key to muscle and strength gains. The most effective approach to building muscle focuses on becoming progressively stronger by subjecting our bodies to more mechanical tension over time. Each training cycle should focus on improving performance on the basic exercises that build the most muscle.

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