KettleBells NZ

I do not believe that it is a good idea to pursue several training goals at once. For example, training for a powerlifting meet and a marathon at the same time would be a disaster. However, you do not have to focus entirely on one goal to the exclusion of others. One of the most common questions I get is how to train for strength, muscle gain, and fat loss at the same time. It is possible to train for all three if you know how to cycle and set your training week up to avoid over training. The key is to focus on one goal and place the others in a secondary role. Then rotate the goals over time so that each goal gets its time in the spotlight. It is better to do this in a micro-cycle format in which things are cycled frequently. Otherwise, you lose one form of conditioning while you focus on another. For example, if you focus on strength for three months and avoid all muscular endurance, your conditioning will be horrible when you start working on muscular endurance again. On the other hand, if you do muscular conditioning workouts for three months and no strength training, your strength will take a nose-dive. It is much better to rotate the different training activities frequently to build and maintain each one. Lets go over a sample twelve-week rotation-training program.

Month One: Strength Focus

In month one we are going to focus on getting stronger and too a secondary degree, focus on building some muscular endurance. What about getting bigger? Do not worry about it. Get stronger and in month two, we will focus on some hypertrophy training. The stronger you are, the more weight you will be able to use in the next phase and with the right amount of calories, the bigger you will get. In order to build strength, we are going to use a fairly low amount of volume and have your train frequently. As top strength coach Vladimir Zatsiorsky stated in “Science And Practice Of Strength Training”, “To increase muscle strength, the schedule should include at least three heavy resistance workouts per week.” You guessed it. This month’s strength training is going to involve three strength workouts in the three-rep range to maximize strength. Rather than feeling wiped out like you do after your “no pain no gain” workouts, you will feel strong and ready to take on the world after these workouts. To ensure adequate recovery, the training week will involve two intense workouts (Monday and Friday) and one moderate workout on Wednesday using 80% of the training intensity.

In order to train efficiently and to maximize strength, you will be doing compound exercises in antagonistic fashion. Working muscle groups antagonistically will allow you blood to flow back and forth to each muscle group. Thus, you will find that you are stronger than you would be if you did each exercise one at a time. Finally, we are going to avoid isolation exercises and focus on compound exercises to keep your workouts focused and to maximize recovery.

Monday-Wednesday-Friday

A-1: Barbell Military Press (Do Bench Presses or Weighted Dips if you have “breast” envy) 3x3

A-2: Weighted Pull-up 3x3

Do A-1 and A-2 back to back. In other words, do one set of A-1, wait two-minutes and then do a set of A-2 and wait another two-minutes before doing another set of A-1. Keep going back and forth until you have completed all of the designated sets. For pairing up the exercises in this fashion, you get around five minutes of total rest in between each set without having to sit around for five minutes in between each set.

Barbell Squat 3x3 (three-minute breaks in between each set)

Stiff-legged Deadlift 3x3 (three-minute breaks in between each set)

The above exercises are better done one at a time. You do not want to fatigue your back with stiff-legged deadlifts in between each set of squats.

Monday: One-arm Windmill 2x5 l,r (one-minute breaks in between each set)

Wednesday: Turkish Get-up 2x3 l,r (one-minute breaks in between each set)

Friday: Hanging Leg raise 2x5 (one-minute breaks in between each set)

***On Wednesday use 80% of the loads that you used on Monday and Friday

Tuesday-Thursday: Tabata Protocol

A Japanese scientist named Dr. Tabata discovered that high intensity aerobic training burns much more fat than moderate aerobic training. Moreover, he discovered that four minutes of high intensity aerobic training builds as much muscular endurance as forty-five minutes of moderate aerobic training. So what does this mean? You do not have to feel like a hamster on a treadmill watching episodes of “elimidate.” Now you can burn fat in less time and get on with your life.

The Tabata Protocol calls for 20 seconds of all out work (sprinting) followed by 10 seconds of moderate cardio (jogging). Follow this interval protocol for ten minutes at each workout. This workout is much harder than it looks so ease into it. For example, start with 20 seconds of sprinting followed by one-minute of moderate work. Do that for ten minutes total. Once that gets easier, do 20 seconds of sprinting followed by 45 seconds of moderate work. You get the idea. Keep working on it until you are down to 20 seconds of sprinting followed by 10 seconds of moderate work.

Apply the Tabata protocol to an exercise bike, treadmill, or cross trainer. However, if you are not a big fan of these lame exercise machines, here is a more progressive alternative:

The Swing Workout

Do ten sets of ten on dumbbell or kettlebell two-arm swings. Place a dumbbell on the floor, and pick it up as if you are doing a deadlift, sit back and swing the dumbbell between your legs. Quickly reverse the direction, drive through with your hips and swing the dumbbell to chest level. All the power is being generated from the hamstrings. Your arms are just two hooks that are going for the ride. Make sure to drive through with your pelvis and to contract your glutes as the dumbbell reaches chest level to protect your lower back. Make sure that you lock out your legs at the top of each rep.

Start with ten sets of ten with one-minute breaks. Gradually increase the reps until you are doing ten sets of twenty with one-minute breaks. Since the main focus of this month is strength training, do not go beyond twenty reps or decrease the breaks in between each set. You will have an opportunity to ramp up cardio in month three.

Month Two: Muscle Gain Focus

Okay, now that you are stronger and in better condition from month one’s training, it is time to pack on some size. For month two, you are going to do the classic 5x5-training program. The 5x5 program was a favorite of legendary bodybuilder Reg Park who was one of Arnold’s idols back in the day. Here is how it works. Do 1-2 ramp up sets with some light weights to get yourself ready for the tougher sets. Next, start the work sets and attempt to use the same weight for all five sets. On your first workout, you will probably get five reps on the first two to three sets, and then end up with three on the forth and two on the fifth. No big deal. Stay with the same weight until you can use the same weight on all five sets. Once you can complete five sets with the same weight, add five pounds to the bar and start over. Of course in addition to building some size you will continue to get stronger with the 5x5 program.

Monday And Thursday

A-1: Barbell Bench Press 5x5

A-2: Barbell Bent Over Row 5x5

Do A-1 and A-2 back to back. In other words, do one set of A-1, wait a minute and then do a set of A-2 and wait another minute before doing another set of A-1. Keep going back and forth until you have completed all of the designated sets.

B-1: Barbell Squat 5x5

B-2: Glute/ham Raise 5x5

Do B-1 and B-2 back to back. In other words, do one set of B-1, wait a minute and then do a set of B-2 and wait another minute before doing another set of B-1. Keep going back and forth until you have completed all of the designated sets.

Monday: Hanging Leg Raise 2x5 l,r (one-minute breaks in between each set)

Thursday: Turkish Get-up 2x3 l,r (one-minute breaks in between each set)

Tuesday-Friday: Muscular Endurance Work

Due to the higher volume training, this month, we will take cardio down a small notch. Do no more than ten minutes of the Tabata Protocol or no more than 10x15 on the “Swing” workout. Do not worry, you will get a chance to ramp up cardio tremendously in month three. Focus on packing on some size in month two.

Month Three: Muscular Endurance Focus

Now that you are bigger and stronger, it is time to ramp up muscular endurance. Month three will call for three twenty-minute Tabata Protocol workouts or three “Swing” workouts in which you do 10x20. If you choose the “swing” workout, your goal is to work up to 10x30 by the end of the month with one-minute breaks in between each set. In order to maintain size and strength, you are going to do one size workout and one strength workout per week. Thus, month three calls for three muscular endurance workouts, and two strength/size workouts. Here is how it will break down:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday (Muscular Endurance Focus)

Twenty minute of Tabata Protocol or 10x20-30 on the “Swing” workout. Of course for variety, you could alternate between the two workouts.

Tuesday (strength workout)

A-1: Barbell Military Press 2x3

A-2: Weighted Pull-up 2x3

Do A-1 and A-2 back to back. In other words, do one set of A-1, wait two-minutes and then do a set of A-2 and wait another two-minutes before doing another set of A-1. Keep going back and forth until you have completed all of the designated Sets

Barbell Deadlift 2x3 (three minute breaks in between each set)

Hanging Leg Raise: 1x5

Thursday (Size Maintenance Workout)

A-1: Barbell Bench Press 3x5

A-2: Bent Over Row 3x5

Do A-1 and A-2 back to back. In other words, do one set of A-1, wait one-minute and then do a set of A-2 and wait another minutes before doing another set of A-1. Keep going back and forth until you have completed all of the designated Sets.

Barbell Squat 3x5 (ninety-second breaks in between each set).

Dumbbell Side Bend 1x5 on each side.

On the size and strength workouts, just work with the same training weighs all month. Do not worry about increasing the weight this month. Focus on improving the cardio workouts.

You are all set. You have a three-month plan in which each of your training goals gets its time on the sun without making any major compromises. While focusing on one goal, you get to maintain and even improve your other goals without losing focus. Moreover, without even really thinking about it you will be taking advantage of the concept of periodization in which training goals are cycled through out he course of the year. However, with rotation training, the goals are cycled more frequently. What do you do when you get to the end of month three? Start over with month one and build some more strength. Then build some more size and finally build some more endurance. Keep improving with the power of managing multiple goals.