Wednesday, January 12, 2011
by Alex Chaple
Results are everything. The reason we step in the gym, start following a healthy eating plan and the reason some people buy things like the" ABomatic 2000" (or even a BOSU ball) is because we want results. If we do not get the results we want, or any results at all, we can become disheartened and give up. Obviously, this is a worst case scenario but a very common one. The number of people who fall short is, unfortunately, far higher than those who achieve the level of health that they want.
A well structured training program written by someone who knows what they are doing is worth its weight in gold, but equally as hard to find. Most people who see me lead busy lives. They can often only dedicate 2-3 hours a week to training in the gym. When time is this restricted, every minute you spend in the gym must count and must help you reach your goal in the most efficient possible way. Part of the problem of course is finding a great routine. However, there is a more basic problem which many do not realise.
A program is only as good as the time it takes you to adapt to it. Too many people will take a routine and follow it for months at a time. I have spoken to some who have been doing the same routine for over a year! Of course, when asked about the progress they have made in that time the results are often disappointing. In my experience no training program, even for beginners, should be followed for anymore than 6 repetitions. In those who have been training for a number of years already this time period can drop to as little as 2 or 3 repetitions. Any longer than this and your body will no longer adapt. The stimulus must be new and challenging for the body to adapt to it and if you have performed it 6 times already it is not new or challenging! The body is a very intelligent machine. It will only change if it needs to.
The main point to take away from this is to make sure, if you really want to achieve your aspirations as efficiently as possible, you follow a well written training program and for the length of time specified by its writer. Assumng that the designer of the program knows what they are doing, the program will not last half as long as most people typically follow them. There is no single program that will take you the whole length of your journey towards a better body. When it comes to good program design, change is everything!