Intermediate Training

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So you're past the first, trembling steps on the road to physical excellence. Great! You've probably packed on a couple of pounds of muscle during the past months, and you're starting to feel confident in the gym. You know what you're doing, and you have most of the exercises figured out by now. The weights go up, up, up, and it's getting harder and harder to resist the urge to pull off your shirt and flex your biceps every five minutes.

Leaving Newbie-Hood

Another thing that happens about now, is that progress seems to be slowing down a little. Six months ago, your entire body would ache from just looking a barbell, but now you seem to not only have gotten used to the workouts, but also have lost some of the effect.

Well, guess what - you're right! The workouts HAVE lost some of the effect! That means, that in spite of the fact that you use twice as much weight now, your muscles are still more prepared and able to handle that workload, than they used to be. When the muscles get less stimulus, they grow slower, or perhaps even stops growing altogether. You don't want this. Therefore, we have to figure out ways to get around this problem.

Keeping A Sound Perspective

Keep in mind though, that you will probably never see such results as you did during your first months of training. That was a one-timer in your life.

Even if you gained 10 lbs in the first two months, you should mentally adjust to slower progress. 10 lbs a YEAR is to be considered great gains! Now, you have to focus on consistency and intensity - the keys to long-term progress.

Increased Body Split And More Rest

One thing you've figured out is how to actually make USE of your muscles more. That is partly the mind-muscle connection, where you've actually trained your nerves to use your muscles more efficiently, hence making you stronger.

It might be surprising to you, but just like we only use a few percent of the brain's capacity (except Dan Quale), we never make 100% use of the muscle fibers in our bodies. It can be trained to higher efficiency though, and as you may have guessed, weight training is the number one way of doing this.

Let's say that you've gone from using 50% of your total muscle fibers (!) to 75%. That is quite an increase in strength right there, without even counting in any gains in muscle mass into the equation.

Or to put it simple: Your capacity for high-intensity training has increased. That means that higher intensity is required for further progress, and the flip side of intensity is that you need more time to recover.

It's pretty simple, really - the harder you push your muscles, the more time you must allow them to heal and overcompensate. In addition, as you need to crank up the intensity to maintain growth, you probably will need to split your workouts so that you can focus more on specific muscle groups.

Even if you could get away with doing legs, shoulders, chest, arms, and back in one session before, the extra intensity will make you exhausted after legs and shoulders. That means your chest, arms, and back would suffer, since you'd have no energy to properly stimulate them.

The obvious answer is to split the body into 3-4 different days, and extend the rest to allow for full recovery. If you used to train your entire body in a single session, twice a week, it's time to back off. As you've learned to use your muscles more efficiently, 3-4 days of rest isn't enough - give it a full week!

This is NOT you being lazy, it's you having developed the ability to reach exhaustion. Remember: It's while you rest that you grow, not while in the gym.

Next week you'll get a sample workout and some pointers to think about, to ensure that you stay clear of the worst pitfalls. Last week we went into detail about why we need to split the body into several days as we become increasingly better at utilizing our muscles.

Simply put: You blow off all your energy in the first 30 minutes, and whatever muscle groups are left only get a couple of brief, exhausted sets before hitting the showers. Besides, you'll also need to let your muscles rest longer.

So, without further chit-chat, let's see what a typical Intermediate workout could look like. We have incorporated Compound Movements  In this case, we're going for Barbell Movement's Like Squat's it's a great schedule that should fit most people.

Training Basics

Whether your goal in to build muscle, strip fat or tone up, the following training principals should be followed to help achieve maximum results:

·         Training frequency – If you are just starting out on a training program you should only be weight training about 2 - 3 times per week for your first 10 - 12 weeks and each session should take no more than about 45minutes. If you have been training for some time then 3 - 4 sessions of about 50 – 60 mins each week is about the right level. Cardio training again will depend on your goals. If you are trying to strip a fair amount of fat then we recommend 4 cardio sessions per week initially and build on this as your condition and fitness improve.

·         Positive failure – Your muscles will only grow when you push them beyond their normal limits, which means you must train your muscles to failure in each workout. When performing resistance exercises your last few repetitions of the last 1 – 2 sets should be to failure. This means that by the time you get to rep 8, 9 or 10, you cannot do another rep unaided. A note here on training partners, if you have someone to train with who will really push you or motivate you, that’s a great thing. Personal trainers are also great for helping you really push your limits. You will be more motivated and confident to go for those few extra reps if you have someone spotting you on your exercises.

·         Training Priorities - If you have a weaker body part start off your workout with that body part to ensure you attack it while you are freshest. This might mean changing the order around of the exercise listed in this guide but that’s ok.

·         Sets and Repetitions – To build and tone muscle you must stimulate your muscle sufficiently to stimulate growth. The ideal number of repetitions to achieve this for most muscle groups is between about 8 and 12. For building mass and size, stick to around 8 reps, for stripping fat and getting lean aim for about 12 reps. If you perform less than 8 reps you tend to increase strength but not muscle size, and more than 12 tends to increase endurance but not muscle size. The number of sets you should perform is usually related to your training level. Beginning trainers should perform about 3 – 4 sets per muscle group, intermediate around 8 and advanced around 12. Rest between sets is also a factor. When you are training for all out size and strength take a good rest between each hard set so you can lift maximum weights on each set, around 3 – 5 minute. If you are training to build muscle and burn fat then you should only be resting a few minutes. However, when training legs, always rest a few more minutes between sets to ensure you are able to perform each set with maximum intensity.

·         Overload and Progression - If you want to get bigger and stronger, you need to use more resistance than your muscles are used to. This is important because the more you do, the more your body is capable of doing, so you must regularly push your muscles beyond their previous limits regularly to force your body to adapt and grow. In plain language, this means you should be lifting enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. In order to avoid plateaus you need to always strive to increase your intensity. You can do this by in a number of ways including: increasing the amount of weight lifted; increasing the sets/reps; changing the exercises you're doing and/or changing the rest intervals between sets; and changing the order of your exercises. Remember however that good exercise form always take priority over the amount of weight you can lift, so if your form is suffering, the weight is too heavy.

·         Rest and Recovery – This is one of the most important aspects of your training. You must train hard to stimulate muscle growth but you must give your body enough time between workouts to fully recover between. This is usually between 48 – 72 hours for someone who has been training regularly for some months, but can take longer for beginner trainers. To improve your recovery there are a number of strategies you should look at. Always have a protein shake straight after your workout. Gentle stretching and light cardio is excellent to loosen up stiff muscles and accelerate recovery. Hot and cold water immersion (hot and cold baths) is also great, and a good sports massage once a week is an excellent recovery strategy.

Beginner Training Program

The following program will train your whole body 3 times per week. It is a higher volume training program to stimulate fat burning as well as maintaining and building lean muscle. In addition we will add 4 cardio sessions in each week to ramp up fat burning. You will weight train on 3 days per week which will allow enough recovery time between each workout. You will also do a cardio session on your non weight training days. Your week should look like this:

·         Monday – Weight Training

·         Tuesday – Cardio

·         Wednesday – Weight Training

·         Thursday – Cardio

·         Friday – Cardio

·         Saturday – Weight Training

·         Sunday – Cardio

 

The program assumes you are training in a gymnasium or health club with a range of normal exercise equipment. A 10 minute warm-up on the stationary bike, treadmill, rower or other cardio machine is recommended to get your muscles and joints primed for a hard session. Because you are aiming for slightly higher reps in this phase of your training you may need to reduce the weights you usually use to achieve 12 reps. You will also using a relatively short rest period between each set which means you may not be fully recovered by the start of the next set – which is what we are aiming to achieve.

 

Muscle Group	Exercise	Sets and Repetitions	Notes
Abdominals	Crunches	2 x 20 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands on your thighs, then contract or crunch your abs muscles to lift your shoulders and head off the ground. Slide your hands up your thighs until they go over your knees, then lower your upper body down again to the starting position.
Chest	Flat Bench Press	3 x 12 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	Warm up with a light weight then perform your 3 sets. You can perform this exercise with free weights or a pin loaded machine. Your final set should feel quite heavy and your 10th, 11th and 12th reps should be difficult.
Back	Lat Pull Downs	3 x 12 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	Use a wide grip and pull down to the top of your chest with a slight arch in your back. Stretch your back muscles when your arms are extended. Increase the weight in each set but keep the movement smooth and controlled.
Shoulders	Seated Dumbbell Press	3 x 12 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	Start with a light weight and warm up your shoulders well then perform your 3 working sets. Start with the dumbbells lightly touching your shoulders then press up powerfully and lower slowly. Increase the weight with each set but make sure you maintain good form. Don’t arch your back excessively.
Biceps	Standing Biceps Curl	3 x 12 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	Grip a barbell at about shoulder width start with your arms hanging straight. Curl the weight up in a controlled and steady arc until your biceps are fully contracted, then lower again in a controlled arc. For added intensity squeeze your biceps for a count of one in the contracted position. Increase the weight with each set. If you have to heave up the weight or arch your back, it’s too heavy.
Triceps	Triceps Pushdown	3 x 12 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	Warm up with a lighter weight then start your 3 sets. On your last set you should find the last few reps very difficult.  To keep tension on your triceps don’t lock your arms at the bottom of the movement, just keep your arms moving in a controlled steady motion.
Legs	Barbell Squats	3 x 12 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	You will need a squat rack to perform this exercise properly. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and the bar should sit comfortably across your shoulders. When squatting, keep your head up and your back straight. Squat down until your thighs go a little further than parallel to the floor. Start with a lighter weight and concentrate on correct form. If you are training in a gym, ask an instructor to show you the correct technique.
Calves	Standing Calf Raise	2 x 20 repetitions Rest 2 – 3 minutes between sets	A standing calf raise machine allows you isolate your calf muscles. Once again, start off with a lighter weight and warm up the calves well. Increase the weight in each set and ensure you get a good stretch at the bottom of the movement and a strong contraction when you get to the top.

Most good gyms have mirrors that you can use to watch yourself train. The idea behind mirrors is to ensure you maintain good form during every rep of every exercise. If you can’t maintain good form for the required reps, it’s an indication that the weight is too heavy. Drop the weight back a little for your next set and concentrate on good form. While training focus on the feel in your working muscle. By the 3^rd and 4^th sets you should be experiencing a strong burn in your working muscles. By concentrating on strongly contracting the muscle being targeted you will achieve much better results.

Cardio is the other important element in your training plan. The aim is to start with about 20 minutes 4 times per week and build up to 30 – 40 minutes 4 times per week .  Your cardio can be any suitable exercise that gets your heart rate up to a level where you raise a sweat, start breathing moderately heavy and can still carry on a conversation, but only just. Cardio includes exercise like cycling or stationary bike, treadmill or brisk walking, elliptical trainer, rowing machine, etc. 

 

Intermediate Training Program

This training program should be adopted after you have built a solid base using the Beginner Program above. Your focus on this program will be to work your muscles hard and build muscle mass while stimulating maximum fat burning. The good news is the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism works, and the leaner you can get. The following program is a 4 day per week split routine, meaning you will train your whole body intensely twice per week. In addition you will include 4 – 5 cardio sessions per week to further increase your fat burning. Your week should look like this:

·         Monday – Cardio (morning) & Weight Training (afternoon)

·         Tuesday – Weight Training

·         Wednesday –  Cardio

·         Thursday – Cardio & Weight Training

·         Friday – Cardio

·         Saturday – Cardio & Weight Training

·         Sunday – Rest

 

A 10 minute warm-up on the stationary bike, treadmill, rower or other cardio machine is recommended to get your muscles and joints primed for a hard session. You will continue using a relatively short rest period between each set which means you will be working both strength and cardio systems to help with fat burning.

 

Monday & Thursday

 

Muscle Group	Exercise	Sets and Repetitions	Notes
Chest	Flat Bench Press	4 x 10 repetitions. Rest 2 minutes between sets	Warm up with a light weight then perform your 4 sets. You can perform this exercise with free weights or a pin loaded machine. Your final set should feel quite heavy and last few reps should be difficult or performed as forced reps
Chest	Incline Dumbbell Press (Monday)     Alternate with   Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes (Thursday)	4 x 10 repetitions. Rest 2 - 3 minutes between sets       4 x 10 repetitions. Rest 2 minutes between sets	Start with relatively light dumbbells and increase the weight on each set. Your final set should feel quite heavy and your 7th and 8th reps should be difficult or performed as forced reps.     Use moderate weight dumbbells, lie on a bench and perform Dumbbell flyes using a wide arc. When the dumbbells are at their highest point and touching, contract and squeeze your chest muscles for added intensity. A Pec Dec machine can also be used for this exercise
Back	Lat Pull Downs (Monday)       Alternate with   Wide Grip Chin Ups (Thursday)	4 x 10 repetitions. Rest 2 minutes between sets         4 x 8 - 10 repetitions. Rest 2 minutes between sets	Use a wide grip and pull down to the top of your chest with a slight arch in your back. Stretch your back muscles when your arms are extended. Increase the weight in each set but keep the movement smooth and controlled.     Use a wide grip, start in a hanging position and pull up until your chin just touches the bar, then lower in a controlled movement. If you can do more than 10 reps use a weight belt and hook and add extra weight.
Back	Seated Cable Rows	4 x 8 repetitions. Rest 2 minutes between sets	Focus on contracting your back muscles to pull the weight towards you and stretching your back as your arms extend away from you.
Legs	Barbell Squats (Monday)         Alternate With   Seated Leg Press (Thursday)	4 x 10 repetitions Rest 2 - 3 minutes between sets           4 x 10 repetitions Rest 3 - 4 minutes between sets	You will need a squat rack to perform this exercise properly. Your feet should be shoulder width apart and the bar should sit comfortably across your shoulders. When squatting, keep your head up and your back straight. Squat down until your thighs go a little further than parallel to the floor.     Use a shoulder width foot spacing and start with a few lighter warm up sets and then work up to 2 heavy sets
Legs	Lying Leg Curl (Monday)       Alternate with   Leg Extensions (Thursday)	4 x 8 repetitions. Rest 2 minutes between sets         4 x 8 repetitions. Rest 2 minutes between sets	This exercise works the hamstring and is important for balanced leg development. Start with a lighter weight and work up to a final heavy set. Hold your leg in the contracted position for a count of 2 for added intensity.     Start with a lighter weight and increase each set until the final set is difficult and produces a strong muscle burn. Use a controlled movement taking care not to throw the weight up and extend your leg past horizontal.
Legs	Standing Calf Raises	4 x 20 repetitions Rest 2 - 3 minutes between sets	Start with a relatively light weight and do a warm up set, then increase the weight on each set. Aim for a full stretch at the bottom and full contraction of you calves on each rep.

 

Tuesday & Saturday

 

Muscle Group	Exercise	Sets and Repetitions	Notes
Shoulders	Seated Dumbbell Press	4 x 8 repetitions Rest 2 minutes between sets	Start with a light weight and warm up your shoulders well then perform your 4 working sets. Start with the dumbbells lightly touching your shoulders then press up powerfully and lower slowly. Increase the weight with each set but make sure you maintain good form. Don’t arch your back excessively.
Shoulders	Dumbbell Side Raises	4 x 8 repetitions Rest 2 minutes between sets	Start with a relatively light weight that allows you to perform this exercise correctly. Your arms should be hanging by your sides with a moderate elbow bend. Lift your arms in an arc to the side, concentrating on keeping your elbows high and holding your hands in a position that emulates pouring water out a jug. This should produce a strong burning sensation in your side deltoid muscle when performed correctly. Don’t raise your hand higher than your ears.
Biceps	Standing Biceps Curl	4 x 8 - 10 repetitions Rest 2 minutes between sets	Grip a barbell at about shoulder width start with your arms hanging straight. Curl the weight up in a controlled and steady arc until your biceps are fully contracted, then lower again in a controlled arc. For added intensity squeeze your biceps for a count of one in the contracted position. Increase the weight with each set. If you have to heave up the weight or arch your back, it’s too heavy.
Biceps	Seated Alternate Dumbbell Curls	4 x 8 - 10 repetitions Rest 2 minutes between sets	Your arms will be warm from the barbell curls so you can launch straight into this exercise with a good weight. Focus on good form and squeeze each biceps muscle at the top of the movement before lowering. Try to keep your upper body still and let your biceps do all the work.
Triceps	Lying Triceps Extension	4 x 8 - 10 repetitions Rest 2 minutes between sets	You can use a straight or EZ bar for this exercise. Lying on as bench, start with grip a bit less than shoulder width and the weight extended overhead. Keeping your upper arms still, lower the weight by bending at the elbow until the bar or your hands just touches the top of your head. Push the bar back to the straight arm position in a smooth and controlled arc.
Triceps	Triceps Pushdown	4 x 8 – 10 repetitions Rest 2 minutes between sets	Increase the weight on each set.  On your last set you should find the last few reps very difficult.  To keep tension on your triceps don’t lock your arms at the bottom of the movement, just keep your arms moving in a controlled steady motion.
Abdominals	Crunches	2 x 20 repetitions Rest 2 minutes between sets	Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands on your thighs, then contract or crunch your abs muscles to lift your shoulders and head off the ground. Slide your hands up your thighs until they go over your knees, then lower your upper body down again to the starting position.

 

During this phase you must ensure the last one or two sets of every exercise is very hard and you can only just complete the final one or two repetitions with good exercise form. If you can do more reps, add a bit more weight to your next set. However if you find you have to start heaving the weight up and swinging your body around to finish the set, the weight is a little heavy. Just back it off a bit then complete your next set with the aim of maintaining good form in every rep.

As we’ve already mentioned, you will be increasing your cardio sessions to further stimulate fat burning. Your aim should be 5 session per week of 30 – 45minutes. Remember your cardio can be any suitable exercise that gets your heart rate up to a level where you raise a sweat and start breathing moderately heavy. Cardio includes exercise like cycling or stationary bike, treadmill or brisk walking, elliptical trainer, rowing machine, etc.