Practice makes perfect

Today I want to talk a little but more in detail about my current workout plan.

Including weight training and cardio, I basically train every day at the moment. Five days out of the week I lift weights and do cardio, while the remaining two days are active rests (cardio and abs only) days.

In general I train every body part once a week, with the exception of abdominals and my weak body parts (traps and calves) and usually focus on one muscle group each workout.

Mondays I focus on chest in the morning and cardio, calves and abs in the afternoon, Tuesdays I train my back, Wednesdays are my active rest days with abs and cardio, Thursdays are reserved for shoulders and traps, Fridays my plan calls for an intense leg workout, Saturdays are my arm days and on Sundays I do cardio and traps again.

I mentioned in a previous post that my plan is somewhat FST-7 inspired. FST-7 is a training principle created by Hany Rambod and stands for Fascial, Stretch, Training and the 7 refers to seven sets of 12 repetitions performed as the final exercise of the target body part. The "Fascial" set is always a compound lift, the "Stretch" set an isolation exercise with the intention to stretch the muscle, the "Training" set another compound lift and the "7" usually another isolation exercise to focus on a weak part of the target body part and preferably done on a machine to follow a fixed motion. For the "7" exercise, it is important to keep the rest period in between sets around 30 seconds and to constantly drink. Staying hydrated and stretching in between sets pushes fluids into the targeted muscle and stretches the fascia even further. The result is an intense "pump" after the workout and an increase in muscle volume.

Before I get swamped with smart ass emails pointing out that I have other/more exercises than traditional FST-7 workouts or that FST-7 requires all smaller muscles to be trained twice a week, etc., I want to clarify again that my workout is not an exact copy of the FST-7 training principle but rather a combination of exercises and methodologies, that have proven to work for me in the past and evolved over time, with many FST-7 elements.

I usually perform 3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise with 60 to 90 seconds rest in between sets and "finish off" the specific body part with the above mentioned "7" principle before doing cardio and 15 minutes of posing.

From years of experience I cannot emphasize the importance of training in the "right" environment and having a reliable and equally motivated training partner/s. Training at a "real" gym and not at a "fitness center" can have a huge impact one ones personal motivation and mood. Besides having the right equipment and sufficient amounts of weights (plates, as well as heavy dumbbells) "real" gyms also tend to attract more highly motivated individuals, creating a more "competitive" and more energetic environment. I changed gyms in the Fall of 2011 and could not be happier. I wouldn't say that going from the "poor man's country club" to a serious gym with experienced lifters and bodybuilders was a "life changing" event but definitely a huge step in the right direction. Learning from accomplished bodybuilders or powerlifters has helped me to gain more lean muscle mass and strength in the off-season and invaluable, now that I am preparing for an actual contest.

A detailed version of my current workout plan can be found on the right hand side under "FREE WORKOUT PLANS".

Lift sssings up and put sssem down.