On Goals and Workout Programs

     In Part 3 of my “Big and Strong” series of on-going articles that I’m writing at the moment, I mentioned how that series isn’t for the average gym-goer.  If you’re going to follow the high-set, low-rep (and really high volume) regimens that the series recommends, you really can’t do much else.  Hell, you probably can’t do anything else.  I’m taking a break from that series briefly so that I can focus on some essays and articles that tackle different workout programs and just different subjects in general. I have several articles and essays that I’m working on at the moment, and it made me realize something.  Since this blog has quite an array of different workout programs, many lifters might be unsure as to the one they should be doing.  So, I thought it might be good to look at training goals and the workout programs you should be following for your goals.  Because, if you have been reading that series and you decide to actually follow my advice, you might be asking yourself what workout should you be doing if not those?  I mean, after all, you do want to get big and strong, and you do want to achieve the best results possible, right?  Even if you don’t necessarily want to get “big,” most lifters want to gain some muscle, some strength, get (or remain) healthy, and be relatively fit.

     Before you follow any workout program whatsoever—my programs or Pavel’s or Bill Starr’s or whoever is the latest “celebrity” trainer or, well, who-the-heck ever—you must think about two important factors.  What are your current goals?  What are your current activities?  And of the two, the first thing you have to look at is your current activities.  Maybe you do want to get as big and strong as humanly possible, which means that my big and strong series seems like a pretty dang good idea.  The problem is that you hike 5 miles every day.  Or you train in kickboxing 3 days a week.  Or, I dunno, anything similar.  That series is only for lifters who can devote their time entirely to training.  To get results from it, you need to have a fairly sedentary lifestyle outside of the gym.  You must ensure your current activities allow you to engage in the workout program you select.

     Second, it’s important to have a specific, concrete goal.  What do you want out of your training?  And be honest with yourself.  Believe it or not, there are a lot of trainees who aren’t honest with themselves about what they want.  You aren’t training for anyone else.  (At least, you damn well shouldn’t be.)  You’re training for you, so if your only goal, honestly and truthfully, is to look good with your clothes off, then that’s what you should be training for.

     But goals are even more subtle than that, actually.  That’s why I wrote “specific” goal.  And that’s also why I mentioned activities.  Say that your goal is to get stronger, but stronger for what?  The “what” determines the training.  Well, it should determine the training.  You see, that’s the problem with a lot of modern lifters and modern strength-coaching, as well.  It’s not specific enough.  Because “stronger” is different, and must be different, for a powerlifter than it is for a kickboxer.  Or a rugby player.  Or a discus thrower.  Or a football player.

     Right now, to keep things simple, let’s look at two of the above, primarily because I’ve trained a lot of both (and have done them both myself extensively); the powerlifter and the kickboxer.  First, the qualities that the two need are different.  Powerlifters I’ve trained might scoff at the strength of the kickboxer on one of the three powerlifts.  If it’s a deadlift competition, I’m definitely picking the powerlifter to win.  If the kickboxer challenges the powerlifter to a race, however, I’m betting on the kickboxer.  (If the powerlifter beats the kickboxer, then the kickboxer has serious training issues that need to be addressed.)  Different sports.  Different qualities needed.

     Even within powerlifting (or kickboxing) the goals of different powerlifters or kickboxers will be different.  They will need to work on different qualities.  If a powerlifter needs to gain weight in addition to strength, I would most definitely have him or her follow routines that are exactly the kind that I wrote about in my big and strong series.  But if she needs to stay in her weight class, she would need a different program.  Same thing with the kickboxer who may need more strength, or more speed, or more flexibility, or all of the above or a combination of a couple of ‘em.

     Here’s the thing, however: most of the lifters I’ve trained over the years don’t fit into either of the above categories.  And, yes, right now I could be talking about you.  The casual lifter.  The guy who wants to still look good (no matter his age) but also be strong.  But he also wants to be able to feel good, to not have too many aches and pains.  If he’s young, he may want (and most assuredly need) to spend time with his family, his young kids, and to do activities with them.  If he’s older, he wants to feel good into his (hopefully ripe) old age and be capable of doing plenty of activities outside of the gym.

     Overall, I would say that you can break lifters down into 3 groups.  The group you are in should determine how you train.  It will also determine which one of my many training programs you should follow.  Here they are:

1. The “balanced” lifter; wants to look good, be healthy, stay active, and be strong.  May even be competitive in a sport but that sport is not his entire life.  The training should reflect this balance.

2. High-level athletes in “fast-twitch” and/or “collision” sports.  This could be the aforementioned kickboxer, the football player, the rugby player, or the track-and-field athlete.  This athlete needs a training plan that will allow him to continue to excel on the field.  This is the “hardest” lifter to train, and also the reason why there aren’t that many really good strength coaches around.  If your goal is to be a professional athlete, some day, in any of the major sports, your training should reflect this domain.

3. The hyper-specific lifter.  Powerlifter, Olympic lifter, high-level Crossfit athlete, and, yes, bodybuilder.  For this lifter, you will know if the training in the gym is helping her sport because the sport is a direct reflection of her training—the training is, essentially, the sport itself.  If your bench press continues to get stronger in the gym, it’ll be stronger at the meet.

     Where you fit in on the above list determines the training program you should select.  I spent most of my life alternating between the 2nd and 3rd category.  When I was younger, I wouldn’t have even wanted to be in the 1st category, but that was slightly foolish—or perhaps a lot foolish—on my part.  It’s also the reason I often can’t reach my right hand over my head these days and have trouble getting out of bed on others.  I put my body through a heapin’ amount of abuse.  So, don’t think that you’re not “serious” or you can’t get really good results from being in category #1.  If you’re an older athlete, it’s where you should be all the time.  If you’re younger, even if you’re a competitive powerlifter, you should spend some time in the 1st category, if nothing else than to give your body a needed break.

     Know your category.  Know your goals.  Know your activity level.  When you know all of that, you can decide how it is that you will train.  Scour my blog for the many workouts that will help you to achieve your training objectives.  If you have any questions about your goals or need any help, then please send me an email and I will see what I can do to help.  If you don’t mind others reading your questions, then leave them in the comments section below.

     The New Year will soon be upon us.  It’s the time when people return to the gym, or start in the 1st place, with the hope of achieving their fitness resolutions.  They won’t be able to do that if they don’t know the above.  But now you do know.  Apply your knowledge and achieve your strength and muscle hopes and dreams.  Your dreams will soon become your reality if you set the appropriate goals and choose the correct programs.