Mar. 7, 2011
Body Part Training: Not Your Typical Bodybuilder
It seems to amaze me that I still meet those that use body part specific training as their primary training protocol.
These same people are those that look at me in amazement when I explain to them I don’t train that way. In their defense I mean hell, I’m a WNBF Pro Bodybuilder, shouldn’t all Bodybuilders train body part specific?
At least that’s what they’ve been lead to believe.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve done plenty of body part training in my days. I also believe every person in the fitness industry who talks bad about this style of training or has talked bad about it , has also followed this technique at some point in their life.
And just let me say, if you deny it your lying to yourself and your full of shit.
Sorry, had to get that out.
Body part training use to be the only thing I knew. I can’t tell you how many “International Chest Days” or “Friday Night Gun Show” training sessions I performed in my teens and early 20’s. That was the way to train.
In college that is all I did.
I trained too often, with too much volume, not nearly enough recovery and let’s not forget eating whatever I wanted. Not conducive to building the body so many desire and certainly entirely different than what I practice and preach today.
With this style also came nagging injuries, from shoulder strains, tendinitis, knee pain, low back pain and all before the age of 23.
Today, my training sessions are shorter, focus on overall muscle stimulation.
They focus on total body, lower body, pull dominant, push dominant, upper body dominant and metabolic.
In a typical week I may train 3-5 times depending on the program I’ve written or if I am in contest prep or offseason.
My current offseason split is lower body, upper body push, upper body pull and total body spread over a 7-day period.
This change in my training structure was a major reason I’ve been able to make such massive improvements in only 5 years of competitive bodybuilding.
My style is not the norm for the bodybuilding world. I understand that. For one, I can’t stand “arm training” so I do my best to incorporate movements that give me the most bang for my buck. I’ve found a good combination of vertical and horizontal pushing movements really allows me to build my triceps without doing much direct tricep work.
This is an example of my upper body push session from last week.
Upper Body Push
Vertical Push (Shoulder Dominant)
1A) BB Push Press – 5 x 5-7
Horizontal Push (Chest Dominant)
2A) Incline DB Press – 4 x 8-12
Unilateral Vertical Push (Shoulder Dominant)
2B) Single Arm DB Push Press – 4 x 8-12
Accessory Work: Bodyweight Movements
Horizontal Push (Chest/Tricep Combo)
3A) Band Resisted Parallel Dips – 3 x 15-20
Horizontal Push (Chest/Tricep Combo)
3B) Decline Blast Strap Push-ups – 3 x 15-20
Nothing to glamorous. Straight and to the point.
This allows me to hit a vertical and horizontal push movement again later in the week during my total body session.
Overall stimulation, greater strength gains, more recovery and increased muscle growth.
Join me Wednesday for Body Part Training Part 2: How to Body Part Train: “The Right Way”
Work Hard, Train Hard, Get Better,
TE
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