Todd's "No F*cking Around" Workout!

[JULIAN]

todd,

i've been using your program for almost a week now, one thing i've noticed is that in order for me to keep track of my regimen i should keep a journal with me always, honestly speaking i never did this before thingking that it would only be a waste of time, but as i've noticed that it'd be more waste of time if i would just keep on guessing what weight i have used in my previous workouts in a certain body part, i wouldn't even have any idea if i am increasing or maintaining my strenght, anways this is a good wake up call for me, so up until when should i keep this?, do you have another program that i could shift to after this?, i just noticed that in your shoulder exercises, why is it that you didn't include working the the front and rear delts?, thanks!

[Todd]

Julian - I would keep an ongoing log of your workouts, to ensure that you continually move forward and have something to reference when needed. I am glad to see that you have found the importance of keeping a log, it is definitely handy and useful. It is cool to look back after every week/month or so and see if you've improved on your weights/reps lifted or not and make any needed adjustments or reassess your goals.

As for another routine to follow....well, I would keep the principles that my routine follows (sets and rep wise) and just rotate the order of compound exercises performed. You can also take out a compound exercise, if you are able to replace it with another compound one. Example, for chest....you can take out decline bench presses, and replace them with weighted dips for the lower chest. You can also switch from barbell work to dumbbell work for flat bench and incline presses. Just make sure to keep improving on your weight or reps performed within the 4-6 range. Keep your total sets for the smaller body parts to 4-5 total working sets, and 6-7 total working sets for the larger body parts. Keep the same overload principles, just change the exercise order or substitute out some exercises for variety purposes, both mentally and physically.

The reason I had no direct front or rear shoulder work in my shoulder routine is because I felt that at the time of doing that training routine I was getting sufficient stimulation from other basic exercises. I get plenty front delt stimulation from all of my bench pressing exercises and enough rear delt stimulation from my back exercises. Note though, if your own rear shoulder development is lagging, you should include a set or two of bent-over laterals to directly stimulate the rear delts. If you are benching heavy for chest (like you should be), your front delt stimulation from that should be more than enough. The basic shoulder exercises like military barbell presses and dbell presses do hit all three heads of the shoulder to some degree as well, so keep that in mind!

[JULIAN]

todd,

do you always max out in each exercise? since you're only doing a couple of sets and repetitions in each body part, does it always have to be less than an hour if i follow your program? what if it takes me a lot of rest time per set since i'm doing max loading with the weights?

[Todd]

I don't really "max out", but I use as much weight as I can handle for 4-6 reps per working set. To me, "maxing out" means using as much weight as I can handle for a 1 rep max, and that I do not do...ever. Using as much weight as I can handle for 4-6 reps where I reach positive failure within this range allows (and forces) me to put 100% intensity into only 4-6 reps. It allows me to focus, concentrate and apply 100% intensity in a short period of time, getting the most out of each of my sets. The sets are short in duration, but SUPER HIGH in intensity! I use a weight that is heavy enough to overload the muscles but still allow me to peform the exercise using a full range of motion and good form. I never sacrifice good form for heavier weight. But, lifting this way I accomplish the same (or more) in less time compared to doing sets where you use a lighter weight for say 8-10 reps or higher. Your mind has a hard time keeping focus during "marathon-like" training sessions, so it is a whole lot better to be more efficient with each rep, set and workout.

Doing fewer repetitions (with more weight/intensity) leads to shorter amount of time to complete each working set. And doing fewer total working sets to begin with compared to most programs, you should be able to get out of the gym within 40 minutes to an hour. Take a couple minutes rest between sets and then get right back into your next set, don't chat, waste time or anything. You should be there to train, and train in the most efficient way. Efficient training = more muscle growth in less time, with no wasted effort, energy, and time.

Yes, this type of training is intense and sometimes brutal, but you should only need a couple minutes rest between sets, during which time you should be racking the weights for your next set or having your partner do his/her set, then right after that, it is your turn. It is important to not be in the gym longer than an hour because after this time frame your body can easily slip into a catabolic state, as well, focus and energy reserves have been shown to dramatically decline and any work done after this will be done so with you not being able to apply 100% effort....and anything less than 100% effort is a wasted effort.

[mustang GT]

Todd, I really admire your training phylosophy (sp?). You get down to business everytime and have so much determination. A lot of people lack that (myself included) and I really respect that about you Todd. You're gonna get all the results that you ever wanted, great job Todd. :thumbup:

[Todd]

Thanks Mustang GT, that really means a lot. I guess I figure we are all in the gym for one reason or another, and whatever that reason is, I am sure we all want those desired results ASAP without wasted time and effort. I am always thinking about what exactly makes a muscle grow and what is the best (meaning most efficient) way to obtain that growth without wasted time, effort, energy, and focus. And that to me means striving to get the most results in the least amount of time...exactly what we are all after, no matter what our goals. At the same time, I realize that patience and time are two major aspects to obtaining and sticking with our goals in order to be successful.

My standpoint is...if there is something that does the same job better, quicker, more efficiently, then hey..why not do that instead...why take the longer, less efficient route when you can train smarter to accomplish the same, if not better results? The methods I follow are simple and comprise the ABC's of what triggers muscle growth in the first place...OVERLOAD, and making sure that a new load is placed on the muscles each and every workout, forcing them to adapt to a new stimulus. Big weight equals big muscles, and there is no way to try and debate that. What I have been doing is trying to figure out what is the most efficient way to progressively overload the muscles each and every time I work out. And you are right Mustang, it calls for a no BS approach, where you go into the gym with a mission, a set standard of what you know you must obtain and get from the workout using 100% effort, intensity and focus. Why do anything less than 100%!

If I go into the gym this week and cannot do a little more than I did last week for each set each body part, then I know I must be not adhering to either my diet, sleep, overall rest, supplementation and/or intensity application etc. And if I am not overloading the muscles a little more from last time, then there is something wrong and I am wasting my time. So, everything I do with those above factors is geared towards optimizing each aspect so that I am not wasting my time in the gym or out of it. I don't see the point in giving it your all in the gym and then going home and having a nonsufficient diet that you follow, which hinders the results that were stimulated in the gym prior to that. That is a waste....just as eating correctly and then going to the gym without a plan of attack on what needs to be accomplished in order to move forward and overload your muscles properly for maximum growth...to me that is a waste of time and effort as well.

I have been bodybuilding for over 9 years now, and I have to admit, I KNOW I have wasted a lot of time where I could of been getting a lot better results quicker. But I never took the time to sit down and think about what it is that makes a muscle grow and how can I most efficiently accomplish this. I still made gains throughout those 9 years, but I know that I could of made the same gains long ago if I had not listened to BS that is in magazines, listened to what others have to say (because you can bet they got their info from the magazines or another unreliable source) and just sat down and thought about the basics of bodybuilding. If you think about it all for a second, you'll see that many people have made it more complicated than what it really is. It is a lot simpler than most think, but it is almost like people think it MUST BE A MYSTERY in order to build muscle. When really it is this simple: squatted 100 pounds this week for 4 reps. Next week I make sure I squat that 100 pounds for at least 5 reps. I got 6 reps for 100 pounds this week, ok, next week I strive to increase the overall weight by 5 pounds and strive to get 4 reps..etc etc and so on. That is all there is to it. You lift a certain weight, your muscles WILL adapt to that weight lifted. So next week, you strive to lift slightly more, your muscles will again adapt to this new stimulus. Never lift less weight than you have before. Your muscles have adapted to the weight you've placed upon it last week, why lift less??? Those are the basics of what kind of philosophy I follow. It is that UNcomplicated, but people want to make it more, for whatever reason.

I once was a follower of periodization, cycling intensities, pyramiding weights/sets, drop sets, and all that other stuff that people really want to believe is necessary to continually make muscle gains. I tried it all! I am not saying these principles don't work at all, I am merely saying that they are not the most efficient ways to trigger maximum muscle growth.

I know I have had some heated debates with members on the forum, but all I am trying to do is explain and present a new angle, which really isn't that new (rather going back to the basics of what makes a muscle grow) but I am simply sharing what I have found to be the most efficient method of gaining muscle in the shortest amount of time. And I don't believe it is a method that only benefits me alone, I feel it can benefit anyone and everyone who is willing to give it a try and follow the program to a "T". The reason a person trying this must follow it to a "T" is because each aspect of it builds upon one another, and if you break the chain (so to speak) then yes, you will probably get less than desireable results or become overtrained and then you'll be saying "this program sucks" or whatever. Again though, this all comes back to not doing one part of anything "half-assed" in the first place...no matter what program or routine you are following, because then you are setting yourself up for less than optimal gains.

Many people are surprised at how much more you can get out of doing something more efficently ....with less time in the gym each day while allowing more time for resting and growing. When people don't get the results they want, they tend to have the attitude, I must do more work for that bodypart or work it directly 2 or 3 times per week instead of 1, or I must add another set for that lagging body part, etc...when in truth, the only thing that has to be done is work smarter...more load for less sets and less reps, spend less time in the gym, more time at home resting, eating properly and giving that body part a chance to grow more.

Whhhew, that was a long response! Again, just sharing my thoughts.

[JULIAN]

hey todd and to the rest of the people who will be viewing this thread, i just wanted to let you guys know that two months ago i have stopped going to the gym, eat, sleep and work was all i did, i never did any kind of exercise, even push ups or sit ups. After five days/sessions of using this program/routine i have gained great results, even without changing my eating habits yet i have lost a lot of body fat, for five days/sessions i have become leaner and stronger, so hopefully in a months time i'll be back in shape the way that i was before, thanks todd!

[Todd]

You are very welcome Julian! I am glad to see you back to working out hard and getting it all back on track, that is simply awesome!!! But, you have to realize that you MUST thank YOURSELF as well for looking for answers in the first place and taking the initiative to get back into "the groove". I am glad you are seeing results with the program I have presented, keep up the kick a$$ work and motivation!

[mustang GT]

Very good post Todd :thumbup:

I was wondering, can this type of training go for the CrossBow too, as long as you overload and increase the load every week?

[Todd]

Originally Posted by mustang GT

Very good post Todd :thumbup:

I was wondering, can this type of training go for the CrossBow too, as long as you overload and increase the load every week?

Excuse my ignorance Mustang, but I am not familiar with the Crossbow ... do you have a link for me to look at? Just so I can see what it's all about to see if these methods would comply with it. Thanks man!

[mustang GT]

Originally Posted by Todd

Excuse my ignorance Mustang, but I am not familiar with the Crossbow ... do you have a link for me to look at? Just so I can see what it's all about to see if these methods would comply with it. Thanks man!

That's o.k Todd Here are two links...

http://www.thecrossbow.com/crossbow/index.html

http://www.thesportsauthority.com/pr...2153&cp=710956

[Todd]

Hi Mustang, sorry it took me so long to respond to your above post. I had a good look at The Crossbow and I do believe that you could probably incorporate the methods mentioned in this thread into using The Crossbow. The only drawback I can see is that it is still a machine and even though it says it has resistance like free weights, I would still wonder whether it would be the same as free weights and allow you to do ALL OF the major compound exercises needed for each body part (legs-squats, back-deadlifts, etc). But, the fundamentals of the methods explained here could still be incorporated with this machine. I just think that I myself would want to do most of those exercises strictly with actual free weights, that is all.

[mustang GT]

k thanks for the info Todd. They list squats as an exercise for the CrossBow, but not deadlifts. However, I think there is an attachment you can get for deadlifts, and also I would imagine a deadlift can be attempted, if executed properly. The other compound exerises can be done. However, in my experience, freeweights still work ya harder. So to get more benefit using the CrossBow with the methods mentioned in this thread, you would just have to put the weight up more. Still, freeweights are best, but the CrossBow is definitely better than nothing.

[Todd]

Yep, I agree, I would think The Crossbow would definitely be better than nothing. And I do think you could get pretty good muscle stimulation using these methods with The Crossbow, maybe not quite as good as with free weights, but still, pretty damn good!

[sparky]

Todd, just wanted to say thanks for the great workout. I just finished my first week with it. Man I havn't been this sore in a long time. It was kind of tuff getting used to being done in 1/2 an hour but what a great workout. Just wanted to let you know also that in Dec M&F is an article that has a workout very similar to yours as far as reps and sets. I think they are monitoring the board and got it from you