Fitness Programming Part Two: The First Macrocycle - Building Strength NOT Testing Strength

A quick update: Daylight Losing Time (DLT) is only a little over a week away (11/5) so let's talk about the first of your four macrocycles for the year - November through January. This is going to be your "building strength" phase. So what does that mean, exactly? 

Most of the wise men in the fitness industry suggest that you spend your first macrocycle building muscle so you can support the strength phase. It's called the "hypertrophy" phase. Well, most of us in our age cohort remember our younger days where that's ALL we did. We got completely polluted by
Arnold and "Pumping Iron" and just wanted to get "swole".  So if I cut you loose on a "hypertrophy" phase I'll never be able to reel you back in. Strength training is also done in lower rep ranges, which means that the workouts are generally shorter and increasing more intense, which leads to greater strength gains. In my mind if you focus on getting stronger the body composition changes will follow, so I don't subscribe to the idea that you have to do a hypertrophy phase first.

If you haven't done any resistance training for a while you will be tempted to base everything on what you "used to do".  That's not reality.  At one point in my early 20s I could bench press 335 pounds at about a 205 pound body weight. That will never happen again. Never. And I dont't care. I'm not trying to keep up with my 20-year-old self because I'm comfortable with my 55-year-old self.  I just want to be the baddest 55-year-old I can be.

So what are we going to do in the first macrocycle? The first thing is to realize is that we are "building strength", not "testing strength". Overload and progression are the keys in this phase, with the emphasis on "progression". I suggest you select five multi-joint compound movements and then make this the basis of your resistance training during the "building strength" phase. So what are the movements? They are variations of the following movements, all with "two hands on the bar"
(1) Deadlift. The king of all strength builders
(2) Squat. The crown prince of strength builders.
(3) Bench Press. 
(4) Barbell Row
(5) Overhead Press

Notice that there are no curls, skull crushers. leg extensions, calf raises or any other bodybuilding exercises listed. That's because they are not core strength builders and I don't think they are useful in this phase. Also notice that I said "variations". Look, I understand that you've got aches and pains and some of them may actually be legit. I have had five knee surgeries, three herniated disks, and arthritis all over the place. So what? If it hurts, go to the doctor. You should not be limited by pain - or the fear of pain.  If you say "I can't squat because I have a bad knee", then get it fixed. If you say "I can't deadlift because I have a bad back", I would say it's because your core is weak. This is an investment in the rest of your life. Are you going to simply deteriorate without a fight?  I"m not, so I'm not scared of any strength movement.

I am a true believer in the 5X5 workout for beginners or those returning to training after a long layoff. Take a look at 5X5 Workout Overview for a primer on the subject. Why do I promote this? First of all, it's simple and easy to track progress.  Second, it's efficient.  You can knock this out easily in one hour, including warm-up and cool down. Finally, it allows you to progress gradually, but in a way that makes you feel like you are getting stronger every day.

In the next episode we'll set up a 5X5 program for the 12-week "building strength" phase that incorporates variation, overload and progression.

Be well, my friends. 

Fitness Programming Part One: It's almost Daylight Losing Time So Let's Ride the Metacycle!

Daylight Losing Time (DLT) is upon us and I thought I would take this time to talk about the basics of fitness programming. Now when you're studying for certifications there are - like in most subjects that are studied - a series of "foundational items".  You'll recall some of this from the slightly boring - but highly informational - tomes I have recently published on nutrition.  Fitness programming is no different, and one of the "foundational items" is "training cycles".  "Programming" is the fitness term for scheduling your workouts so you make longitudinal progress. Most people think of this as linear progress: "If I bench press 5 more pounds every week I'll  be bench pressing 260 more pounds by the end of the year".  Sorry, but it doesn't work that way.  What  really happens is that you build up your fitness level in stages over time, in a similar way to how you transform your body composition over time.  We fitness gurus are trained that there are three fitness "cycles" contained in a calendar year, and they roughly equate to how we keep time: a year, a month, and a day.  The "macrocycle" is traditionally the calendar year; the "mesocycle" is a month; and the "microcycle" is a week. But for me, the mesocycle is more like a quarter, so I have added a fourth term: the "metacycle".  So to summarize:

• Metacycle: Any twelve month period.  It doesn't have to be Jan-Dec. Think of it as your "fiscal" year.
• Macrocycle: This is like your "quarterly results". And we all know how much fun it is to do those Wall Street analyst calls, right?  But a quarter is a good time period to monitor progress.
• Mesocycle: A month. Why not just call it a month? If we did then we wouldn't have to pay all that money for certifications.
• Microcycle: A week.  Why "microcycle"? See "mesocycle", above.

So what's with the Daylight Losing Time, reference? Unbeknownst to you, your body adjusts to the seasons just like all mammals do. You put on extra weight in the winter to insulate your skeletal muscles and organs from the cold. This is likely when you will be the strongest each year. To me, that would coincide with the start of DLT, so think of your metacycle starting on the day DLT starts, which would be November 5th this year.  Similarly, your body wants to shed fat in the summer to keep your muscles and organs  cooler. So don't fight it!  Set up your program to accommodate what your body wants to do. Something like this:

• Metacycle: November - October. This is your "fiscal year". All of your results should be based on this calendar year.
• Macrocycles: November - January (Build Strength). February - April (Build Power). May - July (Build Endurance).  August-October (Build Muscle Density). These would be your quarterly results that you report to "the street"
• Mesocycles: Each of the twelve months of the year. The monthly "close" that the CFO drives you crazy about as is rolls up to the annual projections.
• Microcycles: Each of the 52 weeks of the year. Those weekly status reports are a pain, but you have to admit that they keep you on track.

How we treat each of these cycles will depend on your "training age", which is basically how much training you have done and what limitations you may have.  More to come in part two.

In the meantime, please follow me on Twitter @3Sigmawellness and Instagram at 3Sigmawellness. 
I am beginning to pick up some online coaching clients and would love to help you achieve your goals. I am 100% discreet and honor the coach-client privilege - and HIPAA - as it pertains to health information.

Be well my friends.