attmandu’s BodyBlog

Firstly, what I currently do now and what I did years ago when I started is vastly different.  Why?  Because it’s a process.  In order to get your body to adapt you have to stress it.  That means you force it to change.  There are many methods available for the many goals one might want to achieve.  The constant in any of these programs would be "change"! 

So you’re asking, what does that mean Matt?  Well, basically, everything works… nothing works for ever!  Get it!  Go with a program… then keep tweaking it in the direction of you goal… a little more weight… more reps, add a set… increase your cardio… higher levels on the mach… more time under tension… change your tempo… decrease your cal or increase… Simply put… start here and end up there.  There? "THE NEXT LEVEL,"  the next new you!  You should be at a higher level of fitness, right?.  Now, plot a new course to your "next level" of fitness… that’s how I do it.

It’s like the tortise and the hare… I just plod along.  But, I never misstep!  That rabbit’s… trying this and that… never sticking with anything long enough to even think about adaptation… because he’s looking for the finish line or a short cut!.  There is no finish line or quick fix.  I’m still looking for more ways  to change and more challenging programs all the time.  It’s a never ending task… if you want a physique like mine.

So… here’s what I usually recommend… pick a goal.  Weight gain or loss.  It is particularly difficult to do both… not impossible mind you, but very difficult.  I’m sure you’ve read about the whole bulking thing… I don’t really do that, but I relax on the cardio and increase my overall cals, lift really heavy with lower reps 5-6 days a week for 6-9 month every year.  Then in Jan. or Feb.  I start reducing cals… increase work-out times and add in cardio. 

Over the course of the next 3 months I gradually increase cardio and workouts, from  once a day/5 days a week to 3 time a day/7 days a week.  All the while slowly reducing cals at the same time… Forcing adaptation by constantly changing my program… this keeps your body confused and constantly adapting… and in this case dropping bf.  That’s crucial. 

Anyone can do this.  It just takes time(years).  I do this every year.  It’s like a moth coming out of a coccoon.  I reveal a bigger, badder (is that a word…haha)  more cut and defined me!  I love goal setting because it produces results.  I’ve been hitting the gym for the last 25 + years.  The same one since 1984… surpisingly there are people I know that look exactly the same as when I first walk through those doors, many look worse!  They just show up… no rhyme or reason and believe me it shows.   Until I turned 40 I was just like them.. no plan or goal.  So here’s the challenge… Start planning for your big reveal date for 2009… TODAY!   

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 15th, 2008 at 6:59 am and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.