Q and A with Brad (What do you think of Body for Life?)
Question: I just started the Body For Life weight training program after about a year and a half doing a full-body program 3 days a week. If you’re not familiar with the Body For Life program there is a link below, or if you don’t want to click that link I outlined the program below.
http://www.bodyforlife.com/exercise/weighttraining.asp
- Weight train intensely, three times per week on alternating days with aerobic exercise three times per week. Make sure to hit your "high points" during your workout.
- Alternate training the major muscles of the upper and lower body.
- Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of the upper body and lower body.
- Select one exercise and conduct five sets with it, starting with a set of 12 reps, then increasing the weight and doing 10 reps, adding more weight and doing 8 reps, adding more weight for 6 reps. Then reduce the weight and do 12 reps. Immediately perform another set of 12 reps for that muscle group using the second selected exercise.
- For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets. Then complete the final two sets with no rest in between, wait two minutes before moving on to your next muscle group, complete this pattern five times for the upper body training experience and four times for the lower body training experience
The thing I don’t understand with the Body for Life program is how you can only rest a minute between sets. I was trying to do that and keep up with going up in weights and keep up with doing the certain reps. I had so much lactic acid buildup that I needed more than a minute in most cases, sometimes like 2-5 minutes before I fully recuperated, and could move on to the next set. Is this ok to do? Also, after you do the 12 rep set, 10 rep set, 8 rep set, 6 rep set, why do you go back to doing a 12 rep set. Would it be ok if you only did the 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6? Also, why do you do another exercise right after that, with no rest, for 12 reps? It seems to me that you’re muscles are just too tired from the last exercise to do another one for the same bodypart, let alone with no rest. On upper body day it’s taking me about 1 1/2 hours to complete. That seems too long. Can I modify this program where it will only take between 45min-1 hour to complete, and if so, how would I modify this and still get maximum benefit? Thanks for your help.
Answer: Hello Dave and thank you for writing in.
You have just outlined a few of the many flaws I find with the Body for life program. Among other approaches in the book, this workout is very contradictory to what the American College of Sports Medicine recommends for weight training.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has a "Position Stand" that was published in 2002. This position stand was made with all of the information published in the medical journal over the last……however many years from the best studies done by the best Universities and groups. It has been altered over the years as more information is produced frOm the studies done. So with that in mind here IS what I find contradictory.
ACSM Recommendations
1.) 2 -3 minute recovery periods between sets.
2.) One major muscle group and one minor muscle group done per workout. Compound movements precede isolation movements.
3.) For advanced trainers, training frequency should be every 4 - 5 days.
4.) For muscle hypertrophy, rep range should be to positive failure between 8 - 12. Once the desired number of reps is achieved, increase the load 2% - 5%.
5.) For strength training, rep range should be to positive failure between 1 - 5 reps. Once the desired number of reps is achieved, increase the load 2% - 5%.
You can view the ACSM full 17 page report at www.ms-se.com
It is boring reading, but if you can skim it and pick out the important aspects, it is very help full.
Alternatively there is a program produced through AST Sports Science that closely follows the ACSM recommendations. You can sign up for the course free at ast-ss.com. It is called the Max-OT (Maximum Overload Training) program. I have followed it for years and I teach it to all my clients. All of my clients who used Body for Life have switched and never gone back. You can view my Max-OT training journal at my website to see how to apply it.
So to answer your question, yes modify the program. The thing about exercise is there is no right and wrong way to do it. They all work, however they all vary in efficiency. Like driving across the country. You can drive 35mph or 75mph. They both work, the latter will get you there faster though. Use the same approach to exercise. Use the 75mph approach and not the 35mph approach.
Comment:I’ll tell ya, you always have the most thorough answers out of anyone. It always seems like you have done a lot of research on the whole subject of weight training. Keep up the great work.
