When I was in high school, I loved to experiment. I still like to experiment, although my principles are more grounded than they were back then. I came across a website called Crossfit and was immediately mesmerized.
Their idea of constantly challenging yourself with a new stimuli and doing crazy things by combining forms of exercise that you wouldn’t normally combine drew me immediately to the WOD’s (Workout of the Day). I followed Crossfit WODs on and off throughout the years.
There are definitely certain things I love about Crossfit, but there are also things I don’t like:
PROS:
1. Trains your entire body in one session
2. Very good crossover between gym, real life, and sports
3. Incredibly effective method of burning fat
4. Very challenging and fun
5. Randomized stimuli keeps your body guessing
CONS:
1. Too much randomness
2. Not something a beginner can jump right into
3. Not very optimal for pure muscle mass
4. Athlete may have problems with recovery if they are not used to high intensity training
5. Does not seem to have a singular goal
6. Can be very confusing and frustrating to a typical gym goer
7. Huge learning curve
These are my personal beliefs about Crossfit. Overall, it is a very good program, but I have a problem with the fact that there really doesn’t seem to be much of a “program.” It seems like a bunch of workouts thrown in together. Over the years I’ve studied the programs both by reading message boards, comments on the main website, and trying out workouts on myself.
Hands down, a Crossfit approach to fitness is much more effective than a bodybuilding approach. Crossfit will help more people in their daily lives, and deliver faster results than a Bodybuilding approach.
This is because bodybuilding is a very specific form of training. A regular housewife has no business trying to put on a half inch on her arms, unless she’s training for a figure competition.
A truck driver has no business jogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes every morning, unless he’s cutting for a bodybuilding competition. What average people need is an exercise program that focuses on developing skills that carry over to normal life.
One program that uses the same form of athletic Crossfit training and workouts, without all the randomness, is the Athletic Body Workout. This is a program that beginners, intermediate, and advanced individuals can easily perform.
Circuit Training is an amazing yet simple method of setting up a workout. All you do is choose a handful of exercises and perform them back to back with little or no rest. However, after a while, performing 3-5 rounds of 3-5 exercises can get a little boring. So I decided to sit down and think of all the different ways that one can create interesting circuits.
I came up with a snazzy list of great ideas. I will present to you guys the full list, one by one, over the course of the next few days. Lets start with method one:
Circuit Training Method #1: Staggered Circuits
You’ve heard of staggered sets in bodybuilding? Well, staggered circuits works the same way. All you do is perform a set of a particular exercise between each set of other exercises. Here is a sample routine:
5 rounds of:
Spiderman Pushups, 10 reps
Pullups, 3 reps
Kettlebell Thruster, 10 reps
Pullups, 3 reps
Kettlebell Snatch, 10 reps
Pullups, 3 reps
In this workout, you are performing staggered pullups. This is a great way to work on your pullup strength. You can substitute pullups for any exercise that you feel you are weak on.
Method #2 will run tomorrow. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for some more high intensity workouts, then check out Gladiator Body Workout. Click here for more information.
This article links out to a product. If you purchase this product, I recieve a percentage of the sale. Click here to read my disclaimer.
Bodybuilding is just one method of putting on mass. I am unable to give an accurate review of bodybuilding methods, as I have not fully engaged in them for any practical length of time (well, 6 months for some isn’t enough.) All I can say is that after reading the mainstream literature on bodybuilding, and having tried the methods for a short period of time (again, 6 months is longer than most people stay on a training program), I have only one thing to say about it: It’s not for me.
Although my overall goal has nothing to do with bodybuilding, I still feel that there are certain athletic principles that typical gym goers should abide by. Even if they do not completely leave the bodybuilding methodology, they can easily include these movements to jump-start new muscle growth.
Switch up your Training…Every Day!
I have the privilege of having access to most of the big muscle mags out there because my father owns a convenience store. Every weekend, I help him out by opening up the shop, and taking care of what needs to be done to run the store. I also help myself out by sitting there and reading all the latest bodybuilding magazines.
Most of the time I just skim over all the nonsense. I do, however, take extra time to read some of the bodybuilding interviews. It seems to me that most gym goers just skip over to the training programs that they suggest without reading what these professional athletes actually say.
Most professional bodybuilders don’t even pre-plan their workouts. Why? Because every day is different. They have an IDEA of what they’re going to do – perhaps which body parts they’re going to hit – but they don’t really know exactly what they’re going to do that day to destroy their body parts.
Some professional bodybuilders don’t even count reps. It just doesn’t make any sense to them. They go by “feel.” They claim that there body doesn’t really know how much weight it’s lifting or how many repetitions it’s performing.
I agree with that. I do count my reps, but I use a lot of variety when it comes to deciding which sets and reps to perform. Gone are the days when I followed a “5×5′” program for four straight weeks. I no longer pre-plan my workouts to that extent. However, I do think that one should have an “idea” of what to do.
My “idea” is based on the movements. I know what movements I will be performing for that day, but I’m not exactly sure if I’m going to be moving through them in a circuit fashion, or if I’ll be using descending pyramids, or tabata intervals, or what.
I just know I’m doing something different from last week. You can use the same principle in your bodybuilding/mass gain program. If you have a split program, then go ahead and decide which bodyparts you’ll be training. Read ahead and learn all the possible exercise variations, and training techniques you can do to destroy that muscle group. But make your final decision when you get to the gym.
A great way to make that final decision is to warm up using the exercises you plan to use during the workout. This will give you an idea of how you feel that day. If you feel strong during the warm up, then it’s probably safe to pack on some more weight. If you feel tired and sluggish that day, then maybe you want to go a little easy.
Exercises are REALLY important
The other thing I notice in the routines of professional bodybuilders is that….they all look pretty much the same. I wonder how many times these magazines have written a “big biceps” article with the following routine:
Barbell Curls 3×10
Hammer Curls 3×10
Incline Curls 3×10
Concentration Curls 3×10
We get the point! We’re doing a variety of curls for 3 sets of 10 repetitions until our arms hurt or until we just get really really really bored. Most bodybuilders focus on the same exercises because they work. One bodybuilder may do 2 sets per exercise while another one does 6 sets per exercise. But overall, across the board they’re doing the same compound movements.
So the take home lesson here is to just stick to the exercises that work. When those exercises stop working, then you can seek out variations and more difficult movements.
Arnold Schwarzenegger did a lot of high-volume, isolation movements that I disagree with. But hey, it worked for him and that’s why he did it. Mike Mentzer probably didn’t see Arnold train in the gym. If he did, then he would have never pointed a finger at his intensity level.
I’m not going to talk about this too much. Just point you towards the following YouTube videos, so you can see the level of intensity these guys work at:
Arnold
Ronnie
A Few More Observations
The really funny thing here is that a lot of experts talk about how momentum is dangerous, but when I see these pro bodybuilders train, I see them using a lot of momentum! Arnold’s front raises look a like like Dumbbell Snatches! Maybe Arnold was doing his own version of Crossfit back in the day and we just don’t know about it.
A lot of trainees want big arms, but what most of them do not know is that you need to put on about 15 pounds of muscle all over your body in order to put on just a half inch of mass on your arms. Well, actually I don’t know the exact ratio, but think about it for a second. Have you ever seen a guy with big arms not be a big guy over all? Just imagine someone with big arms, but no chest, back, shoulders, or legs to speak of.
My suggestion is to start off with a full body routine, then steadily transition to a split body program so you can specialize on your arms further. Here is a sample template to help you out:
Months 1-3: Full body workout
Start off with a basic full body workout routine, performing it 2-3 days per week. If you’re performing a full body routine more than three days per week, then it is wise to have multiple full body routines so that you are not performing the same exercises on an incredible high frequency
Months 3-6: Upper/Lower Split
After three months of full body workouts, split your body in half. Train your upper body on one day, and train your lower body on the second day. You can use a 2-day, 3-day, o 4 day split with this program
In order to complete a three-day split, you can perform an Upper Body workout on Monday and Friday, and a lower body workout on Wednesday. In the following week, switch it up and perform a Lower Body workout on Monday and Friday, and a upper Body workout on Wednesday.
Months 7-9: Push/Pull/Legs
Push means that you perform an upper body exercise which requires you “pushing” something away from the body. Examples include push ups and bench press. Pull means that you perform an upper body exercise which requires you “pulling” something away from the body. Examples include pull ups and bent over row.
On the third day, work your lower body. The suggestion is to use a different workout than you did in months 3-6.
Months 10-12: Arms/Back/Chest/Legs
It’s finally time to specialize. Start the week off with the muscle group you’re targeting, which arms. This workout should comprise of two to three isolation exercises for the biceps and triceps.
Second and third day will involve training the back and chest. You will probably using many of the similar exercise from your push and pull workouts.
Once again, on the last day with legs, design a different workout other than the ones that you have been performing thus far.
As you can see, this is a year-long program. I’m not going to sit here and lie to you about building muscle. It takes time. There is no short-cut path to building incredible arms in six weeks. This program is for those that want to train and eat the right way. For the rest of you, go pick up a bodybuilding magazine.
One of the best practical bodweight programs out there is the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution:
Bodyweight Exercise Revolution
Bodyweight Exercise Revolution is based off the Circular Strength Training system. In other words, hit your body from as many angles as possible. This is beyond basic pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats. Click here for more info
I’ve written a lot of article about my training philosophy and why exactly I am not a bodybuilder.
I’m not these guys! (No Offense) – Image by daioni1976
But I think more clarification is in order. Because I really do not like being called a bodybuilder. Hence, I will be starting a sort of min-series which seeks to pinpoint exactly what this website is all about, and what my philosophy is based upon. I will call it “Shah Training is Not Bodybuilding.”However, I have written about this topic before. So, to get started, I want to point you guys to a few article. I suggest you read them in the order listed.
I’ve been making a HUGE mistake. I’ve been tracking my workouts, but not measuring them. Before I go any further, I should probably clarify two words: tracking and measuring. There is a difference.
Tracking is the recording of an event, in our case a workout.
Measuring is estimating by evaluation or comparison.
When you combine tracking and measuring, you get progress. I have been tracking, but I have not been measuring.
Here is the major flaw: Each of my workouts is random, from week to week I perform a completely different workout than the week before, and my workouts rarely ever repeat.I had adopted this training style simply because I realized that I adapted extremely quickly with my workouts and could not stand the thought of performing the same workout week in and week out. However, this was before I had discovered fast, intense workouts. This was when I was doing some hybrid form of martial arts and bodybuilding. I didn’t know anything about metabolic conditioning or how to train with your bodyweight. All I knew was that you were supposed to stay in a gym for 2 hours and do “stuff” until the clock told you to leave (or someone from the staff).
To say that I have not been making progress is a false statement. I have. I see it in my movements. I see it on video. And I see it in the mirror. But all this “seeing” is dangerous. There is something about writing down your time and then comparing it to last weeks time with the same workout: it never lies. When you “see” things you rationalize your way into thinking that you are making progress. Or for some people, you rationalize your way out of making progress.
How do you know you are making progress?
This question was actually posed to me by my bodybuilding friend: “How do you know you are making any progress if you keep doing random workouts?” Good question, and one that I really couldn’t answer. I went to the Crossfit forum to pose the same exact question, and they referred me to their benchmark workouts. Benchmark workouts are simply workouts that are used to measure progress and appear in the Crossfit programming once or twice a week. For example, one of their workouts is Fran. This particular workout may be performed on, say, December 8th, 2006, and will not appear again until February 16, 2007. I’m just throwing out random dates here. But the point is that Fran will appear a few weeks apart, but they will have other Benchmarks within the weeks such as Barbara and Nate.
I have attempted to create benchmark workouts in the past. But honestly, at that moment I was not as familiar with Crossfit’s programming as I am now. I respect Crossfit, but I’m not sure if all their methods are a right fit for me.
I have two options in terms of measuring progress:
Create a training program based on five to six workouts per week, and repeat them for six weeks straight, attempting to make as much progress on them as possible. This progress can be measured by being able to complete the workout at a faster time, the amount of weight used in the workout, increasing reps, or increasing rounds.
Develop a series of benchmark workouts that appear in your programming each week along with a few other random workouts. Use these benchmarks as measures of progress.
Ok, so the second method is Crossfit. The first method I’ve actually seen on a few bodybuilding forums. People will choose one workout and then perform it along with their bodybuilding workouts as a form of cardio or conditioning. They’ll choose a goal, say drop total time by 3 minutes, and keep working on it until they reach their goal.
Hmmm…I think this time around I’m going to side with the bodybuilders.
I’ve decided to create 5 workouts, some of which I’ve done before, and work on them Monday through Friday. Each workout will have a set of measurement, a different one for each workout. For example, the Monday workout may be focused around time. The Tuesday workout may be focused on increasing weight. Etc. you get the point. I will try this for 6 weeks as an experiment, and then show you guys the progress I’ve made on this very website. Stay tuned!
My cousin, best friend, and trainee Sagar Shah gives me a run for my money asking the tough questions associated with my training methods. He summarized his constructive criticism in three, well-constructed paragraphs. I will present one of his criticisms, and try to answer it with the best of my abilities. The article Sagar is referring to is A Simple Primer to the Shah Training Methodology.
“The main idea of this article is that bodybuilding will not help the layman build cardiovascular and muscular endurance. “Work capacity” is just a buzz word used to explain the same thing. I partially agree with his thesis. Bodybuilding alone will not make you a well-rounded athlete. It might get you bigger or cut up but it won’t give you quickness on the courts or stamina when it counts. However, I do believe that bodybuilding is an important tool in the entire conditioning process. “
Work Capacity is not a “buzz word” to explain anything. In my conversation with Sagar he stated that a “9-5 job” has nothing to do with what I’m talking about. I will try to take another stab at this without repeating what I said before. I’m going to break the rules here and use the words being defined in the definition. Work Capacity is your Capacity to do Work. And so, WORK can be defined as anything from taking out the garbage to answering phone calls. In a fitness sense, WORK is defined as the type of exercise you are performing.
But Work Capacity is not simply talking about a well-rounded program. Yes, Shah Training is a program which revolves around targeting multiple quailites of fitness within the same time frame, including aesthetics, however if it were that simple, then Work Capacity would on be on the tip of everyone’s tongues.
“As Parth often emphasizes, “there is no perfect system, just hard work.” This is the best advice that anyone can get when it comes to reaching your physical goals. But, it seems as if Parth is claiming that bodybuilding is a waste of time and a half dozen compound exercises will do the trick. If this is the case, then you should be weary.”
Lets visit another principle for a moment. As an economist, Sagar, you should be familiar with the Pareto Principle. The Pareto Principle is a common rule of thumb in the business world. The principle was named after Vilfredo Pareto, who noticed that 80% of the income in Italy is held by 20% of the population. And so in business terms, this principle translates to 80% of your sales come from 20% of you clients. Hence, if you wish to run a successful company, your goal is to observe and figure out which of your clients consist of the 20% giving you business.
If it works so well in the business world, then why not apply it to every aspect of your life? This means that 20% of your relationships are bringing you 80% of your gratification (think about this for a second. It’s true.) This means that 20% of you marketing effort are bringing 80% of your business. This means that 20% of the exercises that you are performing are bringing you 80% of your returns.
I was explaining this to a bodybuilder friend of mind, and he asked me, “Well, what about the other 20%?” Well, the other 20% is the specialization work which is required to bring you to completion. For some people this 20% could be doing bicep curls, and for other people it could mean doing steady state cardio. However, the problem that I have with bodybuilding is that it uses a reverse principle: the 20/80 rule, in that you perform 80% of the work in order to achieve 20% of the results (namely, aesthetics).
I personally think that you’ve accomplished something profound if you can only spend 20% of the time that you previously spent achieving 80% of the results you were previously getting. For me, personally, if I have only 10 to 20 minutes to train per day because I’m a normal guy with a family and a full time career, then I’m going to choose those exercises that give me the greatest returns for my efforts. And those are full body, compound exercises. In this sense, Shah Training, or Work Capacity is actually the perfect program for the layman with limited time and equipment, not some “buzz word” I cooked up to market some product I don’t sell.
“Use shahtraining. But use conventional weightlifting as well. Why do you think basketball, football, and baseball player’s condition by hitting the weight room? Because weightlifting coupled with compound movement exercises and cardiovascular training helps them become better athletes.“
First of all, weight lifting in the traditional sense is actually all compound movements. The first programs that came out consisted of Olympic Lifts such as the Clean and Press, Push Jerk, and Snatch, all three of which are no longer present in the new “traditional” bodybuilding programs. So lets keep bodybuilding and weight lifting separate. When you talk about weight lifting, you are actually referring to exercises used in the Shah Training program.
Perhaps I used a bad example last time, making you believe that this program was only for athletes. One of the drawbacks in your particular example is that professional athletes have a lot of time to improve in their sport. And so you have to really analyze what the bulk of their training consists of.
Let me restate the fact that this program works with the element of time. The majority of the world has very little time on their hands to get to the gym. This is one of the main excuses you will hear when people talk about getting into shape. As a fitness guy, I hear this all the time. The moment people know about my website or when I flip out my business card, they say, “Oh, I used to train for hours in the gym, but when I started working and then I got married and now with two kids, I barely have time for myself, so how do you expect me to get to the gym.” This is precisely the problem that Shah Training fixes.
The Shah Training Methodology revolves around Work Capacity. Work Capacity is defined as the general ability of the body to produce work of varying intensities within a given time frame. Work Capacity is an integral aspect of being an athlete. Basketball players need to be able to move fast from one end of the court to the other and make quick and agile plays. They need to repeat this task over and over again. A basketball player with poor Work Capacity will tire out quickly and will not be able to recover properly between intense plays.
Bodybuilding seems to be the primary choice of training methods for even the layman lifter. Someone just looking to put on a few pounds of muscle mass without ever desiring to be a full-fledged bodybuilder should not be training with the bodybuilding method. Training a particular muscle group, then resting it for three to four days due to muscle soreness does not fit into the rules of Work Capacity. A basketball player cannot train his jump shot one day, then work on his running another day, and finally his defense the last day. No, he needs each aspect of his training all at once in a game. If he says to the coach, “Coach I can’t run in the game today. I did that yesterday and I need to take 3 days off before I run again.”
Work should not be an end itself, but instead a means to an end. One of the reasons I despise the traditional 9 to 5 hours is that it forces you to be in one location all day long. During those 9 to 5 hours, you may have enough work, or you may not have enough work. Often times, work that can be performed in 3 hours, takes 5 hours, 8 hours, one week, or even months. Things are delayed, simply because the 9-5 paradigm gives us a skewed perception of time. There is a huge difference in productivity between one worker completing a task in eight hours and another worker completing the same task in two hours. Naturally, the work needs to be both effective and efficient.
Bodybuilders often train for two hours at a time in the gym. Total time and work are not taken into consideration. A bodybuilder will always say, “Oh, I spent 2 hours in the gym, or I performed 46 sets today.” Time and work should not be mutually exclusive. Instead, a bodybuilder should say, “I performed 46 sets in 2 hours.” How impressive is that? Well, this person is performing 1 set for every 2.6 minutes. Is this work effective? Perhaps, if you goal is to put on two inches on your arms curling a barbell for two hours seems practical. But is it efficient? No way. You can achieve the same results by performing pullups and dips at a high intensity for a few sets.
