Everything you need to know about program design for physique development.
This is the first part of a three-part series. You can click here for part 2 and part 3.
After four decades as an expert in all things fitness and body transformation-related, it’s amazing to me that the same illusions and inconsistencies exist today as existed decades ago.
The fact is that even many “experts” don’t have a handle on proper, precise and effective program design for muscle development. There is far too much “spill over” of strength experts, who come to the game with their own paradigm and training biases. I can tell you, this “strength bias” in program design, with respect to muscle development, may be the very thing holding you back from the gains you are seeking.
Furthermore, it’s one thing to put on muscle mass, but what about balanced and aesthetic muscle mass? “Mass with class,” if you will? Who talks about this these days, when talking about how to gain mass? Well, I do! Here are a couple picture of me illustrating “mass with class” of balanced physique from back in the day.
What few of today’s experts I talk to seem to understand are the major differences between “strategy” and “tactics” when it comes to program design and implementation.
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- Strategy is all about program design. It has to do with how many days per week the program is written for, the amount of volume of sets and reps; it has to do with formulating how many times per week a bodypart will be targeted, or if you are going to focus on “bodypart” training at all. Strategy has to do with how workout rotations will be used. For example, the “linear periodization schemes” used to develop strength have absolutely no place in program design strategy for gaining muscle mass and balanced muscle development.
- By contrast, Tactical elements are all about program implementation: what equipment tools will you use: barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells, as well as what application tactics you will use like supersets, extended sets, strip sets, training to failure or not training to failure, and so on. These are all “tactical” elements of program implementation and they speak directly about the “trainee” specifically.
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These are BASIC (very basic) elements of program-design.
When you talk about the “Fundamentals” of program design, there are two elements to it, buried in the word itself. First, the fundamentals of program design and implementation must always emphasize the “fun” element. This part is up to you the trainee.
In addition to that, there is also “da mental” element of program design, strategy and tactical implementation. And this one is all about the expert who designs the program.
For example I have around 700 program-design templates. 700! Why? Because one size does not fit all! Anyone who has read even a little of my work will be familiar with this “Abelism”:
“A proper and effective workout is MORE THAN a collection of exercises, and a proper and effective program is MORE THAN a collection of workouts.”
If you do not fully understand and embrace that reality, you won’t get very far with your physique goals. Only the most genetically elite get away with ignorance not holding them back from making progress.
So, with that in mind, let’s discuss a few important elements of program-design STRATEGY AND STRUCTURE, especially when the goal is gaining muscle mass and balanced physique lines (as in “mass with class”).
Continue to page 2 for strategy and structure techniques to help you build a balanced physique!
“Weight Constants”
What Rippetoe refers to as “sets across” I refer to as “weight constants.” Things like 3-5 sets of 5 reps, 8 sets of 8 reps, 10 sets of 10 reps with the weight staying constant for all sets. This is one basic but effective program design strategy. I have one program that goes from 12 sets of 12 reps during the first week of the program, all the way down to 5 sets of 5 reps by the fourth week. NOTE: When using “weight constants” in programs designed for physique development, going below 5 reps takes you into strength training and load-centric concerns (lifting more weight) and further away from dense muscle development focus.
Weight constants as a strategy is of course best assigned to the major compound lifts, like bent rows, deadlifts, squats, presses, incline presses etc. And just because weight constant is a basic design strategy – do not overlook it. It is one of most effective design strategies you can implement – if you know what you are doing. And this is because it creates very effective “neuromuscular efficiency.” And I will explain that to you this way:
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Understanding Neuromuscular Efficiency
My problem with most newbie experts in this industry is that their understanding of adaptations to exercise is myopic and limited to “musculoskeletal” concerns only. But the truth is neurophysiology goes much deeper in explaining muscle fiber recruitment and adaptive response to training stimuli. So, for example, when it comes to weight-constants and why they are so effective, it’s because weight constants enhance neuromuscular efficiency.
Let me explain this with an analogy:
Neuromuscular efficiency is a lot like understanding a highway system. Let’s say you live in a town and getting across the city every day for work has always been a pain in the ass. You have to drive slowly through residential neighborhoods, and there are stop signs and traffic lights to contend with. And all of this slows you down and slows down your transit time.
Now imagine some city planners and engineers get together and they come up with this idea of this thing called “a freeway.” So they build this four-lane transit system that doesn’t go through neighborhoods and doesn’t have stop signs and traffic lights. What happens?
Lo and behold your daily jaunt across the city is now “more efficient,” and it has fewer obstacles.
Well the neuromuscular efficiency created by using “weight constants” for multiple sets works the same way.
It establishes and enhances neuromuscular efficiency by creating unencumbered “patterns” to and from working muscles – just like 4-lane highways create unemcumbered “patterns” to and from various parts of the city.
So when it comes to neuromuscular efficiency, there is a hell of a lot more to building a physique than just lifting “heavy” weights.
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Check out part 2 and part 3 to complete your journey building the perfect physique.
Coach Scott Abel is now well into his 4th decade as an expert in the physique-transformation game. He has been known as the Trainer of Champions and has Coached Olympia Winners Figure Pros, models, and taken clients from beginner level to National Titles and beyond – and of course Coach Abel now Coaches all those who want to improve.
Coach Abel has been a writer, ghost writer, and columnist in the industry – and is now a best-selling author on Amazon as well. Scott’s latest book, The Hardgainer Solution, is a bestseller on Amazon, and is available now.
You can read more of Scott’s free articles at scottabelfitness.com, where you can also find his free video exercise library, and get free chapters from his books and several free workouts by signing up to his email list.