traInIng
If you’re lookIng to gaIn
sIze and strength, you must
adhere to the idea that simple is more
effective than complex. Start your pro-
gram around a heavy compound lifting
base of squats, bench presses, over-
head presses, and straight-leg deadlifts
(SLDL). Why SLDLs over deadlifts?
Simple, deadlifts are an exercise for
strength and are a poor muscle builder.
SLDLs are more effective for slapping
mass on your posterior chain and also
help you build a deadlift. I’m not saying
don’t perform a traditional deadlift; I’m
saying it isn’t the first choice for adding
muscular size.
Once you have found a solid program,
analyze it. How many exercises per day
does it have? This may seem like a stu-
pid question, but if you’re training with
maximum effort per day for the sake
of gaining size and strength, you don’t
necessarily need a program with eight to
10 exercises every day. Keep your daily
lifting between five and six exercises per
day with three to five sets per exercise.
This will allow for the ability to hit each
exercise hard and recover better. For ex-
ample, a lower-body day could contain
this series of exercises:
Squats: 4x8
SLDLs: 4x8
Leg Presses: 4x15
Lunges: 4x12
Seated Leg Curls: 4x10
Standing Calf Raises: 4x12
ProgressIve
overload Is
the number-one
rule for gaInIng
strength and
sIze. as you
Increase work-
load, you wIll
Increase muscle.
This is a basic, hard, and targeted
lower-body workout that will give you the
desired result. You can change exercises
as you wish, but unless you’re specifi-
cally training for a bodybuilding show or
a powerlifting meet, focus your training
around the philosophy of keeping it sim-
ple and let the volume do the work.
As you progress along in your work-
out from week to week, add weight, add
reps, and add sets to compensate for
traInIng
rules
• Build your base with compound lifts
• Simplicity over complexity
• Progressive resistance is the key for size and strength
• Form is your religion—learn it, love it, live by it
68 april 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com
your increased workload and to promote
adaptation and growth. In week one you
may have performed 4x8 of squats with
185 pounds on the bar, and by week four
you could be working up to 4x11 with
195 pounds. Progressive overload is the
number-one rule for gaining strength
and size. As you increase workload, you
will increase muscle.
These training rules are moot with-
out the number-one rule of training,
which comes last beca use I want you
to remember this rule as if it were your
religion. Form over everything. You need
to feel the muscle work, you need to
take each exercise throughout the entire
range of motion, you need to eccen-
trically lower the weight under control,
and you need to control the concentric
so the weight isn’t being moved with
momentum. Control is imperative. If
you want to throw weights around, take
up Olympic lifting. It’s a fun sport and
a challenging one. If you want to gain
size and strength, controlling the weight
under load is critical.