TRAINING: BIG ACH STYLE
Through much time, and lots of trial and error, I have pretty much learned that weight training is a very individual things. But there is one factor that separates the scrawny little boys from the men with 18-20 inch arms, thats INTENSITY!!! I don't care if you lift heavy or if you lift light, if your work outs are not INTENSE, if you are not training to failure and beyond failure, and if people are not staring at you in shock thinking you are just about to going to kill yourself then you are always going to be stuck at the same weight, with your small arms, and your little chicken legs with that stupid look on your face wondering why you are not growing!
I personally began weight training as a football player, we utilized very heavy compound movements, and practiced very explosive techniques on all of our major lifts, obviously like the bench press, the squats and the deadlifts. Until today I still very strongly believe in those three lifts as being the center and the core of your work outs.
Of course as my goals changed so did certain things in my work outs, I still do those three major lifts. But I've also shifted a lot of my training onto isolation exercises targeting desired muscle groups. I've also upped the volume in my taining like there is no tomorrow. The majority of my work outs last anywhere from 2 hours - 3 hours, and its not uncommon for me to do 25 - 35 sets per bodypart. I train both heavy (2-3 reps) and light (20-30 reps) for every muscle, everyday, I don't have any designated heavy days or light days, they are both just combined together in one brutal day. But no matter whether I am training heavy or light one thing that always stays the same is that I will always train to failure and even beyond failure by utilizing techniques such as partial reps, half reps, cheating methods, stop-&-go, etc. Why do you have to train to failure? Because if you want your muscles to grow then you have to force them to do so by overloading them. Your body is a very intelligent organism that is always learning and adapting itself, it does not want anything to change, so you are practically forcing it do so, you can't have your body dealing with the same stresses everyday as it will just get used to them. By going to failure and beyond failure on every set you are pushing your body to the absolute limit! THIS IS HOW YOU WILL GROW!!! There are days that while I'm training I won't even count reps, I'll just push and push and push and even when I think I'm done I'll push and push some more, and when I think i'm done then, I'll half push a few times, all the way until the fucking bar is just not moving, then I know its time to rack this shit before I kill myself!!
Find what works for you, maybe heavy training is not meant for your, although I'm a very firm believer in very heavy training, especially on those compound movement, thats what gives you that scary thickness that still shows you work out even when you are wearing clothes. As the old saying goes, "Go Heavy or go home!!!" this is how I was taught to train and this is how I will always train, but like I said I've added a few perks into my training to really fatigue the muscle. Find your perks and put them into effect.
Remember to listen to your body and don't be foolish, any injury that I've ever sustained, and I've gotten quite a few, were as a result of being foolish. When first starting a training program after you have been away from the weight for sometime, do not rush into things, go slow and take it easy, you may very well find yourself quite strong and you know inside you can go a lot heavier, my suggestion is don't for at least two weeks so your joints and your tendons can get used to the feel of things again, then you can go on an all out assault on the weights. Going too fast and being foolish can really cause some annoying and painful injuries! Don't be greedy, the weights will always be there, and when your joints and tendons are upto par with the rest of your muscles then these heavy ass weights will welcome you with open arms.
In many things you hear the term "Work smarter, not harder!" but in bodybuilding you need to do both, you need to "Work Smarter AND work harder" but a lot of people neglect the smarter part....I dunno, maybe that just reflects on their IQ. Either way, always keep that in your mind.
Bodybuilding is one of these sports thats there with you for a very long time, its also a sport that requires patience, and also requires a combination of many things, intense training, proper nutrition, adequete rest, perfect supplementation, etc. One of these items alone is not sufficient to achieve optimal results, you have to balance them all out and make this a lifestyle.
Consistency in the weight room is also key, I'm so fucking sick of the guys that will come in blast arms and chest for a few weeks, then disappear for like 4 months, then they have that stupid look on their face asking for advice....you know the one!!!! These people will never make any gains because their training (and other things in their life) are nost not consistent. To be a bodybuilder, to look like a bodybuilder YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE GYM EVERYDAY THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE GYM, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!
As for the best training split, the possibilities are really endless, again this is a very individual thing. I've changed my training routine a million times through out my bodybuilding career, right now this is the training split which I am using:
Saturday: Delts, Traps, and abs
Sunday: Quads, Hamstrings and calves
Monday: Chest and Abs
Tuesday: Back and Calves
Wednesday: Biceps, Triceps, and abs
Thursday: Off
Friday: Off
TRAIN HARD AND BUST SOME ASS!!!!!!!