"With the proper choice of exercises, I will be able to control the shape of each one of my muscles."
- The good Lord, in His infinite wisdom, gave you genes that will determine your individual muscles' shape. Your job is to make them big and strong. You can, however, shape your overall body. You can also shape a body part comprised of several muscles.
"The Nautilus principle of one set to failure is more effective than any other method for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts alike."
- It is not effective for serious bodybuilders, and it is marginally effective in casual fitness training. Its originator, Arthur Jones, publicly turned his back on this (principally marketing-oriented) myth. There are many great ways to train. This is not one of them.
"The top pros know how to train, and they know why they do what they do."
- Some have a good idea. Most, however, do not and became great primarily as result of a gift from God (genetic predisposition), and hard (not necessarily smart) work. You'll no doubt get some good advice from the pros, but you'll be better off seeking competent advice from trained experts, of which there are precious few.
"If I train longer and harder than anyone else, I stand a good chance of becoming better than them."
- Almost never. You'll overtrain yourself every time you try. Smart work, not necessarily hard or long work, is the only way to go.
"In order to get maximum development in my muscles, I have to attack them from different angles, with several different exercise movements."
- When you make a muscle contract against resistance, do so in such a way that the targeted muscle contracts hard enough to force an adaptive response. It is not necessary to get cute with many different exercises, because the training effect is generalized throughout the entire muscle, never only in one spot or border of that muscle.
"Answers to all of my training questions on bodybuilding can be obtained from exercise physiologists or sports-medicine doctors."
- Most of the time this is not true, unless they have hands-on experience in training themselves. Answers to most training problems have come from the trenches, and few have come from the ivory towers of academia.
"Low reps with heavy weight make you bigger; high reps with lighter weights get you cut."
- The truth is, there is a better way. Get your muscles bigger through a holistic approach (heavy weights, light weights, fast movements, slow movements, high reps, low reps, and everything in between). Get your cuts on route 66, get your cuts from careful, scientific dieting and supplementing and keep your eyes on the damned road.
Note: I plan to post a little more on Mr. Hatfield's "holistic training" approach in the near future.
"I can't make it to the top because I have a fulltime job, a family, six dogs, a stamp collection and other obligations that keep me from training."
- Excuses all! Go to sleep earlier and get up early and train. Bring a brown bag full of good food with you to work so you can eat five or six times a day. Grab a few sets during your scheduled lunch hour. Work out at least once in the evening (you may wish to get in two short workouts instead). The answer is dedication, discipline, and frugal use of available time via time management appropriate to what your goals are.
Note: there's roughly 2.76 berzillion time management methods. The 3-3-3 rule, the 7-8-9 rule, the 8-8-8 rule, the 5 P's of time management, etc., etc., etc.
"Electro-stimulators, bullworkers, stretch bands, and other accessories have no place in a bodybuilder's training regimen."
- Au contraire! All such devices work fine (other than the obvious scam items). The secret is to use them regularly. Frankly, weight training is the best alternative, but that's not to say the other stuff doesn't work. In fact, under certain conditions, such items may be at times more appropriate than a weight workout.
"Squats give you a broad butt, leg extensions are good for cutting up the quads, hammer curls and variations will elongate the biceps."
- Your genes (again) will determine the shape of your muscles once you've hypertrophied them through weight training. Careful scientific training and nutrition, not necessarily the inclusion or exclusion of a particular exercise, will determine the extent of hypertrophy, but never the shape of a muscle.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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