It's not difficult to avoid and overcome errors in training, if you know HOW. This article will help master many oopsies and aid you in better organizing your routines.
"Hello, Abe . . ."
I stopped my work and walked over to shake hands with the visitor, who I learned was Pete Graisalia, a bodybuilder of some experience. In talking to him, I learned that for the past year or so he had made little or no progress with his training, and while he was thankful for the results he had received so far, he knew he could go further, and was now seeking my advice.
A professional gym instructor has an ideal opportunity to observe the common training faults of many bodybuilders.
At least 80% of all gym pupils have had previous experience and the majority of them join a gym for one of two main reasons. The first is that after training at home for a while, they are dissatisfied with their progress and want more personal guidance
so they join a gym. The second reason is that some individuals do not have the space to set up a home gym which boasts all the advanced apparatus and choice of weights that a gym has, and they join a gym to take advantage of this apparatus.
As each pupil comes to me, I study his case closely, question him exhaustively and them place him on a routine which suits him best. By paying such close attention to the requirements of my pupils I have been able to compile a list of general training errors which hold back the progress of the average bodybuilder.
The solution of these problems will help ALL bodybuilders, regardless of whether they train at a gym or at home. They are common errors. Once corrected, the bodybuilder will go ahead at a fast clip and again find himself pleased with his progress. I want to explain some of these to you in this article but chose to ramble here for a while first. Now that I'm done with that . . .
Without a doubt the MAJOR reason for failure on the part of the bodybuilder is incorrect instruction. Too many courses are either obsolete, or else do not take the bodybuilder all the way. He is given a routine, or possibly several routines and then left on his own. After a few months he has outgrown his regular routines and then has to fend for himself and experiment. FAILURE is the usual outcome.
Therefore, whether the bodybuilder trains at home or at a gym, he must be certain that he will regularly receive instruction which will carry him from the beginner's stage right up to the advanced phases.
I have made it my business to study every printed course available, and say without any question that in my opinion only the Weider System okay then, no more-a that now.
Okay, back to my friend Pete. I placed him on a course closely resembling Weider Bulk Specialization course
Pete was delighted when he gained 10 solid pounds in the first month on it. Needless to say he is no longer discouraged and is continuing to make good progress.
It is true that any weight training is better than none. Even a poor course is bound to bring the beginner certain results. Another common cause of failure occurs when the pupil makes some improvement at the start, becomes so enthused by his intitial gains, and loses all sense of proportion. He figures that if a few exercises can give him such sensataional (beginner) gains in such a short (initial) period of time, well then, twice as much will do even better.
Therefore he adds every exercise he reads about or sees another lifter doing, with the result that he soon becomes overworked and makes little if any progress. Then, he looks around hopelessly for another routine, usually one which is again too severe for him, and unless he receives personal advice to straighten him out, is lost. Over-ambition is dangerous. A good course takes into consideration all your requirements. It is not a haphazard affair and will reward you, if followed properly, with the results you seek. Be patient. Don't drown yourself in the deep end when you weigh 98 pounds soaking wet.
Under-working is equally dangerous. Always being afraid of doing too much and/or straining yourself is a dead end. Don't use weights which are too heavy for you to handle appropriately for what you're trying to do; do not use weights which are too light to do much of anything. Don't listen to the foolish talk of others who hardly know you, if they know you at all. You must have confidence in your ability to learn about yourself and how you respond.
Then, there is the bodybuilder who for unknown reasons practically worships one part of his body. This is usually the arms, chest or shoulders. Most of his exercises are for only this one bodypart; in time he comes up with lopsided development and finds himself being taunted and chased about the neighborhood by gangs of feral teenagers speaking languages unknown. Not good.
It must never be forgotten that the human body cannot be thought of in individual parts. It is one unit and the strength and muscularity of any one part reflects upon the complete proficiency of the entire unit. To overly special-lose on one part will hold back the development of the body as a whole symmetrical unit.
Muscular growth is not a local matter. It comes about from making the entire body growth-conscious. Heavy exercises which influence large masses of muscle such as the legs and lower back step up the processes of tissue growth, which once started, extends to all parts of the body and every living section benefits.
Under such favorable growth conditions a minimum of work for any specific part will result in excellent gains. Obviously such a desired effect cannot be obtained through specialized measures covering the smaller masses such as the arms or shoulders. The result is that a bodybuilder who specializes on the smaller bodyparts in an attempt to make them extra-impressive will never get as far as another, more sensible bodybuilder who trains his whole body, only specializing when he is quite advanced, and then on the part or parts which have proven to be stubborn.
The lack of suitable apparatus holds back many lifters. They pick up a set of second hand weights, usually in rough shape, and find themselves handicapped from the start. You owe it to yourself to find a way to obtain good equipment for your home gym and/or a decent commercial gym.
The selection of your training quarters is important. Too many lifters pile a lot of training gear into a small space and find that everything gets in the way of everything else. Such a confused setup is distracting and hinders concentration, so spend some time setting up your gym so that everything is convenient and all your available space is put to good use. Let your training quarters be an expression of your own temperament; whatever feels like home to you will work.
In the more advanced stages of training, the element of personal contact cannot be overlookied. If you have a few training partners you get along well with you will find getting together with them a few times a month for a more competitive session will increase your desire and thereby your energy for lifting. Or not. You are YOU, if you haven't noticed yet.
Another reason for failure among bodybuilders is a lack of knowledge of what heights the human body can be developed to. These individuals may look at the pictures in the various magazines and become highly enthused about the development of the elite champions, but they do not make it a point to see some of these men on stage when the opportunity permits, and there is always some feeling of doubt about their potential.
I feel that every bodybuilder should go to contests that he can attend. Personally seeing what others have done is a great stimulant, and this can help keep you interested and excited.
The problem of specialization and when to use it, as well as how, confuses many bodybuilders. I had a pupil who simply couldn't get his arms to up to where he thought they should be. He had tried every exercise under the sun, and yet made small gains. That was his trouble . . . he was doing too much for his arms. When I placed him on a saner, more limited arm specialization program, his upper arms began to grow.
By following a preliminary course of setting the stage for gaining with mainly compound gaining movements first, when he moved to arm specialization not much volume with many arm exercises were required to get them growing again.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
Proof of the Afterlife
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