Sonny
12-29-2002, 02:51 PM
This is my first article so I thought I'd write about something I've seen and heard far too often these days.
The word "Program" seems to be the only thing I hear and see these days. When I'm at the gym, someone wants a program, when I'm online, I'm reading about a new program. In my opinion, the multitude of extensive exercise and bodybuilding programs out there is one of the reasons many of the novice and intermediate lifters pursuing bodybuilding/bodyshaping fail to get results. They spend too much time reading about "special programs" when they should actually be in the gym working on the basics. From personal experience, I've fallen victim to this almost sickening obsession associated with trying to find the magic routine that will make my physique skyrocket, when in reality the answer is at the gym and not in some magazine or book. I remember times when I had started a new routine and before I could allow myself to gain any benefit from it, I had already started a new one. Because of this I feel that the initial years of my training were nothing more than a waste of time and that I actually probably spent more time reading about the champion's routines and programs, instead of lifting iron.
I'm not here to argue about the facets of volume and overtraining related to said routines, but rather, it's the number and the ideas of routines and programs that concern me. Consistency is one of the major aspects of a successful bodybuilding lifestyle. Spending 45 minutes/3 days a week is gonna stimulate greater results than going hard 5 days one week and then taking 2 off. Unfortunately, the latter is something I see all the time and one of the main reasons for this, that I have heard is, "Well, I plan on trying a new program, so I'm gonna take a couple of weeks off before I start it." I've done this myself many times before, so many times that I've lost count. Successful members of the bodybuilding and strength training community probably have people asking them about new programs the most. They think that if this person is successful in building a great physique or attaining great strength, then he/she must be using a special program to have gotten them there!
Trial and Error is the best "program" a person can follow. Proper form should of course be established first along with the basic aspects of weight training protocol. But other than that, most outside information should be ignored until the trainee has somewhat of a better understanding of what works for his/her body. Then, maybe additional information can be assimilated into that persons OWN "program." A greater appreciation for the amount of time that a routine produces results should be exercised to the fullest amount. Beginners should realize the enjoyment of physical betterment and savor each moment they spend doing it. They should take their time and realize that the time spent realizing their own potential is far more important then the time that could be wasted searching for the perfect program.
Exercise and bodybuilding literature is a great thing, granted each word is taken with a grain of salt, and that we all feel comfortable with the suspicions that accompany the claims made by people who publish this literature. If it's too good to be true, then it probably is.
I'm not sure if this is an article or what, but it's something that had been on my mind for quite some time. I'm not trying to bash magazines, books, or websites! My main focuse was to dispel the myth of the great programs out there and to make people realize that results and self discovery are in the gym, not on a page in some book. Enjoy your time in the gym as it is time well spent, but leave the "programs" behind for now as they're just time well wasted. No one has your answer for you, but some day you'll probably find it for yourself, and if you don't, you'll be healthier and better trying to find it!
Consistency, Trial and Error, Patience and Enjoyment should be your methods of attainment. If you use these then everything else will seem trivial.
The word "Program" seems to be the only thing I hear and see these days. When I'm at the gym, someone wants a program, when I'm online, I'm reading about a new program. In my opinion, the multitude of extensive exercise and bodybuilding programs out there is one of the reasons many of the novice and intermediate lifters pursuing bodybuilding/bodyshaping fail to get results. They spend too much time reading about "special programs" when they should actually be in the gym working on the basics. From personal experience, I've fallen victim to this almost sickening obsession associated with trying to find the magic routine that will make my physique skyrocket, when in reality the answer is at the gym and not in some magazine or book. I remember times when I had started a new routine and before I could allow myself to gain any benefit from it, I had already started a new one. Because of this I feel that the initial years of my training were nothing more than a waste of time and that I actually probably spent more time reading about the champion's routines and programs, instead of lifting iron.
I'm not here to argue about the facets of volume and overtraining related to said routines, but rather, it's the number and the ideas of routines and programs that concern me. Consistency is one of the major aspects of a successful bodybuilding lifestyle. Spending 45 minutes/3 days a week is gonna stimulate greater results than going hard 5 days one week and then taking 2 off. Unfortunately, the latter is something I see all the time and one of the main reasons for this, that I have heard is, "Well, I plan on trying a new program, so I'm gonna take a couple of weeks off before I start it." I've done this myself many times before, so many times that I've lost count. Successful members of the bodybuilding and strength training community probably have people asking them about new programs the most. They think that if this person is successful in building a great physique or attaining great strength, then he/she must be using a special program to have gotten them there!
Trial and Error is the best "program" a person can follow. Proper form should of course be established first along with the basic aspects of weight training protocol. But other than that, most outside information should be ignored until the trainee has somewhat of a better understanding of what works for his/her body. Then, maybe additional information can be assimilated into that persons OWN "program." A greater appreciation for the amount of time that a routine produces results should be exercised to the fullest amount. Beginners should realize the enjoyment of physical betterment and savor each moment they spend doing it. They should take their time and realize that the time spent realizing their own potential is far more important then the time that could be wasted searching for the perfect program.
Exercise and bodybuilding literature is a great thing, granted each word is taken with a grain of salt, and that we all feel comfortable with the suspicions that accompany the claims made by people who publish this literature. If it's too good to be true, then it probably is.
I'm not sure if this is an article or what, but it's something that had been on my mind for quite some time. I'm not trying to bash magazines, books, or websites! My main focuse was to dispel the myth of the great programs out there and to make people realize that results and self discovery are in the gym, not on a page in some book. Enjoy your time in the gym as it is time well spent, but leave the "programs" behind for now as they're just time well wasted. No one has your answer for you, but some day you'll probably find it for yourself, and if you don't, you'll be healthier and better trying to find it!
Consistency, Trial and Error, Patience and Enjoyment should be your methods of attainment. If you use these then everything else will seem trivial.