Table Of ContentBOOTHSFITNESS.CO.UK
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EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW
Everyone with a fitness goal
knows that he or she needs
to train and eat right.
Even those who don't want to get fit can benefit from
fitness training, though perhaps not as much as the
fitness enthusiast.
Most people know these two facts.
What they may not know however is that "how
motivated" they are to start training is irrelevant in the
face of not knowing what to do.
Without a doubt, there are important fitness
fundamentals to consider before starting your fitness
journey.
You simply can't embark on this journey with no
concrete knowledge in your head, because, well, "just
going all out" in the gym won't really cut it.
In this e-book, you are going to learn the very
fundamentals of fitness training and why they are
important.
So without further ado, let's get to it by first
mentioning something very important.
How Can You Measure A
Workout & Why Is That
Important?
For the most part, you may feel like training is
about going "hardcore" or following a specific
training regimen that you found on the internet.
And well, while some of those may be effective for
certain goals, the truth comes when you actually
LEARN what a workout is made up of, and then,
apply that knowledge.
In that context, we can say that a workout is kind of
like a complex math equation.
In a workout, you have different variables and the
different ratios of those variables will produce
different end results.
Intensity is the variable that measures how close
Any workout you do in
you are to your maximum strength capabilities -
The closer you are, the higher the intensity.
the gym can be
In simple words, the more your working weight
measured by 3 main
increases, the higher the intensity.
parameters
A hundred percent intensity, in that case, would
(variables):
be considered the maximum weight you can lift
for one single repetition, until failure (i.e you do
1. Intensity
one rep on the bench press with 100 kg and fail
to do a second repetition, unassisted - this is
2. Volume
100% intensity for you, for that exercise)
3. Density
Volume, on the other hand, refers to the total
amount of weight lifted (total amount of work
Let's break this down
completed) and is calculated using the following
further, shall we?
formula:
Weight * Sets * Reps = Volume
For instance, that same 1-rep set with 100 kg that we
mentioned above, would yield a volume of 100 kg.
100 kg * 1 set * 1 rep = 100 kg
Oppositely, if the set consisted of 10 reps, it would
yield a volume of 1000 kg (100 kg * 1 set * 10 reps = 100
kg) and if you did 2 sets like this, they'd yield a total
volume of 2000 kg, etc, etc.
Density is the third key component of your workout,
that measures the volume, referred to the total
completion time, including rests.
The formula to calculate density is: Volume / Total
completion time = Density (Measured in kg/min)
Sounds complicated? Let's take the example we gave
above - 2 sets of 10 reps with 100 kg, that yield a
volume of 2000 kg.
If you do these 2 sets for a total of 4 minutes,
including rests, that'd be a density of 500 kg/min.
That is because 2000 kg / 4 minutes = 500 kg/min
Why You Need To Know
This?
The reason why this is important is that these
variables of a workout are your FRAMEWORK!
And on top of that, all 3 of them are correlated
and dictate your performance and progress.
Think of it this way:
Intensity measures your effort - You have to train
at a challenging intensity in order to create
sufficient stimulus for muscle/strength
development.
Volume measures the total amount of work you've
done - You have to do a certain amount of volume,
at a certain level of intensity, in order to create a
continuous stimulus for sufficient progress.
Density shows how good your rests are, in a sense
- Because intensity is strenuous, it requires good
rest between sets.
So, basically, if you go
too heavy (too intense)
If you don't rest enough, you will also be unable to
you won't be able to do
sustain optimal performance set to set, thus robbing
as many reps, thus not
yourself of effective volume and intensity.
reaching effective
Optimal training intensity for maximum strength gains,
volume.
forms at 80-100%, or in other words, doing 1 to 5
repetitions, close or until failure.
Optimal training intensity for maximum bulk muscle
gains forms at 65-80%, or in other words, doing 6 to 15
repetitions, close or until failure.
Recommended training volume for both strength and
muscle gains, starts at 4-5 sets per muscle group, per
week, for beginners, and grows to 15-20+ sets, as you
advance in your training.
The recommended rest times between sets are:
4-5+ minutes if you train at the 1-5 rep range
Up to 3 minutes if you train at the 6+ rep
range
These rest times will make it far more likely for
you to perform at your best from set to set, thus
realizing the highest quality training volume.
Compound Over Isolated!
Alright, you now know that your workouts have to
be fairly intense. You also know that such
intense sets would demand a solid rest in-
between sets, and that you have to do more
But think about it... If
than just 1-2 sets to create sufficient stimulus for
progress.
intensity matters
The next important thing in your workout is
(lifting heavier is a
exercise selection.
great stimulus), and if
Many trainees go to the gym with the mindset of
'developing a certain muscle group' (i.e "I want
one muscle won't lift
big arms", "I want nice abs" etc.)
nearly as much as a
Following these ideas, the same trainees go on
to choose isolated exercises for the desired
couple of muscles
muscle group...
working in synergy...
Does that then make
Compound exercises are movements that engage
isolated movements
multiple muscle groups, therefore allowing you to
inferior? lift heavier weights and thus, providing greater
stimulus for the development of your musculature.
Well, to a certain
extent - Yes!
These are the exercises that you must put at the very
core of your training regimen.
So, which are the most important compound exercises,
you may ask?
Good question! Here are our top 15
1. Flat barbell bench press
2. Incline barbell bench press
3. Flat dumbbell bench press
4. Incline dumbbell bench press
5. Overhead barbell press
6. Overhead dumbbell press
7. Back barbell squats
8. Front barbell squats
9. Hack squats
10. Barbell deadlifts (in all variations)
11. Pull-ups
12. Parallel bar dips
13. Chin-ups
14. Hip thrusts
15. Barbell good mornings
Focus on these exercises, follow the training principles
& methods we'll talk about below, and WATCH
YOURSELF PROGRESS AND FEEL BETTER!
Training Principles &
Methods
Once you understand the training variables and why
compound exercises are important, it is then time to
move on to the more actionable stuff - The
fundamental training principles to follow and methods
to apply, through your training regimen.
Let's start with the most important one!
Progressive Overload
The reason why you gain strength, muscle and look better when training, is that the
body gets exposed to new, previously unknown stress.
When that happens, it's kinda like the body thinks "Alright, that was tough, I better be
ready for more than that next time!"
In turn, the body increases the strength, endurance & overall performance capacity
of the trained muscle groups, in preparation for more.
This increased capacity is also referred to as "supercompensation".
In order for super-compensation (gains) to occur over time, you have to follow the
fundamental principle we refer to as 'progressive overload'.
This basic principle implies that your body should be exposed to more and new
tension, as your training progresses.
To realize the principle of progressive overload,
you can go a couple of routes:
1. Increase the weight you use
2. Increase the number of repetitions
3. Increase the number of sets
4. Increase training frequency
5. Increase the time under tension
6. Decrease the rest time between sets
TRY THIS: On your compound movements, pick a
weight and aim to complete a total of 32
repetitions in 4 working sets. Once you reach
that number of repetitions, increase the weight
by 2-5%.
For instance, if you manage to do 4 sets of 8
repetitions (total of 32 reps) with 100 kg on the
bench press, increase the weight to 102.5-105 kg
and aim to reach 4x8 with that weight over the
next weeks/months, before you increase again.
PRO-TIP: When increasing the working weight,
also increase the rest times between sets!
Time Under Tension
You got the training intensity, numbers of sets, and reps down.
You also got the exercise selection down.
The next step is to understand the fourth hidden variable in your workouts - Time
under tension!
Many people may consider intensity to be the most important variable, thus going on
to focus on lifting as heavy as possible.
In the quest of lifting as heavy as possible, trainees may forget that what's even more
important is HOW you lift.
If you rob your muscles of mechanical tension for the sake of lifting heavy, that won't
really be more effective, because what is gained in heavier weight lifted, is lost with
the lack of mechanical tension (I.e jerking the weight, rather than controlling it).
In your training sessions, focus on a fairly slow exercise execution, combined with
explosive work as well.
Let us further elaborate.
Each and every repetition that you do consists of
two portions:
1. The concentric portion - This is when you
apply muscular strength and the muscle
contracts (I.e pulling yourself up, when doing
a pull-up)
2. The eccentric portion - This is when you go
down after the contraction and don't apply
muscular strength (I.e coming down from a
pull-up)
The mechanical tension created on BOTH
portions of the movement represents a training
stimulus, that provides the necessary tension to
create muscle and strength gains.
So Here's A Pro-Tip: Go slowly on the eccentric
portion, then explosively on the concentric
portion. This way, you'll get the most out of each
repetition!
Setting Realistic Goals
Last but not least, you have to set goals with your training!
Setting fitness goals is a fundamental part of ANY fitness training and nutrition plan, and
as a matter of fact, it comes way before understanding the training variables or even
selecting the right exercises. Though crucial, however, it's important to set REALISTIC
fitness goals that match your abilities.
If you want to lose weight, but find dieting difficult, for example, then it would be better to
focus on establishing good habits. (i.e becoming more active, choosing the right foods,
exercising frequently, etc.)
You should also consider what type of time commitment (in terms of both length and
frequency) will work best for you- this could make the difference between sticking with your
fitness plan or quitting after a few weeks because it was too hard!
Finally, remember that there are no good or bad types of exercise: if something feels good
and makes you happy then do more of it!
Set fitness goals that are realistic and achievable, with a fitness plan you can stick to for
the long-term.
Whatever you choose to do, whether it is about training or eating, you must make sure that
you can adhere to it - If something feels like torture, don't do it!
