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The High Frequency Secret
by Chad Waterbury
Your Hypertrophy Training Sucks!
I'm bored as hell. Why am I bored? Because of today's hypertrophy (size) training methods. Virtually all "modern" methods fall short of what I'd consider optimal for fast and efficient results.
Indeed, no one has seemed to devise a training methodology that effectively challenges our full adaptive capabilities in an intelligent manner. Sure, 5 x 5 and 10 x 3 parameters work well, but there's gotta be someone who "pushes" this hypertrophy training steamroller along.
I'd venture to say that today's modern hypertrophy methods are no more efficacious than the methods from decades past. Hell, if slow eccentric actions, 8-10 reps, 3-4 sets, and five days of recovery are what's best, then why do very few trainees build muscle at an appreciable rate? I mean, come on, are we going to sit around for the next five years and rehash the same old tired training methods?
Okay, so now some of you are pissed. You're pissed because either:
A. That's the way you train, and you're dogmatic.
B. That's what methods you write about or that's how you train your clients... and you're dogmatic.
Fine. If that's the case, I've got a little experiment for you. Spend eight weeks training your lats with all your favorite back exercises by using the slow eccentric, 8-10 reps, 3-4 sets, and five days of recovery shtick. Analyze your result.
Then, spend eight weeks training to be a gymnast on the rings. Hire a rings coach and let him do his thing. He'll probably have you hanging from those rings almost everyday and for hours each week. Compare the results to your "traditional" weight-training parameters.
Luckily, I've witnessed such a phenomenon. Let me tell you, there's no comparison between the results of these two drastically different training methods. A trainee who spends eight weeks training on the rings will absolutely annihilate the results that the traditional lat program induced.
So why are we still using the same old traditional parameters? Obviously, it's not an issue of short-term, adaptive hypertrophy limitations (since significant lat hypertrophy can be achieved by spending eight weeks on the rings); it's an issue of suboptimal parameters that don't seem to get buried deep where they should be.
Where should they be buried? Next to Jimmy Hoffa. That seems to be the perfect place.
Are You a Tempo Junkie?
We're currently inundated with enough additional parameters to complicate and delude you into thinking that the results of modern methods must be better than days of old. Counting the muscle action phases comes to mind. Honestly, has counting the concentric and eccentric phases of your exercises enhanced your results? If it has, you're one of the few.
Sure, counting rep tempos has probably forced you into different time under tension set lengths, but that could've been easily accomplished with dramatic swings in repetition parameters. Instead, the cerebral act of counting muscle action phases does nothing more than clog up your neural tracts so there's less descending neural input onto your precious motor neurons.
That, my friend, reduces your strength, plain and simple. And anything that reduces your neural drive is disastrous for hypertrophy.
My Backpedaling
Now, I'm not here to tell you that all the modern hypertrophy programs are bunk. Nope, I wouldn't even think it. If I pointed one finger at someone else, three fingers would be pointed right back at me. But I will say that trainees aren't being pushed far enough after their initial levels of strength and size have been built.
Let me pick on myself as an example. Let's say you're new to training and you follow my Anti-Bodybuilding Hypertrophy Program. The results were good so you stuck with the Waterbury thing. As such, you might've followed my Total-Body Training and Waterbury Method programs. Then, once you wiped those programs off the slate, you moved on to my Quattro Dynamo program.
Great! So you can take pride in the fact that you built up the frequency of stimulating each body part from two sessions per week to four sessions per week. But what's next? Do you switch to another program and repeat the cycle? Not if you're looking for the most hypertrophy in the shortest time-frame. It's time to bump up the frequency even higher!
Why Little Johnny Can't Train Like Arnold
Unfortunately, merely increasing your frequency of training each body part to, say, six days per week, has fallen flat. Except for the few genetic anomalies (Schwarzenegger, Columbu, and Haney come to mind), such high-frequency plans have left trainees burned out, befuddled, and bemused.
Why didn't the genetically average excel on such training programs? You know the programs I'm referring to — we're all guilty of it. I'm talking about the programs in trash newsstand muscle mags that mirrored one of the routines from a champion bodybuilder (whether or not they actually trained in such a manner is another debate).
The novice trainee ripped open the magazine and was giddy as a schoolgirl when he read through the routine. "This is what's going to make me huge and powerful," he thought. But it didn't. I mean, it really didn't. Why?
Why Average Joe Can't Train Like Arnold
1) Excessive Initial System Shock
If you've been training each body part a few times per week with 3 sets of 8-12 reps, you're going to be in über calamity when you start annihilating your muscles for six sessions each week. Even though our skeletal muscle system is incredibly malleable, we don't respond especially well to a prodigious burst of concurrent volume and intensity.
Crippling levels of soreness and fatigue are sure to follow. Such a technique will often leave you wishing that Weider dude never came knockin' at your scrawny door with his ostentatious pics of Muscle Beach.
Bottom Line: You must build up your capacity to withstand high-frequency training sessions.
2) Immutable Parameters
It's no surprise to me that those traditional competitive bodybuilding parameters never worked for the average trainee, especially when you consider the lack of variance in their training parameters. Oftentimes, these bodybuilders would perform six flat barbell bench press sessions in the same week. That's not good. The central nervous system and skeletal muscle systems respond well to varying levels of intensity and volume (activity, in general).
In fact, it's pretty safe to postulate that our huge activity variances through evolution has made this so. While we're adept at chopping down a tree one day; walking ten miles the next; and sprinting from predators on the third day, we're not well-suited to chop down a tree three days in a row. Our bodies like constant change. Therefore, anyone who seeks to train with a high frequency should keep this evolutionary fact in mind.
Bottom Line: You must constantly vary your training parameters (sets, reps, loading, rest periods, and exercises) throughout the week to avoid burnout.
3) Excessive Training Intensity
You can't train with mind-blowing levels of intensity for any appreciable length of time. Your nervous system just isn't capable of withstanding the stress. Why? Who knows for sure, but I'd guess that it has to do, once again, with our evolutionary demands. Do you think our ancestors were constantly screaming with effort and intensity on a daily basis? I doubt it.
Instead, it's probably more likely that they only encountered high-intensity, high-stress situations on an infrequent basis. Therefore, if you're training with incredibly high intensities on a near-daily basis, you can assume that you're training in a manner that the nervous and muscular systems aren't well-suited for, especially in the long-term. Research — both in the lab and gym — demonstrate that our systems are more efficient at recovering from wide variances in training intensities, not just high-intensity training alone.
Bottom Line: Limit the amount of high-intensity work during each microcycle (i.e., avoid continuously training to failure with large loads).
4) Lack of Recovery Modalities
If modern hypertrophy training info has an advantage over old-school methods, it's evident within recovery modalities. Many old-school bodybuilders did nothing more than chug a few beers and masticate a few fowl in an effort to recovery from their workouts. Why such a shitty post-workout ceremony? Because their genetic predisposition negated any need to do otherwise.
We could only be so lucky. Now, we have a prodigious number of recovery aids, both nutritional and therapeutic. Indeed, the incorporation of active recovery sessions, ice massage, stretching, salt baths, electro stimulation, etc. will give you a lifetime worth of recovery aids. When you consider high-quality protein powders, recovery drinks such as Surge, creatine, and an overall increase in nutritional knowledge, it's easy to see that we're definitely better off than our predecessors (in the recovery department).
Bottom Line: Both nutritional and therapeutic modalities are important for recovery during high-frequency training.
The points above help explain why traditional, high-frequency bodybuilding programs weren't effective for most trainees. But that's not the end of the story. There are a number of other obstacles that must be conquered in order for virtually anyone to reap the benefits of high-frequency training.
High-Frequency Observations
I've determined that a well-designed, high-frequency training plan is the most efficacious route to maximum hypertrophy. I devised this maxim based on my personal observations; my work with trainees on all levels of the fitness spectrum; and an overall vision of the evolution of hypertrophy training based on skeletal muscle research.
Indeed, the lats of Olympic gymnasts, the thighs of speed skaters, the calves of soccer players, the upper backs of lumberjacks, and the forearms of mechanics have effectively demonstrated that the key to accelerated hypertrophy fits within high-frequency plans. In case you didn't thoroughly understand my examples, all of the aforementioned people train the respective musculature with a very high frequency — a frequency that few trainers, coaches, and writers dare recommend.
So where does that leave us? We've determined that the old bodybuilding magazines have led us astray since the published programs were often excessive and poorly structured. Furthermore, the issues of genetics and drugs played an important role. As such, those who weren't created from a superior gene pool (or those who didn't want to spend their weekends in Tijuana) were left with excessive room in their shirt sleeves. So, how do we design a high-frequency plan that actually works for trainees from all walks of life?
The answer is evident when we consider the superior muscular development of the aforementioned ring gymnasts, speed skaters, etc. These people all have the following in common with respect to the mentioned musculature:
1. They built up their capacity to withstand high-frequency training by training through soreness.
2. They don't reach high levels of intensity (failure) on a frequent basis.
3. Their high-frequency training was limited to a few, specific body parts.
4. Their movement patterns constantly changed.
All four of these examples are important, but I'd venture to say that point #4 is most important. The fact that these people are performing a prodigious number of movement patterns that are rarely repeated is probably the reason why they're able to train with such a high frequency. And it's probably the reason why hypertrophy of the trained muscle group is higher with these individuals.
Let's use soccer players as an example. Think about a two-hour practice session for a soccer player. How many different movement/contraction patterns are achieved within a two-hour practice that consists of running around a playing field? Hell, I don't know either, but I can tell you it's a huge number!
Then, let's say the next day consists of another practice. This two-hour practice session would undoubtedly consist of different movement patterns, levels of intensity, and overall volume. As such, it's much more difficult for soccer players to burn out a specific movement pattern compared to a bodybuilder training an exercise such as leg press calf raises. Any machine will mandate a movement pattern that's relatively fixed.
Any time you're dealing with a fixed, or pseudo-fixed movement pattern, overuse injuries are common — and that's not good for hypertrophy. Pair that with the fact that running, jumping, stopping, and sprinting mandate many different contraction patterns, levels of motor unit recruitment, and specific muscle recruitment.
Movement Variations are the Key
Okay, so what does this mean to a guy who's trying to build bigger pecs? It means that you should make a diligent effort to "unfix" as many different chest exercises as possible. Merely performing six flat-bench barbell bench-press sessions in a given week is a poor attempt at high-frequency training. Such a relatively constant movement pattern will induce a stimulus that's too similar to avoiding burnout and overuse injuries.
Instead, you should strive to create your own exercises that are anything but traditional in nature. That's exactly what I've done with my clients, and that's why my clients reach their goals. How'd I do it?
Here's an example that illustrates my point. Let's say you're standing inside a cable crossover machine. The pulleys are set on the highest position and you're gripping the handles with your arms extended out toward the cable stacks with your palms down (as if you're performing a crucifix). Now, with the arms kept relatively straight (soft lockout) pull the handles down in front of you so your hands stop at a position that's two inches away from your upper thighs.
Return to the starting position and pull down the handles so your hands stop at a position three inches away from your upper thighs. Return to the starting position and pull down the handles so your hands stop at a position four inches away from your upper thighs. Continue with this technique until your hands stop at a position where you no longer feel tension in your pectoral muscles. You should be able to get at least ten different movement patterns out of this simple exercise!
Now, place the pulleys in the lowest position. Grip the handles and place your arms in the original "crucifix" position. With your palms facing up and your elbows slightly unlocked, pull your arms together and overhead so your hands stop at a position that's approximately 75º relative to the floor. Return to the starting position and pull the arms together so your hands end at a position that's approximately 70º relative to the floor (even less would be better).
Continue this exercise until you no longer feel tension in your pectoral muscles. Once again, you should be able to get at least ten different contraction patterns out of this exercise.
Between both cable crossover exercises, you have twenty different contraction patterns — that's twenty different chest exercises from this simple exercise alone! Now do you see what I mean when I say that a little ingenuity goes a long way? Even though each phase of pectoral adduction is similar, its variance is sufficient to provide a slightly different stimulus to the muscles. That's how you excel with high frequency training, and that's the trickiest part of all (i.e., sufficient variances in movement patterns).
Note: The cable crossover example wasn't given to imply that such an exercise is all that's needed for pectoral hypertrophy, nor was it meant to be considered a "new" exercise. It was an example to show how many different movement patterns can be obtained from one simple exercise.
What About Biomechanics?
Most trainers would say that the line of resistance (the cable) should accurately match-up with the muscle fiber arrangement. Therefore, a cynical biomechanics graduate would say that only a few of the ten movements accurately match-up with the fiber arrangement of the pecs.
Even though it's true that matching up the line of resistance with the line of muscle pull will recruit the most fibers, it's not necessary when you're training with a high-frequency plan. In fact, it should be avoided.
Alterations in movement patterns are absolutely mandatory for the fastest rate of hypertrophy. Think back to the soccer player example. How many of the reps (steps) are performed when the resistance perfectly matches the contraction pattern of the calf muscles? The only way the two could perfectly match is if the player was standing straight up with the entire load (his body) pushing straight down. The fact that this doesn't happen throughout most of a soccer game is clearly evident.
In other words, the key to inducing new levels of hypertrophy requires large amounts of training frequency on a weekly basis. If you limit your exercise selections to the few movements that simply match-up with the line of muscle pull, you'll incur overuse injuries and local muscle overtraining. Variety is the spice!
High Frequency Training and You
Up to this point, I've focused on only one of the four elements that have helped soccer players, gymnasts, speed skaters, and mechanics reap muscle specific hypertrophy through high-frequency training. I focused on "variations in movement patterns" because I feel that's primarily where the answer to this puzzle lies. Even if a trainee used a relatively constant intensity (load) for each exercise, the variance in movements alone would probably allow for high-frequency, hypertrophy success.
So now some of you are probably developing a clearer idea of my vision for the future of hypertrophy training. I encourage all of you to first follow my Perfect 10 Training program for your lagging muscle group(s). Once it's finished, you'll better understand how powerful high-frequency training can be for hypertrophy.
But I've got a little homework for you. After the Perfect 10 Training program is finished, start thinking of unconventional ways to train your underdeveloped body parts. Put some rings up in your garage to hang from in order to build your lats, climb a rope everyday to build your biceps and forearms, or practice soccer drills to build your calves.
If you do any of these, you'll be well-suited to reap the benefits of my future programs. Now, get at it!
The High Frequency Secret
by Chad Waterbury
I'm bored as hell. Why am I bored? Because of today's hypertrophy (size) training methods. Virtually all "modern" methods fall short of what I'd consider optimal for fast and efficient results.
Indeed, no one has seemed to devise a training methodology that effectively challenges our full adaptive capabilities in an intelligent manner. Sure, 5 x 5 and 10 x 3 parameters work well, but there's gotta be someone who "pushes" this hypertrophy training steamroller along.
I'd venture to say that today's modern hypertrophy methods are no more efficacious than the methods from decades past. Hell, if slow eccentric actions, 8-10 reps, 3-4 sets, and five days of recovery are what's best, then why do very few trainees build muscle at an appreciable rate? I mean, come on, are we going to sit around for the next five years and rehash the same old tired training methods?
Okay, so now some of you are pissed. You're pissed because either:
A. That's the way you train, and you're dogmatic.
B. That's what methods you write about or that's how you train your clients... and you're dogmatic.
Fine. If that's the case, I've got a little experiment for you. Spend eight weeks training your lats with all your favorite back exercises by using the slow eccentric, 8-10 reps, 3-4 sets, and five days of recovery shtick. Analyze your result.
Then, spend eight weeks training to be a gymnast on the rings. Hire a rings coach and let him do his thing. He'll probably have you hanging from those rings almost everyday and for hours each week. Compare the results to your "traditional" weight-training parameters.
Luckily, I've witnessed such a phenomenon. Let me tell you, there's no comparison between the results of these two drastically different training methods. A trainee who spends eight weeks training on the rings will absolutely annihilate the results that the traditional lat program induced.
So why are we still using the same old traditional parameters? Obviously, it's not an issue of short-term, adaptive hypertrophy limitations (since significant lat hypertrophy can be achieved by spending eight weeks on the rings); it's an issue of suboptimal parameters that don't seem to get buried deep where they should be.
Where should they be buried? Next to Jimmy Hoffa. That seems to be the perfect place.
Are You a Tempo Junkie?
We're currently inundated with enough additional parameters to complicate and delude you into thinking that the results of modern methods must be better than days of old. Counting the muscle action phases comes to mind. Honestly, has counting the concentric and eccentric phases of your exercises enhanced your results? If it has, you're one of the few.
Sure, counting rep tempos has probably forced you into different time under tension set lengths, but that could've been easily accomplished with dramatic swings in repetition parameters. Instead, the cerebral act of counting muscle action phases does nothing more than clog up your neural tracts so there's less descending neural input onto your precious motor neurons.
That, my friend, reduces your strength, plain and simple. And anything that reduces your neural drive is disastrous for hypertrophy.
My Backpedaling
Now, I'm not here to tell you that all the modern hypertrophy programs are bunk. Nope, I wouldn't even think it. If I pointed one finger at someone else, three fingers would be pointed right back at me. But I will say that trainees aren't being pushed far enough after their initial levels of strength and size have been built.
Let me pick on myself as an example. Let's say you're new to training and you follow my Anti-Bodybuilding Hypertrophy Program. The results were good so you stuck with the Waterbury thing. As such, you might've followed my Total-Body Training and Waterbury Method programs. Then, once you wiped those programs off the slate, you moved on to my Quattro Dynamo program.
Great! So you can take pride in the fact that you built up the frequency of stimulating each body part from two sessions per week to four sessions per week. But what's next? Do you switch to another program and repeat the cycle? Not if you're looking for the most hypertrophy in the shortest time-frame. It's time to bump up the frequency even higher!
Why Little Johnny Can't Train Like Arnold
Unfortunately, merely increasing your frequency of training each body part to, say, six days per week, has fallen flat. Except for the few genetic anomalies (Schwarzenegger, Columbu, and Haney come to mind), such high-frequency plans have left trainees burned out, befuddled, and bemused.
Why didn't the genetically average excel on such training programs? You know the programs I'm referring to — we're all guilty of it. I'm talking about the programs in trash newsstand muscle mags that mirrored one of the routines from a champion bodybuilder (whether or not they actually trained in such a manner is another debate).
The novice trainee ripped open the magazine and was giddy as a schoolgirl when he read through the routine. "This is what's going to make me huge and powerful," he thought. But it didn't. I mean, it really didn't. Why?
Why Average Joe Can't Train Like Arnold
1) Excessive Initial System Shock
If you've been training each body part a few times per week with 3 sets of 8-12 reps, you're going to be in über calamity when you start annihilating your muscles for six sessions each week. Even though our skeletal muscle system is incredibly malleable, we don't respond especially well to a prodigious burst of concurrent volume and intensity.
Crippling levels of soreness and fatigue are sure to follow. Such a technique will often leave you wishing that Weider dude never came knockin' at your scrawny door with his ostentatious pics of Muscle Beach.
Bottom Line: You must build up your capacity to withstand high-frequency training sessions.
2) Immutable Parameters
It's no surprise to me that those traditional competitive bodybuilding parameters never worked for the average trainee, especially when you consider the lack of variance in their training parameters. Oftentimes, these bodybuilders would perform six flat barbell bench press sessions in the same week. That's not good. The central nervous system and skeletal muscle systems respond well to varying levels of intensity and volume (activity, in general).
In fact, it's pretty safe to postulate that our huge activity variances through evolution has made this so. While we're adept at chopping down a tree one day; walking ten miles the next; and sprinting from predators on the third day, we're not well-suited to chop down a tree three days in a row. Our bodies like constant change. Therefore, anyone who seeks to train with a high frequency should keep this evolutionary fact in mind.
Bottom Line: You must constantly vary your training parameters (sets, reps, loading, rest periods, and exercises) throughout the week to avoid burnout.
3) Excessive Training Intensity
You can't train with mind-blowing levels of intensity for any appreciable length of time. Your nervous system just isn't capable of withstanding the stress. Why? Who knows for sure, but I'd guess that it has to do, once again, with our evolutionary demands. Do you think our ancestors were constantly screaming with effort and intensity on a daily basis? I doubt it.
Instead, it's probably more likely that they only encountered high-intensity, high-stress situations on an infrequent basis. Therefore, if you're training with incredibly high intensities on a near-daily basis, you can assume that you're training in a manner that the nervous and muscular systems aren't well-suited for, especially in the long-term. Research — both in the lab and gym — demonstrate that our systems are more efficient at recovering from wide variances in training intensities, not just high-intensity training alone.
Bottom Line: Limit the amount of high-intensity work during each microcycle (i.e., avoid continuously training to failure with large loads).
4) Lack of Recovery Modalities
If modern hypertrophy training info has an advantage over old-school methods, it's evident within recovery modalities. Many old-school bodybuilders did nothing more than chug a few beers and masticate a few fowl in an effort to recovery from their workouts. Why such a shitty post-workout ceremony? Because their genetic predisposition negated any need to do otherwise.
We could only be so lucky. Now, we have a prodigious number of recovery aids, both nutritional and therapeutic. Indeed, the incorporation of active recovery sessions, ice massage, stretching, salt baths, electro stimulation, etc. will give you a lifetime worth of recovery aids. When you consider high-quality protein powders, recovery drinks such as Surge, creatine, and an overall increase in nutritional knowledge, it's easy to see that we're definitely better off than our predecessors (in the recovery department).
Bottom Line: Both nutritional and therapeutic modalities are important for recovery during high-frequency training.
The points above help explain why traditional, high-frequency bodybuilding programs weren't effective for most trainees. But that's not the end of the story. There are a number of other obstacles that must be conquered in order for virtually anyone to reap the benefits of high-frequency training.
High-Frequency Observations
I've determined that a well-designed, high-frequency training plan is the most efficacious route to maximum hypertrophy. I devised this maxim based on my personal observations; my work with trainees on all levels of the fitness spectrum; and an overall vision of the evolution of hypertrophy training based on skeletal muscle research.
Indeed, the lats of Olympic gymnasts, the thighs of speed skaters, the calves of soccer players, the upper backs of lumberjacks, and the forearms of mechanics have effectively demonstrated that the key to accelerated hypertrophy fits within high-frequency plans. In case you didn't thoroughly understand my examples, all of the aforementioned people train the respective musculature with a very high frequency — a frequency that few trainers, coaches, and writers dare recommend.
So where does that leave us? We've determined that the old bodybuilding magazines have led us astray since the published programs were often excessive and poorly structured. Furthermore, the issues of genetics and drugs played an important role. As such, those who weren't created from a superior gene pool (or those who didn't want to spend their weekends in Tijuana) were left with excessive room in their shirt sleeves. So, how do we design a high-frequency plan that actually works for trainees from all walks of life?
The answer is evident when we consider the superior muscular development of the aforementioned ring gymnasts, speed skaters, etc. These people all have the following in common with respect to the mentioned musculature:
1. They built up their capacity to withstand high-frequency training by training through soreness.
2. They don't reach high levels of intensity (failure) on a frequent basis.
3. Their high-frequency training was limited to a few, specific body parts.
4. Their movement patterns constantly changed.
All four of these examples are important, but I'd venture to say that point #4 is most important. The fact that these people are performing a prodigious number of movement patterns that are rarely repeated is probably the reason why they're able to train with such a high frequency. And it's probably the reason why hypertrophy of the trained muscle group is higher with these individuals.
Let's use soccer players as an example. Think about a two-hour practice session for a soccer player. How many different movement/contraction patterns are achieved within a two-hour practice that consists of running around a playing field? Hell, I don't know either, but I can tell you it's a huge number!
Then, let's say the next day consists of another practice. This two-hour practice session would undoubtedly consist of different movement patterns, levels of intensity, and overall volume. As such, it's much more difficult for soccer players to burn out a specific movement pattern compared to a bodybuilder training an exercise such as leg press calf raises. Any machine will mandate a movement pattern that's relatively fixed.
Any time you're dealing with a fixed, or pseudo-fixed movement pattern, overuse injuries are common — and that's not good for hypertrophy. Pair that with the fact that running, jumping, stopping, and sprinting mandate many different contraction patterns, levels of motor unit recruitment, and specific muscle recruitment.
Movement Variations are the Key
Okay, so what does this mean to a guy who's trying to build bigger pecs? It means that you should make a diligent effort to "unfix" as many different chest exercises as possible. Merely performing six flat-bench barbell bench-press sessions in a given week is a poor attempt at high-frequency training. Such a relatively constant movement pattern will induce a stimulus that's too similar to avoiding burnout and overuse injuries.
Instead, you should strive to create your own exercises that are anything but traditional in nature. That's exactly what I've done with my clients, and that's why my clients reach their goals. How'd I do it?
Here's an example that illustrates my point. Let's say you're standing inside a cable crossover machine. The pulleys are set on the highest position and you're gripping the handles with your arms extended out toward the cable stacks with your palms down (as if you're performing a crucifix). Now, with the arms kept relatively straight (soft lockout) pull the handles down in front of you so your hands stop at a position that's two inches away from your upper thighs.
Return to the starting position and pull down the handles so your hands stop at a position three inches away from your upper thighs. Return to the starting position and pull down the handles so your hands stop at a position four inches away from your upper thighs. Continue with this technique until your hands stop at a position where you no longer feel tension in your pectoral muscles. You should be able to get at least ten different movement patterns out of this simple exercise!
Now, place the pulleys in the lowest position. Grip the handles and place your arms in the original "crucifix" position. With your palms facing up and your elbows slightly unlocked, pull your arms together and overhead so your hands stop at a position that's approximately 75º relative to the floor. Return to the starting position and pull the arms together so your hands end at a position that's approximately 70º relative to the floor (even less would be better).
Continue this exercise until you no longer feel tension in your pectoral muscles. Once again, you should be able to get at least ten different contraction patterns out of this exercise.
Between both cable crossover exercises, you have twenty different contraction patterns — that's twenty different chest exercises from this simple exercise alone! Now do you see what I mean when I say that a little ingenuity goes a long way? Even though each phase of pectoral adduction is similar, its variance is sufficient to provide a slightly different stimulus to the muscles. That's how you excel with high frequency training, and that's the trickiest part of all (i.e., sufficient variances in movement patterns).
Note: The cable crossover example wasn't given to imply that such an exercise is all that's needed for pectoral hypertrophy, nor was it meant to be considered a "new" exercise. It was an example to show how many different movement patterns can be obtained from one simple exercise.
What About Biomechanics?
Most trainers would say that the line of resistance (the cable) should accurately match-up with the muscle fiber arrangement. Therefore, a cynical biomechanics graduate would say that only a few of the ten movements accurately match-up with the fiber arrangement of the pecs.
Even though it's true that matching up the line of resistance with the line of muscle pull will recruit the most fibers, it's not necessary when you're training with a high-frequency plan. In fact, it should be avoided.
Alterations in movement patterns are absolutely mandatory for the fastest rate of hypertrophy. Think back to the soccer player example. How many of the reps (steps) are performed when the resistance perfectly matches the contraction pattern of the calf muscles? The only way the two could perfectly match is if the player was standing straight up with the entire load (his body) pushing straight down. The fact that this doesn't happen throughout most of a soccer game is clearly evident.
In other words, the key to inducing new levels of hypertrophy requires large amounts of training frequency on a weekly basis. If you limit your exercise selections to the few movements that simply match-up with the line of muscle pull, you'll incur overuse injuries and local muscle overtraining. Variety is the spice!
High Frequency Training and You
Up to this point, I've focused on only one of the four elements that have helped soccer players, gymnasts, speed skaters, and mechanics reap muscle specific hypertrophy through high-frequency training. I focused on "variations in movement patterns" because I feel that's primarily where the answer to this puzzle lies. Even if a trainee used a relatively constant intensity (load) for each exercise, the variance in movements alone would probably allow for high-frequency, hypertrophy success.
So now some of you are probably developing a clearer idea of my vision for the future of hypertrophy training. I encourage all of you to first follow my Perfect 10 Training program for your lagging muscle group(s). Once it's finished, you'll better understand how powerful high-frequency training can be for hypertrophy.
But I've got a little homework for you. After the Perfect 10 Training program is finished, start thinking of unconventional ways to train your underdeveloped body parts. Put some rings up in your garage to hang from in order to build your lats, climb a rope everyday to build your biceps and forearms, or practice soccer drills to build your calves.
If you do any of these, you'll be well-suited to reap the benefits of my future programs. Now, get at it!
Y esto:
More is Better
As a former bouncer, I've encountered many esoteric individuals in my life. I guess anyone could say the same, but those who choose to spend the better part of their lives as bouncers are a bit abnormal. Moreover, I can honestly say that the bouncers I've worked with have given me some of the best (and worst) advice I've ever heard.
One of the more memorable axioms I've been told was from a bouncer in Chicago. He said, "CW, fighting ain't cool. Just remember, two wrongs don't make a right. Therefore, you should always hit 'em three times." That advice came in rather handy on an occasion or two, but honestly, I'm glad those days are long gone.
Since I now spend my days writing articles, I've found it useful to devise my own maxims. A well-designed program is useful, but general rules and philosophies will help readers more than any conglomeration of sets and reps. So what's my maxim? It's this:
If you seek hypertrophy (size gains) at the fastest possible rate, the more often you can train a muscle group the better.
I've made that statement on a few occasions, but I doubt most readers have made a diligent effort to apply and understand the veracity of it. Indeed, a properly periodized, high-frequency training plan will cause the fastest level of hypertrophy — bar none.
What High Frequency Training Means
The term "high frequency" is very vague. For some, this would probably mean that they should bump up their frequency of training each body part to three times per week. For others, high frequency training would mean nothing short of training each body part twice each day for six days a week.
Well, both parties are correct because everything in life (and training) is relative. If you've only been training each body part once every 5-7 days, then training every body part for three sessions each week would create an appreciable stimulus for hypertrophy.
On the other hand, those who currently train each body part for 3-4 sessions per week are advised to focus on multiple daily training sessions.
What's the point of this talk? The points are given in an effort to help you understand how complex this issue is to tackle since I must cater to thousands of readers (i.e. thousands of fitness levels). Indeed, the Perfect 10 program has been nothing short of an extraordinary undertaking. Before we get to the parameters, let me explain the genesis of this program.
The Cirque du Soleil Factor
As a physiologist, 2001 turned out to be a profoundly influential year in my life. Specifically, that was the year that I first attended the Cirque du Soleil show called Mystere. The show opened up my mind to accept training methodologies that I'd never previously considered. And it subsequently led to many of my most effective training regimes — regimes that I've never written about, until now.
I heard about the show through various clients of mine, but I never would've guessed what I was about to see. For those of you who aren't familiar with Cirque shows, I can tell you that they're some of the most invigorating, inspirational, and mind-blowing displays of physical prowess that you'll ever encounter. Not only do these performers possess remarkable levels of strength and flexibility, but they also have some of the most extraordinarily-developed bodies that you'll ever see.
As I sat through the show, I thought about their training regimens. I thought, how in the hell did these guys build such proportionally huge lats, delts, and upper arms? Was it Mentzer's Ayn Rand infused ranting that led them to this physique? Well, since their schedule consisted of up to twelve shows each week, I found it easy to dissolve that line of thinking.
Was it the incredible levels of training intensity with a primary focus on the eccentric muscle actions? After all, numerous skeletal muscle research studies have demonstrated the notion that the eccentric phase of training (the negative or lowering part of an exercise) leads to the most damage, thus the most perceived muscle growth. Nope, couldn't be since such training methods would leave them in a state of stiffness, soreness, and poor athletic performance (during the recovery phase).
Instead, they must have found a "sweet spot" within their training parameters that allowed them to induce a stimulus sufficient for muscle growth without burning out their skeletal and neural systems. Based on what virtually every strength coach, fitness writer, and muscle magazine recommended, such a training regime just didn't seem possible.
Hmmm, it seemed I'd stumbled upon a puzzle that had many missing pieces.
My Serendipitous Experience
That night I went back to my hotel room and decided to belly-up to the bar for a pre-bedtime toddy (usually I stick with ZMA, but this was Vegas, after all). The bartender opened up a conversation with, "What'd you do tonight?" I told him about the Cirque show and he replied, "Those two dudes who do incredible acrobatic tricks with each other? They're brothers and they're neighbors of mine."
He went on to explain that they spend the better part of their day practicing the Cirque routine. He further expounded on the issue by saying, "Yeah, I often look out my window and see them in their backyard for hours perfecting the routine." Man, I thought, these guys possess two of the most incredible physiques I've ever seen and they're training with an unbelievable level of frequency — a level of frequency that I've never read about from any "expert."
I probably got about three hours of sleep that night. I just couldn't stop wondering how these performers built up their capacity to withstand such training frequency. Then I started to question myself and thought that it must be genetics, drugs, or a combination of the two. But that line of thinking quickly shifted when I thought about my own experiences.
I thought about the soccer players I'd encountered and the level of calf development they displayed. Then I thought about the mechanics I'd befriended over the years in my hometown — all with massive, ripped forearms. I also reminisced about the times I achieved the fastest, most profound levels of hypertrophy in a given muscle group.
In college, I spent the summers working for an apartment complex and one of my primary duties consisted of pulling mattresses up and down stairwells. I'd do this for hours throughout the entire week. I gained an inch of upper arm girth after three weeks of this "mattress labor." I'd never gained a full inch of arm girth on any training routine in such a short period of time.
Viola! The answer to the puzzle must be hidden within high-frequency training parameters that didn't annihilate my muscles on a daily basis. I couldn't wait to get back to Tucson and start my own experimentation.
6 Caveats
Well, that was four years ago, and I must say that it's taken this long to find an answer. Why so long? Here's why:
1) Hypertrophy Training Dogma — First and foremost, the pertinacity of the exercise community is rather large. Therefore, some of my "non-paying" clientele didn't follow my high-frequency training parameters precisely as I prescribed. As such, I've been forced to scrap my data on a number of occasions.
2) Training Tenacity — This goes along with point #1. You must be persistent with high-frequency training plans in order to reap the benefits. A week or two of high-frequency training won't give you the results you want. The idea of high-frequency training is to build up your work capacity and specific muscle fitness to levels that the system has yet to encounter.
3) Lack of Recovery Aids — Stretching and ice massage are mandatory during the initial periods of high-frequency training. Those who didn't follow my recovery modalities often burned-out in a matter of weeks. On the other hand, those who did perform stretching and ice massage as prescribed excelled and built muscle faster than ever before.
4) Lack of Personal Ingenuity — The Perfect 10 training plan mandates numerous exercise variations. Since it's not possible for me to personally train thousands of readers, a little ingenuity is necessary. You must understand that even the slightest variations in hand position, foot placement, one-arm exercises, and switching from dumbbells to barbells for any given exercise is sufficient to be termed a "different exercise."
5) Overzealous Trainees — For some, too much just isn't enough. As such, a few people I worked with took the ball and ran way past the end zone on the first carry. In other words, they tried to do too much too fast, and they burned out.
6) Limited Training Schedules — Obviously, high-frequency training is only ideal for those who can follow such a schedule. If you're one of the ones who can make time to train for 2-3 sessions per week, this info isn't for you. Now, this isn't to say that we should all quit our jobs and follow Kevin Spacey's character in American Beauty, but high-frequency training does mandate some lifestyle changes. That's a big pill to swallow for many weekend warriors.
Now, with those caveats out of the way, I'm here to give you a program that'll induce hypertrophy at a rate that's faster than you've ever experienced. But, please be diligent with my entire prescription. If you skimp on a single element, you'll suffer — trust me.
Perfect 10 Training Guidelines
1. Choose 1-2 body parts that you want to improve the most.
When you embark on a high-frequency training plan, overtraining is always knocking at your door. Therefore, it's necessary to not bombard your entire body with such parameters. Most people only have a few lagging body parts. If you're one of those who needs to improve everything, this program isn't for you, so I suggest you perform my Anti-Bodybuilding Hypertrophy, Total Body Training, Waterbury Method, and the Art of Waterbury programs in order to build up your musculature. This program is for those who need to bring up underdeveloped body parts at the fastest possible rate.
2. Perform a different exercise for each session throughout the week.
There are countless different exercises for every body part, so this shouldn't be too tough to follow. Let's take chest exercises for example. If you're attempting to improve your chest development, there are hundreds of exercise variations when you consider: all of the angles between a 30 degree decline and a 45 degree incline, variations in arm/hand position (pronated and semi-supinated), and variations in dumbbells, barbells, and cables.
Make a diligent effort to list every possible exercise that your available equipment allows. Both compound and single-joint exercises are fair game in this program. The more variations and options you have, the greater your success will be.
3. Don't worry about the tempo of your muscle actions and don't accentuate the negative.
Considering how many sets and sessions you'll be performing each week, you should be ecstatic about this rule. Just lift as fast as possible while maintaining perfect form and controlling the negative portion. Any eccentric portion longer than two seconds is excessive during this program. We aren't attempting to annihilate the muscles; we're trying to provide a sufficient stimulus for growth without causing undo strain.
4. Perform stretches and ice massage after the prescribed sessions.
There exist a myriad of stretching methods but this program only mandates static stretching. Each prescribed session should consist of four static stretches for the trained muscle group. Hold the muscle in the stretched position for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before repeating three more times. It's that simple.
Ice massage should be performed with a Cryocup or a paper cup filled with ice. Use one Cryocup or one paper cup on each side of the body. Once the cup is empty, perform the same technique on the other side of the body. Use long, deep strokes and apply baby oil or olive oil to your skin to avoid ice burn. Perform ice massage within two hours of your training session.
The Cryocup. You can also make your own by freezing a Styrofoam cup and peeling away part of it.
5. Learn to train through soreness.
Soreness is your new friend so learn to love it. This program causes continuous soreness for the first few weeks of training (at least). Slowly but surely, over time you'll find that you become less sore. That's a good thing! But you must understand that you need to force your muscles to train more often. All of that infrequent training dogma will be run over by your newfound high-frequency karma.
6. Train the rest of your body as usual.
You don't need to alter the rest of your current program. In other words, feel free to train your other muscles groups as usual. If you incorporate Perfect 10 training for chest and triceps, just omit those exercises from your current program. Think of Perfect 10 as an addition to the program you're following (actually, a supercharger would be more accurate).
The Program
Here's what you've been waiting for! You're probably wondering why this program is titled Perfect 10 Training. That's because (surprise!) I'm going to outline a program that leads to training your lagging body parts for ten sessions each week! Think of this program as the antithesis to the mythical Colorado Experiment.
Pull out that Zippo and get ready to light the stick of muscular dynamite!
WEEK 1
Addendum for Weeks 1-4: Perform for one or two body parts. Choose one exercise for each body part, each day. Stretch after each session.
DAY 1
Sets: 6
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s (70 seconds)
Load: 6RM (6 reps max)
DAY 2: Off
DAY 3
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 5
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 2
DAY 1
Sets: 7
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 6RM
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 6
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 3
DAY 1
Sets: 8
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 6RM
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 7
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
DAY 6
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
WEEK 4
DAY 1
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
DAY 2: Off
DAY 3
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 90s
Load: 15RM
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 5
Addendum for Weeks 5-8: Perform for one or two body parts. Choose one exercise for each body part, each day. There must be at least 6 hours between AM/PM sessions. Stretch after each session. Perform ice massage when prescribed.
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2: Off
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 90s
Load: 15RM
PM
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
PM
Sets: 1
Reps: 12
Rest: NA
Load: 12RM
Note: This set should be taken to concentric failure only.
Ice Massage
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 6
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 4
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 4
Reps: 8
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 90s
Load: 15RM
PM
Sets: 4
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 4
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 6RM
PM
Sets: 1
Reps: 15
Rest: NA
Load: 15RM
Note: This set should be taken to concentric failure only.
Ice Massage
DAY 6
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
WEEK 7
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 90s
Load: 10RM
PM
Sets: 2
Reps: 20
Rest: 180s
Load: 24RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 120s
Load: 15RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4
Set: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 1
Reps: 10
Rest: NA
Load: 10RM
Note: This set should be taken to concentric failure only.
Ice Massage
DAY 6
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
WEEK 8
Off completely from training the muscle group(s).
WEEK 9
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Rest: 70s
Load: 7RM
PM
Sets: 2
Reps: 15
Rest: 120s
Load: 18RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 2
Reps: 20
Rest: 180s
Load: 22RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4
Set: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
PM
Sets: 6
Reps: 3
Rest: 90s
Load: 5RM
Ice Massage
DAY 6
AM
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
PM
Set: 1
Reps: 50
Load: 50RM (~25% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
Once you've completed week 9, you're officially a high-frequency protégé! If you follow the program precisely as prescribed, and if you avoid failure (except on the designated days) you'll have helped to beget a new revolution of hypertrophy training.
Who knows, maybe your newfound hypertrophy from the Perfect 10 program will help you land your own "perfect 10." I believe that the sublime Marisa Miller is the apotheosis of the other perfect 10!
Perfect 10 Training
High Frequency Training for Hypertrophy
by Chad Waterbury
High Frequency Training for Hypertrophy
by Chad Waterbury
More is Better
As a former bouncer, I've encountered many esoteric individuals in my life. I guess anyone could say the same, but those who choose to spend the better part of their lives as bouncers are a bit abnormal. Moreover, I can honestly say that the bouncers I've worked with have given me some of the best (and worst) advice I've ever heard.
One of the more memorable axioms I've been told was from a bouncer in Chicago. He said, "CW, fighting ain't cool. Just remember, two wrongs don't make a right. Therefore, you should always hit 'em three times." That advice came in rather handy on an occasion or two, but honestly, I'm glad those days are long gone.
Since I now spend my days writing articles, I've found it useful to devise my own maxims. A well-designed program is useful, but general rules and philosophies will help readers more than any conglomeration of sets and reps. So what's my maxim? It's this:
If you seek hypertrophy (size gains) at the fastest possible rate, the more often you can train a muscle group the better.
I've made that statement on a few occasions, but I doubt most readers have made a diligent effort to apply and understand the veracity of it. Indeed, a properly periodized, high-frequency training plan will cause the fastest level of hypertrophy — bar none.
What High Frequency Training Means
The term "high frequency" is very vague. For some, this would probably mean that they should bump up their frequency of training each body part to three times per week. For others, high frequency training would mean nothing short of training each body part twice each day for six days a week.
Well, both parties are correct because everything in life (and training) is relative. If you've only been training each body part once every 5-7 days, then training every body part for three sessions each week would create an appreciable stimulus for hypertrophy.
On the other hand, those who currently train each body part for 3-4 sessions per week are advised to focus on multiple daily training sessions.
What's the point of this talk? The points are given in an effort to help you understand how complex this issue is to tackle since I must cater to thousands of readers (i.e. thousands of fitness levels). Indeed, the Perfect 10 program has been nothing short of an extraordinary undertaking. Before we get to the parameters, let me explain the genesis of this program.
The Cirque du Soleil Factor
As a physiologist, 2001 turned out to be a profoundly influential year in my life. Specifically, that was the year that I first attended the Cirque du Soleil show called Mystere. The show opened up my mind to accept training methodologies that I'd never previously considered. And it subsequently led to many of my most effective training regimes — regimes that I've never written about, until now.
I heard about the show through various clients of mine, but I never would've guessed what I was about to see. For those of you who aren't familiar with Cirque shows, I can tell you that they're some of the most invigorating, inspirational, and mind-blowing displays of physical prowess that you'll ever encounter. Not only do these performers possess remarkable levels of strength and flexibility, but they also have some of the most extraordinarily-developed bodies that you'll ever see.
As I sat through the show, I thought about their training regimens. I thought, how in the hell did these guys build such proportionally huge lats, delts, and upper arms? Was it Mentzer's Ayn Rand infused ranting that led them to this physique? Well, since their schedule consisted of up to twelve shows each week, I found it easy to dissolve that line of thinking.
Was it the incredible levels of training intensity with a primary focus on the eccentric muscle actions? After all, numerous skeletal muscle research studies have demonstrated the notion that the eccentric phase of training (the negative or lowering part of an exercise) leads to the most damage, thus the most perceived muscle growth. Nope, couldn't be since such training methods would leave them in a state of stiffness, soreness, and poor athletic performance (during the recovery phase).
Instead, they must have found a "sweet spot" within their training parameters that allowed them to induce a stimulus sufficient for muscle growth without burning out their skeletal and neural systems. Based on what virtually every strength coach, fitness writer, and muscle magazine recommended, such a training regime just didn't seem possible.
Hmmm, it seemed I'd stumbled upon a puzzle that had many missing pieces.
My Serendipitous Experience
That night I went back to my hotel room and decided to belly-up to the bar for a pre-bedtime toddy (usually I stick with ZMA, but this was Vegas, after all). The bartender opened up a conversation with, "What'd you do tonight?" I told him about the Cirque show and he replied, "Those two dudes who do incredible acrobatic tricks with each other? They're brothers and they're neighbors of mine."
He went on to explain that they spend the better part of their day practicing the Cirque routine. He further expounded on the issue by saying, "Yeah, I often look out my window and see them in their backyard for hours perfecting the routine." Man, I thought, these guys possess two of the most incredible physiques I've ever seen and they're training with an unbelievable level of frequency — a level of frequency that I've never read about from any "expert."
I probably got about three hours of sleep that night. I just couldn't stop wondering how these performers built up their capacity to withstand such training frequency. Then I started to question myself and thought that it must be genetics, drugs, or a combination of the two. But that line of thinking quickly shifted when I thought about my own experiences.
I thought about the soccer players I'd encountered and the level of calf development they displayed. Then I thought about the mechanics I'd befriended over the years in my hometown — all with massive, ripped forearms. I also reminisced about the times I achieved the fastest, most profound levels of hypertrophy in a given muscle group.
In college, I spent the summers working for an apartment complex and one of my primary duties consisted of pulling mattresses up and down stairwells. I'd do this for hours throughout the entire week. I gained an inch of upper arm girth after three weeks of this "mattress labor." I'd never gained a full inch of arm girth on any training routine in such a short period of time.
Viola! The answer to the puzzle must be hidden within high-frequency training parameters that didn't annihilate my muscles on a daily basis. I couldn't wait to get back to Tucson and start my own experimentation.
6 Caveats
Well, that was four years ago, and I must say that it's taken this long to find an answer. Why so long? Here's why:
1) Hypertrophy Training Dogma — First and foremost, the pertinacity of the exercise community is rather large. Therefore, some of my "non-paying" clientele didn't follow my high-frequency training parameters precisely as I prescribed. As such, I've been forced to scrap my data on a number of occasions.
2) Training Tenacity — This goes along with point #1. You must be persistent with high-frequency training plans in order to reap the benefits. A week or two of high-frequency training won't give you the results you want. The idea of high-frequency training is to build up your work capacity and specific muscle fitness to levels that the system has yet to encounter.
3) Lack of Recovery Aids — Stretching and ice massage are mandatory during the initial periods of high-frequency training. Those who didn't follow my recovery modalities often burned-out in a matter of weeks. On the other hand, those who did perform stretching and ice massage as prescribed excelled and built muscle faster than ever before.
4) Lack of Personal Ingenuity — The Perfect 10 training plan mandates numerous exercise variations. Since it's not possible for me to personally train thousands of readers, a little ingenuity is necessary. You must understand that even the slightest variations in hand position, foot placement, one-arm exercises, and switching from dumbbells to barbells for any given exercise is sufficient to be termed a "different exercise."
5) Overzealous Trainees — For some, too much just isn't enough. As such, a few people I worked with took the ball and ran way past the end zone on the first carry. In other words, they tried to do too much too fast, and they burned out.
6) Limited Training Schedules — Obviously, high-frequency training is only ideal for those who can follow such a schedule. If you're one of the ones who can make time to train for 2-3 sessions per week, this info isn't for you. Now, this isn't to say that we should all quit our jobs and follow Kevin Spacey's character in American Beauty, but high-frequency training does mandate some lifestyle changes. That's a big pill to swallow for many weekend warriors.
Now, with those caveats out of the way, I'm here to give you a program that'll induce hypertrophy at a rate that's faster than you've ever experienced. But, please be diligent with my entire prescription. If you skimp on a single element, you'll suffer — trust me.
Perfect 10 Training Guidelines
1. Choose 1-2 body parts that you want to improve the most.
When you embark on a high-frequency training plan, overtraining is always knocking at your door. Therefore, it's necessary to not bombard your entire body with such parameters. Most people only have a few lagging body parts. If you're one of those who needs to improve everything, this program isn't for you, so I suggest you perform my Anti-Bodybuilding Hypertrophy, Total Body Training, Waterbury Method, and the Art of Waterbury programs in order to build up your musculature. This program is for those who need to bring up underdeveloped body parts at the fastest possible rate.
2. Perform a different exercise for each session throughout the week.
There are countless different exercises for every body part, so this shouldn't be too tough to follow. Let's take chest exercises for example. If you're attempting to improve your chest development, there are hundreds of exercise variations when you consider: all of the angles between a 30 degree decline and a 45 degree incline, variations in arm/hand position (pronated and semi-supinated), and variations in dumbbells, barbells, and cables.
Make a diligent effort to list every possible exercise that your available equipment allows. Both compound and single-joint exercises are fair game in this program. The more variations and options you have, the greater your success will be.
3. Don't worry about the tempo of your muscle actions and don't accentuate the negative.
Considering how many sets and sessions you'll be performing each week, you should be ecstatic about this rule. Just lift as fast as possible while maintaining perfect form and controlling the negative portion. Any eccentric portion longer than two seconds is excessive during this program. We aren't attempting to annihilate the muscles; we're trying to provide a sufficient stimulus for growth without causing undo strain.
4. Perform stretches and ice massage after the prescribed sessions.
There exist a myriad of stretching methods but this program only mandates static stretching. Each prescribed session should consist of four static stretches for the trained muscle group. Hold the muscle in the stretched position for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before repeating three more times. It's that simple.
Ice massage should be performed with a Cryocup or a paper cup filled with ice. Use one Cryocup or one paper cup on each side of the body. Once the cup is empty, perform the same technique on the other side of the body. Use long, deep strokes and apply baby oil or olive oil to your skin to avoid ice burn. Perform ice massage within two hours of your training session.
The Cryocup. You can also make your own by freezing a Styrofoam cup and peeling away part of it.
5. Learn to train through soreness.
Soreness is your new friend so learn to love it. This program causes continuous soreness for the first few weeks of training (at least). Slowly but surely, over time you'll find that you become less sore. That's a good thing! But you must understand that you need to force your muscles to train more often. All of that infrequent training dogma will be run over by your newfound high-frequency karma.
6. Train the rest of your body as usual.
You don't need to alter the rest of your current program. In other words, feel free to train your other muscles groups as usual. If you incorporate Perfect 10 training for chest and triceps, just omit those exercises from your current program. Think of Perfect 10 as an addition to the program you're following (actually, a supercharger would be more accurate).
The Program
Here's what you've been waiting for! You're probably wondering why this program is titled Perfect 10 Training. That's because (surprise!) I'm going to outline a program that leads to training your lagging body parts for ten sessions each week! Think of this program as the antithesis to the mythical Colorado Experiment.
Pull out that Zippo and get ready to light the stick of muscular dynamite!
WEEK 1
Addendum for Weeks 1-4: Perform for one or two body parts. Choose one exercise for each body part, each day. Stretch after each session.
DAY 1
Sets: 6
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s (70 seconds)
Load: 6RM (6 reps max)
DAY 2: Off
DAY 3
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 5
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 2
DAY 1
Sets: 7
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 6RM
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
Sets: 4
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 6
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 3
DAY 1
Sets: 8
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 6RM
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 7
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
DAY 6
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
WEEK 4
DAY 1
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
DAY 2: Off
DAY 3
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 90s
Load: 15RM
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 5
Addendum for Weeks 5-8: Perform for one or two body parts. Choose one exercise for each body part, each day. There must be at least 6 hours between AM/PM sessions. Stretch after each session. Perform ice massage when prescribed.
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2: Off
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 90s
Load: 15RM
PM
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
PM
Sets: 1
Reps: 12
Rest: NA
Load: 12RM
Note: This set should be taken to concentric failure only.
Ice Massage
DAYS 6 & 7: Off
WEEK 6
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 4
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 4
Reps: 8
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 90s
Load: 15RM
PM
Sets: 4
Reps: 5
Rest: 90s
Load: 8RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4: Off
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 4
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 6RM
PM
Sets: 1
Reps: 15
Rest: NA
Load: 15RM
Note: This set should be taken to concentric failure only.
Ice Massage
DAY 6
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
WEEK 7
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 90s
Load: 10RM
PM
Sets: 2
Reps: 20
Rest: 180s
Load: 24RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 120s
Load: 15RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4
Set: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 1
Reps: 10
Rest: NA
Load: 10RM
Note: This set should be taken to concentric failure only.
Ice Massage
DAY 6
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
WEEK 8
Off completely from training the muscle group(s).
WEEK 9
DAY 1
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Rest: 70s
Load: 7RM
PM
Sets: 2
Reps: 15
Rest: 120s
Load: 18RM
Ice Massage
DAY 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 3
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 3
Rest: 70s
Load: 5RM
PM
Sets: 2
Reps: 20
Rest: 180s
Load: 22RM
Ice Massage
DAY 4
Set: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
DAY 5
AM
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Rest: 120s
Load: 12RM
PM
Sets: 6
Reps: 3
Rest: 90s
Load: 5RM
Ice Massage
DAY 6
AM
Sets: 2
Reps: 25
Rest: 180s
Load: 28RM (~50% of 1RM)
PM
Set: 1
Reps: 50
Load: 50RM (~25% of 1RM)
DAY 7: Off
Once you've completed week 9, you're officially a high-frequency protégé! If you follow the program precisely as prescribed, and if you avoid failure (except on the designated days) you'll have helped to beget a new revolution of hypertrophy training.
Who knows, maybe your newfound hypertrophy from the Perfect 10 program will help you land your own "perfect 10." I believe that the sublime Marisa Miller is the apotheosis of the other perfect 10!
scualo
VIEJA ESCUELA-UNA MAS!!!!
Charontes dijo:
Joder Charontes vaya encicplopedia, ahora tendre q traducirlo, sino te importa peudes exarle un vistazo a mi rutina q kiero emepzar esta semana q viene.
https://es.fitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7841 aki la he posteado y dime tus impresiones.Gracias.
Muy buenos articulos esos charontes, ya los había leído. Waterbury: un genio 
maplegines
New member
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