How To Increase Strength: Ultimate Guide To Getting Big And Strong Part 6

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Structuring a Workout​

When structuring a strength building workout it is best to throw aside the muscle building notion of training bodyparts. While you will be placing some focus on strengthening important bodyparts, in general strength training focuses on training movements and not bodyparts.

Choosing a Workout Based on Experience Levels​

Novice lifters. For the novice to early intermediate lifter most of a workout’s emphasis should be on improving strength on the basic lifts – squats, deadlifts, bench and overhead presses, etc. There is little need to train weaknesses because:

1. Everything is a weakness because you are still relatively weak.
2. It is hard to assess true weaknesses because you do not have enough time under the bar.

A novice lifter should focus on linear progression, or regularly adding weight to the bar. When this starts to slow, or become more challenging, it may be time to move to an intermediate style workout routine.

Starting Strength or the Bill Starr 5x5 are the perfect examples of effective novice strength training programs.

Intermediate lifters. Intermediate lifters have added a fair amount of strength to their bench press, squat and deadlift, and may need one of the following:

• Periodization. Cycling between heavy, light and medium days, as training heavy each day becomes too much for the body to handle.
• Assistance exercises. The addition of assistance exercises at this point is not necessarily to target “weak spots”, but rather to try and strengthen primary muscle groups as much as possible.

Periodization for the intermediate lifter can involve cycling between heavy, light and medium days, or cycling intensity (relative weight) over the course of weeks. The Texas Method is a good example of an intermediate program that cycles intensity during the week, while Wendler’s 531 cycles intensity of the course of 4 weeks. Both as excellent methods of building strength.

Intermediate lifters begin their journey by making consistent progress month in and month out, and end at a point where progress has dramatically stalled. It is here that they become advanced lifters.

Advanced Lifters. Advanced lifters need a more dynamic training approach. They know their bodies, know their sticking points, and train accordingly. Most advanced lifters structure their own workouts because of unique needs and demands.

An advanced lifter will know how to take the framework of a solid strength building training system, and structure it to fit their needs.

An example of an advanced strength building training system is Westside Barbell.

Understanding Intermediate and Advanced Workout Structures​

After the primary lift(s) of the workout have been performed, a strength trainee will next focus upon training assistance work. The following is a list of assistance work that is often performed on a training day based upon the primary lift.

• Bench Press – Triceps, shoulders, rotator cuff pre-hab, and back.
• Squats – Hamstrings, lower back, quads, abs.
• Overhead Press - Triceps, shoulders, rotator cuff pre-hab, and back.
• Deadlift - Hamstrings, lower back, quads, abs.

Some strength training programs also incorporate direct calf and bicep work.

Assistance work will attempt to maximize strength for a given area, therefore, most of the exercises performed are challenging compound movements. Examples of frequently used assistance exercises are:

• Triceps – Board presses, close grip bench press and floor presses.
• Shoulders – Overhead presses.
• Back – Barbell rows, dumbbell rows and pull ups.
• Hamstrings – Glute/ham raise and good mornings.
• Lower Back – Good mornings, hyperextensions and pull throughs.
• Quads – Leg press and front squats.
• Abs – Weighted sit ups, cable crunches and side bends.

Adaptation and Volume​

The addition of training volume should be gradual and controlled. A novice trainee does not require volume to build strength. For them, progression and persistence on the keys lifts is “the magic.”

A strength trainee must avoid “adding volume for volume’s sake.” There is a tendency in the muscle building realm to believe that more is better. More is not always better; better is better.

If you are not building strength on the basics, something is broken. Either you are not eating properly, you are lacking persistency, or you are not trying hard enough. If you can’t build strength on the basics, additional exercises and volume will merely be a distraction, and a waste of time and energy.

When volume is added, ease into things. Lower your working weight for several weeks and allow your body to adapt to the demands of the extra volume before pushing for maximum weight.

Common Progression Approaches​

This section will address common progression approaches for the novice to intermediate level strength trainee. These approaches work and work well. Some are a bit more aggressive than others.

In the end it doesn’t matter which progression approach you use as long as you are adding weight to the bar over time.

Linear progression. Linear progression involves adding weight in equal steps at regular and frequent intervals. Examples of linear progression are:

• Weekly Progression. Adding 5 to 10 pounds to a specific lift every week.
• Lift Specific Progression. Adding weight to a specific lift every time you perform this lift. This may be multiple times per week, but in smaller increments.
• Goal-Driven progression. Adding weight to a specific lift when you are able to reach a “rep goal.” For example, a program may call for a rep range of 5 to 8 reps. When you can perform 8 reps for a given set, you would add weight.

Linear progression has it’s limits. It is a very effective method of building strength, but sooner or later you will no longer be able to regularly add weight to the bar. It is at this point where an intermediate style workout using a form of periodization may become useful.

Understand that bad workouts happen. Don’t give up on linear progression simply because of a bad training day. Everyone has off days. If you are unable to progression over a period of 2-4 weeks, you will need to make a change.