There’s a right way to train and a wrong way; but there isn’t a RIGHT WAY.

Wait, that doesn’t make sense, does it? How is that even possible? Well, from a logical point of view it doesn’t at all. Obviously it’s a complete contradiction. But if you take a closer look, you might find that it actually makes perfect logical sense. So let me do some explaining…

These days there are a million different types of training methods: interval, high intensity, power, strength, muscular hypertrophy, plyometrics, endurance, blah blah and the list goes on and on. So how do you come to terms with the right way to train and which training type is for you? Everything you do in the gym must first start with goals, so this covers step number 1:

The Right Way To Train | Step #1.    ESTABLISH A GOAL

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” – Benjamin Mays

When you main goal is established you can then decide which training technique will best fit your needs. And when I say “main goal,” I don’t mean “I want to get in shape.” That’s not a goal. That’s like going to the car wash and leaving your windows down: you won’t accomplish what you came there for, and your progress will come to a screeching halt with even further setbacks. Being vague doesn’t work here. I’m looking for a SPECIFIC goal. Here are some examples:

– Gain 15lbs of muscle by the end of this year

– Decrease my body fat from 15% to 8% in 4 months

– Increase my bench press by 20lbs in 3 months

Do you notice anything similar between these three statements? They ALL have a time period set for the specific goal. I’ve found that setting a specific time frame to achieve a desired goal is not only beneficial, but will help your adherence and motivation to complete that goal. People who fail to reach their desired outcome are people who don’t look at it from at day-to-day basis. This is what I call the “baby steps of fitness.”

It all starts with a long-term goal, so keep that in the back of your mind for now. This is where step number 2 comes in:

The Right Way To Train | Step #2.   ESTABLISH “BABY STEPS”

Let me use Example #3 from up above:

If your goal is to increase your bench by 20lbs, what would be some smaller goals to accomplish this? Maybe…

– Incorporate strength training routines for chest, shoulders, triceps

– Start forearm training twice per week

– Perfect bench press form

– Train with a spotter

These 4 statements are examples of “baby steps” that can be done on a day-to-day basis that will eventually take you to the desired goal you set out to achieve.

The Right Way To Train | Step #3.   PICK YOUR TRAINING METHOD

Every goal is the gym has a specific training method that comes with it. Here are the popular ones:

– Strength = Strength Training/ Heavy Weights

– Muscle Gain = Hypertrophy Training

– Fat Loss = High Intensity Interval Training/ Cardio

– Athletic Performance = Power/Endurance Training

I’ll break these down in later articles, but as for now let’s keep it simple. By now you’ve probably guessed what the “wrong way” to train is. Not setting short, obtainable goals will bring you down the road of frustration and defeat, and more specifically, not knowing the right way to train will give you little to no progress in your fitness goals.

So onto my last point; there is no RIGHT WAY to train. I get questions all day long about how many reps are ideal for mass building, or how many sets someone should complete in each workout to maximize muscle fiber breakdown, what have you…So let me clear the air for all of you with these types of questions. Although there are hard facts about specific rep ranges for your specific goal type, only you yourself know when your muscles have hit failure. Don’t let someone else’s pre-determined rep range stop you from doing more than 8-12 reps when you’re more than capable of completing 15. As a beginning exerciser, I wouldn’t expect you to have this kind of connection with your body just yet. But as you become more advanced, your mind/body connection will grow stronger and your muscles will tell you what works in the gym and what doesn’t. I firmly believe that the 8-12 rep range is ideal for building mass, but if you aren’t hitting failure during these sets, you aren’t pushing your body to its full potential. And that’s basically what this fitness life is all about isn’t it?

What if there’s a day when you feel like doing lighter weight instead of heavy, or it’s back day and you want to do 10 sets of Deadlifts instead of your normal routine? My advice to you…DO IT. If you manage to lift your 12^th rep and your spotter can help you get up #13, then you better not stop! Push your body to the limit and it will, without a doubt, reward you. It is extremely important to write down these limits and remember them. This will give you a mental barrier to surpass each week as you train progressively.

Well I’ve babbled on for a while so I’ll call it a day and let you folks get after it! Email me with any questions you have and I’ll be glad to respond back asap.

– Mitch Muller

CPT- MindsetFitness.net