You will here me use the word typically a LOT as there are never any hard or fast rules as responsiveness of individuals will depend on such a large amount of parameters. There is no ‘BEST’ way of doing something only an optimal way for an individual.

THE EXERCISE 

In many cases the exercise is a reflection on a movement pattern, it won’t be depicted as such in most cases but this could be described as something as complex as a bilateral triple flexion and extension push or could be just described as a squat variation. If a trainer hasn’t seen you personally or you’re not in a rehab program often this will be about the movement pattern rather than the specific movement. If I have an elite athlete they DO THE movement I name, not a variation of as it will be specific mechanically to them and their requirements. Someone looking at aesthetic or general performance improvements the movement patterns are generally more what it’s about. If you get a program that has a seated dumbell shoulder press in it, it can in most cases be replaced by any type of vertical push so DO NOT panic if the gym you’re in doesn’t have a specific piece of equipment. Break it down into the movement pattern.

THE REPETITIONS (REPS)

The reps are assigned based on a specific goal. Typically the lower the reps the heavier the weight becomes and the closer it comes to strength training. Higher reps put the muscle under tension longer and the corresponding pump of blood into the muscle will illicit the adaptation to size or strength endurance (based on the tempo we use, coming up ). Sets will also vary depending upon the reps so again the lower the reps the higher the sets, the lower the sets the higher the reps. Reps and what you get from them MUST be influence by intent (what you’re trying to do with the weight), the speed (Tempo) at which you lift, time under tension (TUT), the load selection, rest periods and the style of movement.

In strength protocols a number will be definitive. If it says 5 you DO 5 as this is controlling volume which is essential to avoid injury and ensure progression. Size protocols the reps will be a range typically as fatigue is anticipated, 8-12 as an example.

THE SETS

Sets are the number of groups of repetitions you do with an accompanying rest in-between each. Sets are dictated by the volume of either repetitions or weight that someone requires for their given goals. A basic set system such as 3×12@100kg would be looking at a target of 36 reps and a volume of 3600kg.

Typically the number of sets would go up as the number of repetitions go down. This is how a strength athlete would peak towards a maximum single lift in most cases.

Weight per repetition is what a strength athlete would be seeking or some improvement in the force equation.

Force = Mass x Acceleration

A physique athlete would be looking more at the total volume of weight moved. The ego driven workouts of most people striving for physique improvements mean in most cases they get more proficient at a movement and get stronger when the goal is actually for size or tonal improvements.

TEMPO

Probably one of the most important and overlooked parameters in lifting as this dictates what you train the muscle to do. The lifting portion being most important to someone looking to develop strength or power and the lowering more important for physique improvements. Tempo may be depicted with either 3 or 4 numbers, I favour 4 as it tells you what is happening at either end of a lift.

3-2-X-1

This is an obscure tempo structure simply to explain it better.

In a squat this would dictate that there is a 3 second (or count) lowering (eccentric) of the weight. At the bottom of the squat there is a 2 second pause, the X indicates that the lifting (concentric) phase is as FAST as possible, some people will favour using a 0 rather than an X.  The final number indicates a 1 second pause (strength) OR a contraction (size or physique alterations) at the top of the lift.

For size a tempo of 2-1-2-1 works well and for strength 2-0-X-0. Try them out if you haven’t.

In a set of 12 the time under tension (TUT) would be 72 seconds (size) or 24 seconds respectively. See the difference. The goal of size is to pump blood and sarcoplasmic fluid into the tissue, the goal of strength is to increase contractile force and motor unit usage.

REST

Rest is all about the intent of the set. Again typically the heavier the weight and lower the rest period the longer the rest required. In sets lasting less than 10 seconds in total TUT would need between 3-5minutes between them as this utilizes the ATP-PC energy system that requires this duration to recover fully. Also if the weight is HEAVY this would be required as it will break 2 energy systems, ATP-PC and the alactic anaerobic. If the set lasts beyond this the rest is manipulated dependant upon the intent of the session.

If bodybuilding or training for size provided the aforementioned parameters are correct the rest period needs to be limited to 60-75secs. There will always be the temptation to take longer as when you break down tissue and fill full of blood it hurts and its uncomfortable. If you want to get bigger suck it up and get used to it!

Examples:

5×5         180 secs rest

4×8         90-120 secs rest

3×8-12   60-75 secs rest

Hopefully this will all give you an insight into your current structure or one you plan to devise. I will be doing a video explaining TEMPO that will be up soon on the PhD page to explain further.

Article Written by Phil Learney – PhD Strength & Conditioning expert.

The strategies for ‘during’ workout nutrition when considering strength and hypertrophy as the key goals didn’t tend to waver too much. Everyone is in agreement that large dose BCAAs work optimally at around 1g per 3kg of body weight. These are taken throughout the workout. It was also noted that the difference in PH levels that both types of athletes are striving for. Bodybuilders or those looking at breaking down tissue to build it need to favour an acidic environment during workout and strength athletes an alkaline environment. For a strength athletes consuming a greens drink or adding a small amount of lemon or lime juice into  their ‘during’ workout beverage would work well, 1g of L’Glutamine per kg of body weight is also a good strategy.

Post workout there are differing opinions as to the levels we should ingest. I will stick by my guns here and maintain that a ratio of 2:1 carbs and protein (PhD Recovery 2.1) is optimal for the most part…..but…..

On occasions people, due to their general lifestyle choose to opt for what would in modern society be considered a ‘low carb’ diet. I say this as define low or high?

If your general diet is low in carbs yet you need to further increase calories in order to illicit a larger anabolic response and give that much needed extra fuel here is a strategy to think about.

Taking either PhD Recovery 2.1 or a combination of PhD Pharma Whey HT and PhD Waxy Vol adjust that ratio to between 3:1 or 4:1 post workout. Add Waxy Vol to Recovery2.1 to adjust the ratio.  At this primed time if you’re to ingest an excess of fuels safely this is the time to do it.

2:1 0.8g/kg: 0.4g/kg

3.1 1.2g/kg: 0.4g/kg

4:1 1.6g/kg: 0.4g/kg

Give it a go, am sure you may be surprised how effective this is.

Written by PhD Strength & Conditioning expert Phil Learney

Truth be told, there is no set structure. When I’m assessing someone I’m looking at their physique type, hormonal structure, limb length, physiological issues, what is compromising their goals and how we overcome those issues. So to say there is a particular method or ‘system’ I use would be lying. Every single person is different.

I’m going to give you a little insight into the criteria I use for deciding what type of training split or routine I have. This will only help you if you’re truly honest about where you are now. Those guys in particular that are reading this with delusions of grandeur may need to just suck it up a little and become a little ‘less’ advanced with your training methods.

The Media Issue….as in problem.

Before we go any further I’ll let you in on a little secret. As PhDs Strength and Conditioning expert I get 20-30 questions a week regarding training advice. Questions that are and remain the most popular are:

How do I lose X amount of body fat in a given time scale?

How do I add size to my arms and chest?

What ab exercises are best for a six pack?

How do I get rid of my tummy/love handles/man boobs?

What’s the best thing to eat for fat loss?

What are the best exercises for my bum and hips?

Every commercial piece of literature or website is designed to catch your eye therefore you buy it or at least continue to read it. This will therefore have a given solution to one, many or all of the above. It will define a time scale, a measurement or a percentage. People STILL like to believe there is a single solution or answer to all of the above in some way, shape or form………and the scary thing is people will continue to believe it (as I still get the questions right).  If you don’t believe me look at the cover of any commercial magazine…

The issue is exactly the same with programming there is no ‘one solution’ or method.

Just to note:

How do I lose X amount of body fat in a given time scale?

Combination of the correct diet and training, how fast depends on how much damage someone has done to their metabolism over the previous number of years.

How do I add size to my arms and chest?

An inch of size on the arms will equate to about 10lbs of muscle tissue, this will take about a year to develop in most cases using a great nutritional and training program. Training arms MORE will not do this. The chest typically the issue we have is an internal rotation of the shoulders therefore actually ‘hitting’ the pecs is the issue.

What ab exercises are best for a six pack?

Diet, diet and more diet.

How do I get rid of my tummy/love handles/man boobs, bum, hips?

Diet, diet and more diet…… which will in turn lead to better hormonal management, the reason for specific fat deposition in certain areas. You CANNOT train down a specific area, training abs will NOT make your abs flat, doing endless hip adduction, abduction will NOT make your hips smaller.

What’s the best thing to eat for fat loss?

Best thing is to ask yourself what shouldn’t I eat for fat loss. People still ask this question despite throwing back fast food and sweets every week.

I digress….

Programming

Ok, this is pretty simple to begin with and for now I’m going to keep it that way. There are numerous things I’m looking for when establishing how many sessions someone would do to progress and also the type of sessions or training split I use with them. Without getting into the intricacies of sports and that type of training I am going to focus on someone simply looking at looking better neked!

1. Training age.

This is fundamentally how long someone has been continuously training for without notable breaks from it. I would class anyone who has trained themselves for less than 2 years a beginner, someone 2-4 years Intermediate and someone 4+ Years advanced. Now these classifications are based on the fact they have seen in that time a considerable change. If they havn’t (which is the case a LOT) they have merely been exercising NOT training and they are classified in every case as a beginner. Someone more experienced needs to hit muscle groups more often as not only is recovery better but the level of adaptation is higher.

2. Available Time.

Obviously this needs to be a consideration and is often reflected around work schedules etc. Best time to train? In nearly ALL cases JUST train. The differential in what times make is so marginal it doesn’t really matter. Find the time and do it. Time in the gym for anyone looking at fat loss or composition, unless they are of an advanced training age and with considerable muscular development should be under 60 minutes. Beyond this we start to compromise muscular tissue. YOU are NOT an exception and anyone who does those mammoth 90 min plus sessions WILL be losing tone/muscle and gaining bodyfat! I will happily bet money on it!

3. Physiological Type

I’ve explained the use of this as a method of assessment before. The three somatotypes give a good indication to the type of training someone would respond to. It almost comes down to the hunter, gatherer scenario. Would you run after an animal if you where hunting it or throw something at it. If you resemble a thrower list heavy and fast. If you’re also a Mesomorph you can get away probably with whole body splits. Besides Mesomorphs or VERY experienced and heavily muscled bodybuilders I wouldn’t use a whole body split (different muscle groups on different days) with anyone.

In review, if someone can only hit the gym 3 times a week I will almost always use a whole body routine at every session. Four times I will split Upper and Lower body. If someone is genetically at the top of the tree, heavily muscled or VERY experienced with  4+ years of heavy training I ‘may’ use a whole body split routine.

Remember that the more weight or load on the body the larger the anabolic response, this is the basis of building new tissue.  Having an ‘arms’ day unless your arms are already pretty big will give very little anabolic response and even less of a positive hormonal response. Breakdown and Recover, repeat and don’t value one less than the other.

Article Written by Phil Learney (PhD Nutrition Strength & Conditioning expert).

The thing about carbohydrates as a nutrient they’re non-essential. There are numerous functions and mechanisms within the body that rely heavily on glycogen in order to be operational but we can convert and make glycogen from the other two essential nutrients protein (Amino acids) and Dietary fats.

As westerners the issue and challenge that we have is that we’re just not very good at this conversion. Years of filling our plates with carbohydrates as a priority have led our systems to be inefficient at this whole process. Couple this with the fact that we only have a distinct warning mechanism for drops in blood sugar we continue to overeat on this raw form of ‘energy’. This leaves us, if weight loss is our goal with the only option but to restrict calories. In many cases this makes us fall short of the two essential nutrients that are in essence free as they have a constant and if training evolving job. This restriction from a longevity perspective is hugely detrimental but from an aesthetic perspective makes adaptation to training almost impossible.

Protein yields 4k/cal of energy per gram.

Dietary fats 9k/cal of energy per gram.

All of this energy can be converted to glycogen should we need it, carbohydrates have a more direct path which unless under HIGH energy demands isnt required.

The one great thing about carbohydrates which has always been at the forefront of the food industry is they’re cheap to both produce, cheap for the consumer and yield a healthy profit margin.

in·dus·try/ˈindəstrē/

The FOOD Industry is defined by not what we should be eating but more of what serves our economy the best.

Sickness, food addictions and obesity are ALL incredible money spinners for governments worldwide. They will however tell us that it’s a concern now and again to keep us happy.

This filters right into the supplement industry and the ‘other’ market the mass gain market which is riddled with powders which create huge caloric influxes and cheap fillers that do this. Food turnover is the issue and frequency of meals when lean (note the word lean) mass gain is the goal. PhD Pharma Gain is therefore despite the ‘market’ its designed and branded to sit in actually a meal replacement. It is a simple ‘sell out’ and profit based supplements for most companies and is infact one of the reasons and ethical decisions that PhD make that makes me continue to work alongside them.

Carbohydrate intake is based on many criteria. If you refer to my ‘getting jacked’ article that you will find further down the page a reference to body types and carbohydrate tolerance/requirements. For those of a more scientific nature these decisions are based on the level of insulin resistance or sensitivity.

I will refer to the 3 charts I’ve used before that define 3 body types.

In essence those of you who want to drop body fat the level of heavy carbohydrates in your diet should be very restricted with the only influx coming post workout (critical for progress, PhD Recovery 2.1 serves this purpose or a blend of PhD Waxy Vol and Pharma Whey HT). Ninety percent of westerners in the style of jobs they do can get enough fuel in their diets from proteins, fats and vegetables.

We just need a little transitional period to learn to use them effectively.

Just as a note, fruits are carbs as are vegetables and dairy produce. I don’t recommend a lot of fruit or dairy as its conversion to fuel isn’t great and makes the body work excessively hard to obtain it.

Carbohydrates are certainly not our enemy, they just need to be intelligently  and strategically used. Omitting them completely is dangerous as is eating crazy amounts and as ever refined food MUST be avoided if health and looking good naked is a priority.

Phil Learney – Strength & Conditioning expert

The event will run from 12-4pm and will Feature PhD Brand Ambassador & Drug Free BodyBuilder, Mick Bell.
As always, there will be plenty of the PhD product range to try, including the new Synergy ISO – 7 formula and our new & improved mass gainer; Pharma Gain.

Mick will also be on hand to give customers expert nutritional tips and general advice!

We Hope to see you down there on the 17th!

Yours in Sport
PhD Nutrition

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Sat 3rd Dec: GNC Bracknell 12-4pm
Tue 6th Dec: Total Fitness Teesside 2.30 – 7pm
Fri 9th Dec: GNC Newcastle 12-4pm
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If your in the area, then come along and try some of our products. As always, help and advice to all is available.

We hope to see you there!

To enter – Just head over to our Facebook page in December and click on the ‘Fighters Only Competition’ tab. Enter your details and you will be in with a chance of winning the 12 month subscription!

So, what are you waiting for? – get over to www.facebook.com/phdnutrition now and get signed up!

We will announce the winner in the new year!

Good Luck!

Yours in Sport
PhD Nutrition