For years, I struggled to make muscular gains…at least the growth I desired. I was in good shape, but I was always thin and wiry. I wanted to be bigger.
I experimented with every variation of workout and rep scheme around to make gains. The fact is, I was a ‘hard gainer’. I learned about this concept after a friend encouraged me to read the book ‘Brawn’ by Stuart McRobert. By doing so, I learned that few of us are genetically gifted the way most ‘professionals’ are. Add drug enhancement to that and it’s a recipe for disappointment, frustration and discouragement for average ectomorphs like me.
That’s not to say there isn’t merit in their knowledge and workouts widely shared in mainstream fitness media; the big-guns didn’t get to where they are by sloughing off or adhering to ineffective workouts. But the reality is I was genetically typical and drug-free, and I had to find what worked for me. I discovered less was more.
I started seeing breakthroughs in growth and strength by giving my body more rest and doing fewer reps with heavier weights. For weight training, I stopped the ‘typical’ workouts and finishing moves in favor of lifting twice per week and focusing on major movements like bench, squat, deadlift, military press, and barbell curls. I inched the weight up incrementally each workout.
There is a time and place for specialization and isolation movements, but I needed a stronger foundation first, according to McRobert. I agreed. The major movements provide plenty of incidental work to the smaller muscles, anyway. I also came to terms with the reality that without superior genetics or drug enhancement, I would never look like Arnold, Lee Haney, Reg Park, Sergio Oliva, Frank Zane, Ronnie Coleman, or any other bodybuilding giant. But I knew with hard work, persistence, and the right combination for MY body type, I could realize respectable gains. Through that, I would look and feel better than I ever thought possible.
As I aged, I also gained a greater appreciation for ‘functional fitness’. Maybe it was a career in the profession of arms where quickness, endurance, strength, and physicality are often the difference between success and failure or life and death. It was also the aging process that lent itself to introspection; I grew up enough to know that while Hugo Hugenator might be enormous and can lift a bus, there’s something to be said for being able to put on your own deodorant, tie your own tie, or outrun a five-year-old. A functionally fit person has endurance, flexibility, versatility and strength that neither he nor Gina Ginormabottom will ever have. Not to mention some important parts haven’t been zapped by Rick Moranis’s shrink ray. #honeyIshrunktheyouknowwhats #horso’doeuvres #notafanoflittleweinersandtinynuts
Here’s some bottom line tenets that have been true for me.
1. Consistency is Key. I have watched friends and family struggle with fitness and weight loss by yo-yo dieting or the latest lose-weight-quick fad. I have personally found that being consistent over the long-term and making fitness and physical activity a lifestyle choice makes the difference. I made working out habit enough that it stresses me out me when I don’t do it. People who know me can attest to my neurosis about this and the ensuing edginess when I miss too many workouts.
2. Portion Control = Self Control. I could easily eat until I’m miserable. Sometimes I do…I love to eat! Portion control is one of the biggest factors in keeping excess weight off. Your body needs calories, and even though you may be able to do crunches all day, if you have a calorie inversion, we may never see your abs. If you want a six-pack that doesn’t require refrigeration, do the math; if you take in way more than you burn off, you’ll probably get a little fluffy. I don’t obsess about what I eat, but I do try to avoid a lot of fried food and too much junk. I focus on lean protein, high fiber, fruits, nuts, and veggies.
3. Know Your Body. It took me a long time to crack the code on how my body responded best. It changes with circumstances and as you age. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve experienced more aches and pains and I’ve lightened my weights some. But through it all I find lifting only a couple times a week and staying active with running or other cardio-strength activities the other days still gives me the best results. DON’T overlook strength training. I’m convinced building and maintaining muscle is a fat-burning fountain of youth.
I was probably in the best physical shape of my life during three periods between age 19 and 26, but I was almost 50 before I finally felt most healthy and pleased with my overall appearance. Don’t ever give up.
I found what works for me; I watch what and how much I eat; I work very hard, and I’ve stayed consistent over the course of many years.
Figure out what works for you and do it. Hard.
Please see my Fitness & Workouts section at BeyondStrength.Org for workout plan ideas and more information about fitness.
Get Strong. Be Strong. Stay Strong.
McRobert, S. (1991). Brawn. Nicosia, Cypress: CS Publishing.