Do you need another reason to start weight training?
I didn’t think so!
Remember the last time you saw a bus of school children stall on a railway crossing with an express train coming and you weren’t able to shove it out of the way? …No?
Well, remember that time when the barn caught fire and you couldn’t carry the heavily pregnant horse to safety on your shoulders? Oh…well…ok!
What about that time you couldn’t move the pile of boulders blocking the entrance to the hospital for sick kittens? Seriously? No?
Ok…so…remember that time you had trouble opening the lid on that jar of mayonnaise?…Bingo!!!
It doesn’t matter if you work as a fireman, professional super hero or career pillow tester, everyday of our lives we rely on our bodies, our muscles and their inherent strength, to do everything from climbing stairs to wrestling livestock (What? You didn’t do that as a kid?).
It’s true that many of us live lives where the heaviest thing we have to move around all day is our own fat ass but there come times in life when we need to be strong, be it moving the washing machine to the other side of the room or carrying a fair maiden up the stairs to her candlelit chamber (I’m still waiting for something like that to happen).
So I think that we all owe it to ourselves to be as strong and fit as we can to help us deal with whatever life may throw at us because life, just like a spoiled 4 year old, likes to throw things. We may not have the opportunity to rip the door off of a burning car but at least we can make moving the TV from one room to another look like a piece of cake.
Getting stronger than ever
I’ve been lifting weights on and off (this phrase fails to express the true irregularity of my routine over the years) since I was a chubby 15 year old when I finally decided to take some initiative and lose weight. I’ve tried different routines with different levels of success from high reps to super slow sets and many things in between. Most of the time I was focused on simple weight management and looking fit so it’s no surprise that I never made any real strength gains although I was most certainly stronger than your average Joe.
However, after finding the information I’m going to show you today and deciding that I wanted a new challenge, I set myself the goal of getting stronger than I have ever been in my life which I reached after only 4 weeks and I have continued to get stronger on a weekly basis. In the 3 months I had been doing this program I increased my 5 rep max (the heaviest weight you can lift for 5 continuous exercise repetitions) by 12-18% in all of my lifts. This may not sound like much but at my, intermediate, level this is a huge improvement!
The Pros & Cons of Weight Training?
Pros
- You can build functional strength that you can apply to your everyday life be it climbing the stairs or carrying your groceries.
- Building muscle is probably the most effective way to reduce excess body fat without dieting. More muscle means a faster metabolism.
- It’ll bring about serious changes in your physique in a very time efficient manner. This routine takes only about 1 hour, 3 times a week.
- Intense weight training releases growth hormone, which not only keeps you lean and healthy but also is documented to have profound anti-aging effects.
- Whether you’re a man or a woman, MUSCLE IS SEXY! (and everyone could do with more sexy)
You only get an ass like this after doing a hell of a lot of squats.
(BTW if you have an ass like this, call me!)
Cons
- You may become just TOO SEXY and have to carry a stick around with you to keep the opposite sex at bay.
Seriously, you have nothing to lose and a whole hell of a lot to gain. Start pumping iron!
Ladies are not exempt
Seriously girls, why rely on guys to do all the heavy lifting around the house? Girls can be strong and feminine at the same time and in my opinion, there is nothing sexier!
If you’re worried about lifting weights and looking like She-Hulk, fear not! I’m working on an article aimed at explaining the benefits of and clearing up some of the myths about strength training for ladies. For the time being all you need to know is that you’re not going to look like you eat “Steroid-Pops” for breakfast if you lift weights. You’re going to look toned and sexier than any “skinny” model-types you see in Vogue.
Enter Bill Starr
The program I used is called the Bill Starr 5X5 routine. Bill Starr is a former Olympic lifter and power-lifting competitor who also has written extensively about strength and conditioning. His most famous book “The Strongest Shall Survive” became something of a bible in the world of American Football strength training (and those guys know what they’re talking about when it comes to being strong).
You need to read the detailed explanation of the routine here (best) and here (use as a supplement) and before you even consider doing the routine you should understand it on paper thoroughly, so read it fully and then read it again. If you find any of it difficult to understand show it to an instructor at a gym and get them to break it down for you (If they tell you to do a different routine, that Bill Starr 5X5 isn’t for you, then tell them that you’re grateful for their suggestion but no thanks, you want to do this routine!).
I followed the routine almost to the letter. The only differences are that I do the Standing Military Press instead of the Seated Incline Press and I do Underhand-grip Bent Over Rows instead of Overhand-grip Bent Over Rows.
You can also download a very handy spreadsheet here, that not only helps you plan your routine but also helps you figure out what your 5 rep max is.
Intermediate Lifters
It’s very important to remember that this is a routine for intermediate lifters i.e. someone with at least a year of regular weight training under their belt. You need to know how to do these lifts well because if you don’t you could seriously hurt yourself, destroying any progress you’ve made.
If you’re a beginner, start a good beginner’s routine (I’ve heard very good things about Mark Rippetoes book) in a gym where the instructors know what they’re talking about. If the trainer looks skinny or overweight try and find one who actually looks like he works out.
You can also watch videos of all the lifts in the routine at the following links:
Squat
Bench Press
Bent Over Row
Military Press
Deadlift
Correct form is essential for movements such as the deadlift.
But you were already checking this photo out for correct form, right!
Watch the videos and get someone who knows what they’re doing to coach you so can perform them with perfect form. Learn how to do these lifts well and you will greatly reduce your risk of injury.
If you work hard, rest hard
This routine will put a serious stress on your body so in order to get the absolute most out of it make sure you help yourself along with adequate rest and nutrition.
What is adequate rest? I would say at least 8 hours of quality sleep at night. When I train on a day after a night of poor sleep I can clearly see it’s effects on my performance. It can make reaching my goals for that day very difficult or even impossible (especially so with my deadlift)
Eat well. Make sure you’re getting sufficient calories and protein (here’s a great link that breaks down what you should be consuming on training and non-training days). I’ve also written an article with some great tips on what constitutes healthy eating.
Remember if you don’t give your body what it needs to recover after these workouts, don’t expect to make as much progress as you possible could. Be good to yourself!
Get out there and break your own records!
There is no better person to be compared with than with yourself. Follow this routine as it’s described, monitor your progress by recording the weights and repetitions you use and experience how good it feels to break all of your old strength records in such a short time.
For example, I have to admit that when I reached my deadlift goal last week I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face all day. Everyone should feel what it’s like to better themselves, it’s euphoric.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and show the old you how far you can go. I guarantee you’ll impress the hell out of yourself (and let’s face it, you’re the only person that matters).
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Have you been working-out lately? Because you look spectacular 🙂 If you liked this article go ahead and share it with your friends via the Facebook or Twitter buttons below and if you use Stumbleupon please give it a “Thumbs Up”. I’d really appreciate it 😉
The Dancing Irishman 
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