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One of the BIGGEST lifting mistakes



Want to know one of the top mistakes people make when lifting, and a
prime factor of why people get "stuck" and don't grow? It's simply
because they are "stuck" on doing the same things week in week out.
Johnny average pours through the lifting magazines and online forums
looking for the "perfect routine". After much searching and confusion
he is set, and know he has the routine of routines. The "one" that is
going to set his gains on fire. And......it works! He is ecstatic! All his
lifts are going up and he can just tell he's getting bigger. But.....all
of a sudden something is wrong, progress slows down and then stops.
So, he plows on endlessly repeating the prior weight and reps of the
previous session. What he doesn't realize is that when he sees a
lifters routine listed, it is what the guy is doing currently, not
what he does always. There is a HUGE difference.

For most people, doing the same lifts, same rep ranges, and same
format from week to week only works for between 4 and 16 weeks for
most people, and in actuality its between 4 and 10 for MOST people.
The body adapts fast and unless the loading is changed it will stop
adapting to the same old thing FAST! Another common thing that keeps
people progress stagnate is pet lifts. How many guys do you know that
ALWAYS start out their chest workout with flat bench, their leg
workout with squats, and back day with pull-downs or chins? Even if
these guys change other aspects of their routines they start them off
the same damn way every time. This is a surefire recipient for
stagnation.

So what is the solution? Lets say you are doing a low volume routine
like this for example:

Day One:
Dips or Bench Press 3 x 6-8

Incline Press 3 x 10-12

Military Press, Or Hammer Shoulder Press 3 x 6-8

Tricep (skull crushers) Extensions or Tricep Pushdowns 2 x 10-12


Day Two:

Pull-Up 3 sets to failure

Barbell Row 3 x 8

EZ-Bar Or Dumbell Curl 2 x 10

Heavy Abs 3 x 10


Day Three

Squats 3 x 10

Deadlifts, or Stiff-Legged Deadlift 1 x 10

Pull-Troughs, Glute/Ham Raises, or Reverse Hypers, 3 x 10

While it will likely work great, it will only work for a short while.
These style routines allow great gains though because recruitment
pattern gains are great because of the same lifts being done week in
week out, but after not too long you will start to slow down and may
actually start to go BACKWARDS. This is often because of the fact that
your body will lose coordination of those same entrenched recruitment
patterns. A simple way around it is to do something like:


Day one, week one

Dips 3 x 10

Incline Bench Press 3 x 6

Lateral Raise 4 x 10

Laying Tricep Extensions 3 x 8-10


Day two, week one

Wide Grip Pull-Down/Up 3 x 8

Chest Supported Row, or Barbell Row 3 x 8-10

Barbell Curl 3 x 10

Resistance Abs 3 x 10


Day three, week one

Squat 3 x 6-10

Leg Press 2 x 15

Good-Morning or Stiff-Legged Deadlift 2 x 8

Calf Raise RP 2 x 15/30


Day one, week two

Bench Press 3 x 6-10

Incline DB Press 2 x 10-12

Military Press 3 x 10

Tricep Pus-Downs 3 x 8-10


Day two, week two

Supinated Grip Pull-Down/Up 4 x 8

Dumbbell Row 3 x 10

Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8

Reverse Curl 2 x 10

Hanging Leg Raises

Day three, week two

Deadlift 1 x 8

Safety Squat, or hack squat, 2 x 6-10

Glute/Ham Raise 3 x 8

Leg Press Calf Raise

By merely adding one rotation of lifts (as you see the change each
week) you will keep progress going much longer. You may also add a
third rotation like DC does. This is one of the big reasons DC's
training is so effective and keeps producing gains. Definitely not the
only one, but one nonetheless.

Other actively periodized systems like Westside Barbell use a
conjugated periodized system whereby all max effort lifts change every
1-2 weeks, and accessory work every few weeks. I RARELY ever do the
same workout twice. And you will find in looking at many of the top
bodybuilders and powerlifters in the sport that they too often do the
same. When you hear a bodybuilder say they train "instinctively" that
is generally what they are talking about. They are referring to the
fact that every day's session is different and they go by feel. That
approach is great for advanced lifters, but poor for those that don't
know their bodies well.

What if you want to make a simple single rotation routine work great?
Simple, just don't get too attached to it. When it quits working
change either the stalled lifts right away, or revamp the whole
workout. You can also pull out the micro plates and add ½ to 2 lbs and
milk the routine for quite a long time like that. I prefer making
changes. There are many, many ways to change the loading to get
progress moving again, but I will cover that in another article.

Don't get stuck on what you are doing and get yourself stuck!

Iron Addict