Planning your Training

[mrbeefy]

AS some of you have read in my journal, I'm taking next year off from competing, and coming back as "Da Beast" in 2008 ;D.
Here's the question:

How do YOU plan your training? Your long term goals?

I've basically broken it down to this:

1) Assessment: Where am I at now?
2)Goal Setting: Where do I want to go from here?
3)Create Plan: How will I get there?
4)Execute the Plan: Daily steps to reach my goal.
5)Measuring results: How do I know if I'm moving toward my goal?

I'm looking for input, so that I can put to paper my plan for the next 15-18 months.

Suggestions? Resources? Anything?

Thanks!

[beckie]

I break mine down into 2 monthly time slots kind of like a full periodization. I work backwards from the comp date and use past success or failure with different styles of training to design a program that is broken down into different phases-This is kind of what I follow:
Week 1-2 Volume/Endurance
Week 3-4 Hypertrophy
Week 5-6 Strength
Week 7-8 Taper(low volume training)
For me personally less is more so that is why I break my training down to this level-some people here probably do long phases of hypertrophy followed by a taper but my body does not allow me to train that way!
Within each week of each month I have specific goals-at the moment my first 2 weeks are focused on building endurance in my injury areas,kind of like pre-hab,accustomsing the body to the training before hitting it really hard.
Then once I hit my pre comp schedule it goes it virtually hypertrophy-maintenance from either 12-16 weeks depending on where my bodyfat is.

As far as knowing whether I'm on track-journalling all my workouts and food and when my trainer makes changes to my diet,keeping a record of how I'm feeling emotionally and well as the physical changes. I usually document my visual changes by girth measurements and pics

[mrbeefy]

Thanks for sharing Beck! ALL great ideas!
I have 4 big binders that I've been keeping everything in by individual contests ( 4 contests=4 binders), the trainer(s) I've worked with, individual journals, comments. changes, diet. workouts, cutting for contest, etc. But now it's getting too bulky to look back through each one for lessons learned.
NOW, I need to focus more on setting ONE plan to paper...kinda like a 5 year business plan!
The investment is me.....the pay off is.....a better me!

[gti steve]

I would definitly consider myself as one who needs "Training direction" or "Training planning".

Im not achieving the look I want and its somewhat making me slowly but surely..depressed. Some days I wanna be big like jason giambi, then once i start noticing my clothes get tight and a my spare tire gets softer i freak and have to immediatly cut. then some days i wanna be lean.

im ALL confused!!!!!! #bhammersmash6iz#

[mrbeefy]

gti:

Been there! My closet goes from a size 44 pants to a little boys size 16!
I'm at 169 lbs. today, and feeling "plump", and I still have along way to go!
BUT...in order to make it into muscle, you gotta feed the animal!
I need my plan so that I have a course of direction. Kinda like going to the gym. Ya just don't walk in and say, "hmmmm..wonder what I should work on today?" You have a plan.
This is the same thing, but in a BIGGER picture. It will span 15 to 18 months, of detailed plans, checks, workouts, nutrition...and re-assesment after re-assessment. This may be a little obsessive compulsive, but if you don't have a map on your journey...it's easy to get lost.

[gti steve]

mrbeefy said:

gti:

Been there! My closet goes from a size 44 pants to a little boys size 16!
I'm at 169 lbs. today, and feeling "plump", and I still have along way to go!
BUT...in order to make it into muscle, you gotta feed the animal!
I need my plan so that I have a course of direction. Kinda like going to the gym. Ya just don't walk in and say, "hmmmm..wonder what I should work on today?" You have a plan.
This is the same thing, but in a BIGGER picture. It will span 15 to 18 months, of detailed plans, checks, workouts, nutrition...and re-assesment after re-assessment. This may be a little obsessive compulsive, but if you don't have a map on your journey...it's easy to get lost.

you are absolutly right! i been running the P/RR/S routine and its been going great in terms of strength. ive been trying to incorporate more and more cardio, anyway i could. running, biking, walking etc.

[Tim Wescott]

It`s great to have a long term goal,but far better in my opinion to re-evalute your regimen after a few months time,according to your results,or lack of results,and adjust things accordingly.

For instance,planning a whole years worth of training and diets is a waste of time, because you will constantly have to make make adjustments if you`re smart about it,by monitoring your results on a short term basis.

In essence,have an idea of what you want to acieve,and what you want to look like in your "minds eye", but monitor things closely and make adjustments accordingly going by your short intervals of progress or lack thereof.

[EBA84]

admin said:

It`s great to have a long term goal,but far better in my opinion to re-evalute your regimen after a few months time,according to your results,or lack of results,and adjust things accordingly.

For instance,planning a whole years worth of training and diets is a waste of time, because you will constantly have to make make adjustments if you`re smart about it,by monitoring your results on a short term basis.

In essence,have an idea of what you want to acieve,and what you want to look like in your "minds eye", but monitor things closely and make adjustments accordingly going by your short intervals of progress or lack thereof.

Excellent advice. Your goal in the off season should be to put as much muscle on as you can while keeping reasonable bodyfat levels. You should also work to bring up any weak bodyparts you have. Use the mirror firstly and the scale secondly as guides to do this. Don't make it more complicated then it is. Train instinctively as well.
I use the "mirror" to monitor food intake at this point.

Precontest is the only time I write everything down diet wise everyday. I monitor food intake very closely but once again I use the mirror to do this. I put the scale away at this time because I tend to get caught up with bodyweight at this time which is totally meaningless. I once again train instinctively.

Training instinctively means you train by how you feel on that particular day. In the past, I have gotten hurt because it was a scheduled heavy day and my body wasn't ready for it. It was scheduled so I did it anyways and got hurt.

[mrbeefy]

Wow! ALL good advice!
Tim: I know what you mean about instinct. There are some days scehduled for heavy, but the body just isn't ready. You call it instinct. I call it flexibility with my w/o. Same thing.

EBA: Very true. I re-assess every 12 weeks. The long term goals are vague, and only serve as a target to aim for. Think marksmanship. At this point, I'm just trying to maneuver myself into the best vantage point I can, so that I have a clear shot at my target! Sometimes, things will block that vantage point, and you need to move to a better place, for a clearer shot.

Make sense?

[ntrllftr]

This whole year was my year off and looking forward to 2007 to be my year. I didnt really plan anything, I just hit the gym and ate what I felt like ( within reason didn't want to gain too much weight though)
Short term goals work better for me, when I plan too far in advance I tend to get discouraged easier because I want to see the results b4 the target dates.
I don't know if I helped at all but that is how I think.

[mrbeefy]

Thanks NTRLLFTR!

I understand about the long term goals, especially if they're so far, it's hard to see them!

Unfortunately, I need to see things on paper, and I am very goal oriented. I can put on BF REALLY easy, and find it REALLY hard to cut when the time comes. If I can get my core cut, I think I can scare some judges out there! So I have to be really careful with nutrition, etc.

thanks so much for your input!
How was your year off?
Any lessons leaarned thus far?

[ntrllftr]

mrbeefy said:

Thanks NTRLLFTR!

I understand about the long term goals, especially if they're so far, it's hard to see them!

Unfortunately, I need to see things on paper, and I am very goal oriented. I can put on BF REALLY easy, and find it REALLY hard to cut when the time comes. If I can get my core cut, I think I can scare some judges out there! So I have to be really careful with nutrition, etc.

thanks so much for your input!
How was your year off?
Any lessons leaarned thus far?

Well I was lean for almost 2 years straight so this past year was relly good for me mentally and physically. I tried not to get caught up on trying to gain as much as I could, I just worked out and said to myself whatever I get out of it is what I get.

I guess the lesson that I learned is stepping back and watching other people on these sites and seeing what they go through. As others say bodybuilding is VERY judgemental. Just keep plugging away at it and give your best shot and be happy that you tried instead of saying what if is how I think now insted of winning or nothing.
BOL with your goals.

[Tim Wescott]

I do the same thing ERic does...............if I feel extra good in the gym,I`ll push it up a bnotch and back off if I don`t feel so hot.....I`m completely honest about this and never use it as an excuse to slack off.

Back in the day if I was scheduled to go heavy,heavy it was no matter if I was sore,got no sleep,ate badly,or just felt like sh*t...this resulted in some bad workouts where I would get frustrated and just leave the gym.

Now all my workouts are good...........just that some are better than others but none are bad.

Took me a lot of years to start to go by my bodys feedback.
Just wrote an article and submitted it to Iron Man about this subject.

I also eat according to how I look,cutting back or adding food depending on a lot of variables.

Good thread!!

[mrbeefy]

Thanks Guys! You have all given me some great ideas.
Tim, I know what you mean about going with how you feel, I try to do that, but do push it to the edge. Todays WO was a good example....I was having some gastrointestinal problems, probably from too much milk.
But I went tothe gym and kicked-butt anyways. (See my leg WO in my journal)
Great thread. Still looking for other opinions?

[EBA84]

mrbeefy said:

EBA: Very true. I re-assess every 12 weeks. The long term goals are vague, and only serve as a target to aim for. Think marksmanship. At this point, I'm just trying to maneuver myself into the best vantage point I can, so that I have a clear shot at my target! Sometimes, things will block that vantage point, and you need to move to a better place, for a clearer shot.

Make sense?

I guess everyone looks at it differently. I look at my goal as the side of a barn that I have to hit in an open field. Any point I am at is a good vantage point.

[EBA84]

mrbeefy said:

EBA: Very true. I re-assess every 12 weeks. The long term goals are vague, and only serve as a target to aim for. Think marksmanship. At this point, I'm just trying to maneuver myself into the best vantage point I can, so that I have a clear shot at my target! Sometimes, things will block that vantage point, and you need to move to a better place, for a clearer shot.

Make sense?

I guess everyone looks at it differently. I look at my goal as the side of a barn I have to hit in an open field. Basically I can't miss as long as I listen to my bodys feedback and don't over complicate things. This makes schedules pointless in my case. Do what works for you though.

[beckie]

do you have specific areas you need to work on more than others Frank? Maybe some priority training on this different areas,without neglecting the others might be in order?? maybe focus 'harder' on a different area every few weeks or so???

[mrbeefy]

Thanks everybody! ALL good ideas.

Beck: i thoguht about working the weak areas. Right now that would be chest and core. Core will come with diet, and cutting closer to contest. The six pack is under there...somewhere!

Chest is another story. The upper chest is coming very slowly, but the lower chest looks terrible. I want that full metal plate look, and it just alludes me.

[beckie]

so maybe do 2 chest workouts a week for a month focusing on lower chest development so something like
decline presses
Decline flyes
Incline presses
Swiss ball flyes

[mrbeefy]

Thanks Beckie...good ideas!
Something I did prior to my last contest, just beause poeple say "you shouldn't do this".

I worked the same body part two day in a row - hard.
Day off. ANother body part two days in a row, etc.

Leg days were killer! BUT, it did stimulate growth...no doubt.
I only did it for three weeks, bnut it was worth every little pain!