Less is More

It has been days, again. I am sore over many parts of my body, I guess it was the "testing". 


This really is an unusual experience for me, and I have now felt this way for the last two weeks training with Roy.


I rarely feel muscle soreness to this degree. I had forgotten what it was like.


When I used to train with SC, it was always on Friday too, and we focused on the same things, heavy deadlifts, squats, glute ham raise, reverse hypers, steps ups with heavy weight, kettlebells.


We did things that either required a spotter due to the load or things that were so brutal, no sane person would continue on their own. However, I was rarely sore from this. Once in a while when we did something new like an especially killer Tabata or hundreds of swings that made my hands bleed I might be.


Lack of muscle soreness doesn't mean you aren't building muscle, any more than muscle soreness guarantees you are- there is a lot more to it that that, it is a science actually.


To gain you need to lift heavy, heavy weights. The number of reps and sets will depend on if the muscles are slow twitch or fast twitch, and of course where you are in your periodization.


What I had forgotten since training with SC was that less is more, especially when it comes to lifting to gain mass. SC drilled that into my head and now Roy is doing the same thing.


What I mean is that less or fewer exercises is better than more or several when trying to build muscle. 


When writing up my own programs it was easy to throw lots of different exercises in, to make sure I hit every muscle, but I don't need to really do that, a few is fine and actually best.


So I am going back to that, to "less is more", meaning, I will select a few lifts, keep them heavy and rest appropriately in between. Guys came in today and laughed at me. I have the little plastic footstool set up next to the wall right by the power rack, I do my front squats, making way too much noise for some, and sit down on my little stool, listen to music and rest with my back against the wall. I want to make sure my nervous system is as ready as my body before I start again. That's how heavy it is.


I don't need many exercises to fill the hour, my leg workout consisted of only 4, and remember, workouts lasting longer than an hour usually aren't beneficial, your testosterone and growth hormone start to decline and cortisol levels rise.


"Less is More" try it.