How I Train- Part 1

How I train:

Putting things in to context

 By: Chris Kelly

With the summer Olympics right around the corner, I continue to be amazed by the feats and passion of athletes battling to represent their country.

From gymnasts defying gravity to sprinters blazing out of the starting blocks, the precise and powerful movements of these competitors seem effortless on camera-- but actually began many years in the making.

The average Olympic training plan or "cycle" to prepare specifically for qualification lasts around four years. For veteran competitors such as swimmer Dara Torres, these type of cycles can span decades and encompass much of the focus of every day life.

What I respect about these competitors most is their entire training experience is based upon delayed gratification.

They may or may not make the team, but they show up every day with fierce dedication and commitment to a singular goal above all else.

Contrast this to the high intensity (aka shit soup) bootcamps and crossfit style workouts designed to achieve immediate gratification and I remain convinced the key step to being “well” is wrapping your head around a long term goal.

Being in the business of fitness, I have watched many with goals of "being ripped" and "wanting to look like a gymnast" roar in like a hurricane only to fade away like Richard Simmons (though unfortunately his bicycle shorts remain far too common on gym goers)

While I once shared the goal of wanting to look better naked at all costs, all of that changed when I considered why I am actually training. I became tired of constant changes and attempting to shred myself in what someone else considers great shape.

My goal has always been to become as strong, powerful and muscular as I can at a bodyweight of 170lbs. The problem was that I would decide to build the body of a gymnast (my real goal all along) only then to catch the "modeling bug" again for a lean (aka stick figure thin) physique.
Perhaps it has been hitting my 30s or the fact that I am tired of being the only one looking in the mirror, but my revelation so far of my third decade has been to say fuck what other people think.

IT IS TIME I take responsibility for building the body I always wanted versus some casting director or agent.



IT IS TIME I embraced the knowledge and inner strength I have built to construct a cast iron exterior. And

IT IS TIME I RECLAIM all the years of deprivation I suffered to actually enjoy training.

So without further adieu, my goals are as follows:

1.      Construct a personal workout cycle which will allow me to become as stronger as possible within the frame of 170lbs

2.      Bench/Squat/Deadlift twice my bodyweight

3.      Perform and maintain at least 10 reps of the following exercises: one arm chin up, one arm push up, handstand push up, Front lever pull up

4.      Do something to physically better myself EVERY day

Program overview:

In order to build the body I have always wanted, I have constructed a program built around brief, high intensity bouts of training performed on a daily basis. I am busy like most of my clients/readers and I would rather workout hard for 30 minutes versus long for sixty.

Essentially my inspiration is to look like a cross between a sprint and a gymnast. If we examine the training routine of these athletes, we find the following attributes:

·         Frequent bouts of training (often several times per day)

·         Extremely high relative (pound for pound) strength

·         Prioritizing bodyweight strength exercises in training

·         Superior stability built via static holds such as L-sits, front levers and iron crosses

This does mean that my program will center around multi-joint exercises such as the back squat and deadlift for my lower body.

By focusing my training around extremely high loads and fewer reps (3-5 in most cases), I feel I can build a high degree of performance muscle mass along with superior strength.

My upper body program will be built upon the overhead press as my weighted lift and staple bodyweight exercises such as the chin up, dip and planche push up. These exercises require true strength from head to toe (or core to extremities) and ensure my body develops the type of pound for pound strength I am looking for.

The other factor I considered when putting together this cycle is how frequently to train. The more frequently a muscle is trained, the great it's resting muscle tone (aka definition).

This means that rather than doing 3-4 sixty minute sessions per week, I will train thirty minute sessions daily.
Some coaches may cite recovery or over training concerns, however I plan to address this issue by splitting my sessions in to heavy days (O.lifts, heavy weights, anaerobic conditioning) followed by days which revolve solely upon the weight of my own body.

In terms of the overall program itself, I have had great success alternating between periods of daily training followed by a back off period to allow strength and muscular gains to catch up with the rest of my body.

This may not be the perfect system, but it feels damn good to challenge myself on a daily basis and this is good enough for me.

Here is an overview:

Cycles	Length	Total training days	Bodyweight day	Weight day	Complete rest days
Build	8-12 weeks	5	2	4	1
Stabilize	4-6 weeks	4	3	1	3
Cycle goals ·         Build muscle mass via high frequency of training ·         Develop explosive strength ·         Incorporate short sprints/interval work to build a-lactic/anaerobic system ·         Consume 18-20 x Bodyweight per day on weight days ·         Consume 16-18 x BW on BW days
Stabilization Cycle goals ·         Stabilize gains via lower frequency of training ·         Recover mobility/movement via high degree of mobility work ·         Incorporate higher degree of aerobic work to improve recovery ·         Consume 16-18 x Bodyweight per day on weight days ·         Consume 12-14 x BW on BW days