Chapter 4

THE NAME OF THE GAME

 "Progressive Weight-training" -- or so it's called; but in fact, there is absolutely nothing progressive about the training of most bodybuilders -- and without unceasing efforts in the direction of progress, little or nothing in the way of worthwhile results will ever be produced by any amount of training. Once having learned to spell your own name, you cannot then improve your spelling -- nor your vocabulary -- by writing your name over and over again; your writing, perhaps, in effect, your form or style, but not your spelling.

 And much the same thing is true when it comes to attempting to improve your existing physical ability; you cannot increase your strength by mere repetition of things that are already easy -- and for much in the way of muscular growth stimulation, you must constantly attempt the momentarily impossible. Below a certain intensity of effort, no amount of exercise will produce growth simulation -- and for maximum-possible growth stimulation, an intensity of effort at least approaching your momentary limit is an absolute requirement. Yet most weight trainees -- bodybuilders, power lifters, and Olympic lifters alike -- seldom continue an exercise to a point anywhere near the required intensity of effort; while usually attempting to justify their easier styles of training on the grounds that they compensate by performing more exercises or more sets of each exercise.

 But in fact, more exercise will never produce the results that are possible from harder exercise -- regardless of the amount of additional exercise that is involved; and if much in the way of additional exercise is employed, then growth will be impossible even if growth stimulation is being produced. In practice, most trainees quickly fall into a rut of training wherein their workouts almost totally deplete their recovery ability -- and then it takes them years to produce the same degree of results that could have been produced in an equal number of months.




Go To: