My Training Philosophy

Why I train like I do!

Before I get to my workouts, I need to tell you about my current training philosphy.

Think long term

It took me years to realise that my efforts in a single workout are almost insignificant when compared to my overall bodybuilding career and goals. Success in bodybuilding is arrived at through the cumulation of hundreds of workouts of a period of years. You will not get instantly massive from one workout no matter how hard or long you train.

Once I realised this I began to realise that the vast majority of injuries I picked up over the years were down to me training like my life was on the line. I'd either lift too heavy or with poor form as I went for that one... more... rep... and hey presto a new injury that would set me back weeks or months and then re-occur over and over again months and years down the road due to the weakness in the muscle caused by the build up of scar tissue.

Avoid injuries at all costs

I can't emphasise this enough - each muscle related injury you have will cause you trouble for the rest of your bodybuilding career. I've injured virtually every single major muscle in my body over the early years of my training. As an example I pulled my neck when I was 17 and then again and again and again in the same area - a classic 'chronic' or long term injury. Now I have to thoroughly warm my neck up at the start of each workout and I look like a right idiot wagging my head around for two minutes.

So, once I realised that no-one workout was going to make me Mr. Olympia I could take a more balanced view of each workout. I could try and think about what I wanted to achieve from the workout, and how it fitted in with my long term plan - months and years ahead. Trying like a psychopath just isn't necessary and because of the increased risks of injury it is actually counter-productive.

Train sensibly to be successful

The sensible, mature view is to train hard enough to trigger muscle growth but at the same time keeping overtraining and injury risk to a minimum. I try to achieve this via training with lighter weights and higher reps, by performing a full body warm-up at the start of each workout and by performing at least one or two warm up sets for each exercise.

After years of having the mantra of heavy weights repeated to me over and over again by the various bodybuilding magazines, books and websites it took a big leap of faith to drop my weights and go lighter. Feeling the squeeze in every rep and going much higher on the rep range is a completely different way of training to just lifting the heaviest weights you can (almost purely ego related training!). Its difficult watching other guys in the gym lifting more weight than you but the satisfaction truly comes from looking in the mirror afterwards and seeing that you are bigger than them. :)

High reps for the win!

My reps vary generally from between 15 to 20 reps (or more!) per set now. Most bodybuilders are scared of lowering their weights, going for the squeeze, feeling the muscles work. They think that heavy weights are the only way to grow but it is simply not true.

On a anaerobic to aerobic scale, 20 rep sets are still very very anaerobic (just do so hard 20 rep squats and you'll feel the lactic acid burn and oxygen debt afterwards!). You'll still trigger a hypertrophic response rather than an aerobic adaptation. The true benefits are that you'll minimise risk of injury and can actually get closer to true failure in a high rep set than a low rep one.

High rep training is hard!

Because of this, training high rep, moderate weight is actually harder than low rep, heavy weight training - way more hardcore. Do a quad workout with 4 - 6 rep sets (to failure) and a high rep workout (20 reps per set) to failure and see which leaves you feeling the worst... perhaps some of the bodybuilders who say that low reps work better for them really just can't face the agony of high rep workouts! ;) So, high rep training is not only safer but when each main set is took to proper positive failure it is also more intense than low rep high weight training.

For me, having now trained this way for a few years it is a no-brainer. I will never return to low rep training. I've experienced too many injuries from this sort of training to ever want to go back and besides, I grow better from high rep training anyway. I really wish I'd committed to high rep training earlier in my training career. Not only would I be bigger but I'd also be suffering far fewer chronic injuries now!

So, now you know all about my training ideas let's get on with the workouts! First up is my Chest, Delts and Triceps workout!

Return to the Training Home page.

Go to my Back and Biceps workout
Go to my Legs workout

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With effort, determination and consistent dedication to your diet, training and supplementation you will be able to achieve a physique like you can barely begin to imagine. There is nothing stopping you...

Want to learn more about weight training, read our guide on weight training basics.