See Chad Train
by Chad Waterbury
A few months back I conducted a seminar in Los Angeles with Pavel
Tsatsouline and Alwyn Cosgrove. It was an uproarious and enlightening
event replete with exotic accents, curse words, and double entendres.
But I'm already getting off track and I've barely even started. Pavel
rode with me that day. On the trip home he asked me how I train. He
wasn't asking me how I train other people; he wanted to know how I
train myself. I knew he already had a pretty good idea since we
sometimes train together in Los Angeles, but it was a valid topic of
conversation as we sat on that God-forsaken I-405.
Photo of Chad Waterbury by Chris "Shutterbug" Shugart So
I talked. Then I talked some more about how I train myself. When I was
finished, he said, "You should write an article about that." I
didn't give his request much thought because it just didn't seem
relevant. I mean, what could anyone really learn from my specific
training plan? Then I gave it some more thought and decided that I'd
write the article. Here's why:
1. It's always interesting to learn how other people train.
2. It's even more interesting if that person is a fitness professional.
3. You'll surely learn something from my training plan that you didn't know that will help you reach your goals quicker. I think it safe to say that Pavel's request for me to write this article was directly in line with point #3. So here goes.

Time/Exercise Selection The
first factor I consider before I train is how much time I have
available. Usually it's 30-60 minutes. More often than not, it's closer
to 30 minutes due to my whirlwind collection of business ventures. If
it happens to be a day when I can only train for 30 minutes, I know the
majority of my workout will be comprised of Olympic lifts. The
reason is simple. When I train, my goal is to recruit as many muscle
groups as possible. It doesn't matter if I only have a few minutes or
the whole day. But when time is of the essence, I've got to be as
efficient as possible with my movement selection. Four of my favorite
movements are the deadlift, overhead squat, front squat, and push
press. By doing just the snatch and clean and jerk, I've basically
trained all of those movements with just two lifts.
Point 1: When you're short on time, Olympic lifts are your best option. When
time isn't an issue I perform more traditional compound movements. I
typically start with upper body movements: one pull and one push. I
almost always start my sessions with an upper body, compound
pulling-movement because it prepares my shoulders for the pushing
movement that follows. I've found that by starting with a
pulling movement my shoulders don't need additional warm up sets before
my pushing movement. I hesitate to call any movement "safe," but a
rowing movement is about as close as it gets. Have you ever heard a guy
say he wrecked his shoulders by doing a one-arm dumbbell row? Me
neither. I
alternate between pulling and pushing movements with each set. If I'm
pulling in the horizontal plane, I'll push in the vertical plane and
vice versa. One of my favorite combinations is the one-arm dumbbell row
paired with a one-arm dumbbell shoulder press with a neutral hand
position. That covers the horizontal pull and vertical push. Another
favorite combination is the chin-up/pull-up with the dip. That covers
the vertical pull and horizontal push. If I have enough time
I'll perform a horizontal and vertical pull along with a horizontal and
vertical push. But more often than not I only have time for one
combination. If I only performed a horizontal pull and vertical push on
Monday, I'll perform a vertical pull and horizontal push on Wednesday. I
avoid performing the exact same movement throughout the week by
alternating between planes of movement and by using variations of
different lifts. This ensures complete development and a balance of
strength and mobility around my shoulder joints.
Point
2: Start your sessions with an upper-body pulling movement and
alternate each set with a pushing movement in the opposite plane. For
lower-body movements I alternate between a squat and deadlift
variation. Importantly, I unload the spine every other workout by
focusing on single-leg variations of either movement. For example, if I
do front squats on Monday, I'll do single-leg deadlifts on Wednesday.
If I do single-leg squats on Monday, I'll do deadlifts on Wednesday. When
time isn't an issue I'll perform a squat and deadlift variation in the
same workout. For example, on Monday I'll do front squats and Romanian
deadlifts and on Wednesday I'll do single-leg squats and single-leg
deadlifts. I won't repeat the exact same movement throughout the week,
just as with upper body movements. By alternating between double- and
single-leg lower body movements, it better manages my fatigue and
ensures complete development of the core and lower body muscles.
Point 3: Perform either a squat or deadlift variation in each workout. If time allows, perform both a squat and deadlift variation in each workout. Every other workout, perform a single-leg variation of each movement. Here's an example of what I've discussed thus far.

Short on Time
Monday 1A). One-arm row
1B) Standing one-arm shoulder press with palm neutral
2) Front squat
Wednesday 1A) Chin-up or pull-up
1B) Dip
2) Single-leg deadlift
Friday 1A) Standing cable row
1B. Push press
2) Back squat

Long on time
Monday 1A) One-arm row with palm neutral, elbow tucked
1B) Standing one-arm shoulder press with palm neutral
2A) Chin-up
2B) Dip
3A) Front squat
3B) Snatch-grip deadlift
Wednesday 1A) Wide-grip pull-up
1B) Standing cable chest press
2A) Standing one-arm cable row
2B) Push press
3A) Single-leg deadlift
3B) Single-leg squat
Friday 1A) One-arm row with palm pronated, elbow flared
1B) Standing dumbbell shoulder press
2A) Pull-up with neutral grip
2B) Clap push-up with feet elevated
3A) Back squat
3B) Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Total Reps, Not Sets I
have a target number of reps with each lift. I don't go into the gym
with the idea that I'm going to perform 5x5 with 85% of my 1RM for the
front squat. Instead, I go into the gym with the goal of performing 25
total reps with that load. I don't have a target number of reps for
each set because I lift based on speed. When the last rep is noticeably
slower than the first, I stop the set. This keeps my force-producing
capabilities up as high as possible by controlling fatigue. So
set one might stop at six reps and set three might stop at four reps.
If it's a maximal strength day, the target number of reps per lift
might be as low as 10. If it's a lighter load the target number might
be as high as 50. Each workout uses the same target number of reps for
all lifts. Here are some basic guidelines to get you started.
Remember, the following numbers are for one lift only. You shouldn't
perform the following volume for two similar movements in the same
workout. In other words, don't perform 25 total reps with a heavy load
for the bench press 25 reps for the incline bench press in the same
workout.
Maximal Strength: 10 total reps
Strength/Hypertrophy:20 total reps
Hypertrophy/Strength: 25 total reps
Hypertrophy/Endurance:35 total reps
Endurance: 50 total reps
Point
4: Have a target number of total reps in mind for each lift and perform
as many sets as it takes to keep your speed as high as possible.

Load The
heaviest load I use is a two to three repetition maximum (2-3RM). The
lightest load I use is a 20-22RM. So the loads I work with are 60-95%
of my 1RM. The closer workout 1 is to a 2-3RM, the closer workout 2 is
to a 20-22RM, but this isn't always the case. If I'm training
for maximal strength I'll keep the loads as high as possible, but I'll
still vary the load enough that I can perform at least three more, or three less, reps with each set than I did for the last workout. So
if on Monday I used a heavy load and averaged four reps per set, on
Wednesday I'll use a load that allows me to average at least seven reps
per set. Friday I might average 18 reps per set if I'm in a metabolic
phase, or four reps if I'm in a maximal strength phase. The key point is that I'm constantly adjusting the load with each new workout. Speaking
of loads, I never calculate my percentages of 1RM per lift. I know how
much weight I should use if the goal for my first set is 4-6 reps, for
example. Not everyone has this ability to hone in on the correct load
right away, but you'll eventually develop that skill. The four loads I
primarily use are:
Light: a load I can lift 20 to 22 times
Medium: a load I can lift 10 to 12 times
Heavy: a load I can lift 4 to 6 times
Super heavy: a load I can lift 2 or 3 times Importantly,
the load corresponds with the target number of reps for the first set
only. So let's say my target number of reps for the front squat is 25
with a "heavy" load. I'll choose a load that allows me 4-6 reps for the
first set before my speed slows down to a snail's pace. I'll keep using
that same load for all sets until I reach 25 reps. When the
target number of reps is low, the load is high. When the target number
of reps is high, the load is low. Simple, logical and effective.
Point
5: Don't worry about calculating your 1RM, just use one of the above
loads and vary your load/reps with every other workout.

Frequency For
most phases I'll perform three total-body training sessions per week.
I've found that to be an effective balance between frequency and
recovery. This holds true from beginners to elite athletes, with the
difference between absolute volume and intensity with each session. I
trained the Chicago Blackhawk's Robert Lang last summer and he rarely
did more than three total body workouts per week. It works for me, it
worked for him, and it'll work for you. When I'm in a phase
that allows me unlimited sleep, nutrition, and recovery modalities
(that was about five years ago), I'll increase the frequency of total
body sessions per week up to six. I won't, however, train six days in a
row. Instead, I'll perform twice-daily sessions on Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday. I've found the twice-daily approach to be more effective at
adding mass while controlling fatigue. I'll continue with this plan for
three weeks before taking the fourth week off. There is,
however, a time and place for upper- and lower-body splits. If you can
train at least four times per week, it's an option. If you happen to be
a person who requires eight or 10 sets to elicit an anabolic response,
or if you simply need to train a body part with multiple angles and
high volume, then an upper/lower split is a good option. But
I've never found an upper- and lower-body split to work better than
three total body sessions per week. A total body plan results in a
higher anabolic stimulus with each session and it builds your overall
work capacity faster. I have no proof that the anabolic stimulus is
higher with a total body session since I'm not monitoring my client's
anabolic hormones during and after each session, but the results I've
witnessed hold a lot of water for making me believe it's true.
Point 6: I've said it before and I'll say it again: you can't go wrong with three total body sessions per week.

Single-joint Movements If
time permits after my total body session, and if I feel the need, I'll
add in 10 minutes worth of single joint movements such as barbell
curls, incline dumbbell trap raises, or calf raises. What I do depends
on what movements I performed in the total body session.
Batman, a.k.a. Arnold, repping out. If
I did 35 reps with a heavy load for the neutral-grip pull-up, I've
given my biceps plenty of stimulus so I won't add in curls. If it
happens to be a day when I could only perform a horizontal pushing
movement, I'll throw in external rotation work at the end. I might do
some calf raises, too, if Pavel isn't around to point and laugh at me. I
learned this step from Alwyn Cosgrove. Apparently he got so sick of
getting requests for curls in his workout plans that he just decided to
allocate 10 minutes of "free time" at the end of the sessions so people
could do whatever the bloody hell they wanted. You can't do much damage
in 10 minutes, provided you got the important stuff out of the way.
Point 7: Spend 10 minutes at the end of your workouts doing any accessory or corrective movements you choose.

Final Words Well,
that pretty much covers the basics. The purpose of this article wasn't
to tell you that you should train the way I do, but it never hurts to
understand what others do and why they do it. I didn't even get into
the equally important component: nutrition. After all, whether you gain
muscle or lose fat depends more on how you eat than how you train. I'll
save that for another time. I hope you learned something along the way that you can apply to your own program. If not, blame Pavel.
For more of Waterbury's information pick up his e-book The 10/10 Transformation here.
His book Muscle Revolution can be purchased here.
Chad
Waterbury is one of the world's leading experts on developing muscle
for the goal of enhancing performance. His novel training methods are
used by athletes, bodybuilders, figure models, and fitness enthusiasts
of all ages and from all walks of life. He has an M.S. in Physiology
from the University of Arizona, and he specializes in the
neurophysiology of human movement and performance. H


http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1843320e currently trains,
consults and lectures around the country.