thus helping you to gain slowly and surely for year after year after year. Some
people will think that the rules are too conservative. Without doubt, some
people—especially the very young, competitive and genetically better-than-
average—can break these rules and still gain. But I am primarily aiming my
advice at working, married, non-competitive and genetically average people
who are in their late twenties or older. Of course, less-stressed and less-lim-
ited people will benefit even more from applying abbreviated and basics-first
training.. Conservatism, with few exceptions, is the way to go for most people who lift
weights. Erring on the side of greater conservatism rather than less, is the
best choice.. While you do not have all the time in the world in which to make progress,
do not reduce your most productive years by forcing yourself to go where
you are not ready to go just now. Haste nearly always makes waste. Make
haste slowly.Some rules for effective cycling
. When planning your training routines, allow for more weeks and longer
cycles rather than fewer weeks and shorter cycles.. When building back to your previous best weights, in readiness for the jour-
ney into new poundage territory, take an extra week, or two, or three. Build
the springboard necessary for the big push into new poundage territory.. When adding poundage to the bar, use smaller rather than larger incre-
ments.. When you have made your last perfect rep and know there is only a partial
rep left in you, keep it in and wait the extra workout or two until you can
perform that rep perfectly. Do not drive yourself to exhaustion and stag-
nation by forcing out (with help) reps you cannot currently do. Save that
energy and effort, and combine them with a bit more time and patience.. When in the final stages of a training cycle, get an extra hour of sleep each
night.. Take an extra day or two between workouts when you do not feel
recovered.