Beyond Brawn - The Insider's Encyclopedia on How to Build Muscle && Might

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on both squats and deadlifts, if your original cycle included both. If it only

included the squat or deadlift, take the break when progress ceases on that

single movement. In either case, start a new cycle after the break.

. How practical these variations of intensity cycling are will depend a great

deal on the circumstances of your life, how much stress you have out of the

gym, and how successfully you are able to meet the out-of-the-gym contri-

butions to training success. In other words, one approach may be perfect for

you during some stages of your life, but be useless at other stages when your

circumstances are radically different.

An independent cycle within an “orthodox” cycle

. ere are times when specific exercises can run in their own cycle indepen-

dently of the overall cycle. Grip work is a clear example. Most trainees have

so much untapped potential there. is is because so few people do specific

grip work, and are used to using straps for deadlifts and shrugs. Intermedi-

ates and even some advanced trainees can, if they set about it properly—i.e.,

by progressing gradually—gain continuously in two or three grip exercises

for over a year. eir regular exercises cannot progress linearly for so long,

and thus need to fall into several cycles over the same period.

. Another example of an independent cycle within an overall orthodox cycle

is with an exercise that necessitates special care in progression, perhaps fol-

lowing recovery from an injury. Starting very light, and adding only a small

increment each week, would mean that the cycle for that specific exercise

could continue unbroken for over a year before reaching the point when a

more orthodox cycling approach should be adopted.

Double-progression method

. ere is an alternative to the use of little discs, to be used either for training

variety or for trainees who do not want to invest in little discs. is is the

system of repetition and poundage progression—the double-progression

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. Haste nearly always makes

waste. Make haste slowly.

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