- .... When you train a big exercise only once every – days, especially the
squat, and train it intensively, you may get very sore. If so, and as noted
elsewhere in this book, add a second but light squatting session later in the
week. Do your regular warmup sets, but no top sets. is should be enough
to substantially reduce any soreness from your next heavy squatting ses-
sion.. Special note on hands
. Your hands have a big strength potential. But few people get even close to
achieving the strength potential of their hands and forearms because they
rely on grip crutches and fail to train their hands properly.. Do not use gloves, wrist straps, or hooks that attach you to a bar. If you use
grip supports you will eventually end up with underdeveloped hands on a
well-developed body. You cannot lengthen your hands, but you can thicken
them. As your grip strength increases, so will the muscle and connective tis-
sue of your hands.. Appreciate the skin-on-metal contact of weight training, and the mental
focus it provides. Toughen your hands with support-free training and use
chalk as your only gripping aid.. By always performing the deadlift, pulldown or pullup, and shrug without
grip support other than chalk, and becoming strong in those exercises, you
will develop a pair of strong hands. If you have recovery “space” you can
include a specific grip exercise once or twice a week in your exercise pro-
gram, to further enhance your grip. Do not feel that you have to get into
a great deal of grip work in order to build a strong grip. Just like with all
weight training, you do not have to complicate matters in order to be suc-
cessful. A few basic exercises done very well, and progressively, will do the
job.. If you get excessive build up of calluses on your hands, control it by weekly
use of a pumice stone after a shower or bath.. How to cope with sickness
. Minor sickness—e.g., a cold, slight gastrointestinal problems, or influenza—
should not mess up your training. Just stay out of the gym until a few days
after you are back to feeling , and then recommence your training. It
should not be necessary to cut back weights and intensity and take a few