PhysioTec’s 7 Laws of Strength Training

7 LAWS OF STRENGTH TRAINING

1. TRAIN CONSISTENTLY

Consistency with training is vitally important. Those who train week in and week out will experience steady improvements in fundamental lifting skills, strength and muscularity over time. Assess your weekly routine and see when you can fit in at least 2-3 30-45 minute sessions per week into your schedule

2 WARM UPS ARE ESSENTIAL:

The “RAMP” system provides a method by which warm-up activities can be classified and constructed. This system identifies three key phases of effective warm-ups.

Activities included in the ‘Raise’ section can be used to increase body temperature and blood flow. The ‘Activate and Mobilise’ section can be used to optimise strength, control and dynamic flexibility around areas central to performance in the gym. The ‘Potentiation’ section provides an ideal time to carry out activities such as speed and plyometric training in order to prepare the body to work at maximal capacity.

3 USE GOOD FORM:

You do need to be very strict with your exercise form, and you need to learn the right type of form for your body on various lifts. This is especially important for bigger exercises like squats and deadlifts where the risk of injury is inherently higher than, say, dumbbell curls. Developing competency in the major compound lifts such as the deadlift, squat and lunge will reduce the likelihood of injury in the gym and can ensure you train consistently throughout the year and reach your goals.

4: STIMULATE THE MUSCLES OF THE ENTIRE BODY:

To make a muscle grow, it must be stimulated on a regular basis. Compound exercises are designed to stimulate a lot of muscles throughout the body. For example the deadlift stimulates the forearms, traps, lats, scapular retractors, spinal extensors, glutes and hamstrings, even the core and quad muscles This helps explain why deads are such a great exercise. However, if all you did was deadlift, your pecs, delts, and biceps wouldn’t come close to reaching their full hypertrophy potential. Make sure your programs regularly incorporate enough exercises that combine to thoroughly hit the entire body.

5; BASIC STRENGTH MUST IMPROVE:

 Progressive overload is the most important aspect in the strength game. If you embark on a strength training regimen and fail to get stronger, you won’t gain much muscle. You must use heavier loads and perform more reps over time.

As you get more experienced in the gym, you should see dramatic strength progress compared to your beginning level in a squat variation, a deadlift variation, some kind of upper body press, and an upper body pull. And if you want to be your absolute best at anything, be it squats, deadlifts, bench press, power cleans, or even Turkish get-ups, then you need to perform the lifts consistently to groove the neuromuscular patterns and maximize motor learning. Failing to do so will leave unachieved progress on the table.

6 MUSCLE IS MADE IN THE GYM AND BUILT IN THE KITCHEN.

 Nutrition is key when it comes to strength development. The best training program in the world is no match for a poor diet.

If you want to develop strength and perform optimally, then you must take nutrition seriously. You need to take in the right amount of calories and the right blend of macronutrients for your goals and physiology. You don’t have to be perfect 24/7, but eating a consistent amount of carboydrates, protein and fats can help with strength and hypertrophy gains.

7 SLEEP.

Some folks need more sleep than others and some can perform well with less, but you should still care about your sleep (quantity and quality) and prioritize it. Make a genuine effort to be consistent with your sleep schedule if you’re serious about getting results. Failure to do so will hinder your pursuit of strength and hypertrophy.

Regarding stress, your goal shouldn’t be to eliminate it altogether, but rather to optimize it. It’s good to be challenged in life, but there’s a fine line between eustress (positive stress, like a good workout) and distress (negative stress, like 65 hours a week at a job surrounded by toxic co-workers). Aim to stay in eustress most of the time for maximum results. Step back and analyze your life choices and habits. This is an area in which many lifters can make adjustments that lead to immediate results.