Training Systems and Structured Relief

The training systems program you put in place and the structuring of your workouts plays an integral part in the entirety of your success in the gym. How you go about setting up your year and the different phases you will endure throughout, all have to lead you to the culminating goals that you have put in place.

Whether you want to grow at a rate unlike anyone else around you or you’re always trying your best to be as shredded as possible or you’ve decided to maintain, the training systems you use and the structured relief you allow in between can and will determine the outcome of your efforts. If this is an area that you have been struggling with as of late, the following suggestions may help solve your problem and set you on a new path for growth.

The Training Systems

How you decide to train and the measures you put in place for accountability are incredibly important. Instinctive training alone will never be enough, going by feel won’t suffice and just working through the motions will most certainly never get you to where you want to be. Your training systems matter and the progressive approach to the weights you use, the rep ranges you employ and the sets you complete all go towards creating the training system that keeps you on track.

Will you keep a logbook? Will you need to see an increase in everything you do from week to week? Is it important to maintain a certain form as the loads increase? What intensity boosting techniques will you include? What exercises will you select and in what order will you complete them in? Will you simply follow a pre-planned program that already exists, or will you take a little from here and a little from there and make your own?

All that really matters here is that whatever your training systems look like, you give it a fair chance to work before you change anything. That way you will know what works and what doesn’t so that you can make the necessary changes down the road.

Structured Relief

One of the most overlooked aspects of properly designed training systems and something that really does play a huge role in your ability to grow, are the relief measures that you allow yourself throughout the year. As much as you may want to, you can’t always have your foot on the gas pedal going full tilt year around. You’re going to burn out and you’re going to have periods of time when the intensity just won’t be there because you’re mentally and physically tired.

This is where the structured relief within your plan really comes into play. There is one particular approach that has always been appealing and one that many have used for years and it’s a three-phase plan. Essentially what you do is split your year up into three different training modes; one for size, one for conditioning and one for cruising. Each phase runs about four months in length and basically sets up your entire year.

In these phases, there will be increases in intensity and training frequency or volume followed by a de-load. Other times there will be extended rest periods or extra rest days to allow for growth. At other times, there will be instances where you will just simply take a vacation from it all. The goal with this approach is longevity in the sport and you may want to consider following this plan because it allows for structured relief that will ultimately support your end goal as a bodybuilder and physique aficionado.

Structure and programming give you direction and a clear path to follow. You will find that when your daily structure isn’t there, you’re not as productive as you like and your goals seem to fade away. The training system you use, the time you allow yourself to rest and rejuvenate all play a major role in your success and your ability to stay focused.

Make time to plan your year and do so to your strengths as an individual. The more prepared you are the better your chances are of being successful. It will take time and effort on your part to make sure you have everything covered but as you already know, anything worthwhile having and achieving comes with hard work and that’s what you should set out to do each and every day.

Author: Dana Bushell

Gym Star Team Member