Summers NOT Over, Get To C.A.M.P!
Written on September 11, 2010 by Jett Dooley
Summers NOT Over, Get To C.A.M.P!
By Dr. Michael Camp DPT, CSCS, PES
Program after Program, we search for that magical training system to create a physique like the champions of today. Let’s be realistic, most of us are hard gainers and not blessed with awesome genetics. So we have to pay close attention to our nutrition and training. So much confusion exists with people creating programs, without any education behind them. They lay out a system, grab some freaks and start promoting it. Wish it was that simple. A few years ago, I came up with the only proven training system and then with help from Kevin English, refined it for bodybuilding. It’s called C.A.M.P; it stands for Cycling Activates Muscle Production. I am not here to promote it, because it is based on years of scientific research, concepts that you may or may not know, or just have forgotten about. The foundation of my training is from Periodization. Since there is a great deal of information to be discussed, this first article will give you a beginning point to become your own training guru.
Periodization is developing a program for the entire year to improve an athlete’s strength, endurance, and flexibility to enhance performance, while minimizing injury. Periodization is the process of varying a training program at regular time intervals to bring about optimal gains in physical performance. Some proven benefits of periodization are improved muscular endurance, strength, power, motor performance, and/or muscle hypertrophy. The goal of periodizing an exercise program is to optimize training during short (e.g., weeks, months) as well as long periods of time (e.g., years, a life time, or an athletic career). Using periodization, a competitive athlete is able to peak physical performance at a particular point in time, such as for a major competition. The same concept works if your goal is overall health and fitness. Periodization will help maximize results in a minimal amount of time! Many training variables can be manipulated in an attempt to optimize the exercise program: the number of sets per exercise, repetitions per set, the types of exercises, number of exercises per training session, rest periods between sets and exercises, resistance used for a set, type and tempo of muscle action (e.g., eccentric, concentric, isometric), and the number of training sessions per day and per week.In a periodized exercise program, the terms volume and intensity are frequently used. In weight-training programs, the term intensity refers to the weight lifted in relationship to a maximal strength level (e.g., one repetition maximum), or a multiple repetition maximum (e.g., 10 repetition maximum).
The term training volume is used to reference the total number of sets, reps and exercises performed in a strength training program and the distance and/or time of a conditioning program.
Before training IFBB 202 Mr. Olympia, Kevin English, I worked with athletes from MMA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and Boxing to name a few. Professional athletes, who NEED TO BE PRODUCTIVE, make gains, and earn their millions. After each season, fight, or competition I would sit down with each athlete, go over any injuries sustained, their performance, and how they felt. Then together, we would set new goals. Next, depending on who the athlete is, design our training program based on when their sport or competition would be.
What does it take to build that competitive physique? First, how many of you keep a journal, not a personal journal of your feelings, but a training journal. Creating a journal does a few things;
1) Writing things down has been shown to engrave ideas into your head, so if your workout calls for you to bench 300 pounds for 5 reps, the mind has this image, and the brain sends the signals out for you to achieve it!
2) Writing down how each workout felt, was it easy, you felt fatigue, that exercise stressed my low back, I had a cold couldn’t push the way I wanted to, etc..
3) Keeps you workouts planned and forces a regime.
4) Keeps you on track to reach a GOAL.
Now into the training concepts to build this physique. Say a goal of yours is improving your upper chest; this is how we would set up a routine. First phase will be 16 weeks and our target exercise will be the Incline Bench Press. Since one of the ideas of periodization is based on % training, we need to figure out our 2 rep max with good form. I do not like singles, unless you are a powerlifter. With Periodization, there are phases of training, for bodybuilders, instead of month cycles; we break it down into week cycles.
Week 1 is for strength and power, it consists of compound exercises and reps are 3-5, choosing 3-4 different exercises. Weights are utilized at 85-98% of 1RM.
Week 2 & 3 are hypertrophy phases…volume is more and intensity based on 1 RM is around 65-80% allowing a workout design to utilize different reps.
Week 4 is called endurance phase and utilizes bodybuilding concepts of superset, drop sets, and compound sets.
Another concept utilized in this program is Reverse Pyramiding. I will explain details at another time, but it is where you warm up conservatively, then begin with your heaviest weight and decrease the weight each set. So enough writing, here is an example for how each week of Incline Bench would look;
Week 1 – 85% of 300 is 255 pounds..perform 3 sets 4-6 reps.
Week 2 and 3 – 70% of 300 is 210 pounds..perform 3 sets 8-12 reps.
Week 4- Utilize concepts of pre-exhaust such as flat d/b fly compounded with Incline D/B bench press.
Week 5- 88% of 300 is 265 pounds and perform 3 sets 3-5 reps.
Week 6 and 7- 75% of 300 is 225 pounds and perform 8-12 reps.
Week 8- Incline D/b press drop sets- begin with weight that allows 5-7 reps, then once good failure occurs, decrease d/b weight to get another 8-10 reps.
This is the foundation of our house, next article we will discuss exercises to assist our goal, concepts of changing angles (the real reasons why it’s necessary), and injury prevention. Until then, stay focused and maintain that Competitive Edge!
References
1 Fleck, Steven J. Periodized Strength Training: A Critical Review. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Vol. 12, No.1, pp.82-89.
2 Fleck, S.J. and W.J. Kraemer. Designing Resistance Training Programs. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 1987.
Similar Posts:
- Questions and Answers with Trey Brewer
- Principles of Mass Construction by Dorian Yates
- Q and A with Evan Centopani
- The Bodybuilding Wizard Trainer of Champions By Charles Glass
- Natural Diet Dilemma: Zero Carb vs. Low Carb
