The Three Types of Weider Principles

1) Planning Training Cycles
2) Arranging Exercises
3) Methods of Performing Exercises


Planning Training Cycles

1) Cycle Training
Train in a range from light to hard performance to allow muscles time to rebuild.

2) Split System 
Divide workout sessions into chest, back, bicep, triceps, shoulder, legs, abs and core or  simply upper and lower body.

3) Double or Triple Split Training
Divide training into 2 or 3 short and intense sessions per day.

4) Muscle Confusion
Break out of plateaus of a habitual training rut by changing the workout with different  exercises, sets and reps.

5) Progressive Overload
Increasing the performance in the workout causes the muscles to work harder and adapt.

6) Holistic Training
Use many kinds of sets, reps, speed and intensity to make strength gains. Instead of doing 4  sets of 10 reps, try adding more or less weight/sets, rest time, or try another exercise.

7) Eclectic Training
Use isolation exercises, compound, mass building, strength building, and endurance  techniques in an instinctive program to get results.


Arranging Exercises

1) Set System
For maximum muscle gains, do multiple sets of an exercise.

2) Superset Training
Do sets of opposing muscle groups together with little rest in between. Examples are  chest/back or biceps/triceps.

3) Compound Sets
Do 2 sets of the same body part with a short rest. Examples are Barbell Bench with Peck  Deck.

4) Tri Sets
Three exercises of the same muscle group rapidly with short rests.

5) Giant Sets
Perform 4 or more exercises of same body part with short rests.

6) Staggered Sets
In between working large muscle groups, do a set of smaller muscle groups like abs or  forearms.

7) Rest Pause
Using a weight at 85-90% of repetition max, perform 2-3 reps, short rest, and repeat about 3-4  sets. This allows time for ATP to regenerate and works the heavier rep max thoroughly.

8) Muscle Priority
Start a workout with the weakest body part with fresh energy to work area harder. Or  alternate and start with strongest body part first.

9) Pre Exhaustion
Start with an isolation exercise until exhausted and move onto to a compound exercise.

10) Pyramid Training
Start with a high 10-20 rep range lighter weights, and work up the scale to a heavier weight  and lower 4-6 rep range

11) Descending Sets
After reaching 4-6 range in repetition max, lower the amount of weight and work until failure,  then lower again and work until failure. Also knows as Drop Sets.


Methods of Performing Exercises

1) Isolation Training
Perform an exercise such as preacher curl which focuses the stress on a single body part to  work that area harder with little help from adjacent muscles.

2) Quality Training
To raise the number or reps or maintain the same number while gradually scaling down the  time spent resting.

3) Cheating
Working up to failure of the last rep in and then add speed and momentum to make it past the  sticking point another rep or two.

4) Continuous Tension
Use slow controlled movement to keep constant tension throughout the motion without  pausing for rest on top of the motion or bottom.

5) Forced Reps
Work with a spotter, and then when reaching the failure point the partner lifts slightly enough  to complete the motion to add several more sets.

6) Flushing Training
Perform 3-4 sets of a body part to increase the blood flow to that area and then move onto to  another body part.

7) Burns Training or Partial Reps
Work an exercise to the point of failure, and then to continue past that point, use partial reps  with a few inches of motion. This method maxes out the stress on the area to reach overload.

8) Retro Gravity or Negatives
With the help of a partner on bench press, use a weight that is 20-40% heavier than possible  to lift, and slowly resist the downward motion, and have spotter lift through the positive  motion to top.

10) Peak Contraction
At the completion of a motion, tighten the muscle iso metrically and hold for a few seconds.

11) Superspeed
In order to work fast twitch muscle fibers, use an explosive accelerated force to lift the  weight.

12) Iso Tension
Competitive bodybuilders practice holding poses in between sets for 6-10 seconds while  keeping muscles maximally tensed.

13) Instinctive Training
Learn what works best for you to develop an instinctual feel for cycles, intensities, exercises,  diet, rest and rep/sets. Work whatever muscle area is feeling strong on that day and rest the  parts that haven't recovered.



Sources:

Joe Weider and Dr Frederick Hatfield, Bodybuilding According to Joe Weider: Science or  Marketing Hype
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drsquat3.htm


Robert (2004 Feb) VeganBodybuildiong.com, Growth Principles Courtesy of Muscle and  Fitness Magazine Feb 2001
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/85


disclaimer:
these pages are not to be used as fitness advice without a trainer or physician
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