Pendulum Training
When was the last time you did your workout differently? Not a different workout. The same workout done, y'know DIFFERENTLY? One of the biggest pitfalls anyone call fall into is simply doing the same routines day in and day out without any real change is style or substance.
Take your traditional macho Chest Day:
- Flat Bench Press
- Incline Bench Press
- Decline Bench Press
- Incline or Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
- Flys (Cable or Dumbbell)
- Dips
- ...and if you're feeling snazzy, you throw in a few Hammer Stength machines.
You high five yourself when you hit your numbers, feel strong, and mark another Monday off the list. It's probably safe to say the rest of your workout week will probably follow suit:
Back...
Legs...
Shoulders...
Guns...
You don't really need to keep an in depth training log because you just have carbon copy repeats week after week after week... Same lifts. Same order. Same EVERYTHING.
For shame!
The good news is that there is a VERY simple trick you can use to help spice up your routines without having to overthink or wait on the next issue of Muscle and Fitness / Shape Magazine:
I call it Pendulum Training.
The concept is simple; instead of starting your workout at the top, turn it upside down! Start with the end of your workout FIRST; then work your way up. It would look a bit more like this:
So I went to school for years, got multiple degrees and certifications, have TONS of experience working with hundreds of clients, and THAT is the best thing I have to offer? Turn the workout upside down?
Yep.
Training is about making yourself stronger in a fatigued state. Not hitting a certain weight or rep range. Your goal in the above pendulum swing is to be just as strong on your Bench Press at the end of your workout as you would be at the beginning.
Anyone can hit their target number week after week if they are always setting up the environment the same way. You job is to continually challenge yourself. To perform up to your maximum level no matter what the conditions.
And this is not just limited to you lifters out there. I'm talking to you runners, cyclists, swimmers, and Crossfitters as well. Take a look at your training program and be willing to challenge it from time to time. We all fall into the bad habit of reading how something should be done, start the plan and never deviate from the course.
While that may look good on the surface, life long fitness is more then that. There are too many variables that will happen along the way. You need to be ready for this, and simply swinging the workout Pendulum is an easy change up to keep your gains and / or losses coming!
