Instinctive Training

Training Bodybuilding
1

So, I’ve been kinda messing with the idea of choosing 1 basic exercise per muscle group per day, and tracking my progress with that exercise, and then just kinda doing what I feel like doing with the rest of my day.

For example:

Day 1 ? Chest - DB Inc Bench 5 x 5
Day 2 ? Back - Chins 5 x 5
Day 3 ? Shoulders - DB OHP ? 5 x 5
Day 4 ? Legs - Squats ? 5 x 5
Day 5 ? Arms - BB Curls ? 5 x 5 - Dips ? 5 x 5

Some days I feel like really killing it, and doing pre-exhaust. Some days I wanna feel the pump and do higher reps nice and slow. Some days, I wanna do post-exhaust, or whatever else. It would be near impossible to structure all of this into a routine.

Has anyone done anything like this previously? I don’t wanna go in and spin my wheels for 2 months, and realize I’m right where I was today… but I think I would still be able to make some decent progress using one main exercise as my track-able lift.

Thoughts? Stupid idea? Just kinda feel like I’m getting bored of all the structure I incorporate into my training…

2

Thats kinda what i do. Tho the other movements are meant to build th main movements…and i do record them…so actually…its nothing like that!

3

Sounds like One lift a Day by Dan John.

4

Well, as long as you use that main exercise as an “indicator” exercise, then it should work. As long as you keep on consistently progressing on that main first exercise it will work really well.

Kind of a self-regulating workout thing, if you feel not up to task that day, you can dumb down the volume automatically on your accessory exercises; vice versa if you feel like a badass. Just make sure your accessory exercises will help improve your main indicator exercise.

5

I actually do that exact same thing. I always have 1 exercise per day that I want to track very closely and after that I just add as I see fit. I think it works well.

6

Looking at it sort of philosophically:

If you are convinced that in your case your own deliberate thought, which attempts to take in the big picture and to deal optimally with the many involved factors, is inferior to spur of the moment decisions, then most assuredly you should abandon planning.

7

I did a very similar thing for a while, with bench, squats, overhead press, and deadlifts. Bench was 5x5, the rest were just making sure I did more than the week before. I got a lot stronger. That was shortly after I was finally eating enough, and I’d just started deadlifts, so I really got my best strength and size gains from that.

8

I never did understand instinctive training. I can’t imagine Tiger Woods, Jordan, Jeanette Lee or any other world class athlete getting to their level of skill and expertise by doing what they felt like doing on a particular day. These people set goals and beat these goals and set more goals and have a specific plan of attack to get where they are in terms of being the best in their sport.

When I go to the gym I know exactly what I am going to be doing that day so I do not waste any time and know what weight and reps I need to beat from the previous workout to constantly make and see results.

9

[quote]Heavy-Duty wrote:
I never did understand instinctive training. I can’t imagine Tiger Woods, Jordan, Jeanette Lee or any other world class athlete getting to their level of skill and expertise by doing what they felt like doing on a particular day. These people set goals and beat these goals and set more goals and have a specific plan of attack to get where they are in terms of being the best in their sport.

When I go to the gym I know exactly what I am going to be doing that day so I do not waste any time and know what weight and reps I need to beat from the previous workout to constantly make and see results.[/quote]

Bodybuilders aren’t athletes.

They just need to do things to illicit muscle growth (lift weights) and provide calories to build that muscle. You can be instinctive, as long as you bust ass to illict that muscle growth.

Athletes need to be coordinated, fast, explosive, flexible, strong, etc. These things take years of structured practice and is much more complex than simply lifting to put on muscle. Furthermore athletes face off with other athletes in an actual test of those skills.

You can’t really compare Jordan’s training method with a bodybuilder, doesn’t make sense.

10

[quote]Heavy-Duty wrote:
I never did understand instinctive training. I can’t imagine Tiger Woods, Jordan, Jeanette Lee or any other world class athlete getting to their level of skill and expertise by doing what they felt like doing on a particular day. These people set goals and beat these goals and set more goals and have a specific plan of attack to get where they are in terms of being the best in their sport.

When I go to the gym I know exactly what I am going to be doing that day so I do not waste any time and know what weight and reps I need to beat from the previous workout to constantly make and see results.[/quote]

Hmmm…one could argue that those are fields where developing motor skills is the main factor in contributing to the success of those individuals, which is quite different from training solely for hypertrophy.

Besides, it’s not completely winging it, if your indicator exercise is not improving, then you know that you need to train with more intensity.

Basic knowledge that the single greatest factor in progression is intensity.

11

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I actually do that exact same thing. I always have 1 exercise per day that I want to track very closely and after that I just add as I see fit. I think it works well.[/quote]

+1. I don’t just do wild, crazy variations all the time, I track stuff, but I mainly track the big exercises to determine progress.

Although… You are neglecting a couple of things with this exercise selection. Namely, lower back/glutes/hams, and back thickness. I mean, sure, you will get some back thickness from pull-ups and your posterior chain WILL work with squats… Still. This is just my humble opinion, but I’d add good mornings/deadlifts and some form of row to the mix. It’s easier to track rows (added bonus!) because your pull-ups are affected by your weight.

Also, you have two vertical pushing motions (OHP and dips) and no vertical ones. Maybe consider close/medium - grip barbell bench press?

Finally, someone suggested this to me ages ago… Put in your tris with shoulders or chest. I’m assuming you don’t do all 5 days in a row, and working chest might be hard if your tris are still in pain from the “day 5” workout. Hell, if you like this idea, you could even shuffle around the workout order and do posterior chain/bis on one day ;).

12

[quote]Heavy-Duty wrote:
I never did understand instinctive training. I can’t imagine Tiger Woods, Jordan, Jeanette Lee or any other world class athlete getting to their level of skill and expertise by doing what they felt like doing on a particular day. These people set goals and beat these goals and set more goals and have a specific plan of attack to get where they are in terms of being the best in their sport.

When I go to the gym I know exactly what I am going to be doing that day so I do not waste any time and know what weight and reps I need to beat from the previous workout to constantly make and see results.[/quote]

Your mistake is assuming that when someone trains instinctively that they are less informed than you about what their own body needs at that specific moment in time. Chances are, the guy who has gained in excess of 50lbs of lean body mass has a pretty damned good insight into what his body needs and can make changes immediately as necessary.

I train “instinctively”. I have a general idea of what I will be doing in the gym. What I actually end up doing is based on many variables that you can not plan for ahead of time.

Do you really think that people who train that way are doing it wrong?

Where do you think those big muscles come from if you do?

13

The more I train the more I think that insticntive training is the ‘holy grail’ of bodybuilding. After enough experience you just know what feels right and being too anal about what is written in your logbook and what you are supposed to do can impede your progress… just like taking ‘de-load’ weeks when you don’t need them… or NOT taking a break because it’s supposed to be a ‘heavy week’.

14

I am not saying that training instinctively is a horrible idea, I just hope that anyone who does not have a decent amount of muscle mass try to train this way. Once you are in the advanced stages of lifting it may have some merit.

I just hear too many people who obviously have no business to even think of trainging this way use this method and wonder why they are still small. I say if you have the muscle mass already and use this method, it may have some merit, but to the average lifter I think they will just set themself up for failure. Too many lifters try to add icing to a cake that has not even been baked yet.

15

HD -

I’ve been training 12 years, since I was 15 years old, and this will be my first bout with “instinct.” I’m only planning on 2-3 months this way, but if it’s effective, I may incorporate it as a staple.

To those that suggested a deadlift and row, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. Chins happen to be my favorite, and my strongest back exercise. My bodyweight hasn’t deviated from the 200-205 range in over 2 years, so I dont think the chins poundage would be effected drastically. I’m just working to lower bodyfat slowly, and increase muscle slowly. I have worked to the point that I am about as lean as I was 2 years ago, when I was 187 pounds, so I’m making steady progress. Nutrition has definitely played a factor in this, as it was subpar all during college, and for about a good year after as well…

I am thinking I am going to alternate a Deadlift/Squat each week, and track it that way. So, one week I’ll do deads first, and track that, and then do squats second, and then the following week, start with squats, and either do deads second, or not at all (depending on low back strength that specific day).

I dont plan on entering the gym to just “wing it,” but as far as my journal is concerned, I will only record the first exercise. I think part of the problem with my lack of progress (or rather, slow progress), has to do with being too structured with my training. Every chest day, I come in and do 3 sets of bench, then 3 sets of Inc DB, then 3 sets of Hammer incline, and 3 sets of fly’s… and even though I altered rep range, I very rarely incorporated any intensity inducing mechanisms. I want to do drop sets, and supersets, and pre-exhaust etc… and I believe it will positively impact my first exercise… but I dont want to be LOCKED IN to doing these intensity boosting techniques, per a “structured” plan, because what if I just don’t feel up to it that day, and I’d rather do 3 x 15, or something crazy different instead? Or, maybe Im work the fuck out, and just go in and do my 5 x 5, and get out…

EDIT*** - by the way, the plan is 2 or 3 days on, then 1 day off, and then 2 or 3 days on (whatever is necessary to finish the week off). I will always have a day off (sometimes 2), between arm day and when I restart the week again with Chest. I really dont like training 2 muscle groups/day. I just cant focus enough on each muscle group. If I were to do it with multiple muscle groups, it would HAVE to be chest/bi’s, back/tri’s, shoulders/traps/abs, and legs/low back. Only way I could handle it.

Thanks for the input guys

16

[quote]Heavy-Duty wrote:
I am not saying that training instinctively is a horrible idea, I just hope that anyone who does not have a decent amount of muscle mass try to train this way. Once you are in the advanced stages of lifting it may have some merit.

I just hear too many people who obviously have no business to even think of trainging this way use this method and wonder why they are still small. I say if you have the muscle mass already and use this method, it may have some merit, but to the average lifter I think they will just set themself up for failure. Too many lifters try to add icing to a cake that has not even been baked yet.[/quote]

What is “the average lifter”? The true average lifter will NEVER learn their bodies the way that those who truly push their bodies to the limits do. The real average lifter won’t even make any visible progress between this year and the next. We shouldn’t even be worried about these people here.

It should be obvious by looking at someone who is really tuned into their own body and who isn’t. That is why listening to people who have gained little to no muscle when it comes to advice is about the dumbest way to make the most progress.

Why even bring these people into the discussion? The guys with arms over 19" aren’t training wrong if they tell you they train instinctively. No one cares what the guys with 15" arms and smaller are doing.

17

How many “serious bodybuilders” do you know in real life who treat this like its an “exact” science lol?

[quote]Professor X wrote:
[/quote]

18

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
How many “serious bodybuilders” do you know in real life who treat this like its an “exact” science lol?

Professor X wrote:

[/quote]

None. Most of the people that serious know enough to know that the human body isn’t a “constant”.

19

Then you need to re-adjust your troll-dar before engaging a “serious bodybuilder” in discussion lol.

20

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Then you need to re-adjust your troll-dar before engaging a “serious bodybuilder” in discussion lol.[/quote]

lol troll-dar, nice.