I am currently in the middle of reading “Get Buffed” and have a few questions that I wasn’t sure of. In the book it says that training time should be between 20-60 minutes with 20 being optimal for neural and 60 optimal for metabolic training. Now here is my question: Does it really have to be that strict, because i find it extremely hard to work out for less than an hour and a half. i do talk to friends and stuff in the gym and that probably accounts for some of the time but is it still bad to expand your training session over a longer period of time even if your aren’t working out the whole time? Also, does that time period include doing stuff such as abs, calves, etc… or is it just for the main stuff. My other question is about the number of sets. I am a powerlifter so my optimal range is between 5-15 sets per session. Does that also include abs, calves, forearms, etc? I usually like doing about 5 sets of both calves and abs and I usually do them on my leg days so does that take away 10 of my 15 total sets I can do? Thanks in advance for the help, Nic
Nic, are you doing the workouts from “Get Buffed” or just using ideas to formulate your workouts? The workouts are very specific on TUT, reps, sets, and rest periods. If you follow these guidelines you will finish your workout within the alotted time. These workouts also take into account forearms and calves, so you don’t have to add extra sets fo them. (Coach King did not include abs in the workouts but later in the book gives an ab split that he uses in the morning upon rising) Workouts should take 20 -60 mins from the beginning of the first WORK set to the last rep of your work sets. Warming up on a bike, stretching and warm up sets are not included in the workout time.
ALSO, in my opinion, you have plenty of time to chat with your buddies before and after your workout. Talk to them while you are warming up on the bike or chugging your protein shake afterward, but once the session begins focus on the session! I guarantee the increased focus will make your workouts faster AND more productive. Just my 2 cents - Matt Slaymaker
Nic, gotta agree with everything that Matt said. Plus, do yourself a favor - start monitoring the rest periods between your sets. This one change (I strongly suspect you’re not doing it now) will make make more of an impact on your workout quality than virtually anything else. X sets of squats punctuated by chats with your buddies compares with X sets with 90-second rest intervals the way a match compares with a blowtorch. Try it once and see.
Once I started wearing a discman, my workout time decreased by a third. The fact that I sing along to Ice-T also clears the curlers out of my squat rack.
You are a powerlifter, you train for maximum strength, meaning your neurological energy has a huge part in the amount of weight you can lift. if you use up a lot of it during your workout by doing abs and calves, your other lifts will suffer. work abs and calves on an other day. devote one day to just legs. if you can’t do that, consider spliting the day into 2 30-40 minute training sessions at least 4 hours apart. do abs and calves in one, legs in the other.