Go on, Ask Dorian

[Akhilleus]

OK Gang, listen up…I hate FLEX magazine and the pro-bodybuilding scene as much as anyone, probably more so…however, I don’t let that stop me from reading the FLEX mags that I did buy when I was a tool, to gain the one or two legitimate training tips in between the pages upon pages of pics of ‘roided up guys with stupid captions like, “Nasser works on his power cleans and it will be a picture of a guy standing next to a mop…anyway, there is one article that has had a profound impact on my training, and I wanted to share it with you guys…this is one of the few articles that applies to non- juiced up guys that want something more out of life than a flat-chested fitness woman or woman with a deep voice and facial hair…the issue is a year old so I doubt Joe Weider really cares that I am sharing this info publicly, and even if he does, what is he gonna do? Get his @$$ beat?!

Anyway, a reader wrote in asking Dorian Yates, one of the few people I respect in pro bodybuilding, how he could improve his mental focus…Dorian responds as follows (summarized, paraphrased):

“Plan ahead”: he knows the night before what he will do the next morning…he even plans on what poundages to use…there are no surprises…he already knows how the pump will feel and how hard he will train

“Two Minds are better than one”: Find a good training partner that is “in sync with your psyche”…

“Shush and Pump”: Dorian doesn’t talk to anyone unless he is helping his training partner…his eyes are downward in between sets, making it clear that he doesn’t want his mental focus interrupted…

“Hooked on the feeling”: “When I lift in the gym, I know exactly how it’s going to feel b/c I’ve practiced it in my mind.” Dorian tries to place as much stress as possible on the target muscle…one should understand how the muscle will contract

“Short and Sweat”: Dorian doesn’t make his sessions so long that he loses his physical and mental energy…He trains hard as heck, but not for too long, thanks to his one set approach to training…

“Mind Yourself”: Assimilate these ideas into your training, introducing a new one every week or so…”Remember, to be a bodybuilder, you have to be mental.”

[IronFist]

Good advice. I usually plan out everything (weights, sets, reps) beforehand, too. Sometimes I'll make small adjustments or additions or whatever depending on how I'm feeling, but it's usually planned out. This is especially true when I'm doing powerlifting. I'll have everything planned out 2 weeks in advance.

[rubthebuddha]

I'll have everything planned out 2 weeks in advance.

Sunday: rest, no cardio
Monday: weights, no cardio
Tuesday: weights, no cardio
Wednesday: weights, no cardio
Thursday: weights, no cardio
Friday: weights, no cardio
Saturday: rest, no cardio
Sunday: rest, no cardio
Monday: weights, no cardio
Tuesday: weights, no cardio
Wednesday: weights, no cardio
Thursday: weights, no cardio
Friday: weights, no cardio
Saturday: rest, no cardio

:D

[Lachesis]

hi lachesis here new to the site

HI rubthebudha
thats a serious workout you got there just afraid you might work yourself to death ....no cardio????? cardio is definately on of the most important parts in my workout .yes i do throw around some weight in the gym but is usually ended with a good cardio workout . its all good and well you will be as strong as an ox but you need to balance things out

good luck and enjoy :)

[Mr Punch]

thats a serious workout you got there just afraid you might work yourself to death ....no cardio????? ...I think the key may be in the :D.

[AndrewS]

I'm not so big a fan of compulsive program design based on exact poundages and percentages. Unless you're a full-time athlete (and even then), your capabilities vary day to day, both physically and mentally. Trying to adhere to an exact training plan for sets/reps/poundages can result in injury (if you're lifting near your max for whatever sets you're doing), and can burn you out mentally. Personally, I prefer an overall training plan with some flexibility built in. Sometimes the extra rest day can be a good thing, sometimes you can get bold and do something far past what you might have put down on a schedule a week before, sometimes, you'll do better doing just a bit, rather than miss a bunch of lifts and injure yourself.

Look at the training logs at elite fitness <elitefts.com>- everyone follows a template, which they tweak day to day, based on where they are that day, and their present goals/weak points. The Bulgarian olympic lifting strategy is similar, with three training sessions a day, based on a training max for that day. In other words, they start out by performing an RM1, then lift around it for the rest of the day.

There's a great line from Pavel- (roughly)- 'Don't think of a session as training; think of it as practice.'

Andrew

[Chief Fox]

The Plan Ahead tactic is a good one and can be appllied to things other than working out. Your diet and eating habits for example. When I go to the food store, I know exactly what I'm going to buy because I've thought out all my meals. In the morning, I know exactly what I'm going to eat for the day.

Just like at work, at the end of the day I make a list of things I need to get done the next day. Most days the list grows through out the day but for the most part I walk into work in the morning knowing exactly what i need to do.

[Ford Prefect]

Lol! 56789

[SevenStar]

:D

I plan my stuff as well. I also tend to look downward and not talk to anyone. that's not because I don't want my concentration though - it's because there are alot of complete tools in the gym.

[Vash]

I plan my stuff as well. I also tend to look downward and not talk to anyone. that's not because I don't want my concentration though - it's because there are alot of complete tools in the gym.

Indeed. Now, we all know Sevenstar knows about tools, what with his lack o' street cred an' all, but he's right.

The only tools in the gym should be the heavy-ass things I'm picking up, not the skinny-fat firefighter who uses a weight belt to dry-hump the weight stack whilst doing his interpretation of a triceps pressdown.

[red5angel]

I like to stare at myself in the mirro and let people know I'm too inent on my own awesomeness to be bothered by them.

That or baring my teeth and growling like a dog usually gets them to go away.

[Samurai Jack]

I work out at home now so I don't have to pay attention to all the 17 year olds saying things like "You're squating way too much weight dude, you're gonna hurt yourself. Men's Health says you shouldn't squat more than half your bodyweight..." and other such crap. Plus, I hate it when some guy walks up to the squat rack when I'm lifting, asks if he can work in between my sets, then starts doing pull-ups on it.

I hate gyms.

[IronFist]

Sunday: rest, no cardio
Monday: weights, no cardio
Tuesday: weights, no cardio
Wednesday: weights, no cardio
Thursday: weights, no cardio
Friday: weights, no cardio
Saturday: rest, no cardio
Sunday: rest, no cardio
Monday: weights, no cardio
Tuesday: weights, no cardio
Wednesday: weights, no cardio
Thursday: weights, no cardio
Friday: weights, no cardio
Saturday: rest, no cardio

:D

Have you been reading my training log?

[Akhilleus]

Originally posted by SevenStar:

"I plan my stuff as well. I also tend to look downward and not talk to anyone. that's not because I don't want my concentration though - it's because there are alot of complete tools in the gym."

Tell me about it...the egos are way out of control...everybody's workout is so much more important than everyone elses...and then you have all the meatheads running around with their arms flailing out to the sides on account of their imaginary lats...

[Akhilleus]

Iron that's pretty much what I'm doing...I've dropped almost all cardio, but since I'm coaching now I still get some when I'm holding pads and I still grapple now and then...got a slight pull in my lower lat, so I think I'm gonna take a week off...

anyway guys, I've read a lot of FLEX mags and I am convinced that Dorian is the real deal, I mean a champ in the truest sense of the word...well I guess he does juice...