The Importance Of Change?!

I know most lifters, including me, are scared to change a workout program because they are afraid that they might get weaker. I have trained every body part twice a week, as long as I have been working out. I now realize I have been overtraining, and probably robbing myself of valuable gains. My question has two parts to it (what else is new). My first question is with the use of anabolic steroids, does this enable one to train a body part twice a week, or is once a week still sufficient? My second question is what role, if any, should machines (ex cybex, hammer strength, etc.) play in a workout routine? Are they suitable substitutes for mass builders such as the bench press, deadlift, and the squat? Or should one just train reps done with the mass builders every cycle? What I mean by this is lets say one 12 week training cycle, a person uses anabolic steroids over the course of the cycle. They perform 6-8 reps on the heavy movements. In order to achieve gains on the next training cycle (without steroids), is it feasible to lower the weight on the main movements and go for 10-12 reps, and change only the accessory work in order to still achieve gains, and maintain strength from the steroid cycle?

Crush

The poundages you move and your thirst for knowledge are equally impressive my young friend.

1) While on AAS it is possible to train each body part 2x per week if you feel up to it. This is a matter of personal preference but while on AAS, your recovery time is drastically reduced. Your rest time between sets is also dratically reduced.

2) IMO changing your routine every 3-6 months is extremely beneficial in increasing overall strength and muscular developement. Our bodies adapt to the stress we put on them and after a period of time the reaction to those stresses is less and less. By varying the exercises, reps and intensity of your training you keep the body constantly adapting and growing. It also allows you to train and strengthen other stabilizing muscles that will in turn improve your overall strength (ex. substitute flat bench dumbells for bench press). Check your ego at the door because it will take a while to get used to the new movements.

Pete

Good points Pete ....

What are your goals brother ? To look great or to be strong at bench press ....?

Drop the get weak theory ,.... If you get weak in a certain excercise ( like bench press ) your prolly getting stronger at another movement .... introducing newly targeted muscle fibers to tear and rebuild... Change is what our bodies are made to do ... Grow and adapt ... By staying with the same ole day in and day out , we would cause our body's to stagnate . Becoming more and more resistant to growth ... Plateaus are common for this reason . Change in diet, training and supplements are very beneficial ..... good luck

i mix 'em up every 8-10 weeks. sometimes once a week, sometimes twice. when i'm on cycle, i liek to go once a week. my muscles need the recovery time

You could stick with the same program for a year if you wanted just mix up the order of excersises you do say wk 1 do flat bench first wk 2 do incline first and so on.Also constantly change your reps around one week train for 10 reps and the next train at 6 reps.

The idea behind it is to confuse the muscles to stimulate more growth.Change it as and when you feel it needs to be changed but if you are making good gains why change it ?

Pete also put some good comments in and they are very valid points

Or if you just really enjoy certain exercises just vary the volume or add a pre-exhaust movement for example flyes before bench press. Pete's right when he said "By varying the exercises, reps and intensity of your training you keep the body constantly adapting and growing" Any time your body becomes accustom to a stimulus the results will suffer. These guys are masters as you can see. Try everything and adjust it to fit your body, and needs. I do however think it's important to add dumbell exercises to make muscle groups work individually, avoiding dominant sides.

Everyone has made some valid points. I train each body part 2 times a week. If I don't I seem to lose my pump and appear much smaller.( although this is proably all in my head) Changing up routines is always benifical and I do it quite offten although I never change up my intenstities. They are always wide open. Dumbells made a good coment about working each side independantly with dumbells. ( Hence his name!) Reading that reminds me that I need to make some alterations tommorrow morning in the gym on my chest routines.
IC

Thanks again for the advice. My main objective was to build mass and strength. I will work on cuts later. I already have good cuts for my size, everywhere expect my abs. I can never seem to get a six pack no matter what. I need to do something different for abs, and maybe train them a little harder. I love the main movements like squats, deads and bench. I think I can still incooperate them in a routine, just go heavy one training cycle, next perhaps go lite and stick them at the end. Also, here is a question for you, how do you guys attack your abs. I don't know, maybe it is me, but when I eat 6-8 times a day, my abs don't really benefit :) I want to find a way where I can eat that much, and somehow have the abs look good.

Crush

Crush,
How much you eat and how ofthen is direstly related to how much you gain, right? Ok that was a no-brainer BUT how much intensty you put into your cardio routine is directly related to how much fat you will burn off at the high caloric diet that many take in in the hopes of making gains. OH you will make gains alright but what kind of gains, Fat of Muscle. The answer lies purelly in your CV rotuine. Ok your resistance training plays some in that to as the more lean muscle mass you obtain the higher MR that you will also have. BUT the main factor to obtaining Abbs at such a high caloric intake is not how many set-ups that you do per day ect, but the intensity of the CV training that you do each day. I made a post on how to figure your training intensties. Check it out, if I'm not mistaken I think that Jason has put it at the bottom of my signature. 1 to 2 grams of protien per bodyweight is fine if your CV routines allow for that much to be taking in.
Tobey

I understand that. I don't have a gut, my mid section is soild, I don't have rolls or anything. But I just don't have a six pack. My stomach is just flat. I would like to get more definition. I don't think the problem for me at least lies in the cardio. It is more an ab workout, or lack of. Maybe I am wrong though. I do cardio 2-3 times a week.

Crush

True doing abb work will make your abbs stronger but the fat is still there. You may not see deep cuts right now but that is beccause you are carring enough excess fat to cover them up. The only way you are going to get rid of that is to up your cardio, you can do situps till your blue in the face and all you are going to have is stronger abbs. Not deeper cuts. Take a look at that post that I mentioned above about training intensties or shoot me a pm and I will work them up for you. But to lose fat, even if it seems to be just a little amount, is going to require a good cardio routine. You have to hit your target heart rate (for at least 30 minute intervals) to burn the fat off. You can figure up your target heart rate through your training intensties. You can not do this by situps alone. Strict dieting may help but here you take a chance of possibly losing lean muscle mass as well. You need to figure out your caloric intake and then your training intensties.
IC