stronger Bodybuilding

Strength + Volume = Better Bodybuilding

By Ryan Mathias, CPT

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This Program is based on the Mathias Method STRENGTH SYSTEM.

 

Do you want to build some serious muscle?

This Strength Guide is perfect for advanced STRENGTH WARRIORS looking to get really strong while packing on some pounds!

The Mathias Method is a System, not just a Training Program. It is a Systematic approach to Strength Training that allows you to stay Healthy, Improve your Performance, and get stronger, all while moving towards your specific training goals.

This system has been used for years, helping STRENGTH WARRIORS from all over take their training to the next level.

The weak get strong, and the strong get stronger!

Includes: Build Your Own Workout Guide – Training Template – Training Program

The Mathias Method STRENGTH SYSTEM

 

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Bodybuilding is a very popular sport that focuses upon aesthetics and symmetrical size. To be great at the sport of bodybuilding you must have a great looking physique that combines size with muscular detail. To be great at this sport takes years of hard work and dedication, because your muscles must get to a certain level of maturity, through years of training, before they can compare to other elite level bodybuilders. With this in mind it is vital for success that all current and future bodybuilders seeking a large, aesthetic look, gain the strength required to build a complete physique. 

Strength is the basis for all lifting sports, including bodybuilding. You must first gain a solid base of strength to truly succeed in this sport. For those looking to become bodybuilders, or just mimic their physique, it is recommended that you gain the strength too squat 400lbs+, bench press 300lbs+ and deadlift 500lbs+ (females multiply each by 0.7). These are recommendations, but it would be most optimal to add 100lbs on top of that to each lift. This will allow you to use much heavier weights for all of your exercises adding to the muscular stimulus of every exercise and overall caloric expenditure. So for those looking to bodybuild, first get the strength required to succeed while your muscles mature and then work on the details of competition preparation as competitions come. 

This bodybuilding program is designed for offseason bodybuilders or those seeking to prepare for future competitions. It focuses on building strength while adding size. During this training you will start with a muscle activation lift, followed by a main strength lift, accessory work, detail work, and finally a finishing move. 

The muscle activation movement is meant to warm-up your muscles while stimulating the specific body part you wish to train. This is followed by the main strength lift is used to build strength while adding size. The final set of this exercise is an intensity set. This set taken to absolute failure with the use of intensity techniques like drop sets or forced reps for added growth. Then you will move on to accessory work to stimulate growth from multiple angles while adding training volume. After your basic accessory work is complete you will do any detail work that may be needed. These are movements that are specific to your needs. Do any amount of work that you need to grow certain aspects of your physique, using no more than 3 extra exercises or 10 total sets. Do not overdo this work and compromise your recovery for other workouts. On your leg and back training days you will do a finisher exercise. This is one set of a compound exercise done to increase conditioning while bringing blood into the entire trained area for recovery. All of these training components will push your body to new heights and better prepare you for the competition season. So go get stronger and start growing!

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Intensity Set = One set taken to absolute failure through the use of drop sets, forced reps or an AMRAP (as many reps as possible).

Detail Work = Any exercise, or combination of exercises, that may need to be added to create a more detailed and well rounded physique.

Finisher = One set of one exercise done with very light weight for 20-50 repetitions to completely exhaust a particular muscle group for added growth. This should be a compound exercise [such as squat, bench press, or deadlift variation] that brings all the trained muscles to fatigue.

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Progression: 

To continue progressing forward, both in strength and muscular development, you should constantly be doing more work than before. To do this, add 5-10 pounds to each of your main lifts (Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Military Press) every week. Do this until you can no longer lift within the given rep range for all sets. Then decrease by 10-20 pounds the following session and start the progression again. 

For accessory lifts, choose a weight that keeps you within the given rep ranges. Stick with the same weight while trying to add reps over time. When you reach the top of the allotted rep range, increase the weight slightly (5-10 pounds) and again focus on increasing your reps. This will add up your total work over time and make for a smoother progression forward.

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Weekly Schedule

Day 1 Legs

Day 2 Chest

Day 3 Off

Day 4 Back

Day 5 Shoulders

Day 6 Arms

Day 7 Off

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Day 1- Legs

Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:

Front Squat                                                                                     3 x 5-10

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Main Lift:

Squat                                                                                                5 x 3-6

Intensity Set                                                                                   1 x Failure

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Accessory Work:

Leg Press                                                                                         4 x 10-20

Walking Lunges/ Bulgarian Split Squats                                  3 x 20 steps/ 15-20

Leg Curls (any variation)                                                            4 x 10-20

Detail Work                                                                                     – x –

Calf Raises (any variation)                                                          5-10 x 8-15

Finisher                                                                                           1 x 20-50

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Mobility Work                                                                               10+ min.

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Day 2- Chest

Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:

Incline Press (any variation)                                                       3 x 5-10

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Main Lift:

Bench Press                                                                                     5 x 3-6

Intensity Set                                                                                    1 x Failure

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Accessory Work:

Dumbbell Press/ Incline Dumbbell Press                                  4 x 8-12

Flyes (any variation)                                                                     4 x 10-15

               Superset Superset

Push-Ups                                                                                          4 x Failure

Detail Work                                                                                      – x –

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Mobility Work                                                                                 10+ min.

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Day 3- Off

Rest and Recover or do some light conditioning work that will help with recovery rather than fatigue you.

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Day 4- Back

Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:

Pull-Ups                                                                                     5 x Failure

                Superset Superset

Box Jump Variation                                                                 5 x 3

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Main Lift:

Deadlift- Conventional                                                           5 x 3-6

Intensity Set                                                                             1 x Failure

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Accessory Work:

Barbell Rows/ Dumbbell Rows                                              4 x 8-10

Cable Rows/ Lat Pull-Downs                                                  4 x 8-15

Detail Work                                                                                – x –

Back Raises                                                                                3 x 10-20

Calf Raises (any variation)                                                     5-10 x 8-15

Finisher                                                                                      1 x 20-50

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Mobility Work                                                                           10+ min.

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Day 5- Shoulders

Technique Work/ Muscle Activation:

High Pulls/ Shrugs                                                                     5 x 5-15

Lateral Raises                                                                             3 x 5-10

                Superset Superset

Reverse Flyes                                                                             3 x 5-10

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Main Lift:

Military Press                                                                            5 x 5-10

Intensity Set                                                                               1 x Failure

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Accessory Work:

Reverse Flyes                                                                             4 x 12-15

Lateral Raises                                                                            4 x 10-15

Detail Work                                                                                 – x –

Face Pulls                                                                                    3-5 x 10-20

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Mobility Work                                                                           10+ min.

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Day 6- Arms

Main Lifts:

Closegrip Bench Press                                                             4 x 8-15

Barbell Curls                                                                             4 x 8-15

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Accessory Work:

(Bicep and Triceps exercises may be supersets if found more beneficial)

Skull Crushers                                                                          3 x 10-15

Preacher Curls/ Cable Curls                                                   3 x 10-15

French Press                                                                             3 x 10-15

Dumbbell Curls/ Hammer Curls                                           3 x 10-15

Press Downs                                                                              3 x 10-15

Detail Work                                                                                – x –

Dips                                                                                              – x 50-100

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Mobility Work                                                                           10+ min.

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Day 7- Off

Rest and Recover or do some light conditioning work that will help with recovery rather than fatigue you.

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Start your Training NOW: What Level Am I?

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Advanced Strength and Power Focused Training

This is a 12-week Conjugate Method Powerlifting Program for raw lifters. This is also known as the Westside Barbell Method developed by Powerlifting Legend Louie Simmons. However, this powerlifting program has been adapted to fit the Mathias Method Strength System training methods. This best suits RAW lifters who are getting ready for competition, or that just want to get really strong.

The focus of this program will be on building strength with basic power lifts, and lifting speed with dynamic effort style training of similar lift variations! This program has been simplified to work best for RAW lifters, but still takes a lot of hard work and focus. But, if you can get through it, this program will make you brutally strong! I guarantee it!

Caution: This powerlifting program is best used with advanced lifters that are near or at a highly competitive level. Beginner and intermediate lifters should use our Powerlifting Mass: Volume Training Program instead.

Maximize your results with a Custom Powerlifting Program made just for you!

This Powerlifting Program is based on the Mathias Method STRENGTH SYSTEM.

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About this Conjugate Method Powerlifting Program

• 12-Week Program Lifting Chart
• Workout-1: Max Effort Squat/Deadlift Training
• Workout-2: Max Effort Bench Press Training
• Workout-3: Dynamic Effort Squat/Deadlift Training
• Workout-4: Dynamic Effort Bench Press Training

Powerlifting is a competitive sport that takes years of hard work and consistent dedication to become proficient at.

Lifters must constantly be working on their lifting technique and maintain that technique the best they can through the high-intensity workouts they endure. These workouts can often last hours depending on your strength level.

As you get stronger it takes more time to warm up to your working weights and you have to constantly be adding more work through increasing the weight, sets and/or reps performed. Your workouts will often be 6-10 sets of few reps with the same weight to accumulate volume and strength over time. Numerous sets with few reps are the best way to gain maximal strength because you are practicing your setup and technique with intense weights numerous times within a workout.

It’s All Focused For Meet Day!

Your set-up, how you perform each lift, along with everything else in this 12-week conjugate method powerlifting program, is focused upon obtaining the most strength for week 12. Week 12 is your competition week and there should be no lifting done during the last 2-3 days leading up. Do your training work early in the week with little accessory work so that you are fully recovered before the meet.

This 12-week Conjugate Method Powerlifting Program will guide you through the exact work you need to do leading up to your next competition.

Conjugate Method Powerlifting Program Details

For max effort training days, you will switch between a squat versus deadlift focus. One week you will do most of your work with the squat and then use a deadlift variation (block pulls, deficit, bands, chains, etc.) as an accessory lift. The next week you will do the opposite with deadlift being the focus and have a squat variation (box squats, pause squats, bands, chains, etc.) as your accessory lift.

This will allow you to focus on one lift at a time while allowing the other to recover before the next max effort session.

Max effort bench press days will go heavy each week that is not a deload. The deload weeks should be used for bench press variations (closegrip, floor press, bands, chains, etc.) utilizing repetition work to build up all parts of the lift.

Be sure to practice your lifts exactly how they are supposed to be performed in the competition. That means practicing holding deadlifts at the top and pausing bench presses as you get closer to the competition.

Intensity Sets

Also, on max effort training days, you will utilize an overload set to better prepare yourself for the competition. This is one set that is either an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) done with the same working weight or a daily max.

For the daily max, work up to a weight that is difficult to do for that day, but you are still able to maintain reasonable technique. Your intensity set should never be done to failure because this teaches improper technique which will decrease your maximal strength potential.

Max Effort vs Dynamic Training

Max effort training days work on building brute strength to increase your max as dynamic effort training days are used each week to increase training volume while decreasing the overall stress placed upon your body.

By going heavy too often our bodies may not be able to recover and therefore are at a higher risk of injury. By training with sub-maximal weights, we can utilize dynamic speed training, with the use of bands or chains, to increase our training volume and power; or utilize repetition work to build more size.

Both are effective ways of decreasing the overall stress placed upon your body while adding to your strength potential. By utilizing lighter and heavier training days each week they will build upon each other to further increase your maximal strength.

Recovery Week

Every 4^th week is a deload and recovery week. This is a week where you will still get a good amount of training volume in but it will allow your body to recover from the high-intensity work, and decrease your risk of injury.

There will be no deadlifts done on this week, but you should utilize an exercise variation that will help build up your lower back such as good mornings or reverse hyperextensions. For your heavy squat and bench press exercises, utilize a variation that builds up your weaknesses in those lifts.

Stay focused, train hard and get stronger! 

Optimal Weekly Training Schedule

• Day 1 – Workout-1: Squat Training
• Day 2 – Rest
• Day 3 – Workout-2: Bench Press Training
• Day 4 – Rest
• Day 5 – Workout-3: Deadlift Training
• Day 6 – Workout-4: Accessory Work (optional)
• Day 7 – Rest

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Conjugate Method Powerlifting Program Lifting Chart

¹Add ~10% of accommodating resistance (bands/chains) to dynamic effort /speed lifts plus the bar weight percentage.

²Use your competition opener for all 10 sets. Usually, something you can do 3 reps with.

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Are you looking to build up one specific lift? Check out our Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift specific Programs:

1. Squat Program
2. Bench Press Program
3. Deadlift Program

Get all 3 Programs!

Or get our FULL POWER Powerlifting Program

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Workout 1: Max Effort Squat / Deadlift Training

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Warm-Up & Technique Work:

Weighted Pull-Ups – x 25 total

Box Jumps 3-5 x 3

Pause Squat or Deficit Deadlift (<50%) 3 x 5

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Main Lifts:

Squat or Deadlift See Table

*Overload Set 1 x AMRAP or Daily Max

Deadlift or Squat Variation See Table

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Accessory Work:

Glute-Ham Raises or Leg Press 5 x 10-15

Dumbbell Rows 4 x 6-8

Dumbbell Curls 4 x 8-10

Side Planks or **Grip Holds 3 x 45 sec.

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Mobility Work 10+ min.

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*Done after your main work is complete, only on high-intensity days, and never to failure.

**Hold the center (smooth part) of a deadlift barbell, or weighted bar, at your side for as long as you can to build up your grip. It is best to do this on days when you do lighter deadlifts.

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Workout 2: Max Effort Bench Press Training

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Warm-Up & Technique Work:

Incline Bench Press (<50%) 3 x 5-10

Decline Sit-Ups 3 x 5-10

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Main Lifts:

Bench Press See Table

*Overload Set 1 x AMRAP or Daily Max

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Accessory Work:

Dumbbell Press 4 x 6-8

Military Press 3-5 x 3-8

Triceps Press Downs 4-5 x 6-10

Face Pulls 5 x 8-10

***Rotary Cuff Work – x 100 total

Side Bends 3 x 10-20

Weighted Crunches 5 x 10

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Mobility Work 10+ min.

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*Done after your main work is complete, only on high-intensity days, and never to failure.

***Do slow, controlled motions with a cable that works on the rotation of your humerus (upper arm bone). See examples HERE.

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Workout 3: Dynamic Effort Squat Training

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Warm-Up & Technique Work:

Chin-Ups – x 50

Front Squat (<50%) 3 x 5

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Main Lifts:

¹Dynamic Box Squat x See Table

Dynamic Deadlift x See Table

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Accessory Work:

Leg Curls or Leg Press 3 x 10-15

Lat Pull-Downs 5 x 10-15

Hammer Curls 3 x 10-15

Weighted Plank 3 x 60-90 sec.

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Mobility Work 10+ min.

 

¹Add ~10% of accommodating resistance (band tension or chain weight) to dynamic/speed lifts on top of the bar weight percentage.

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Workout 4: Dynamic Effort Bench Press Training

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Warm-Up & Technique Work:

Shrugs 3 x 10

Closegrip Bench Press (<50%) 3 x 5-10

Leg Raises 3 x 10

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Main Lift:

¹Dynamic Bench Press x See Table

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Accessory Work:

Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 10-15

Dumbbell Military Press 3 x 10-15

Push-Ups or Dips 3 x Failure

Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 3 x 10-15

Reverse Flyes 3 x 10-20

Lateral Raises 3 x 10-15

Abs Exercise – x 100

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Mobility Work 10+ min.

 

¹Add ~10% of accommodating resistance (band tension or chain weight) to dynamic effort/ speed lifts on top of the bar weight percentage.

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Let us know if you liked this 12-week Westside Conjugate Method Powerlifting Program! Also, check out our other strength programs like our Advanced Powerlifting Program and our Powerlifting for Mass: Hypertrophy Program!

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How To Naturally Increase Your Testosterone and Restore Hormone Balance >>

Dietary intake is constant and vital for daily energy. Without a constant supply of energy and nutrients we will soon become depleted and lose our body function. It is vital for our survival that we maintain a nutritious diet that will optimize our health and allow us to perform at our best daily. Our diet is one of the key factors in making ourselves stronger! Here is how to get stronger through nutrition.

Exercise Is Key

One big mistake made by those seeking to use their diet to lose weight, is the belief that weight loss is 70-90% diet and only 10-30% exercise. This is very far from the truth. How can diet be the biggest influence in weight loss? Dietary intake only increases your caloric intake. Its exercise that removes the excess calories, and often in a large amount.

Of course, diet does play a role, but it is more like only a 10-30% role versus exercise. Exercise changes our bodies in numerous ways that optimize our health and metabolism, in which diet alone cannot do. Our diet alone does not modify our bone density, muscle tissues, fat metabolism, hormones, or energy expenditure. But exercise does. Exercise also increases your overall health, hormonal regulation, brain function, metabolism and immune function. Exercise turns our body into a regulating machine.

Therefore, those that exercise will always be healthier than those that do not, assuming their diet is the same.  Therefore if you are looking to be healthy and lose weight, maintain a constant diet and exercise often.

In addition, incorporating natural weight-loss supplements into your routine can be beneficial for achieving a healthy weight goal.

Proper Nutrition for Performance

Though diet is not the main piece to any training program, it is very important and can absolutely make you stronger. Without a proper diet you will not be able to perform optimally, or at your highest level, and may miss out on a lot of your strength potential.

For a diet to be complete it must be consistent and give you all the nutrients needed to perform well. There must be a regular amount of nutrients consumed with only slight fluctuation depending upon activity levels. The most essential nutrients are water, macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, protein), vitamins and minerals. If any of these nutrients are lacking then so too will your progress. Here are some details that you need to know about each aspect of your diet to get stronger…

Consistency

Consistency is one of the most important factors to any diet or training program. Our bodies are highly functioning machines that need to be well maintained through consistent healthy choices. If there is too much fluctuation in our diets or training, it can have adverse effects. Eating too few nutrients will signal to the body it is in a starved state, decreasing metabolism and lead to fatigue; while eating too many nutrients will signal the body for growth and increase your metabolic rate.

To gain weight that is optimal for strength and performance, make small consistent caloric intake jumps over a longer rather than shorter period of time. An increase of 200-500 total daily calories each week should be enough to help increase muscle mass.

By doing the opposite, decreasing overall daily caloric intake by 200-500 calories each week, you are more likely to lose body fat than hard earned muscle mass.

Start small and be consistent. If you raise your caloric intake too much too fast you will likely cause gastrointestinal stress and increase fat storage. To allow your body to perform optimally, be consistent with the foods you eat, time of day you eat, calories you eat, fluid you intake and stress you put on your body. 

Hydration

Water is one of the most valuable nutrients for our body to be healthy and perform optimally. Water is the main part of any diet. Without enough fluids your body cannot metabolize, regulate nutrients, or function properly.

Even a low amount of dehydration can greatly affect performance and overall health. To avoid these negative effects drink at least 0.7oz of water per pound of bodyweight daily, while on an exercise plan. Realize that this is only the minimum requirement, and especially on highly active days, more fluids should be consumed.

Most of your fluids should be consumed just before, during and after exercise. If you are not used to consuming an adequate amount of water, start by increasing your intake by 0.5 liters or about 16oz. per week until an optimal amount is reached.

For exercise lasting 1 hour or less it is best to just stick to water. For exercise exceeding 1 hour, an electrolyte and carbohydrate solution is optimal for hydration. A 6%, or 6g of carbohydrate per 100mL of water, solution is optimal for rehydration during activity. This can be easily measured and mixed with water and table sugar.

Adding in electrolytes such as sodium (table salt) and potassium (found in sport drink mixes) also is beneficial to this solution. You can add in salt and potassium to taste or just follow the sport drink mix instructions as long as they do not exceed the 6% solution maximum.

Learn more about hydration >>

Fat Facts

Lipids or fats, are valuable sources of long lasting energy consumed in the diet, and if not used for energy, stored in the body. There are three types of lipids; saturated fat, unsaturated fat and cholesterol.

Saturated Fat

First, saturated fat is known as the “bad” fat due to its properties linking it to many heart illnesses. One important thing to remember about saturated fat is that it can be created in the body. And for fat to be stored in the body it must be saturated. This means that saturated fat does not need to be in our diets.

However, this tends to steer people away from eating foods that have saturated fat in them. Generally, natural meats that have a good amount of saturated fat also have more valuable nutrients in them. To avoid excess saturated fat just simply do not eat the fat that you see on meat and avoid foods that have an abundance of saturated fat in them.

Unsaturated Fats

Next, there are two types of unsaturated fat; polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Both forms of unsaturated fats are essential and must be consumed to maintain a healthy body. Each type performs certain functions that better enable the body to perform. To ensure an adequate amount of essential fats are consumed for optimal function, consume foods rich in unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat, such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, fish, lean meats, and organic meat which you may want to check in these highly recommended organic meat delivery services that ensure the best quality and ethically sourced meats that are conveniently delivered to your doorstep. This service guarantees that you can enjoy the benefits of organic meats without the hassle of visiting physical stores or compromising on the quality of the products you consume.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is also linked to many heart illnesses. This is more due to the saturated fat in our diets rather than the cholesterol consumed. Like saturated fat, cholesterol is also formed in the body. Cholesterol is used to create hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. This makes cholesterol a highly valuable nutrient.

Also, our bodies make way more cholesterol than is regularly consumed each day. It has been found that only when saturated fat is high in the diet, so too are the dangers associated with cholesterol and heart illness. With this in mind, realize that cholesterol is not a harmful nutrient but when combined with saturated fat it can be.

In all, fat is important for every diet. Fat is a great source of energy, an insulator and allows the body to perform optimally.

Carbs For Fuel

The main function of carbohydrates is to supply the body with energy. They are also the only fuel source for the brain. By limiting carb intake, you are starving the brain of the fuel it needs to perform optimally.

Going on a low or no carb diet will not kill you, but your brain and muscles will not function at their highest performance. To prevent negative effects, consume a minimum of 130g of carbohydrates daily to allow the brain enough energy to perform properly while still minimizing carb storage during a low carb diet. 

While carbs should not be too low, they should also not be too high. If carbs are too high, such as over 2.5g times your bodyweight without long bouts of vigorous exercise, then there will likely be an excess of energy leading to fat storage. Any carbs that are not used through exercise or metabolism will be stored in your muscles, liver and then fat cells.

It is easy to use carbohydrates while they are in the blood or muscles, but when they are stored as fat their function changes.

A good range of carbohydrates to have daily for inactive individuals is between 1-2g per pound of bodyweight with a minimum of 130g to maintain optimal brain function. Intake for these individuals should be spread throughout the day in small increments.

Carbs For Athletes

For extreme athletes that do intense exercise exceeding 1 hour on a given day, more carbohydrates should be consumed. An optimal range of carbohydrate intake for highly active individuals is 2-4g per pound of bodyweight.

During intense exercise that exceeds one hour or more, it is helpful to intake about 20-60g of carbohydrate per hour, depending upon bodyweight and intensity, to increase endurance.

The majority of carbohydrates should be consumed before, during and after exercise. To replenish glycogen stores post exercise, carbohydrates should be consumed at a rate of 1.2g per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight every hour until stores are replenished. 

Learn more about carbs for athletes >>

Protein For Muscle

Protein is the building block used to create new cells. Proteins themselves are made of amino acids linked together. Each amino acid has a distinct shape that enables it to perform a unique function. There are 20 amino acids. Most are obtained by food while some can be created in the body. However, if any of the 20 amino acids are lacking, then a protein, or new building block, cannot be made. Without complete proteins a new cell cannot be formed. This means that a good amount of protein must be present in a healthy diet, and some excess should be consumed by those trying to gain muscle size or strength. 

Naturally every day we lose thousands of cells that need to be replaced with new cells. Individuals who train or do strenuous work in which muscle is broken down often need even more protein, to again replace the lost cells. However, there is still a limit to how much protein should be present in a diet.

How Much Protein

It has been discovered that taking too much protein (over 1.5g/lb or 3.3g/kg of bodyweight) can put an unnecessary, and potentially harmful, strain on your body’s systems. To ensure you get enough protein to maintain or gain strength, aim to consume 0.8-1g of protein per pound (1.7-2.2g/kg) of bodyweight daily. For individuals who do not break down muscle often, it is recommended that they consume only 0.4-0.5g per pound (0.8-1g/kg) of bodyweight daily. 

Any excess protein that is not used to build new cells will then be used for energy, or fat storage. Protein is not a bad source of energy, but it is not optimal either.

By maintaining a constant level of protein daily, based on your needs, then the better energy sources, carbs and fats, can fluctuate depending on your daily activities. Carbs are fast digesting while fats are slow digesting. So on days that you have a lot of intense activity consume more carbs while on less intense activity days you should rely on your fat intake for energy.

Good Protein Sources

Good protein sources are meats, beans, legumes and dairy products. Protein supplements can help to accumulate more protein in a diet but should be used sparingly.

If you don’t have time during the day and you still want to add a healthy amount of protein into your body you can try protein shakes such as Kachava, Shakeology, Garden of Life, or any other well-known protein shakes on the market, many sources praise Kachava for its taste though, I’m yet to try it but I’m really tempted to.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are key nutrients supplied by our diet that help our body to function properly. If any one nutrient is deficient it can have tremendous negative effects on your health and performance.

Also, if any nutrient is consumed too much it can be harmful and even deadly. To become deficient or overdose on a nutrient is somewhat difficult and should not be a major concern unless you start to feel negative symptoms. And to avoid becoming deficient or even over consuming any one nutrient, consume a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, beans and legumes.

To make it simpler, just do not leave out any natural foods. Each category listed above has vital nutrients in it that are in abundance to them compared to the others, and lack some nutrients as well.

If eating a variety of foods is not permitted due to your diet or you have some food allergies preventing some food groups, an easier way to get these nutrients is through a multivitamin. When choosing a multivitamin look for one that supplies only about 50% or less of the daily value for each nutrient. This will ensure that you are not deficient in any nutrient as well as leaves room for an abundance of nutrients to come from food as they should.

Also, generally men should have little to no iron in their vitamin, but women need to have some.

Watch What You Eat

Along with obtaining enough nutrients it is also important that you watch what you eat to get those nutrients. It is much easier for most people to consume all their fats from fast foods, carbohydrates from treats and protein from supplements, but that is not optimal for health or performance. It is always better to get your nutrients in with whole foods and use supplements sparingly. This will help you stay more satisfied and live a healthier lifestyle. 

Eat Nutrient Dense Foods

When seeking nutrition for a healthy diet, look for nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense foods are those which have multiple essential nutrients in them, such as phytochemicals, fiber, vitamins and minerals. This includes, but is not limited to, natural whole foods.

Some processed foods and supplements also contain numerous essential nutrients that can make it easier to reach your daily needs. To be a nutrient dense processed food there should be minimal processing, a reasonably low sodium content, multiple essential nutrients present, and have no engineered substance in them such as high fructose corn syrup or unnatural Trans fat. Even with these stipulations it is relatively easy to find packaged foods that have good nutrient content.

To make sure a food has valuable nutrients and not unnatural substances, quickly read the ingredient list and nutrition facts. Some common foods to avoid are most bread or wheat products, canned foods, processed meats, fried foods, desserts and candies.

Supplements

Supplements can also be valuable, but are not necessary. They were originally designed to aid people with illnesses that needed more of specific nutrients. Most people, who do not have a nutrient deficient illness, do not need any supplements to be healthy or perform well, but they can be helpful.

Before taking any supplement, you should consult with someone who knows about the effects of each of its ingredients, such as a medical practitioner, and do research from a knowledgeable source.

By only eating foods that contain a good amount of valuable nutrients your body will be healthier and run at a high level of performance.

Be Careful of Cravings

Think about if you are actually hungry, or just eating because you are bored. Sometimes, thirst is mistaken for hunger. If you are not keeping up with your water intake, you may actually just be thirsty. Are you craving something sweet, or are your electrolytes out of balance? In the kidneys glucose, or sugar, is filtered with sodium (Na⁺). When your Sodium (Na⁺) to glucose ratio is off, which is common during weight loss or low carb diets, cravings will often occur in the form of sweet and/or salty foods.

When cravings occur, it is often helpful to have 1-2Tbs of natural peanut butter, which will fight off cravings while still maintaining a healthy diet. If that does not work, you can try having flavorful tea. Each time before you eat, think of what your goals are and if this meal choice will help or hinder your progress. 

For most diets, it is reasonable to not be completely strict all the time. It is reasonable to go off of your diet 10-15% of the time and still make progress. Still, the stricter you are with a diet, the greater your results. Always remember to keep your goals in mind. Think of what your meal really consist of, and be accountable for what you eat. Think of why you started a specific diet. And think if this meal will help you reach your goals.

Stronger Nutrition Conclusion

Overall, your diet is not the main piece to your training program, but it can greatly increase your results. Your diet alone cannot keep you healthy or make you fit. It can only improve upon your daily activity. Just like training, it is something that must be consistent and well maintained. It must grow and change as you change. It must contain all the vital nutrients required for daily energy and proper function. Make sure to get enough of all the differing nutrients so that you can perform at your best.

Also, try to eat as much whole food as you can, and limit your cravings as much as possible. Remember what motivates you, and make sure that what you eat is leading you towards your goals.

Be consistent, eat well, and get stronger!

Diet & Nutrition Principles >>

Strength Programs >>

More Articles >>

Stronger Beginnings | Beginner Training

Are you a beginner to strength training? Do you know the best way to train as a beginner? Do you know how to get the most out of your training? Do you know where to start?

Let me teach you…

We all start off our strength training journey with the same label; Beginner. No matter your knowledge or abilities from other activities, when it comes to strength training we all start at ground zero. Some people progress faster than others depending on their past experiences with sports, work or other activities, but those that progress the fastest go in with a plan. 

“…those that progress the fastest go in with a plan.”

First, realize that it is ok to be a beginner. That is one of the best stages of any activity you pursue, because you will often approach it with more enthusiasm and an open mind. So be happy that you are a beginner and do not be afraid to look confused or ask for help. As long as you are nice and are trying hard people will often be happy to help you. 

“As long as you are nice and are trying hard people will often be happy to help you.”

First Thing:

The first thing you need to do before beginning your training is set some goals. These goals can be broad at first, such as “I want to get stronger” or “lose weight”, but should eventually grow to something more specific once you start to see progress, such as “I want to Squat 250 lbs” or “I want to lose 20 lbs”. Make sure that your goals start off smaller and then grow larger as you reach each one. Once you have set a large enough goal for yourself,  make a plan of how to reach it. Give yourself a timeline and plan backwards by setting smaller goals that lead towards your greater goal. Then do at least one thing EVERYDAY that progresses you towards your greater goal. No matter how small, if you do one thing everyday towards your goal it will all add up to reaching what you want to accomplish. This may help with that: http://mathiasmethod.com/. Just stay focused and think of why you started in the first place. Remember what your motivation is and hold onto it. Why do you want to obtain this goal? Why do you choose to push yourself and make yourself stronger? Why did you go to the gym today? Ask yourself these questions and be positive even during the hard times. It will rarely be easy, but you didn’t choose to improve yourself because it was going to be easy. You did it because of your “why” and that will keep you in the game. Be goal oriented and stay motivated.

“…do at least one thing EVERYDAY that progresses you towards your greater goal.”

With that being said, what do I need to do before starting a training session? The first thing to do is check with a qualified doctor to make sure that you are physically able to start a training regiment. Ensure that you have no heart issues or unknown complications that could put you at risk for an incident to occur. After you are cleared to train, it is best to go into every training session with a plan. If you don’t have a plan then you will likely not progress very well and may end up discouraged or disliking your results. There are thousands of beginner training programs out there, including on MathiasMethod.com (http://mathiasmethod.com/strength-goal/), that you can choose from depending upon your goals. After searching and finding one that you like, it is important that you stick to the plan. If you are constantly switching around between programs then you will not progress as well as you could be. 

“…the most important thing for a beginner to obtain is strength.”

Now there are many things that training programs may focus on, such as strength, size, aesthetics, or general fitness, but the most important thing for a beginner to obtain is strength. Strength is the basis for all physical activity and related goals. Getting stronger will help you to lose weight, gain weight, increase athleticism, improve aesthetics, and move better. Therefore, the first goal of any beginner training program should be strength. After obtaining more strength it will make everything else much easier to obtain. The basic components necessary for any strength training program are a proper warm-up, an emphasis on technique, a full body strength movement, accessory work, some mobility work, and usually a cardio component for those seeking more fitness.

Proper Warm-Up:

The warm-up, similar to mobility work, is one of the most overlooked, but most beneficial, pieces to any training program. The warm-up is especially important for beginners because it gets their body ready for the new stimuli it is about to encounter, by improving muscular efficiency, and teaching proper body movements from the start. It is extremely important for beginners to warm-up with a proper routine, that will teach you how to move your body properly while activating the proper muscles you are about to use. At first the warm-up routine will likely make you feel fatigued, because it is extra work added to your training session, but eventually it may become too easy to where you need to expand it. Overall, a good warm-up routine should make you break a sweat, teach you proper movement patterns and take your body through a full range of motion movements that will help improve your mobility. 

“The warm-up is especially important for beginners because it gets their body ready for the new stimuli it is about to encounter…”

Though you can warm-up by doing some light cardio, such as cycling or jogging for 5-10 minutes, it would be better to do a more specific warm-up routine that is related to your training activities. Light cardio will warm you up, but it will not take you through the full range of motion you need to go through in order to increase, or maintain, your joint mobility or teach you to move properly. 

This is also one of the most important aspects of your training routine and it should not be skipped for any reason. During days that you have less time to train you may shorten it, but the warm-up routine should be one of the main reasons you go to train. Not only will a proper warm-up better prepare you to train, it will also increase your mobility and reduce your risk of injury. 

To view and print the Mathias Method Warm-Up Routines go to: http://mathiasmethod.com/warm-up/ 

Work On Your Technique:

Another extremely important part of any training program is technique work. Technique work is where you take some time to improve specific weaknesses by focusing on improving the movement pattern, or technique, of the lift. You should do this with few repetitions and light weights that allow you to focus on the movement rather than being concerned about fatigue. A good amount of technique work is 3 sets of 5 reps with less than 50% of your maximum, as this allows for improvement without creating much fatigue. The focus should be on utilizing perfect form rather than just moving the weight around. As a beginner this is especially important as you are learning new movements. It is believed that it takes 300-500 repetitions to learn a new movement but 3,000-5,000 repetitions to correct a movement pattern, so it is best to start off correctly. This little amount of technique work will help to add to the number of repetitions you get to focus on your form without creating a large amount of fatigue.

Technique work should be done with an exercise that is the same, or similar, to the main movement for the day and that will help target any weakness the individual has. For example, those that need to build up their shoulders to improve their bench press should do a military press for technique work while those looking to build up their triceps should do a close grip bench press. By simply focusing on improving these movements through few repetitions and light weight, each time you train a certain related lift, they will make you stronger through increased neuromuscular proprioception, or the mind muscle connection. Your weak muscles will be better activated, increasing your strength potential, and you will also improve your movement pattern. Beginners will benefit the most from this as they are always practicing new movements. By working on lifting technique beginners will greatly improve your ability to grow and get stronger as you learn to move better.

Build Strength:

The most important part of any training program, especially for beginners, is the strength movement. This is the lift that you will build the most strength with. It is the lift you came to do. This exercise should be a full body compound lift that improves a certain body function, such as a squat that improves your squatting strength, bench press that improves your horizontal pressing strength, deadlift which strengthens the hip hinge movement, military press that improves vertical press strength, etc. Whatever you choose, make sure that you learn how to do the movement properly and use enough intensity to build an optimal amount of strength. 

“Beginners should stick to low rep ranges with moderate intensity over the course of a moderate amount of sets to get the most out of their training.”

For beginners, it is important that you do not do too much too soon. It is best that you attempt to do the least to get the most out of your training. By doing too much work too early in training you will rapidly increase your work capacity and have to do even more work to continue growth, all while putting you at risk of overuse injuries. Beginners should stick to low rep ranges with moderate intensity over the course of a moderate amount of sets to get the most out of their training. This is why 5×5 (5 sets of 5 repetitions) routines are commonly recommended for beginners. This amount of work and intensity is optimal for beginner and intermediate lifters to gain strength. To use a 5×5 program effectively it is best to start with about 50% of the individual’s maximum for a certain lift and do all five sets with it focusing on perfect form. The next training session you should increase the weight by only 5 pounds total and do the same thing. Each training session thereafter you should increase by 5 pounds until you reach a point where you can no longer do all five sets with perfect form. Then decrease the weight by 15-30 pounds and start the progression again. This will keep progress moving forward quickly while not over fatiguing the newer lifter. So make sure to take your time when progressing and focus on moving properly rather than how much weight you lift as a beginner. 

Remember, it’s ok to be a beginner and someday we will all bench press over 300 pounds. While starting, just focus on building strength slowly overtime by utilizing proper technique that will make you stronger than you knew you could be.

For more about main lifts or to view the proper technique look here: http://mathiasmethod.com/main-lifts/ 

Accessory Work:

Accessory work is any extra work you do after your main strength movement. This is optional for beginners, and can be helpful in increasing your strength while balancing out the work you do. Accessory is best utilized by selecting just a few exercises that will help improve the main lift for the day. For beginners this should be only 1-2 movements that they want to try or would enjoy doing. Try a variety of exercises and find what works best for you, then stick to those exercises. When they stop working well, then move to other exercises. This is the part of training where beginners should get a lot of varying stimuli for growth in all areas. You can try to build up weaknesses or just do what you “feel like” doing that day. Just keep the weight light and do not do too much work. A good amount of work is 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. For accessory work just have some fun and build strength in all areas.

“Try a variety of exercises and find what works best for you.”

For more about accessory work exercises and how to do them properly look here: http://mathiasmethod.com/exercises/ 

Mobility:

Mobility work is anything that helps to increase your joint range of motion by loosening or relaxing your soft tissues. This part of training is often overlooked, but is just as important as all other aspects of training. Beginners, or those that have not put their joints through full range of motion regularly, often have tight tissues or pains that prevent them from getting into proper positions, which are necessary for normal body function. By taking just a few minutes to mobilize after training, while your tissues are thoroughly warmed and most pliable, you can greatly improve your body function and allow for the greatest change. To mobilize properly, choose 2-3 mobility exercises to go through after training and do each for 2-5 minutes per side for lasting change. These mobility techniques can be stretches, massage or self myofacial release techniques (massaging with a roller or hard object to release the facia surrounding a muscle), but they must improve your soft tissue function. They will often be painful at first but try to relax, breathe and let the pain dissipate away. Make sure to focus on the muscles you just trained and take your time. Mobility work is one of the most useful forms of recovery and pain relief so do not neglect it in your training regiment. 

“By taking just a few minutes to mobilize after training…you can greatly improve your body function and allow for the greatest change.”

For more about mobility and to view some mobility exercises look here: http://mathiasmethod.com/mobility/ 

Cardio:

Cardiovascular training is any repetitive exercise that stresses the heart to work harder than it would during normal daily activities. This is not always necessary for beginners, but it can be useful if not overdone. Often times beginners start off their training regiment with long cardio sessions before doing strength training, if any at all. This is often in an effort to lose weight or burn fat, which cardio is useful for, but strength training should be done first. Cardio is an effective way to burn calories while training but the calorie burning effects do not last as long as muscular gains do. By increasing your strength and building muscle, you will burn calories everyday to maintain the muscle obtained. Cardio burns calories now, but muscle burns calories forever. This is because muscle is calorically expensive, meaning it requires a lot of energy to maintain. By increasing your muscle mass or density through strength training you will increase your body’s ability to burn calories everyday, and increase the amount of calories burned during cardio training. So beginners should focus on strength before cardiovascular training and add it in as necessary. A good amount of cardio training is just 20-30 minutes, post strength training, if the goal is weight loss. 

“Cardio burns calories now, but muscle burns calories forever.”

For more about weight management look at our other articles here: http://mathiasmethod.com/the-strength-blog/ 

Training Frequency:

Another component to training is training frequency. Training frequency is how often you train or focus on a certain muscle group or movement. Beginners do not need a high training frequency and going to train too often may even be detrimental to their gains. Beginners should not train more than 4 times per week and not train the same lift more than 3 times per week. This will allow for a reasonable amount of stimuli without over fatiguing their muscles, leading to a high risk of injury. Beginners should have a low frequency of training days per week but can utilize a higher lift frequency than more advanced lifters. This means beginners can do full body strength movements, like the squat, bench press, or deadlift, up to three times per week while stronger lifters should only do the 1-2 times per week. For example, beginners can squat three times per week with higher intensities, compared to their max, unlike advanced lifters. This is because advanced lifters are much stronger and utilizing weights than can not be easily recovered from while beginners are using relatively light weights that are much easier to recover from. 

“…beginner training routines should consist of few exercises that build full body strength.”

Overall, beginner training routines should consist of few exercises that build full body strength, such as the squat, bench press, deadlift and military press. Intensity should be light to moderate with an emphasis on technique. Do fewer repetitions over the course of multiple sets accumulating total training volume. Each week you should add small increments of weight to continue progress moving forward. Beginners should go in with a plan and have fun. The plan will keep you on track towards your goals and the enjoyment will help keep you motivated. Remember your “why”. Do not do too much too soon. Be patient and you will soon reach those that started off stronger than you. Try to avoid machines that focus on specific muscle groups and rather use compound free weight exercises that will build the most strength. As you progress be proud and share your success to motivate others to join you. Make new friends. Reach new goals. Change your life and change your world. We are behind you!

Strength to you, 

The stronger Coach- Ryan Mathias, CPT

Owner and Creator

MathiasMethod.com