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Book Review for 5/3/1 Forever by Jim Wendler

“5/3/1 Forever” is a book written by Jim Wendler, a powerlifter and strength coach. The book is a continuation of Wendler’s original “5/3/1” program, which is a strength training program that focuses on building strength through the use of the five main lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, and power clean.

The “Forever” version of the program expands upon the original program and provides a long-term approach to strength training, with the goal of helping people to continue making progress in their strength training efforts over the course of their lifetimes. The book includes guidelines for adjusting the program as you age and progress, as well as tips for avoiding plateaus and maintaining motivation.

Overall, the book has received positive reviews from readers and strength trainers, with many praising its practical and easy-to-follow approach to strength training. Some reviewers have also noted that the book includes a wealth of useful information beyond just the program itself, including tips on nutrition, recovery, and overall health and wellness.

If you are interested in strength training and are looking for a long-term program that can help you make consistent progress over time, “5/3/1 Forever” may be a good resource for you. This book does require a basic working knowledge of 5/3/1 principles, so the first two books are also recommended reading.

Learn More:
https://www.jimwendler.com/

How To Use Visualization To Improve Your Performance In Powerlifting

Visualization is a powerful tool that can be used to improve your performance in powerlifting and many other sports. It involves creating a mental image or movie of yourself successfully performing a lift or series of lifts, and practicing this visualization regularly. By rehearsing the movement in your mind, you can improve your technique, build confidence, and increase your strength and power.

Here are some steps to help you use visualization effectively in your powerlifting training:

  1. Set a clear goal for your visualization practice. This could be a specific lift you want to improve, a personal record you want to break, or a specific competition you are preparing for.
  2. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down where you will not be interrupted. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax and clear your mind.
  3. Begin to visualize the lift or series of lifts you are working on. Imagine yourself setting up at the bar, gripping the weight, and taking a deep breath. Visualize the lift in slow motion, paying attention to your technique and form. Imagine the weight moving smoothly and easily as you push through the lift.
  4. As you visualize, try to focus on the sensations you would feel as you perform the lift. Imagine the way the bar feels in your hands, the tension in your muscles, and the breath in your lungs.
  5. Practice visualization regularly, at least a few times a week. The more you practice, the more familiar and comfortable the lift will feel in your mind.
  6. Use visualization as part of your warm-up routine before training sessions or competitions. This can help to focus your mind and prepare your body for the physical demands of the lift.
  7. Practice visualization in conjunction with physical practice. It is important to also train your body to perform the lift correctly, so be sure to balance your visualization practice with actual training sessions.

By incorporating visualization into your powerlifting training, you can improve your technique, build confidence, and increase your strength and power. With practice and persistence, you can use this powerful tool to achieve your powerlifting goals.

Guideline on How to Breakdown an Exercise

Here is a general outline for breaking down an exercise:

  1. First, you want to identify the goal of the exercise: What is the purpose of the exercise? What can you achieve with this exercise in your training routine?
  2. Determine the appropriate level of difficulty: Is this exercise for the beginner or the advanced lifter? Is this exercise easy or difficult to learn? How do you know if you’re ready to perform this exercise?
  3. Break the exercise down into smaller individual steps: It can be helpful to break the exercise down into smaller, more manageable parts. This gives the lifter a step-by-step guideline for performing the exercise. Simple steps make things less overwhelming and can help you focus and learn one aspect at a time.
  4. Practice the individual parts: Practice each part of the exercise separately before putting it all together. This can help you build up your skills and confidence.
  5. Put it all together: Once you’ve practiced each part of the exercise separately, try putting it all together and completing the exercise as a whole.
  6. Evaluate your performance: After completing the exercise, take some time to reflect on your performance. What went well? What could you improve upon? Use this information to adjust your approach and plan for future practice sessions.

By following the suggestions in this guideline you can learn most exercises on your own and perform those exercises safely and with a great deal of confidence. To master these exercises you should consider working with a professional strength coach.

5 Fat Loss Plan Priorities to Get You Back on the GRIND!

1) Lift weights daily 30 to 60 minutes. Perform training sessions as total body or body part split with negligible differences in fat mass loss. Your ideal rep range is 12-20 reps with no more than 90 seconds rest between sets. Consider performing circuits. Circuits are an outstanding way to train for general fitness and fat loss.

2) Sleep 6 to 8 hours.

3) Drink lots of water! Start with approximately 1 gallon spread throughout the day.

4) Food Exchange priority over counting calories.

– Eliminate processed foods & refined carbs. (No sugar, no alcohol, no pasta, and no breads)

– Replace most carbs with high fiber nutrient dense vegetables.

– Lean Protein with every meal. (Meat, eggs, and low-fat dairy)

– Add Essential Fats! Add Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil and/or Krill Oil. (No fried or baked foods.)

5) Add short High Intensity Interval Training sessions to your weekly training. Mix in 3 to 6 HIIT workouts. These can rage from as little as 8 minutes to 20 minutes. Longer sessions should be for lower intensity. These short HIIT sessions can be worked into your lifting sessions.

If you would like help with your training and nutrition let me know how I can help.

Take Action

Success doesn’t come from talking about what you want.

The ability to take action is the big divide between those who talk about what they are going to do and those that are doing something.

The world is full of dreamers, but we only ever know of the ones who took action.

Take the leap!

Even the smallest action is better than standing still.

Planning is important, but the reality is that taking even the smallest action will produce results that can demonstrate for you the benefits of taking action. With action, you can create momentum that will carry you forward toward and through the obstacles.

Done is always better than perfect.

The discipline to take action is not something you can inherit.
The desire to take action can not be bought or sold.

The determination to take action can’t come from what others want or expect of you.

You must know your purpose to build discipline.
You must invest in your vision to create true desire.
You must want what’s best for you to have the determination to succeed.

Action is the core of your existence.

Be someone who learns by doing.

Be someone who grows through an action-based process.

Don’t make your goal a fantasy by just talking about it.
Only through action will your dreams have a chance to become real.

The moment you take action you begin to see things more clearly.
The moment you take action you are no longer thinking and feeling the same.
The moment you take action you become more of who you must be in order to succeed.

Make the Tough Decisions

The easy option is rarely the best option.

If the path to success was easy then everyone would be successful.

Hard work and hard living create the character traits and skills you need to succeed.

Life is hard for those that want more from life.

It’s a choice! It’s the right choice!

Take life hard!

Walk hard!

Live hard!

Be harder than what comes your way, but welcome the challenge as the only way you will truly change into the person you want to become.

Know that you deserve to know your best self. You want to know that person!

Tough times are certain, become tougher because you’re willing to make the tough decisions.

Believe in Yourself!

First and foremost believe in yourself.

If you feel nobody else believes in you, be the one that believes in you.

Don’t be upset that you want something that others say you can’t have.

Don’t let the doubt from your past failure or the past failures of those around you dictate your future success.

If you have fallen then get back up.

If you’re in over your head then dig yourself out.

Yes, you can ask for help, but know that there is a good chance nobody will come to help you until they see you succeed.

Believe in yourself!

I believe you have the strength you don’t even know you have.

I believe you have the tools in you at this moment to create massive change in your life.

I believe that you have a purpose.

I believe that as long as you believe in yourself you will know true success.

The Benefits of Increasing Density

Increasing density in strength training refers to the number of repetitions performed within a given time frame, with the goal of increasing muscle size and strength. Density training has a number of benefits, including improved muscle endurance, increased muscle mass, and enhanced athletic performance.

Improves Muscle Endurance

One of the primary benefits of density training is improved muscle endurance. By performing a high volume of repetitions within a set time frame, density training helps to build muscle endurance and the ability to sustain repeated muscle contractions. This can be especially beneficial for athletes who rely on muscle endurance, such as runners and swimmers, as well as for everyday activities that require sustained muscle contractions, such as carrying groceries or lifting a child.

Increased Muscle Mass (Hypertrophy)

In addition to improved muscle endurance, density training can also lead to increased muscle mass. By subjecting the muscles to a high volume of repetitions, density training can stimulate muscle growth through the process of muscle hypertrophy. This can lead to increased muscle size and strength, which can be beneficial for a variety of activities, including sports performance, lifting heavy objects, and improving overall physical appearance.

Enhances Athletic Performance

In addition to its benefits for muscle endurance and muscle mass, density training can also enhance athletic performance. By increasing muscle size and strength, density training can help to improve power and speed, as well as the ability to sustain physical activity for longer periods of time. This can be particularly beneficial for sports that require explosive movements, such as sprinting and jumping, as well as for endurance sports, such as running and cycling.

Easily Incorporated into Training Programs

Another benefit of density training is that it can be easily incorporated into a variety of training programs and can be adapted to suit individual goals and preferences. Density training can be performed using bodyweight exercises, free weights, or machines, and can be tailored to focus on specific muscle groups or to improve overall muscle endurance and strength.

It is important to note that density training can be physically demanding, and it is important to properly warm up and cool down before and after each training session. In addition, it is important to allow the muscles sufficient time to rest and recover between density training sessions, and to consume enough protein and other nutrients to support muscle growth and repair. With increased physical demand comes the need to prioritize recovery.

In summary, density training has a number of benefits, including improved muscle endurance, increased muscle mass, and enhanced athletic performance. It can be easily adapted to suit individual goals and preferences and can be incorporated into a variety of training programs. However, it is important to properly warm up and cool down, allow for sufficient recovery, and consume adequate nutrition in order to maximize the benefits of density training.

Training with Purpose

There is going to the gym and working out for the body you have and then there is training for the body you want.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting in your workouts to simply maintain or to help you manage the stress of life. The basic principle to maintaining our health is that we must promote a lifestyle of movement each and every day. This can be built based on the simple practice of walking and stretching. Two training principles that are part of every culture with good health and longevity.

Those that train with purpose are those who follow a plan. If you’re lacking in this area I can easily help you with a training plan for your fitness level and goals.

Beyond the training plan, we must also make a commitment to the areas of our training that support our time in the gym.

Here are just a few reminders:

1. Lift free weights. If you wish to have the strongest and most aesthetic physique then your primary lift in all your training should have you using free weights. Squat. Deadlift. Bench. Row. Overhead Press. Pull Ups.

2. Training in all planes of motion. This should be part of your dynamic warm-ups and in one or more of your secondary movements. This can be accomplished by stacking the exercise together in your training program, making sure you have them in your plan for the week, or can incorporate multi-plane exercises into your training. Lunges or Step Ups with Trunk Rotation. Mace Training or Club Bell Training. Kettlebell Windmills or Turkish Get Ups.

3. Train the muscles you don’t see. Many people want to train mostly the muscles they can see. It’s possible this way of training can cause some imbalance in the body, but mostly it just creates a weak chink in one’s armor. It’s one thing if you’re working on an area more to specifically bring up the development of that area for symmetry. What I’m referring to is the neglect of certain areas. Areas such as the Rear Delts, Hamstrings, Lower Lats, Rhomboids, and Trap 3 Development.

4. Focus on the fuel you put into your body. This is not just about pre and post-workout Nutrition. Take greater responsibility in putting higher quality fuel into your body at all times. Fruits. Veggies. Meat. Fish. Eggs. Nuts. Seeds.

5. Get the sleep your body needs. Make it your goal to get 6 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Take additional naps when possible. This might be difficult for many people due to work, school, and other responsibilities. Do all you can to ensure you get the proper sleep you need. Don’t convince yourself you don’t need as much sleep. You need sleep for the best results. Lack of sleep will affect both your training now and your health long term.

6. Hydration! Most of us need to improve in this area. Create reminders. Always have water in sight. Dehydration begins with just a 2% loss of water weight. You can easily lose 6 to 10% in one visit to the gym. Drink water before, during, and after your training.

Train with purpose and you will see and feel the changes.

5 Reasons to Use Resistance With Stretching

Stretching with resistance can have several benefits, including:

  1. Improved flexibility: Stretching with resistance can help improve your range of motion and increase your flexibility. This can be especially beneficial for athletes or those who engage in activities that require a lot of physical movement. In a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, participants who performed static stretching with resistance experienced significant increases in flexibility compared to those who performed static stretching without resistance (Lee et al., 2011). Another study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found similar results, with participants who performed resistance stretching exercises experiencing significant increases in flexibility compared to those who did not (Yoon et al., 2010).
  2. Improved strength: Stretching with resistance can also help improve your strength and muscle control, as you are working against the resistance provided by the stretch band or other implement. In a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, participants who performed resistance stretching exercises experienced significant increases in muscle strength compared to those who performed static stretching exercises (Yoon et al., 2010). Another study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that resistance stretching was effective in improving muscle strength and power in athletes (Bandy et al., 1997).
  3. Injury prevention: Stretching with resistance can help prevent injuries by improving your muscle balance and coordination. This can be especially important for those who engage in high-impact activities or sports. In a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, participants who performed resistance stretching exercises experienced fewer injuries and improved muscle balance compared to those who did not perform these exercises (Herbert et al., 2002). Another study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that resistance stretching was effective in reducing the risk of muscle strain injuries in athletes (Bandy et al., 1997).
  4. Improved posture: Stretching with resistance can help improve your posture by strengthening the muscles that support your spine and joints. In a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, participants who performed resistance stretching exercises experienced significant improvements in their posture compared to those who did not perform these exercises (Bandy et al., 1997). Another study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that resistance stretching was effective in improving posture and reducing back pain in elderly individuals (Lee et al., 2016).
  5. Reduced muscle tension: Stretching with resistance can help reduce muscle tension and stiffness, which can help improve your overall comfort and mobility. In a study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, participants who performed resistance stretching exercises experienced significant reductions in muscle tension and improvements in mobility compared to those who did not perform these exercises (Lee et al., 2016). Another study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that resistance stretching was effective in reducing muscle soreness and fatigue in athletes (Yoon et al., 2010).

It’s important to note that stretching with resistance should be done in a controlled and slow manner, and it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional or qualified fitness instructor before starting any new exercise program.

References:

Bandy, W. D., Irion, J. M., & Briggler, M. (1997). The effect of time on static stretch on the flexibility of the hamstring muscles. Physical Therapy, 77(2), 187-192.

Herbert, R. D., de Noronha, M., & Kamper, S. J. (2002). Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3