If you train
with weights on a regular basis or you are a self-confessed bodybuilder then
you will know all about the famous quote by Arnold ‘No pain no gain.’ There is
difference between a workout specifically designed to get maximum return compared
to a workout designed to elicit pain.
All you need
to do is take a look at the complex workout written for Dwayne (Rock) Johnson
by Dave Rienzi. What makes this workout a pain workout is the time it takes to
do the routine. Completing 2 sets of 12 reps adding weight and the last set is
followed by a 90 second rest is very sensible.
Unlike the
rather simple pain workout of Mark Wahlberg who was the lead the “Pain And
Gain” movie he made. This is not the routine he used in the movie but rather
the routine Mark used to help get him into shape for the movie. It is short and
intense and should be completed with as little rest between sets as possible.
·
Box-Jumps
(24” box) X 6
reps
·
Barbell
Thrusters (with 95 lbs.) X 8 reps
·
Walking
Lunge with 45lbs D/B X 10 reps
·
Toes
To Bar
X 12 reps
This kind of
pain routine has the secondary effect of increasing core strength which in the
long term will certainly increase the poundage’s that you push or lift. It is
an intense workout that needs the correct psyche before you start, it will push
the envelope which is what it is designed for.
When Arnold
said no pain no gain he did not know that after 50 years of research science
would tell us that without reaching high intensity the return from any workout
is extremely limited. Arnold could see into the future and intrinsically felt
that intensity was the key to muscle gain.
Research
tells us that training to and past the point of failure is counter-productive
if done on every workout. The body is simply not capable of withstanding and
repairing that kind of damage on a permanent basis, unless you are taking
steroids.
Science
tells us that just doing pain and intensity in every workout will lead to
over-training if done permanently. All training, no matter how or when it is
done needs to be complemented with correct nutrition and recuperation. Without
that you are just going backwards and will never see the results of muscle
hypertrophy.