A good bodybuilding program improves muscle size, tone, density, and definition.

A training program is successful only when it has these characteristics:

t It is a part of a longer plan.
t It is based on the scientific knowledge available in the field.
t It uses periodization as a guideline for planning training throughout the
year.
The program must have short-term goals and long-term goals that are phase specific. Each training
phase has its own objectives, so it is necessary to design the
daily and weekly programs to meet these objectives, while coinciding with the
overall plan.
The development of a plan with both short- and long-term goals must take
into account a person’s background, physical potential, and rate of adaptation to
the physiological challenges imposed by training. In chapters 12 through 17, we
introduce you to several types of plans; and since planning theory is very complex,
we discuss annual planning only as it pertains to bodybuilding.
Training Session
The training session, or daily program, includes a warm-up, the main workout,
and a cool-down. Each of these three parts of the training session has its own
goals. The first part prepares you for the training planned that day; the work is
done in the second, or main, part of the workout; and the third part cools you
down and speeds up your recovery before the next training session.
Warm-Up The purpose of the warm-up is to prepare you for the program to
follow. During the warm-up your body temperature rises, enhancing oxygen
transport and preventing, or at least reducing, ligament sprains
and muscle and tendon strains. It also stimulates central nervous system activity, which coordinates all
the systems of the
body, speeds up motor reactions through faster transmission
of nerve impulses, and improves coordination. For the purpose
of strength and bodybuilding training, the warm-up consists
of two parts:
1. General warm-up (10 to 12 minutes). This part
consists of light jogging, cycling, or stair climbing,
followed by stretching exercises. This ritual prepares
the muscles and tendons for the workout by increasing blood flow and body temperature. During this
time, you can mentally prepare for the main part of
the training session by visualizing the exercises to be
performed and motivating yourself for the eventual
strain of training.
2. Specific warm-up (3 to 5 minutes). This part is a
short transition period that consists of performing a few
repetitions of each planned exercise using significantly
lighter loads. This prepares your body for the specific
work to be done during the main part of the workout.
Fitness star Kasia Sitarz always warms up
before an intensive training session.
38 Serious Strength Training
Main Workout This part of the training session is dedicated to performing the
actual bodybuilding exercises. For the best results, make up the daily program
well in advance of the workout, and write it down on paper or, better yet, in a
logbook. To know the program in advance is of psychological benefit because it
enables you to better motivate yourself and focus more clearly on the task at hand.
The duration of a training session depends on the type of strength being developed and the specific
training phase of your model of periodization. For example,
the longest workouts are needed for the hypertrophy phase because there are
many sets to perform. As a result, a hypertrophy workout may be as long as 2
hours, especially if there are a large number of exercises. Multijoint exercises are
beneficial in a hypertrophy workout because they save you time.
The recommended duration of a workout, both in specific sports as well as in
bodybuilding, has shifted dramatically over the years. From the 1960s to the early
1970s, the duration of suggested workouts was often 2.5 to 3 hours. The results
from numerous scientific investigations have had a dramatic influence on the
recommended duration of a workout, demonstrating that you may improve more
over the course of three 1-hour workouts than during a single 3-hour workout.
In the case of strength training and bodybuilding, longer workouts result in a
hormonal shift. Specifically, testosterone levels decrease, promoting breakdown
(catabolism) of protein, which has a negative effect on muscle building.
The type of strength or bodybuilding training dictates, to a very high degree,
the duration of a workout. It is also important to realize that the rest intervals
employed greatly influence the duration of a training session. The following durations are suggested
for each type of strength training session: