Check out the post here for a refresher: (http://leanlifters.com/how-to-protect-your-ring-while-lifting/).

The ring protector got lost in the shuffle of other ongoing projects, but I have recently gotten some help in getting it back on track. I plan on finally making a large scale order, but I want to get some user feedback beforehand.

If any readers who have experienced similar difficulties with their rings could take a few minutes to answer some questions via the link below, it would be greatly appreciated. Stay tuned!

Take Survey

P.S.- Share with your friends!

Top Ten Reasons To Do Complexes:

1. They burn a lot of calories
2. They are short and quick
3. There are many variations
4. Very little equipment needed
5. Easy setup
6. You can do them every day, even on days you lift or run
7. Go light and they can be your warmup
8. They ingrain the core lifting movements
9. Dan John says to do them
10. Good prep work before joining a crossfit gym
11. They tend to burn fat while preserving muscle
12. No strength loss
13. Newbies will actually get stronger (but most people won’t)
14. Your kids will think you’re pretty bad-ass
15. They are fun
16. There are endless options
17. There are endless progressions
18. Easy to regress (i.e. make it easier for newbies)
19. Great for recovery; if you can’t lift heavy b/c of injury
20. Full body workout
21. They actually have a built-in warm-up because the weight is light; it doesn’t start feeling heavy until the second or third rounds
22. If you design them right, the full ROM will carry over into increased ROM in life and in your main lifting routine
23. ????  Other reasons you have?

I’m tired of paying so much for my recovery drinks. I train so much and consume so much that it gets really expensive. But modern recovery drinks really do have good science to back them up. The ratio of carbs to protein, the mix of carb types, the amino acid profile of the proteins, etc. have evidence of faster recovery. It’s not purely a gimmick.

My two go-to have been Biotest Surge Recovery and Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1. They are solid products and taste great (especially the biotest). But they aren’t cheap and they also have other additives in them I want to avoid.

So I set about to make my own.

My rules:

• it had to have essentially the same profile as the mentioned alternatives
• it had to be powder (portable, can store for a long time, just add water)
• it had to be cheaper than the mentioned alternatives
• it had to have almost zero additives
• it had to not taste like an ash tray
• it had to mix well in just a normal shaker bottle

Here’s what I came up with. Very simple.

Mix two type of carbs:  1 scoop maltodextrin and 1 scoop dextrose.  Add 1 scoop whey.  Ratio of twice the carbs to the protein.

If you buy the right sizes, you can just dump the entire packages together to save time.  But you do need to mix it well in your tub and use a large storage bin.

Simple right?  So what brands did I use?

Specific Choices

Two types of carbs and one type of protein:

This comes to 6.2 pounds for $49.80 as of this writing. That’s $8.03 per pound. And just as importantly, NO ADDED JUNK.

This has essentially the exact same profile as popular products like

• Biotest SURGE Recovery ($11.60 a pound – 44% more expensive)
• Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 Recovery ($9.34 a pound – 16% more expensive)

Both of these are great products, and I’ve used them, BUT they have a lot of additives. Not only do I not want added chemicals in my supplements, but it also means you are paying for them (even though it’s a small amount of added chemicals, they add to the weight and so it means the cost per pound of the goodness is actually higher than calculated).

I have to say though, that the Biotest product just tastes damn good.  The ON doesn’t taste too bad but it’s not great.  And my homemade version has little taste at all.  Really bland.  But it doesn’t taste like an ash tray.

Alternatives

Alternatives:

• if you are fat, then make the mix with 1 scoop maltodextrin, 1 scoop dextrose, 2 scoops protein; that means you are doing 1:1 carbs:protein
• for better taste, use an actual blender and add some berries; that will increase the carbs a bit but not much
• even though I think chocolate milk has an excellent profile for recovery, is convenient, and is very affordable, I seem to have a slight allergy to milk and so can only handle grass-fed milk in quantities. So for me, that increases the cost and ruins the convenience factor. But for you, that might be the best thing.

Try it.  Then let me know what you think.  Or if you have a better alternative, chime in with your recipe.

A quick summary is:

Tips for Beginners (0-5 Reps)

In the beginning, the key to success is building skill-specific strength by practicing proper technique often.

1) Choose the right pull-up progression for your strength level.

2) Practice the hardest progression that you can do with excellent technique as often as possible.

Tips for Intermediate Trainees (6-15 Reps)

3) Grease the groove for rapid, short-term results.

4) Focus on the following three types of workouts.

a) Max-Effort Pull-up Workouts

b) Pull-up Pyramid Workouts

c) Pull-up Endurance Workouts

Suggestion: do the three workouts listed above once per week for 4-6 weeks (i.e. a total of 3 pull-up workouts per week).

But what if you can already do 10-15 reps and want to become a true pullup (or chinup) superstar?  John has some new tips just for you.  Here is Part 2:

Enter John

My Top 2 Tips for Advanced Trainees (16-20+ Reps)

5) Increase volume and intensity to improve your strength-endurance.

If you’re in the 15-20+ reps range, you are well past earning any newbie gains and you’re probably nearing your maximum ability without using weights. Said another way, it will soon be difficult to add more reps to your max without increasing your max strength. And the best way to do that is with weighted pull-ups.

However, after you get past the 12-15 reps range, the pull-up transitions into more of an endurance challenge than a strength challenge. And so, you’ll need strength-endurance to keep adding reps to your max.

Now, anything you can do to increase the time under tension during the exercise will help you improve your pull-up and chin-up endurance. So, as part of your high-volume, high intensity workouts (like the three workouts in Tip #4), try implementing the following advanced strategies.

a) Pull-up Drop Sets

Instructions: Perform a max effort set of pull-ups. Immediately after your last repetition (your max), begin performing assisted pull-ups (e.g. jumping pull-ups or band-assisted pull-ups). Perform the set of assisted pull-ups until you max out again (i.e. as many reps as you can perform with good technique). Then perform a max set of negative repetitions (i.e., just the lowering portion of the exercise). After that, hold a flexed-arm hang for as long as possible. And then finally, hold a deadhang for as long as possible to finish up the set.

The idea is that after you’ve maxed out at one level, you drop down a difficulty level and max out again, until you’ve extinguished all options – without resting between exercises. Obviously, this will be quite challenging, and will create substantial fatigue. So, I’d suggest using this strategy judiciously.

Here’s a video that explains the Pullup Drop Set strategy…

b) Pull-up Rest-Pause Sets

Instructions: Perform a set of pull-ups as you normally would, and when finished, take about 5-10 seconds to rest (for a quick recovery). After the 5-10 seconds has passed, start performing sets of 1-3 pull-ups at a time, and resting only 5-10 seconds between sets. Stop when you can no longer perform one pull-up with good technique after 10 seconds of rest.

6) Add weight, carefully and gradually, for continued, sustainable results.

Most trainees will reach a point in their progress when it becomes very difficult to increase their pull-up numbers. It’s different for everyone, but it happens to most men somewhere between 18-25 reps. You just get stuck. And what you were doing before just isn’t working anymore.

Now, the stronger you get, and the closer you get to your genetic potential, the more important that it will be for you to take a long-term approach to strength training – for pull-ups or otherwise. And usually, this means that it’s time for weighted pull-ups, which can be a moderately risky exercise unless you are patient, follow safe training practices, and progress gradually.

The best way to start training with weighted pull-ups is to simply add 2.5 to 5 pounds to yourself every week or two (e.g. using a weight belt, backpack, or holding a weight between your legs or feet). This simple, linear progression is boring, and it works very well. But eventually, you’ll need to adopt a more formal, periodized strength training program for increasing your max strength and strength-endurance.

I’ve got my own formulas that are too long and complicated to explain here, but in general, for building your max pull-up strength (e.g. your 1-rep max), I’d recommend keeping most of your workouts in the 1-5 reps range to focus on building strength.

For example…

Workout 1: 5×5 pull-ups

Workout 2: 8×3

Workout 3: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps

Of course, as I mentioned, you’ll need to train for both strength and strength-endurance, which is a topic beyond the scope of this article. Suffice to say, the more advanced you get, the harder it gets to keep making progress, and the more you’ll have to keep all of your ducks in a row.

The Bottom Line

Pull-ups aren’t easy, but anyone can get better at them. And if you work hard enough, you can get great results in a relatively short period of time. So, get on that bar, and put in the work!

Back to Darrin…

Awesome, How Do I Keep Improving?

John has a much more detailed program – including more videos – as part of The Pullup Solution: The Complete Pull-up & Chin-up Training System.

He’s offering a great product at a great price and will give you your money back if you aren’t happy.  And if he doesn’t I will.  I don’t ever want to recommend any product that doesn’t work and so you’ve got a double guarantee here.

Click Here To Learn More

About The Guest Author

John Sifferman is a health-first fitness coach and the author of The Pull-up Solution, the first comprehensive, step-by-step pull-up and chin-up training system that helps people rapidly increase their pull-up numbers in three months or less.

You can learn how John dramatically improved his pull-up performance and has helped thousands of people do the same with a unique twist on pull-up training at his website www.ThePullupSolution.com.

John lives with his wife, children, and Akita dog in beautiful New Hampshire.

As a reminder, chinups are when your palms are facing you after grabbing the bar, while pullups are when your palms are facing away from you.  Pullups generally make less use of the biceps which is why they are usually harder.

I’ve written about these before, and I created a system I use for in-person trainees to help them progress.

I recently discovered John Sifferman’s work, and it turns out he’s got videos and a great ebook write-up that is similar to my system.  I can tell you this works.  You have to be dedicated, but it works.  I asked John to write an article for you and he ended up over-delivering!  It’s so packed that I’ve split it up into two parts.  Here is part one.

Enter John

Pull-ups and chin-ups are some of the best exercises for the upper body, but many people struggle to get better at them. So, in this quick guide, I’ll give you some of my best tips for getting your first proper pull-up, building your rep numbers fast, and breaking through a plateau to reach 20-30 pull-ups and beyond (if you dare!).

My Top 2 Tips for Beginners (0-5 Reps)

In the beginning, the key to success is building skill-specific strength by practicing proper technique often.

1) Choose the right pull-up progression for your strength level.

If you can’t do any pull-ups or chin-ups, try doing assisted reps by jumping to help with the pulling phase, or by using a resistance band or a partner to help support some of your weight. If you can’t perform assisted reps smoothly, under control, try just performing negative pull-ups or chin-ups (i.e. just the lowering portion of the exercise). And if that’s too tough, simply try hanging from the bar for time (e.g. in the top, flexed position, the middle position, and/or the bottom deadhang position). With frequent practice, your strength will improve.

Here’s an old video I filmed to explain these progressions…

[Editor’s Note from Darrin: This was many years ago and you can see, you don’t need to be jacked to get lots of pullups. And you don’t need a fancy gym!]

2) Practice the hardest progression that you can do with excellent technique as often as possible.

If you can do zero pull-ups, or only a few reps, then strength is what you need to focus on. And the best way to build strength for pull-ups is to practice the exercise frequently. You can plug 3-5 practice sets into your regular workouts – being sure to keep your effort level at or below 80% of your maximum ability. Or, you can grease the groove, by practicing several low-intensity sets of pull-ups (or easier variations) throughout the day – several days per week (see below for further instructions on greasing the groove).

Whenever your practice pull-ups, and especially in the beginning, you want to make sure that you’re performing all of your reps with optimal technique so that you can maximize your results, and minimize the risk of injury.

So, here’s my detailed video on optimal pull-up technique. I guarantee you’ll learn something from this, whether you can do zero pull-ups or twenty.

[Editor’s Note From Darrin:  A couple years later and John’s hard work is paying off with an even better physique!]

My Top 2 Tips for Intermediate Trainees (6-15 Reps)

3) Grease the groove for rapid, short-term results.

Greasing the groove (GTG) is one of the best methods for building strength fast, and it’s particularly effective for people who can do between 5-15 pull-ups, which seems to be a sweet spot when applying this method to the pull-ups exercise. But it can certainly be used by those outside of this range, too – and quite successfully!

Here’s how it works:

Several days per week (e.g. 4-7 days), do several sets of pull-ups throughout the day (e.g. 5-10+ sets). All sets should be performed with proper form at a sub-maximal intensity (e.g. 25-80% of max reps) – and stopped well before muscle failure.

The underlying goal is to do as much work as possible (i.e. reps) while also staying as fresh as possible. In other words, you’re trying to practice the exercise without exhausting yourself so that you can train it very frequently. This will improve your nervous system’s efficiency, which will, in turn, help you do more pull-ups.

Even though GTG training doesn’t require much effort, it is hands-down one of the most effective pull-up training strategies. But like all good things, your results won’t last forever. So, when your results start to slow down (usually after 3-6 weeks of GTG), move on to the workouts contained in tip four below.

4) Focus on the following three types of workouts.

Below, you’ll find three kinds of pull-up workouts that are great for intermediate trainees.

a) Max-Effort Pull-up Workouts

Instructions: After a warmup, complete 3-5 max or near-max sets of pull-ups, gradually increasing your intensity each set. Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.

For example…

Set 1: 80% of max reps
Set 2: 85% of max reps
Set 3: 90% of max reps
Set 4: 95% of max reps
Set 5: 100% of max reps

b) Pull-up Pyramid Workouts

Instructions: Do one pull-up, then rest for about 10 seconds. Do two pull-ups, then rest for about 20 seconds. And continue this progression until you max out and can’t complete the next level. Then work your way back down the pyramid by doing one less repetition each set.

For example…

Set 1: 1 rep
Set 2: 2 reps
Set 3: 3 reps
Set 4: 4 reps
Set 5: 5 reps
Set 6: 5 reps (max – missed 6th rep)
Set 7: 4 reps
Set 8: 3 reps
Set 9: 2 reps
Set 10: 1 rep

Here’s a video that explains how the pyramid workout works…

[Editor’s Note:  Back to a few years earlier…]

c) Pull-up Endurance Workouts

Instructions: Select a repetition number that’s approximately half of your maximum ability. So, if you can do 10 pull-ups during a test, your number is 5 reps. Complete 10-20 sets, resting no more than 30 seconds between sets.

Suggestion: do the three workouts listed above once per week for 4-6 weeks (i.e. a total of 3 pull-up workouts per week).

Back to Darrin…

Awesome, How Do I Learn More?

Next time we’ll recap and discuss how you get beyond 20…

In the meantime, John has a much more detailed program – including more videos – as part of The Pullup Solution: The Complete Pull-up & Chin-up Training System.

He’s offering a great product at a great price and will give you your money back if you aren’t happy.  And if he doesn’t I will.  I don’t ever want to recommend any product that doesn’t work and so you’ve got a double guarantee here.

Click Here To Learn More

Note: this is a guest article written by John Sifferman, who is the author of The Pullup Solution: The Complete Pull-up & Chin-up Training System.

In business, you need to run away from “get rich quick” schemes. Similarly, nearly all the promises in the fitness world fall short. Some are useless. Some are damaging. Many work, but they take WAY longer than promised before you get results (at least for most people).

You may have heard about “complexes” – catchy name, but it’s really not a particularly new concept. The principles are rooted in good old track-and-field training. Do a reasonable amount of work in short, intense bursts, using full-body movements that involve some amount of explosive force. And don’t overtrain.

Reps, implements, rest periods, etc. all can vary. But again, nothing new here. So why are they popular “again”? Because they actually work pretty much as advertised.

Wanna burn a ton of calories without losing strength? Complexes are the ticket.

Wanna get in some excellent conditioning but hate “cardio”? Complexes are the ticket.

Wanna cycle in some lower-load, high explosive sessions on “recovery” days from heavy lifting? Complexes are the ticket.

Wanna get in some great training and only have 20 minutes? Complexes are the ticket.

Wanna try something that has a lot of hype around it, but actually does what it promises (for the most part)? Complexes are the ticket. [I promise to never say “are the ticket” ever again, never ever. Really.]

What are Complexes?

The basic idea (of which there are hundreds of variations) is that you take a single implement with a fixed load (a barbell, a kettlebell, etc., even your own body would count with some secrets I’ll share) and perform several different exercises for a few reps back to back. Then rest and repeat. No PhD needed. No superior genetics needed. And not a ton of time needed.

Complexes Are Not…

• … just regular lifting, with shorter rest periods
• … a new idea
• … a trademarked concept that costs money to use
• … “muscle confusion”
• … Crossfit (though some principles are similar)

Example of a Complex

Here’s a single (but really good) example… Load up a barbell with two 25s (so, 95 pounds total) and do the following without letting go of the bar between movements:

–          8 cleans

–          8 overhead presses

–          8 good mornings

–          8 front squats

–          8 rows

–          8 RDLs

–          Rest 60 seconds

–          Repeat

–          Rest 60 seconds

–          Repeat

Now, the actual weight will vary by user. You might want to just start with the bar. Yes, just the bar.

If you are really strong, perhaps you can do this with 135 but I doubt it. And as you get more conditioned you may work up to 5 rounds or maybe 6. (See notes below on total volume to shoot for.)

The pace needs to pop. Fast but not sloppy. Think about exploding the weight up and then lower under control. Don’t bounce at the bottom. Pause if you are getting dizzy or nauseated or sloppy.

No Silver Bullet

Despite the hype you might read about, Complexes will NOT do the following for 99% of the people reading this article:

–          Will not add appreciable muscle mass by themselves (unless you are a total newbee)

–          Will not overcome a bad eating plan

–          Will not make you better at your sport

–          Will not make you rich

–          Will not get your kids into the college of their choice (which actually may not be such a bad thing, in my view…)

Why Do Complexes?

Complexes burn a ton of calories in a short period. They are essentially HIIT training, almost Tabata-like (remember, Tabata is specifically 20 seconds of balls-out work with 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds and 4 minutes total; most people can’t truly handle Tabata so I’ve recommended “Inverted Tabata” for novice/intermediates).

You also get the after-burn effect, or EPOC, where over the rest of the day you burn more calories due to the turbulent nature of the session. By the way, I think EPOC is WAYYYY overplayed but it is still a factor.

As far as conditioning, you tend to get what you train. Meaning, if you value being able to increase your work capacity for doing intense work in time periods of 20 minutes or so, then, duh, do more intense work in 20 minute periods and increase week to week. Complexes can help.

Another bonus with complexes is that you are training movements that support your lifting goals. My favorite complexes are those that use primary lifting movements like the Big Seven. A big part of getting stronger is ingraining the movements, even with light weight, over the long haul. Complexes can help.

Plus, they are just plain fun!

Now, don’t forget, good old fashioned lifting actually burns more calories than either complexes or traditional cardio. But most people on this site are already lifting as frequently and as intensely as they can while maintaining good recovery. Complexes are shorter and use less overall poundage so fewer calories. But complexes let you get in extra work without significant muscle breakdown – hence, they don’t impact recovery much.

Traditional cardio burns calories for sure. But it’s not muscle-preserving. Most people experience some loss in muscle and/or strength when they add appreciable amounts of steady-state cardio to their routines. Complexes will burn more calories and are not going to foster any muscle loss unless you are in a massive calorie deficit. [Note – I’m not anti-cardio and you can combine muscle building with running.]

Then there are explosive sessions, like sprinting or plyometric training, but they end up being so intense (if done right) that they take recovery days. Complexes are intense effort but not particularly heavy so recovery days are not usually needed.

How To Create Your Own, and More Examples

I’ll share some more examples, discuss progression, and show you how to create your own in the next article in a few days. Watch for it!

In the meantime, if you have questions or requests, post them here and I’ll try to address them in Part 2.

It was September 21, 2013.  I was about 6 hours into the Spartan World Championship Beast, in Killington VT.

I was bonking.

No, not the fun kind.  Here I mean bonking as in “hitting the wall”, an unfortunate experience many endurance athletes experience.

What was going on?  I’d done this event twice before.  Each was a slightly different (easier) course and I had completed in about 5 hours. But here I was at hour 6, not nearing the finish line, and I had no energy, no focus, and felt like quitting.

At first I thought this was due to a poor training plan.  After all, I hadn’t trained for a 7+ hour event.

Months later I realized, after experimenting, that a big culprit was my pre-event nutrition and my intra-event nutrition.  In both cases, I had no plan.  I spent the months leading up to the event thinking only about training.  Not about how my nutrition before and during would matter.

In retrospect, that was dumb.  I “knew” all about carb loading.  At least, I had read about it a ton.  And talked to marathoners who swore by it.  But I never thought I needed it.

Fast forward to the September 20, 2014 Spartan World Championships.  I had successfully carb-loaded and had a great event.  Here’s what I learned…

What Is Carb Loading?

Let’s get some definitions out.

Carb loading = carbo loading = carbohydrate loading = CHO loading = glycogen loading.  All these terms mean the same thing.

Carb loading is the act of pre-loading your muscles with more carbohydrate stores (glycogen) than they normally carry so that you have more to draw from during long-term exercise bouts.  Muscles primarily use carbs for energy.  So storing more energy in the muscles leading up to an event will increase the time before you “hit the wall”.  Several protocols for carb loading include a period of depleting your muscle glycogen (driving it to levels sub-normal so that during the loading phase you get even more oversaturation).

The exact chemo-bio mechanisms are more complicated than this, but that definition should suffice for our purposes.

Generally, carb loading is most effective when the event is over about 2 hours (some studies put the cut-off at 90 minutes).  This is because that’s about how long it takes for “normal” levels of muscle (and liver) glycogen to be consumed.  The type and intensity of activity affects this but let’s go with the 2-hr mark.  Depending on a wide range of factors, carb loading could increase your stores (and thus your time before bonking) by 30% to 50%.  That’s about 45 more minutes and can make a huge difference in an event.

It’s important to note that carb loading is episodic, not routine.  Meaning, it’s something you do leading up to an event rather than a normal way of eating.

What Carb Loading Is Not

Carb loading is

• not about what you do during the event (although you can certainly “hit the wall” if you don’t get your intra-event nutrition and hydration right)
• not about your post-workout nutrition
• not about bulking cycles
• not about a low-carb vs high carb diet
• not to be confused with “carb back-loading” [a longer-term diet where you eat most of your carbs later in the day]
• not for everyone; as you’ll see below, there are some things you need to test to see how you will react

Despite gym-talk, you don’t do carb loading before an intense lifting session, powerlifting meet, or other short endurance training episode.

When Should I Do Carb Loading?

Carb loading is designed for endurance activities.  The longer the event, the more important it is to consider carb loading.  For me, I am only going to consider it for events that I expect will take longer than 2 hours if there will be no intra-event nutrition or longer than 3 hours if its the kind of thing where I can eat/digest during the event.  Your results may vary.

I should take a quick editorial time out here and talk about the focus of this site for a moment.  For the most part, I’m not an “endurance athlete”.  Heck, I don’t think I’m an athlete at all.  But I am athletic and I do my best to beat my previous performances over time.  This technique of carb loading necessarily focuses on endurance events and the only endurance events I do these days are obstacle courses.  That training involves running but my passion is lifting.  Obstacle races combine them well for me.  If you are a competitive “pure” endurance athlete, then you may have needs beyond my knowledge to advise you on.

Carb Loading Protocols

There are several protocols, or methods, for carb loading that have evolved over the years.  I’ll list them in the chronological order in which they gained popularity:

1. Multi-day depletion + Multi-day loading
   • Basic protocol:  6 days before an event, exercise “to exhaustion” and then spend 3 days on a very low carb diet; then exercise to exhaustion again and move to a very high carb diet for the 3 days just before the event.
2. No depletion + Multi-day loading
   • Basic protocol:  Same as above but skip the low carb stage.
3. No depletion + 1 day loading
   • Basic protocol:  Skip the low-carb stage and then just eat a ton of carbs starting the morning before the event.
4. Short depletion + 2 days loading
   • Basic protocol:  Two days before the event, do a short but intense workout (like a tabata interval run) and then move to high carb for the next two days.

And not surprisingly, there are variations within the variations.

Next Week

Next week we’ll cover these protocols in more detail, what types of carbs are best, and some of the science behind it.  Then the week after I’ll share some special topics and my exact protocol for obstacle races (including intra-event nutrition) but that last article will just be for All Access Pass members.

There’s still time for you to submit questions…

I just read a great article by Charles Staley that adds a whole new dimension to evaluating your experience level with lifting weights.  I’ve written in the past about how to rank yourself from Newbie to Pro but his take is refreshing and simple.

The context here is about how close to failure you should go when weight lifting.  And tellingly, it depends on the lift in question.  If you are mechanically proficient at a lift, the closer you can get to muscular failure and still be safe.  If you are unstable as you fatigue or as you take on heavy loads, you really shouldn’t push to failure.  For isolation movements (single joint exercises), it’s pretty safe to push.  But I strongly recommend the vast majority of your routine revolve around the compound, multi-joint movements.

Now, he mixes “fatigue” with “max weight” in his article, and he obviously knows better – those are two different phenomena.  The “way” you fail after doing 20 squats with a light load is different than how you fail going for a heavy triple.  That said, since most of the routines I recommend are in the 4 to 12 rep range, I think we can conflate the two issues just like he does.

Proficiency Definitions From Charles Staley

1. Incompetent:  You don’t know how to, and/or aren’t able to perform the exercise properly.

At this stage, you are just too new to the lift to load it properly and/or push yourself.  Practice with light loads is what you need to do.  Let’s say you’re just learning the military press.  Most likely, maintaining alignment is nearly impossible even with light loads.  You don’t have the full range of motion, your back arches, elbows flare, etc.  So you just need to practice with the bar for a while striving for perfect form.  Once you learn perfect form, you can start loading it and move to the next stage.

2. Unstable: With moderate loads, your mechanics are fine, but once you reach a certain weight on the bar, you start falling apart.

This is the most common thing I see in the gym.  Guys (mostly) who know their way around the gym but really haven’t mastered the lifts.  Part of moving past this stage is deliberate practice; part is just total number of hours (years) under the bar.

3.  Stable: Your technique – while not necessarily perfect – looks the same no matter how much weight you’re attempting.

If you are doing a 10RM for 10 reps, and rep#1 looks essentially just like rep#10, you probably have stable form.  Similarly, if you then try for a heavy double and your form looks essentially just like the 10-rep set, then you are stable.  Here, if you fail, you simply fail:  if you drop into the hole (the lower position of the squat) and you just can’t stand back up.  It’s not that your knees cave or that you turn it into a “good morning”, you simply have exceeded your momentary strength.

Rating Yourself

So how would you rate on each of The Big 7?  For example, I would rate myself:

• Deadlift:  Unstable (I think, by Staley’s definition, most people start to breakdown on heavy deadlifts)
• Squat: Stable (I’m not as strong as I’d like, but I think my form is very stable)
• Bench: Unstable (my elbows start to flare with heavy loads)
• Overhead Press: Stable
• Row: Stable
• Dips: Stable
• Chins: Stable

I would rate my daughter, who is still learning to lift and so to be fair, hasn’t really tested at max loads:

• Deadlift:  Stable (she might be gifted in this lift)
• Squat: Unstable
• Bench: Incompetent
• Overhead Press: Incompetent
• Row: Incompetent
• Dips: Incompetent
• Chins: Unstable

What about you?

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