Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions by Alwyn Cosgrove
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It is probably obvious to the readers of this site that the average trainee's workout program
is absolute garbage. The question that has always bothered me is that despite
improvements in technology, supplementation and world class sporting performance, the
average training program (for athletes and non-athletes alike) has quite simply not
progressed.
I have come to the conclusion that there are several reasons for this, and once we can
understand the reasons for the misinformation, we can begin to 'absorb what is useful and
reject what is useless' (Bruce Lee). So for this article I'd like to share a few with you 1) Sports scientists have really only studied aerobic training in any depth. It is only in the last
few years that strength training has been studied to any degree. Quite simply aerobic
training is grossly over-rated. Over rated for health, over rated for performance and
definitely over rated for fat loss. My personal opinion is that it is practically useless for fat
loss, but the real problem is aerobic training's detrimental effect on strength and
hypertrophy work. However for many years the only meaningful sport or exercise science
research that was available was on aerobic training, and the only information on strength
training came from Western Europe or in the US - from Joe Weider. Fortunately the tide is
turning and strength and power training is being studied in greater depth, although I feel it
will be several more years before the average athletes or gym goers training program will
reap the benefits. That said - the research itself often provides as many problems as
solutions
.
2) The actual research itself often produces conflicting results. One main issue is that due to
practical limitation most studies are completed in a few weeks or at best months. The reality
is that training spans years of development and preparation - often longer than an Olympic
cycle. Allied with the fact that the effects of a single set can't really be understood - the
effect of one extra set on your next set, next workout, next weeks program etc can't be
extrapolated, so short term studies only provide stimulus for further research at best. It's
quite easy to see - that because any short term training stimulus will yield some results - we
can quite often be confronted with research that shows two diametrically opposed
programs both having similar short term effects - we won't really see the value of any
program in a few weeks.
3) Research subjects - A good example of a typical subject in a university study is that of an
untrained freshman - often so weak that they would make significant strength and muscle
gains if they switched from 120z beers to 200z beers.
1
Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions by Alwyn Cosgrove
4) History versus Science. Lyn Jones the director of USA Weightlifting has often been quoted
as saying that sports scientists are really more like sports historians. Sports scientists are
often researching what coaches have been doing for years- current research is more on
sports training history than current programs - researchers are often trying to validate (or
invalidate) what most coaches are already doing.
5) Knowledge about training programs have been hampered by the growth of bodybuilding
as an activity. Bodybuilding TRAINING has largely not progressed in the last thirty years. The
program of the 1970 Champion (and now Governor of California) Arnold Schwarzenneger is
almost identical to the 1998-2004 champion Ronnie Coleman. The fact that bodybuilding in
itself is extremity dominated in its training practice - and not core dominated as most sports
conditioning programs should be - then the damage done by the intentions of the
bodybuilding "strength coach" can begin to be seen. I'd go as far to say that the average
bodybuilder would have nothing to offer the athlete in terms of conditioning advice.
6) The common use of anabolic steroids. I firmly believe that program design has been
greatlv influenced by the bodybuilding world and steroid users - Training on drugs makes it
difficult to assess which is working - the anabolics or the program. Many anabolic steroid
users gain on low intensity excessive volume programs that are most definitely not optimal
but show changes due to their anabolic use - therefore they never optimize the training
process and their methods contribute little to our knowledge of training. On a recent
discussion on an internet message board, former NPC national bodybuilder Rob Schuh
mentioned that most pros and top bodybuilders have no respect for today's strength
coaches - his words - it seems that drugs and genetics are worth a lot more - speaks volumes
more on the subject than I ever could. On the Supertraining egroup - Dr Dan Wagman former Editor in Chief of Muscle and Fitness magazine mentioned that all the bodybuilders
he had met over the years were quite open about their drug use - most admitting that it was
the sole reason for their physique. Pharmacology has a greater influence than physiology.
The take home message is - Ronnie's program will likely only work for Ronnie, with Ronnie's
"supplementation" program also.
7) Bodybuilding magazines. It is now probably common knowledge that
articles supposedly written by bodybuilders in the magazines are in fact
are usually hype driven - how the bodybuilder "attacks the muscle from
sure to get a total mind blowing pump". Most of these programs belong
most of the training
ghost written and
all angles - making
in fairy tale land.
8) There is no totally correct protocol. Mentzer would have you believe that only one set
every ten days is enough. Multiple set coaches will tell you that one set is inadequate to
fatigue all motor units. In reality - both approaches are valid, have both advantages and
disadvantages and can and should be used
9)ln fact there are several ways to train. People who have achieved world class standards in
strength sports have all experimented with various combinations of the loading parameters
to get to their level of sporting excellence. Both Bulgaria and the former Soviet Union have
produced numerous world records in weightlifting and power lifting using very different
training philosophies. Westside barbell has produced some excellent lifters - but have also
lost to lifters using quite different philosophies. Charles Staley - noted strength coach is fond
2
Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions by Alwyn Cosgrove
of saying - a program is only as good as the time it takes you to adapt to it, and the best
program for you is the one you are not on .....
10) VARIETY. Istvan Balyi states that the reality oftraining an athlete is a 'matter of best
compromise' - that no matter how good your training program is - there always has to be an
inherent imbalance in the program - either through volume load or sequencing. This is not a
problem as long as the subsequent training programs address that imbalance. Charles
Poliquin _" The body adapts to a training stimulus in as little as six workouts" - lan King
changes workouts every three weeks, Charles Staley every four weeks or so. Continuous
adaptations must be made to the program in order to bring about continuous progress in
the athlete.
3
Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions by Alwyn Cosgrove
The question that has always bothered me is that despite
improvements in technology, supplementation and world class
sporting performance, the average training program has quite
simply not progressed ...
By: Alwyn Cosgrove
I
t is probably obvious to the readers of this site that the average trainee's workout program is
absolute garbage.
The question that has always bothered me is that despite improvements in
technology, supplementation and world class sporting performance, the average
training program (for athletes and non-athletes alike) has quite simply not
progressed.
I have come to the conclusion that there are several reasons for this, and once we
can understand the reasons for the misinformation, we can begin to 'absorb what is
useful and reject what is useless' (Bruce Lee). So for this article I'd like to share a
few with you ...
Top Ten Training Tips
1) Sports scientists have really only studied aerobic training in any depth.
It is only in the last few years that strength training has been studied to any degree. Quite
simply aerobic training is grossly over-rated. Over rated for health, over rated for performance
and definitely over rated for fat loss. My personal opinion is that it is practically useless for fat
4
Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions by Alwyn Cosgrove
loss, but the real problem is aerobic training's detrimental effect on strength and hypertrophy
work.
However for many years the only meaningful sport or exercise science research that was
available was on aerobic training, and the only information on strength training came from
Western Europe or in the US - from Joe Weider. Fortunately the tide is turning and strength
and power training is being studied in greater depth, although I feel it will be several more
years before the average athletes or gym goers training program will reap the benefits. That
said - the research itself often provides as many problems as solutions ...
2) The actual research itself often produces conflicting results.
One main issue is that due to practical limitation most studies are completed in a few weeks
or at best months. The reality is that training spans years of development and preparation often longer than an Olympic cycle. Allied with the fact that the effects of a single set can't
really be understood - the effect of one extra set on your next set, next workout, next weeks
program etc can't be extrapolated, so short term studies only provide stimulus for further
research at best.
It's quite easy to see - that because any short term training stimulus will yield some results we can quite often be confronted with research that shows two diametrically opposed
programs both having similar short term effects - we won't really see the value of any program
in a few weeks.
3) Research subjects.
A good example of a typical subject in a university study is that of an untrained freshman often so weak that they would make significant strength and muscle gains if they switched
from 120z beers to 200z beers.
4) History versus Science.
Lyn Jones the director of USA Weightlifting has often been quoted as saying that sports
scientists are really more like sports historians. Sports scientists are often researching what
coaches have been doing for years - current research is more on sports training history than
current programs - researchers are often trying to validate (or invalidate) what most coaches
are already doing.
5) Knowledge about training programs have been hampered by the growth of
bodybuilding as an activity.
Bodybuilding TRAINING has largely not progressed in the last thirty years. The program of
the 1970 Champion Arnold Schwarzenneger is almost identical to the 1998-2003 champion
Ronnie Coleman.
5
Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions by Alwyn Cosgrove
Ronnie Coleman at the 2003 Mr. Olympia and Arnold at the 1974 Mr. Olympia.
The fact that bodybuilding in itself is extremity dominated in its training practice - and not core
dominated as most sports conditioning programs should be - then the damage done by the
intentions of the bodybuilding "strength coach" can begin to be seen. I'd go as far to say that
the average bodybuilder would have nothing to offer the athlete in terms of conditioning
advice.
6) The common use of anabolic steroids.
I firmly believe that program design has been greatly influenced by the bodybuilding world
and steroid users - Training on drugs makes it difficult to assess which is working - the
anabolics or the program. Many anabolic steroid users gain on low intensity excessive volume
programs that are most definitely not optimal but show changes due to their anabolic use therefore they never optimize the training process and their methods contribute little to our
knowledge of training.
On a recent discussion on an internet message board, former NPC national bodybuilder Rob
Schuh mentioned that most pros and top bodybuilders have no respect for today's strength
coaches - his words - it seems that drugs and genetics are worth a lot more - speaks volumes
more on the subject than I ever could.
On the Supertraining egroup - Dr. Dan Wagman - former Editor in Chief of Muscle and
Fitness magazine mentioned that all the bodybuilders he had met over the years were quite
open about their drug use - most admitting that it was the sole reason for their physique.
Pharmacology has a greater influence than physiology. The take home message is - Ronnie's
program will likely only work for Ronnie, with Ronnie's "supplementation" program also.
7) Bodybuilding magazines.
It is now probably common knowledge that most of the training articles supposedly written by
bodybuilders in the magazines are in fact ghost written and are usually hype driven - how the
bodybuilder "attacks the muscle from all angles - making sure to get a total mind blowing
pump". Most of these programs belong in fairy tale land.
8) There is no totally correct protocol.
Mentzer would have you believe that only one set every ten days is enough. Multiple set
coaches will tell you that one set is inadequate to fatigue all motor units. In reality - both
approaches are valid, have both advantages and disadvantages and can and should be used
6
Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions by Alwyn Cosgrove
9) In fact there are several ways to train.
People who have achieved world class standards in strength sports have all experimented
with various combinations of the loading parameters to get to their level of sporting
excellence. Both Bulgaria and the former Soviet Union have produced numerous world
records in weightlifting and power lifting using very different training philosophies.
Westside barbell has produced some excellent lifters - but have also lost to lifters using quite
different philosophies. Charles Staley, a noted strength coach is fond of saying:
"A program is only as good as the time it takes you to adapt to it, and the best program for you
is the one you are not on .,"
10) VARIETY.
Istvan Balyi states that the reality of training an athlete is a 'matter of best compromise'. That
no matter how good your training program is... there always has to be an inherent imbalance
in the program. Either through volume load or sequencing. This is not a problem as long as
the subsequent training programs address that imbalance.
Charles Poliquin states:
"The body adapts to a training stimulus in as little as six workouts"
lan King changes workouts every three weeks, Charles Staley every four weeks or so.
Continuous adaptations must be made to the program in order to bring about continuous
progress in the athlete.
alwyn@alwyncosgrove.com
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