Evaluation of a Productive Workout
by Joseph Merolle

First, let me start by introducing myself.  My name is Joseph Merolle, and I have been competing in the natural amateur bodybuilding circuit since 2001. I have been training for 20 years, and have a Bachelor of Science degree in health science and exercise physiology. At this point, I would love to write that I have won many shows and I am well on my way to my natural pro card, but sometimes you learn more from third place finishes than first place finishes. Sometimes the agony of defeat forces you to look for answers, which in my opinion can be a greater reward than a trophy. This much I can say, every year the judges and other competitors comment on my progress, which is hard to find in natural bodybuilding.

 Often times when I am in the gym and shop talking with other trainees, I ask them what they consider a good workout to be. The answers I receive are interesting; however, out of the many times I asked this question, I have never received an answer I agree with, or an answer that someone with a doctorate in physiology would agree with. The following answers are from experienced trainers, weightlifters and athletes. These answers may sound reasonable and often guide our decision-making process in the gym. Let me know if any of the following quotes have guided your thoughts and decision-making: 

• “If I get a great pump, I feel the workout is productive.”

• “I am directed by my instincts and feel, which leads me to a productive workout. With years of experience, you know what to do and what not to do.”

• “If I am sore the next day, this usually tells me whether I am on the right track.”

• “If I get a good burn, I know that without a doubt I am doing the right routine.”

• “If my heart rate is elevated and I am building a good sweat, I know I will see progress.”

• “If I do something new and work hard, it has to be a muscle-building program.”

• “If I am supported with the right supplements, my workouts are the best.”

• “…just as long as I am able to get extra reps in.”

• “If I hit a lot of forced reps, I know my body has to respond with growth.”

• “Stick with the basic power movements, and your body will grow.”

 You may be thinking by now, “Hold on Merolle! These are all important factors to consider, and they have guided my workouts for years.” I will not argue that some of the above responses may correlate with productivity; however, they do not guarantee progress! What constitutes a good workout is whether it yields you the highest growth response possible. In other words, how much more weight and reps will you be able to perform the next time you carry out this workout? In mathematical terms, what will be your percentage of change in the power, strength, work and weight-training endurance output the next time you do the workout? (I will discuss these very different and vital terms later.) So, when I come home from a workout, and my wife asks me how my workout was, I really do not know until the next time I carry out that routine. The more you are able to lift from session to session (provided you take all sets to failure in both workouts and you are free from injury in both workouts) dictates how much growth and adaptation took place in your rest time. When comparing subject A to subject A at a different date, if he/she is able to lift more weight, it proves there is more muscle to do it. I do not care how many of the previous quotations are a part of your workouts, if you cannot lift more weight and reps compared to your previous session, then you wasted your time and effort. The only thing the workout did for you was reinforce your plateau. This is the main reason why most natural bodybuilders look the same year in and year out, in spite of brutal efforts in the gym. First, they do not take the time to record what they are doing. Second, there is no concrete measurement of progress for the workout.  

 Let us break down the five components of overload to measure for percentage of change. Power is how much work you are doing in a unit of time. Therefore, power is weight multiplied by reps from each set, totaled and divided by the total time it took you to do the routine. Strength is how much you lift in respect to your body weight. Work is how much total weight (weight multiplied by the reps from all sets) you lift. Weight-training endurance is how long you are able to sustain the overload (weight), which is a measurement of how many reps you are able to perform in the workout. Finally, there needs to be a measure of change and percentage of change for each set you execute compared to the last time you did the routine. You must analyze each set of each exercise for productivity. You may be thinking this is a lot of number crunching, which you do not have the patience to do. Realizing this, I developed Excel-based training logs that figure these calculations instantly. To see these training logs in action, go to www.breakingplateaus.com and click on screenshots. Below is a list of the functions of the training logs.

 I am not using this article as a vehicle to sell my product, but rather to educate the reader concerning the science behind training productivity. I do not want the value of the physiology to be lost due to the frustration of making tedious calculations. If you do not own a pocket PC, that’s fine. You can record what you do in a notebook and relay it back to your computer. This is a small inconvenience for priceless feedback. If the $20 for my book and computer system is beyond your scope, drop me an email and I will try to work something out for you.
 

More than a one year personal fitness diary, The Ultimate Weight Training Journal discusses basic nutrition, aerobics, and strength training. But best of all, this book shows you how these three tools can best be used in attaining a better physique, better health, and more strength. Get your Ultimate Weight Training Journal now!

After trying the system, you will begin to realize why you are not growing.

If your percentages and changes are not 50% or greater, you need to choose a different overload scheme. *An extra rep or two is not good if you could have chosen a routine that yields double the weight and reps using less rest time between sets. The reason why a beginner grows at such a fast pace is because each of the overload domains mentioned above are moving at a rate of 200% or more each workout. You can rekindle this high growth rate if you comprise routines based on your percentage of change and not how you feel or how pretty you look with a pump.  

Functions of the Training Logs:  

 Joseph Merolle

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