1. When on a strength cycle, train at least 2 but no more than 6 times per week. You need to be consistent to groove the neurological development of your strength... but you should take at least one day of full rest.

2. Focus on no more than 3 exercises per strength workout. Training hard and just working hard are two differing things: you can work hard pushing rocks, but since strength is specific, you must concentrate on technique refinement of each strength skill.

3. Avoid practicing the same movements any more than three times per week. We cannot train muscles, only movements. So, make sure that you don't over-train one movement by practicing it too much when you're focusing on strength development.

4. Separate the translational from the rotational motions when you're on a strength and size cycle training three times / week. Separate the movements which are similar when you train more than 3 times per week. Like the old bodybuilder's upper and lower body split, separate yawing, pitching, rolling from your heaving, surging and swaying movements.

5. If you're training 2-3 times per week, focus on the big basics: arm cast, shoulder cast, double front clean.

6. If you're training 4-6 times per week, then focus on 6 exercises to keep variety: arm cast, shoulder cast, double front clean, plus double front swing, single side swing and shield cast. See this tutorial on heavy one-handed arm casts: http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=pM6ROKZEtGo

7. Always compensate for the movements within the workout, and then train the functional opposite in the next cycle switching every 3-5 weeks. For instance, locust pose is an excellent way to unload the arm-cast in between sets, and the clean is a functional opposite of the arm cast.

8. If training 4-6 times per week, the volume and intensity must not require lengthy recovery. Keep your volume and intensity less 85%max when you're training often to avoid being under-recovered while training.

9. Use active and passive recovery methods to ensure that your nervous system, and as a result your mind and emotions, refresh and reboot. Active recovery methods include joint mobility, and passive recovery methods include massage, sauna, whirlpool and steam.

10. Make your nutrition heavy in the front-end, and high in protein and complex carbs. Eat your largest meal in the morning, your 2nd largest in the afternoon and your smallest in the evening.

With the above recommendations, I put on 28 pounds of lean body mass, and have achieved a level of strength never before known to me.

Copyright (c) 2009 RMAX INTERNATIONAL