One of the hardest parts about planning your training is remaining flexible. We get an idea in our head for how things will work and sometimes they look perfect on paper but when executed they don't work very well. This is when we need to be flexible about how we handle ourselves and our plan. We must be ready to make changes, but not too quickly. Changes can sabatoge an OK plan but failure to change will destroy an already bad plan. 

Plan for Flexibility

One way is to plan certain places in your program where changes can be applied. Break an 8 week plan into weekly or slightly longer time periods. This will enable you to enact  changes as soon as you reach the end of a planned portion of your program. With natural breaks in your plan it makes it easier to throw up the flag and make the changes necessary.

Don't Be Too Rigid

We tend to think of things in terms of the calendar. The biggest learning I've had in the past year is not to do that with a training split. You train when the body is ready. Depending upon your goals, a split might not fit into a nice neat week or month. I would like to give you an example from my own planning.

My goal is to increase the size of my arms and my chest (my two weakest body parts by far). In order to do this I need to fit in multiple extra workouts for these body parts. My plan took a lot of work, but I have come up with a 6 day rotation that will do what I need it to do:

This schedule allows me to hit my biceps 3 times, my triceps 3 times and my chest twice. It also spaces things out enough that I am able to get recovery time. As my trainer, Ken Turchek, continually tells me “I don't care about rest! Just eat!” so that is what I do–I eat.

This plan was accomplished by hitting the gym twice a day, but what if I could not do that? Here is another cycle that would accomplish the same thing:

This accomplishes the same thing as the top plan, but takes 3 days longer to do so. The key here is flexibility. Don't be so rigid with your schedule that you think you have no way to accomplish your goal. I would use the second plan if I was not able to hit the gym for 2 workouts a day. It is all about time and effort.

Consider Your Progress

I am a big believer in tracking your progress. I know many bodybuilders will laugh at me for keeping a log, but I am scientific with my approach and believe in seeing the progression visually. It is just essential for me personally. 

When you log your training you will start to see things jump out at you. This is when you need to think about your progress. Are you getting stronger? Is your body composition changing? If not, it is time to make a change. If things are changing, but at a slower pace, it is time to make a change. You have to consider this and be flexible as well.

Flexibility Leads to Success

By taking the time to consider your situation and being flexible enough to make the changes necessary, you are going to see major benefits from the approach. Get ready for major changes in your body. If you have any suggestions or comments about flexibility, please leave them in the comments area of this article.

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When I came to my trainer, Ken Turchek, and complained that my arms just were not responding to the body part split he had me on, he got creative as usual. He started to ask questions about the current workout plan. At first he changed it alone. He had me train once time a week but switched me to heavy training instead of medium weight training. It just didn't work. My arms were not responding. This finally lead us to the Pump and Blast Arm Training Method.

Introducing the New Method for Bigger Arms

The arms are one thing people notice. My back responds, my chest responds, my legs respond, but my arms just don't respond. In order to be competitive on the bodybuilding stage my arms must respond! In order to get them to respond, drastic changes to my training was required. this is where the Pump and Blast Arm Training Method was born. It was created to force my arms to grow. It has worked so far.

What Is Pump and Blast Arm Training?

Most people train their arms one or two times a week and they work in the 8 to 15 repetition range. This seems to work well for most people. They combine their arm training with other body parts (commonly biceps with back and triceps with chest). This process did not work for me so we changed it up a bit. 

Pump and Blast Arm Training involves 3 arm sessions a week–2 pump sessions and 1 blast session. I break it out like this:

The idea is to fill the muscles with blood on pump day. Get them so they are absolutely like balloons full of blood. It actually hurts when I am done. We then introduce an actual “arm day” where we blast the heck out of the muscles. The weight is very heavy and the form is not as strict, but still not sloppy. This is to force some growth. The arms effectively get trained 3 times a week using the Pump and Blast Arm Training Method. 

This method will only work well if you recover well. My arms are ready 48 hours after a session to go again. I push hard and they respond.

Why Use the Pump and Blast Arm Training Method?

If your arms are stubborn the increased and varied training volume will do wonders for their growth. There is something about breaking down those muscles constantly that makes a huge difference. As the muscles recover they are immediately pushed hard again. This keeps the growth cycle going. I also use an instinctive method to my training, so if the arms are simply not ready for any reason, they get skipped. The only day I will try to avoid skipping is the blast day because, to be honest, it feels awesome.

Take it For a Drive

Take the Pump and Blast Arm Training Method for a test drive and see what you think. It is going to change how you see arm training in the future. That's what I truly believe.

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What makes the biggest difference in your training? What are the changes and adjustments you make that have the biggest effect? To me there are two very simple things I pay attention to and adjust if necessary that increase my odds of hitting my goals. As you read through my two difference makers I want you to be thinking about your own training and what your difference makers are because there is going to be an exercise I want you to participate in when the article ends.

Consistency is Number One

When I look at the most successful bodybuilders I see that consistency is one thing they all possess. When I review my own progress, I have made the biggest gains in the shortest period of time when I was the most consistent. When I am talking about consistency I am speaking about several things:

• Consistency in training 
• Consistency in nutrition
• Consistency in attitude

Consistency in Training

In order to get results, your training has to get dialed in. You have to be continually pushing yourself further and further beyond your own comfort zone. You have to continually set new personal records. This only happens when you are hitting the gym consistently. Without consistent time in the gym you won't ever set new personal records. You won't ever push yourself beyond your comfort zone on a regular basis. The gains just won't come. You will be stuck in the same spot. 

If this is your issue then you need to make some adjustments immediately. You have to set small goals and work on achieving those. When I have fallen off the consistency wagon I simply set goals for making it to 3 scheduled training sessions in a row. I slowly increase the number of training sessions it requires to achieve the goal. Eventually consistency is just something that happens.

Consistency in Nutrition

Nutrition is where the biggest gains come from clean eating on a consistent basis. This means different things at different times. Depending upon your goals, your nutritional program will change. Trying to add muscle? You are going to eat one way. Cutting down to get on stage? You are going to eat a completely different way. Cheat meals are not only OK, but to me they are essential for staying on track. Too many cheat meals will derail you quickly. Pay close attention to consistent nutrition. Make sure you are eating in a manner that is conducive to your goals. Take the time to adjust when the numbers are not working for you. If your body fat is going up and you are not bulking, adjust things accordingly. This is not something to take lightly and is not something to mess around with. 

Consistency in Attitude

Your attitude is going to play a huge part in your ultimate success. I saved this one for last because it is also going to be the most difficult thing to keep under control. Having the right attitude will get you to your goals. Everything else follows the attitude. Setting your alarm in the morning to get up for a fasted cardio session is wonderful, but if you turn off the alarm because you don't feel like doing the work, that is going to destroy all progress. I handle my consistency in attitude by journaling. I write things down and analyze my own thinking on a daily basis. I focus on keeping my attitude consistent.

Intensity is No Slouch

To me, when actually training (be it weights or cardio), intensity is the key concern. All other variables are important, but intensity is what takes you where you want to go. If I am lifting heavy, having the intensity to get the final reps out of the muscles is going to bring the growth I am looking for. If the weights are lighter, taking the set to absolute failure is going to bring about success. I am not talking about the kind of failure where the brain says you are done before the muscle does. I am talking about real failure where you push yourself to the point where you really cannot move the weights another inch. 

If you do not have this type of intensity then you need to find it. You need to get busy and figure out how to be intense enough to get to your goals. Take a look at your training program and make a decision. If your intensity is lacking make a plan and fix it. Push yourself. Leave everything on the gym floor and walk out of that workout with nothing left inside of you. That's the key.

The Excercise

Have a look at this 2 minute video I recorded. Listen to what I have to say and then do what I ask at the end. You won't be sorry.

[pro-player width='560′ height='315′ type='video']http://youtu.be/02XLTx49Ykk[/pro-player]

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