I’ve had this post in mind for a long time, but now seems like the perfect time. We all have dirty laundry and skeletons in the closet. (Well, some people are actually IN the closet – not that there’s anything wrong with that.) But anyways, it’s time for me to air some dirty laundry (cuz my small apartment is starting to stink). Here it is. Here’s the grand statement that everyone needs to know…..

I’ve only been going to the gym about once per week (sometimes twice) for the past 5 months!

There. I said it. But that really shouldn’t come as a surprise to many of you (maybe). Everyone should hopefully know that I’ve been focusing a lot on this website and that I’ve actually been studying for my test. Though, since I’m coming clean, I’m pushing that back until May as well.

So what is making me confess all of this now?

I’m telling you this now because I have been using Biofeedback in my training for the past 5 months and have NOT seen a decrease in strength, have NOT gotten sloppy and fat, and HAVE increased some of my lifts. True. Effin. Story.

Before you can understand what I mean by “testing” my lifts, you must watch this video that Adam Glass has put out using Biofeedback to determine which kind of curl he should do: Biofeedback for curls

Good, you made it back. Now, because I’m only in the gym for 1 maybe 2 days out of the week, I need to make sure I can get the absolute most out of my body as possible. (Please read: Make sure that I am as efficient as possible.) With Biofeedback, I can make sure that the exercises I choose are the ones that my body is telling me to do. Basically, it will tell me which lifts will give me the most bang for the buck (kind of like a Madame at a brothel; I’m guessing the uglier “ladies” are probably cheaper and more willing to more things; I wouldn’t know about that though).

As it turns out, one night of the week is always going to be some kind of bench press. It pretty much has to be because that’s the ONLY reason Mike let’s me come over. You see, the great thing about Biofeedback is that you can either test several different lifts (bench, squat, deads, OH press), or you can just test several different variations of what you plan on doing. So, getting back to bench press, since we know that’s what we’re doing, we’ll test regular flat bench, reverse band bench, board press, flat bench with audible commands, and neutral grip bench. Whichever tests best is the one we do.

After benching, we usually do another supplemental lift, some pulling for our backs (to maintain musculature balance), and then a conditioner at the end. At each stage of the game, we test a couple different variations of lifts that will accomplish the task. As Adam shows you in the video, it literally takes 2 min. to figure out which lift will test better.

Now, for the 2nd gym session of the week, I KNOW I want to do something lower body dominant. That usually means I’ll test back squat, front squat, deads, and power cleans. Whichever one tests well will determine which supplemental lifts I’m going to follow that up with. But again, I test several different variations of what ever lift I decide.

As for how everything has worked out for me….

I’ve maintained 180lb. bodyweight at around 11-12% bodyfat. My 1RM bench press has pretty much stayed the same, though I’m becoming more efficient and have been adding volume. My deadlift 1RM has actually INCREASED! At the time of my competition last September, I was hoping to pull 405lb. The one day that my deadlift tested well, 405lb. went up so easily that I decided to go for more. Now, I decided to do a little too much and failed (which I now know is a HUGE no-no), but 405 went up as easily as 385lb. did previously.

Let’s see, let’s see. Oh yeah! Power cleans. I actually haven’t trained power cleans with any consistency whatsoever since 2005. The one day they tested well I set an all-time PR at 235lb. for a single rep. Not too bad for a 5 year lay-off, eh?

As you can tell, getting the most out of your body on a limited gym schedule like mine is absolutely crucial! I would like to say these results are typical, but they’re really not. They’re BETTER! Remember my 2-day training split I wrote last year? I had a lot more lifts, and a lot of “extra stuff” on the days you weren’t in the gym. Using Biofeedback, I’ve been able to actually cut out some of the lifts on the gym days and ALL of the “extra stuff” on the non-gym days. The fact that I’ve increased my 1RM on 2 major lifts has astonished even me. Again, recall the 2-day split program and realize that was designed for the sole purpose of strictly just maintaing strength levels. Effin’-A, Cotton!!

I’m sure you’re probably sick of hearing me talk about how awesome Biofeedback is. You’re probably wondering how to incorporate it into your training. Well, I hope to have all of that spelled out for you by TOMORROW, March 30th, 2010. Not only do I hope to have that information, but I plan on asking Mike if I can shoot a video of it in action. Until then, if you haven’t already, make sure you sign up for Adam’s video and see what all the hype is about!

Talk to ya tomorrow!

– Dave

P.S. If you have any questions or comments about what the eff any of this is or just feel like telling me I don’t know wtf I’m talking about, PLEASE do in the comments below! Peace and Love Y’all.



Don’t Miss Your Chance

I was stuck in Corporate America for 9 years. I was miserable.

Then I took control.

You can too, and it starts right here.