In the 1980s-90s, the only way of getting information about weight lifting, bodybuilding etc. was from bodybuilding magazines. These magazines were really advertisements for dubious supplements. The writeups on training were supposedly done by professional bodybuilders who all claimed to be getting big and strong on those supplements which the glossies were selling. I remember going through those magazines and being amazed at the size and strength on display in the photographs. We happily copied all the training programs and soon became very buff and very strong. Not true at all!

I am seeing this happen all over again but this time it is actually worse. The bodybuilding influencers of Instagram and other social media all claim to be “natty” while they obviously are not. It is worse now because all the misinformation is available to anybody who has an internet connection. Do not use programs promoted by steroid enhanced bodybuilders. Those are not meant for the regular “natty” or natural gym goers.

How to train like a natural!

The question then arises how should a person, who looking to put on muscle and gain strength in the gym, train? For that I need to show you what constitutes a good program.

Any training program has three components:

1.Intensity: How much weight is being lifted or how much effort is being put in. If you take each set to maximum muscle failure, then the intensity is high even though the weight on the bar might not be. Too much intensity can make recovery difficult for the natural lifter.

2.Volume: This relates to how many exercises in a workout as well as number of sets and repetitions. High volume workouts tend to be very fatigue inducing and can be difficult to recover from.

3.Frequency: Number of workouts in a week. A high frequency program has the trainee working out 5-6 times a week.

A natural lifter needs to lift hard and heavy because that is the only way he can promote increased protein synthesis. Working out with heavy loads, leads to muscle fiber damage which then become stronger and larger when recovering. A chemically assisted lifter can get away with lifting lighter weights because the steroids increase protein synthesis. A trainee who is on steroids is always in a state of protein synthesis.

Excessive volume, and I have seen pros recommend up to 60 sets per body part, is the kiss of death for a natural trainee. Excessive volume leads to burnout, injuries. Essentially nothing good comes from doing set after set of an exercise. Doing 3-5 sets per exercise is more than adequate. You look for the minimum dose and not how much you can do! Excessive volume leads to the body upping the release of cortisol, which interferes with muscle and strength development. Your workout should not be longer than an hour. If you are taking longer than that, then you are socializing more and working out less.

Before the advent of the steroid era, most bodybuilders did full body workouts thrice a week. Please read that carefully. They did not do a chest day, or a back day. The entire body was trained three times in a week. This high frequency leads to more muscle damage and hence more protein synthesis. Training one body part a day with 5-6 exercises with 4-5 sets once a week is not the right way to train for somebody who is not chemically enhanced!

So here is the formula for the natty trainee:

•Lift heavy- stay in 6-10 repetitions zone. Avoid doing high intensity techniques like partials, forced reps etc. Leave that to the pros!

•Do full body workouts thrice a week or at the most maybe an upper body and lower body split.

•Cut down on the duration of your workouts. Try and finish in an hour. You do not need 4 types of curls to train your biceps!

•Up your protein intake. I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are vegetarian then look for a good whey protein supplement, otherwise stick to proper wholesome food.

Now go and do it.

Kamal Singh is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who has been coaching for 15 years

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