Revolutionary Volume Training by John Meadows - Part II

It's been a while since we released the first part of John Meadows' revolutionary volume training. In this second part, we'll explore therest of the groundbreaking philosophy of acclaimed trainer and 96kg category competitor , John Meadows.

Nonsensical workouts abound, and most of the time they are just a patchwork of a few different techniques with a pretty name. However, we do have a few workouts that have built a reputation. I recall Dante Trudel's DC Training and Hannah Rambod's FTS-7, for example. And then there's Mountain Dog Training from John Meadows in Ohio.

John doesn't have stellar genetics, so he had to experiment and be innovative enough to eventually get to a level where he could compete in IFBB. He started sharing his findings online over 15 years ago, and today the main ideas are summarized in a program we call Mountain Dog Training.

Why is it so effective? What makes it different from other programs? These are just a few of the questions I asked John about this program, a program that thousands of bodybuilders would put their hands in the fire for.

I firmly believe that too much emphasis is placed on pre-contest preparation, while contests are actually won in the off-contest period. Do you agree? I agree. But let's be clear. If you actually rest, it helps you tremendously. But it has to be done intelligently. Not likeKevin Levrone, who completely stops working out for six months... In my opinion, you should go to the absolute max before a competition, and intelligently cycle hard training and rest outside of competition.

The problem is that some people never actually train hard, and others train hard constantly and without rest. They cram in all the chemicals that exist, give it their all, and have nothing left up their sleeve before a competition. It just doesn't get any harder, there are no more berries. There's just nowhere else to go.

Here's a personal example. After I got my pro card in 2015, I competed a lot. I was atless than 4 percent body fat for 12 weeks. By the last competition in San Antonio, I was looking absolutely exhausted. Every joint in my body was aching. I felt terrible... After that, I didn't make it at least 10 to 12 weeks without failing a set.

Then when I started training for the 2016 Arnold Classic, everything was fine. I felt great, I was improving well. I trained very hard, a couple of weeks even too hard. After the competition I did the same again.

Now I have a week until Toronto and my body is responding great again. And I'm 44. Everyone should find that balance of when and how long they can afford to train hard. It's going to be different for everyone.

Obviously you don't want to just hang out and not watch yourfoodoutside of competition. But you don't want to kill yourself either.

You're old enough to remember a time when all bodybuilders trained hard. Don't you think the intensity of the training is dropping a little bit today? I'm from the '90s, but I think this is an exaggeration. I don't want to bitch that everyone used to train harder. It's easier to follow people nowadays because of social media. They didn 't all overdo it back in the day either. It just wasn't as visible.

I know a lot of people today who can break in the gym. I also think people have learned to relax better.

I've always looked at the guys who shrivel up outside of competition as slackers. But today, I have a lot of respect for them. I tell myself they 're smart, and their reward will be a long career. They' ll rest for a while, get healthy, and when they hit their stride before competition, they'lllook great. There's always been slackers . They just didn't have the means to overwhelm us with their photos.

How do you target weak areas in Mountain Dog training? Do you train them more often, at a higher intensity, or both?

The first question has to be whether you're doing the exercises correctly at all. For example, someone comes to me with a weak chest. Then you look at the way he's benching, and it's clear. Chest sagging, shoulders in front, and so on. That person could do chest exercises seven times a week and it wouldn't help. He's not activating the right muscles.

So the first thing to do is to evaluate the execution of the exercises. Sometimes it is enough to turn off the chest, slow down the negative phase or clench the target muscle. Activate the muscles -it's not enough to just move the weight like so many people do in gyms. Many people think that the solution is to practice a bunch more often. However, if you're exercising the wrong way, it won'thelp you much.

If someone is exercising correctly, and not improving, then it's time to increase the frequency. But you can't add on everything. Regeneration is not without limits. You'll have to cut back somewhere else. Let's say you have a huge back and a weak chest. As much as you add to your chest, you'll have to take away from your back to make the recovery work.

What do people get wrong about Mountain Dog training?

They see a video of me and assume that'sall I do. A lot of people think that the workout is all rubber bands and chains and there's no heavy weights being lifted. That's funny. I love rubbers, but I use them for about three exercises a week.

Or they tell me I'm working out too light. They don't see the heavy leg presses and squats in the same workout anymore. I do anything that adds volume. And of course, I like to spin interesting things . Then people tell me I' m not doing the basics. My three favorite exercises are bench press on the positive bench, squats, anddeadlifts - allbasic, complex exercises. I can even do touch-ups three times a week. So that's it. It's not good to take hasty shots.

MOUNTAIN DOG TRAINING BY BODY PART

(EXAMPLE WORKOUTS)

Legs

*Use the maximum weight that allows you a full range of motion. At the peak of the movement, hold the contraction for three seconds. After the set, perform 10 partial reps at the bottom of the movement.

** Bend your knees at the bottom of the movement.

Chest

* Do not let the axis touch the chest.

** Place benches about 90 centimeters apart, placing one hand on each bench to practice a wide grip. Drop very low and push yourself back up to the starting position.

Shoulders

Triceps

Back

*Slam one end of the large axle into the corner of the room, load the rolls onto the other end. Stand parallel to the axle and grasp the shorter end with an overhand grip. Pull the axis towards your chest as if it were a one-arm pull-up.

Biceps

*After each set, perform 5 partial reps at the bottom of the movement.

**Put the last set down, or have a partner help you with forced reps.

Abs

Train your abs twice a week on any day.

• Choose onelower abdominal exercise from the list below.

• Choose one exercise for your upper abdomen from the list below.

4 PHASES OF MOUNTAIN DOG TRAINING

Phase 1: Activation and pumping exercise

This exercise will not hurt joints, tendons or ligaments. It will help you to feel the trained muscles and warm up for the following complex exercise. It is not an isolated exercise for pre-fatigue. We use it to get pumped up, not tired.

Phase 2: Explosive Exercise

This is a big axis complex exercise where we lower the weights in a controlled manner and lift strong and fast. In sets , we gradually add weight until we lose speed and the axle barely moves.

Stage 3: Exercise for maximum pumping

Your intention is to maximize blood flow and metabolic load. You'll use intensification techniques like crash sets, partial reps, and forced reps, and you'll push your muscles to their limits.

Stage 4: Stretching exercise with load

The goal is a complete, safe range of motion and a complete stretch. In addition to this dynamic stretching, also stretch statically with weight. Do this at the end of the workout toextend the length of the muscle bellies.

Source: www.musculardevelopment.com

Author: Ron Harris

Translated by: Jaromír Uhlíř

Original article title: Revolutionary System for Building Muscle Part 2