Improve The Structure of Your Program, Improve Your Results
How to Build Your Plan Using MASS Method
You live and die by your nervous system; so should your training.
In the previous article we addressed the importance of recognizing, and then separating training for quality-of-life optimization from performance optimization. We talked about the importance of consciously ranking your fitness priorities based both on what you value and what needs the most improvement. And we discussed using not just your priorities, but also intensity, as judged by Central Nervous System (CNS) demand, to dictate volume and frequency in your plan. And I made it clear that in my opinion, total body weight training, or at least multiple body part weight training, with an elevated heart rate, is a quality foundation for training regardless of your fitness goals based off time efficiency and CNS demand.
Now to dive into structuring your program. When most people think workout structure they think “splits” – training different body parts on different days, and splitting up speed and cardio. However, this is probably the least important factor when deciding structure and one that in the end, should be decided mostly based on personal preference. Total body weight training can be more effective, as it allows for the most flexibility in programming and can be easily adjusted based on unexpected life occurrences. More effective doesn’t imply that others are ineffective by any means.
If you choose to do a body part split and life either prevents you from training for a few days or puts you into an environment where optimal equipment is not available, then you must be willing to adroitly adapt and briefly change your mode of training as well as the split itself. This is something most people are unwilling to do. If someone is used to doing a “chest/tris”, “back/bis”, “legs”, “shoulders” type split and all of a sudden they miss three days that week, then the right answer would be to do a total body workout to provide some stimulus to everything. However, most people (men) just do chest/tris because, well, chest/tris. I guess those have come to be considered the ultimate man muscles. That being said, top level athletes and their trainers rarely focus on split, not the good ones anyway.
Elite athletes and trainers focus on the central nervous system (CNS) because they understand that it is the driver of performance. The CNS is the juice that turns the lights on. Your muscles can be full of glycogen and have all their “lactic acid flushed” (nonsense that we can cover later) and still not be able to get a quality training session in if the nature of that session requires a fresh CNS. However, the cool part is, not every session requires fresh neurons, not even “hard ones”.
The training “micro-cycle” is determined by the nerves, not the muscles. This is the key takeaway. I say micro-cycle and not week because our weeks are arbitrary. I use a 10-day micro-cycle, some use an 8-day. If Monday is chest day but you missed leg day, shouldn’t Monday then become… leg day? Why do we put ourselves in arbitrary boxes? If a certain training session is due to take place on a certain day within that micro-cycle but there are factors that make that less than ideal, like signs your CNS isn’t ready, a lack of sleep the night before, an illness, or likewise, shouldn’t we allow ourselves the flexibility to adjust appropriately?
I simply choose not to follow a “week” format for logical reasons. My CNS could care less about King Sargon I and his decision in 2300 BC to structure my life around a 7-day cycle.
When you fail to take into account the crucial role the CNS plays in performance, you will fail to achieve peak performance.
Well intentioned athletes often train in two specific ways that don’t account for the CNS. One way is if you “crush it” every day with modes of exercise that get your heart rate sky high and muscles burning. You are “smoked” after and very fatigued the next day. Your CNS did take a moderate hit, but most of what you are feeling is metabolic and musculoskeletal fatigue. Your CNS never gets too taxed unless it’s from day in day out training. You are never truly at or near 100% intensity. So, you never get as fast as you could, jump as high as you could or become as strong as you could. If you paid attention to your CNS, a very small amount of true high intensity training would result in better, more efficient, speed, power, and strength development.
Then other common type of training that doesn’t account for CNS taxation is very high intensity day in and day out. Typically, powerful lifters (strength athletes) or power athletes train in this way. High level performers understand the CNS and adjust accordingly, I’m referring to the avid novice here. In this scenario, you may believe that because you are not hitting the same body part day in and day out, you are fine. But you aren’t. A strenuous “push day” taxes the same CNS used to power the squat day and the pull day. Over the course of the week, your charge goes down. This leaves you so fatigued that you likely can’t partake in other very healthy modes of fitness, due to low mental drive.
So, how do I structure my training around the CNS?