Nino’s Mission

My Thoughts On Doing Low Repetitions With Heavier Weight

March 6th, 2007

Hey it’s great to see you again! I have a feeling today is going to be a great day…. the sun is shining what more can we ask for thank God! Gee I couldn’t help but notice when you walked in…. you look like you bulked up since the last time we were together! That can only allow me to believe one thing….. you must be training pretty heavy with alot less repetitions! “Actually Nino I’m glad you brought that up…. because I know your not a big fan on doing heavier weight with fewer repetitions!”

“Nino when I finally started my training program… I did follow your advice starting with higher repetitions low weight philosophy! Nino I just found it too difficult to do…. remember I’m just starting out I’m not as experienced as you! So then I decided it would probably be better for me…. to lower my reps and use heavier weight! Nino I just want to be able to finish my workouts, without burning out!”

So Nino what do you think?

I would love your advice Nino because like I said… your alot more experienced than me! Well I’m glad you filled me in on this because you always seem…. to give me an idea for our next discussion! Remember part of my mission is to advise you how to train properly… to help you achieve what you want without injuring yourself! My advice to you is to get your notepad out…. and I want you to take very good notes on this particular blog! I strongly feel this approach that your taking on your training….. is going to give you a one way ticket to the hospital first class!!

Ok get ready…. 

Well I think the best way to help educate you, in the approach your taking is not one that I would recommend you continue any longer…. is to take you back to my powerlifting days! As you probably read in my story and bio…. I hold both the state and national bench press records! Let me tell you right now…. lifting the big weight is not what it’s all cut out to be! I’m going to take you back to that very day that is still fresh in my mind….. when I set both records in one lift! I’m going to share with you one positive and one negative thing…. that I got from this whole experience! Well I hope your ready to write down alot of information because your about to get a vaulable lesson… in the low rep heavy weight approach! I guarantee it will make you think twice about continuing to train… in the manner that you are!

Well I consider myself a very positive person so why don’t I begin by sharing with you…. one positive experience I got from my powerlifting days! Well you’ve been with me long enough now to know I’ve had many critics doubt me…. when it came to my bodybuilding and personal training career! I knew this was going to be no different! I actually had one critic tell me this! “Nino your way out of your league…. your going to get embarrassed”! Gee I think I heard that saying once before…. but I took that as extra motivation to go and do it! I knew right then that I had to train extremely hard…. for that one day with no excuses!

So I went into extensive hard training for three months! I had to learn technique, proper form and most important avoid getting injured! Let me tell you it took me a whole month to get used to lifting the heavy weight…. the correct way! If you thought for one minute I just went into the gym…. and started lifting heavy your wrong!! Like I said it took three months for me to train for this…. I was going to approach it the smart way and work my way up! I definitely know for a fact… that your not starting with the smart approach at all!! Feel free to jump in and correct me…. if I’m way off with my analysis!

The day had finally arrived….. competition day! This was the day I had trained extremely hard and heavy for! It was also time to see if those critics were right on the money…. when telling me that I was out of my league! Oh I almost forgot and I was totally going to embarrass myself! Gee I felt that the deck was stacked against me! I had no one who believed I could do it…. except God! Actually I was used to it…. because God was all I needed to pull this off!

It was time for me to make my way back stage…. and get ready! I’ll be honest with you… I had big time butterflies in my stomach! I saw all these big guys grutting, slapping themselves in the face…. I felt a little intimidated! I was asked by one of the competitors… what I was doing backstage! I told him I was here to compete…. all of a sudden the room became very quite! I definitley wasn’t going to let that affect me or deter me…. from my mission God had me on that very day! It was finally showtime! There were to other competitors…. in my weight class that I was competing against! I weighed in @ 130lbs…. which put me in the light weight class!

Are you ready to see what happened?

I was set to lift 3rd in my class so you can say I was last…. but only for a short time! If you not familiar with the rules in powerlifting….. I’ll give you a brief overview! Each competitor has three attempts…. to lift the weight that’s on the bar! Once your set on the bench…. you wait for the judges to give you the green light! Next you then lift the bar off the rack…. then you pause the bar on your chest for three seconds! Let me tell you those were the longest…. three seconds of my life! Then finally the judges say the word ”up” and you better pray…. the weight comes up! Ok there you have the rules…. not as easy as you thought huh!

Now the results!

The weight was set at 300lbs…. alot of weight to press for only weighing 130lbs! Wouldn’t you agree? Well that’s what the critics told me… it’s just impossible! I was waiting to see…. if my two opponents could lift the weight! Well after watching them both fail on all of their three attempts…. it came down to me! If you thought I had butterflies before… my stomach was in knots! As I walked towards the platform I could hear people in the crowd saying…. “No Way”! Well I guess that meant… I would fail as well! Well I guess they didn’t know I had a secret weapon….. God! So I laid on the bench and waited for the judges signal! I took the bar off the rack…. boy was it heavy! I just prayed to God he would help me! Gee wouldn’t you know it… the weight came straight up! God came through for me again!!

Well your probably waiting for me to tell you…. the positive and negative from this experience! Well the positive side from this…. I proved to the critics that I was very much in my league! Ok you got me I guess there were two positives…. I set a new record! Hey don’t get so excited….. now the negative side! I hope you still got your pen and pad out… because I don’t want this to happen to you! I had to take two months off from the gym….. all that heavy training sure did a number on my joints! I knew right then… that was the end of my powerlifting career! That’s how I made my transition from being a powerlifter…. into a competitive bodybuilder!

It’s that time again!

???

So are you going to continue to train… with the low rep heavy weight philosophy? Well I hate to rain on your parade…. but it ends now! Listen I want you to excel in your training…. not end it with a serious injury! So what’s your answer?? Gee Nino… your right again! Nino why do you care so much? Well I think your question is pretty simple for me to answer! My mission is to help you…. not hurt you!!! Thanks Nino! I’m going back to your philosophy…. “The Nino Way”!! Great… now your talking my language! No Excuses!! 

 

Entry Filed under: Training