Any form of training potentially shortens connective tissue.  Excessive shortening of connective can cause injuries! Basically speaking there are two types of injuries – impact ones (like you might expect playing a contact sport) and use injuries (some call them overuse or chronic type injuries) – but the bottom line is the latter are totally avoidable, yet commonly occur!  The aim of the following information is to reduce the likelihood of you getting injured! 

Train less and get more! 

That's right! You will probably do less work in terms of volume, yet achieve more! You will probably use high intensity less often also.  This is smart training!  I don't look for how much can be done in a session - rather I am looking for optimal!   Want to know more about the specifics of these methods?  It's all explained in easy to understand explanations in the book Get Buffed!™.  For more information about the book that everyone is raving about, click here!

Focus more on technique than load!  

There has been a trend in the iron game to believing that the more you lift, the greater the result.  Don't worry how you get it up, just move it.  I don't agree.  Loading is important, but ONLY AFTER you develop appropriate technique! Hell, you can get a strength gain in the first instance from just exposing your to the exercise!  Using inappropriate loads doesn't mean more strength and size, but it may mean more injuries. If not immediate (the traumatic type), then definitely over time (chronic injuries).  You will get a superior result if you develop  the desired technique FIRST and then add loading over time as your technique is capable.  

Do you want to know exactly what technique is appropriate? You can learn EXACTLY how I want the Get Buffed!™ exercises conducted by watching the Get Buffed!™ DVD.  And on this DVD I give you guidelines about load selection and progression.  For more information on this DVD, click here! Every exercise in the Get Buffed! program is covered on DVD!

Stretch those muscles!

Now many know how to give lip service to stretching, but few do it.  Don’t get caught up in a debate about what is the most effective methods – until the method you are using is no longer giving your results!   Now if you are like most people you probably aren’t even stretching. In fact, you probably devote more time to talking about which method might work than you do actually stretching! 

Now I also understand that one of the reasons for you lack of action may by lack of direction. So here it is – this DVD is designed for you to do the stretches as I talk it and do it with you!  That’s right – you have me as your personal stretching coach, going one on one with you. At least until you have mastered the basics.

Now I want you to do your stretches after you warm up. For a lower body workout, I like to see 5-15 minutes of light cardio, followed by between 15-40 minutes of my stretching exercises for the lower body – depending on your commitment and level of advancement.  For an upper body workout, the cardio is optional, and then I want to see between 15-30 minutes of my stretching exercises for the upper body – again depending on your commitment and level of advancement

Now one of the reason I stretch before the workout is to have the range at the joint, so when we exercise eg. squat, we get a fuller range and work the muscles more efficiently.  A much better result will occur from your training.   Now you can stretch after also if you want and there are benefits in doing so but I don’t want you to even entertain these thoughts until you have mastered before training stretching.

I know – there are going to be a lot of people with different ideas – who care?!  All that matters is what is your current level of flexibility? And is what you are doing taking you in the right direction and at the pace you want it to?

Don’t major in minor things – just do it!

For more information on the stretching DVD tape, click here.

Are you ready for more radical ideas?  Great, because I am telling you – they are effective.  This is not an issue of which is better – it is an issue of is it going to work for you.  And I can tell you – based on my experiences in training – it’s going to work for you! 

I want you to do abdominal training first in the workout if your abdominal are less effective than they should be.  There – simple.  Once your abdominals are above your expectations in stability and strength – you can put them to the end.

Won’t I increase my injury risk by doing abs first?

No!  This is one of the all-time greatest wife’s tales floating in this industry.  I don’t know where it came from but I can tell you what it is doing – keeping 99% of the population from doing justice to them abdominals – and in so doing adding to one of the greatest health costs of society – lower back pain.

You see when you do something last in the workout – which is where abdominal training is done traditionally – it receives the least effort.  You are tired, worn out, and lack focus.  It is under these conditions that perhaps the most important muscle group (from an injury prevention and quality of life perspective) is trained.  Not just sometimes – almost always!

I spend 75% of training time on average with people I train doing abdominals first!

If it’s good enough for my clients and myself, I suggest there has got to be something in it!  For information on the abdominal DVD click here. 

Now for the most unique aspect of what I am going to share you.  This is another tricky technique I use to prevent muscle imbalance, and to improve motor unit recruitment.  I call them control drills.  Before each and every workout I have the athletes I train (and myself) perform control drills for the muscle groups to be trained.

You will be amazed at how these control drills affect your body!

So on lower body days, lower body control drills are performed.  On upper body days, upper body control drills are performed.  The only variation over time is the volume  - in rehab phases I use more volume – in max strength phases I used the lowest volumes.

These drills are very hard to teach so you will find the DVDs an invaluable tool.  For more information on the control drill DVDs click here.

These control drills are truly unique to my methods, as are my stretching and abdominal drills.

Want to get the lot?

Want to get more than one item? You may find what you are looking for in one of our Get Buffed!™ packages!  For more information about the Get Buffed!™ Packages, click here!

So – what would be the outcome if you got into the Get Buffed! program? Please click here and I'll tell you!

Ian, I want to first say that after lifting for years and bodybuilding competitively before, I thought I new it all. After trying your programs, I am amazed and growing again! At 37, I am having more fun and making better gains than when I was in my twenties! Thanks again!

- Bill

I'm sure you hear this all the time, but the "Get Buffed" DVD tapes are fantastic.  I feel like I am right there with Ian.  I previously went through the "Limping and Upper Body" series as described in Testosterone's web site articles.  The "Get Buffed" tapes really help me hone my form, the program's beautiful simplicity, and reinforcement of Ian's principles.  Many Thanks!

- Dan

I want to thank you for your insistence on pre-workout stretching.  That has resulted in significant improvements in ranges of motion, and a reduction in the number and severity of injuries.

- Dan

Hi Ian & Teresa,  Just wanted to drop a note regarding the new (Get Buffed!) DVDs. Great job Ian ! I learn more from your teachings in a few hours than I have previously in years time. 

Since I am an instructor as well as trainer I can certainly relate to the task of producing such teachings on DVD. Ian you have a superb way of revealing what is ALREADY within as far as technique and training efficiency. My personal teachings are very much similar to yours and were so before I had ever heard of you. EVEN AT THAT, you've had the greatest impact on my training (both personal and with clients) than anyone else over my 17 years as a trainer and 22 years of training. My implementation of unilateral SLDL and King DL  has in itself taken me to a new standard in lower body training.

Continue to keep it pure and simple. God's best to you and family as well as all at King Sports. Looking forward to continued fellowship with you. Let me know if I can be of ANY service to you here in USA.

Always train in dynamic faith,

- Vince