You should train in a way that drives you toward your goal(s). Is it maximum muscle size? Pure strength? Do you want to pack on mass-monster muscle or sculpt a more aesthetic physique like Steve “Hercules” Reeves?
I correspond with elite trainer/coach Vince McConnell, who has a number of clients of various ages. He uses different training styles depending on their individual goals—but also tailored to their circumstances…
Where you are in life has a distinct bearing on the best workout FOR YOU….
If you’re young, you can probably tolerate heavy weights and longer training sessions. Plus, your ego may tell you to go for gym-record strength. That can be a fun if you’re careful—being carted out of the gym on a gurney, not so fun…
You want to train in a way that will keep you coming back to the gym for more. Consistency and sustainability are key—dread is a huge red flag…
If heavy weights aren’t your thing, lighter weights can work just as well—if you expend high effort. Here are some things to consider. I’ll insert myself into the following points because of my 50 years of lifting experience and blatant self-centeredness…
1) Age. I’m 65, so heavy weights are no longer worth the risk. In fact, if I believed 100 percent that heavy weights were the best way to build more muscle, I still wouldn’t do it.
2) Time. Heavy straight-set training requires multiple hours a week—not to mention twiddling your thumbs during long rests between sets and possible cumulative joint damage. I did this in my younger days and got okay results. I no longer have the desire or tolerance, and I was lucky to escape with only minor joint tweaks.
3) Genetics. I knew early on that I was basically a stick figure and would not be Mr. Olympia unless I changed my last name to Olympia. Sure, my hope of getting to a ripped 220 stayed alive, which kept me training long and hard for many years. Never happened—190 at 5’11” was the best I could do. Hope is good, but reality will have you training smarter.
4) Desire. Again, your wants and needs from training should be realistic. Say you’re older with average genetics: Is an extra quarter inch on your arms worth camping in the gym—and is it even possible at your age? If you’ve been training for as long as I have, probably not—at least not without extreme sacrifices in time, joint health, and perhaps sanity (using anabolic drugs).
My current training state of mind is succinctly stated in Old Man Young Muscle 2:
My goal at this stage of my life is to do the most efficient workouts I can. That means the fewest sets necessary to get the results I’m satisfied with. Those results include being PAIN-FREE and HEALTHY, plus having enough MUSCLE to look like I’m a fit, older drug-free bodybuilder. I accomplish that with 35-to-45-minute workouts 3 times a week.
Moderate-weight STX rest/pause has been the perfect training style that allows all of that—no joint damage, short workouts, and plenty of muscle that people notice.
NOTE: For more on STX, along with complete workouts, see the X Shop.