Hey Cavefolks,

Anytime I glance at the latest diet fad or fitness training program, someone is trying to reinvent the wheel and there’s really no need for it.  To make muscle grow, you lift things.  Each time you lift those things, you must depend on progressive resistance, meaning that every training session has to be progressively more intense than the previous one, whether that be another few pounds added to the bar, a few more reps, or more work done in a shorter amount of time (work = load x distance).

Unfortunately, progression isn’t as easy as walking into a gym and lifting something heavier than you did last time.  The body is broken down into many different body parts that all have distinct functions, yet they work together.  For many people, “where to start” is so damn confusing that they just decide not to get started at all.  Even a caveman can figure out that doing absolutely nothing is the worst thing one can do!

The first thing the Caveman Program approach teaches is simplicity.  By keeping things simple, we are able to simply evaluate, simply progress, and simply persist.  Progression (determined by evaluation) x Consistency (remaining persistent) = long term results.  That about as complicated as I care to get.

The Caveman Training Principles are pretty basic.  We aren’t looking at elaborate, newly created exercises that make you look and feel like an idiot in the gym.  Muscles fibers fire on an all or none response.  Either they contract or they don’t, so “hitting the muscle from several different angles is simply a waste of time.  There are plenty of simple exercises that have been proven time and time again to stimulate muscle growth, which again, is extremely important for preservation while we’re focusing on fat loss and body transformation. Following these principles, even a novice exerciser can hit the ground running.

The Caveman Training Principles are simple:

1.  Focus on weaknesses.
2.  Choose compound exercises
3.  Force progression by regularly increasing intensity
4.  Plan your workouts in a logical sequence to allow the necessary recovery.

By design, the Caveman Nutritional Strategy isn’t overloaded with hundreds of food.  Some people may think of this as boring and tough, but once you get into the rhythm, it’s easy, requires little thought, and keeps you from adding things in that stand in the way.  Let’s face it, we’re not doing this out of necessity - we’re doing this because we don’t like hiding behind a towel when we walk by a mirror.  When we’re at the beach this weekend and there are pictures taken, we are excited about seeing them.  We know damn well how much we enjoy the various comments about how we “workout”, answering the questions like “so what is your secret” and while it is early March, we’re dying for the warm months to get here so we can reveal the fruits of our labors.  Sacrificing junk food, processed and refined foods, and foods loaded with things we don’t need is a very small price to pay for the stares, the compliments and the “Wow, you look great” comments that those who follow this program will hear regularly.

I’ve used these principles on hundreds of people, and when followed, the results are consistently amazing and far and above what the individual had originally thought possible.

I intend on adding an approved Caveman Food List, approved Caveman Exercise Selection (to at least base your program off of), and the necessity of eating different amounts of different macro-nutrients on different days.  I’ll talk more about program design, progression, and everything else you’ll need to help you change your body.  Of course, comments and questions are always great.

Until next time,

Boyd Myers
boyd@the-personal-trainer.com

Hey Cavepeople,

I just completed an intense, caveman leg workout.  The people that I have discussed my philosophies with usually have similar questions about the style of training I use with my clients and recommend for those who follow the Caveman Lifestyle Program.  Often, the discussion leads to exercise selection and the use of machines, and this goes for you too, Caveladies.

First and foremost, the caveman was excellent at making the most of what he had.  Let’s face it, diesel engines and electricity were still hundreds of years away.  HAD the caveman had access to these things, he would’ve used them, and might have even avoided his doom and extinction.  As I mentioned in a previous post - we have many advantages over the first version of the caveman, so we are going to utilize what we have.

Today, my workout consisted of all free weight training.  I did regular squats, stiff-leg dead lifts, hack squats and walking lunges with a dumbbell.  Aside from having a squat rack for safety (again, an advantage of modern day common sense), I used no elaborate Hammer Strength or Cybex equipment.

Now, that isn’t to say that I’m anti-machine.  The caveman had a machine - he called it the wheel.  So there’s no need to re-invent the wheel.  It is very important to understand the importance of free weight exercise for overall body development and the strengthening of every muscle.

Machines target specific muscle groups, removing the weaker muscle groups in a way of which they kind of “fill in” for those weaker groups.  From an ease of use standpoint, a machine version of the squat is much easier to figure out than the standing, free-weight version.  A machine bench press is much less intimidating than laying down under a weight wonder how you’re going to get the last one off of you if you run out of energy.  But understand, since machine exercises often fill the role of the weaker muscles that should be stabilizing during an exercise, the strong muscles become stronger from the exercise, while the weaker muscles (that need to become stronger) are barely used, resulting in a greater strength imbalance.

The key to the Caveman Training Philosophy is training weaknesses and improving upon things that you aren’t good at.  Our caveman ancestor’s didn’t survive - those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it!

For the above reasons, it is imperative that you center your training routine around compound exercises, or exercises that use multiple muscle groups.  The more muscle fibers that are recruited during the exercise, the more a) calories that are burned during the exercise and b) the more stimulus for an increase in lean body mass the body has.

Using machines to supplement free weight training is fine, as the current caveman legion isn’t going to take a total anti-machine stance.  Cables and machines like leg press definitely play a role in overall physique development and body transformation, but it’s important to understand the word “supplement” (in addition to).  The Caveman Training Approach revolves around free weight, compound exercises (variations of the barbell and dumbbell bench press, squats, dead lifts, rows, etc) and bodyweight exercises such as pull-ups, dips, etc.

Now, back to your caves.

Boyd Myers
boyd@the-personal-trainer.com

Here’s a quick video blog on my Caveman Program, which is the top fat loss and body transformation program you’re going to find absolutely anywhere.