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Zone Training ™: The Evolution of Bodybuilding
An Introduction with Brian D. Johnston
Bigger muscular pumps. Faster growth. Fuller and larger appearing muscles between workouts. These are things we strive to achieve in training, although most people who 'bodybuild' do not train like bodybuilders they train like weight lifters. Weight lifting is a means to an end, and when you become so fixated on how much you can lift for a certain number of repetitions, you are setting yourself up for failure. Bodybuilding is about an experience based on feel, and with your mind being able to hone in on the feedback provided by the muscles.
Training by feel truly is a lost art. Decades ago, before the use of anabolic steroids, bodybuilders had to be more creative and sensitive to any biofeedback in order to produce gains. For the most part they trained rhythmically within a limited exercise zone, as they aimed for a big pump. The reason for limited range training is that most exercises have a 'sweet spot,' wherein some parts of an exercise range feels dead or ineffective, or too hard, i.e., a sticking point. For example, bench pressing feels more effective if you avoid the top half or third of the movement, and biceps curls feel best when you work the middle two-third of the movement, both of which serve to maintain constant tension on the targeted muscle. The thing is, old-time bodybuilders knew how to target, but they did not take the concept of training in zones to its final conclusion, to make exercise even more productive, which is the basis of training in zones throughout the full range of movement.
The issue of targeting then is an important factor. Proper bodybuilding requires that you relax any non-targeted muscles as much as possible, and then squeezing and flexing the targeted muscles to the maximum. Most people do not train like this, as they contract and perform full body heaves in an attempt to move a weight a factor referred to as adaptive coordination, i.e., the muscles adapt to lifting heavier loads by coordinating their actions in lifting the loads. What then happens is that you start with 30-kilogram barbell curls, and as the weight increases, so too does the participation of the shoulders, back, legs, etc. In the end, your biceps are not lifting much more than the original 30-kilograms as the slack and extra load is taken up by other body parts. The thing is, you don't notice this change, just like you don't notice how your gluteals stick out more and you lean forward a bit more as you continue to increase the load in barbell squats. It is an adaptive skill that develops slowly over time, and this is the reason why people get a lot stronger (more proficient in lifting heavier weights) without a concomitant increase in muscle mass.
In effect, there is a difference between bodybuilding and weight lifting (i.e., powerlifting or Olympic weight lifting). When you are a weight lifter, the objective is to lift progressively heavier weights. If you are a bodybuilder, your objective is to train the muscles to the best of your ability, regardless of the load. In other words, it is not how much weight you use, but how you use it.
All this is brought up for good reason, in that exercise efficiency and productivity must be considered if you want to hypertrophy the muscles as much as possible, as opposed to being good at lifting heavy loads, whether with free weights or machines. And this then introduces you to the concept of Zone Training™, which was elaborated upon in the book The Johnston Rep Method™ (JReps™), and in even greater detail in the book Zone Training™: JReps™ Exploded View. This method of training is not like anything you have experienced before, if done properly and if you alter training loads to fit the method.
And do keep that in mind, that Zone Training™ (JReps) is a method and not a set variable something you throw it in your routine now and again. This method literally will replace full range reps, and if you decide to return to full range reps, for the sake of testing your strength on the bench press or squat, you will be surprised as to how much your ability has increased. Ironically, JReps™ require that you reduce the load when training in zones, but when translated to muscular function, full range training ability increases. However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's look at the basic concept of Zone Training™.
Let's go back to the two examples provided, that of the bench press and the barbell curl, two common exercises. With the bench press, the hardest part of the exercise would be the bottom half, whereas the top half is easier, because of leverage factors. When you perform a full rep, the bottom is very tough, whereas the tension eases off considerably. However, try performing the bottom half to fatigue or close to fatigue, and THEN perform the top half. Suddenly the top half is as challenging as the bottom half, and the top zone becomes as productive in developing strength and recruiting muscle fibers as the bottom zone. This exercise can be broken down into more zones, such as the bottom third, middle third, and then top third, working your way up from the hardest to easiest zones. In fact, there are eight basic ways in which to break down zones, and then a dozen more ways in which to apply variables within those zones. But, again, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Next, consider the barbell curl, whereby the sticking point is in the middle of the exercise. If you were to work in two-halves, you would work the top half first, but when you lower the bar you do not go to the sticking point, but a few centimeters just above the sticking point. And then when you work the bottom half, you lift from the point of stretch and up toward the sticking point. In this example, you are working the exercise in halves while avoiding the sticking point you work around the sticking point, but not through it. And to provide a completely different feel to the exercise, you can work it in thirds, starting with the sticking point, then working the top third, followed by the bottom third.
All this may sound simple, but the complex patterns and directions that Zone Training™ takes you are quite diverse and as you learn to improvise while exercising. For now, however, I want to elaborate on the basic technique when working in zones. First, you must understand the nature of the exercise, where the hard and easy zones exist. Whether working in 'halves' or 'thirds,' work the hardest part first, and then move into the easier parts (which will feel as hard as you fatigue in the harder parts). If dividing the exercise in halves, you will perform approximately 12 repetitions, which should take you about 30 seconds to complete. Two halves then will equal about 60 seconds of tension time per set. If dividing an exercise in thirds, then aim for 8 repetitions per zone, which will take you about 20 seconds each to complete and 60 seconds total tension time. Don't be surprised if you need to rest 10-20 seconds between zones to achieve the desired rep count, or if you need to reduce the weight slightly. The idea is to get those rep counts, since I have found it less effective if the rep count diminishes from one zone to the next.
Second, when training a muscle, focus on its function. For example, with the chest press, the pectorals' function is to adduct the arms, or to draw the arms across the body, as is done with a pec deck or dumbbell flye exercise. Consequently, whether performing those exercises or a chest press or dip, focus on the pectorals squeezing together as the arms pull in toward the body. Don't even think about lifting the weight or moving the weight from point A to point B, but the contraction of the muscle.
Next, move in a rhythmic, piston-like manner. Squeeze into a powerful contraction (which will take about one second to complete, and then one second to lower the weight), but pause for a fraction of a second at either ends of the zone's range. Squeeze and then release, and stop momentarily at both ends of the range. It's as if you are flexing the muscle while under the load, and then easing it back to the starting position. You do not have to stop the weight for very long only long enough to sense a slight and brief pause to avoid yanking, bouncing, or jerking at the weight.
Try to achieve muscular fatigue in each zone, or close to it. In some instances you may want to fall short of fatigue by 1-2 reps, and I noticed that chest presses, shoulder presses, and dips are a good example of leaving a slight reserve. If you train the bottom half of those exercises to the limit, there is no way you will achieve a sufficient repetition count in the next zone, unless you include a 10-20 second break between, which suggests how hard the top part of presses and dips can become, although those zones are considered 'easy' when doing regular, full range reps.
Breathing then coordinates with the movement pattern. As you lift the weight, breathe out, and as you lower the weight, breathe in. For those who have martial arts experience, you are taught to exhale with great force as you throw a punch or kick, and when performing katas (motion patterns of martial arts moves) you do so with precision and like a well-honed machine. The same is true of this training method.
Finally, I recommend that you reduce your typical training loads by at least 20%. As stated, people often train like weight lifters, and they get their whole bodies involved in the action. What you want to do is to relax, as much as possible, any non-targeted muscles. Of course, this is almost impossible with some exercises, like the barbell squat, but is possible with most other exercises. The more you contract non-targeted muscles, the more you take away from the muscles you are trying to grow, and lifting heavier weights does not mean you are training the targeted muscles harder.
Bear in mind that this is a very simple overview, and the method is far more effective than it may appear at first read. Consider what is happening throughout a set of JRep™ 'halves,' such as the bench press performed in the bottom half, followed by the top half:
1. You achieve approximately 24 contractions in a set that is about 60-seconds tension time. The more contractions performed per unit of time, the more fatigue, inroad, and effect you will notice in muscle hypertrophy. However, moving too rapidly will make you sloppy and increase momentum and a reduction of tension on the targeted muscles. For this reason, do not exceed 12 repetitions per half (in 30 seconds) or 8 per third (in 20 seconds). The number of recommended repetitions per zone was discovered through trial and error, of how hard and rapidly a person can flex and squeeze a muscle without reducing tension or effectiveness, and without increasing momentum and calling into play outlying muscles.
2. You achieve muscular fatigue or near fatigue 2-3 times per set and throughout the full range of movement, as opposed to only once per set and often at the 'sticking point' when doing traditional full range exercise.
3. The harder you exercise, and the more contractions you perform, the greater the muscular pump achieved. With this method, you will notice a maximum pump within 3-4 exercises, if trained hard enough and with proper form, as outlined in this article. The pump is a vital aspect of bodybuilding, in that it does not have an effect on the hypertrophy of muscle fibers, but it does increase vascular proliferation, mitochondria numbers, and an increase in sarcoplasm (the interstitial fluid in and around muscle cells). This is why bodybuilding, who train properly and pump up big, look different than strength-based athletes bodybuilders have that thick, rounded, muscular appearance.
4. After a month or so of training in zones, you will find full range lifting ability will increase, although, for most exercises, you may be using slightly lighter weights with JReps™. There is a reason for this. In the squat, for example, the sticking point is when your thighs are parallel to the floor or below. When doing full range reps, you touch down in that area momentarily, and then rise up to the standing position. In other words, you spend only a fraction of a set in the hardest area and a majority of the set in the easier top two-thirds. With Zone Training™, you work the bottom third constantly for 20-30 seconds, which increases exercise demands and the overall effect considerably. This translates to improved function and ability within that area of an exercise. With this in mind, Zone Training™ is as effective, and as pertinent, for powerlifters and other strength athletes as it is for bodybuilders.
Before ending this article, here is an example of applying zones in a reverse manner, although this is far more demanding on the muscles and you should become used to basic halves and thirds before trying this. On a leg press, start with the easiest zone first (the top third near lockout) and with a very heavy load. After reaching fatigue in that zone, take 20-seconds rest and reduce the load, and then perform the middle third. After another 20-second rest, reduce the load again and then reach fatigue in the bottom third. Since you rest briefly between zones, aim for a slightly higher rep count of 10-12 reps per third zone (or around 15 per zone if you do halves). How much you reduce the load between zones will take some experimentation, since your leverage, response to exercise, and the equipment used will govern as much.
This introduction to Zone Training™ hopefully has peaked your curiosity, as it did with thousands who now implement this method with themselves, and with clients of fitness professionals. After 25 years of exercise, and not being able to make further progress at age 41, I increased my lean body mass, drug-free, by 5-kilograms within three months. Moreover, my muscles look fuller, and I feel more solid and even slightly pumped every day when not exercising. After trying just about everything possible, I conclude that this is the final step in productive bodybuilding.
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Disclaimer: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
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