Many people use soreness as an indicator of recovery from weight lifting workouts. Others believe they need to be sore from a workout in order to make progress and build muscle.

Is soreness really that important?

If you’re not sore, does that mean you are fully recovered from a weight training workout?

Let’s talk about soreness today and put an end to all the misinformation. It’s time to learn the truth about muscle soreness.

Some Muscle Groups Just Won’t Get Sore…

No matter what some people do, a certain muscle group won’t get sore. For example, Bob may do an experiment to see if he can make his shoulders sore. He does 50 sets of lateral raises just to see if they will get sore.

What happens?

His deltoid muscles never get sore no matter what he does. He switches exercises, raises the intensity, changes the frequency of workouts but nothing really makes his shoulders sore.

But for some reason, his shoulders continue to grow.

It’s been proven over and over that soreness is not an indicator of progress or building muscle. You just don’t need soreness to build muscle. So stop trying to make yourself sore from every workout. It just doesn’t matter.

So… If I’m Not Sore From A Workout, Does That Mean I Can Workout?

If a muscle isn’t sore, it must be ready to work again. Right? WRONG. As explained above, some muscle groups never get sore. Never. That doesn’t mean you should work that muscle group every day.

The frequency of your workouts really affects soreness.

For example, someone who only works a given muscle group once every 10 days is most likely going to have soreness in that muscle group after working it hard once every 10 days. That’s a very infrequent workout for that muscle.

Someone who works a muscle group once every 2 days probably will never get soreness in that muscle group after the first workout or two.

Does that mean the person working the muscle group once every 2 days is recovering faster and not doing enough damage to the muscle to induce growth? Does that mean the person working the muscle once every 10 days is inducing the proper stimulus for muscle growth? NO and NO.

All it means is that the person working the muscle group more frequently just isn’t feeling the damage to the muscle as well as the infrequent trainer.

So Why Do We Get Soreness In A Muscle Group Anyway?

Not too much is known about delayed onset muscle soreness… even the scientific community can’t come to any conclusions about muscle soreness.

We do know a little bit about it, though:

We believe muscle soreness is caused by irritated nerves during micro trauma to the muscle during weight training. Over some time, the nerves lose sensitivity even though the muscle continues to experience micro trauma.

So that’s all it really is… this means that soreness isn’t really a good indicator of recovery or progress being made with each workout.

What’s The REAL Measure Of Progress And What Tells You That You Are Recovered From A Workout?

With or without soreness, you can be making great progress with regards to building muscle mass.

The real measure of progress from EACH workout is strength. Did you gain strength from the last workout?

If you simply do the same weight every workout, you’re not getting anywhere. Your body isn’t going to change unless you are increasing the weight you are lifting.

Monitor your strength gains and stop worrying about soreness. If you aren’t getting stronger after several workouts, you need to change something. The WLC System will help you know exactly what you need to change.

So start using strength as a measure of recovery from a workout instead of soreness. Forget about soreness. It won’t tell you whether or not you’re recovered from a workout. Strength will.

The male model doesn’t want HUGE amounts of lean muscle mass as most bodybuilders want. But there sure are lots of myths out there about how to get the male model look. Some of them are very, very silly:

• Male models need to do more cardio and forget about weight training as much.
• To get the male model look you need to stop obsessing over strength because it’s not important.
• You don’t need to worry about protein consumption to get the model look.
• Multiply your body weight by 12 and that’s the maximum amount of food you should eat each day.

Where does this crap come from? You got me. But I found all of that with a simple search on Google. Please ignore the 4 points listed above… those are all lies. If you follow those, it will take you years and years to get the model look.

With the weight training program I will lay out for you today, you’ll have the model look much faster… you’ll be in total control over your body. Need to lose more fat? Done. Need to gain a little more muscle? Done.

When you use the WLC System, you get the exact body type that you want. Building muscle and burning body fat is quick and easy compared to anything else out there.

Let’s Start With The Weight Lifting Program…

The most important part of setting yourself up to build muscle and burn fat is gaining strength. ALL weight training programs should focus on gaining the maximum amount of strength possible. With higher strength levels, you can then build muscle and burn fat easily.

So, you will focus on gaining maximum amounts of strength with this program. This will keep all of the muscle mass you currently have while you focus on fat loss to further help you get the male model look. Once you are finished with this program, you can focus on adding muscle mass if you need it to get the look you want.

This program will take 8 weeks to complete. Will you have the male model look after this program? Maybe. Maybe not. It all depends on your current situation. If you are close to having that look, then YES… you will get it after this program. If you are far away from having that look, it will take more time.

You can be sure that this will get you to your goals as quickly as possible.

The Weight Lifting Schedule

• 3 days per week
• 1 day of rest between workouts
• 2 days of rest after last workout of the week
• Monday, Wednesday, Friday or anything similar will work

Cardio will initially be done on rest days. As explained in the WLC System Manual, you will increase cardio with added workouts only as needed to enhance fat loss. Results are measured on a weekly basis so you know when to add cardio.

Workout A and Workout B

2 workouts will be rotated throughout the program. Workout A will be done on the first workout day, Workout B on the second workout day, Workout A on the third workout day and so on. You simply alternate the two workouts.

This program is also for beginners to intermediates as defined in these strength standards. I categorize most people into the beginner stage because most people have not learned how to lift weights properly due to bad information out there everywhere.

Beginners will be able to squat 3 times per week at reduced intensity levels. Most of the sets in these workouts are not taken to failure either so the lifter does not overtrain.

Workout A
1. Barbell Squat, 5 sets of 5 reps each set
2. Flat Barbell Bench Press, 5 sets of 5 reps each set
3. Pendlay Rows, 5 sets of 5 reps each set
4. Parallel Bar Dips, 3 sets to failure

Workout B
1. Barbell Squat, 5 sets of 5 reps each set
2. Overhead Barbell Press, 5 sets of 5 reps each set
3. Trap Bar Deadlifts OR Barbell Deadlifts, 5 sets of 5 reps each set
4. Chin Ups (palms facing), 3 sets to failure

Now, you MUST start out with very light weights and make sure you have proper form and technique before adding weight to the bar. Here are exercise videos for the exercises shown above: 7 core weight lifting exercises.

Most men who are beginners to these exercises will do good starting out with the barbell (45 pounds) on squats and overhead press. The bar with 25 pound plates will work for deadlifts. You can add a little weight for bench press and pendlay rows. If you have any experience at all you can start slightly heavier.

Every set of a given exercise will use the same weight every workout. When you complete all sets and reps at a given weight with good form and technique, you can then increase the weight by 5 pounds for the next workout.

Every workout starts with a pre workout warm up and specific exercise warm up guidelines MUST be followed according to the WLC System Manual. This will help you make better progress by lifting heavier weights.

What About The Diet Plan?

For diet, I want you to follow a plan that works absolutely great for fat loss and it’s very easy to follow. Very, very easy actually.

Meal 1
25 grams of protein
3/4 cup of berries or other fibrous fruit
small bag of veggies
3 fish oil capsules, 1 flax oil capsule

Meal 2 (4 hours later)
Repeat of Meal 1

Meal 3 (4 hours later)
Repeat of Meal 1

Meal 4 (4 hours later)
HUGE Dinner Meal of all Healthy Foods
Start with a huge salad of leafy greens
Adjust size if dinner meal so that you are losing 1 to 2 pounds of body fat each week

For example, meals 1 through 3 are about 200 to 300 calories only. If you need 2500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat per week, that dinner meal would need to be 1600 calories. But we’re also adding in a few pre and post workout meals too so it wouldn’t be that much.

Before and after every weight lifting workout, you should have some fast acting protein (BCAA’s or Whey) and some simple carbohydrates (only post workout) to go along with it. I recommend BCAA’s (20 to 30 grams) for before and during the workout and Whey (50 grams) and Waxy Maize (50 grams) after the workout.

For food sources, you need to follow the guidelines within the WLC System Manual.

For cardio, follow the guidelines within the manual too.

Don’t forget about sleep, stress, and other factors discussed within the WLC System Manual. If you optimize everything, you will have that male model look very quickly. So don’t forget to study the WLC System Manual and incorporate everything within that along with this plan.

Any questions? Add them as a comment and I’ll answer them for you…

This page was written specially for a member of Weight Lifting Complete. If you are in a similar situation and have similar goals, feel free to use these weight lifting programs.

Subject 1 is a female. Subject 2 is a male. They are husband and wife and gave each other the gift of a new home gym for their first anniversary. Happy anniversary!!! This is one of the best gifts you can give and get. The gift of exercise, improved health, improved body, and an improved life can’t be beat.

Here is the home gym they are going to be using from Body Solid: SBL460P4:

Now… Subject 1 wants to lose body fat and be ready for fitness figure competition before she is 40 years old. She has about 2 years to reach that goal. Subject 2 wants to lose body fat AND build bigger arms.

Usually, the goals of losing body fat and building bigger arms don’t go together very well but the WLC System allows you make amazing progress. I’m going to put together a weight lifting program for both of them right here on this page. Just remember… they will be using the WLC System along with these programs.

Weight Lifting Program for Subject 1
Female and Goal is Fitness Figure Competition

Weight lifting schedule will be 3 to 4 times per week. Workouts will never go over 1 hour in duration. There should always be a full day of rest in between workouts. Cardio will be done separately as explained within the WLC System Manual.

Here’s the weight lifting schedule:

Day 1: Workout A
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Workout B
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Workout A
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Workout B
Day 8: Rest
And so on…

So the weight training schedule will be every other day. If an extra day of rest is needed, just add it in anywhere in the schedule. This schedule easily adapts to extra rest days. It’s perfectly fine to workout day 1, day 3, and day 5… and then take off day 6 and day 7.

Workout A
- Pre Workout Warm Up as explained in WLC System Manual
- Exercises
1. Squat
2. Flat Bench Press
3. Stiff Legged Deadlift
4. Lat Pulldown
5. Standing Calf Raise
6. Chest Supported Mid Row
7. Upright Row
8. Standing Bicep Curl
9. Seated Triceps Extension
10. Standing Reverse Curl

Workout B
- Pre Workout Warm Up as explained in WLC System Manual
- Exercises
1. Leverage Squat
2. Incline Bench Press
3. Lunges
4. Bent Over Row
5. Standing Calf Raise
6. Deadlift
7. Standing Shoulder Press
8. Preacher Curl
9. Triceps Pressdown
10. Standing Reverse Curl

Here’s the exercise manual from the Body Solid equipment that I used to develop this weight training program:
SBL460 exercise chart

Now you need to know the number of sets and reps to do each workout and the plan of progression. Remember, the most important part is to increase the amount of weight you are lifting over the weeks.

Most of these sets are not going to be done to failure. That’s why you can do a full body workout 3 to 4 times each week. You are not going to failure, and you are not doing really high volume each workout.

This is going to be different than any of the popular workout styles. You’re not going to kill every muscle group each workout. You’re going to rely on the overall plan of increasing the weight and the high frequency of the workouts to give you better results.

Sets and Reps for Each Workout

1. 2 sets of 6 reps
2. 2 sets of 8 reps
3. 2 sets of 10 reps
4. 2 sets of 12 reps
5. 2 sets of 15 reps
6. 2 sets of 15 reps
7. 2 sets of 15 reps
8. 1 set of 15 reps
9. 1 set of 15 reps
10. 1 set of 15 reps
11. 2 sets of 12 reps
12. 2 sets of 12 reps
13. 2 sets of 12 reps
14. 1 set of 12 reps
15. 1 set of 12 reps
16. 1 set of 12 reps
17. 2 sets of 9 reps
18. 2 sets of 9 reps
19. 2 sets of 9 reps
20. 1 set of 9 reps
21. 1 set of 9 reps
22. 1 set of 9 reps
23. 2 sets of 6 reps
24. 2 sets of 6 reps
25. 2 sets of 6 reps
26. 1 set of 6 reps
27. 1 set of 6 reps
28. 1 set of 6 reps

With workouts that have multiple sets, keep the weight the same for the second set. You don’t have to get the number of reps listed for the second set. Just go until the rep speed begins to slow down on the second set.

The point of the second set is to get more volume with that amount of weight but NOT add too much fatigue. That’s why you stop when the rep speed slows down without reaching the number of reps listed.

Try to reach the number of reps listed for the first set only.

OKAY…

The KEY to this program is to increase the weight by large amounts from the beginning to the end of the weight lifting cycle.

Start with VERY light weights. The first week will be very easy for you but I want you to ease into everything and practice getting the exercises correct the first week. Yes, it will seem easy but you’re setting yourself up for better results later.

Rest about 90 seconds between sets.

The reps are decreasing throughout the program to make it easier on you to increase the weight. Again, increasing the weight is THE most important.

For example, you want to start out very light with say 50 pounds on a given exercise and finish the last workout using 100 pounds for that exercise. That weight increase is responsible for the results you achieve.

Weight Lifting Program for Subject 2
Male and Goal is Fat Loss and Bigger Arms

Everything will be the same here except for the weight lifting exercises for each workout. We’re going to prioritize arms in the workouts.

We’ll start and end each workout with an exercise to build the arms. You’ve got to realize that the upper arms are both bicep and tricep. The triceps actually make up about 2/3 of the upper arm so we’ll focus on the biceps and the triceps.

Workout A
- Pre Workout Warm Up as explained in WLC System Manual
- Exercises
1. Standing Bicep Curl
2. Seated Triceps Extension
3. Squat
4. Flat Bench Press
5. Stiff Legged Deadlift
6. Lat Pulldown
7. Standing Calf Raise
8. Chest Supported Mid Row
9. Upright Row
10. Standing Reverse Curl
11. Standing Bicep Curl
12. Seated Triceps Extension

On the last 2 exercises (#11 and #12), try to match what you got on the first two exercises of the day (#1 and #2).

Workout B
- Pre Workout Warm Up as explained in WLC System Manual
- Exercises
1. Triceps Pressdown
2. Preacher Curl
3. Leverage Squat
4. Incline Bench Press
5. Lunges
6. Bent Over Row
7. Standing Calf Raise
8. Deadlift
9. Standing Shoulder Press
10. Standing Reverse Curl
11. Triceps Pressdown
12. Preacher Curl

On the last 2 exercises (#11 and #12), try to match what you got on the first two exercises of the day (#1 and #2).

Follow the same workout schedule for sets and reps as listed for Subject 1. Follow the same rules for multiple sets and increasing the weight too.

The Diet Plan For Fat Loss That’s Easy To Implement…

For both of you… I want you to follow the same diet plan. The only difference is the male will be eating more overall calories than the female. You want to eat enough calories so that you are only losing about 1 pound of body fat per week.

You need to measure your results on a weekly basis and track all the stuff you need to be tracking as explained within the WLC System Manual. Remember, 2 pounds of fat loss per week is the maximum you want. Focus on losing only 1 and you will keep all the muscle mass you have and possibly build a little along the way.

Diet Plan Layout

Meal 1: Small Meal (after waking)
25 grams of protein
3/4 cup Fibrous Fruit like Berries, Apple, Grapefruit, etc
Small Bag of Fibrous Veggies like Celery, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, etc
3 fish oil capsules, 1 flax oil capsule

Meal 2: Small Meal (4 hours later)
25 grams of protein
3/4 cup Fibrous Fruit like Berries, Apple, Grapefruit, etc
Small Bag of Fibrous Veggies like Celery, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, etc
2 fish oil capsules, 1 flax oil capsule

Meal 3: Small Meal (4 hours later)
25 grams of protein
3/4 cup Fibrous Fruit like Berries, Apple, Grapefruit, etc
Small Bag of Fibrous Veggies like Celery, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrots, etc
2 fish oil capsules, 1 flax oil capsule

Meal 4: LARGE Dinner Meal (4 hours later)
This needs to be a large dinner but overall calories for losing 1 pound of fat per week must stay in check.

Start with a large salad of spinach and other leafy greens.

Then add lots of whole food protein, natural carbohydrates, and ANY other healthy foods. Want some fruit? Have some fruit. You can have anything you want as long as you stay within your calorie requirements and the food is healthy.

See the best food sources within the WLC System Manual. This MUST be a large meal to meet your overall calorie requirements. It’s like a controlled fast during the day and you end it with the huge dinner meal.

Diet For Workout Days

Everything stays the same except pre, during, and post workouts. I would like Subject 1 to have about 20 grams of BCAA’s directly before and during the workout. Just sip on the drink before and during the workout. Subject 2 should have 30 grams of BCAA’s before and during the workout.

Directly after the workout, I would like you to have a whey protein shake with some simple carbohydrates. 25 grams of whey for subject 1 and 50 grams of whey for subject 2.

Simply fit this workout meal planning into your workout days. I’m not sure when you are going to workout but but directly before your huge dinner meal is the best time to workout with this diet plan.

Cardio will be done on off days from weight training. Preferably before the huge dinner meal.

I think that’s about it… any questions? Add them to the comments below:

I received this email from a long time follower of the website:

“Hey Josh,

I just wanted to tell you that I’ve read the WLC Program Guide not once but twice, and now that I’m out of school I’ll be starting a new cycle come the beginning of June.

However, I’m having a problem coming up with food choices other than those listed in the WLC guide. Is there a list you can provide that covers everything you eat?

I’ve googled several things (‘raw foods’ ‘organic foods’) but its a tad overwhelming considering there is so much.

I’m hoping to have a wide pallet of foods to choose from but again I’m having some difficulty coming up with new foods that would pass the WLC Program inspection.

Also, on a side note, Ive noticed in some of the organic stores they offer ‘Baked Beans’ and the ingredients seem to check out except for ‘Organic Brown Rice’ which is a no-no on the list but what do you think of this?

Let me know how you’re doing.”

Instead of responding through email, I decided to answer the email here on my new blog. I think the answer will benefit everyone who reads.

Within the WLC Program Guide, you learn that there are several categories of food allowed while you are on the WLC Program:

1) Lean Protein
2) Natural Starchy Carbohydrates
3) Natural Sugary Carbohydrates
4) Natural Fibrous Carbohydrates
5) Essential Fats

So any food that fits into the above categories is perfectly fine to eat on the WLC Program. Within the program, you learn how to combine the foods into meals perfect for building muscle and burning fat.

Let’s look at a few examples of how to choose healthy foods…

Brown Rice. What do you think about brown rice? Brown rice definitely fits into the Natural Starchy Carbohydrates category. Brown rice is perfectly fine to have on the WLC Program.

The only things not allowed on the WLC Program are processed foods. This includes foods at the grocery store that have a long ingredients list filled with junk you’ve never heard of. For example, if you see any of the following ingredients the food is junk and you should pass on it:

Beet Sugar
Brown Sugar
Cane Sugar
Confectioner’s Sugar
Corn Syrup
Demerera
Dextrose
Granulated Sugar
Grape Sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Maltose Corn Syrup
Maltodextrin
Molasses
Muscavado Sugar
Raw Sugar
Refined Sugar
Sucrose
Table Sugar
Turbinado Sugar
White Sugar
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils

You also want to avoid artificial flavors and sweeteners. If the ingredients list is long, it’s probably a processed food. Most natural foods will have one ingredient on the list. For example, organic brown rice will have one ingredient: organic brown rice.

What does all this mean? This means foods like protein bars are junk. Frozen dinners are junk. Wheat crackers are junk. Rice cakes are junk. Pretty much anything in a nice, shiny wrapper or box is junk. Most cereals are junk.

It sounds harsh and it might sound difficult to eat only healthy foods, but really, it isn’t.

Here’s a typical day of eating for me… it’s not difficult and it’s very easy to follow once you get the hang of it:

Meal 1
3 Whole Eggs
2 Whole Grain Wheat Bread
1 Banana
2 Scoops Whey Protein
2 and 1/2 Cups Raw Milk
4 Fish Oil Capsules

Meal 2
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese
1 Cup Pineapple
1/4 Cup Walnuts

Meal 3
6 oz Wild Caught Salmon
1/2 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Steamed Broccoli
1/8 Cup Sunflower Seeds

Meal 4
2 Scoops Whey Protein
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 Tbls of Flax Oil
1 Bag Mixed Veggies

Meal 5
6 oz Wild Caught Cod
1 Large Sweet Potato with Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Steamed Squash
1/4 Cup of Peanuts

Meal 6
4 oz Grass Fed Beef
1 Cup Romaine Lettuce
1/2 Cup Spinach
2 Tbls Salsa

See how it’s filled with all natural foods? There are no manufactured and processed foods filled with unhealthy ingredients. All you have to do to find foods that fit the WLC Program are to ask yourself is the food natural? If so, it’s all good for you to eat.

The list of foods included in the WLC Program Guide is an extensive list. Brown rice is included in that list so I’m not sure why you thought brown rice is a no-no. Any type of beans are also great! Many types of baked beans in a can are filled with unhealthy ingredients including a ton of brown sugar. So be careful with those.

Feel free to ask any other questions in the comments section below:

You are expected to eat junk food… if you don’t, something is majorly wrong with you. Let me explain…

One of the first steps you MUST take to build muscle, burn fat, and get a better body is to eat healthy foods ALL THE TIME. It’s not a temporary diet… it’s a change in your lifestyle.

The other day… someone asked me if I wanted an extra Snickers Bar they had. I said, “No Thanks.” They responded, “Are you on a diet or something?”

Well, that was the wrong question to ask me. I really get tired of the mindset we have in the world today.

If you aren’t chowing down on junk food throughout the day, getting snacks out of the snack machine, eating all the junk people bring in around the holidays, eating cake at your 18th cousin’s birthday party, eating free pizza for lunch at work, and gulping down chips and salsa at your local Mexican restaurant… then you are crazy and you are on a diet trying to “lose weight.”

Blah, blah, blah. That’s what I think about weight loss and temporary diets.

So how did I respond to this person?

I simply said… “No, I am not on a diet. I just choose not to eat junk foods that are unhealthy.”

And what do I get? I always get the “You’re crazy!” look any time I tell someone this… and get used to people thinking you’re a health nut just because you won’t eat fast food for lunch every day and won’t take the free cupcakes you’re work place is giving you to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Here’s something else that is truly hilarious… my workplace gets on this health kick. They tell us to sign up for their health and fitness challenge. They measure success by the amount of exercise you do and the amount of weight you lose. Horrible ways to measure progress if I might add…

But anyway… they then feed you free pizza all the time, free cookies, free cupcakes, and fill the workplace with snack machines filled with soda, candy, chips, and other junk. And these are supposed to help the morale around the workplace. It’s hilarious… it just leads to health problems, people in bad moods from the sugar crash, a fatter employee base, and much more of the wrong things.

What happened to the fitness and health challenge? It lasts around 1 day and then everyone forgets about it. That’s it. It’s over. Typical.

Why are we like this in our society today? We have it all backwards. We continue to empower the junk food manufacturers by buying this junk and eating it as a part of our regular diet every single day. I will admit… I eat junk food every once in a while but it’s something like once every 3 to 4 weeks.

Our normal everyday diet should consist of healthy foods with a little junk food every now and then… not the other way around. We eat junk food all the time and eat a little bit of healthy food every now and then. Some people NEVER eat healthy food.

And that’s why our world today is the FATTEST and UNHEALTHIEST it has ever been. Really, we have to do something about it now or we will start losing our loved ones earlier and earlier. Some may live a long life due to improvements in medicine and health care but they won’t live a happy life because they will be limited in everything that can do.

Let’s start living the way we should be living. Get rid of the junk food and replace it with natural, healthy foods. You will see a HUGE difference in your life, and you won’t have to wait long. Within a week, you will look better and feel better. Make the permanent change. That’s the only choice you have if you want a happy and long life.