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I have always been intrigued by the Weider Principles of training. The years of study, experience and insight that went into the formulation of these principles becomes quickly evident when you begin to understand how they are to be used. In addition to Joe’s considerable input in their formulation over years of time, the contributions of scores of bright and dedicated athletes and bodybuilders cannot go unsaid.
One of these principles, the Instinctive Training Principle, has been the center of controversy in gym circles for as many years as it’s been around. I wish to remedy that. I believe the controversy stems from misunderstanding of the word “instinct,” and subsequently widespread misapplication of the principle. As you will soon learn, this principle is unquestionably the most important one of all. So, let’s discuss 1) what is it, 2) how you get it and 3) how it is used in the gym.
Instinct Defined
According to Webster, the popular definition of instinct is, “The ability to form a judgment without using the reasoning process.” For example, “He can tell a good exercise by instinct.” In this definition, neurons in your brain fire and form connections spontaneously, yielding an insight in your mind that may or may not be supported after the fact when sound reasoning is applied. It is quite clear that your instnct about an exercise (when to do it, how to do it, or whether to do it at all) may be flawed! What you “feel” at the gut level often prompts an incorrect response!
Whoa! You mean there’s a chance that your instincts could be wrong? Hey, stranger things have happened! Of all the mistakes made in the gym, I daresay that those based on “feelings” are the most common! I’ll give you a few examples of what I mean later. First, here’s another more formal way Webster looks at instinct.
“A specific, complex pattern of responses by an organism, supposedly inherited, which is quite independent of any thought processes.”
This definition keys on your inherited traits. Your genetics. Again we have a problem. In this definition, for example, the inherited instinct that attracts moths to light may also attract them to a flame and destroy them. Analogously, your decision about a given exercise may indeed hurt you! Let’s say that you’re a mesomorph and love to do explosive movements. That’s what you’re good at, and that’s how you like to lift weights. Problem is, despite your innate ability to be explosive (most mesomorphs are inherently higher in fast twitch fiber), you’ve neglected your foundation, and it’s weak. The inertial forces on your tissues are so great that you immediately injure yourself. Bad decision! Bad instinct!
In both of the above examples of instinctive behavior, it would have been far better if you took the time to use some sort of reasoning process instead of relying on instinct alone.
Therein lay the reason for the controversy.
There is a third definition of instinct that has to be addressed, for it provides the missing clue as to what Joe Weider originally meant by “instinctive training.” Let me quote Joe’s early explanation of the Instinctive Training Principle (In: The Weider System of Bodybuilding, 1983, pg. 16).
“Every successful bodybuilder has learned to interpret the sometimes subtle messages his body is sending to him 24 hours a day. Knowing how to tune in to these biofeedback signals and interpreting them correctly is an example of mastery of the Weider Instinctive Training Principle. And possessing good instinctive training ability is invaluable to a serious bodybuilder, because it saves him a great deal of time and energy that might ordinarily have been wasted in hit-and-miss experiments with the gamut of training techniques, routines, and bodybuilding exercises.”
So, according to Joe, we’re supposed to be dealing with feelings derived from biological signals together with conscious thought, rather than aimless experimenting. Eventually, the feelings you get from such biofeedback provide neural input that needn’t be thought about. Rather, they are immediately interpreted through intuition. Intuition, according to Webster, is
“…the immediate apprehension of truth in the absence of conscious rational processes.”
Yes, you heard it right. TRUTH!
Acquiring Intuition-Based Instinct
Well, so how do we acquire this wonderful ability of intuition-based instinct? We all value truth, do we not? Look at the definition again! It must be “apprehended!” Chased down, seized, and placed under arrest! In the gym, that means studying the science and mastering the techniques -- OWN the techniques -- BEFORE attempting to train instinctively.
Daniel Dennett, director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, once said, “Intuition is a rug for us to sweep our ignorance under. We call the brain’s tricks ‘intuition’ until we learn how they [intuitions] are done.” If all that you have is “instinct” or “feeling” to guide you, rather than disciplining yourself to study and practice training science, you will not make it far before injury or (worse) failure becomes the norm.
So, to acquire the kind of instinct that Joe Weider wrote about decades ago, the kind that is based on a thorough knowledge of how your body responds to various types of stress, there’s a series of events that must occur.
- Study the science of bodybuilding so that you know what to expect from your bodybuilding efforts
- Equate what you learn to your experience in the gym, and thereby bring science together with practice
- Practice it often and take note of your physiological and emotional responses
- Proprioceptors are located in and around all the joints of the body. These sensors provide constant information to your nervous system regarding the special relationship of the stimulus being sensed to the rest of your body: Examples of this type of sense are feelings of movement, position or speed. Learn how to “listen” to your body. This is called “biofeedback.”
- It is clear that the sense of touch is at the heart of many, many of your instinctive responses in the gym. These include heat, cold, stretch, pain, pressure, or the “pumped” sensation in the muscles. Learn to respond to them, and soon your response will be totally automatic. Instinctual.
- Ultimately, after years of training and study, this logical approach will allow you to have intuitive insight into the practice of bodybuilding, and you’ll then be able to train instinctively. At that point, you have a remarkable advantage over anyone in the gym!
Putting Your Instinct To Work In The Gym
Ugh! Gotta tell ya, folks! I’ve seen some pretty strange things take place in the gym! We all have, and the stories are told and retold anywhere ironheads congregate. But they are important stories! For, they are the most prevalent way in which lessons are learned about how to both do and NOT do things in the gym. Here’s just a few I’ve heard.
Attacking Your Muscles From Several Angles “Feels” Good. Atilla the Hun attacked his quarry from several different angles. It worked for him, and I can only surmise how good he must've felt. But when you go attacking your muscles (which span joints) from several different angles, all you're gonna get for your effort is a good case of bursitis or tendonitis!
Go For The Pump Because That “Feeling” Says You’re Exercising Correctly. The pumped sensation you sometimes feel from doing several sets of an exercise comes from blood engorgement and lactic acid accumulation. While it feels good, and instinctively provides you feedback regarding the adequacy of your workout, it is not necessarily a precondition of growth! As a powerlifter, I spent several years of my life NEVER experiencing a pump. And, I grew from 165 pounds to 265 pounds without increasing my body fat percentage one bit!
The “Feeling” From Post Exercise Muscle Soreness Is A Signal Of Growth. Several theories have been forwarded regarding post exercise muscle soreness. Two come to mind.
Hydroxyproline, a simple amino acid that is common in connective tissue, is caustic to nerve endings. This amino is released upon trauma to the muscle cells and connective tissues as a result of training stress. Another is that trauma and inflammation initiated by the stress of intense training lead to hyperexcitability and spontaneous activation of pain sensations. Whatever the cause of PEMS (or, more technically, "rhabdomyolysis"), the fact remains that it is NOT a signal of growth, but rather one of destruction! Some is unavoidable. But don’t get the idea that you have to feel excruciating pain to know growth is taking place!
No Pain No Gain Is The Oldest One...It “Feels” Like “Coming” Said Arnold. Well, that’s quintessential “Arnold.” ‘Course, he was speaking rhetorically, but his meaning is clear: “If you don’t feel pain, it ain’t working.” Nonsense. Here’s what science says. Put the muscle under greater resistance than it’s accustomed to – CHALLENGE it -- and it will supercompensate in the process. Feelings of pain may or may not be involved.
Supplements That “Work” -- Because You “Feel” Something Happening. A young boy once asked me if his boron would "work." It was laced with ma huang. I told him to throw it away or give it to his post-menopausal mother. He insisted that he loved the stuff. "I FEEL it!" he exclaimed to me. The point is, supplements are great, but know what they’re great for!
Touching A Muscle -- Biofeedback -- Makes You Concentrate Better To Grow Bigger And Stronger. Perhaps this is true to a point, but where ya gonna get another HAND to feel the muscle with if you're lifting? In any event, what'll work far better is to slap some serious pig iron on the bar!
When Your Instincts Are On The Money. There are times when your “feelings” are probably your best source of information. One -- and there are others -- is the “feeling” of pain from doing an exercise, regardless of whether it’s being done “correctly.” This is a good time to stop and take careful stock in how you're doing the movement, or how much weight you're using.
So, regarding the Weider Instinctive Training Principle, know what instinct is – and isn’t -- before you cast judgment on this important gym tool! Intuition --“the immediate apprehension of truth in the absence of conscious rational processes” -- stems from learning and experience. And instinct, of the type spoken of by Joe Weider, comes from intuition.
