FT Questions....

[Scott Stevenson]

Scott, I have a question for how you would modify FT for someone just starting out? I know this is a training program for those who are advanced enough to really know their bodies, or recognize the go to exercises to use. However, my daughter is starting to lift with me and wants to focus on her physique first now before trying to do a PL meet which I think is an excellent idea to get her a base of experience before she goes trying maximal lifts.

Rather than ask you to modify the layout for me I will list out some thoughts on how we can train within the same split, but not start really pushing the failure and intensity for a few months until I know the basic skills are there to do so.

Load Days - the thought for her was to do working warm up sets, and then the "work set" have her go until I see any sign of form degradation, or the rep becomes too slow where I think she may lose form on the next rep. In other words maybe 2 very hard reps left in the tank.

Pump Work - I feel like she can probably do the pump work as straight sets, but probably no reason to go into the partials initially.

Muscle Round Days - depending on the exercise do muscle rounds to 1 point of failure then stop, then gradually build up the volume to the 6 rounds, or choose a lighter weight that is just very challenging for her to complete all 6 rounds but she never quite reaches failure.

Option 2 - Just get her broken in with me on the MR days I am doing for a bit then start the actual split working her to failure on the exercises we choose to use machines for but not to failure with free weights. IE Failure on Leg Press, Not Squats, Failure on Chest Press Machine but not Barbell Bench... or would you do something like Option 1 then build into Option 2.

Option 3 - Just do the program as written and keep a very close eye on her and her form on all movements. Her natural recovery ability will control the pace at which she progresses.

A little history on my daughters fitness level. She is 13 years old, and very active, is on her schools dance team, as well as being a Black Belt and currently working toward her 2nd Dan. She was also in gymnastics for 2 years, so physical activity and high intensity are not foreign to her at all. Years of body weight PT from Karate, and the dance training have a pretty solid base of muscle built on her already but now we are venturing into the world of weights for her. She wants to get in shape and try to do a figure show in the next year or so. She has decided to embrace her natural thickness and muscularity rather than fight it, and wants to turn it into greatness. So I am here to help.

Sorry for the late reply on this - my computer's been crashing and I'm losing open tabs in my browser and thus my my reminder of what I need to do on line.

So this is really one that I can hardly address online. She's got a great history in intense physical activity, but I'm not seeing much about how much weight training she's doing.

This is what *I* would do:

I'd put an absolute premium on her learning proper form. It seems you want her to be training WITH you in some way, set by set like a partner and I'd put more emphasis on you coaching her.

For now, my thought would be that you'd do your lifting (say Loading sets) while she does the same main exercise, with a focus on form using higher reps.

Over time, as she learns lifting mechanics and sees what you're doing, you could perhaps start having her work in with you in a sense.

So, for thigh loading sets, you might have her do squats while you're warming up and zig-zagging compound and isolation exercises. Just have her learn to squat with perfect form that entire time.

During upper body pump exercises you might have her pic just three exercises for back, chest and shoulders and work on those.

In the above, there's not need to train arms and "learn" how to do knee extensions.

*I* would build her foundation with the big exercises and variations on those here, so she's introduced to those as the meat n' potatoes of training. Then you could work her in to more FT kind of formal training split and the different Set Types.

That's just me.

-S