Friday 12 September 2014
Friday 5 September 2014
Against Mike Mentzer's High Intensity Workout - Masters Training Course
Masters Training Course
Mike Mentzer's High Intensity Workout and his training ideas:
ALSO KNOW AS HIT (High Intensity Training).
Mike Mentzer's training
theory is well described in his book, "High Intensity Training",
printed in 2003 and very well written by Mike and John Little.
You would be well served to read this book. It really makes you
think. He backs up his training ideas with a lot of medical evidence.
The crux of his workout theory is: train super hard, and briefly--the
more advanced you get the less you train (as you make inroads into
your limited recovery ability)--and then you REST. A minimum 4-6
days and up to 14 days between workouts to allow maximum recovery.
Upward progress is constant as you simply rest more and train harder,
workout by workout.
In the book Mentzer
states: I f you stop making progress stop training for 2 weeks and
resume again. The idea is to recuperate, from intense training and
always return to the gym stronger. A never ending upward spiral
of success as long as you can induce a maximum contraction on the
muscle as that is the trigger (and the only trigger according to
Mike) to make the muscle grow, and then REST to allow that growth
to take place. Got it?
It sounds very scientific
and and makes sense. The harder you work the more you rest. Sounds
logical. And I can agree on that point but unfortunently not on
much else.
The body doesn't work that way.
Mike gives us tomes
of empirical, evidence to back up his claims. Yet I can tell you
from years of experience, that truthfully, the body does not respond
that way to exercise.
Mike is one of my favorite
bodybuilders. I have read almost every article and every book he
has written. I have trained using one set only to failure (and beyond)
on 9 exercises for almost a year. Here is what I learned: I got
very strong on those exercises. Very strong. I didn't grow. I got
hurt a lot (and so did my partner).
Yes the sad fact is I
didn't get any bigger and weighed the same. Yes I could leg curl
nearly 60lbs more than the year before, but I was no bigger. Zip.
Nothing. Nada.
Injuries
I got hurt. A lot. High
intensity as described by Mike is very dangerous. Pushing yourself
super hard is bad for you. I don't care how much you rest between
training sessions.
How bad is bad? Let me
tell you: I was doing negative only training and tore my shoulder
out of the socket. I was leg pressing and was pushing so hard with
so much weight I broke bones in my ankle. I puked quite often during
my training and I blacked out once during a set. I trained very
hard. We would tie our hands to the lat pull (on every set so you
couldn't lose your grip and quit) with 6 foot boxing straps and
pulled till our arms nearly popped out of the sockets! And finally
during one set of mega squats I ruptured my stomach wall and had
to visit the hospital for an operation. And this is not the entire
list of injuries!
The fact is as you become
advanced (strong) you can push yourself beyond your limits very
easily. You can and will, injure yourself. Pushing yourself too
hard, too often, is not good for you.
THE SET THING.
The moment I returned
to multiple sets training (which I did to see what might happen)
with less intensity (let's call it normal intensity or hard work)
I grew. I'll never forget it. The evidence was irrefutable. One
set to failure may make you stronger, but it does not build a physique,
and it's dangerous. And resting weeks between workouts is no way
to become strong and fit. Though I have to admit I never have tried
taking weeks off between workouts unless I was very hurt or sick.
Yes, I was stronger
from the one set stuff as I stated earlier, (I gained what I usually
gain in strength training) and using that strength in multiple set
training was a plus, but NOT TILL I RETURNED to MULTIPLE NORMAL
SETS without training ot all out failure--did I start to hypertrophy
again. Maybe it's the blood flow. Maybe it's the high and low reps,
maybe it's the frequency, maybe the cenetral nervous system recovers
better when you are not training to failure all the time--maybe
it's all of it! All I can tell you is --it works.
It's possible, in fact
very easy, to get hurt doing things like negatives and forced
reps and rest pause techniques,especially if you train like that
ALL the time (instead of very infrequently
using high intensity, as I suggest---week 3 of your monthly cycle
during phase 3 of your yearly training--maxing only once a year.)
Mike has the athlete maxing out all the time and beyond!
It's not good for you unless your joints
and tendons are made of steel.
The body isn't meant
to do "forced reps", or all negative reps with a weight
you can't normally lift (there is a reason you can't lift it--it's
too heavy!). It damages your tendons, it puts you at risk.
And if you do it for several high intensity workouts in a row, maxing
out at every workout on every exercise--YOU WILL BECOME INJURED.
Mike says you won't get
hurt. You just need to rest more. I don't care how much REST you
take. 4 days, 14 days (even worse) walk in that gym and start maxing
out every workout and you're finished. In
no time you will be injured. I would bet money on it. Then you can
really rest as you wait to grow new tendons.
Let's just say that you
didn't get hurt? Would it work? Nope. 2 reasons: One: You need more
frequent exercise to get into good shape for one thing. Once a week
training (for 12 minutes to an hour) or less is not enough time,
training wise, to produce a fit healthy muscular body. I will admit
one hour of training a week can have marvelous benefits and it works
to build size, however to become Mr. America it is not enough training.You
need weights at least twice a week (training hard and progressively)
and more to really progress, and you need to do some sort of aerobics
and ab work. The second thing is you can't kill yourself year round
in the gym.It just doesn't work. Your central nervous system and
glands are overloaded from constant high stress. You must work hard
enough to improve, and progression means adding small amounts of
wieght to the bar on a consistent basis. You don't have to train
to failure to get stronger or 2 one or two more reps each week.
You have to work hard, or at least exert yourself, but you don't
have to kill yourself to make progress.
Training to failure each
time you lift is like running a sprint 100% till you drop each time
you run. It's not practical or needed to improve. Training with
all out intensity all the time can be very detrimental. You overload
your body (and mind) and you can't recover any more, growth stops
and you will probably shrink, you "go stale" as it were.
The body has a defense mechanism that after a few weeks of high
stress, kicks in and basically shuts itself down. I have seen it
over and over in my own life and in other trainers. Classic
signs of being stale beside being weak are: You
can't sleep, feel nervous, no appetite, tired, and usually you may
get a cold or flu as well. It's your bodies way of slowing you down
one way or another.
Athletes that go to the
Olympics to run for example, don't run fast all year round. They
build up to it. They peak themselves. They train and run a little
faster each month and then at the Olympics they give 100%. Then
back off and do it again next year, with a new training cycle It's
the best way to prepare to be your best. No one runs the 4 minute
mile every day. You build up to it, do it, then back off. To run
a 4 minute mile every day would be impossible, even if you rested
2 weeks between runs you would still find yourself slowing down.
The body can only run at maximum for a short time then it needs
down time to attempt that pace again. You can't stay at a peak.
It's very difficult and prone to injury (after all, now you are
at your physical limits) as you ride the razors edge.
Mike's theory is based
on hard work and then rest. This is the basic idea behind conventional
training as well, however you max out very infrequently ( using
conventional training ) and the work is carried out over a year's
time.
Mike completely discounts
periodization and that is the major flaw in his training theory
(besides way too much rest between training sessions). You simply
can't kill yourself all the time in the gym. The nervous system
and endocrine systems can only take a few weeks of this, at best,
and then you go VERY VERY STALE. So even if your elbows and shoulders
don't get ripped from doing negative benches your nervous system
will overload very quickly from constant high intensity training.
Remember I am not knocking
Mike Mentzer. Mike was a great guy. His books are very informative
and influenced me to train both harder and for less time. I just
can't get behind the entire High Intensity Training (HIT) training
program. For me, and others, it was a dead end.
Mike Mentzer's High Intensity Workout and his training ideas:
ALSO KNOW AS HIT (High Intensity Training).
Mike Mentzer's training
theory is well described in his book, "High Intensity Training",
printed in 2003 and very well written by Mike and John Little.
You would be well served to read this book. It really makes you
think. He backs up his training ideas with a lot of medical evidence.
The crux of his workout theory is: train super hard, and briefly--the
more advanced you get the less you train (as you make inroads into
your limited recovery ability)--and then you REST. A minimum 4-6
days and up to 14 days between workouts to allow maximum recovery.
Upward progress is constant as you simply rest more and train harder,
workout by workout.
In the book Mentzer
states: I f you stop making progress stop training for 2 weeks and
resume again. The idea is to recuperate, from intense training and
always return to the gym stronger. A never ending upward spiral
of success as long as you can induce a maximum contraction on the
muscle as that is the trigger (and the only trigger according to
Mike) to make the muscle grow, and then REST to allow that growth
to take place. Got it?
It sounds very scientific
and and makes sense. The harder you work the more you rest. Sounds
logical. And I can agree on that point but unfortunently not on
much else.
The body doesn't work that way.
Mike gives us tomes
of empirical, evidence to back up his claims. Yet I can tell you
from years of experience, that truthfully, the body does not respond
that way to exercise.
Mike is one of my favorite
bodybuilders. I have read almost every article and every book he
has written. I have trained using one set only to failure (and beyond)
on 9 exercises for almost a year. Here is what I learned: I got
very strong on those exercises. Very strong. I didn't grow. I got
hurt a lot (and so did my partner).
Yes the sad fact is I
didn't get any bigger and weighed the same. Yes I could leg curl
nearly 60lbs more than the year before, but I was no bigger. Zip.
Nothing. Nada.
Injuries
I got hurt. A lot. High
intensity as described by Mike is very dangerous. Pushing yourself
super hard is bad for you. I don't care how much you rest between
training sessions.
How bad is bad? Let me
tell you: I was doing negative only training and tore my shoulder
out of the socket. I was leg pressing and was pushing so hard with
so much weight I broke bones in my ankle. I puked quite often during
my training and I blacked out once during a set. I trained very
hard. We would tie our hands to the lat pull (on every set so you
couldn't lose your grip and quit) with 6 foot boxing straps and
pulled till our arms nearly popped out of the sockets! And finally
during one set of mega squats I ruptured my stomach wall and had
to visit the hospital for an operation. And this is not the entire
list of injuries!
The fact is as you become
advanced (strong) you can push yourself beyond your limits very
easily. You can and will, injure yourself. Pushing yourself too
hard, too often, is not good for you.
THE SET THING.
The moment I returned
to multiple sets training (which I did to see what might happen)
with less intensity (let's call it normal intensity or hard work)
I grew. I'll never forget it. The evidence was irrefutable. One
set to failure may make you stronger, but it does not build a physique,
and it's dangerous. And resting weeks between workouts is no way
to become strong and fit. Though I have to admit I never have tried
taking weeks off between workouts unless I was very hurt or sick.
Yes, I was stronger
from the one set stuff as I stated earlier, (I gained what I usually
gain in strength training) and using that strength in multiple set
training was a plus, but NOT TILL I RETURNED to MULTIPLE NORMAL
SETS without training ot all out failure--did I start to hypertrophy
again. Maybe it's the blood flow. Maybe it's the high and low reps,
maybe it's the frequency, maybe the cenetral nervous system recovers
better when you are not training to failure all the time--maybe
it's all of it! All I can tell you is --it works.
It's possible, in fact
very easy, to get hurt doing things like negatives and forced
reps and rest pause techniques,especially if you train like that
ALL the time (instead of very infrequently
using high intensity, as I suggest---week 3 of your monthly cycle
during phase 3 of your yearly training--maxing only once a year.)
Mike has the athlete maxing out all the time and beyond!
It's not good for you unless your joints
and tendons are made of steel.
The body isn't meant
to do "forced reps", or all negative reps with a weight
you can't normally lift (there is a reason you can't lift it--it's
too heavy!). It damages your tendons, it puts you at risk.
And if you do it for several high intensity workouts in a row, maxing
out at every workout on every exercise--YOU WILL BECOME INJURED.
Mike says you won't get
hurt. You just need to rest more. I don't care how much REST you
take. 4 days, 14 days (even worse) walk in that gym and start maxing
out every workout and you're finished. In
no time you will be injured. I would bet money on it. Then you can
really rest as you wait to grow new tendons.
Let's just say that you
didn't get hurt? Would it work? Nope. 2 reasons: One: You need more
frequent exercise to get into good shape for one thing. Once a week
training (for 12 minutes to an hour) or less is not enough time,
training wise, to produce a fit healthy muscular body. I will admit
one hour of training a week can have marvelous benefits and it works
to build size, however to become Mr. America it is not enough training.You
need weights at least twice a week (training hard and progressively)
and more to really progress, and you need to do some sort of aerobics
and ab work. The second thing is you can't kill yourself year round
in the gym.It just doesn't work. Your central nervous system and
glands are overloaded from constant high stress. You must work hard
enough to improve, and progression means adding small amounts of
wieght to the bar on a consistent basis. You don't have to train
to failure to get stronger or 2 one or two more reps each week.
You have to work hard, or at least exert yourself, but you don't
have to kill yourself to make progress.
Training to failure each
time you lift is like running a sprint 100% till you drop each time
you run. It's not practical or needed to improve. Training with
all out intensity all the time can be very detrimental. You overload
your body (and mind) and you can't recover any more, growth stops
and you will probably shrink, you "go stale" as it were.
The body has a defense mechanism that after a few weeks of high
stress, kicks in and basically shuts itself down. I have seen it
over and over in my own life and in other trainers. Classic
signs of being stale beside being weak are: You
can't sleep, feel nervous, no appetite, tired, and usually you may
get a cold or flu as well. It's your bodies way of slowing you down
one way or another.
Athletes that go to the
Olympics to run for example, don't run fast all year round. They
build up to it. They peak themselves. They train and run a little
faster each month and then at the Olympics they give 100%. Then
back off and do it again next year, with a new training cycle It's
the best way to prepare to be your best. No one runs the 4 minute
mile every day. You build up to it, do it, then back off. To run
a 4 minute mile every day would be impossible, even if you rested
2 weeks between runs you would still find yourself slowing down.
The body can only run at maximum for a short time then it needs
down time to attempt that pace again. You can't stay at a peak.
It's very difficult and prone to injury (after all, now you are
at your physical limits) as you ride the razors edge.
Mike's theory is based
on hard work and then rest. This is the basic idea behind conventional
training as well, however you max out very infrequently ( using
conventional training ) and the work is carried out over a year's
time.
Mike completely discounts
periodization and that is the major flaw in his training theory
(besides way too much rest between training sessions). You simply
can't kill yourself all the time in the gym. The nervous system
and endocrine systems can only take a few weeks of this, at best,
and then you go VERY VERY STALE. So even if your elbows and shoulders
don't get ripped from doing negative benches your nervous system
will overload very quickly from constant high intensity training.
Remember I am not knocking
Mike Mentzer. Mike was a great guy. His books are very informative
and influenced me to train both harder and for less time. I just
can't get behind the entire High Intensity Training (HIT) training
program. For me, and others, it was a dead end.
Thursday 4 September 2014
HEAVY TRAINING - Masters Training Course
Masters Training Course
HEAVY TRAINING
The tendons that connect all your bones and muscles are very strong, yet fragile. As your muscles get stronger they will contract at greater levels, increasing the load on your tendons and recovery ability. The tendons recover very slowly, almost invisibly, it takes so long. We cannot feel it, yet we know it is there. Well, once you injure a tendon you will know it is there! But is there a way to avoid this injury?
Train heavy, at most once a month, and only once a year to a max. Train using "cycles". Build up to a peak of strength, then back off and do it again. Use monthly cycles inside larger yearly cycles.
Now, heavy is relative..if your max bench is 100lbs for 6 reps it would be safe to perform that once a month. However, if you are really training heavy don't go heavy all the time. Train in cycles (periodization),as shown in this book. It is not needed, you won't recover from your workouts, and constant heavy training will take years off the life of your joints. When you do train heavy though..you go all out. You warm up well..get mentally excited, and push as hard as you can in good form.
How Often Should you train?
Individuals with extreme vitality can train daily and make good physical progress. These people are rare. Also they take years building into and adapting to intense daily exercise. People like Jack LaLane, Olympic gymnasts and so on. I am one of those people. But I have seen many who are not. Most people make the best progress in gaining size and strength from training 2 times a week progressively on basic exercises. It's not fancy, but it works 90% of the time.
Train as often as you can but not more than you can tolerate. If you can't recover from your training, you can't make progress. 1 to 2 hours of training a day would be fine for full time athletes and people with high vitality, but most of us cannot do that nor can most people recover properly from such a program. Learn what amount of exercise you can recover from and work with in those limits. If you are training 5 to 4 times a week and not getting anywhere, cut back. If 3 times a week is too much, cut back.
Train as frequently as per your training cycle, but again within your limits. Some people can handle split training, some can't. When I return to high volume training after a strength cycle, I gradually add more sets and reps and exercises over the entire 4 month cycle. So should you. If you have to make an error in judgment be conservative. If you find the volume is too much and you feel run down, or your joints are very sore, cut back.
My advice is to do abs and cardio every other morning, even if only for 10 to 20 minutes. After work in the evening do your weight training 2 or more times per week for at least 45 minutes to 2 hours. If you train for 2 hours eat something during your training to keep the energy up. Also eat the moment you are done training. If you are moving into contest mode or higher volume work you can do your split training or secondary exercises, on the weekends. During the week when you are working, just train once on a training day following a basic routine.
During the conditioning phase you will train with a higher volume of exercises and train more frequently, perhaps 2 or 3 times a day even ( taking the next day off ). During your strength phase you will back off to 2 or 3 days a week or every 2 weeks ( resting 4 to 5 days between workouts ) depending on how difficult the workouts are to recover from, and reduce the training volume to the basic heavy exercises. At the end of the strength cycle you might be down to training once every 4th day or longer (it takes that long to recover from very heavy training such as heavy deadlifts, squats and so on ). So it depends what phase you are in as to how often you will train.
How Often and How Long Should you train?: part 2.
I think my advice on training frequency needs to be explored in additional depth. Most of us are training to get bigger or stronger. These are very special tasks. Different than being super fit, or a triathlete. If gaining muscle and getting stronger is your goal read the following advice very carefully. I tell you exactly what to do.
The danger when training hard with weights, is too train too frequently. Besides progression in the core lifts--You must recover between workouts to GROW muscles. Every day or every other day training is too much exercise for the individual trying to gain strength. You need to recover completely between workouts to benefit from your efforts.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU TRAIN?
A hard 30 to 45 minute workout with true intensity of effort is all that is required. Long workouts, above 45 minutes of hard training, is counter productive. Don't do it. Follow a hard workout with 2 or 3 or 4 days of rest and you will have allowed yourself enough time to grow.
Daily training is too much for MOST people. In fact the great majority of people who are trying to GAIN muscle would be better served training each body part once or twice a week, or twice every 2 weeks.
Is resting 3 to 4 days between workouts too much rest? The answer is no if you are training hard.
You must recover your entire body between workouts. If you do legs on Monday and do them hard, and then train upper body on Tuesday (or Wednesday) you are not allowing any time to grow and recover from Mondays workout.
Better to train once or twice or three times on a single day and then take several days off completely--than to train once every day on a split routine. This allows your body to recover fully from the workout day.
Train no more than 30 to 45 minutes if you can arrange it. Two, 45 minute workouts (done on the same day) are better than one long 90 minute workout. Eat and rest between each workout.
How do we split up the body to train both upper body and lower body and allow enough rest to grow? Here are some good schedules:
Train legs and uppers in 2 separate workouts on one day, then rest 3 to 4 days, then repeat this cycle. So Monday AM would be leg training, Monday PM would be upper body, rest 3 to 4 days, train again.
Here is another good schedule: Train legs on Monday and upper body on Friday. Repeat the following week. Or train upper and lowers on Monday and repeat Friday.
No time to train twice a day? Try this routine: Train uppers on Monday and lowers on Tuesday or Wednesday. Rest 2 or 3 days and repeat the cycle.
I can tell you one thing about this routine and it's variations. It works. Don't spin your wheels with daily workouts if you are not already very big and strong.
The bottom line is REST 2 or 3 days between hard workouts. This type of training frequency works when nothing else will. And it works for almost everyone. Serious about gaining muscle? Rest several days between hard workouts.
Training every day is great for fitness, being lean, and doing detail work. Training every day is NOT productive for GAINING muscles.
How Hard Should You Train? (HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE PROGRESS)
How hard should you train? At least 80% intensity (with a mind focused on progressing in weight or reps on your core exercises) and sometimes even more. Keep it enjoyable and train like you mean it. 2 good sets are worth 200 half hearted sets. FOCUS on your set. Push yourself. When the muscles start to fail be sure it really is failure. Speaking of which..I always advise my clients to train super super hard ( I mean till the sweat is shooting out of your eyes) but stop your sets 1 or 2 reps before failure (except for once or twice a month during the super hard or peak workout for that month). It sounds like conflicting advice but it is really the best way to avoid injury and over training and it works.
Hard is a relative term. It means different things to different people. Remember to workout progressively and you can't miss. You don't have to kill yourself to make progress.
Another good tip is to follow a hard effort workout with a lighter workout. Even on your all out heavy week (week three of the monthly cycle) you still don't train 100% every day. Save it for one or two days on those special lifts that make you big and strong (like squats and rows). 100% effort, can burn you out fast. Train hard but don't leave the gym with your hands shaking...that's too much. You have wracked your nervous system and that is not the idea. Always train within your limits, even as they expand year after year.
Here is an important note. Just training hard is not the goal of training. Killing yourself in the gym is not a guarantee of growth. Burning out on set after set does very little to make you bigger if you are lifting the same weights week after week. Many of us have heard you must have 100% intensity to get anywhere. It is not practical or necessary to kill yourself at each and every workout. It will hinder your progress.
You can be sure you are lifting hard enough IF YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS in weight or reps on your core exercises. Here is an example of a typical workout. You squat 15 reps with 300lbs. Previously your best squat performance was 15 reps with 290lbs. You finish the set with the 300lb and you realize it felt easy, you are hardly breathing hard. You feel like you can do even more. DON'T. Hold back. Progress is enough. Save the energy to grow on. Add weight next time. Don't do any lighter sets to failure or for a burn, just stop. You got stronger, that's enough. Let the weights work their magic. Your job now is to eat, rest and grow.
It's not necessary to grind yourself into the ground to make progress. Train hard, hard enough to improve, but not so hard you burn out.
Hard work is important but do it intelligently without haste. Train within your limits. You should not train so hard you become fearful of your workouts. Train hard enough to progress but do not train so hard you cannot properly recover from the workouts. Always leave the gym with energy.
Rep speed
The fact is you have to do several rep schemes in your overall training. Super slo reps and medium reps are two examples of rep schemes.
There are slo reps. Super slo reps. Medium reps. Fast reps done with force. Smooth reps with a hold at the end. Stutter reps, rest pause reps, negative reps, assisted reps, and isometric reps. All of these have a place in your training. Give each one a fair chance, and you will come to understand that each one has something to offer. The bottom line is no matter what rep scheme you are using you must:
Lift progressively. Add weight to the bar; i.e. get stronger.
Contract your muscles hard with multiple sets of both high and low reps (not always at the same workout). A good contraction, is very important.
Lift intensely but not so hard you overtrain yourself.
Personally I go slow for the first 4 reps of a set, intentionally trying to let the muscles really feel those first reps and to be careful, then for the next reps I try to mentally explode and or speed up the reps, however the speed of the rep still looks smooth and slow as now I am tired from the first slow reps. Though I am trying to push hard and fast on the reps now, the bar is still moving slow. It takes practice but this is a great way to get the most out of every set. If the bar starts to move to fast, just slow down. You have to try to get as much out of each rep and each set as possible.
Sometimes once I am warmed up I might mix it up: I like doing 15 high rep squats with a medium speed, then end with 5 super slo reps. That really kicks up the intensity. Experiment with all rep schemes.
For the most part do slow to medium reps. Never jerk or bounce the reps. Better slower than faster.
Super Slow TRAINING
Like other cycles and methods of training Super Slo training is enjoying a big reassugance as of this writing in 2004. There are even super slo gyms. I await the day for the return of PLYOMETRIC gyms. Anyway..
Super slow reps are just another way to approach a rep. It can be valuable and fun.
The standard protocol is 10 to 20 second positives with 5 to 10 second negatives. NO stopping, you do the rep slowly and smoothly. It takes practice to perform correct super slow reps.
I like to do my slow reps SUPER SLOW. Much slower than the norm (I do the normal ones too). I have found that reps with a 30 to 50 second positives and 20 to 30 second negatives, combined with stutter reps and static holding (just stopping for a few seconds) can be very effective. 2 or 3 reps like this can be more than enough for 1 set.
I find Super Slo a valuable tool in the bodybuilder's arsenal of tactics, but it is not a magic routine. Do it for a few weeks or once in a while do a super slo workout, it's excellent to use it with other rep combinations. It's painful and takes real concentration to perform correctly (like most good weight lifting) so give it several weeks if you decide to practice this technique. Super slow training can be fun. I get very intense contractions using it.
HEAVY TRAINING
The tendons that connect all your bones and muscles are very strong, yet fragile. As your muscles get stronger they will contract at greater levels, increasing the load on your tendons and recovery ability. The tendons recover very slowly, almost invisibly, it takes so long. We cannot feel it, yet we know it is there. Well, once you injure a tendon you will know it is there! But is there a way to avoid this injury?
Train heavy, at most once a month, and only once a year to a max. Train using "cycles". Build up to a peak of strength, then back off and do it again. Use monthly cycles inside larger yearly cycles.
Now, heavy is relative..if your max bench is 100lbs for 6 reps it would be safe to perform that once a month. However, if you are really training heavy don't go heavy all the time. Train in cycles (periodization),as shown in this book. It is not needed, you won't recover from your workouts, and constant heavy training will take years off the life of your joints. When you do train heavy though..you go all out. You warm up well..get mentally excited, and push as hard as you can in good form.
How Often Should you train?
Individuals with extreme vitality can train daily and make good physical progress. These people are rare. Also they take years building into and adapting to intense daily exercise. People like Jack LaLane, Olympic gymnasts and so on. I am one of those people. But I have seen many who are not. Most people make the best progress in gaining size and strength from training 2 times a week progressively on basic exercises. It's not fancy, but it works 90% of the time.
Train as often as you can but not more than you can tolerate. If you can't recover from your training, you can't make progress. 1 to 2 hours of training a day would be fine for full time athletes and people with high vitality, but most of us cannot do that nor can most people recover properly from such a program. Learn what amount of exercise you can recover from and work with in those limits. If you are training 5 to 4 times a week and not getting anywhere, cut back. If 3 times a week is too much, cut back.
Train as frequently as per your training cycle, but again within your limits. Some people can handle split training, some can't. When I return to high volume training after a strength cycle, I gradually add more sets and reps and exercises over the entire 4 month cycle. So should you. If you have to make an error in judgment be conservative. If you find the volume is too much and you feel run down, or your joints are very sore, cut back.
My advice is to do abs and cardio every other morning, even if only for 10 to 20 minutes. After work in the evening do your weight training 2 or more times per week for at least 45 minutes to 2 hours. If you train for 2 hours eat something during your training to keep the energy up. Also eat the moment you are done training. If you are moving into contest mode or higher volume work you can do your split training or secondary exercises, on the weekends. During the week when you are working, just train once on a training day following a basic routine.
During the conditioning phase you will train with a higher volume of exercises and train more frequently, perhaps 2 or 3 times a day even ( taking the next day off ). During your strength phase you will back off to 2 or 3 days a week or every 2 weeks ( resting 4 to 5 days between workouts ) depending on how difficult the workouts are to recover from, and reduce the training volume to the basic heavy exercises. At the end of the strength cycle you might be down to training once every 4th day or longer (it takes that long to recover from very heavy training such as heavy deadlifts, squats and so on ). So it depends what phase you are in as to how often you will train.
How Often and How Long Should you train?: part 2.
I think my advice on training frequency needs to be explored in additional depth. Most of us are training to get bigger or stronger. These are very special tasks. Different than being super fit, or a triathlete. If gaining muscle and getting stronger is your goal read the following advice very carefully. I tell you exactly what to do.
The danger when training hard with weights, is too train too frequently. Besides progression in the core lifts--You must recover between workouts to GROW muscles. Every day or every other day training is too much exercise for the individual trying to gain strength. You need to recover completely between workouts to benefit from your efforts.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU TRAIN?
A hard 30 to 45 minute workout with true intensity of effort is all that is required. Long workouts, above 45 minutes of hard training, is counter productive. Don't do it. Follow a hard workout with 2 or 3 or 4 days of rest and you will have allowed yourself enough time to grow.
Daily training is too much for MOST people. In fact the great majority of people who are trying to GAIN muscle would be better served training each body part once or twice a week, or twice every 2 weeks.
Is resting 3 to 4 days between workouts too much rest? The answer is no if you are training hard.
You must recover your entire body between workouts. If you do legs on Monday and do them hard, and then train upper body on Tuesday (or Wednesday) you are not allowing any time to grow and recover from Mondays workout.
Better to train once or twice or three times on a single day and then take several days off completely--than to train once every day on a split routine. This allows your body to recover fully from the workout day.
Train no more than 30 to 45 minutes if you can arrange it. Two, 45 minute workouts (done on the same day) are better than one long 90 minute workout. Eat and rest between each workout.
How do we split up the body to train both upper body and lower body and allow enough rest to grow? Here are some good schedules:
Train legs and uppers in 2 separate workouts on one day, then rest 3 to 4 days, then repeat this cycle. So Monday AM would be leg training, Monday PM would be upper body, rest 3 to 4 days, train again.
Here is another good schedule: Train legs on Monday and upper body on Friday. Repeat the following week. Or train upper and lowers on Monday and repeat Friday.
No time to train twice a day? Try this routine: Train uppers on Monday and lowers on Tuesday or Wednesday. Rest 2 or 3 days and repeat the cycle.
I can tell you one thing about this routine and it's variations. It works. Don't spin your wheels with daily workouts if you are not already very big and strong.
The bottom line is REST 2 or 3 days between hard workouts. This type of training frequency works when nothing else will. And it works for almost everyone. Serious about gaining muscle? Rest several days between hard workouts.
Training every day is great for fitness, being lean, and doing detail work. Training every day is NOT productive for GAINING muscles.
How Hard Should You Train? (HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE PROGRESS)
How hard should you train? At least 80% intensity (with a mind focused on progressing in weight or reps on your core exercises) and sometimes even more. Keep it enjoyable and train like you mean it. 2 good sets are worth 200 half hearted sets. FOCUS on your set. Push yourself. When the muscles start to fail be sure it really is failure. Speaking of which..I always advise my clients to train super super hard ( I mean till the sweat is shooting out of your eyes) but stop your sets 1 or 2 reps before failure (except for once or twice a month during the super hard or peak workout for that month). It sounds like conflicting advice but it is really the best way to avoid injury and over training and it works.
Hard is a relative term. It means different things to different people. Remember to workout progressively and you can't miss. You don't have to kill yourself to make progress.
Another good tip is to follow a hard effort workout with a lighter workout. Even on your all out heavy week (week three of the monthly cycle) you still don't train 100% every day. Save it for one or two days on those special lifts that make you big and strong (like squats and rows). 100% effort, can burn you out fast. Train hard but don't leave the gym with your hands shaking...that's too much. You have wracked your nervous system and that is not the idea. Always train within your limits, even as they expand year after year.
Here is an important note. Just training hard is not the goal of training. Killing yourself in the gym is not a guarantee of growth. Burning out on set after set does very little to make you bigger if you are lifting the same weights week after week. Many of us have heard you must have 100% intensity to get anywhere. It is not practical or necessary to kill yourself at each and every workout. It will hinder your progress.
You can be sure you are lifting hard enough IF YOU ARE MAKING PROGRESS in weight or reps on your core exercises. Here is an example of a typical workout. You squat 15 reps with 300lbs. Previously your best squat performance was 15 reps with 290lbs. You finish the set with the 300lb and you realize it felt easy, you are hardly breathing hard. You feel like you can do even more. DON'T. Hold back. Progress is enough. Save the energy to grow on. Add weight next time. Don't do any lighter sets to failure or for a burn, just stop. You got stronger, that's enough. Let the weights work their magic. Your job now is to eat, rest and grow.
It's not necessary to grind yourself into the ground to make progress. Train hard, hard enough to improve, but not so hard you burn out.
Hard work is important but do it intelligently without haste. Train within your limits. You should not train so hard you become fearful of your workouts. Train hard enough to progress but do not train so hard you cannot properly recover from the workouts. Always leave the gym with energy.
Rep speed
The fact is you have to do several rep schemes in your overall training. Super slo reps and medium reps are two examples of rep schemes.
There are slo reps. Super slo reps. Medium reps. Fast reps done with force. Smooth reps with a hold at the end. Stutter reps, rest pause reps, negative reps, assisted reps, and isometric reps. All of these have a place in your training. Give each one a fair chance, and you will come to understand that each one has something to offer. The bottom line is no matter what rep scheme you are using you must:
Lift progressively. Add weight to the bar; i.e. get stronger.
Contract your muscles hard with multiple sets of both high and low reps (not always at the same workout). A good contraction, is very important.
Lift intensely but not so hard you overtrain yourself.
Personally I go slow for the first 4 reps of a set, intentionally trying to let the muscles really feel those first reps and to be careful, then for the next reps I try to mentally explode and or speed up the reps, however the speed of the rep still looks smooth and slow as now I am tired from the first slow reps. Though I am trying to push hard and fast on the reps now, the bar is still moving slow. It takes practice but this is a great way to get the most out of every set. If the bar starts to move to fast, just slow down. You have to try to get as much out of each rep and each set as possible.
Sometimes once I am warmed up I might mix it up: I like doing 15 high rep squats with a medium speed, then end with 5 super slo reps. That really kicks up the intensity. Experiment with all rep schemes.
For the most part do slow to medium reps. Never jerk or bounce the reps. Better slower than faster.
Super Slow TRAINING
Like other cycles and methods of training Super Slo training is enjoying a big reassugance as of this writing in 2004. There are even super slo gyms. I await the day for the return of PLYOMETRIC gyms. Anyway..
Super slow reps are just another way to approach a rep. It can be valuable and fun.
The standard protocol is 10 to 20 second positives with 5 to 10 second negatives. NO stopping, you do the rep slowly and smoothly. It takes practice to perform correct super slow reps.
I like to do my slow reps SUPER SLOW. Much slower than the norm (I do the normal ones too). I have found that reps with a 30 to 50 second positives and 20 to 30 second negatives, combined with stutter reps and static holding (just stopping for a few seconds) can be very effective. 2 or 3 reps like this can be more than enough for 1 set.
I find Super Slo a valuable tool in the bodybuilder's arsenal of tactics, but it is not a magic routine. Do it for a few weeks or once in a while do a super slo workout, it's excellent to use it with other rep combinations. It's painful and takes real concentration to perform correctly (like most good weight lifting) so give it several weeks if you decide to practice this technique. Super slow training can be fun. I get very intense contractions using it.
Tuesday 2 September 2014
Constant Tension Training - MuscleMag
Constant Tension Training - MuscleMag
Throw out the top and bottom ends of the range
of motion to maintain constant tension in this partial-reps driven
six-week routine to build maximum muscle.
By Nick Tumminello, CPT
There’s a good chance you’ve noticed a shift in your gym lately. The
sole power rack in the corner of your free-weight area, once
dust-covered and neglected, is in high demand. The few squat racks are
being used for actual ass-to-grass squats rather than curls and shrugs.
And the cushy seated machines with selectorized plate stacks are slowly
being pushed to the periphery. It seems basic barbell training and
compound lifts are all the rage these days — and for good reason, since
no other training methods can pack on mass with the same efficiency as
the tried-and-true staples like the bench, squat and deadlift.
Machine-based movements, on the other hand, have come under fire because
they tend to push trainers into unnatural movement patterns and
strength imbalances.
The big lifts are all well and good for anyone whose goals are
strength and size, but the trend toward compound movements negates the
essential role that machines play in hypertrophy. What the classic
bodybuilders knew — and what today’s upstarts need to learn — is that
pushing major weight while activating multiple muscle groups is only
part of the equation, and machines still play an essential role in
bodybuilding by allowing a lifter to apply consistent tension to a
working muscle through a complete range of motion. At the bottom of a
barbell curl, there’s not much tension on the muscle. Enter contrast
training, which takes its inspiration from the time under tension
produced by machines and tweaks basic compound movements to make them
just as ideal for hypertrophy. In other words, you get the best of both
worlds without sacrificing your new found love for squats.
to the last portion of a rep. Typical examples include the quarter squat
and the rack deadlift or “rack pull,” where you perform only the top
third of the movement to lift heavier without working through an
exercise’s common sticking points. These types of partial-rep exercises
are great if you’re a powerlifter looking to build strength and
“lockout” ability in the major lifts, and they’re also useful if you
need the ego boost of moving weight you could never handle through the
full range. But if your goal is to maximize hypertrophy, you’ll need to
focus on a different partial range.
To make significant gains in size, you need to emphasize the mid-range
portion of every rep, as that’s where you’ll be recruiting the highest
number of motor units while you’re moving weight. Simply put, more
motor-unit recruitment means more productive workouts, which means
increased gains in size and strength.
called the “length tension relationship,” which refers to how much force
a muscle can generate relative to its length. As numerous studies have
shown, muscles exhibit the highest force output when working from
somewhere between fully elongated (stretched) and fully shortened
(contracted). Simply put, for every exercise you use to get bigger,
stronger or faster, your muscles exert maximum force in the middle range
of a rep. Additionally, the more force you generate within this “mid
range,” the more motor units you recruit, which means you’ll be bringing
more muscle into the game.
The practical application of all this increased muscle activity is
the “mid-range partial,” which takes the increased strength potential of
the standard partial rep and moves it to the middle, shifting the
partial’s purpose to an emphasis on hypertrophy. Performing a mid-range
partial rep is as simple as it sounds. Throughout your entire set you’ll
stay in the middle of the range. While the mid-range specifics will
vary for each exercise, the basic principle remains constant: You’ll
never fully lock out the weight, nor will you ever go all the way to the
bottom of a lift. Essentially, you’re eliminating both ends of the
range of motion and concentrating just on the middle.
In addition to activating more motor units, mid-range partials offer
another major benefit for big-time muscle building: They force you to
keep constant tension on your working muscles, as the lack of locking
out or full extension prevents them from resting at any point during
your entire set. This constant-tension method ensures that active
muscles receive more time under tension, which, like increased
motor-unit recruitment, is a battle-tested and scientifically proven way
to gain muscle mass.
Keep in mind, however, that the mid-range partials used in
constant-tension training aren’t something you should be doing for every
set. If you never force your muscles to work through a full range of
motion, you can expect losses in mobility, which is why the accompanying
workout calls for a few mid-range partial sets and a few full-range
sets for many of the lifts.
to virtually any exercise. That said, you’ll find it’s most useful when
applied to free-weight movements. Because of the nature of machine-based
exercises, there’s no need to augment them to achieve constant tension.
To understand free-weight vs. machine biomechanics, let’s use a biceps
curl for example. During any style of biceps curl, the point at which
your biceps are maximally loaded is the point in the range of motion in
which your forearm is at a 90-degree angle with the load vector. If
you’re using free weights, gravity is your load vector. So the point of
maximal loading would be when your elbow reaches 90 degrees of flexion
or when your forearm is parallel to the floor.
If you’re doing biceps curls using a cable column, the cable itself
is the load vector, and the point of maximal loading is when your
forearm forms a 90-degree angle with the cable (which is coming from an
angle). The farther your elbow flexes (or extends) beyond that 90-degree
angle, the less stress you’ll place on your biceps. In other words,
during a free-weight biceps curl, as the dumbbell approaches either your
shoulder in the top of the motion or your thighs in the bottom, your
biceps are receiving significantly less stimulation.
Machines for the most part, unlike free weights and cables, are
neither gravity dependant nor load-vector dependant. Because of their
cam-based design, they provide constant tension to the working muscle
throughout the entire range of motion. So when you perform biceps curls
on a machine, you’re working just as hard at the bottom position (elbows
extended) as during the mid-range and at the top position (elbows fully
flexed).
The take-home message here is simple: If used properly, machines can
be a powerful weapon in your muscle-building arsenal. And despite the
importance of compound free-weight movements for increasing size and
strength, anyone whose main goal is muscle hypertrophy should absolutely
include machines in his program.
protocol, you’ll find that performing each set for a given amount of
time is more effective than counting reps. Each of the mid-range partial
sets in the accompanying workout calls for lifting the load for a
prescribed number of seconds, for a focus on time under tension rather
than total reps performed. Science shows that this method, when done
correctly, is actually as scientifically sound as counting reps.
When performing mid-range partials as timed sets, don’t worry about
your total number of reps or rep speed — these factors won’t matter. All
that counts with constant-tension training is that each rep within a
set remains within the middle range of the movement. Make this your
priority and maintain strict form on each exercise, and you can rest
assured that your working muscles will receive some serious stress
regardless of how many actual reps you perform. Keep in mind, however,
that you’ll be performing prescribed rep counts (not seconds) for
machine-based moves in this workout, as machines already offer constant
tension for reasons described above.
time-under-tension benefits of machine-based moves with the anabolic
boost of compound barbell lifts. For all moves shown in bold, check out
the corresponding exercise description before performing them.
Throw out the top and bottom ends of the range
of motion to maintain constant tension in this partial-reps driven
six-week routine to build maximum muscle.
Constant Tension Training
There’s a good chance you’ve noticed a shift in your gym lately. The
sole power rack in the corner of your free-weight area, once
dust-covered and neglected, is in high demand. The few squat racks are
being used for actual ass-to-grass squats rather than curls and shrugs.
And the cushy seated machines with selectorized plate stacks are slowly
being pushed to the periphery. It seems basic barbell training and
compound lifts are all the rage these days — and for good reason, since
no other training methods can pack on mass with the same efficiency as
the tried-and-true staples like the bench, squat and deadlift.
Machine-based movements, on the other hand, have come under fire because
they tend to push trainers into unnatural movement patterns and
strength imbalances.
The big lifts are all well and good for anyone whose goals are
strength and size, but the trend toward compound movements negates the
essential role that machines play in hypertrophy. What the classic
bodybuilders knew — and what today’s upstarts need to learn — is that
pushing major weight while activating multiple muscle groups is only
part of the equation, and machines still play an essential role in
bodybuilding by allowing a lifter to apply consistent tension to a
working muscle through a complete range of motion. At the bottom of a
barbell curl, there’s not much tension on the muscle. Enter contrast
training, which takes its inspiration from the time under tension
produced by machines and tweaks basic compound movements to make them
just as ideal for hypertrophy. In other words, you get the best of both
worlds without sacrificing your new found love for squats.
Partial Approach
When most lifters talk about performing partials, they’re referringto the last portion of a rep. Typical examples include the quarter squat
and the rack deadlift or “rack pull,” where you perform only the top
third of the movement to lift heavier without working through an
exercise’s common sticking points. These types of partial-rep exercises
are great if you’re a powerlifter looking to build strength and
“lockout” ability in the major lifts, and they’re also useful if you
need the ego boost of moving weight you could never handle through the
full range. But if your goal is to maximize hypertrophy, you’ll need to
focus on a different partial range.
To make significant gains in size, you need to emphasize the mid-range
portion of every rep, as that’s where you’ll be recruiting the highest
number of motor units while you’re moving weight. Simply put, more
motor-unit recruitment means more productive workouts, which means
increased gains in size and strength.
Work the Middle
There’s a fundamental concept in the science of muscle physiologycalled the “length tension relationship,” which refers to how much force
a muscle can generate relative to its length. As numerous studies have
shown, muscles exhibit the highest force output when working from
somewhere between fully elongated (stretched) and fully shortened
(contracted). Simply put, for every exercise you use to get bigger,
stronger or faster, your muscles exert maximum force in the middle range
of a rep. Additionally, the more force you generate within this “mid
range,” the more motor units you recruit, which means you’ll be bringing
more muscle into the game.
The practical application of all this increased muscle activity is
the “mid-range partial,” which takes the increased strength potential of
the standard partial rep and moves it to the middle, shifting the
partial’s purpose to an emphasis on hypertrophy. Performing a mid-range
partial rep is as simple as it sounds. Throughout your entire set you’ll
stay in the middle of the range. While the mid-range specifics will
vary for each exercise, the basic principle remains constant: You’ll
never fully lock out the weight, nor will you ever go all the way to the
bottom of a lift. Essentially, you’re eliminating both ends of the
range of motion and concentrating just on the middle.
In addition to activating more motor units, mid-range partials offer
another major benefit for big-time muscle building: They force you to
keep constant tension on your working muscles, as the lack of locking
out or full extension prevents them from resting at any point during
your entire set. This constant-tension method ensures that active
muscles receive more time under tension, which, like increased
motor-unit recruitment, is a battle-tested and scientifically proven way
to gain muscle mass.
Keep in mind, however, that the mid-range partials used in
constant-tension training aren’t something you should be doing for every
set. If you never force your muscles to work through a full range of
motion, you can expect losses in mobility, which is why the accompanying
workout calls for a few mid-range partial sets and a few full-range
sets for many of the lifts.
Rage with the Machine
The beauty of the constant tension method is that it can be appliedto virtually any exercise. That said, you’ll find it’s most useful when
applied to free-weight movements. Because of the nature of machine-based
exercises, there’s no need to augment them to achieve constant tension.
To understand free-weight vs. machine biomechanics, let’s use a biceps
curl for example. During any style of biceps curl, the point at which
your biceps are maximally loaded is the point in the range of motion in
which your forearm is at a 90-degree angle with the load vector. If
you’re using free weights, gravity is your load vector. So the point of
maximal loading would be when your elbow reaches 90 degrees of flexion
or when your forearm is parallel to the floor.
If you’re doing biceps curls using a cable column, the cable itself
is the load vector, and the point of maximal loading is when your
forearm forms a 90-degree angle with the cable (which is coming from an
angle). The farther your elbow flexes (or extends) beyond that 90-degree
angle, the less stress you’ll place on your biceps. In other words,
during a free-weight biceps curl, as the dumbbell approaches either your
shoulder in the top of the motion or your thighs in the bottom, your
biceps are receiving significantly less stimulation.
Machines for the most part, unlike free weights and cables, are
neither gravity dependant nor load-vector dependant. Because of their
cam-based design, they provide constant tension to the working muscle
throughout the entire range of motion. So when you perform biceps curls
on a machine, you’re working just as hard at the bottom position (elbows
extended) as during the mid-range and at the top position (elbows fully
flexed).
The take-home message here is simple: If used properly, machines can
be a powerful weapon in your muscle-building arsenal. And despite the
importance of compound free-weight movements for increasing size and
strength, anyone whose main goal is muscle hypertrophy should absolutely
include machines in his program.
Timing Is Everything
Another component of the constant tension method is timing. With thisprotocol, you’ll find that performing each set for a given amount of
time is more effective than counting reps. Each of the mid-range partial
sets in the accompanying workout calls for lifting the load for a
prescribed number of seconds, for a focus on time under tension rather
than total reps performed. Science shows that this method, when done
correctly, is actually as scientifically sound as counting reps.
When performing mid-range partials as timed sets, don’t worry about
your total number of reps or rep speed — these factors won’t matter. All
that counts with constant-tension training is that each rep within a
set remains within the middle range of the movement. Make this your
priority and maintain strict form on each exercise, and you can rest
assured that your working muscles will receive some serious stress
regardless of how many actual reps you perform. Keep in mind, however,
that you’ll be performing prescribed rep counts (not seconds) for
machine-based moves in this workout, as machines already offer constant
tension for reasons described above.
Constant Tension Workout
Use this program for the next six weeks to combine thetime-under-tension benefits of machine-based moves with the anabolic
boost of compound barbell lifts. For all moves shown in bold, check out
the corresponding exercise description before performing them.
Constant tension exercises can build size and strength despite using relatively light weights| Stimulate More Muscle Growth
T NATION | Stimulate More Muscle Growth
However, they also found that performing sets without blocking
blood flow, but using a 303 tempo and never allowing the muscles to
relax during the set (always flexing as hard as possible during every
inch of every rep) with 50-60% of the maximum performed to failure,
led to oxygen levels of 23-24%. Lactate, hGH, and IGF-1 levels were
also the same as with kaatsu training.
The moral of the story is
that constant tension exercises can build size and strength despite
using relatively light weights and even if muscle damage is fairly
low. However, if the muscle is allowed to relax during the set,
oxygen and blood will flow into the muscle and you won't reach
optimal benefits.
So, we could say that muscle growth can be stimulated by:
You could take advantage of all three methods by designing your program according to this template:
A chest workout might look something like this:
90-120 seconds of rest
75 seconds of rest
60 seconds of rest
45 seconds of rest
However, they also found that performing sets without blocking
blood flow, but using a 303 tempo and never allowing the muscles to
relax during the set (always flexing as hard as possible during every
inch of every rep) with 50-60% of the maximum performed to failure,
led to oxygen levels of 23-24%. Lactate, hGH, and IGF-1 levels were
also the same as with kaatsu training.
The moral of the story is
that constant tension exercises can build size and strength despite
using relatively light weights and even if muscle damage is fairly
low. However, if the muscle is allowed to relax during the set,
oxygen and blood will flow into the muscle and you won't reach
optimal benefits.
So, we could say that muscle growth can be stimulated by:
1. Heavy lifting (4-6 reps), which promotes a high rate of mechanical damage/protein degradation.
2.
Relatively high reps (up to 12-15 for the upper body and 15-20 for
the lower body), which promote a high mechanical degradation due to
the combination of moderate time under tension and intramuscular
tension magnitude.
Relatively high reps (up to 12-15 for the upper body and 15-20 for
the lower body), which promote a high mechanical degradation due to
the combination of moderate time under tension and intramuscular
tension magnitude.
3. Constant tension sets. To do
these properly, you must flex the target muscle hard during every
inch of every rep. You can never allow the muscle to relax. This
means no rest between reps either. This method is best kept for
isolation exercises.
these properly, you must flex the target muscle hard during every
inch of every rep. You can never allow the muscle to relax. This
means no rest between reps either. This method is best kept for
isolation exercises.
Exercise 1: Heavy lift (4-6 reps) using a basic, multi-joint exercise
Exercise 2: Moderate rep movement (8-10) using another multi-joint exercise
Exercise 3: High rep movement (12-15) using a secondary exercise
Exercise 4: Constant tension movement (303 tempo, 50-60% of maximum, 8-12 reps) using an isolation exercise
A. Decline bench press
4-5 x 4-6 reps90-120 seconds of rest
B. Incline dumbbell press
3 x 8-10 reps75 seconds of rest
C. Cable crossover or lying crossover
3 x 12-15 reps60 seconds of rest
D. Squeeze press (pressing the dumbbells together as you simultaneously lift them)
3 x 8-12 using a 303 tempo45 seconds of rest
Intensity & Training to Failure [Muscle Gain] • Myosynthesis
Intensity & Training to Failure [Muscle Gain] • Myosynthesis
The good news is that damn near anything can work.
Train heavy, train light, and rotate through them.
The good news is that damn near anything can work.
Train heavy, train light, and rotate through them.
In Conclusion
- There’s a volume component to hypertrophy. Mechanical work, as
determined by volume load (load * reps), is the trigger for growth.
Intensity is only a permissive factor; you need your weights to be
‘heavy enough’ but you also need to do enough reps with those weights. - The fatigue element is important, perhaps more than the actual
weight used (as long as the weight is above a minimum threshold). Using
various rep ranges is likely useful to avoid staleness, and can be
productive as long as effort is high and you train to a high percentage
of your maximum ability. If you’re using RPE scores, train to a point
where you only have 1-2 reps left, and occasionally go all-out for
maximum reps. - Higher reps make it easier to rack up volume. Lower reps are better
at building strength. Using a combination of low and high reps can
attack the problem from different directions, and rotating between the
two helps avoid staleness. - You don’t have to limit yourself to dynamic contractions. This
method of constant-tension, peak-contraction training appears to work
with isometrics and partial movements as well as anything.
Face the Wall Squat - YouTube
Uploaded on 2 Sep 2008
The Face the Wall
Squat is a great tool to add to your toolbox of techniques. It teaches
you how to Squat and clean. Put the weight on the heels and arch your
back. Do not let your head or knees touch the wall.
Squat is a great tool to add to your toolbox of techniques. It teaches
you how to Squat and clean. Put the weight on the heels and arch your
back. Do not let your head or knees touch the wall.
5 Muscle Myths Holding You Back: Do 8 to 12 Repetitions
5 Muscle Myths Holding You Back: Do 8 to 12 Repetitions
The claim: It's the optimal repetition range for building muscle.
The origin: In 1954, Ian
MacQueen, M.D., an English surgeon and competitive bodybuilder,
published a scientific paper in which he recommended a moderately high
number of repetitions for muscle growth.
The truth: This approach places
the muscles under a medium amount of tension for a medium amount of
time, making it both effective for and detrimental to maximum muscle
gains.
A quick science lesson: Higher tension—a.k.a. heavier weights—induces
the type of muscle growth in which the muscle fibers grow larger,
leading to the best gains in strength; longer tension time, on the other
hand, boosts muscle size by increasing the energy-producing structures
around the fibers, improving muscular endurance. The classic
prescription of eight to 12 repetitions strikes a balance between the
two. But by using that scheme all the time, you miss out on the greater
tension levels that come with heavier weights and fewer repetitions, and
the longer tension time achieved with lighter weights and higher
repetitions.
The new standard: Vary your
repetition range—adjusting the weights accordingly—so that you stimulate
every type of muscle growth. Try this method for a month, performing
three full-body sessions a week: Do five repetitions per set in your
first workout, 10 reps per set in your second workout, and 15 per set in
your third workout.
Do 8 to 12 Repetitions ?
The claim: It's the optimal repetition range for building muscle.
The origin: In 1954, Ian
MacQueen, M.D., an English surgeon and competitive bodybuilder,
published a scientific paper in which he recommended a moderately high
number of repetitions for muscle growth.
The truth: This approach places
the muscles under a medium amount of tension for a medium amount of
time, making it both effective for and detrimental to maximum muscle
gains.
A quick science lesson: Higher tension—a.k.a. heavier weights—induces
the type of muscle growth in which the muscle fibers grow larger,
leading to the best gains in strength; longer tension time, on the other
hand, boosts muscle size by increasing the energy-producing structures
around the fibers, improving muscular endurance. The classic
prescription of eight to 12 repetitions strikes a balance between the
two. But by using that scheme all the time, you miss out on the greater
tension levels that come with heavier weights and fewer repetitions, and
the longer tension time achieved with lighter weights and higher
repetitions.
The new standard: Vary your
repetition range—adjusting the weights accordingly—so that you stimulate
every type of muscle growth. Try this method for a month, performing
three full-body sessions a week: Do five repetitions per set in your
first workout, 10 reps per set in your second workout, and 15 per set in
your third workout.
▶ Complete Leg Workout At Home: No Weights Needed - YouTube
Published on 17 Aug 2012
http://www.bodyweightevolution.com/
Workout exercises, reps and sets can be found below:
http://www.fitnessfaqs.tv || Subscribe Here -- http://bit.ly/vVbor0
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/uUXiS8
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/FitnessFAQs
Twitter: http://bit.ly/yZqJfC
Contact email for dedicated online training applicants:
fitnessfaqspt@gmail.com
"Resurrection" by: http://soundcloud.com/sgproducer/tracks
The workout:
A1 - 8s Isometric Squat x 8 reps
A2 - Glute ham raises 8-10 reps
A3 - Single leg box squat 3-5 reps
No rest between A1-A3
Rest 2-3 minutes after A3, repeat for 3-5 more rounds
B1 - Single leg calf hops (No knee bend) 50 reps
B2 - Single leg balance (Eyes closed) 45-60s
No rest between B1-B2
Rest 2-3 minutes after B2, repeat for 1-2 more rounds
Workout exercises, reps and sets can be found below:
http://www.fitnessfaqs.tv || Subscribe Here -- http://bit.ly/vVbor0
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/uUXiS8
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/FitnessFAQs
Twitter: http://bit.ly/yZqJfC
Contact email for dedicated online training applicants:
fitnessfaqspt@gmail.com
"Resurrection" by: http://soundcloud.com/sgproducer/tracks
The workout:
A1 - 8s Isometric Squat x 8 reps
A2 - Glute ham raises 8-10 reps
A3 - Single leg box squat 3-5 reps
No rest between A1-A3
Rest 2-3 minutes after A3, repeat for 3-5 more rounds
B1 - Single leg calf hops (No knee bend) 50 reps
B2 - Single leg balance (Eyes closed) 45-60s
No rest between B1-B2
Rest 2-3 minutes after B2, repeat for 1-2 more rounds
Advanced Face The Wall Squat Technique - YouTube
Uploaded on 5 Dec 2009
This exercise is level 2 in the Face
the Squat exercise developed by a group of Chinese Kung Fu masters in
the mid-1900s. Level 1 allows you to use your hands to maintain
balance. Level 3 requires you to make a fist and put it between your
nose and the wall. If you can do that then try with two fists -- one
infront of the other, of course.
The main purpose of this
exercise is to straighten and strength the back, and to strength your
internal organs. Along the way, you will have strengthen your legs,
feet, tendons,etc.
Info in Chinese: http://www.hxzng.org/xiaogongfa2.htm and http://www.hxzng.org/
Progression:
- squat all the way down
- squat with heel on the ground
- squat facing and holding a tree or a hand rail preventing the knees extending over the toes
- squat facing a wall without grabbing anything
- squat facing a wall with feet touching the wall
- (Level 1) squat facing a wall with feet and knees together and touching the wall. No shoes.
- squat facing a wall with fee together, touching the wall and arms raised high.
- (Level 2) With arms behind the back, wrist against wrist
- (Level 3) With one fist held in front of nose
- with two fists held in front of nose
Before you start, relex for a few minutes. Slowly go down and INHALE when you feel the need to inhale.
When you cannot go down anymore, wait until you feel like to exhale then slowly stand up with your exhale.
Each
set is 50 repetitions. Work you way to be able to do a full set and
then do a few sets a day. Go slowly. Usually takes a few months to get
to the next level. Took me 2 years practicing to make this video.
If you look carefully you can see that I cheated. My toes are supposed to touch the wall. Need more practice.
the Squat exercise developed by a group of Chinese Kung Fu masters in
the mid-1900s. Level 1 allows you to use your hands to maintain
balance. Level 3 requires you to make a fist and put it between your
nose and the wall. If you can do that then try with two fists -- one
infront of the other, of course.
The main purpose of this
exercise is to straighten and strength the back, and to strength your
internal organs. Along the way, you will have strengthen your legs,
feet, tendons,etc.
Info in Chinese: http://www.hxzng.org/xiaogongfa2.htm and http://www.hxzng.org/
Progression:
- squat all the way down
- squat with heel on the ground
- squat facing and holding a tree or a hand rail preventing the knees extending over the toes
- squat facing a wall without grabbing anything
- squat facing a wall with feet touching the wall
- (Level 1) squat facing a wall with feet and knees together and touching the wall. No shoes.
- squat facing a wall with fee together, touching the wall and arms raised high.
- (Level 2) With arms behind the back, wrist against wrist
- (Level 3) With one fist held in front of nose
- with two fists held in front of nose
Before you start, relex for a few minutes. Slowly go down and INHALE when you feel the need to inhale.
When you cannot go down anymore, wait until you feel like to exhale then slowly stand up with your exhale.
Each
set is 50 repetitions. Work you way to be able to do a full set and
then do a few sets a day. Go slowly. Usually takes a few months to get
to the next level. Took me 2 years practicing to make this video.
If you look carefully you can see that I cheated. My toes are supposed to touch the wall. Need more practice.
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