Workout Techniques for Efficiency
Giant Sets (similar to Horizontal Workout)
Super Sets
Forced Reps
Eccentric Contractions (Negatives)
Eccentric contractions are known to cause more muscle soreness than concentric contractions, and the risk of injury is much greater due to the large amount of weight utilized!
Twenty - Ones
Timed Sets / Reps
Partial Reps
Pre - Exhaustion
Post - Exhaustion sets
Example Y: Squats - Heavy set doing 4 - 6 reps followed by Leg Extensions, moderate weight, 12 - 15 reps.
Load Pyramiding
Load Sets
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How Often ?
3 of weights each week is enough. Lifting seven days a week like a crazy is too much stress for your body to handle. You will work yourself into a bad cycle of over-training where you actually see negative results. HARDER, NOT LONGER, is the goal of these workouts. Doing a lots sets of an exercise may make you better at that exercise, but not improve the body part as much as doing fewer and harder sets.
TRAIN HARD AND HAVE FUN.
- A giant set usually consists of a number of different exercises for one particular body part.
- First set is performed on one exercise followed by first set of the next exercise and so on.
- Weight is usually moderate and there is little to no rest between each exercise.
- After one set, rest about two to three minutes.
- Example: Triceps Pushdowns, followed by Close-Grip Bench Press, then Dumbbell Kickbacks. The total, composing one giant set. Rest for 2-3 mins then repeat for the next few sets. (Note: All exercises are targeting the same body part here which is different from Vertical Loading)
Super Sets
- A super set consists of a number of different exercises for two or more body parts one after the other.
- Body part number one is exercised, and then body part number two, etc.
- Weight is moderate to heavy with minimal rest between exercises. Rest between super sets is anywhere from two - five minutes.
- Example: Biceps and Triceps - Alternating Standing Curls with Triceps Pushdowns for 1 superset. Rest 2-5mins and repeat for next few sets.
Forced Reps
- Forced reps are a process that involves working the muscle group to failure.
- Forced reps take place with in a given set and can consist of maximal weight to failure (less reps) or light to moderate weight (high reps).
- Utilization of a lifting partner is essential to allow full contraction of the muscle to occur.
- Little time is needed between forced reps (as long as full muscle contraction occurs) and time between sets utilizing forced reps is longer to allow greater recovery.
- Example: Bench Press at 90% of max for 6 - 8 reps (employing a partner to help you through the full phase of contraction) to failure. Make sure he is supporting you just a little and not actually helping you lift the entire weight up.
Eccentric Contractions (Negatives)
- Eccentric contractions are defined as muscle contractions in which the muscle lengthens as opposed to shortening (concentric contractions).
- This can be approached purposefully, with the aid of a partner, utilizing maximal weight (30-40% more than ones maximal lift) or be done with any regular exercise regimen where the lifter concentrates on the 'down' phase of the lift as well as the 'up' phase.
- Timing during the lift is very slow, allowing for control, and minimum amount of time is needed between reps.
- Time between sets is usually greater, as one needs it for recovery.
- Example: Bench Press with weight exceeding your maximal press, slowly lower the bar to your chest and with the help of a partner return the bar to the starting position. Repeat.
Eccentric contractions are known to cause more muscle soreness than concentric contractions, and the risk of injury is much greater due to the large amount of weight utilized!
Twenty - Ones
- Twenty-ones is a descriptive term based on the number of reps done in a given set.
- The unique aspect of this method is that the set is actually broken up into three different sets done consecutively, within the same movement.
- The three different aspects of the set involve partial range of motions within a full range of motion.
- Each aspect or portion of the full range of motion is done for a total of seven, followed by the next portion of the full movement for seven, and then finally by the last portion of the full movement, again for seven. (7 + 7 + 7 = 21!).
- The exercise is done using moderate weight. Each portion of the movement is done immediately after one another, with average rest between sets.
- Example: Standing Biceps Curls - do seven partial reps from the start point to midway, followed by seven partial reps midway to the end of the movement, then do seven full range of motion standing curls to end it.
Timed Sets / Reps
- Timed sets and reps involve doing the movement through a specific fixed time or count.
- Both the concentric (positive or up) and the eccentric (negative or down) phase of the movement are done over a specified time or count.
- The positive and negative movement times can be the same or different, as long as they are consistent through out the entire set.
- Time between reps is minimal (one following the other), and rest between sets is moderate (2- 3 minutes).
- Weight is usually moderate to light, as the set is difficult.
- Example: Seated Quadriceps Extensions - Do the concentric or up movement over a 6 second count followed by the negative or down movement over a 6 second count. Repeat.
Partial Reps
- Partial reps or restricted range of motion sets is similar to Twenty-ones except that the entire set is purposefully done through a partial range of motion.
- Focus can be either on the concentric or eccentric portion of the partial movement.
- This can be done anywhere within the normal full range of motion such as at the beginning, the middle, or the end.
- Weight is usually moderate to heavy
- Timing between sets is anywhere from 1 to two minutes.
Pre - Exhaustion
- Pre-exhaustion is a method in which a muscle group is isolated, using an isolating movement prior to doing a compound movement (more than one muscle being utilized, or more than one joint involved in an exercise).
- This method fatigues the muscle being refurbished before it is subjected to "the real" workout.
- Weight is light to moderate and reps are usually in the higher range.
- Pre-exhaustion uses an isolation exercise (flyes) to fatigue the chest to failure, then use the relatively fresh shoulders and arms to force even more stress on the chest during the Bench Press.
Post - Exhaustion sets
- Post-exhaustion sets involves performing low repetition, heavy weight sets, followed immediately by high repetition, light weight sets.
- This can be done with the same exercise (example X) or with two different exercise (example Y).
- Weight is as described above, and there is minimal to no rest between the heavy and light phase of the set.
- Rest between sets is moderate to long, again, for recovery.
Example Y: Squats - Heavy set doing 4 - 6 reps followed by Leg Extensions, moderate weight, 12 - 15 reps.
Load Pyramiding
- Load pyramiding occurs when each progressive set is done with heavier weight and less repetitions.
- This can be done with minimal or moderate rest between sets.
Load Sets
- Load sets progressively add weight to a given set while the number of repetitions stays the same or decreases.
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How Often ?
3 of weights each week is enough. Lifting seven days a week like a crazy is too much stress for your body to handle. You will work yourself into a bad cycle of over-training where you actually see negative results. HARDER, NOT LONGER, is the goal of these workouts. Doing a lots sets of an exercise may make you better at that exercise, but not improve the body part as much as doing fewer and harder sets.
TRAIN HARD AND HAVE FUN.