| e you have been bodybuilding for at least six months | | | | much heavier weight. This is a method of increasing |
| or more, you may be ready to employ some | | | | your strength in one portion of all full repetition at a |
| advanced training techniques in order to increase the | | | | time. You'll have to experimentwith the amount of |
| intensity of your workouts. If you are no longer | | | | weight to use in the various exercises. You can do the |
| experiencing soreness the day or two after a good | | | | top third of the movement, the middle third of the |
| workout, you may need to start using one or two of | | | | movement or the bottom third of the movement |
| the following techniques. Once your muscles get used | | | | usually working the portion of the movement where |
| to your workouts taking the last set to the point of | | | | you tend to fail at the end of the set. For example, |
| muscular failure, you must then go slightly past | | | | when you're bench pressing and you reach muscular |
| muscular failure in order to stimulate new growth. | | | | failure, if it isusually right in the middle of the movement, |
| Drop Sets | | | | that's where you want focus your partial reps to |
| Drop sets is a technique in which immediately following | | | | improve your strength in that area. If muscular failure |
| your last rep of your last set, you quickly decrease the | | | | for you is when the weight is touching your chest, then |
| weight so that you can pump out two or three more | | | | you want to work on the bottom third of the |
| reps. Here is an example using seated dumbbell curls: | | | | movement to increase your strength at that point. |
| You are performing your last set of dumbbell curls with | | | | Super Sets |
| 35 pound dumbbells. You have just performed nine | | | | A superset is another technique to add intensity to |
| reps and nomatter how hard you try, you can not get | | | | your workouts. This is simply a technique in which you |
| that 10th rep. As quickly as possible, drop the 35 pound | | | | perform two or three different exercises for the same |
| dumbbells and pick up 25 pound dumbbells and | | | | muscle group with little or no rest in between. For |
| continue until you reach muscular failure again. Now | | | | example, do a set of bench presses and then when |
| drop the 25 pound dumbbells and quickly grab 10 or 15 | | | | you reach failure, immediately start performingflyes until |
| pound dumbbells and continue once more. Your biceps | | | | failure. You can superset squats and leg extensions, |
| muscles will be much more exhausted now than they | | | | barbell curls and concentration curls, military presses |
| would have been if you've had stopped the set on the | | | | and lateral raises, triceps press downs, French |
| ninth rep of your last set. | | | | presses, and the list goes on. You can also add a third |
| Drop sets can be done with virtually any exercise. For | | | | movement once you get accustomed to the |
| some exercises you may have to stop, get up and | | | | technique. |
| remove plates from each side of a barbell in order to | | | | Another way to use supersets is to superset opposing |
| reduce the weight for your extended set. If you're | | | | muscles. For example, do a set of a triceps exercise |
| using a weight stack on a cable machine, you simply | | | | until failure and immediately go to a biceps exercise |
| need to stop, pull the pin and select a lighter weight. If | | | | until failure. Do a set of bench presses and immediately |
| you train with a partner or several partners on an | | | | follow that with a set of low pulley rows for the lats. |
| exercise such as the bench press, you can have the | | | | This is a good way to engorge an entire area with |
| partners remove the weight plates on each side and | | | | blood, enhancing yourpump and triggering greater |
| you could immediately continue your set with the lighter | | | | muscle growth. |
| weight. | | | | Super Slow Reps |
| Negative Reps | | | | Super slow reps are and other excellent way to |
| Every exercise has a positive and negative aspect to | | | | increase intensity and push your muscles past |
| the movement. When you are doing bicep curls, you | | | | muscular failure. This one is pretty self explanatory, in |
| start with your arms extended and you curl the weight | | | | that basically you do your regular routine except that |
| up. That is the positive side of the rep. When you | | | | each rep is performed at an extremely slow pace. |
| lower the weight back down, that is the negative part | | | | Extremely slow can mean anywhere from 4-10 |
| of the rep. Your muscles can handle more weight on | | | | seconds going up, and 4-10seconds going down. You |
| the way down, that on the way up. Therefore, when | | | | can experiment with this one as to when in the set to |
| you get to muscular failure during your set of curls, | | | | apply this technique, and how long you want each rep |
| what that really means is your muscles are no longer | | | | to last. |
| able to raise the weight. However, the muscle is still | | | | For example, you can perform your set as usual |
| capable of lowering the weight slowly under control. | | | | except when you get to a point where you know you |
| Negative reps is simply a technique in which to | | | | can complete at least one more rep, perform that last |
| continue your set after you reach positive muscular | | | | rep super slow. The very first time you try this |
| failure by only performing at negative portion of the | | | | technique, you will feel muscle fibers working that you |
| repetition. | | | | didn't even know you had! |
| This technique is easily done with a training partner. If | | | | Static Holds |
| you are doing barbell curls for example, when you | | | | This is a technique I have recently implemented in my |
| reach the point where you can no longer raise the | | | | own training. As with most of the other techniques, |
| weight, your training partner steps in and assists you in | | | | there are various ways to utilize static holds. That |
| raising the weight. This allows you to lower the weight | | | | method I use is to apply it only on the negative portion |
| without assistance, one or two additional times. This | | | | of the last rep of my last set. When I get to the point |
| technique can be very difficult to use in certain | | | | (in the bench press for example) where I had pressed |
| exercises such as squats, where the weight would be | | | | the barbell all the way up and I know I can not |
| far too much for one training partner to assist you in | | | | complete another rep, I lower the barbell about half |
| raising it so you could lower it again. It is easily used in | | | | way down and attempt to hold it in that position as |
| exercises such as concentration curls or single arm | | | | long as possible. I will probably only be able to hold it |
| dumbbell curls. When you fail, you can use your other | | | | there for a second or two and then fight it all the |
| arm to assist you in raising the weight, and then | | | | weight down until it rests on the power rack pins. |
| continue lowering the weight with only the muscle | | | | This technique is very similar to super slow reps. The |
| being worked. It is also possible to use momentum or | | | | difference is that using super slow reps, you are |
| body motion to assist you in raising the weight if you | | | | concentrating on lowering the weight under control for |
| don't have a training partner to help you. Use this | | | | a predetermined period of time (i.e. 10 seconds). Using |
| technique to extend your final set by one or two | | | | static holds you are actually attempting to hold the |
| repetitions. | | | | weight in one position which actually requires you to |
| Forced Reps | | | | push against the weight as if you are attempting |
| Forced reps is similar technique to negative reps in that | | | | another positive repetition. |
| your training partner will be helping you to do one or | | | | Once you begin to experiment with these techniques, |
| two additional positive repetitions, after muscular failure. | | | | you will see and feel the differences between them. |
| Using this technique, your partner will be watching you | | | | You will want to learn to use each technique so that |
| perform your last set. When you can no longer raise | | | | you will have many different methods to increase the |
| the weight he will give you just barely enough help to | | | | intensity of your workouts, which also has the added |
| keep theweight moving in a positive direction, but he | | | | benefit of making your workouts more interesting! |
| will not lift it for you, as he did in the negative rep | | | | Since the human body has the amazing ability to adapt |
| technique. Perform one or two forced reps at the end | | | | to repeated stresses, you will need to change the |
| of your last set. | | | | techniques you use from time to time to keep your |
| Rest-Pause | | | | muscles growing. |
| This is a technique that you can do without a training | | | | Once you begin to increase the intensity of your |
| partner. To perform this technique, simply perform your | | | | workouts, it is more important than ever to be sure |
| last set as usual and until you reach muscular failure | | | | your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to continue |
| and simply pause for 30-45 seconds, and do one | | | | growing. You must consume 1 to 1.5 g of high quality |
| more rep. Repeat this process for 2-3 reps and you | | | | protein per pound of body weight each and every day. |
| will surely feel the burn! | | | | If you are not getting enough protein, you will not get |
| Partial Reps | | | | the results you are looking for! The workout only |
| This technique can be used in a couple of different | | | | triggers muscle growth, but the actual process of |
| ways. One way in which this is used is to take a | | | | increasing muscle size and strength occurs between |
| weight that is heavier than your normal weight for a | | | | workouts. It is during this recovery phase that your |
| particular exercise but only perform one third or one | | | | muscles rebuild using the amino acids (protein) that are |
| half of a regular repetition. For example, on a bench | | | | available in the bloodstream. It is up to you to provide |
| press, load the weight up a little heavier than you | | | | your muscles with a continuing supply of protein. It is |
| normally use, and when you take it off the rack, only | | | | also a good idea to feed your muscles the proper |
| lower the weight one third of the way down before | | | | amount of creatine and glutamine before and after |
| pressing it back up. You'll find that since you're only | | | | each workout. You can shop online for protein |
| doing a small portion of the repetition, you can use a | | | | supplements to get the best price. |