Advanced Techniques for Weight Training
Set structure
Drop sets
- Drop sets do not end at the point of momentary muscular failure, but continue with progressively lighter weights.
Pyramiding
- Pyramiding involves increasing weights and lowering reps. The first set is performed with a weight that would seem challenging for a higher number of reps, in subsequent sets this weight is increased and the reps decreased so that the new weight seems challenging for the smaller number of reps.
Burnouts
- Burnouts combine pyramids and drop sets, working up to higher weights with low reps and then back down to lower weights and high reps.
Diminishing set
- The diminishing set method is where a weight is chosen that can be lifted for 20 reps in one set, and then 70 repetitions are performed in as few sets as possible.[9]
Rest-pause (heavy singles)
- Rest-pause heavy singles are performed at or near 1RM, with ten to twenty seconds of rest between each lift.[10][24] The lift is repeated six to eight times. It is generally recommended to use this method infrequently.
Combined sets
Supersets
- Supersets combine two or more exercises with similar motions to maximize the amount of work of an individual muscle or group of muscles. The exercises are performed with no rest period between the exercises. An example would be doing bench press, which predominantly works the pectoralis and triceps muscles, and then moving to an exercise that works just the triceps such as the triceps extension or the pushdown.
Push-pull supersets
- Push-pull supersets are similar to regular supersets, but exercises are chosen which work opposing muscle groups.
Pre-exhaustion
- Pre-exhaustion combines an isolation exercise with a compound exercise for the same muscle group. The isolation exercise first exhausts the muscle group, and then the compound exercise uses the muscle group's supporting muscles to push it further than would otherwise be possible. For example, the triceps muscles normally help the pectorals perform their function. But in the bench press the weaker triceps often fails first, which limits the impact on the pectorals. By preceding the bench press with the flye, the pectorals can be pre-exhausted so that both muscles fail at the same time, and both benefit equally from the exercise.
Breakdowns
- Breakdowns were developed by Fred Hatfield and Mike Quinn to work the different types of muscle fibers for maximum stimulation. Three different exercises that work the same muscle group are selected, and used for a superset. The first exercise uses a heavy weight (~85% of 1 rep max) for around five reps, the second a medium weight (~70% of 1 rep max) for around twelve reps, and finally the third exercise is performed with a light weight (~50% of 1 rep max) for twenty to thirty reps, or even lighter (~40% of 1 rep max) for forty or more reps. (Going to failure is discouraged.) The entire superset is performed three times.[11]
Beyond failure
Forced reps
- Forced reps occur after momentary muscular failure. An assistant provides just enough help to get the weight trainer past the sticking point of the exercise, and allow further repetitions to be completed. Weight trainers often do this when they are spotting their exercise partner. With some exercises forced reps can be done without a training partner. For example, with one-arm bicep curls the other arm can be used to assist the arm that is being trained.
Cheat reps
- Cheating is a deliberate compromise of form in order to achieve further reps. Cheating has the advantage that it can be done without a training partner, unlike forced reps.
Rest-pause (post-failure)
- After a normal set of 6-8 reps (to failure), the weight is re-racked and the trainer takes 10-15 deep breaths, and then performs one more repetition. This process can be repeat for two further repetitions. The twenty-rep squat is another, similar approach, in that it follows a 12-15 rep set of squats with individual rest-pause reps, up to a total of 20 reps.[25]
Negative reps
- Negatives are performed with much heavier weights. Assistants lift the weight, and then the weight trainer attempts to resist its downward progress. Alternatively, an individual can use an exercise machine for negatives by lifting the weight with both arms or legs, and then lowering it with only one. Or they can simply lower weights more slowly than they lift them: for example, by taking two seconds to lift each weight and four seconds to lower it.
Partial reps
- Partial reps, as the name implies, involves movement through only part of the normal path of an exercise. Partial reps can be performed with heavier weights. Usually, only the easiest part of the repetition is attempted.
Burns
- Burns involve mixing partial reps into a set of full range reps in order to increase intensity. The partials can be performed at any part of the exercise movement, depending on what works best for the particular exercise. Also, the partials can either be added after the end of a set or in some alternating fashion with the full range reps.[12] For example, after performing a set of bicep curls to failure, an individual would cheat the bar back to the most contracted position, and then perform several partial reps.
X-reps
- X-reps are a variation of burns, but X-reps always occur after momentary muscular failure. After the last full repetition, an isometric contraction at the point of maximum force is combined with a series of small pulsing movements to further stress the muscles. In other words, "go to failure, then do mid-range partials." However, in a 1997 article Steve Holman states that "X-Rep training is simply placing a muscle in its completely contracted position, or close to it, against resistance and holding it there until the muscle can no longer contract. Once you achieve fatigue overload, you slowly lower the weight through the eccentric range of motion, and the set is complete."[26]
Other techniques
Super slow
- Super slow repetitions are performed with lighter weights. The lifting and lowering phases of each repetition take 10 seconds or more.
Timed rests
- By strictly controlling the rest periods between reps and sets a trainer can reduce their level of blood oxygenation, which helps to increase the stress on the muscles.
Wrist straps
- Wrist straps (lifting straps) are sometimes used to assist in gripping very heavy weights. They are particularly useful for the deadlift. Some lifters, however, avoid using wrist straps in order to develop their grip strength. Wrist straps can allow a lifter initially to use more weight than they might be able to handle safely for an entire set. They can also place potentially harmful stress on the bones of the wrist. For lifters who desire an overall balance in their muscular development, the use of wrist straps should probably be avoided. Instead, wrist curls and reverse wrist curls can be done to improve grip strength.
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