More Weight Training Techniques to Revive Your Workouts and Break the Plateau

You should know that it takes discipline and dedication to follow workout routines to produce results. After a while, even the "best" workout routines are getting old and boring. You stop lifting heavier weights and more reps. Your strength staganates. Your muscles stop growing. Like I say all the time:

"Everything works. But nothing works forever.

You got to change it up!"

In an earlier post, I have provided 7 weight training variations to a classical straight-set workout routine. They are very effective and useful alternative workout routines to help you change up your weight training program.

Let's re-visit the training variables you can manipulate for weight training (resistance training):

• Selection of exercises
• Order of exercises
• Weights (resistance)
• Sets
• Reps
• Tempo (rep speed)
• Rest interval
• Loading pattern
• Periodization program

What else can you do about these variables beyond the straight-set routine and the other 7 variations??

Let's use the same classical straight set routine as an example.

Classical Straight Set for Hypertrophy (Muscle Building)
Chest Bench Press: 10 reps x 3 sets, 2-0-1 tempo, 1 minute rest

Here are 7 more variations you can do to change up your weight training program.

1 1/4 Reps
Clean the weight up to top fully extended position. Slowly lower the weight to the chest. Press up a quarter of the way, then lower the weight down to the chest. Now press the weight up to full extension to the top position. That's one repetition, which is actually one-and-quarter rep. Repeat for 6 to 8 reps. Rest a minute before repeating for another one to two sets.

21s
This is one of the old-time bodybuilders' favorites. A typical weightlifting movement has three phases. The concentric phase (or positive, push or pulling phase) is when you contract (flex or squeeze) your muscles. The eccentric phase (or negative, returning or lowering phase) is when you stretch the muscles you just contracted. There is a neutral mid-point between concentric and eccentric phase where your muscles are not contracted nor stretched. Sometimes it's called the "sticky point."

With 21s, you'll do 21 repetitions in one set. You need to cut the weight you can normally do 7 reps by about 40 to 60%. So do bench press from the lowest stretched position up to the chest for 7 repetitions. Then do another 7 reps from the chest up to full extension at the top position. Finish the set with 7 regular bench presses. Rest for 2 minutes before repeating for another one or two sets. You should feel the "burning" sensation on your pec muscles.

Super Slow Reps
It's another old-time favorite. This is not for the beginners or less conditoned lifters as the super slow reps may produce extra sore feeling on the muscles.

Super slow reps are another variation to the tempo and tension manipulation. Tempo is also called rep speed as to how quickly you lift the weight (concentric or "positive" phase) and lower the weight (eccentric or "negative" phase).

The 3-point tempo prescription of 2-0-1 means that you take 2 seconds to lower the weight, zero second pause at the bottom (stretch), and take one second to lift the weight. A more complicated 4-point tempo prescription adds the 4th digit for the time to hold (contracted) at the top of lifting.

Super slow reps produce a prolonged period of muscle tension. Isokinetic studies show that more muscle force is generated at slower movement speeds to develop maximum strength. The greater muscle force produced at slow speeds is due to greater recruitment of muscle fiber.

Use 30 to 40% less weight than normal. The tempo for super slow reps is like 5-0-10. So take 5 counts to lower the weight to the chest. Then slowly press the weight up over a period of 10 seconds. Repeat for 4 to 8 reps.

Partial Reps
By all means, you'll do just "partial" repetitions not the standard full range-of-motion repetitions. Partial reps allow you to lift heavier weight only through your strongest range of moitoin, which is typically the last few inches before completing the lift for a full-range movement.

It's safer to perform partial reps on a Power Rack, Smith Machine or with the help of an experienced trainer or spotter. You can typically lift extra 10 to 20% more weight than normal. Start with the top fully extended position. Lower the weight only for 2 to 3 inches before pressing the weight back up.

Forced Reps
This is another "forced" scheme that requires due dilegence from both the weightlifter and the spotter for safety reason. The purpose is to fatigue the muscle fibers that you wouldn't otherwise perform the "forced" reptition by yourself.

You'll perform the standard full range-of-motion repetitions. This is done when you want to push that extra last half rep or a few inches to complete another full reptition. The spotter would only help you for the part where you can't complete by yourself.

Drop Sets
This scheme can be done with barbell, dumbbell or machine. It's helpful to have someone help you with the weight plates or dumbbells.

For example, say you want to perfrom drop sets with barbell bench press. Load up weight plates on both sides. Replace the last 25-lb or 45-plate plate with a few 10-lb and 5-lb plates. You'll perform a set of 10 reps of bench press. Immediately have the helper take off some weight (e.g., 10 lbs) and do another set of 10 reps at a lower weight. Again, take some some more weight (e.g., another 10 lbs) and do the third set of 10 reps at 20-lb lower weight. If you can handle it, drop another 10 lbs and do the fourth set of 10 reps at 30-lb lower weight. That's literally a 40-rep set and would produce tremendous damage and soreness on your pec muscle fibers.

Rest and Pause
This is a scheme that helps you crank up another 2 or 3 reps at the end of a normal set of workout. You feel sore because your muscles are under sufficient load (stress) for a period of time (tension). You can't complete the 11th rep beyond the 10 reps because your muscle fibers can't "fire up" fast enough to generate the strength to lift the weight. In biochemical term, the ATP can't break down fast enough to generate ADP and the "energy" to activate the muscle fibers. Or the ATPs are depleted momentarily. If you rest for a few seconds, the ATP reserve in your body is called out again to provide the necessary energy to activate or "fire up" the muscle fibers.

By taking advantage of these few seconds of window of opportunity, you're able to lift for another 2 or 3 reps. At the end of 10th repetiton in your bench press, hold the weight (in extended or locked-out position) and pause for a few seconds. Then you're able do a few more reps until fatigue. It's wise to use a spotter when you first try out this scheme.

Try to mix up with any of these 7 new variations when you need a boost in your workout routines. Do them spargingly. Don't try them all together. Don't go overboard in these special training methods to avoid injury or overtraining.

Changing up your weight training routines is necessary to keep you from being bored, stop from making progress in strength or muscle growth. That's how to revive your workout routines and break the plateau.

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How to Superset Your Workout for a Super Fab Body

Superset for Building Muscle, Losing Fat and a Super Fab Body

In a previous article, I have introduced "superset" as an effective weight training system. (I didn't invent the "superset" concept or system.)

Superset is referred to a weight training system or routine that you perform two exercises back to back with no or very little rest. You rest only after you complete the two exercises.

You can superset the same muscle group, opposing muscle groups or unrelated muscle groups.

I'm a big fan of doing supersets, tri-sets, giant sets or circuit strength training for many reasons described in my last article.

Most people are not pro bodybuilders nor capable of doing 5-day split routine. Supersetting is one of the most effective weight training systems or routines to work on more muscles in a shorter weight training session.

In some cases, supersets could be effective but inefficient to your body. That may not be a bad news!

Exercise inefficiency causes more stress on your neuro-muscular system. You break down more muscle tissues! With proper nutrition and recovery to repair the damaged tissues, you'll get stronger, build more muscle, and burn more fat.

Superset workout provide a strong stimulus to the metabolic rate and has a greater fat burning effect.


Practical Effective Superset Workout

In the following, I'll provide a few practical effective superset workout routines that you can try in a commercial gym, where "hugging" two stations or machines all for youself at the same time for supersetting workout could be a problem.

1. Superset barbell squat with dumbbell deadlift. Bring a pair of dumbbells to the squat rack or by the Smith-machine. Do a set of barbell squat followed immediately by doing a set of dumbbell deadlift. Standard back squat works all major leg muscles with a little more emphasis on the quadriceps. Deadlift is a hip-dominated lower body exercise that works all major muscles (except your chest), particularly more directly on your hamstrings and glutes. It also takes a lot of core strength and stability. This superset not only allows you to perform more leg workout, but also provides a more balanced training on your front and back sides of your legs. In addition, you only take up one work station (squat rack or Smith-machine).
2. Superset lat pull-down with standing dumbbell shoulder press. Again bring a pair of dumbbells to the lat pull-down station. Do a set of lat pull-down followed immediately with standing dumbbell shoulder press. You really only take up the lat pull-down station. The lat pull-down exercise primarily works your back muscles: latissimus dorsi ("lats") and trapezius. It also takes biceps and forearms to pull the bar down. Shoulder press works all three sides of your deltoid muscles (anterior, medial and posterior) to push the weight upward. These two exercises have opposite joint actions (scapular adduction vs. abduction) and opposite directions of movement (vertical pull vs. vertical push). Both muscle groups are most often abused and injured in daily activities or sports. Strengthening these two muscle groups at the same time will help you handle more weights, improve your posture and prevent injuries. You can replace lat pull-down with pull-up or chin-up exercise.
3. Superset dumbbell bent-over row with dumbbell bench press. You can use the same or two different weights depending on your strength and weakness, training goal and emphasis. Most people do more chest exercises than strengthening their back. You probably heard about people hurting their back all the times. It's rare to hear about someone pull his pec muscle. So do a set of dumbbell bent-over row in front of the bench. Then sit down and lie back on the bench. Do a set of bench press. You'll need a bench and you work on your back and chest muscles in a superset. Bent-over row works the same back muscles as in lat pull-down. Bench press works primarily your chest (pectoral muscles), triceps and front shoulder muscles.
4. Superset barbell bent-over row with barbell deadlift. Get an Olympic bar, find your spot and load up the weight plates. Do a set of bent-over row for your back followed by a set of deadlift for your hamstrings and glutes, or vice versa. This superset exercise will also challenge your biceps and forearms and strengthen your gripping power.
5. Superset dumbbell squat with dumbbell shoulder press. Apparently you need to use the weight suitable for shoulder press for both exercises. Clean the dumbbells onto top of your shoulders. Start squatting down while holding the dumbbells. As you start pushing your legs back up close to standup position, press the dumbbells upward. Lower the dumbbells slowly down to the top of your shoulders. Then start squatting down again. It may not seem a lot of load on your legs. Do a few sets. You'll know this superset is really challenging to your whole body, your core and your anaerobic energy system. If you do these exercises in a faster pace, it's called "thruster."
6. Superset dip with dumbbell biceps curl. Grab a pair of dumbbells to the station with parallel-bar handles. The station could be the captain's chair or Roman chair where you perform abdominal training. Do a set of dips (with bodyweight or with additional external weight) to work on your chest and triceps. Then immediately do a set of dumbbell curls to work on your biceps.

These supersetting training systems may not be on your training book. You've probably never thought about doing your weight training like these before.

You only rest after you complete the two exercises together. You perform higher training volume (or work capacity) in a shorter period of time. That's true intensity!

You may also need to lower the weights compared to what you would do with straight-set training system for the respective exercise.

Give it a try. Incorporate supersets into your workout routine and your whole periodization program.

There are just so many different ways of changing up your weight training routine and move beyond your training plateau!

In my next article, I'll give you a few superset workout routines based on bodyweight circuit and total-body training.

Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang.
All rights reserved.
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Superset for a Super Workout

All About Workout Effectiveness


I'm an advocate of total-body training. I'm also a big fan of doing supersets, tri-sets, giant sets or circuit strength training in a weight training routine for many reasons.

The truth is that most 9-to-5 working people simply cannot go to gym for weight training 5 days a week consistently without getting burnout.

The main reason is not just about time. It's also about workout intensity and recovery. Program compliance and adherence is most important in a successful exercise program.


Is 5 better than 3?

Maybe. But if you can perform three weight training sessions a week effectively with truly high intensity and achieve good results, why go for two extra sessions? In fact, if you don't work out at high intensity and don't recover well enough, the two extra sessions will not help you gain strength and grow muscles. On the contrary, it may negatively sabotage your progress.

Truth be told, many people overestimate their workout intensity. There is a huge difference between pumping 100 reps of bicep curls with 10-lb dumbbells and 20 reps of chest press with 50-lb dumbbells. Got that?


What Is Superset?

Superset is referred to a weight training system or routine that you perform two exercises back to back with no or very little rest. If you do three exercises in a row, it's called a "tri-set."

A "giant set" involves doing four consecutive exercises with no rest. Circuit training is typically involved more than 5 exercises in a circuit fashion.

You can normally perform the first exercise with higher quality or heavier weight because you're fresh from the rest. As you move on to do the second exercise, your central nervous system (CNS) starts to lose some focus and your ATP energy system cannot fire up as quick. So you may not be able to do the second exercise as good or as heavy as if you would do it by itself in a straight-set system.

So be aware of supersetting the exercises with proper sequence, weights and rest periods to meet the goal of your training progam. It's nothing wrong to reverse the order of the two exercises. The training effect could be different.

It's best to choose the first exercise with multi-joint compound movement or the weaker muscle group that you want to strengthen and put more emphasis on. That's, prioritize training your weaker or less developed muscle group.


How to Superset

There are many ways of supersetting your weight training routines.

1. Superset two exercises to work on the same or related muscle group. For example, the variation # 3 in my article How to Change Up Your Weight Training Routine is one way to work on your chest with two different exercises (chest press and flye) with different movements and emphasis. Another example is do your squats followed by lunges or deadlift to work on your legs. You can do lat pull-down (for your lat and upper back muscles) followed by seated row (for your mid and lower back muscles).
2. Superset two exercises to work on opposing muscle groups or opposing joint actions. For example, you can superset bench press (for your chest) with bent-over rows (for your back). In an another example, you can superset dumbbell curl (for your biceps) with dumbbell kickback (for your triceps). In addition, you can superset leg extension (for your quadriceps) with leg curl (for your hamstrings). Supersetting lat pull-down (for your lat and upper back) with shoulder press is opposing joint actions since your lat/back and shoulder are not really opposing muscle groups anatomically.
3. Superset two unrelated muscle groups. This type of supersetting workout is inefficient but most effective, particularly for fat loss. For example, you can perform squat (for your legs) followed by barbell bench press (for your chest). This supersetting method often involves one upper body exercise with one lower body exercise. So when you perform the upper body exercise (bench press), your lower body that was just worked (your legs) can rest and recover. Although you're doing two (unrelated) exercises back to back without rest, you're in fact still resting the other muscle group. Overall, you save rest periods and do more work in a shorter time. That's, your training volume is higher in short period of time with little recovery between sets. Your workout "intensity" is truly high.

Exercise inefficiency causes more stress on your neuro-muscular system. You break down more muscle tissues! Superset routine has a greater fat burning effect by revving up your your metabolic rate.

With proper nutrition and recovery to repair the damaged tissues, you'll get stronger, build more muscle, and burn more fat.

Sounds Good, But ...

The supersetting idea sounds good and simple. But in reality, it's not easy to excute effectively. It's practically difficult to get an effective and efficient superset workout in a commercial gym, particularly during high-traffic hours. You have to learn how to organize an effective workout.

If you're supersetting squat with bench press, you'll take up two work stations just for yourself. It's probably not desirable, particularly during high-traffic gym hours. You may need to move back and forth between two stations, sometimes across the room. By the time you're done with squat and walk over to bench press station, there may be other people waiting there to use the bench and or actually using the bench.

In some cases, you may need different pairs of weights for different muscle groups. You'll end up shuffling dumbbells around on the rack, all over the floor or moving the bench here and there, which again may be scoffed by other gym members.

So the key is to find an area or weight station that you can use throughout a superset. Also plan the supersets properly so as to minimize weight changes for efficiency. You may read some superset routines in fitness magazines. Most look good on paper but most are just not practical at all for the above reasons.

I'll cover a few practical superset routines to help you organize a super effective workout in my next article.

Copyright 2007 www.careyforfitness.com by C. Carey Yang and Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC. All right reserved.

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How to Change Up Your Weight Training Routine

Why 3 sets by 10 reps? What's the Magic?

No. No magic. It's just a very basic weight training prescription for beginners - nothing good or bad or magical - just simple and easy to remember and follow.
The 3 sets of 10 reps program got its start in the '40s and '50s in some early strength training experiments. Some fitness pros even laughed at this 3x10 program as "amateur" way of weight training.
If you've been lifting weight but haven't gained much strength or muscle, changing up your weight training routine may hold the key to reveal your six pack abs. Who don't want firm and flat abs?

Let's look at the training variables you can manipulate for weight training (resistance training):

• Selection of exercises
• Order of exercises
• Weights (resistance)
• Sets
• Reps
• Tempo (rep speed)
• Rest interval
• Loading pattern
• Periodization program

Reasonably simple, huh? Yes, but there's more to it. The combination of all these variables determine your training volume and intensity and your results.

Let's look at an example. Say you want to work on your chest (pectoral muscles) by choosing dumbbell flat bench press and dumbbell flye exercises (your selection of exercises). One classical straight-set workout may look like this (after light-weight warm-up sets) :

Classical Straight Set for Hypertrophy (Muscle Building)
DB Bench Press: 60 lbs x 3 sets x 10 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 1 minute rest
Dumbbell Flyes: 30 lbs x 3 sets x 10 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 1 minute rest
Comments: The order of exercises is dumbbell bench press first followed by dumbbell flyes. Each exercise is performed for 3 sets by 10 reps at respective weights. The lifting tempo is 2-0-1 rep speed. The rest interval between sets is one minute. The weight loading pattern is straight set; i.e., same weight through each exercise. Some people may call Dumbbell Flyes as "post-exhaustion" set in this combination.

What Else Can You Do?

Well, a lot more than you think.
The following shows several variations to above weight training routine with comments.

Variation #1 Pre-exhaustion Set
Dumbbell Flyes: 35 lbs x 3 sets x 10 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 1 minute rest
DB Bench Press: 55 lbs x 3 sets x 10 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 1 minute rest

Comments: The order of exercises is reversed. Flye is an isolation exercise that would tire out your pec as an "pre-exhaustion" set. You may be able to "fly" more weight first, but you almost wouldn't be able to lift as much in the subsequent Bench Press (a compound exercise).

Variation #2 Straight-Set for Maximum Strength
DB Bench Press: 75 lbs x 5 sets x 3 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 3 minute rest
Dumbbell Flyes: 40 lbs x 5 sets x 3 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 3 minute rest

Comments: By reversing the set x rep combination to the low rep range and heavier weights, you're training for maximum strength development. Training load and intensity are higher. You typically have to reduce training volume and rest longer between sets to recover from metabolic and physiological stresses.

Variation #3 Super Set
DB Bench Press @ 60 lbs x 10 reps (2-0-1 tempo) followed immediately without rest with Dumbbell Flyes @ 30 lbs x 10 reps (2-0-1 tempo)
Repeat this superset two more times for a total of 3 sets with1-minute rest between supersets.

Comments: Superset means you do two exercises back to back without rest. Take the rest till you finish both exercises as one set. These two exercises could target the same muscle group as it is in this case. You can also superset unrelated muscle groups (such as leg and shoulder) or opposing muscle groups (biceps and triceps).

Variation #4 Pyramid Set
DB Bench Press: 55 lbs x 12 reps, 60 lbs x 10 reps, 70 lbs x 6 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 2 minute rest
Dumbbell Flyes: 40 lbs x 6 reps, 30 lbs x 10 reps, 25 lbs x 12 reps, 2-0-1 tempo, 2 minute rest

Comments: DB Bench Press loading pattern is a regular pyramid method. Start with lower-weight/higher-rep set and progress to heavier- weight/lower-rep set. Dumbbell Flyes loading pattern is an inverted or reverse pyramid scheme. Start with heavier-weight/lower-rep set and progress to lower-weight/high-rep set. There are also more complicated double pyramid and flat pyramid loading patterns.

Variation #5 Tempo & Tension Manipulation
By simply changing the tempo, it makes a lot of difference in the time under tension (TUT) on your muscles. Tempo (rep speed) refers to how quickly you lift the weight (concentric or "positive" phase) and lower the weight (eccentric or "negative" phase).

The 3-point tempo prescription of 2-0-1 means that you take 2 seconds to lower the weight, zero second pause at the bottom (stretch), and take one second to lift the weight. A more complicated 4-point tempo prescription adds the 4th digit for the time to hold (contracted) at the top of lifting.
For example, a "3-0-2" tempo prescription on the original straight set routine would make a huge impact on how you feel on the muscles and muscle growth. You'll probably start to feel that kind of unbearable muscle soreness by the 8th rep. You're struggling through the last two reps. That's the difference!

Variation #6 Anabolic/Anaerobic Conditioning
By reducing the rest interval between sets (say from 1 minute to 45 seconds), you'll be able to improve your anabolic conditioning and anaerobic fitness. You only rest till you're "almost" recovered and go for the next set. You don't wait around for 3 to 5 minutes till fully recovered.

Watch out for this routine as it's very taxing to your mind and body. You probably have to reduce the weights, too. So check out your ego.

One extreme example of this variation is modified Olympic Power Training Routine. Anaerobic conditioning and performance is achieved by training and pushing VO2 max and lactic acid or lactate threshold.

Variation #7 Periodization
I covered this topic before about periodizing your training program. After a few weeks of dedicated and consistent training, you've gained some muscles, become stronger, and are able to lift heavier or more reps. That's, you're adapted to the workout routine. You need new stimulus to continue to build strength and grow muscles by progressive overloading.

Why not try 3 sets x 12 reps at 45-second rest interval or 4 sets x 8 reps at 90-second rest interval, even on the same weights and exercise combination?


Get in the Program and Stay on It

Aren't you having enough yet? The list of variations can go on if you start to add more or different exercises to work on chest muscles. There are also other training methods such as tri-set, giant set, drop set, forced rep, super slow rep, "negative" focused rep, etc. You see, there are a lot more variations available for changing up your weight training routine than you can imagine. You'll never be bored with weight training.

One mistake made by many beginners is that they change their workout routine too often. Some keep changing their programs or routines in every workout or evey week. They try all sorts of fancy body part split routines they can find in the books, body building magazines or from their gym buddies.


No Program Hopping

You have to stay on and complete one program for a prescribed period, be it 3, 6 or 8 weeks. Do not try a different variation in every workout; otherwise there is no accumulated, consistent and positive training effect on the muscular, neurological and hormonal levels. It also needs to be designed and integrated into the longer training macrocycle as periodization.

Each variation has its purpose and effect. Define your training goal first. Pick one variation of your current workout routine and stay on it for at least three weeks. It may help you break your training plateau. You may see new strength gain and muscle growth in no time!


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