strength training

A Huge Key To Strength Training

What is the single biggest key to strength training? In my opinion, the biggest key for beginners and intermediates is simply to train heavy. Heavy training consists of using weights that limit you to three to eight reps per set for about three sets of an exercise. This should be done for basic exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and bench press.

When The Biggest Key to Strength Training Changes

Once progress becomes very slow or stops, I believe the biggest key to strength training changes. If you want to keep making progress, you must achieve an optimum training state. What do I mean by optimum training state? I mean that you must train had enough without training too hard. The single biggest factor for determining this is the ability to maintain consistent rep speed throughout a set. This especially applies when doing basic compound exercises such as the bench press, squat and deadlift.

Phil Heath

Phil Heath is an excellent example of someone who maintains a consistent rep speed throughout each set for basic exercises. There are exceptions to this. Phil sometimes grinds when doing isolation exercises. When it comes to basic exercises, I have seen him grind out slow agonizing reps on incline dumbbell presses; once. Another time he did a grinder rep at the end of set on a chest press machine. I have also seen him pause in the middle of a set, and then resume a consistent rep pace to finish the set. Once again, these examples are the exceptions. The vast majority of the time Phil Heath uses a steady rep pace from start to finish for each set. If he pauses, he racks the weight. Watch Phil’s training tempo in the following video, it is very smooth and even with only a few exceptions.

The Peak Strength Principle

I believe another huge key to strength training is what I refer to as the Peak Strength Principle. It means to train as long as you are at full (or peak) strength, but no longer. This may limit you to a small amount of sets for a muscle group. If you feel you don’t do enough work when limiting yourself to training at peak strength, then my suggestion is to train more often. Peak strength workouts are often shorter and easier to recover from and you may be able to do them more often.

To sum up what I’ve been saying: first, always maintain a consistent rep pace throughout a set; second, work out as long as you are at peak strength, but no longer. Eventually you will be able to add more weight and still maintain a consistent rep pace while remaining at peak strength. If you are struggling to make progress, consider using these two principles in order to make progress again. Best of training to you.

A High Intensity Training Cycle

If the only training stimulus you ever use is high intensity training by pushing to max reps, you may eventually encounter a massive training rut. You can include other types of training stimulus to form a three part high intensity training cycle.

A Three Part High Intensity Training Cycle

The first part of the training cycle consists of a combination of high density training and high intensity training.

The second part of the training cycle consists of a combination of high volume training plus high intensity training

The third part of the training cycle consists of a pure focus on high intensity training.

I recommend that you do part 1 for one week, part 2 for one week, and part 3 for one week. The whole three part cycle will take three weeks. When you finish the cycle, start over and repeat it as long as it works.

Part 1: High Density plus High Intensity training with 8 sets of 8 reps

For part one of the training cycle, you will be combining training density with training intensity. This will be done with eight sets of eight reps. When done properly, high density training starts out fairly easy for the first couple of sets. Don’t let this fool you as it grows progressively harder until it becomes high intensity training by the last set.

High density training is done by condensing a substantial amount of sets into a short amount of time. This is accomplished by using very short rest periods of fifteen to twenty seconds between eight sets of eight reps. Light weights must be used in order to accumulate a lot of training volume in a short amount of time. The same weight should be used for every set. The use of heavy weights should be avoided. Heavy weights will either cause you to rest too long between sets, or they will cause you to fall short of eight reps for all eight sets.

When doing eight sets of eight reps properly, the last rep of the eighth set should be the last rep that you can do with good form and good pace. Just do one exercise for each muscle group and work each muscle group three times per week for one week.

Part 2: High Volume Warm up to High intensity

For part two of the training cycle you will pyramid your way up over the course of several sets to a heavy high intensity set. The first set of the pyramid should be done with very light weights for twenty reps. It should be an easy set. Each set will become heavier and more intense as the reps decrease. The last set is the fifth set and should be the only true high intensity set.

I like Ronnie Coleman’s version of pyramiding up to a heavy set. The reason is because it includes a lot of reps and a lot of volume without killing yourself on the early sets. Max reps are saved for the heaviest. I will list the number of reps he uses for each set, and the percentage of his single rep max for each set.

Set 1 x 20 reps with 25% of your single rep max

Set 2 x 16 reps with 40% of your single rep max

Set 3 x 12 reps with 55% of your single rep max

Set 4 x 10 reps with 65% of your single rep max

Set 5 x max reps with 85% of your single rep max

The five set pyramid should be done for two different exercises for each major muscle group. For example, bench press and incline press for chest, bent over rows and lat pull downs for back, squats and leg press for legs. Just do one exercise for each of the smaller muscle groups such as biceps, triceps and deltoids. Do this twice per week for each muscle group.

Part 3: High Intensity Training: Two sets of eight reps

Part three is a focus on pure high intensity training. Hit each muscle group two to three times per week with just two high intensity sets. The sets should require a maximum effort to reach eight reps. Rest three to five minutes between sets for the same muscle group. Super important: Do your best to limit your warm up to a few easy warm up sets consisting of three to four reps each.

During the third part of the training cycle, you are trying to avoid volume in order to focus on intensity. The volume and fatigue that were created from the first two parts of the cycle are designed to improve your body’s recovery ability. When you get to the third part of the cycle, it should be easy for your body to recover and overcompensate from just two high intensity sets.

Variations

The same three part training cycle can be used in consecutive workouts within a week if you hit each muscle group three times per week. If you train each muscle group twice per week, the three part cycle would be repeated approximately every ten days. This works well for people who need constant variation from one workout to the next.

Another variation is to assign each part of the cycle into a training block. Each part of the cycle would be done for two to four weeks before moving to the next part. The whole three part cycle would then take six to twelve weeks. This works better for people who prefer to give their body time to adapt to a specific type of workout stress.

Modifications

I personally avoid doing max reps and training to failure. The farthest I will go is one rep beyond my ability to maintain a steady even rep pace. This is a simple adjustment that can made if you prefer not to go all the way to failure on your sets. However, some people find training to failure to be a highly effective training method. These people should push to failure as long as it keeps working.

High intensity training is a great way to make progress for many people. However, it often backfires at some point when it is the only training strategy that is used. This is when a cycle that includes high density and high volume into your training can help you to keep making progress. If you need to wake your body up from a training rut, give it a try. Best of training to you.

High Intensity Training

High intensity training has been around as long lifting objects has existed. All through history people have been curious to know how many times they could lift a given weight or object. If they took the time to find out, they engaged in high intensity training. How many pushups can you do? How many pullups can you do? How many squats can you do with 200 pounds? The only way to find out is to perform a high intensity set for max reps.

I know that science, powerlifters, and Olympic lifters often refer to intensity in terms of load (i.e. weight), but bodybuilders tend to refer to it in terms of effort. The more effort needed to complete a lift, the higher the intensity. This makes the last all out rep that you can possibly do at the end of a set a high intensity rep. When referring to intensity in this article, I will be referring to it in terms of effort; not load, not total workload, but effort in relationship to max reps.

In the Old Iron Man Magazines, Perry Raider often advocated a high intensity type of training. He believed in the idea of pushing to do as many reps as possible for one or two sets of each exercise. Perhaps the first person to bring wide spread popularity to high intensity training was Arthur Jones, the founder and inventor of Nautilus. In the late 1970’s an elite bodybuilder named Mike Mentzer took off with the idea of high intensity training. His version of high intensity training was called Heavy Duty training. Ellington Darden plus others have continued to push high intensity training, and it is still a very popular form of training.

Singular Focus on Intensity

The main attribute of those who popularized the high intensity training (H.I.T.) philosophy is the singular focus on intensity. Load is secondary, total workload is fairly unimportant, and explosive rep speed is discouraged. The hallmark of high intensity training is workouts consisting of one to three sets to failure for each body part.

Combining Load Plus Intensity

Mike Mentzer also utilized the concept of combining high load (or weight) with high intensity. He did this with his single rep rest-pause system with about fifteen seconds rest between four to six very heavy single reps.

Combining High Volume Plus High Intensity

Bodybuilders like Arnold, Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, and Phil Heath also believe in the importance of intensity, but they also believe that volume and total workload are vitally important. Bodybuilders and powerlifters who use high volume don’t necessarily train with high intensity on every single set. They often start out easier sets and lighter weights. Pushing to max reps is generally avoided on their first few sets. As they continue to work up to heavier weights the intensity increases. By their last set with the heaviest weight, they push to max reps, and are doing high intensity training.

Vince Gironda’s Use of High Intensity

Vince Gironda was another early bodybuilder who believed in a version of high intensity training. He wasn’t focused solely on intensity as he believed in rapid paced training with the same weight for six to eight sets. When using this type of training, the first couple of sets are not hard, but the rapid pace causes a rapid buildup of fatigue. By the last couple of sets, the fatigue and intensity become very high. It becomes quite hard to complete the required number of reps by the last set.

High Density Training Ends with High Intensity

The rapid paced training style that Vince taught is often done with six sets of six reps or eight sets of eight reps. Condensing this amount of sets into a short time period is often referred to as training density, or high density training. Don’t confuse the term intensity with density. Whereas high intensity training emphasizes max reps on the very first work set, high density training starts out easy and builds up to high intensity by the last set. This allows the accumulation of training volume while including high intensity by the last couple of sets.

The proponents of the singular use of high intensity training believe that intensity is the single key to achieving results. Others recognize the need for intensity, but they feel that sufficient training volume, density, or load must be a part of the training equation.

Out of all the methods discussed, which method is best? I would say the one that works best for you. You won’t know which one is best until you try them out. I must point out that I personally believe that the exclusive use of high intensity training often produces excellent results for a while. However, it can eventually become like beating your head against a wall without any benefit in return. A combination of the methods discussed will probably work best for a lot of lifters. I will address how to organize these combinations into a training schedule in the next article. Until then, best of training to you.

For more advice on high intensity workouts, refer to the following video

Load Plus Speed Equals Strength

You can focus your training on one or more of several training factors including: Load relative to your single rep max, training intensity relative to max reps, maximum rep speed, training density, and total workload. Theses training factors make up five mechanisms that can trigger strength and muscle growth. If your body responds well to just one trigger, then you only need to focus on the single trigger that causes your body to respond. However, most people will need to incorporate a combination of triggers into their overall workout scheme for best results.

Load Plus Speed

In this article, the combination that I will be focusing on is load relative to single rep max, and dynamic speed training. Dynamic speed training basically boils down to trying to achieve maximum force and rep speed with weights that are light enough to lift fast and forcefully.

The Westside Method

Perhaps the most well-known training system that incorporates the use of very heavy weights in some workouts, and lighter weights with maximum rep speed in other workouts, is the Westside system that is popularized by Louie Simmons. The foundation of the Westside training system is to do four workouts per week consisting of:

a single rep max effort bench day
a dynamic speed day for bench press
a single rep max effort squat or deadlift day
a dynamic speed day for squat/deadlift

Max Effort Day

When working up to a heavy single rep max, the goal is to warm up to a single rep max that is a personal record (or PR) for a given lift. It is impossible to break a personal record (PR) in every workout. For this reason, constant variations of each lift are used from week to week. For example, you may not be able to break your personal record for the back squat every week, but if you find enough variations of the back squat, you can use a different variation each week and reach a personal record for each variation that you utilize. If you PR in enough variations of the squat, you will eventually hit a personal record in the back squat. This same approach is used for the deadlift and bench press.

Dynamic Speed Day

The dynamic speed day is generally done for eight to ten sets. Each set consists of three explosive reps using the maximum rep speed possible. You must blast the weight up for all your worth. The amount of weight used is generally 50% to 60% of your single rep max. These percentages are used in a three week wave consisting of 50% in week one, 55% in week two, and 60% of your single rep max in week three. As you continue to gain strength, keep adjusting the weight of your speed lifts to match the correct percentage of your single rep max. Lifters often use stretch bands to create more resistance at the top of the lift when doing speed work. The Westside method also includes special exercises to build up weaknesses and assistance work to build up muscles that assist with the basic lifts.

Speed and Load in the Same Workout

Speed reps can also be incorporated into the use of the pyramid method when working up to a heavy weight. For example, if you work up to a heavy set of five reps in most of your workouts, you can incorporate some speed sets with three to five reps when warming up to a heavier lift. The following is an example for the bench press and squat or deadlift:

1 x 5 reps with 40% of your single rep max (lift with max speed)

2 x 3 reps with 50% of your single rep max (lift with max speed)

1 x 3 reps with 60% of your single rep max (lift with max speed)

1 x 1 rep with 70% of your single rep max

1 x 1 rep with 80 % of your single rep max

1 x 1 rep with 85% of your single rep max

1 x 5 reps with 80% of your single rep max

1 x 12 reps with 65% of your single rep max

You will get strong

If you do the routine that I just listed three times per week, you are going to get strong. Add five to ten pounds to your lifts every three weeks until you reach a point where you can’t maintain an even rep pace throughout the whole set when doing the last two sets consisting of five reps and twelve reps. When this happens, stick with the weights you are using until the weights become easy enough to do the sets consisting of five reps and twelve reps without slowing down on your rep speed, then start adding weight again and repeat the process. You can get stronger for a long, long time if you do the routine right and use the method that I gave for progressing.

One of the fastest ways to get stronger is to do some very heavy lifting along with some dynamic speed training with lighter weights and explosive reps. If the combination of load and speed is right for your body, you will notice a definite improvement in your strength. Don’t hesitate to try it, as it has produced tremendous results for many elite lifters. Best of Training to you.

Load and Total Workload for More Strength

Over the course of the last three articles, I have been discussing five different training stresses that trigger gains in strength and muscle mass. These triggers include:

Load relative to percentage of a single rep max
Intensity relative to max reps or training to failure
Dynamic speed
Training Density
Total workload (or training volume)

If you want to know the basics of each type of training, please refer to the last article titled Five Training Stresses That Trigger Strength Gains, in which each type of training is explained.

Some people derive most of their gains by focusing on one trigger, but most people need to use a combination of triggers for best results. In this article, I will be discussing the type of lifter who responds well to a combination that emphasizes both heavy loads, and a high total workloads.

The Effect of Warm ups is Easy to Overlook

One thing that I can’t emphasize enough is that power lifters are notorious for defining their training according to their work sets without any reference to their warm up sets. I recall reading an interview in which Ed Coan was asked how many sets he did for each exercise, and he responded by saying that he usually only did one or two sets per exercise. I wondered how he could get so strong from so little work. When I saw the way he actually worked out, he did nine warm up sets before reaching the one set that he was referring to for his workout. I was surprised at how much lifting he actually did, although I don’t want to over-exaggerate Ed’s warm up because he starts his warm up sets with very light weights, and he keeps the reps very low as he works up in weight from set to set. Andrey Malanichev uses this same concept of doing a lot of warm up sets with only a few reps per set.

Over the past years, I have learned that some lifters do a minimum amount of warming up by just doing one to three reps per warm up set, and they only do a few warm up sets; this is how Mark Challet worked out when deadlifting well over 800 pounds. Others do tons of warm up sets, and they do high reps when just starting out with light weights. These lifters accumulate a substantial total workload from their warm up sets, and they keep adding weight over the course of a lot of sets until they reach a final heavy set. If you are only talking about work sets, the lifter who does a low volume warm up and the lifter who does a high volume warm up may both say that they work up to just one heavy set, however, their workouts are nowhere near the same. The workouts are vastly different in terms of how much total workload is accumulated during the warm up phase of their workouts.

High Workload Warm up Sets

Eric Spoto is an elite bench presser and Richard Hawthorne is an elite dead-lifter and squatter. Both are examples of elite lifters who accumulate a huge workload when increasing weight from set to set until they reach their final heavy set. They are combining both load and total workload into a single workout, which means they are using at least two types of training stresses to trigger strength and muscle growth. Both Richard Hawthorne and Eric Spoto will hit 20 reps on their first warm up set. They will probably do a lot of sets with eight to ten reps and will do close to ten sets before reaching their final heaviest set.

I am providing a few videos that will help you to understand the manner in which they work up to a final heavy set.

Notice in the last video that Eric Spoto does a much more extensive warm up with way more training volume than his training partners. Neither is right or wrong as each lifter must find the method that works best for themselves.

Richard Hawthorne

Adjust Your Warm Up Weights to Your Strength

If you watched the last video of Richard Hawthorne, notice that he takes the first minute to discuss his training in terms of work sets, which is a common way for powerlifters to describe how they work out. However, Richard then gets more specific by discussing the aspect of training that so many overlook, which is the importance of the training volume he accumulates in his warm up sets. Let me caution you by pointing out that Richard can deadlift over 600 pounds at 130 pounds of bodyweight. This is an important factor when he tells you that he warms up with two sets of 20 reps with 135 pounds. If you are only a 300 pound deadlifter, and you do two sets of 20 reps with 135 pounds for your warm ups, it’s going to take twice as much out of you as it does Richard. You must adjust the warm up weights according to your strength.

I want to also point out that Richard Hawthorne only trains the deadlift and squat once per week. He combines high volume with heavy lifting, but his training frequency is low in terms of how often he works each lift.

Accumulating Workload Before or After Heavy Lifting?

Another way that lifters combine the use of heavy loads with high volume is to start with a low volume warm up by using low reps on all warm up sets while working their way up to a heavy set. After working up to their heaviest set, they drop back to lighter weights and do some lighter sets. These lifters prefer accumulating their training volume after their heavy lifting, whereas Richard Hawthorne and Eric Spoto prefer accumulating their training volume before they reach their heaviest set. Either way, the lifter who is responsive to the combination of heavy weights plus a high workload in the same workout should include both triggers in their workouts. In the next article, I will discuss the use of dynamic speed training with lighter weights in combination with heavy training. Best of training to you.

Note:

click on the title below if you wold like to refer to the previous article in this series:

Five Training Stresses That Trigger Strength Gains

Five Training Stresses That Trigger Gains

Strength training, powerlifting, and bodybuilding would be greatly simplified if all of the top performers used the same training methodology, but they don’t. There are countless training methods that have helped lifters of all kinds attain their world-class results, which can be confusing when trying to ascertain which training method is best for yourself.

In the last article, I discussed five training stresses that trigger gains in strength and/or muscle growth. Some lifters are highly responsive to one of the triggers and make that specific trigger the focus of their training. The different types of triggers that lifters respond to are listed below:

The Load responsive lifter
The high intensity responsive lifter
The force and dynamic speed responsive lifter
The high training density responsive lifter
The total workload responsive lifter

Most lifters will need to use a combination of training methods to trigger strength and growth, but that will be discussed in a future article. In this article, I simply want to define each type of training method that triggers strength and/or muscle growth.

Trigger #1: Load

Training load simply refers to the amount of weight on the bar in relationship to the maximum weight that a lifter can lift for a single rep. The closer a lifter comes to 100% of their max, the higher the load, and the further away that a lifter is in relationship to their single rep max, the lower the load. Some lifters focus almost all of their training on working up to a max, or a near max lift every workout because it seems to work for them.

The Bulgarian era of lifting champions focused almost exclusively on single rep max load lifting. The minimalist lifters who respond well to minimalist training are also usually load responsive lifters, but they train far less often than the Bulgarians. Examples would be Kirk Karwoski, Mark Challet, and Marty Gallagher.

Trigger #2: High Intensity Training

The term, High Intensity, is defined in different ways according to the type of lifting that is being done. Powerlifters often refer to intensity as a percentage of their single rep max. In contrast, bodybuilders tend to refer to intensity in terms of how close they come to completing the maximum number of reps possible within a set. High intensity means doing max reps (also known as training to failure) and may also include the use of forced reps. The further a lifter falls short of max reps, the lower the intensity. Relatively few sets are done when performing high intensity sets.

Some intensity responsive bodybuilders who made intensity the focus of their training were the Mentzer brothers and Dorian Yates.

Trigger #3: Force and dynamic speed lifting.

The most common form of dynamic speed lifting is to perform a basic lift using 50-60% of your single rep max for ten sets of three reps (or 10 x 3). Each rep is performed with as much speed and force as possible using perfect form. The rest times between sets is generally about 45 seconds.

I don’t know of any lifters who use dynamic speed training as the exclusive method to gain strength, but the west side method popularized the use of dynamic speed training and they put a substantial emphasis on it with their training.

Trigger #4: High Density Training

High density training refers to packing as much training volume as possible into a brief time span by doing as many sets and reps as possible over the course of short time. This does not refer to circuit training where a lifter constantly switches from one muscle group to the next from one set to the next. High density sets are done for the same muscle group with very little rest between sets, meaning fifteen to twenty seconds of rest.

Substantial training volume is an important aspect of this type of training. It should be done with at least six sets and six reps. If the amount of sets and reps are too low, the total workload becomes low and training density decreases. Examples of training density would be to use any of the following set and reps schemes including: 6 sets of 6 reps; 6 sets of 8 reps; 7 sets of 7 reps; 8 sets of 8 reps; 8 sets of 6 reps; 10 sets of 10 reps,; and 15 sets of 4 reps. Only fifteen to twenty seconds rest between sets. Fairly lights weights must be used to accomplish this.

Giant sets of four different exercises for the same muscle group are also an option. An example for chest would be to do bench press, wide grip dips, dumbbell flies, and incline press with no rest between sets.

In his day, Vince Gironda produced fantastic bodybuilders through the use of high density training. These guys were often big and strong. Serge Nubret also developed immense size and strength with high density training, although he combined high density training with a huge total workload by doing tons of sets.

Trigger #5 High Total Workload

Total workload refers to the sum total of reps across all sets, plus the amount of weight that was used for each rep. For example, if a lifter does 10 sets of 10 reps with 200 pounds for an exercise, the total workload is 100 total reps x 200 pounds which equals a total workload of 20,000 pounds. If they did 3 sets of 10 reps with 100 pounds, followed by 3 sets of 8 reps 125 pounds, and 3 sets of 5 reps with 150 pounds, the total workload would 3 x 10 x 100 = 3,000; 3 x 8 x 125 = 3,000, and 3 x 5 x 150 = 2,250. When you add the totals together the total workload is 3,000 + 3,000 + 2,250 = 8,250 pounds.

When the objective is to achieve a high total workload, a lot of sets are done over a substantial amount of time. The amount of weight should be light to medium heavy when focusing on total workload. If the weight is too heavy, it reduces the amount of reps that can done per set, which causes the total workload to drop.

The biggest difference between total workload training and high density training is the amount of time that it takes to complete the sets, and the amount of weight that is used. For example, when doing high density training, a lifter might do 8 sets of 8 reps in five minutes, but they may only be able to use 40% of their single rep max because the rapid pace from set to set does not allow full recovery between sets. This means light weights must be used or the lifter will quickly start to fall below eight reps per set because of the rapid onset of fatigue. However, if a lifter rests three minutes between each set, they may be able to use 65% of their single rep max for each set of eight reps, which will substantially increase the total workload.

Bill Pearl, Jay Cutler, and just about anyone who does ten or more sets per muscle group are putting a lot of emphases on high total workload training.

Personal Physiology

Someone with ideal physiology for responsiveness to training would only need a small amount of training to improve. This would characterize the minimalist load responsive lifter. Others have a physiology that is ideally suited to focusing on just one of the other triggers, however, most need to include a combination of several triggers to stimulate strength and muscle growth. Some of these combinations will discussed in the next article. Best of training to you.

Strength Training Triggers

How to do the strongest men in the world train to get stronger? The answer to that question would be simple if they all trained the same way, but they don’t. There are a variety of popular training systems that are commonly used for strength training, but which one is best? The best training method is the one that works best for you. How do you do find out which training method works best for you? You try them out, but you must know the basic methods that trigger strength gains. I believe the hierarchy of strength training triggers will provide a means to help you find a trigger, or a combination of triggers that fits your physiology. What is this hierarchy? It’s listed below.

The Load responsive lifter
The high intensity responsive lifter
The force and speed responsive lifter
The high training density responsive lifter
The total workload responsive lifter

For a lifter who possesses the perfect body, an occasional heavy rep for a given lift is literally all that is necessary for strength gains. Strength training is simple and easy if, (and this is a big if)…. if you have an efficient metabolism for breaking down food and utilizing it, if your muscles are sensitive and responsive to exercise, if your muscles are sensitive to anabolic hormones and those hormones are easily elevated for extended periods in response to workouts, if your body structures can handle heavy weights throughout the full range of an exercise motion, if you were born with tons more muscle fibers than normal in each muscle group, and if your nervous system learns quickly and maintains its ability to fire optimally for an extended period of time between workouts.

At the other extreme, a lifter may be lacking the necessary physiological elements to gain strength. If you do not naturally possess the physiological factors that help you to easily gain strength, you’ll need a training process that addresses the factors that are missing until you train them into your body in adequate measure for strength gains to occur. Such a lifter would need to include some degree of every layer of the hierarchy to form a comprehensive training plan.

Depending on how many parts of your physiology are already in place for strength gains, you may be able to start at the top of the hierarchy, or you may need start at one of the other layers of the hierarchy. If you are stuck, there may be a layer that you haven’t paid any attention to that can play a significant role in helping you to start making progress again, or there may be a combination of layers that are needed. In the next article, I will discuss each layer of the hierarchy. Best of training to you.

Rest Pause and EST-Training

In the last article I laid out the framework for the basis of Energy System Transition Training (EST-Training). The fundamental objective is to find the edge where a sudden shift or transition occurs between two energy systems consisting of the creatine phosphate system and the lactate system. If you fall short of the edge, you mostly emphasize the creatine phosphate system at the expense of the lactate system. If you push too far past the edge between energy systems, you will overemphasize the lactate system at the expense of the creatine phosphate system.

Transitions Between Energy Systems

The goal is ride the border between energy systems. This is the point where you experience a sudden transition that brings the lactate system into a much greater role than previous. This transition is uncomfortable for your muscles. As a result, the capacity of the creatine phosphate system will expand in order to transition into a place where it plays a greater role. At the same time, a transition will occur that reduces the role of the lactate system if the same amount of reps and weight are used from one workout to the next. The bigger the role that your creatine phosphate plays as it expands, the more your body transitions away from the role that the lactate system plays. This is exactly what your body wants because it is trying to avoid the discomfort that it experiences when the lactate system is highly involved. When the capacity of the creatine phosphate system expands in response to riding the edge between two energy systems, the result will be a gain in strength as an upgraded creatine phosphate system is what drives strength gains.

8 x 8 Training

In the last article I described EST-Training in the context of doing 8 sets of 8 reps using light weights and short rest periods of fifteen seconds between sets. If you choose the right amount of weight, you should be able to ride the edge between the creatine phosphate system and the lactate system when you reach the last three sets of 8 x 8 training. There is another way to accomplish this with rest-pause training instead of 8 sets of 8 reps.

Rest Pause and EST-Training

Just as light weights in the range of 40% to 50% of your single rep max are used when doing the rapid performance of 8 sets of 8 reps, this rest pause technique is done with light weights in the same range as used for rapid 8 x 8 training. However, when using the rest pause method, you don’t stop at eight reps, instead you will push your reps all the way to the twenties or even thirties (depending on the weight used) until you can no longer maintain a steady, even rep pace. Once your rep pace starts to slow down, stop immediately as you must avoid slow grinder reps. After stopping, count off ten to fifteen seconds and do your first group of rest pause reps by doing as many consecutive reps as possible before rep speed starts to slow down. Stop and rest (or pause) ten to fifteen seconds again. Then once again do as many reps as possible before rep speed slows down. You’ll probably be able to do in the vicinity of three to five reps for each group of rest pause reps depending on how much weight you are using. Keep repeating this procedure until you have completed five rest-pause periods consisting of ten to fifteen seconds, which are each followed by a group of rest pause reps

When using the rest pause method as described, you should be riding on the edge between energy systems where lactate dominant training begins. You only need to do one of these sets for each muscle group and you can use this procedure up to three times per week, provided you don’t push to the point of using slow grinder reps.

Which Exercises?

This type of training can be done with most exercises, but I don’t really recommend it with standard back squats or deadlifts as you will max out your cardio ability before maxing out your muscles. However, I do believe that the rest pause method as described in this article can be used with most leg machines and goblet squats (click here for goblet squat technique).

Goal: Let the Same Workouts Get Easier

You can use the rest pause method with light weights for a while until you feel the same weight, reps, and rest times start to get easier. This is an indication that you have transitioned to an expanded creatine phosphate system that has shifted away from using as much of the lactate system for your given workload and workout pace. Once the same workout consistently feels easier for at least three workouts, you can increase the weight or reps. You can also alternate the rest pause method that is done with lighter weights with standard heavier sets in other workouts. If you want to go all the way to failure with this method you can do so, and it may shock your body into growth, but it will backfire by your third workout. That’s why I maintain that it is better to always stop right before rep speed starts to slow down as you can use this method on a consistent basis if you train in the manner discussed. Best of Training to you.

Vince Gironda’s 8 x 8 and EST-Training

One of the keys to strength training is to find the edge (or the outer capacity) of the most powerful energy system for generating strength and force in your muscles. This system is called the creatine phosphate system because it relies upon phosphate molecules that are stored within the muscles for the immediate formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP for short). If a lifter surpasses the capacity of his creatine phosphate system by doing too many reps within a set, rep speed will suddenly start to slow down and the lactate system will take over as the dominant system.

Expand The Capacity of Your Creatine Phosphate System

To grow stronger, your goal should be to train on the outer edge of the creatine phosphate until it expands. You can surpass the capacity of the creatine phosphate system by doing too many reps, but if you do, you will start to emphasize the lactate system as the dominant system. If this happens, your body may elect to bypass the process of expanding the capacity of the creatine phosphate system and expand the capacity of your lactate system instead. This will lead to more endurance instead of more strength.

The Marker Rep is the Edge

One method employed with precision point training is to stop at your marker rep, which is the initial rep where you find that the pace of your reps is slowing down and you can no longer maintain a steady even rep pace. When rep speed slows down on your last rep, you have transitioned from an emphasis on the creatine phosphate system to an emphasis on the lactate system on the last rep. The marker rep is the edge between two energy systems.

An example of stopping at your marker rep would be to do the first seven reps of a set using a steady even rep pace. These seven reps are all being done with an emphasis on the creatine phosphate system, but if your eighth rep starts to slow down, you have transitioned to an emphasis on the lactate system and should stop on your eighth rep.

Marker Rep Transition Training and EST-Training

Your final goal is to improve to the point where you can do all eight reps using steady even rep pace. When you finally accomplish this, it is a sign that your creatine phosphate system has expanded from seven reps to cover all eight reps in order to keep you from merging into an emphasis on the lactate system on your eighth rep. I call this type of training marker rep transition training because your marker rep transitions from being a slower marker rep into a faster rep that can be done at the same rep pace as the previous reps. The process also marks a transition from the lactate system to the creatine phosphate system on your last rep, and I call this process Energy System Transition Training or (EST-Training). When used correctly, Energy System Transition Training is highly effective because it is the easiest most consistent means of helping your body achieve the biggest goal that it is trying to accomplish when it gains strength, which is to make the same training easier to perform.

The Application of EST-Training to Light Weights

When I first came up with the concept of precision point training, I did fairly heavy sets and stopped at my marker rep followed by at least three minutes rest before doing another rep. Lately I have been experimenting with light weights and short rests between sets as I am currently 54 years old and light weights are easier on my joints. However, I still believe in the concept of finding the outer edge of the creatine phosphate system by training right up to the point where I merge into an emphasis on the lactate system in order to motivate the creatine phosphate system to expand. I believe this concept has been around for a long, long time with fairly light weights. The 8 sets of 8 reps routine that Vince Gironda promoted is an example, but when I tried it a few decades ago, I didn’t get how to do it; I killed myself with the routine rather than to use it wisely, and there are probably others who have done the same.

8 Sets of 8 Reps

I hated light weights and believed they were unproductive. Every time I used light weights, I thought I was taking a step backward so I would try 8 sets of 8 reps with fairly heavy weights. By my fourth set I was already struggling for all I was worth to get my eighth rep out. It didn’t work and I threw it out with the belief that 8 sets of 8 reps was a stupid training routine. As I said, I didn’t get it because I had a bias against light weights and I thought that training had to be very intense from the very first set, which made it impossible to keep going for eight sets of eight reps with the same weight. Changes needed to be made because I didn’t really follow Vince’s instructions.

Back in the early 1980’s I purchased a copy of The Vince Gironda File Volume 1, which I still have. On page 20 of the training manual, Vince instructed how to do 8 sets of 8 reps using a very specific method. Some of his 8 x 8 instructions in his training manual say: “Speed in finishing this program is necessary. ….5 to 10 deep breaths between sets are enough.” That translates into about ten to twenty seconds of rest between sets. In the next paragraph he says, “8 sets of 8 reps should take you no longer than 3 and a half to 5 minutes.” This routine is a burner and moves at a torrid pace which is impossible with heavy weights. You must be willing to use light weights and humble yourself to use weights in the vicinity of 40 to 50 percent of your single rep max.

If you use 8 sets of 8 reps using Energy System Transition Training, your goal is to find the outer edge of your creatine phosphate system and ride on the border between your creatine phosphate system and the lactate system for your last three sets. The first few sets will probably feel easy and will emphasize the creatine phosphate system. However, if you quickly proceed from one set to the next, the sets will start to get tough to the point where you are riding the edge between the creatine phosphate system and the lactate system for about your last three sets. You should be able to do eight reps using a steady even pace for these sets. Each set should be the same in terms of rep pace and the last set should look nearly the same as the first set, although you may start to slow down on the eighth rep of your last couple sets. Keep using the same weight and reps from one workout to the next until the slower eighth reps at the end of the sets become easy enough to do without slowing down.

There are lots of videos that demonstrate 8 x 8 routines, but this is one of the few that is actually done in the maner that Vince Gironda taught. The way the lifter performs this routine is very close to the way I would recommend although on basic exercises like bench, squats and rows, I would consider doing the reps with more speed and force. Notice the fairly light weights, short rests between sets, and that each set looks the same until the last couple of sets. This is exactly how Vince taught 8 sets of 8 reps.

Super Important: You Must Find the Edge

What I am about to say is the most important part of this article and your training: Your ability to find the edge that borders between the creatine phosphate system and the lactate system is absolutely critical if you want to make the most of this type of training. If you fall short of the edge, training intensity will be too low. If you keep training past the edge by using slow grinder reps at the end of your sets, the intensity will be too high and will focus on the expansion of your lactate system, which is not optimum for strength training as it will tend to produce endurance instead of strength.

It may take you several workouts to adjust your weights and rest periods to the point where you able to hit the edge between energy systems, but once you find the edge, keep doing workouts with the same weight, the same reps, and the same rest between sets until it gets easier. This takes time, and you may even feel like you are getting weaker when you first start, but stick with it and do it three times per week until your body overcomes the stress by getting stronger. You may also want to add in some heavier lifting once every ten days to maintain the type of nervous system firing that enables you to lift heavier weights.

The concept behind Energy System Transition Training (EST-Training) is simple; find the edge between the creatine phspahte system and the lactate system until the creatine phosphate system expands in order to avoid merging with the lactate system. The expansion of the creatine phosphate system will result in added strength. Using this method with 8 sets of 8 reps is just one type of training that can be done in conjunction with EST-Training. In the next article I will discuss Energy System Transition Training in conjunction with rest-pause training. Best of training to you.
Graded Workouts for High Frequency Training

Most people who have been lifting for very long understand that workouts can be adjusted to vary in difficulty and intensity. Lifters often use different amounts of weight for different workouts, and they may vary their workouts according to the number of sets per muscle group and how hard they push in relationship to the maximum number of reps they can perform. It’s one thing to vary workouts, it is another thing to do it in a systematic way.

One method that is used to vary the workouts in a systematic way is to first classify the training in relationship to the how difficult it is, and second, to classify the specific type of stress that is applied during the workout. In terms of difficulty, training can be classified as easy, moderate, or hard. In terms of the specific stress, you can ask questions such as: Were the weights light, medium, or heavy? Was the workload a low total workload, a medium total workload, or a high total workload? Finally, how hard was the workout in terms of pushing to the maximum number of reps that could performed on each set? In other works, did the lifter stop way short of failure, or stop a few reps short of failure, or push all the way to failure?

Graded Workouts Based on the Difficulty of Training

Some trainers within fitness circles classify the difficulty of workouts by referring to them as graded workouts. The term often applies to a rehab setting, but it can easily be applied to general fitness and strength training. There is no single method that must be used for classifying the difficulty of workouts. You can break your workouts into three categories with the first category being easy, the second category being moderate, and the third category being hard. On the other hand, you can classify the intensity of your workout on a scale of 1 to 10 with one being the easiest level of intensity and ten being the hardest. For the sake of this article, I will classify the difficulty of training into three categories which include: easy, moderate, or hard.

Types of Workouts Stress: Load, Total Workload, Intensity Relative to Max Reps

In addition to grading the workouts according to difficulty, you can grade each set of a workout in terms of the type of intensity. For example, you can classify the type of training stress as load based, total workload based, or intensity relative to max reps based. Load based training simply refer to the amount of weight used relative to your single rep max. Total workload refers to the amount of weight used for each rep times the total amount of reps that were used across all sets for an exercise or muscle group. Intensity relative to max reps simply refers to how many reps you actually did in comparison to the maximum amount of reps that you could possibly perform within a set.

The underlying benefit of graded workouts is that you can systematically vary them according to your recovery ability. A lifter who only does hard workouts may find that they can only train a muscle group once or twice per week. However, the same lifter may find that they can train the same muscle group six days per week with the correct application of graded workouts.

Easy Training More Often – Hard Training Less Often

The concept behind how often you can do a certain type of training is simple, the easier the training, the more often you can do it and still recover. In fact, easy training may even enhance recovery from hard training. Conversely, the harder the training, the less often you can do it. The second concept that can be used is to vary the type of stress that is applied from one workout to the next. This allows you to apply one type of training stress in one workout while resting and recovering from a different type of stress that was used in a previous workout.

The Graded Workout Option

I know that some people will think that graded workouts are worthless and that hard workouts are the only kind that work. I don’t have a problem with this type of thinking as long as it is working. If it stops working, my suggestion would be to try something else and graded workouts can serve as an option that you can try.

While you don’t have to use graded workouts in conjunction with high frequency training, I am going to apply the concept of graded workouts to high frequency training in this article. Of course you can adapt the idea of graded workouts to training a muscle group two or three times per week if that is your preference. Make it work for your own physiology and training needs.

In the weekly workout schedule that I am about to outline, the grading of the training is ranked according to four levels of difficulty with one being the easiest, and four being the hardest. The amount of workouts per week for each type of training is also included.

Level 1: Two to three easy sets with light weights for ten to fifteen reps.

Frequency: This type of training can be done five to six days per week.

Difficulty of training: This is easy training

Level 2: Moderate weights for 3 single reps consisting of one rep at 60%; one rep at 70%; and 1 rep at 80% of your single rep max.

Frequency: This type of training can be done every other day which equals three times per week.

Difficulty of training: Moderately easy training

Level 3: A moderately high intensity single set for 10 reps. Stop two reps short of your marker rep; the marker rep being the point where your rep pace starts to slow down at the end of a set.

Frequency: This can be done twice per week in workouts where you are not doing the single reps listed for #2.

Difficulty of training: This is moderately difficult training

Level 4: A hard single set for one to eight reps according to your preference for a given workout. Push the set to one rep short of failure.

Frequency: This type of training can be done once per week.

Difficulty of training: This is hard training

The 6 Day Graded Workout Schedule

Pick three to four basic exercises to cover chest, legs, back and shoulders. Do the following sets and reps listed for each exercise. Strive for 6 workouts per week.

Day 1