There are two forms of training that I believe to be effective that cause others to think I’m crazy, but I believe in them anyway. Why? Because I’ve tried them and they work when applied correctly. So what are the two forms of training that I believe in that that tend to cause others to think I have lost my mind in regard to strength training wisdom? They consist of:
- High Frequency Training
Training each body part more than three times per week can be productive if it is done in conjunction with the right type of training.
- The Use of Light Weights to Enhance Strength
The use of light weights can be beneficial for strength gains when used in a specific manner and when combined with a very small amount of heavier training.
Force and Frequency Training
When you put high frequency training together with forceful lifting that is done with light weights, I refer to it as force and frequency training. When using light weights for strength training, high fatigue within each set is avoided, but accumulating fatigue with a sufficient amount of sets is important. Let me get a little bit more specific about this type of training by giving you a force and frequency routine:
- Select three exercises consisting of:
- A squat of deadlift exercise
- A bench press exercise
- A rowing or pulldown exercise
- Use 35% to 40% of your single rep max for each exercise. You can simply stick with the same three exercises, or you can do variations of them (ie front squats, dumbbell squats, dumbbell benches, incline benches etc.) throughout your workout.
- Do 12 sets of 10 reps for each exercise on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
- Do 8 set of 6 reps for each exercise on Thursday, Friday, Saturday
- Do one rep at 80% of your single rep max for each exercise on Monday and Wednesday. Do this early in the workout before you become tired. Do 85% or more of your single rep max for bench and squat/deadlift on Saturday.
- Lift forcefully.
- If you do straight sets, rest 45 seconds to a minute between sets.
- If you are super-setting between exercises or circuit training, rest as little as possible but not to the point of becoming completely out of breath.
If you are currently doing low volume training and want to try force and frequency training, start out with six to eight sets per exercise and add one set per week to each exercise until you reach twelve sets for your Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday workout.
You don’t have to use force and frequency training six days per week for it to be effective. It will still work if you do it three times per week.
I know that in the minds of many, this type of training should never work, but you will never know if you never try it. Why did I ever try it? Because I had sore muscles and sore joints which all went away with this type of training. It also turned out to be excellent for conditioning and a cardio effect. I expected my strength to plummet when using such light weights, but it didn’t. If you have sore muscles, sore joints, or just want to take a break from heavy lifting without sacrificing your strength, force and frequency training may be your answer. Best of training to you.