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There are a number of what some term 'workout intensifiers'. Included might be 'drop sets', cheating, super sets and more. This first post is just gonna cover Training To Failure. Inspired by a recent new log. The member may have been, in my opinion, mistaken in using the term and I'l explain why before making suggestions for how to do it properly
In his log post he had a bunch of single sets (literally 1 set of each exercise). As a fan of the High Intensity from Mike Mentzer, Brief and Brutal training (a la S. McRobert) and or Dorian Yates the one set to failure thing is awesome. But, in this case, all the sets 'failed' at 12 reps (unlikely). There was 5 exercises working the same muscle and three muscles were worked. All 1 set to failure and apparently at 12 reps (so more chance of me winning 165m on the EuroMillions). Meaning they were NOT to failure. In fact going back to the three writers mentioned above NONE had you do more than 3 exercises.
Yesterday I did some silly weight (630kg) on the Power Squat Machine. That was HEAVY. I had 4 reps in mind. So I did 4 reps. Could I have done a 5th or 6th? Maybe. But if I fail with 630kg (1386lbs) and I miss racking the hooks back I'm kinda f**ked. It'd be injury city. And 4-6 reps is NOT gonna build muscle which is where a method like training to failure works well. True training to failure is HARD. Like, done properly, the only way you could do 4 more exercises is to take 10+ minutes between the last and only previous set and exercise and the next one and that again is NOT ideal to build maximum muscle.
Now, before we start, it isn't actually necessary to train to failure to grow. Nearly works. But then we get in to 'how close was you?' and so on. So here's a kinda workout (I've chosen chest). Our imaginary athlete wants to work mid to upper chest.
So
Incline Bench (mid position incline) with either barbells or dumbbells (if zero choice an incline position Iso Lateral Machine (Hammer style)
Incline (same position) dumbbell flyes (or maybe cable if you must)
Pec Flye Machine (ass forward on the seat)
You could do dips in lieu of the first exercise but you'd need to make sure the position was right and so on. But let's stick with these for now.
Warm up. Super light. Like the bar x 20 reps
Two more sets working up to the working weight. So, if you can rep 100kg/220lbs/225lbs/2 plates a side) I'd have you do 1 per side x 12, 1 and a half a side x 10-12 and then the top set. We're working to failure so there will NOT, today, be multiple sets or a medium to high volume approach.
Un-rack (or get a hand off) the 2 plates a side and go. Let's say if you DID do a volume approach you might do 2-3 sets x 8 or so reps. Today it's ONE set. So pour everything you have into it. There's a trick with the burn where it kicks in around 45-60 seconds in. So up the rep speed a LITTLE and you can do more reps in the same time (still controlled though right). It might be 10, 11, 12 or even 14. Failure is where it stops on your chest or goes half way up and you're shaking trying to lock it out. You MUST NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ANOTHER REP without a rest. And that means the set is done.
Not inc the warm up you've done 2 warm up sets and 1 working set. Rest 90 seconds max. Stretch your pecs if possible. Sip some water.
Incline dumbbells. Cos you worked to failure you cannot use the usual weights. But your chest is nice and semi-f**ked so who cares. Let's take 60% of what you usually do and off we go. Really work the stretch (do not hyper extend but DO open the chest up) and SQUEEZE almost to the point of cramping. Make sure the bells move in the right arc of movement for the mid chest. Get a workout partner to guide the arms with fingertips only. ZERO assist. Failure and rep range will depend on how rested you are vs how painful it is and how you handle it. If you chose the right weight it's gonna be about 10 or so reps (plus or minus a couple). As soon as the form breaks down you MIGHT hold them above your chest and not squeeze it (so half rested) and then bang out a few more. But that's it
Walk to the prepared pec machine and sit right. Go. I'm gonna let you slack here and go light. Like HALF what you'd usually do but the only rest you had was walking over and moving your butt around. So circa 20 reps for both fatigue, contraction (squeezing it EVERY DAMN TIME) and a hella pump. Reps 17, 18 or 19 are PAIN. Some part of the Lizard brain is asking 'whose fkin idea was this?' and so on. You should be red faced (f**k what other gym users think), sweaty and the mid part of your chest should KNOW it's been worked, If you had a spot from a buddy it was fingertips again on the outside of the hand where it was gripping. You should be cursing several generations of his family line and your own.
When you're done IF you can try and flex the chest. It should now feel like the hardest idea you've ever had. Like you can barely do it for more than a few seconds if at all. Pain is now your middle name. Try and stretch (gently) the chest area if you can.
You did 5 sets total and 3 work sets. Time is less than 25 minutes. Go zip an intra and towel the sweat off. FORGET any more chest for today. If you've trained properly and to true failure and I was to suggest doing 1, 2 or 3 exercises MORE for chest you ought to feel like bitch slapping me... only you can't cos your chest would cramp up, you can barely lift an arm and I'm 5000 miles way lol
MAYBE if you've the time and a little energy is starting to come back it's time for the same approach but with back (the pump at the end will be godly).
In his log post he had a bunch of single sets (literally 1 set of each exercise). As a fan of the High Intensity from Mike Mentzer, Brief and Brutal training (a la S. McRobert) and or Dorian Yates the one set to failure thing is awesome. But, in this case, all the sets 'failed' at 12 reps (unlikely). There was 5 exercises working the same muscle and three muscles were worked. All 1 set to failure and apparently at 12 reps (so more chance of me winning 165m on the EuroMillions). Meaning they were NOT to failure. In fact going back to the three writers mentioned above NONE had you do more than 3 exercises.
Yesterday I did some silly weight (630kg) on the Power Squat Machine. That was HEAVY. I had 4 reps in mind. So I did 4 reps. Could I have done a 5th or 6th? Maybe. But if I fail with 630kg (1386lbs) and I miss racking the hooks back I'm kinda f**ked. It'd be injury city. And 4-6 reps is NOT gonna build muscle which is where a method like training to failure works well. True training to failure is HARD. Like, done properly, the only way you could do 4 more exercises is to take 10+ minutes between the last and only previous set and exercise and the next one and that again is NOT ideal to build maximum muscle.
Now, before we start, it isn't actually necessary to train to failure to grow. Nearly works. But then we get in to 'how close was you?' and so on. So here's a kinda workout (I've chosen chest). Our imaginary athlete wants to work mid to upper chest.
So
Incline Bench (mid position incline) with either barbells or dumbbells (if zero choice an incline position Iso Lateral Machine (Hammer style)
Incline (same position) dumbbell flyes (or maybe cable if you must)
Pec Flye Machine (ass forward on the seat)
You could do dips in lieu of the first exercise but you'd need to make sure the position was right and so on. But let's stick with these for now.
Warm up. Super light. Like the bar x 20 reps
Two more sets working up to the working weight. So, if you can rep 100kg/220lbs/225lbs/2 plates a side) I'd have you do 1 per side x 12, 1 and a half a side x 10-12 and then the top set. We're working to failure so there will NOT, today, be multiple sets or a medium to high volume approach.
Un-rack (or get a hand off) the 2 plates a side and go. Let's say if you DID do a volume approach you might do 2-3 sets x 8 or so reps. Today it's ONE set. So pour everything you have into it. There's a trick with the burn where it kicks in around 45-60 seconds in. So up the rep speed a LITTLE and you can do more reps in the same time (still controlled though right). It might be 10, 11, 12 or even 14. Failure is where it stops on your chest or goes half way up and you're shaking trying to lock it out. You MUST NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ANOTHER REP without a rest. And that means the set is done.
Not inc the warm up you've done 2 warm up sets and 1 working set. Rest 90 seconds max. Stretch your pecs if possible. Sip some water.
Incline dumbbells. Cos you worked to failure you cannot use the usual weights. But your chest is nice and semi-f**ked so who cares. Let's take 60% of what you usually do and off we go. Really work the stretch (do not hyper extend but DO open the chest up) and SQUEEZE almost to the point of cramping. Make sure the bells move in the right arc of movement for the mid chest. Get a workout partner to guide the arms with fingertips only. ZERO assist. Failure and rep range will depend on how rested you are vs how painful it is and how you handle it. If you chose the right weight it's gonna be about 10 or so reps (plus or minus a couple). As soon as the form breaks down you MIGHT hold them above your chest and not squeeze it (so half rested) and then bang out a few more. But that's it
Walk to the prepared pec machine and sit right. Go. I'm gonna let you slack here and go light. Like HALF what you'd usually do but the only rest you had was walking over and moving your butt around. So circa 20 reps for both fatigue, contraction (squeezing it EVERY DAMN TIME) and a hella pump. Reps 17, 18 or 19 are PAIN. Some part of the Lizard brain is asking 'whose fkin idea was this?' and so on. You should be red faced (f**k what other gym users think), sweaty and the mid part of your chest should KNOW it's been worked, If you had a spot from a buddy it was fingertips again on the outside of the hand where it was gripping. You should be cursing several generations of his family line and your own.
When you're done IF you can try and flex the chest. It should now feel like the hardest idea you've ever had. Like you can barely do it for more than a few seconds if at all. Pain is now your middle name. Try and stretch (gently) the chest area if you can.
You did 5 sets total and 3 work sets. Time is less than 25 minutes. Go zip an intra and towel the sweat off. FORGET any more chest for today. If you've trained properly and to true failure and I was to suggest doing 1, 2 or 3 exercises MORE for chest you ought to feel like bitch slapping me... only you can't cos your chest would cramp up, you can barely lift an arm and I'm 5000 miles way lol
MAYBE if you've the time and a little energy is starting to come back it's time for the same approach but with back (the pump at the end will be godly).
