Most are far past being athletes and also don’t consider ourselves bodybuilders. Our goals are somewhere in between. Some train like the extremes, however, rather than train somewhere along the continuum, most simply go through the motions of training. Without proper goals there cannot be proper specificity. Goals are certainly individualized, so it should be obvious that training should be individualized. Unfortunately, there are a plethora of “best programs” from which to choose. Sets, repetitions, and volume schemes can be confusing, but there is more to effective training than just following a program. For example….
Proximity to fatigue. So, your program calls or 3 x 10 (sets x repetitions) or 5 x 5 or 10 x 3 or…. Are you training hard enough? Sure, you are progressing over time, but is it a meaningful progression? In other words, are your overloading enough to see optimal progress? Are you training too hard? (Before you start asking yourself if you are “overtraining”, realize that overtraining is very rare in the non-athlete population. It is more likely that you are undertraining.) In the days of HIT, “momentary muscular failure” and “forced repetitions” were buzz words. Today, you are more likely to hear phrases such as “repetitions in reserve” or RIR. The controversy over RIR will likely be ongoing. What is certain though is that “working sets” (i.e., those that will be effective at stimulating growth and increases in strength) should be between 3 and 0 RIR. Much more than 4 RIR and one is just going through the motions (unless the exerciser is warming up). Ideally, effective training will vary the proximity to fatigue across the training cycle to optimize recoverable volumes and adaptation.
Repetition speed. Fast? Slow? Pause? Compensatory acceleration training? Eccentric? Concentric? Quasi-isometric? There are many options for the timing of the lift. None is essentially better or worse than another. Varying the timing of the movement across the training cycle will have its benefits. When and How depend on the goals. In general, speed/explosive training is for athletes and slow (“time-under-tension”) is for hypertrophy. It is always important to be in control of the movement. Never just “throw the weights around”—especially during the eccentric/lowering phase. Motor unit recruitment and neural coding are factors of specificity (the body system make specific adaptations to imposed demands). Athletes are often more concerned with the rate of force development than with muscle hypertrophy. Body builders, on the other hand, have little concern for the weight lifted or the strength adaptation the exercise produces, as long as the muscle gets bigger. Of course, strength will facilitate muscle hypertrophy and visa versa, but most of us lift weights to get stronger and to look like we lift weights. Include pauses in your movements from time to time (e.g., try “pause squats” in which you pause for 2-3 seconds following the descent before ascending explosively). Try some quasi-isometric training (e.g., Darden’s 30-10-30) for a boost of hypertrophy in under-developed muscle groups. Try compensatory acceleration training (CAT) for a boost in strength. Go slow or go fast as it suits your goals. Just make sure that your training is goal specific and is overloading the muscle physiology.
Mind-muscle connection. Athletic training is movement-specific, whereas hypertrophy training is muscle-specific. If you want a muscle to grow, you have to “feel” it as you train. You have to experience a sense of fatigue and soreness. You have to feel the muscle contract. If the you are training for speed and power the focus has to be on the movement—on the technique—and on lifting more weight. Athletic training generally involves fewer repetition and greater intensity (weight) and physique training generally involves less weight and a greater focus on “time-under-tension” (higher repetitions, slower movements, and less rest between sets).
Don’t just go to the gym and “lift” weights. Don’t just do your 8-12 repetitions for 1-3 sets and move one. Lift with purpose. Lift with a goal and a plan.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!