Three Advanced Weight Lifting Techniques
In weight training or bodybuilding, we often look for ways to increase intensity. Just lifting more often and longer usually doesn't work as it's much too easy to overtrain and you need time off for recovery. It's during your time away from the gym when your muscles actually grow. So how can you increase intensity without increasing time in the gym and possibly overtraining? Here are three techniques.
Supersets: Supersets are easy. You combine two or more exercises, usually for opposing or different body parts, and do them back to back with no break. For example when I'm bench presses for my chest and doing pull-ups for my back, I'll often do a set of benches them immediately a set of pull-ups. Not only does this increase intensity, but it also saves times. I'll also sometimes do supersets for the same body part, for example pull-ups supersetting with lat pulldowns on the lat machine.
Dropsets: With dropsets you do multiple sets of the same exercise with no break between sets, simply decreasing the weight to let you squeeze out a few additional reps per set. For example if I'm on the leg curl machine, I might do 120 pounds to failure, usually 8 to 10 reps for me, then immediately drop the weight around 20 pounds and squeeze out as many additional reps as I can. When I do dropsets I'll usually drop the weight 3-4 times per set.
Negative Reps: Negative reps are simple but as they usually require an additional person I don't do them as often. With a negative rep, a spotter helps you lift more than you usually can, then you lower the weight on your own. For example, when doing negative reps on the bench press, I might be benching 225 pounds with help from a spotter, a weight I can not lift on my own except maybe for a rep or two. I can't lift it on my own, but I can lower it on my own, and this really works my pecs intensely.
These three techniques will increase your intensity in the gym, but as always be careful of overtraining and use proper form to help prevent injury. Add them slowly to your weight lifting routines, and of course vary your routines and do with no not use these techniques all the time.
Supersets: Supersets are easy. You combine two or more exercises, usually for opposing or different body parts, and do them back to back with no break. For example when I'm bench presses for my chest and doing pull-ups for my back, I'll often do a set of benches them immediately a set of pull-ups. Not only does this increase intensity, but it also saves times. I'll also sometimes do supersets for the same body part, for example pull-ups supersetting with lat pulldowns on the lat machine.
Dropsets: With dropsets you do multiple sets of the same exercise with no break between sets, simply decreasing the weight to let you squeeze out a few additional reps per set. For example if I'm on the leg curl machine, I might do 120 pounds to failure, usually 8 to 10 reps for me, then immediately drop the weight around 20 pounds and squeeze out as many additional reps as I can. When I do dropsets I'll usually drop the weight 3-4 times per set.
Negative Reps: Negative reps are simple but as they usually require an additional person I don't do them as often. With a negative rep, a spotter helps you lift more than you usually can, then you lower the weight on your own. For example, when doing negative reps on the bench press, I might be benching 225 pounds with help from a spotter, a weight I can not lift on my own except maybe for a rep or two. I can't lift it on my own, but I can lower it on my own, and this really works my pecs intensely.
These three techniques will increase your intensity in the gym, but as always be careful of overtraining and use proper form to help prevent injury. Add them slowly to your weight lifting routines, and of course vary your routines and do with no not use these techniques all the time.
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