| partial reps
Ok, a controversial subject here for all those traditionalists!
This is written not to be taken as the be all and end all. Rather, its to describe as best I can another approach that can be used in our training and how it may work for us.
When I look around my gym I can see all types of genetics and muscle types. We cant do a lot about these things as we are made the way we are and thats it.
But what about trying to change the quality of that muscle as well as to grow faster??
Sounds good doesn't it?
Ok, as I have written in other threads I believe in all avenues of training but there are some ways that I feel are better than the conventional styles used.
This post isn't about a particular workout or excursize, rather the way in which we use the weight we are lifting.
I am a big advocator of high reps because I feel that they create a better pump, and a better over all mature look to our muscle.
I dont like to see loads of mass with no detail. I am not talking about the drugs used or the body fat covering the muscle, I'm talking about the shape, lines and separation we need as bodybuilders.
I think that heavy low rep compound excersizes do have their place but are used all year round which creates that bulky massive look.
Again we will never turn a Marcus Rhuil into a Dexter Jackson (a far better physique to present IMO) because they are genetically different. But what if Marcus had the quality, mature look of Dorian Yates??!!!
You see I think that with a combination of heavy compound movements and high rep "tweaking" if you like, we can make a perfect look to out muscles no matter what our pre destined genetic shape is!
Lets take the bench press for example....
I like to see the heavy movements used in full range of motion as near to the neck as possible but without locking out at the top or over stretching at the bottom of the movement.
So once a thorough warm up has been executed a few of the above sets should be done for 6-10 reps or so.
Now I like to move on to the hard bit....
I dont really like to count reps too much but I like to see them ranging in the 15-30 rep zone.
This is where the partial reps come in to play.
I have watched countless videos of guys working with Charles Glass using high rep partial reps....they look awesome, you must see it to believe it.
I was watching a shoot where Dexter was performing his dumbbell presses in a 2 - 3 rep partial, 1 full rep, then repeat style. He went on like this for maybe 25 reps before fatigue.
The important part to remember was that he kept the muscle under constant pressure all the time for nearly 30-40 seconds before failure!
I try to feel the muscle, making sure it is isolated, working with no assistance from other muscle groups. We dont want to be using other muscles, otherwise we aren't targeting the muscle we are trying to train!
If you go all the way to the top of a leg press and lock out you aren't keeping the quad under constant tension! In effect you are resting that muscle momentarily!
Similarly if you go too far down, you start to work the glute and hamstring area of the legs.
I like to keep a mid range to most excersizes used/ When I preacher curl I use maybe three quarters of the range of motion, knocking off a little at the bottom and the top.
Again, concentrate on squeezing the muscle, making sure you can feel it working. Instead of benching with your arms, concentrate on pushing the pecks together and the bar will move with you. Squeeze the peck's together at the top and you will find that your elbows are still bent but the chest is going into overdrive!!
Training like this will give all the quality and separation you need to look beyond awesome.
As discussed before, powerlifters are strong, but not massive in comparison to the weights they lift. Do the judges at bb'ing shows award first place to the mass monster that benches more than everyone else??? No, the winner is the guy with a mature, perfectly separated physique, no matter what he squats or deadlifts!
Try it for yourselves and I know you wont be disappointed |