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You know you're on autopilot during your workouts when, halfway through you're
set on the pec dec, you realize you're sitting on someone's lap. It's time to
shake things up a bit. Every gym has a variety of people who come in and do the
same routine time after time. The same movements, weight, reps, they even do
the exercises in the same order, every workout. Three years later, their body
still looks the same. If you don't know the guy I'm talking about, you're that
guy.
My suggestion is to put some intensity into your workout. The human body adapts
very quickly to whatever we throw at it. If you're not giving your body a
reason to make changes, it won't. If your wife just kept asking you to clean
the garage, it would probably never happen. But, when she introduces new
tactics, like threatening to tell all your friends how you set your Tivo to
tape "The Facts of Life" reruns every week, then viola. Clean garage. Your body
is the same way. As opposed to the same old nagging, it responds better to
variety. If you're doing the same workout, with the same weight, over and over,
you're literally boring your body into staying out of shape.
As a trainer I often have clients tell me that they only get a good workout
during our sessions together. That, unless someone is pushing them, they don't
feel like they're working hard. To solve this problem I've put together a list
of techniques that will help you sneak some intensity into your workouts
without having anyone yell at you. If you can follow these methods as I've
described below, you will experience an unfamiliar sensation during your next
workout. Don't be alarmed?you're just sweating.
Keep in mind; this article is about increasing the intensity in your resistance
workout. For information about intensity in your cardio workouts, read "Using
Nutrition to Boost Your Cardio" here:
http://www.shapeyou.com/nutrition_cardio.html
Triple Grips
How: Take, for example, the incline chest press on the Smith machine. Place your
hands on the bar as wide apart from each other as you can. Now, engage the
Smith machine and do 10 reps with about 60% of your max weight. Rest for ten
seconds. Now, bring your grip closer together by about 3 inches and do 10 more
reps. Rest for another 10 seconds. Now, bring your grip closer together until
they're about 4 inches apart and do 10 more reps. That's one set.
Why: With a standard grip incline press, you only work certain muscle fibers in
your chest. In this example, by changing your grip, you work the fibers across
your whole upper chest. Use this technique with other exercises by simply
changing your grip or the width of your stance.
Pre-Exhaust
How: In this example we'll use the wide grip pull down. With 40-50% of your max
weight, do 30 reps a little faster than you would normally go. (Not a typo ?
30) Immediately after, bump the weight up to about 80-90% of max and shoot for
10 reps.
Why: You're just trying to fatigue the muscle. It's like doing your 3rd or 4th
set, every set. The shock value alone is phenomenal. If your body could talk,
it would say "What the $#$% Are you doing"?
Drop Sets
How: After a warm up set of your favorite exercise, do 10-12 reps with about 90%
of your max weight. Right away, drop the weight by about 20% and do 10-12 more
reps. Again, drop the weight by 20% and do another set without resting. That
counts as one set.
Why: By dropping the weight each set, you're allowing the muscle to continue
working even though it's too tired to lift the weight you were previously
lifting. You should get a great burn by the third set.
Compound Sets & Super Sets
How: A compound set is two different exercises for the same muscle group that
are completed without resting in between. (For example: Preacher curls and
hammer curls.) A superset is two different exercises for opposing muscle groups
that are completed without resting in between. (For example: Chest press and
bent over rows.) Simply perform one exercise, followed by the second exercise,
without resting in between.
Why: Compound sets will allow you to further fatigue a muscle group while often
working different heads of the muscle. Supersets will allow one muscle group to
rest while working the opposing muscle group. Both methods add intensity and
are great for squeezing in more sets when you don't have time for your full
workout.
Target Range of Motion
How: For example, when performing the standing biceps curl, during the upward
movement phase, only bring the bar halfway through the range of motion (Until
your forearms are parallel to the floor). Perform three of these partial reps
followed by one rep that covers the full range of motion. (Bringing the bar all
the way up to your shoulders). Count the three partial reps and one full rep as
one total rep and shoot for 10.
Why: Just try it. You'll definitely feel this one.
Static Sets
How: I'll use standing dumbbell biceps curls for this example because it's easy
to visualize. With your left arm, bring the dumbbell halfway through the range
of motion (until your forearm is parallel to the floor), and hold it there
while you complete 12 (full range of motion) reps with your right arm. Now,
switch and hold the right arm static while completing 12 full reps with the
left. Next set, switch the arm you begin with.
Why: The arm that is static still has to work to keep the weight where it is.
This is effective as a type of pre-exhaust. The other arm has to work to hold
the weight in the static position after completing 12 reps, like a
post-exhaust.
Of course, if you choose one of these methods and use it for every exercise, in
every workout, then you're wildly missing the point. Use one or two in each
workout and continue making changes to keep your body from hitting any
plateaus. And for crying out loud, clean the garage.
You may reprint or publish this article freely as long as you include the author
bio and all hyperlinks are active and clickable.
Tony Hale is a certified personal trainer with 12 years of experience servicing
clients in the entertainment industry throughout the Hollywood area. He is also
the editor in chief for
http://www.shapeyou.com
Train
with Tony online at http://www.shapeyou.com/trainers.html
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