Do you want to activate your nervous system and stay strong from set to set?
Tip: Do not perform straight sentences
Do you want to activate your nervous system and stay strong from sentence to sentence? Then try this method.
Serious strength athletes always talk about the endocrine system, the muscular system and the cardiovascular system, but they hardly ever talk about the neural system. This is a big mistake. Neuronal regeneration is often ignored.
How most strength athletes train
99 out of 100 exercisers perform multiple sets of a specific exercise in succession, also known as straight sets. For example, they will perform a set of bench presses, followed by another set of bench presses, followed by another set of bench presses. In between sets, they will "recover" while pretending to pull a loose thread out of their socks as they compile the playlist on their smartphone.
Scientific research tells us that these athletes could benefit from much better recovery if they performed a set for an antagonist muscle group between sets.
A better way: antagonistic training
Here's how it works: Perform a set of dumbbell bench presses, perform a set of barbell rows for the latissimus between sets, and then perform your next set of dumbbell bench presses (and continue this alternating exercise pattern for the desired number of sets). You will experience a smaller drop in strength from set to set compared to straight sets.
No one knows exactly why this is the case, but it certainly has something to do with the neurological system. This is the reason I started using the "A1" and "A2" designations in my training sessions - a method that has since been adopted by many trainers. Unfortunately, many coaches who use this system do not understand why they are using it, or if they do understand it, they rarely explain it to their athletes.
Other examples of useful antagonistic pairings of muscle groups would be:
- Bicep curls and tricep presses
- Leg extensions and leg curls
- Overhead presses and pull-ups
From Charles Poliquin | 07/23/16
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-dont-do-straight-sets
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