Superman sentences
The anatomy of repetition
Most strength training programs are based on just one thing: repetitions. How many times have you heard things like "you need to do 1 to 5 reps for strength and 8 to 12 reps for mass" and other such pearls of wisdom from Michelin Man Joe, the self-proclaimed expert at your gym? And if you're like me, you've heard this a bazillion times!
The problem I've always had with this kind of thinking is that the way you perform the reps is just as important as the number of reps! Ten repetitions performed at a very fast pace will have a very different training effect to 10 repetitions performed in a slow and controlled manner. I have seen many people train mainly in the 8 to 12 repetition range and not build an ounce of muscle in three years! The problem was that their sets of 8 to 12 reps only lasted as long as their average sexual experience: five to ten seconds! Many of these problems were solved when the concept of time under tension came into play. Time under tension became a buzzword in the training kingdom. Along with tempo, time under tension improved the training process - at least when it came to hypertrophy (muscle mass).
These concepts helped training enthusiasts around the world stimulate more muscle growth by moving away from 5 to 10 second sets to more productive hypertrophy protocols. In addition, these concepts gave the average exerciser greater flexibility. As long as each set lasts 40 to 70 seconds, it will stimulate a lot of hypertrophy gains. However, time under tension has some problems of its own. For one, it's a system (if you want to call it that) that is highly impractical for most athletes, mainly due to the fact that it's all about slow controlled repetitions. These are great for hypertrophy, but not so great when it comes to power and speed. Athletes need to train fast for at least 30 to 40% of the time to get the most gains from their training.
Time under tension and training tempo are also not well suited for maximal strength training. Who would use a specific tempo ("count" the speed on reps) when trying to move near max or max weights. This is not only unproductive, but also dangerous. In addition, it becomes harder to maintain a certain speed of movement when the training weight gets heavy. At a certain point, you're just pushing against the damn weight and hoping it moves up! Pace is probably the last thing on your mind at this point!
This is part of the reason that time under tension and training tempo have gone out of fashion with strength athletes everywhere. However, I don't think we should throw the baby out with the bathwater! There is a form of "time under tension" training that is highly effective and applicable for athletes: timed sets.
What are timed sets?
Timed sets are a form of time under tension training without the tempo variable. This type of training involves choosing a specific time slot that suits your needs and then performing as many repetitions as possible within that time slot. For example, if you are a field hockey player, your reps will last 30 to 45 seconds, so this is a good window for timed sets. You simply try to perform as many repetitions as possible within 30 to 45 seconds. This allows you to simultaneously train the specific energy systems used in your sport while also targeting power and speed. Another advantage of this method is the development of functional hypertrophy instead of non-functional hypertrophy without having to use maximum weights. Some athletes do indeed need more muscle mass. The problem, however, is that the mass they build when they use classic bodybuilding training to achieve their goals is not fully functional and there is little, if any, neural improvement.
A second alternative is to have the athlete perform a large number of heavy sets (80 to 95% of the maximum weight for one repetition) with few repetitions. This is certainly more effective for an athlete as the newly built mass tends to be more functional and there is significant neural improvement. However, this method can be potentially dangerous, especially when used by athletes without a sufficient strength base. In most cases, athletes who are severely lacking in muscle mass will not do well with this method of training.
In short, timed sets offer the best of both worlds! They allow you to stimulate muscle hypertrophy using relatively long sets (40 to 70 seconds) and light weights by performing as many lightning-fast repetitions as possible (while still making sure to maintain proper exercise form, of course). With this form of training, you can significantly increase muscle mass while also heavily engaging the nervous system and improving your capacity to move faster. Forget supersets - there are superman sets! What more could you want as a general form of athletic training?
Obviously timed sets are best for working on power/speed, strength endurance, muscular endurance and functional hypertrophy. Their only weakness is limited strength development, which is why heavy training should not be completely avoided. Both methods can easily be combined in a program to ensure full development of all motor capacities.
Training parameters
The beauty of timed sets is that they allow for a lot of variation: the duration of each set can be modified to better develop a specific capacity. The only thing to remember is that each repetition should be explosive - or at least very fast - within the chosen time window. This means that you won't even come close to muscle failure.
Here is a short list of possible applications for this method and its general impact on your physical capacities:
1) Very short sets
- Duration: 5-10 seconds
- Load: 50-60%
- Number of sets: 8-12
- Maximum strength development: very high
- Hypertrophy development: low
- Muscle and power development: low
2) Short sets
- Duration: 10-20 seconds
- Load: 40-50%
- Number of sets: 6-10
- Maximum strength development: very high
- Hypertrophy development: moderate
- Muscle and power development: low
3) Moderate sets
- Duration: 20-40 seconds
- Load: 30-40%
- Number of sets: 4-8
- Maximum strength development: high
- Hypertrophy development: high
- Muscle and power development: moderate
4) Long sets
- Duration: 40-60 seconds
- Load: 20-30%
- Number of sets: 3-6
- Maximum strength development: moderate
- Hypertrophy development: high
- Muscle and power development: high
5) Very long sets
- Duration: 60-90 seconds
- Load: 10-20%
- Number of sets: 2-3
- Maximum strength development: low
- Hypertrophy development: low<
- Muscle and power development: high
The trick now is to choose the method(s) that best suit your sport. The information below should help you as a starting point:
- XXX = extremely effective method
- XX = very effective method
- X = effective method
If the duration is not indicated, it means that this method is not very effective for the sport in question.
- Football
o Very short sets: XXX
o Short sets: XX
o Moderate sets: X
- Field hockey
o Long sentences: XXX
o Moderate sentences: XX
o Very long sentences: X
- Baseball
o Very short sentences: XXX
- Soccer
o Very long sentences: XXX
o Long sentences: X
- 100-200m
o Short sentences: XXX
o Very short sentences: XX
o Moderate sentences: X
- 400-800m
o Long sentences: XXX
o Moderate sentences: XX
o Very long sets: XX
- Martial arts
o Very short sets: XXX
- Throws
o Very short sentences: XXX
- Bodybuilding
o Moderate sets: XXX
o Long sets: XX
Progression
Similar to Staley's EDT, your goal is to increase the number of repetitions you can perform within the time window. Once you have added a significant number of sets to each set, you can increase the load. Be patient, the goal is to perform the repetitions faster. Only increase the load if you don't need to reduce the speed too much. The ideal number of repetitions would be as follows:
- Very short and short sets: 1.5 repetitions per second
- Moderate sets: 1 to 1.25 repetitions per second
- Long and very long sets: 0.75 to 1 repetitions per second
If you can reach these thresholds, you can increase the weight.
Conclusion
Timed sets have a lot to offer athletes and bodybuilders. They will allow you to develop physical capacities that are directly applicable to your sport, while being gentle on your body (which can be important for athletes who play contact sports).
Furthermore, this method can be used all year round without risking overtraining. It's an interesting tool to add to your toolbox and if power and speed are important to you, then you should definitely add it to your arsenal.
By Christian Thibaudeau | 10/24/03
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/superman-sets