Tips of the week Perform micro-dropsets for increased muscle growth

"Find" more repetitions

If you love to train with inhuman intensity, pushing every set to the absolute limit, then you know that it's those last few reps that stimulate muscle growth. This is the area where stress, tension and fatigue reach their highest levels.

This is the reason that set-extending intensity techniques exist: to push the work even further and elicit an incredible growth response. Exercisers have made a lot of progress over the decades with training programs that incorporate such techniques as rest-pause, dropsets (descending sets) and mega-sets. Their purpose? To add more growth-inducing repetitions to the training set.

You need to perform a lot of repetitions leading up to this point, setting the stage for the point where load, tension and fatigue are ultimately reached. After the initial set, you add something that extends that set in a way that allows you to "find" more of those reps that generate a growth response. Sometimes phrase-extending techniques mean that the total repetition count is 25, 30 or even over 50.

This is a valid approach, but what if you could achieve the same intensity with fewer reps?

Welcome to the world of micro dropsets

A normal drop set, also known as a "descending set", consists of a set that you perform until muscle failure, after which you reduce the weight by a significant amount and perform as many more repetitions until you reach the point of muscle failure again. You can repeat this until your muscles are completely exhausted. So you could perform 14 repetitions until muscle failure, reduce the weight significantly, perform 7 more repetitions until muscle failure, reduce the weight again and perform more repetitions until muscle failure.

With a micro-dropset, the reduction in weight is minimal and the same applies to the number of repetitions you can perform with the new weight. Let's say you perform barbell curls with 40 kilos. You can do 12 repetitions with this weight, whereby one more repetition would no longer be possible with good form. At this point, you immediately reduce the weight to 35 kilos and perform as many repetitions as you can with good form.

However, as the weight reduction is quite insignificant (5 kilos) and your muscles are already exhausted, you may only be able to do 2 or possibly 3 reps with the new weight. So you could do another micro-dropset with 37.5 kilos and get one more growth-inducing repetition out of it. So we're talking 3 to 4 heavy, muscle growth stimulating reps within a short period of time, rather than going on and on with traditional descending sets.

Where should you use micro-drop sets?

Micro-drop sets should primarily be used with exercises performed on machines, although smaller isolation exercises are also well suited to this technique. Of course, you can also use this method with heavy multi-joint exercises, but it would be wise not to use this technique with exercises where stabilization of the lower back could be compromised (squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, etc.). However, there should be no problems with heavy exercises such as leg presses or squats where back stability is not an issue.

Can this technique be used for pure strength?

Yes, don't just dismiss micro-drop sets as a set-extending technique that you use to push your muscles to failure multiple times. You can also integrate this technique into a strength program where you have a few more repetitions in the tank for your big and heavy exercises. You can perform a set with a few more reps in the tank, use a micro weight reduction and then perform 2 more reps with good form.

In this scenario, you can also put squats and deadlifts back on the agenda and still keep lower back stability under control. Remember that it's all about using technique with your goals in mind.

How many weight cuts should you make?

This is something you can play with. For smaller exercises that don't put as much strain on your recovery account, you can do 3 to 4 weight cuts. This will give you 6 to 8 extra reps, which have a huge amount of tension and growth potential to offer.

For multi-joint exercises that are performed to muscle failure, a maximum of 2 or better only one micro-reduction works very well. The reason for limiting this in heavy exercises is to not over stress systemic recovery.

How much weight should you use?

The amount of weight you use will depend on how strong you are and what exercise you are performing. If you are doing leg presses with 400 kilos until muscle failure, a reduction to 375 kilos is about the right order of magnitude. With curls, on the other hand, reducing the weight by just 2.5 to 10 kilos may be all you need. Simply choose a weight with which you can only perform 1 to 3 additional repetitions after the weight reduction. If you reduce the weight and then do 10 more reps, that wasn't a micro-reduction, stupid.

How can you do this in practice?

• You can have a training partner on each side of the barbell to take the weight off the bar. This will reduce the rest time between the initial set and the drop sets.
• If you are training on a machine, simply move the pin up one weight plate and continue the set.
• You can use prepared barbells or prepare the dumbbells you need for the weight drops.

Depending on these factors, you could end up with a minimal rest-pause element in your set, which is perfectly fine.

How many repetitions you should be able to perform

If you can do 4 or more reps after a weight cut, then the weight cut was too big. What we want at this point is about 2 and a maximum of 3 additional reps after each weight cut. These reps should be performed with very strict, flawless form to get the most out of them. If you go into a fade mode and start throwing the weights around wildly, then you're spreading the tension to areas you're not actually targeting and will no longer get maximum benefit from this technique.

Apply it and grow

Experiment with this exercise on a few small exercises first to get an idea of the weight reductions and then experiment with a heavy multi-joint exercise.

This is also an excellent technique for muscle groups that are lagging behind in their development, while you train your strong areas more in a maintenance mode.

Tip: Make pull-throughs even better

Here are two simple ways to make this gluteus building exercise even more effective

Joel Seedman, PhD

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-make-the-pull-through-even-better

Cable pull-throughs(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=danTs3bMNG8) are one of the best exercises when it comes to learning and mastering hip mechanics. The load vectors match the anatomical function and the way in which the gluteus is activated.

Rather than loading the hip axis axially with vertical forces, pull-throughs rely on horizontal forces through anteroposterior loading, which matches the force vectors of the gluteus. As a result of working directly against forces that want to flex your hip, this pulls the body into the ideal hip hinge mechanics. In addition to this, pull-throughs are one of the few hip hinge movements that involve significant tension in both the extended and fully contracted position.

Make pull-throughs even better

The first thing you should do is not fix the lower pulley of the cable pulley at the lowest position, but fix it at a position about 30 centimeters above the floor. By setting the pulley of the cable pulley higher so that the cable runs parallel to the floor during the exercise, you eliminate vertical forces and emphasize the horizontal load vectors, which further increases hip and gluteus activity.

Since pull-throughs are so effective when it comes to teaching proper hip mechanics, you should next incorporate an eccentric isometric phase at the lowest point of the movement and an additional pause at the highest point of the movement, which will do wonders when it comes to solidifying ideal hip flexion and hip extension mechanics.

Tip: Perform squats, carry heavy stuff around and shut up

Three things every strength athlete should do. Here are the details.

By Dan John

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-squat-carry-heavy-stuff-and-shut-up

1 - Train squats with high repetitions

High repetition squats are the secret to building mass. Try the following:

• If you weigh 60 kilos or less, use 60 kilos for squats
• If you weigh between 60 and 80 kilos, use 80 kilos
• If you weigh between 80 and 95 kilos, use 85 kilos
• If you weigh over 95 kilos, use 105 kilos

If you have done 50 deep squats, then you will understand the value of high repetition squats. After you've done this, come back 2 or 3 days later and repeat.

2 - Carry heavy stuff

This generation of strength athletes is lucky. They've seen Strongman and CrossFit competitive athletes and most are familiar with exercises like the Farmers Walk and the Loaded Carries family. Try using a trap bar with the same weights as tip 1 and aim to cover about 100 meters with that weight.

3 - Shut up instead of talking about trivial stuff

Training with weights is about the following: Lifting weights off the ground, moving weights up overhead, and carrying heavy things for time or distance. We can argue about the fundamental human movements, but if you're not doing those three things, shut up.

Yes, deadlifts, overhead presses and farmer's walks really are that important. And yes, squats and pull-ups are good, but if you can't manage to pull twice your bodyweight up off the floor, press your bodyweight overhead and carry your bodyweight about 100 meters, then you should take care of that first.

Tip: Lose fat. Avoid these pitfalls

These two things aren't directly related to food, but they'll ruin your diet anyway.

By Mike Roussell, PhD

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-lose-fat-avoid-these-pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Being too tired

A friend of mine always looks like he could walk onto a bodybuilding competition stage any day of the year. So I asked him about the most important factor in weight loss. His answer? Sleep.

It goes against what the rest of the world tells us. Shouldn't we be on caffeine, working 12 hours a day, working through the night and only sleeping 3 to 4 hours? As if this is a medal we get for being manly.

No, if you're trying to get lean, you need to sleep, because even though the two seem to be unrelated processes, sleep and fat loss are linked via glucose tolerance and our fat cells. One study found that people who only get 4.5 hours of sleep per night had higher insulin secretions and were higher on the insulin resistance index compared to people who sleep 6 hours per night.

Another study showed that sleeping only 4 hours a night for 2 days instead of 8 led to higher glucose and insulin spikes after breakfast, while at the same time glucagon secretion was blunted.

The relationship between sleep and glucose tolerance may be due to dysfunctional fat cells. Other studies show that lean, healthy individuals experience less reduced insulin sensitivity when their sleep is restricted. Incidentally, leptin concentrations also decreased at the same time.

Since fat cells are the only cells believed to produce leptin and the calorie intake of the subjects in the study was not reduced (as this lowers leptin levels), it appears that our fat cells play an important role in the increased insulin resistance observed in association with sleep deprivation.

At the end of the day, one of the best ways to fix this and teach your fat cells manners is to sleep. You manage to exercise 5 to 7 days a week and eat 5 to 6 meals a day - and I'm sure you can also manage to fit in 8 hours of sleep to support your dieting efforts. If you need help with this, you can find a number of good sleep support products in the supplement section.

Pitfall 2: Mental weakness

Some say that abs are made in the kitchen. Others say that a lean body is forged in the gym. However, I think both are created in the mind first. Dieting and getting lean happens in the moments when no one is around. When it's 10:30pm, you're a bit tired and bored and you want to eat something. What are you going to do?

If you see yourself as a fat ass, you'll get off the couch, go to the kitchen and forget about all the sacrifices of the day while you eat the peanut butter sandwiches your kids left. However, if you see yourself as a lean and motivated person, then you get off the couch and go to bed to improve your glucose tolerance.

Mental confidence and how you see yourself is key. To build this mental confidence, you should focus on two main areas:

1 - Work on seeing yourself at your best

It's easy to think about all the times you cheated on your diet, slept late and skipped a workout, or when you let yourself go so you ended up 15 pounds heavier than you should be. But that won't help you - so stop doing it.

Instead, you should always try to remind yourself of your successes. Remind yourself of your personal bests. Remember the workouts where you did an extra set of a barbell circuit because the burn in your lungs felt so great. Always see yourself as that person and you will be that person.

2 - Only think about yourself

Don't compare yourself to the I'm-waiting-for-my-heart-attack-candidate sitting next to you on the subway because he's not on your level. And don't beat yourself up because you don't look like the superhero from the latest blockbuster. Train hard, eat right, control yourself and adjust things. That's the only thing you need to be in control of - so control it.

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-micro-drop-sets-for-growth

By Paul Carter