Tips of the week Partial repetitions for mass and strength

Full range of motion exercises are usually best, but partial repetitions can be used in three ways to increase your performance and build muscle.

Sure, full range of motion repetitions usually make the most sense, but in certain circumstances partial repetitions can be more effective than full repetitions. Here are three examples:

1. use partial repetitions to strengthen a specific part of the range of motion

This is based on the principle of emphasis, which means that an exercise is only trained in the area of the range of motion that you want to strengthen. This method can be used in powerlifting to strengthen a weak point in the movement sequence. This method is also frequently used in sports. In athletics, quarter squats or half range squats are popular as they overload the specific range of motion required in the activities of this sport. Once you have built a solid base of strength through the full range of motion, overloading the specific range of motion can carry over to performance.

2. use partial repetitions to generate a heavy overload for strength gains

Using supramaximal weights can lead to strength gains across the range of motion by desensitizing the Golgi tendon organs and strengthening the stabilizers and primary muscles.

Just because you are performing a partial repetition does not mean that the muscles are not working. Partial repetitions put an enormous load on muscles and tendons, which can strengthen these structures. Partial repetitions also help on a psychological level: by mastering supramaximal weights, heavy weights will feel lighter. This can lower the psychological inhibition threshold for maximum attempts.

3. use partial repetitions to increase the load on the muscles and build muscle

This is the "keep the muscles under tension" approach used by bodybuilders. This concept is all about using a multi-joint exercise to isolate a specific muscle. No, you're not actually isolating that muscle, as other muscles will come into play, but the target muscle is put under constant tension similar to an isolation exercise. The main difference is that you are able to use more weight.

Do this by performing the repetitions only in the area where the target muscle is doing most of the work on its own. You should avoid the transition zones where other muscles start to take over so that maximum tension is maintained on the target muscle.

Here is an example:

The use of partial repetitions in the shoulder press

In this variation, only the middle portion of the exercise is performed, ending the movement at the point where the triceps begin to take over. The best repetition style is a repetition style with little momentum. Even if you are not trying to perform the movement extra slow, you should not try to accelerate the weight a lot, which would generate some momentum that would take some of the tension off the target muscles.

Training with only partial repetitions would be foolish, but proper use of partial repetitions certainly has its place in a solid training program. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Use 7-4-7 deadlifts to increase your performance

This workout builds muscle, increases work capacity and burns fat

By Nick Tumminello

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-7-4-7-deadlifts-to-boost-performance

The 7-4-7 protocol has three functions:

1. For body development: increasing work volume and generating a stronger pump in the muscles involved, which can stimulate hypertrophy.
2. For competitive athletes: increasing work capacity by building strength endurance.
3. For general fitness and fat loss: increase the metabolic demands of the training session

Start with 7 repetitions using a moderate weight. Increase the weight without a break and perform 4 more repetitions. Finish the set by performing another 7 repetitions using a lighter weight.

Here is another option:

• A1. Deadlift (a version of your choice) x 7
• A2. Deadlift jumps (as high as you can) x 4
• A3. Deadlift (using a slightly lighter weight than the first 7 reps) x 7

Know your carbohydrate needs

Athletes and strength athletes can do with more carbohydrates - even if they are trying to lose fat. Here are a few guidelines

By Nate Miyaki

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-know-how-many-carbs-you-need

A low-carb diet is a good approach for severely overweight, insulin-resistant, sedentary people. However, that doesn't mean it's the best approach for athletes and strength athletes. If you are active and already relatively lean, your carbohydrate intake can be higher because leaner people have better nutrient partitioning abilities.

The state of your metabolism may also change over time, which means that the diet plan that is optimal for you may change. Perhaps you needed a low-carb diet when you were less active and overweight, but no longer need to go low-carb when you are leaner, going to the gym more often, exercising with weights and have improved your insulin sensitivity and nutrient partitioning. In this case, a low-carb diet would actually hinder your progress.

Carbohydrate guidelines for exercisers

1. There is a wide range when it comes to appropriate carbohydrate intake for competitive athletes, strength athletes and bodybuilders. A good starting point is in the range of 2 to 7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight.
2. Those who have good insulin sensitivity, or are at the upper end of training intensity or volume and want to maximize performance or build muscle, can aim more towards the upper end of the range: 7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight (this assumes you are not fat)
3. Those who have poor insulin sensitivity or are at the lower end of training intensity or volume and want to lose fat should aim for the lower end of the range: 2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight
4. Test, evaluate and optimize until you find your optimal carbohydrate intake. During the adjustment phase, make small changes (10 to 20%) and refrain from large changes. For example, if you start with 250 grams of carbohydrates per day, you should increase or decrease your carbohydrate intake by 25 to 50 grams depending on your goals, instead of decreasing it to 50 grams or increasing it to 500 grams.

Try the Gironda 8x8 training program

An 8x8 pattern is hard enough in itself, but perform it using only 30-second rests for gains of all kinds.

By Christian Thibaudeau

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-try-the-gironda-8x8-set-rep-scheme

Legendary bodybuilding coach Vince Gironda called this "the honest workout" because it builds muscle in a simple and honest way. Simply perform 8 sets of 8 reps with the same weight on all sets. As the volume is so high, you should keep the weight at 60% of your 1RM weight. That's a weight you could do 12 reps with. Rest only 30 seconds between sets.

This is obviously demanding and the goal is to generate the strongest possible pump in the shortest possible time. This means strictly timed phases and you should not be afraid to reduce the weight for your 8 sets if necessary. You will build more muscle, increase your work capacity and improve your condition.

Perform deadlifts daily to get stronger

Yes, you can deadlift almost every day and get stronger without hurting yourself - here's how:

By Dean Somerset

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-deadlift-daily-to-get-stronger

Deadlifts are not just an expression of absolute strength, they are a complex exercise and it takes a considerable amount of training to truly master this exercise. As such, it is an exercise that can be performed daily to really internalize the movement pattern.

This can be done at maximum or near-maximum intensity, lower intensity with higher volume, training at speed, super slow, with pauses or with modified stance. An athlete will train an athletic skill for several hours every day in every possible way to perfect the execution. You cannot significantly improve your deadlift technique if you only train this exercise once a week.

Here's an example of how you could train deadlifts every day, or perform a version of the deadlift movement pattern regularly:

• Maximum tension development using only 65 kilos:

o Monday: perform 10 sets of 15 reps. Work on getting as hard and stiff as possible. Imagine that you are moving 500 kilos. Take as long breaks as possible.

• Maximum speed:

o Tuesday: use 60% of your max weight and work to maximally accelerate the weight from the floor to the highest point of the movement. Perform 8 sets of 3 repetitions with 2 to 4 minutes rest between sets. Westside refers to this as dynamic effort. Olympic weightlifters refer to this as a normal training session.

• Near maximum repetitions:

o Wednesday: Use 90% of your max weight and perform 10 single reps after you've done a few warm-up sets. Take 3 to 5 minutes rest between sets.

• 20 x 20 repetitions of kettlebell swings per minute:

o Thursday: work on "snapping" your hips fast and hard while keeping your core tight.

• Pause x 2 deadlifts:

o Friday: pause on the way up for 3 seconds each at about 8 inches below the knees and at about 8 inches above the knees. Lower the weight in one movement. Use 75% of your maximum weight for 6 sets of 5 repetitions. Rest until you can see in color again.

• Saturday: Use 85% of your maximum weight and perform one repetition every 30 seconds for 10 minutes.

• Sunday: Time for a personal best

Eat oatmeal pumpkin cookies

These cookies won't make you fat. They are healthy and will give you energy for your training sessions. Here's the recipe

From Dani Shugart

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-eat-oatmeal-pumpkin-cookies

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups rolled oats
• 1 can of pumpkin (450 grams)
• A dash of vanilla extract
• ½ cup Splenda
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Optional: chopped nuts

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees
2. Mix all the ingredients together
3. Form 20 cookies on a baking tray
4. Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes
5. Leave the cookies to cool in the fridge for a few hours
6. Eat them and stay slim

Use metabolic resistance training instead of cardio

This type of workout increases your metabolic rate, maintains your muscle mass and burns fat.

By Alwyn Cosgrove

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-metabolic-resistance-training-not-cardio

Use resistance training instead of consistent low-intensity cardio as the cornerstone of your fat loss program. Train each muscle group hard, often, and at an intensity that creates a massive metabolic disruption that keeps the metabolic rate elevated for several hours after the workout.

This means full body training sessions with a superset, triple set, barbell or dumbbell complex or circuit format with non-competitive exercises that place the strongest metabolic demands on your body. This training must be performed in a repetition range that generates lactic acid and raises the lactate threshold. Training legs, back and chest will burn more calories and increase the metabolic rate more than an isolated approach where only one of these muscles is trained. The repetition range that works best is the 8 to 12 repetition hypertrophy range.

3 Supporting studies

1. Researchers used a circuit training program with 12 sets in 31 minutes. EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption, a marker of increased caloric expenditure after exercise) was significantly elevated for 38 hours after exercise. This is a significant period for an increased metabolism. If you had exercised for an hour on Monday morning, you would still be burning more calories at midnight on Tuesday (without exercising).
2. Scientists divided overweight subjects into three groups: diet only, diet and aerobic exercise, diet, aerobic exercise and exercise with weights. The diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat in 12 weeks. The aerobic training group lost only one pound more than the diet group. This group exercised three times a week, starting out at 30 minutes and progressively increasing to 50 minutes. Nothing really amazing. But the group that did additional training with weights lost over 21 pounds of fat. That's 44% and 35% more than the diet group and the cardio group, respectively. The additional cardio training did not result in significant additional fat loss compared to diet alone. 36 workouts lasting up to 50 minutes is a lot of work for an additional one pound of weight loss. However, the additional resistance training significantly accelerated fat loss.
3. Researchers had one group perform four hours of cardio per week and another group perform weight training three times a week. The second group's training program consisted of 10 exercises with 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions. Both groups lost weight, but the resistance training group lost significantly more fat and lost no lean body mass - and that with only 800 kcal per day. The resistance training group also increased their metabolic rate, while the cardio group's metabolic rate decreased.

References:

1. Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM. Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29.
2. Kramer, Volek et al. Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men. Med Sci Sports Exerc, Vol. 31, No. 9, pp. 1320-1329, 1999.
3. Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R. Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.
4. Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8
5. Talanian, Galloway et al. Two weeks of High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. J Appl Physiol (December 14, 2006). doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01098.2006

Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-use-partial-reps-for-size-strength

By Christian Thibaudeau