Set extension techniques are applied on an occasional basis in order for the advanced bodybuilder (I will call advanced bodybuilder, bodybuilders that have been training for at least three years with no layoffs and who understand the ins and outs of their program) to introduce variety into the bodybuilding routine to further stimulate muscle growth. The purpose of such techniques is to take the muscle beyond the point of failure. Most of these techniques should only be used sparingly; not on every workout except for supersets, tri-sets and giant-sets.
a) Forced Reps: Once muscular failure (the point in which performing another repetition in good form becomes impossible) is reached, have your partner gently put his hands under the bar and give only enough assistance to enable you to keep the bar moving slowly and steadily. Limit the number of forced repetitions to two. Pros: This principle allows you to do two repetitions that otherwise you would not have been able to get. These extra reps after failure serve as additional stimulus for muscle growth. Cons: This technique is very hard on the joints and for this reason should only be used sparingly. Also, you need a good spotter to help you with the bar. This is not a technique that you can use if you train alone.
b) Rest Pause Principle: Once failure is reached, let the bar (or dumbbells) rest on the rack for ten seconds in order to regain some strength. Then grab the bar (or dumbbells) and do 1 or 2 extra reps (or whatever strength allows). Let the bar (or dumbbells) rest on the rack for ten seconds in order to regain some strength. Then grab the bar (or dumbbells) and do 1 or 2 extra reps (or whatever strength allows) and this will be the end of the set. Pros: This technique can be used by a person training alone especially if dumbbells are being used. Also, this technique is not nearly as taxing on the joints as forced reps since here you are lifting the weight using your own strength. Therefore, it can be used more often. Cons: None that I can think of.
c) Negative Reps: Once failure is reached and you are at the top portion of the movement, as in the top portion of a bench press (at the locked position), go ahead and resist the weight through the negative portion of the movement. Note: The lowering of the bar to your chest in a bench press is the negative portion of that movement. Pros: This technique has been shown to yield good increases in strength. Cons: You cannot use this technique safely in all free weight exercises (i.e.: Don't use this technique on a Squat). This technique is great for dumbbell exercises and machine. For example, I would only use it while doing squat if I am squatting on a smith machine. Also, this technique cannot be used on exercises like barbell bench presses if you are training alone. Finally, this is not a good technique to be used all the time since the probability of tearing your muscles is pretty high due to the fact that you are resisting the weight in the opposite direction that the muscles were designed to move it.
d) Descending Sets: Once failure is reached lower the weight and keep doing as many repetitions as possible. Then, once you hit failure again, lower the weight one last time and keep getting repetitions until you reach failure for the last time. Pros: Is a good technique for people without training partners especially if dumbbells are being used. This technique is really useful for hitting all the muscle fiber types in the muscle group being worked (I love using it for calves) and it works really well on machine exercises where all you have to do is change the pin (i.e.: Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Triceps Pushdowns, Lat Pulldowns, Low Pulley Rows, Calf Raise, etc.). You can use this technique more often than the ones we have presented already. Cons: If training alone, it is best not to use it on barbell exercises since it would take too long to lower the weight and this negates some of the effects of the technique. The least amount of time it takes you to lower the weight and start again, the better it is. (Ideally, this should happen within 3 seconds).
e) Partial Reps: Once you reach failure, continue to perform the movement halfway and once you cannot perform it halfway continue to do it for a quarter of the way. Once it becomes impossible to move the weight even a quarter of the way, hold the weight in the contracted position until you have to put it down. Using the Bench Press as an example, once you reach failure, just lower the weight halfway and bring it back up. Once this is not possible, then just move it a quarter of the way. Once it is not possible to move it anymore, Just keep the weight in the top position until you cannot hold it anymore and you need to put it on the rack. Pros: This technique can be used on most exercises, especially barbell ones. Cons: I would recommend that in the case of an exercise such as the bench press, you have a spotter behind you just in case. Also, the reason I don't like to use this technique too often is because it can create muscular imbalances (i.e.: You get stronger in the top portion of a movement while your weak range of motion, the bottom portion of the movement, remains the same).
f) Pre-Exhaustion Principle: To use this principle, you need to first do an isolation movement and once failure is reached in that movement, you go and with no rest you perform the basic exercise. Repeat the process for the prescribed amount of sets. This is not the type of principle that you use at the end of the final set of an exercise. For example, if using this principle on Thighs, you first do a set of Leg Extensions, reach failure, move to Squats with no rest. Note that you will need to reduce the weight that you normally use in the squats in order to use this principle or otherwise you will end up making a scene at the gym. Repeat for the amount of prescribed sets. Good combinations are: Thighs: Leg Extension + Squats, Hamstrings: Leg Curls + Stiff Legged Deadlifts, Chest: Dumbbell Flyes + Bench Press, Shoulders (lateral Head): Lateral Raises + Upright Rows. Pros: This is a great principle to totally isolate the part that is being trained. You can use this principle as often as you like. Cons: The weight in the basic exercise will be compromised, so because of this reason I like to use it only when I want to totally shock the muscle.
g)Supersets: A superset is a combination of one exercise performed right after the other with no rest in between. There are two ways to implement a superset. The first way is to do two exercises for the same muscle group at once (like in the Pre Exhaustion technique). The drawback to this technique is that you will not be as strong as you usually are on the second exercise. The second and best way to superset is by pairing exercises of opposing muscle groups, antagonist groups, such as Chest & Back, Thighs & Hamstrings, Biceps & Triceps, Front Delts, & Rear Delts. When pairing antagonistic exercises, there is no drop of strength whatsoever. As a matter of fact, sometimes my strength goes up due to the fact that the blood in the opposite muscle group helps you perform the other. For instance, if you superset dumbbell curls with triceps extensions, the blood in the biceps helps you do more weight in the triceps extensions. Pros: This technique not only allows you to do more work in a shorter period of time but it also creates an incredible pump (especially when you pair antagonistic exercises), and it helps burn fat by elevating the heart rate to the fat burning zone (which also gives you cardiovascular effects; this is how I get away from doing cardio). Also, because of the stress created by this technique, growth hormone levels go through the roof. Finally, you can use this technique all the time.
Cons: If you are in poor cardiovascular shape, you will not be able to use enough weight or push yourself hard enough to elicit muscle growth.
h) Trisets: Three exercise performed one after the other with no rest in between. It can be either exercises for the same bodypart or exercises for different bodyparts. Pros: Like supersets, trisets give you an incredible pump and the ability to get an enormous amount of work within a limited amount of time. Trisets also give you cardiovascular and enhanced fat burning benefits. Finally, you can use trisets all the time without a detrimental effect in your training.
Cons: The person with poor cardiovascular health will not be able at the beginning to use enough weight or push themselves hard enough to elicit muscle growth.
i) Giant Sets: Giant Sets are four or more exercises done one after the other with no rest in between sets. Again, there are two ways to implement this. You can either use four exercises for the same muscle group or different exercises as we have previously seen. Giant Sets have the same Pros and Cons as supersets and trisets. I think Giant Sets are really good to work the Abs. Bodybuilders can do the following routine for Abs on a daily basis using Giant Sets:
Partial Sit Ups 3-4sets x 25-40 reps (no rest)
Leg Raises 3-4sets x 25-40 reps (no rest)
Crunches 3-4sets x 25-40 reps (no rest)
Frog Kicks 3-4sets x 25-40 reps (1 minute rest)
Best of Health,
Hugo A. Rivera
Visit www.gainmusclemassfast.com and check out Hugo's Revised Editions of The Body Sculpting Bible for Men and The Body Sculpting Bible for Women.
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