Thread: Plateau breakers...

I've heard a little about them, but cowpimp peeked my interest in another thread. Here's a sample routine. I'd use it only for your target exercise and in addition I wouldn't do much else. Maybe two excercises for 3-4 sets at the most for large muscle groups, and one exercise, if any, for smaller muscle groups...


Static strength is one area of strength many athletes tend to overlook. Static strength involves holding a weight in a certain position of an exercise for a set amount of time. One example is holding the top position of a chin-up for five seconds. If you've never tried static-strength training before, you're in for a surprise. First, you'll probably discover several weak links. Second, you're going to get incredible pumps!
Try holding the top position on a chin-up for ten seconds and flex your lats as hard as possible. You'll love the pump! Static strength is also very useful for combat athletes such as wrestlers and grapplers that need to be able to hold certain positions for extended periods.
One way to make the best use of static training is to implement it in areas of an exercise where you're weak. For example, if you're weak in the middle position of the bench press, try holding that position for five to ten seconds. Make sure to try this in a power rack or with a good spotter, as you'll probably not be able to complete the lift.

If you really want to have "fun" with static repetitions, try what I like to call "super static" reps. Super-static training involves holding a position in an exercise for fifteen seconds. Here's a way to work up to fifteen-second static holds.

Phase 1: Do six sets of one rep with five-second static holds and one-minute rest periods between sets. Pick an area that you're weak in and hold it there for five seconds. Use a weight you can lift for three solid repetitions. Once you can complete all six sets with the same weight, increase the static hold time to ten seconds.

Phase 2: Do six sets of one rep with ten-second static holds and one-minute rest periods between sets. Again pick a weight you can lift for three reps with solid form. Once you can complete all six sets with the same weight, increase the static hold time to fifteen seconds.

Phase 3: Do six sets of one rep with fifteen-second static holds and one-minute rests between sets. Once you can complete all six sets with the same weight, add two more sets for a total of eight. When you can complete eight sets, add two more for a total of ten.

Phase 4: Do ten sets of one rep with fifteen-second static holds and one-minute rest periods between sets. Once you can complete all ten sets with one-minute breaks, decrease the rest periods to forty-five seconds. When you've achieved that, go down to thirty seconds. Finally, when you've achieved that, increase the weight by ten pounds.

Again, similar to the super negatives, pick two or three exercises you really want to improve and try super static holds for six weeks. If super static holds aren't enough "fun" for you, try doing static holds in three different positions of each exercise. For example, military press a weight to lockout. Lower the bar two inches and hold it there for five seconds. Then lower it another two inches and hold it there for five seconds and so forth. This method is a real killer and not for the faint of heart!

No more excuses! Break through that plateau!

why the hell would you ever work up to a 15 second hold on an exercise (save for something like planks)? especially after the energy stored in the muscle spindles disipates after 3sec. The rest of the time is just a waste. May as well do cardio. Plus, the weight you would have to use to hold for 15sec would be so submaximal.

These are great for strength. Although I've never done negatives exactly as suggested here, I've included them when I had a goal in mind and a great training partner to help me acheive it...

Studies show that the more control you use when lowering a weight, the more weight you'll be able to lift. One of the reasons for this is that the lowering phase loads the muscles that'll be used to execute the positive or concentric portion of an exercise.
Don't believe me? Try this test: Set up a power rack and lower the pins to just above your chest. Take your normal bench press one rep max and try pressing it from the bottom position. If you haven't trained bottom position bench presses, then I really doubt the bar will move at all!
When you bench press and take advantage of the lowering phase, your concentric muscles get warmed up and loaded. Thus, one way to improve your concentric strength is to improve your eccentric or negative strength.
I discussed negative training with strength coach Charles Poliquin recently and he revealed a great tempo speed that really emphasizes negatives. To illustrate, let's use the example of a barbell squat. Lower yourself to the bottom position in fifteen seconds. Once you get to the very bottom, explode upward as fast as possible.
Charles explained that one of the reasons this method works so well is that you'll have a natural urge to complete the concentric phase as fast as possible after taking so long to lower the weight. In addition, your concentric muscles will be fully loaded and ready to fire. Charles is having great success with this method and I recommend you give it a shot.
This technique can be applied to a number of exercises, but I suggest you stick with compound movements such as military presses, squat, chin-up, bench presse, and barbell row. Also, since there's such an emphasis on the negative portion, keep the rep range between one and three.

Here's one way to gradually break into this type of training:

Phase 1: Do six sets of one rep with five-second negatives and one-minute breaks between sets. Use a weight you can lift three times with solid form. Once you can complete all of the sets with the same weight, increase the negative portion to ten seconds.

Phase 2: Do six sets of one rep with ten-second negatives and one-minute breaks between each set. Again, use a weight you can lift for three reps with solid form. Once you can complete all six sets with the same weight, increase the negative to fifteen seconds.

Phase 3: Do six sets of one rep with fifteen-second negatives and one-minute breaks. Again use a weight you can handle for three reps with solid form. Once you can complete all six sets, add two more sets for a total of eight. Once you can do that, add another two sets for a total of ten sets per exercise.

Phase 4: Do ten sets of one rep with fifteen-second negatives and one-minute breaks. Once you can complete all ten sets, decrease the rest periods to forty-five seconds. Once you can complete all ten sets with forty-five second breaks, decrease the breaks to thirty seconds. Finally, once you can complete all ten sets with thirty-second breaks, increase the weight by ten pounds and start with one-minute breaks again.

Pick one or two exercises you really want to improve with this method and try it for six weeks. I think you'll be very happy with the increases in strength and size. Also, there's no need to purchase a metronome and get anal about timing the negatives. Just count slowly or have your workout partner count the negatives.

Originally Posted by P-funk

why the hell would you ever work up to a 15 second hold on an exercise (save for something like planks)? especially after the energy stored in the muscle spindles disipates after 3sec. The rest of the time is just a waste. May as well do cardio. Plus, the weight you would have to use to hold for 15sec would be so submaximal.

It says use a weight with which you could perform 3 reps. I'm open minded to different training so I posted it. I could certainly see it helping to acheive strengthening a weak point. 15 seconds is a long time though, I agree.

Imo that's too many negatives as well.

Here are two articles on static contraction training.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sisco6.htm

http://www.choosefitness.com/staticc...ontraining.php

All they are doing is holding end ranges of motion for 7sec with about 90-95% of their 1RM. I don't know....I just don't find that shit that hard to do. I would rather do supra-maximal BB walkouts or something like that for squats then just stading there with a 3RM..

I was refering to functional isometrics however, lower the bar, pause, press.

If I used either of these methods I wouldn't follow those routines either.

For static holds I'd do maybe 2-4 holds. I'd also do my normal routine and add the static hold on the final rep for 2-4 sets of 1-2 exercises. If using 2 excercises I would still perform a total of 2-4 holds. I might perform the hold 2-3 reps short of failure if I wanted to do an extended hold.

For negatives, I always did them after positive failure. Same thing though. I'd get 2-3 negative reps on my two heavy sets of the target exercise. Rarely would I put a crapload of weight on the bar and do only negative reps. But those are good for strength.

Originally Posted by P-funk

supra-maximal BB walkouts

That's walking with a heavy ass barbell? I imagine a few steps back, then forward? What % would you use?

Originally Posted by SuperFlex

That's walking with a heavy ass barbell? I imagine a few steps back, then forward? What % would you use?

supra maximal....so, higher then your max. Like 102-105%

so, for a 400lb max that would be 408-420. just walk out. stand there, get a feel for the weight and the walk back in. be careful though! You may want to use lighter weight if you are fatigued. it is not something i do that often.

Originally Posted by P-funk

supra maximal....so, higher then your max. Like 102-105%

so, for a 400lb max that would be 408-420. just walk out. stand there, get a feel for the weight and the walk back in. be careful though! You may want to use lighter weight if you are fatigued. it is not something i do that often.

That's wild...

One thing I've found quite easy to do to get through a plateau is to change the variation of the exercise. For example, if you're stuck with conventional deadlifts, change them to sumo deadlifts for a while. Usually you can go back to conventionals after a few microcycles (4-6) and continue to work your way up. Obviously this has a lot of use for compound exercises like the squat, deadlift and bench press because there are so many variations to try. Personally, I rotate between variations as soon as I notice stagnation.

I remember years ago "spotting" someone who took a weight off the rack of a bench and held it at full extension. All I did was watch a stopwatch and make sur ethe weight didnt drop. The guy said it worked for him, but how boring.

Working out to me is either a lifestyle or a hobby. Why the FUCK would you want either of those 2 choices to be boring?

so your saying. tobreak through a plateau, for me instance i'm stuck at a 275lb bench. so next time i do bench i should put 280-285 on their and hold it at full extension? if so for how long?

Originally Posted by kenwood

so your saying. tobreak through a plateau, for me instance i'm stuck at a 275lb bench. so next time i do bench i should put 280-285 on their and hold it at full extension? if so for how long?

no...you are 15. just lift the weights. Don't worry about supra maximal shit. the risk is greater then the reward. I don't even do that stuff for myself or for anyone I train. At 15 you defenitly shouldn't be doing it.

Originally Posted by P-funk

no...you are 15. just lift the weights. Don't worry about supra maximal shit. the risk is greater then the reward. I don't even do that stuff for myself or for anyone I train. At 15 you defenitly shouldn't be doing it.

ok thanks .