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Truly Huge Fitness Tips
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Declare War On Your Bench Press
Learn the exact blueprint (workout schedule) for upping the
gain factor in bench pressing. From the beginner, intermediate
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Covers everything from training, overcoming injuries, genetics,
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To receive Instant Access to this program go to Bench Press Program
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Fitness Tips For 2/9/2011
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Forced Reps Weight Training
What are Forced Reps?
Just when you are about to give up, there is a break in the resistance
as your partner lends a hand. You reach into your soul to muster one
more morsel of energy, and the bar starts to move upward slowly.
Grimacing, your arms finally reach full extension, and you let out a
deep gasp. Then, before you can feel a moment of relief and
accomplishment your partner calls out, "Come on! One more! Let's go!"
The former is a description of a high-intensity technique known to the
training world as forced reps. Most serious lifters will at least
continue an exercise at a maximum weight to failure. The principle
behind lifting to failure is sound. Fatiguing the muscles will result
in greater gains in strength and size after recovery. However, going
beyond failure into the intensity realm of forced reps is a subject
of controversy.
Forced Reps Example
The most likely venue to catch a glimpse of forced reps in action is
on the bench press. Indeed, to prevent injury, a spotter is a
mandatory safety measure for working to the point of failure. In a
forced rep routine, however, the spotter gives the lifter just enough
support to get the bar back up to full extension on the first failed
rep and just enough support to allow the lifter to lower the bar and
give it another go. The number of reps is predetermined. The only
unknown is how many the lifter will do on their own.
Forced Reps Pros and Cons
Those in favor of using forced reps take a "more is better" stance.
If the muscles need to work harder, the strength and muscle gains
will be greater. By allowing the workout to continue despite the
need for assistance, training with forced reps leads to more muscle
fatigue from a given set. Intelligent lifters using forced reps do
so carefully, limiting the number of sets they perform beyond
failure.
However, there is evidence that repetitions reach a point of
diminishing returns. As the muscles fatigue, the body starts to
produce the stress hormone cortisol. If cortisol production begins,
any additional repetitions may have no effect on strength and
muscle gains.
If your goal in training is to achieve maximum gains with maximum
efficiency while simultaneously avoiding injury, you should learn
all you can about forced reps.
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Forced Reps Weight Training