Hey folks, as you know I often like to share different training methods and protocols as I’m a firm believer in challenging your body in new ways so that your body needs to adapt and grow.
Breaking Patterns
So for many of you, I imagine a normal training day would generally follow this pattern:
- Decide what you’re training eg. Chest
- Smash back a pre workout!
- Head into the gym (High as a kite!)
- Complete your first exercise eg. Bench Press – say 4 sets of 8 rep
- Repeat this structure for the rest of your exercises
Now there’s nothing wrong with this. However, what I imagine normally happens with many of you, especially if like me you have minimal rest periods is this:
- Set 1 – 8 reps
- Set 2 – 7 reps
- Set 3 – 7 reps
- Set 4 – 6 reps
Sound familiar?
How to reclaim your reps
So originally you planned on doing 4 sets of 8 reps, which would have equalled 32 reps in total. Instead, due to muscle fatigue, you only completed 28. You have effectively robbed yourself of 4 reps!
How do we get round this? As it kinda comes with the territory I hear you say.
Well instead of planning to do 4 sets of 8 reps; plan to complete 32 reps with your 8 rep max.
So for example your workout would instead look like this:
- Set 1 – 100kg x 8 reps
- Set 2 – 100kg x 7 reps
- Set 3 – 100kg x 7 reps
- Set 4 – 100kg x 6 reps
- Set 5 – 100kg x 4 reps = 32 reps woo hoo!
I’d recommend following this until you manage to complete the 32 reps in 4 sets, then it’s time to up your weight. Don’t forget to keep a training diary, otherwise you’re never going to know how you’re progressing.
This little change may not sound like a lot and will take up very little extra time, but over the year all those extra reps will soon add up – as will your gains.
Assuming you train 4 days a week, with 5 exercises per workout. You also might have around 3-4 weeks off per year due to holidays, sickness, etc. the amount of extra reps you would perform would be close to 4000!
Now I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t make some gains from performing an extra 4000 reps!
So get repping!
