Conventional weight training is all about sets and reps.
You do X many reps for Y many sets.
1 x 10.
2 x 12.
3 x 8.
5 x 5.
5/3/1.
5/4/3/2/1.
5 x 10.
6 x 6.
8 x 8.
8 x 2.
7 x 3.
10 x 1.
Whatever.
But as you grow more advanced and more experienced, you can often make excellent gains by going beyond sets and reps.
For example:
1. Do 1 1/2 reps.
Do a full rep, followed by a partial rep, and then repeat the sequence a certain number of times.
2. Do pause reps.
Pause and hold the weight motionless for 2 to 10 seconds at one or more chosen points in the ROM.
3. Reverse the starting position.
Use a power rack, and set the pins so you start the squat or bench press from the bottom position of the rep.
4. Train slower.
Use a slower rep speed than normal.
5. Train for time.
Instead of counting your reps, just do them at a predetermined speed for a given period of time — such as one minute, two minutes, or whatever.
6. Emphasize the negative.
Focus on lowering the weight very slowly and under strong, tight control.
7. Train for distance.
Do heavy carries, drags and pulling exercises and just keep going until you cover a given distance.
Remember, sets and reps are very good “tools” — but there are many other tools to make your workouts even more productive and effective.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great day. If you train today, make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik