By Pete Sisco - Developer of Static Contraction Training
Personal progress provides its own motivation. Few
things in the gym provide more positive feedback and
personal motivation than setting a personal record
on a favorite exercise. That's why you see so many
guys with T-shirts proudly proclaiming "Bench
Press 300 lbs." usually accompanied by a caricature
of a huge guy hoisting a seriously bent barbell.
Why
most of us prefer to be more introverted about our
achievements, we all feel the glow of satisfaction
in being able to improve ourselves with such a measured
degree of certainty.
The First Step
Paradoxically, the first step in setting a new personal
record is very easy, and yet many people find it the
most difficult to actually do: REST!
If you've been training for more than a couple of
weeks, chances are you've already stimulated some
new muscle growth that never has a chance to manifest
because your body is never fully recovered. This is
why so many people train three days per week but never
see any real improvement in their physique and can't
get beyond old personal records in most of their exercises.
Here is a general guide. If you've been training
for less than four weeks, take seven full days off
training. You can do light aerobics and stretching
but don't lift any weights whatsoever. If you've been
training for one to three months, take ten days off
of weightlifting. If you've been training more than
four months you should rest and recover for a full
two weeks. No, you won't lose muscle. I work with
advanced trainees who rest up to six weeks between
workouts and they see improvement in every exercise
on every workout.
Recovery is the most forgotten element of a successful,
productive training system. It allows you body to
replenish itself in ways that exercise and diet can
never do. Recovery is absolutely indispensable to
progress.
Train Smart
When you return to the gym to start working towards
your personal record you need a plan. Let's suppose
that your personal record on the bench press is 275
pounds and you want to break that record by shooting
for a 300 pound bench press.
I've helped thousands of athletes lift weights they
thought were impossible by showing them the benefits
of lifting in their strongest range of motion. Strong
range lifts have the advantages of being safer because
the weight is prevented from entering the weak range
of motion where nearly all injuries occur. Also, by
limiting the range of motion you are able to work
with much heavier weights and that stimulates new
growth not only in the target muscles but also in
the ligaments and tendons that support those muscles.
If you've never used this technique, you're in for
a very big surprise!
Virtually any common exercise can be performed exclusively
in the strong range of motion with the use of a power
rack, Smith machine or good spotting partner. Continuing
with the bench press as an example, after performing
your normal warm-up, place the supports of a power
rack so the bar rests in the top quarter-range of
your reach. When you lie on the bench and reach up
to grasp the bar your arms should be within about
four inches of full extension.
Load the bar with the same weight that is your current
personal record. When you lift this weight in your
strongest range you'll be amazed at how easy it is!
Next add 10% more weight and perform five reps. Keep
adding 10% and performing five reps until you can
only do 2 reps with a weight that will likely be 30%-100%
more than you've ever lifted before. Make a note of
that weight.
Now take three days off from all weightlifting.
When you return to the gym set up the bench press
the same way and perform your normal warm-up. Load
the above noted weight on the bar and try to perform
two reps. If you can perform the two reps you know
you rested long enough to return to your previous
level of strength. Here's the hard part: if you can't
do the two reps, leave the gym! Your body needs more
recovery time. The proof is the fact that you are
not as strong as you were three days earlier. Remember,
recovery builds muscle!! Go home and build muscle
on the sofa.
If you're fully recovered you'll most likely hoist
the weight with ease. If so, add 5% more weight and
perform five reps. Keep working the weight up until
you can only perform two reps. Make a note of that
weight.
Once again, take three days off all weightlifting.
The Big Day
When you return to the gym you will now be able to
set a new personal record in the bench press. Perform
your normal warm-up then do your attempt. Don't be
surprised if you can lift 20 to 50 pounds more. On
leg exercises, increases of 50 to 150 pounds have
been reported.
The techniques I describe here can be used to set
a personal record on virtually any exercise. Athletes
who train with my system have discovered the advantages
of never lifting in their weak range of motion. They
get fewer injuries, less frequent training means less
wear and tear on their body and they reach levels
of strength impossible with weak range training.
Try the above just once and soon you'll be setting
personal records on all your exercises...and that
is the ultimate motivation!
