Hitting a workout plateau can be incredibly frustrating; especially if you are extremely close to reaching a specific goal. Despite consistent effort and dedication, progress in muscle growth and strength gains can stagnate. Part of this is due to the natural limits to our genetics and body type, but some of it is just improper programming..
Fortunately, high intensity training (HIT) techniques offer powerful methods to push past these barriers and reignite progress. By incorporating advanced techniques such as partial reps, negatives, isometrics, and forced reps, you can challenge your muscles in new ways and overcome training plateaus.
Understanding Workout Plateaus
Before delving into HIT techniques, it's essential to understand why plateaus occur. As you continuously engage in the same workout routine, your body adapts to the stress, leading to diminished returns in strength and muscle growth.
As I hinted to a second ago, strength and muscle gains due not continue into infinity (except if you use PEDs). Everyone's body has a limit to how much muscle it can grow and how strong it can get. For most experienced athletes, strength gains can max out after 1-2 years of hard training. From there it is all maintenance.
In our experience improper recovery and too much training is the cause of most plateaus that aren't genetic related. Make sure to only target each muscle once per week. If you train to failure once a week is enough. More isn't better. If you are training too frequently, then dial it back or change your splits.
However, if your plateau is due to a lack of periodization and other programming techniques, then this is where HIT techniques come into play, offering intense stimuli to spur further development.
High Intensity Training Techniques
#1: Partial Reps
What Are They?
Partial reps involve performing exercises through a limited range of motion rather than the full range. This technique allows you to overload the muscle with a heavier weight than you could manage with full reps.
How to Incorporate:
To effectively use partial reps, identify the strongest part of the exercise's range of motion. For instance, if you're bench pressing, focus on the upper half of the motion where you can handle more weight. Use this technique sparingly, as the increased load can put extra stress on joints and tendons.
Benefits and Risks:
Partial reps can lead to significant strength gains by enabling the handling of heavier weights, especially in the most important range of motion. Forced reps can be dangerous, so do not push too hard and use a spotter where necessary.
#2: Negatives
What Are They?
Negatives, or eccentric training, focus on the lowering phase of an exercise, emphasizing muscle elongation under tension.
How to Incorporate:
For exercises like the bicep curl, lift the weight as usual and then take twice as long to lower it. This slow descent increases muscle tension and stimulates growth. Try a one second cadence up with a 5-10 second negative.
Benefits and Risks:
Negatives can accelerate muscle hypertrophy and strength. However, they can also lead to significant muscle soreness. As Dr. Doug McGuff recommends, give each muscle at least 7 days between you hit them again.
#3: Isometrics
What Are They?
Isometric exercises involve holding a position for a set duration, creating tension without movement. This technique strengthens muscles at specific joint angles and can improve muscular endurance.
How to Incorporate:
Incorporate isometrics by holding challenging positions, such as the bottom of a squat or a plank. Start with 10-20 second holds, gradually increasing time as you build endurance. Work up to 60-90 seconds at a particular weight before increasing it.
Benefits and Risks:
Isometrics enhance muscle endurance and can be particularly beneficial for joint stabilization. Nevertheless, they can be taxing on the cardiovascular system, so they should be balanced with dynamic exercises.
#4: Forced Reps
What Are They?
Forced reps are performed with the assistance of a spotter after muscle failure is reached during a set. This technique pushes muscles beyond their usual limits.
How to Incorporate:
During your final sets of exercises like bench presses or leg curls, have a spotter assist with a few extra reps after reaching failure. This ensures that muscles are fully exhausted.
Benefits and Risks:
Forced reps stimulate muscle growth by pushing beyond typical fatigue points. However, they require a spotter and can increase the risk of overtraining if not used judiciously. Also make sure your spotter is reliable and not easily distracted by the young attractive blond squatting in the smith machine.
Conclusion
High intensity training techniques offer an effective means of breaking through workout plateaus by introducing new challenges to the muscles. By incorporating partial reps, negatives, isometrics, and forced reps into your routine, you can stimulate further muscle growth and strength gains.
As with any advanced training method, prioritize safety and listen to your body's signals to maximize benefits while minimizing risks.
