Many times I hear in the gym, I want to increase my strength give me a tip to use now!
The example like this: I only have 5 weeks until the games and my coach wants me to increase my strength, is there such a program?
These are common questions I hear from various athletes involved in weight training. Athletes looking through magazines or listening left and right trying to get something they could use.
Too much, too soon!
Athletes who have been training with weights for years know how difficult it is to overcome that limit that they have had for a long time even when it comes to very small differences like 2.5 kg. For example if someone bench presses 130kg for 5 reps at 132.5 they will be stuck for several weeks at 4 reps. So even though the weight difference is small in practice it is quite large. This weight difference becomes even more pronounced (and annoying) in the smaller muscle groups. So if we're training the external rotator on our shoulders and we can perform a 5kg weight for 10 reps at 7.5kg most likely we won't be able to do a single rep.
So for a significant increase of 10 kg in one move even if we are advanced athletes we could be stuck for months.
Kaizen method.
In Japanese it means continuous and increasing progress. The Japanese use this expression for all aspects of their lives, their relationships, training balance and stability. They believe that small steps forward on a daily basis will eventually bring about a progress that many people would envy. It reminds a bit of the legend of Mylon who, as a child, carried a small calf on his shoulders every day until it became a normal bull. Even though the Mylon myth is bull… there is an approach that can help us achieve our goals. Imagine a soccer coach asking his players to try to improve their performance, each their own skill by 1%. Multiply that by the number of players and you'll see the difference.
Adapting this tactic to weight training we see that an increase of 2.5 kg is very large. On the contrary, an increase of 0.5 kg is much more adaptable. This is where the small trays (saucers) of 0.5 kg or 1 kg seem really useful. For example something that I have used myself but also on many athletes always with very positive results in the following exercises: deep squats, horizontal bench presses, back presses, deadlifts.
Warm up we always have 5 sets of 5X4X3X2X1 repetitions.
| SET | REPS | TEMPO | REST | |
| Workout #1 | 5 | 5 | 111 | 3'-5' |
| Workout #2 | 5 | 4 | 111 | 3'-5' |
| Workout #3 | 5 | 4 | 111 | 3'-5' |
| Workout #4 | 7 | 2,2,1,1,1,1,1 | 111 | 3'-5' |
A) We perform the above exercises only once a week or at least every 6 days.
B) We have determined exactly the kilos we will do for 5 reps (eg we will bench press for 5 reps at 125 kg). That is, the warm-up is as follows: 50 kgX5Reps, 70 kgX4, 90kgX3REPS, 110kgX2Reps, 125kgX1Rep.
C) Then we perform 5 sets of 5 Reps with a weight of 125 kg. and a break of 3'-5'.
D) The tempo (rate) is a number referred to seconds1 first number is the movement when we leave the weight (negative phase) the middle when we hold the weight and the third when we lift the weight.
In more detail in the horizontal bench press movement, leave the weight for 1 sec. we hold it for 1 sec. on the chest and lift it for 1 sec. (the theory and practice of tempo will be analyzed later in future articles). Remember that in powerlifting competitions the athlete is required to hold the weight on his chest for 1 sec. before picking it up.
E) In the next workout, we increase the weight since it is for 4 reps, determining exactly the resistance, which we do until the 4th workout.
G) The weight that we will determine in advance for each workout should be the same for all sets of the workout, In the initial example we performed 5 sets of 5 reps at 125 kg. Result after we reach 4The workout and finish the first sheet (Sheets) as they are called we will return to workout#1 and we will notice that from 125 kg for 5 reps we can now at least 127.5 kg (those who have not done something similar will notice an increase in their weight from 5-10 kg ! At least the first few times.) So within 4 weeks we had an increase of 2.5 kg. Multiply by 6 months and you will have an increase of at least 15 kg for the very advanced and much more for the beginners.
Because, if better is possible, good is never enough.
SALTAMANIKAS NICHOLAS
TEFAA graduate - Swimming coach
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