FT Questions....

[Scott Stevenson]

Hi scott

how do you feel the reps speed should be on loading reps
and muscle rounds?

for the last couple of years i have dont the 3-4 sec negative and explosive on the positive
I feel i get more out of it more time under tension that just doing the pistons way 1-2 sec up and down.


did i miss this in the book maybe? like to hear what you think about this.

Good question, Brian.

The load should always be under your control, and I'm strongly in favor of controlling the negative and most often performing a *intentionally* powerful concentric, even if, due to fatigue, the load is not moving rapidly at he end of the set.

*Each exercise* lends itself to different rep tempos when the focus is on trying to target a give muscle rather than just simply move the weight up and down.

So, in some cases, to feel a nice groove with the exercise, adding some body english to create a tempo and feel to the exercise is appropriate, but ONLY if the person doing so is knowingly doing this, rather than just using this as an excuse to lift heavier loads.

---Some of this is due to the resistance curve that a particular machine / movement imposes over the full range of motion of the repetition.

---Some of this is also a function of the greater intrinsic force producing ability of skeletal muscle tissue during concentric vs. eccentric movements. The body english reduces the load during concentric (getting past sticking points mentioned above) and leaves you with a heavier load than otherwise to lower in a controlled fashion.

I just did a short youtube vid where I cover this a bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WlRKmwuSBg


A good example of the above are two ways manner in which some people do BO rows:
1.) Some use a bit of body english but keep the (pulling) stress on the lats, erectors, etc. during the concentric, They are just using a bit of hip extension (without dangerously rounding the back) during the concentric to keep the load moving, while CONTROLLING the eccentric, keeping a strong activation during this part of the rep. (I suspect that doing this may also activate a stretch reflex that promotes activation in the lats, too.)

2.) Other prefer to be perfectly "strict," because this can foster a better ability to focus on and sure that the set-limiting fatigue is dictated by the lats, traps etc. (Fewer moving parts here so all the focus can go to the target muscle.)

(Not here that the preferred angle of he upper body differs a good bit on this exercise, so that's another variable in the mix.)

Doing #1 requires that you know how to activate your lats and that this fosters *stronger* contractions, and especially heavier loads on the eccentrics. When watching Ronnie Coleman (for the most part), I have the sense he was doing this quite well. When seeing vid. of Branch Warren (for instance), I don't always get that sense. (Dave Henry is phenomenal at activating the target muscle - a "trained" eye can just sense this in how he lifts, especially on back movements.)

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So, the rep tempos is a function of the person and the exercise, IMO.

As a side note, one reason why she individuals have weak muscle groups is probably an inability to make that muscle a highly prioritized prime mover in traditional exercises. E.g., those with a weak chest are often "delt pressers" (in which case arching the back strongly and implying a scapular retraction strategy works well, and even a dumping traditional BB pressing movements for a period of time to re-learn pec activation can help).

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As far as tempo for Loading Sets vs. Muscle Round:

Loading Sets are performed with your "go to" exercises for increasing size, so these should be the ones that are tried and tested by you and during which you feel a strong activation during the set. That being true, Loading sets are REALLY about progressively overload - getting stronger and lifting heavier weights. Keeping the person (AND SAFETY) in mind, these would be the exercises (mainly the compound ones) where employing some body english to keep the big loads moving would make sense, but only for certain exercises:

If you do weil with a touch n' go (no crazy bounce) style rack deadlift (like you might have seen Dusty Hanshaw do), then take that shit to town.

However, I would NOT suggest doing "ballistic-style" behind the neck barbell pressing.

So again, the exercise and person matters.

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Muscle Rounds are chosen (see the book on p. 95) to "fill in the holes" in your physique so here we're talking about a more targeted activation strategy, which lends itself to a slower, more controlled (minimal body English) lifting style in general.

For example, if your lower lats are weak / underdeveloped, you might even employ split second pause at the bottom of a reverse seated unilateral pulldown (hands supinated) to be sure you're really feeling the contraction where you want to.

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So, if you're not sure about tempo and not feeling the target muscle, slower and more controlled is your best bet. Also, filming yourself or asking someone who has been in the gym for a while to give you a critique can be very helpful.

(FYI, here's a meta-analysis and review headed up by Brad Schoenfeld on this topic of rep tempo and muscle growth that basically says there seems to be a wide range that's effective. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25601394 )

-Scotta