To Your Health
September, 2012 (Vol. 06, Issue 09) |
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Muscle Endurance Training
For the four to six weeks following hypertrophy training (this time period may be doubled for high-endurance athletes), train for muscular endurance with 12-15 repetitions per set.
Sets are decreased to three per exercise, but the rest time between sets goes to 30-45 seconds. This type of training is the most similar phase of the three to doing cardio.
With this phase, it would be a good idea to incorporate supersets in the routine, further increasing the endurance component. However, make sure to keep intensity in the mix, as going to failure with each set remains an important factor.
A typical workout regimen for strength training is as follows, setting your rest periods between sets to no more than 45 seconds:
Day 1: chest, delts
- Dumbbell bench press: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Incline dumbbell bench press: three sets, 12-15 repetitions per set
- Cable crossover: three sets, 12-15 repetitions per set
- Pec deck: three sets, 12-15 repetitions per set
- Lateral delt raises: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Front delt raises: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Rear delt raises: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
Day 2: glutes, quads, calves
- Walking dumbbell lunges: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Split-legged squat: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Barbell squat: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Donkey calf raises: four sets, 15-20 repetitions per set
Day 3: hamstrings, triceps
- Single-leg hamstring curls: four sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Stiff-legged deadlifts: four sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Triceps pushdowns (close grip): three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Triceps pushdowns (reverse grip): three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Close-grip bench press: three sets, 12-15 repetitions per set
Day 4: lats, biceps
- Dumbbell bent-over rows: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Lat pulldowns (wide pronated grip): three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Barbell bent-over rows (pronated grip): three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- EZ-bar biceps curls: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Hammer curls: three sets, 15 repetitions per set
- Preacher curls: three sets, 12-15 repetitions per set
As far as each week during a given mesocycle goes, further change-up in the routine is undertaken by adding in variation to the types of exercises for a given muscle group form week to week. No single workout for a given body part is the same as the one before.
For instance, for one week, perform barbell squats when working the quads; the next week, perform walking lunges. In other words, each week within a mesocycle is a microcycle, further varying the stimulus.
The key of resistance training periodization is to vary the volume and intensity of your workouts. Use heavy weights and low reps for several sessions, and then change your routine up by using lighter weights and high repetitions. Some people periodize by doing three sessions of high-intensity training, followed by a session of lighter weights. This also works, since it keeps the muscles guessing.
Periodization has been used for years for training athletes of all sports, and it works as well with resistance training as it does for any other parameter involved in an athlete's overall training program. If you feel you have hit a sticking point in your gains, perhaps your body is craving a change.
So, what's the bottom line here? Resistance training periodization will help you make gains and avoid hitting exercise plateaus. It also reduces boredom. Implement periodization into your weight-training routine, and you will be impressed with the improvements in your strength, as well as your overall performance in the sport you are training for. Talk to your doctor of chiropractic to learn more about how to perform these exercises and to help develop the best exercise program to maximize your health and wellness.
Corey Mote, BS, DC, practices in Clarksville, Ga. A professional natural bodybuilder, Dr. Mote was the 2010 Musclemania (MM) Britain champion and the 2011 MM Universe Pro finalist. For questions and comments regarding this article, contact him via his Web site, www.coreymote.com.
