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Power Past Plateaus
by
Paul Carter and Andrew Gutman
Say adios to T-shirt weather. And as you layer up to combat chillier temperatures, your caloric intake tends to increase and your workouts tend to get longer and more intense. But during these early weeks of winter bulking, some of you may notice that, despite your best efforts in the gym and in the kitchen, the gains in strength and size just aren't showing up.
Instead of doubling down on a strategy that's clearly not working, we suggest stepping away from your current routine -- especially if it's a boilerplate "four sets of 8-12 reps" scheme -- and refocusing your efforts.
We consulted Paul Carter, a strength coach who specializes in hypertrophy, to supply you with a new game plan that'll deliver serious results.
Let's get to work.
Strength for Growth
The concept behind attaining strength and size is simple: Your body encounters stresses and demands and responds by adapting to handle more. Eventually, though, your body will get used to whatever you're throwing at it and you'll be forced to find a new stimulus (more weights or more reps) to provoke "Either the body is adapting to a stimulus or you're detraining. That's it. That's all you have," Carter explains.
While the same analogy holds true for size and strength, the two are, mostly, exclusive modalities. Strength is a mainly neurological response, and size is primarily a muscular response. That's why there are small guys who can outlift bigger ones. It should be noted, though, that muscle size is a factor for strength.
For serious size gains, the formula is not complex.
"It's about training as heavy as you can for high reps," Carter says, alluding to the type of training Tom Platz -- the Golden Era bodybuilder who set a new standard to leg size and squatted big weights for high reps -- was known for. "That's what really gets people to grow, because the amount of tension that is created during a heavy, high-rep set is enormous, and tension is where hypertrophy really stems from."
However, to get huge you must train your body to continually handle an increased workload. This is where shifting your focus to strength can come into play.
"Think of it as a transitional period where you build this foundation of strength and then apply your newfound strength to your hypertrophy principles," explains Carter. "This strength-training block is going to to transition into the hypertrophy block by increasing your ability to do more reps with more weight -- and then you're going to grow."
Sets and Reps
"This program is all about finding your groove with the exercises, becoming good at them, and producing as much power as you can throughout the entire lift," explains Carter.
-- A note on percentages:
For this program you'll be using 90% of your true One-Rep Max. "When you program your training cycles, you don't base the percentages off of a true max. You base them off of a max that you could do even on your worst of days because that's a more accurate gauge," says Carter.
Maximal strength refers to how much you can lift for one rep, while power is about about how quickly you can lift the weight. Many lifters are guilty of what Carter refers to as "cruising" -- once the bar gets past their sticking point, they finish with lackluster effort. Don't be that guy! Complete each rep with ferocious velocity. Bye-bye sticking points, hello muscles.
Each of the four main lifts is followed by additional work (with the same movement), which varies for each; max reps (AMRAP, or "as many reps as possible") for the pressing movements, pause reps after squats, and "back off" sets following deadlifts.
"These train explosiveness and add more volume," elaborates Carter.
So, sets and reps for:
Bench Press and Overhead Press -
Week 1
3 sets of 1 rep, 75%, 78%, 83%, followed by
1 set, AMRAP, 60%.
Week 2
3 sets of 1, 78%, 83%, 85%, followed by
1 set, AMRAP, 65%.
Week 3
3 sets of 1, 83%, 85%, 88%, followed by
1 set, AMRAP, 70%.
Week 4
3 sets of 1, 85%, 88%, 90%, followed by
1 set, AMRAP, 75%.
Week 5
3 sets of 1, 88%, 90%, 93%, followed by
1 set, AMRAP, 80%.
Squat -
Week 1
3 sets of 1 rep, 75%, 78%, 83%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps of Pause Squats, 60%.
Week 2
3 sets of 1, 78%, 83%, 85%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps of Pause Squats, 65%.
Week 3
3 sets of 1 rep, 83%, 85%, 88%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps of Pause Squats, 70%.
Week4
3 sets of 1 rep, 85%, 88%, 90%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps of Pause Squats, 75%.
Week5
3 sets of 1 rep, 88%, 90%, 93%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps of Pause Squats, 80%.
Deadlift -
Week 1
3 sets of 1 rep, 75%, 78%, 83%, followed by
3 sets of 3 reps, 60%.
Week 2
3 sets of 1 rep, 78%, 83%, 85%, followed by
3 sets of 3 reps, 65%.
Week 3
3 sets of 1 rep, 83%, 85%, 88%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps, 70%.
Week 4
3 sets of 1 rep, 85%, 88%, 90%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps, 75%.
Week 5
3 sets of 1 rep, 88%, 90%, 95%, followed by
2 sets of 3 reps, 80%.
The Whole Layout
Work Capacity
Since this five-week block has less overall volume than what you're likely used to, two conditioning days will ensure that your body remains up for the challenge when you switch back to your regular hypertrophy block. Carter recommends a basic cardio plan: 15 seconds of work (at maximum effort) followed by 45 seconds of rest for 15 total rounds.
High Reps
High-rep training is a new -- and painful -- way to trigger growth. "For your single-joint movements you would do ultra-high reps because it is going to be a new stimulus to adapt to," says Carter. Unlike the low reps performed for most of this program, high reps hit your type-1 fibers and give you big pumps.
Okay, follow this five-week program before reverting back to your normal mass-gaining routine. Use the rest-pause method to complete each high-rep set. If you have to stop, rest for 20 seconds, then continue.
Day 1: Legs
Squat - as explained above.
Leg Press - 1 x 100 reps.
Leg Curl - 2 x 50
(Maintain a slow and controlled motion during both the eccentric and concentric portion of the exercise.)
Calf Raise - 1 x 100.
Day 2: Chest and Arms
Bench Press - as explained above.
Incline Dumbbell Flye - 1 x 30-30-30
(Perform as a triple dropset, lowering the weight after every 30 reps.)
Bench Dip - 1 x 100.
Empty Barbell Curl - 1 x 100
(Curling an unloaded bar may look wimpy, but not when you're doing 100 reps. On these 100-rep sets, if you have to stop, rest for 20 seconds, then continue.)
Day 3: Cardio
As explained above.
Day 4: Back
Deadlift - as explained above
(Keep your back flat and be sure your hips fire once the bar is past your knees.)
Straight-Arm Pulldown - 1 x 100.
Chinup - 1 x 100
(Neutral grip, do not fully lock out your elbows, thus keeping tension on your back.)
Dumbbell Shrug - 1 x 100.
Day 5: Cardio
As explained above.
Day 6: Shoulders
Overhead Press - as explained above
Keep your whole body tight, and don't arch your back. It that happens, use less weight.
Reverse Pec_Deck Flye - 1 x 100.
Cable Side Lateral - 1 x 50
(each arm).
Plate Front Raise - 1 x 100.
