Intensity Techniques - Part 3 Home -> Advanced Training -> Intensity Techniques Part 3   Forced Reps Partials Pre-Exhaust Cheating Drop Sets Rest-Pause Supersetting Giant Sets Jump Sets 2-Up 1-Down Negatives Burns Jettison Strip Sets Rep Targeting Negatives Heavy Supports Jump Sets This is a way of doing a large number of heavy sets for several muscle groups without losing as much strength from set to set. For example, if you plan on doing 5 sets of chin-ups and 5 sets of bench, start with 3 sets of chin-ups, then 3 sets of bench, then go back and do your remaining 2 sets of chin-ups and 2 sets of bench. The extra rest will allow you to be stronger on your last 2 sets than you normally would. Jumping between antagonistic muscle groups also seems to benefit strength. This can also be done going back and forth on every set instead of groups of sets. This is not a superset. It enhances recuperation by giving more rest to the bodyparts in the same workout time. This allows you to do more weight for each exercise. Jump sets are best used on antagonistic bodyparts such as back and chest, biceps and triceps, or hamstrings and quads. Burns These are typically done in the stretch or contracted positions. They are small, fast movements at the end of a set to finish off the muscle. These are most often seen in calf raises. Just bounce up and down in the bottom position at the end of a set until your calves burn. Strip Sets These are done with barbells. Do a set then, without racking the bar, get two spotters to pull off a preset amount of weight. Continue with that weight. Keep stripping as desired. This will thoroughly burn out a muscle. It is similar to drop sets, but there is absolutely no rest. Negatives This technique focuses on the negative portion of muscle contraction (the eccentric or lowering phase). Use about 10% heavier than your 1 RM. Use a spotter to give you a lot of help with the positive then lower the weight slowly on your own. Each negative rep should take about six to ten seconds to lower. To really get the feel for a proper negative, you must not just allow the weight to lower, you must actively push (or pull) against it, fighting it all the way down. It is like you are trying to do a positive rep but aren't. Another way to do negatives is to do the positive normally then get your spotter to add to the resistance on the way down by leaning on the bar or pulling down on it. Do focused negative work at the beginning of your bodypart work when you are at your strongest. 2 Up - 1 Down Negatives This is a variation of negative training that is best done with machines. Use two arms or legs for the positive phase then lower it using only one arm or leg. This type of negative training is useful if you do not have a partner to work with. When using this technique, you can alternate arms/legs or do the complete set of reps with the one arm/leg, then the complete set of reps with the other arm/leg. To really max out, follow the negative sets with a static hold with both limbs. Jettison This is similar to the drop set and strip set technique but doesn't require changing weights or using spotters. The example will be barbell curls. Load a barbell then put a collar on. Add a few more small plates outside the collar. Pick up the barbell and hold some elastic cables in addition to the bar. Go to failure with all that then let go of the cables. Go to failure again then allow the loose plates to slide off. Go to failure with the rest. Rep Targeting Set a target of a certain amount of reps and get that target of reps no matter how many sets it takes you to get there. For example, if you pick a target of 50 reps on chin-ups, say you get 30 on the first set. Rest a little while 10 to 30 seconds. Do another set. Say you get 10 reps. Rest. Get 5 reps. Rest. Get 3 reps. Rest. Get 2 reps. Done. A different version of this is do this is time subtraction. The amount of time you rest between sets is the amount of reps you have left to get to your target. For example, your target is 50, you get 30 reps, your rest period is 20 seconds. The next set you get 10 reps. That leaves you with 10 reps to go, you rest 10 seconds and go again. You get 4 reps, you have 6 left, rest 6 seconds. Heavy Supports This is simply holding a weight in the lockout position of an exercise for as long as possible. An example of this would be just standing there with a huge weight on your back. This would be a squat support. These are best done in the big movements like bench, squats, deadlift, dips, shoulder press, etc. because of the amount of weight that can be supported. These will build connective tissue strength as well as increasing muscle density and confidence. After holding a thousand pounds on your back, squatting with three plates won’t seem quite so daunting.   Now that you've had a look through these techniques, be sure to check out the article "Intensity Techniques That Will "Kill" You AND Make You Stronger" in Issue 12 of BetterU News that details 8 incredible completely-new or rarely-used intensity techniques.