Build Human Forklift Strength With Single Rep Cluster Training

Cluster Training is an extremely powerful method for building mass and strength.

It's a way to postpone fatigue, allowing you to get more reps with a certain weight than you could with a straight-through set.

You perform a small cluster of reps, take a short rest, then another small cluster of reps, then a short rest, then repeat for whatever framework you're doing overall. Then you take a longer rest (e.g. 2 to 3 minutes) then you can repeat the cluster again.

If you were targeting hypertrophy with Cluster Training, this is a framework you could use.

Select a weight you could normally get 10 reps with then perform reps in this fashion:

Mini-set #1 - 4 reps
rest 10 seconds
Mini-set #2 - 4 reps
rest 10 sec.
Mini-set #3 - 4 reps
rest 10 sec
Mini-set #4 - 4 reps
rest 10 sec
Mini-set #5 - 4 reps
rest 10 sec
Mini-set #6 - 4 reps

Rest 2 minutes then repeat.

That would be one Cluster set. By resting 10 seconds between each mini-set (and the first 4 or 5 mini-sets, you're not getting close to failure and you delay the buildup of lactic acid and other waste products. You also get "in-set" recovery, which allows you to hit more reps within a shorter period of time.

It's a VERY effective way to build muscle.

This will be the same basic framework, only instead of sets of 4 reps (as in the example above), you'll be doing sets of ONE rep. Since the weights will be heavier, the in-set rest periods will be a bit longer (20 seconds) to allow for a bit more recovery in between reps.

I recommend using a weight you could normally get 3 reps with in a regular set.

By working at such a high intensity (as defined by a high percentage of 1 RM), you're going to train your nervous system to activate substantially more muscle fibers. This single-rep rest-pause style of training has been shown to increase muscle fiber activation very effectively.

REFERENCE: Acute neuromuscular and fatigue responses to the rest-pause method

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 15, Issue 2 , Pages 153-158, March 2012, Paul W.M. Marshall, Daniel A. Robbins, Anthony W. Wrightson, Jason C. Siegler

The heavier loads are also going to strengthen your connective tissue, which is a key limiting factor that most people don't consider when trying to build strength...after all, you're only as strong as your weakest link, and if your connective tissue is weak, THAT is what's going to hold you back.

This type of training is going to get your body used to and (prepared for) lifting very heavy weights. Near- One RM training is NOT something your body inherently knows how to do.

You can't always do lower-load, higher-rep training and expect to jump right in and safely hit a One Rep Max. When you're getting close to maximal weight, technique DOES change. Different muscles are going to kick in when the emergency hits.

So to maximize strength, we're going to make sure your body knows what high-load training is all about.

The Muscle Explosion program is all about STRATEGY.

The last two weeks of the program are the Intensification phase. This is where rest periods increase and training volume decreases to take advantage of the rebound you're getting after the "massive overload" of Phase 2.

This "coming down" phase is the PERFECT time to perform Single Rep Cluster Training.

Here's what a typical set will look like:

Mini-set #1 - 1 rep
rest 20 seconds
Mini-set #2 - 1 rep
rest 20 sec.
Mini-set #3 - 1 rep
rest 20 sec
Mini-set #4 - 1 rep
rest 20 sec
Mini-set #5 - 1 rep
rest 20 sec
Mini-set #6 - 1 rep

This will be done with a weight around 90% to 95% of your 1 RM (approximately). In the demo, I've 495 lbs on the bar.

Why Do I Have a Towel Stuffed In My Belt?

Experienced powerlifters will tell you that (generally speaking) the bigger their gut is, the more weight they can pull in the deadlift.

In fact, they go as far as purposefully trying to "get a good bloat" going before they deadlift in competition in order to move more weight.

This extra size in the gut actually gives better leverage and improved core bracing out of the bottom for the hips and lower back to develop power.

Now...what if you don't have a big gut and/or don't want to get a big gut just to move more weight? You stuff something inside your lifting belt to SIMULATE having a big gut to improve your leverage out of the bottom.

To accomplish this, a simple rolled-up towel is all you need.

It goes without saying, if you ALREADY have a big gut, this technique won't make much of a difference...this is more targeted to people who don't have the extra midsection size yet want to reap the benefits of it without having to have a big gut full time.

This simple stuffing allowed me to instantly lift 50-70 lbs more on a trap bar deadlift than I could without it just minutes before...and it felt BETTER on my lower back because of the improved core bracing it allowed me to achieve.

It works just as well on straight bar deadlifts as well, as the mechanics are similar in terms of the core bracing required to pull heavy weight.

To do this, just roll up a towel (or two, if they're small), start with your belt quite loose, stuff the towel in the front, then tighten up your belt.

You can read the full rundown on this technique and how to do it here, if you're interested (it works wonders for deadlift strength!).

In the Muscle Explosion program, you'll have one day per week of Single Rep Cluster Training, targeting Squats, Deadlifts and a Press (bench press or overhead press, whichever you prefer). You'll be aiming for 4 to 6 reps per set of each exercise.

Keep the "do or die" rep in you here...no training to failure.

Take 3 minutes rest in between sets...no exceptions, even if you feel like it's too long. This is the Intensification phase and it's all about letting your nervous system recover while building strength. The long rest is necessary.

Overall, this training style is the PERFECT way to build serious strength...ESPECIALLY when you use it coming off high volume "accumulation" style of training.

It will help you make MASSIVE jumps in your strength levels.

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