What are the approaches
Last reviewed: 15.05.2018
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You were told to listen to your body, study its features, embrace it as a friend. Do not believe it. You can listen and study your body, but forget about the friendly attitude. When it comes to muscles, you have to become a boss, not a friend.
Do not let your muscles relax. When they get used to lifting certain weights in a certain way (similar to your exercise program?), They stop growing. If you do not change your strength training program, it creates an imbalance of strength; it is inefficient and dangerous.
This does not mean that you have to master super-complex exercises for professionals. Just do the usual exercises, but use different combinations of approaches and repetitions.
Below is a guide on different types of approaches (sets). With its help you will learn what results can be achieved with the help of various combinations. Apply them to your exercise program and observe the unexpected and impressive reaction of your muscles.
- Serial sets
What it is: Nothing unusual - a certain number of repetitions followed by rest, then one or more of the approaches of this exercise.
Why they are useful: Rest periods and the narrow focus of successive sets help build muscle mass and develop maximum strength. If you have enough rest between the approaches (1-3 minutes), your muscles or muscle group will work two, three or even five times more intensively while doing the exercises.
How to apply them: Starting a workout is the best time to use successive sets, regardless of your level of preparation. Your energy and concentration at the beginning of the exercises are at a high level, so this is the best time to perform complex movements. Perform three consecutive sets of 6-9 repetitions of complex exercises, such as bench press, pull-ups or squats; try each time to perform one number of repetitions in one approach with the same or increasing number of exercises.
- Supersets
What it is: An approach consisting of two exercises that are performed one after another without a respite.
Why they are useful: Supersets save time and burn fat. You can complicate the task for your muscles - for example, strengthen the muscles of the chest and back in one approach, and the muscles of the legs and shoulders - in the other. Lifting weights in a short period of time increases the speed at which your body splits and re-generates proteins. This acceleration of metabolism lasts several hours after the end of exercise.
How to apply them: You can perform supersets at any stage of your workout. To use more muscles, perform combined exercises in pairs - movements that develop several muscles at once through different joints. For example, combine the press from the chest with the tows and the press from the shoulders with the deadlifts. To save time, combine muscle groups that do not compete with each other, such as the deltoid and gluteal muscles. One muscle group will be restored, while the other one will work, so you can continue the approach without rest.
- Trisets
What it is: Three different exercises that are performed one after another without a break.
Why they are useful: Trisets save time and speed up metabolism. One triset can itself represent a program of exercises for the whole body.
How to apply them: Trisets are well suited for studying at home (or in an empty gym), because you will have to monopolize the equipment for the three exercises. Perform the basic exercises that develop different parts of the body - bench press, squats and pull-ups on the crossbar. Perform a warm-up using 50 percent of the weight that you normally use during the exercise. Then repeat the triset two or three times using a weight that will allow you to perform 8 repetitions in one approach. Rest for 1-3 minutes after each triset.
- Drop-sets
What it is: Three or four sets of exercises performed without rest, using lighter weight for each subsequent approach. Also called the descending set.
Why they are useful: Drop-sets are an effective and fast exercise program that creates a load on your muscles in a short period of time, makes your heart beat and gives you an impressive result, filling your muscles with blood.
How to apply them: Use drop-sets when you do not have enough time. Do not perform them more than 3 times a week; you are so tired that you can not do anything else. Start with a warm-up, using 50 percent of the weight that you intend to use in the first approach. Now take the heaviest burdens that you used for 8 repetitions of a certain exercise in order to perform the maximum number of repetitions. Reduce weight by 10-20 percent and start again. Continue to reduce weight, always trying to perform the same number of repetitions (even if you do not get it) to muscle failure.
- Circuit Training
What it is: A series of exercises (usually six) that you perform one after another without interruption, although you can also do some aerobic exercises (like jumping rope) between exercises.
Why they are useful: When using weights, circular training can become an excellent workout for the whole body. They are even more valuable without burdens, acting like a warm-up for the nervous system, joints and muscles. Since circular exercises create stress for the entire body, they are more effective than running on a treadmill that only uses the lower part of your body.
How to apply them: You will irritate other guys in the gym if you perform the whole exercise program in the form of circular training, because you so monopolize a lot of simulators. For a good result, one round robin is enough for you. If you use it as a warm-up, all you need is the mass of your body or barbell. Also you can use dumbbells and perform a circular training at home, where you will not disturb anyone.