Are you tired of the same old workout routine? Do you feel like you’ve hit a plateau in your progress? It’s time to take your training to the next level with advanced techniques. By incorporating these methods into your routine, you can challenge your body in new ways and achieve your fitness goals faster.
Advanced training techniques include supersets, drop sets, and pyramid sets. These techniques involve manipulating the number of reps, sets, and weights to increase the intensity of your workout.
By pushing your muscles to their limits, you can stimulate new growth and see improvements in strength and endurance. So, if you’re ready to take your training to the next level, it’s time to try out some advanced techniques and see the results for yourself.
Foundational Techniques
As the name suggests, here are the foundational techniques that should be the foundation of your training.
Progressive Overload
To progress in your training, you must gradually increase the load on your muscles. This is known as progressive overload. You can achieve this by adding weight, doing more reps, or reducing the rest time between sets. Keep track of your progress and make adjustments accordingly.
Periodization
Periodization refers to dividing your training into distinct periods, each with a specific focus. This can help prevent plateaus and overtraining. The three main phases of periodization are:
Hypertrophy: This phase focuses on building muscle size and strength through high volume and moderate intensity.
Strength: This phase focuses on increasing your max strength through lower volume and higher intensity.
Peaking: This phase prepares you for competition or a specific event by reducing volume and increasing intensity.
Periodization can be further customized to your individual needs and goals.
Recovery
Make sure to get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, and take rest days as needed. Active recovery, such as foam rolling or light cardio, can also help reduce soreness and improve overall performance.
By mastering these foundational techniques, you can set yourself up for success in your advanced training journey. Remember to prioritize progressive overload, incorporate periodization, and prioritize recovery.
These advanced techniques have been refined and perfected by experts in the field, and they hold the key to pushing your limits and achieving extraordinary results. There are three of them: pre-exhaustion, supersets, and drop sets.
Pre-Exhaustion
Pre-exhaustion is a technique that involves performing an isolation exercise before a compound exercise. This technique is used to fatigue the targeted muscle group before performing a compound exercise, which forces the targeted muscle group to work harder during the compound exercise.
For example, performing a set of leg extensions before performing squats can pre-exhaust the quadriceps, making them work harder during the squats.
Supersets
This involves performing two exercises back-to-back with little to no rest in between. This technique increases the intensity of a workout by keeping the muscles under constant tension.
For example, you first do a set of bench presses. After these presses, a set of bent-over rows is a superset that targets both the chest and back muscles.
Drop Sets
This involves performing a set of an exercise to failure. After that, you immediately reduce the weight and perform another set to failure, repeating this process until the muscle is completely exhausted.
This technique increases the volume of a workout and pushes the muscle to its limits. An example is doing a set of bicep curls with a heavyweight, then dropping the weight and performing another set to failure with a lighter weight is a drop set that can exhaust the bicep muscles.
Advanced Methods
Three advanced methods are in question: cluster sets, rest-pause training, and German volume training.
Instead of performing a complete set of reps, you’ll do a few reps, rest for ten to thirty seconds, and then do a few more. Repeat this process until you’ve completed the desired number of reps.
Rest-Pause Training
Rest-pause training is another advanced technique that can help you push past your limits. To perform rest-pause training, you must select a weight to lift for six to eight reps with good form.
Perform a set of reps, rest for ten to fifteen seconds, and then perform another set of reps. Repeat this process until you’ve completed the desired number of reps.
There are two assistance exercises you can do: isolation and compound exercises.
Isolation Exercises
Isolation exercises are movements that focus on a specific muscle group. These exercises are great for targeting weak areas or imbalances and can help to improve overall strength and muscle development. Some common isolation exercises include bicep curls, tricep extensions, and leg extensions.
When incorporating isolation exercises into your training program, choosing activities that target your weak areas is essential. For example, you should include more bicep curls in your program if you have weak biceps.
However, it’s important to remember that isolation exercises shouldn’t be the focus of your training program. Instead, they should be used as complementary to your compound exercises.
Compound Exercises
Compound exercises are movements that work for multiple muscle groups at once. These are great for building overall strength and muscle mass. Some compound exercises include squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
When incorporating compound exercises into your training program, choosing activities that target your specific goals is essential. For example, if you wish to build strong legs, you may want to include more squats and deadlifts in your program.
However, it’s important to remember that compound exercises can wear your body, so you should not overdo it. Instead, aim to include a few compound exercises in each workout and focus on proper form and technique.
Recovery Techniques
Without proper recovery, you risk injury, burnout, and a plateau in your progress. Here are some effective recovery techniques to help you optimize your training and achieve your goals.
Foam Rolling
This is a self-myofascial release technique that helps to alleviate muscle soreness, tightness, and trigger points. Applying pressure to specific areas using a foam roller can increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and improve your range of motion.
To foam roll effectively, choose a foam roller that is firm enough to provide adequate pressure but not so hard that it causes pain. Roll slowly over each muscle group, focusing on any areas of tightness or discomfort. Spend at least thirty seconds on each area, and breathe deeply as you roll.
Active Recovery
Active recovery involves engaging in low-intensity activities that promote blood flow, reduce muscle soreness, and aid recovery. Examples of active recovery include walking, swimming, cycling, and yoga.
Incorporating active recovery into your training program can aid you in recovering faster between workout sessions and reduce the risk of injury. Aim to engage in at least thirty minutes of low-intensity activity on rest days.
Deload Weeks
Deload weeks are periods of reduced training intensity and volume that allow your body to recover and adapt to your training. Deload weeks typically occur every four to six weeks and involve reducing your exercises’ weight, reps, or sets.
During a deload week, focus on recovery techniques such as foam rolling and active recovery. Allow your body to recover fully so you can return to your training program more robust and energized.
In addition, using proper form and technique is essential to prevent injury and maximize results. This includes maintaining proper posture, engaging your core, and using a full range of motion.
Remember to also prioritize rest and recovery, Since resting is when your muscles repair and strengthen. This can include taking rest days, getting enough sleep, and fueling your body with proper nutrition.
Incorporating these advanced training techniques, proper form and technique, and rest and recovery, can help you reach your weightlifting goals and become a stronger, healthier version of yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best-advanced training techniques for building muscle?
If you want to build muscle, some of the best advanced training techniques are progressive overload, drop sets, and supersets.
Progressive overload involves gradually increasing the weight you lift over time, while drop sets involve reducing your weight to continue pushing your muscles to fatigue.
Supersets involve performing two exercises back-to-back with minimal rest in between to increase the intensity of your workout.
How often should I change up my training routine?
Changing your training routine every four to six weeks is essential to prevent plateaus and keep your body challenged. This can involve changing your exercises, the number of sets and reps done, or the weight you lift. However, don’t change your routine too frequently. You need time to adapt to the stress of each exercise.
Should I train to fail every workout?
While training to failure can be an effective way to stimulate muscle growth, it’s not necessary to do it every workout. Training to fail too frequently will only injure you and lead to burnout. Instead, aim to train to fail once or twice per week and focus on increasing the weight you lift or the number of reps you perform in your other workouts.
