BetterU News Issue #59
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Using HIGH Reps To Build Muscle? Three Ways To Do It That Will Shatter ANY Muscle Growth Plateau!

Normally, when you think "muscle," you probably think "low reps"...but I've got three ways to use HIGH reps to slap the muscle on you FAST.

When I say "muscle building," I'm sure the first thing that jumps into your head is NOT high-rep training!

In fact, when trying to build muscle, most trainers will actively stay FAR away from anything resembling high reps (and when I say high reps, I mean anything more than 13 to 15 reps per set).

Here's the thing...that can actually be a HUGE mistake!

Just like heavy weights and low reps, the higher rep ranges can be a VERY valuable and even ESSENTIAL tool in your muscle-building arsenal.

I've got three high-rep training techniques I want to share with you right now. And I'm going to explain EXACTLY why each one is critical to your muscle-building success.

1. Very Light Weight, Very High Reps

Yep, I know this sounds absolutely CRAZY. How can light weight and very high reps do ANYTHING for building muscle? Here's a hint…it's not about resistance…it's about physiology.

In order for a muscle to grow, first you've got to stimulate growth by overloading it with resistance - no argument there. But AFTER you've stimulated the growth, you've got to supply NUTRIENTS to the muscle cells to help them rebuild.

What if your blood supply is poor to the trained muscle? Got a muscle group that doesn't pump up very easily? It's probably one of your hardest muscle groups to develop. Poor circulation means fewer nutrients get to that muscle for recovery and rebuilding, leading to reduced growth.

THAT is where light weight and very high reps come into play. You see, VERY high reps have the effect of increasing capillarization in muscle tissue (simply defined, capillaries are the tiny blood vessels where blood cells release their nutrients to the rest of the cells in the body).

Bottom line, you do a set of 100 reps and your body responds by increasing capillary density in the targeted muscle, which SETS THE STAGE for future muscle growth.

The high reps sets don't directly CAUSE muscle growth (the resistance isn't high enough), they just improve blood circulation to the target muscle so when you DO train heavy and for lower reps, your target muscle gets more nutrients and can grow and recover more easily.

Want to put this tip to work?

Pick a "hard to pump" muscle and at the start of EVERY workout you do for that bodypart (e.g. every time you train biceps), do a single set of 100 reps with a VERY light weight. Basically, pick an exercise and just CRANK out the reps. Do this EVERY time you train that bodypart and you soon will start to notice a difference in how easily that muscle pumps up and how well it grows.

2. Moderate-Weight, High-Rep Training

This sure sounds like an oxymoron. After all, how can you use moderate weights when you're performing high reps!

As a matter of fact, you CAN. In fact, it's one of THE best training techniques you can use for building muscle FAST. It's a technique even elite powerlifters (who normally train with VERY low reps) use to increase muscle mass.

There are definitely certain exercises that lend themselves more to heavy-weight, high-rep training. Squats, for example, are the best example for this technique (you may be familiar with the popular "20-Rep Squat" program),

This moderate-weight, high-rep training has many of the same circulation benefits of the VERY high rep training but with the advantage of increased resistance, which will help directly stimulate muscle growth in addition to helping improve circulation.

Using myself as an example, I used squats with this technique and worked up to performing a set of 40 reps with 315 lbs (believe me, THAT was fun…). I've also managed a set of 25 reps with 225 lbs and a set of 70 reps with 135 lbs on the bench press.

This technique can be used with any exercise, really. You'll find some exercises work better for it than others but basically, you're taking a weight that is a bit lighter than your normal working weights and you're just focusing on cranking out the reps.

Like the previous technique, I find this is best done at the beginning of a workout when you're still fresh. You'll be able to get more reps out of the exercise that way. Some trainers like to use it as a back-off set (powerlifters generally use it this way), doing the high-reps with moderate weight after finishing with the heavier stuff.

So next time you're about to do squats, put a moderate weight on the bar and just see how many reps you can crank out! Forget about what you're going to do on the rest of your sets - just get as MANY as you can. Your legs will be hit with a whole new muscle-building stimulus!

3. High-Rep Partial Training

This final tip brings us into an interesting area. High-rep partial training actually allows you to do high-rep training with HEAVY weight! In fact, you will be AMAZED at how much weight you can use with this style of training.

We're going to be getting the benefits not only of the increased circulation that I mentioned with light-weight, high-rep training, but we're also going to get the substantial muscle-building benefits of using HEAVY weights at the same time.

Another benefit…because you're using heavier-than-normal weights, you're going to be working your connective tissue very effectively as well. And, because you're using high-reps, you're going to be forcing a LOT of blood into that connective tissue, which is notorious for its normally poor blood supply. This helps immensely with strengthening and healing.

High-rep partial training is fairly straightforward to perform. It's best done in a power rack, where it's easy to adjust the range of motion. For example, using bench press, you can set the safety rails to a few inches below the lockout position.

Working in only that top range of motion (which is the strongest segment of the range of motion) means you can use a LOT more weight than you normally could for the full-range exercise.

So you set up the bench, set up the rails and add some weight. Now you just perform as many partial reps as you can! To give you an idea of weight and reps, I've done sets of 50+ reps with 315 lbs on high-rep lockout partial bench press.

High-rep partial training can be done at any point in your workout, as an addition to your "normal" training (1 or 2 sets) or as the complete bodypart workout on its own.

The Final Word

Overall, I'm a big fan of high-rep training for building muscle, when PROPERLY used. These three techniques are VERY effective for not only setting the stage for muscle growth but actually building the muscle itself!

If you're interested in a program that makes use of ALL of these techniques, definitely check out my latest book "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass." I make use of each one of these techniques during various phases of the program. When it comes to building muscle FAST, I've not found a program that works better: http://www.fitstep.com/muscle-explosion/explosive-muscle-building.htm

Check out this great feedback I've received from one of the users of the "Muscle Explosion" program:

Here's that link again:

http://www.fitstep.com/muscle-explosion/explosive-muscle-building.htm

The EatSmart Nutrition Scale - Product Review

Calorie counting for fat loss is a thing of the past! Calorie AWARENESS is where it's at. I tested the new EatSmart Nutritional Scale to see how digital technology could be applied to helping you keep track of your calorie intake for maximum fat loss.

Secret Training Tip #663 - Lengthwise Barbell Donkey Calf Raises

The Donkey Calf Raise is one of THE best calf-building exercises you can do because of the great stretch it puts on them. But what do you do if you don't have a donkey machine OR a partner to help you perform the exercise? Here's the solution.

The Donkey Calf Raise should be a mainstay of any effective calf-building routine. It's simply one of THE best exercises for developing the calves. The reason is the strong stretch you can put on the calves at the bottom of every single rep because of how your body and legs are positioned during the exercise.

The Donkey Calf Raise, if you're not familiar with it, is simply a calf raise done in a bent-forward position. Your upper body is leaning over at 90 degrees and is horizontal while your lower body remains vertical. Then you just perform a calf raise from there!

You see, because the calf muscles (the gastrocnemius, to be specific) cross the knee joint, putting a stretch on the hamstrings also puts a greater stretch on the calves. So bending over at the waist in this fashion will put a greater stretch on your calves than if you were standing completely straight up and down.

But here's the problem...when you don't have a donkey calf raise machine OR a partner to sit on your back (like they're riding a donkey, hence the name), how do you perform this exercise?

Donkey machines are not common in all gyms and if you're training at home, I have a strong feeling a donkey calf machine wasn't on your priority list of purchases (though hopefully, a power rack was!).

One of the solutions I've come up with is using a dip belt to add resistance. You basically hang weight plates from your waist then bend forward and perform the exercise.

It works well but it's not a perfect solution either. The weight doesn't sit in the best spot to get the most out of the exercise (the belt ends up more on your lower back than sitting on the hips, where you'd get the best effect).

And, the stronger your calves are, the more plates you have to use. The more plates you have to use, the more awkward the exercise becomes and the wider you have to set your feet apart. It's not so bad when you're working with 2 or 3 plates. But I've gone as high as 6 plates and it gets VERY hard to perform the exercise effectively.

So here's my BETTER solution…

Instead of putting a partner or the pad of a machine on your back, you're going to put a BARBELL on your back…but not how you NORMALLY would put a barbell on your back.

You're going to put it LENGTHWISE down your back! (Don't worry - I will DEFINITELY have pictures and video of this one for you! It'll make it MUCH easier to understand the setup and execution of the exercise.)

In terms of positioning, I like to conjure up an image of Atlas carrying the world on his back. THAT is what your body position is going to be similar to while you're doing this exercise. You're going to be using a barbell as a lever type of machine, lifting up one end of the bar and using the other end as a pivot point.

This is a GREAT way to do Donkey Calf Raises…I find it's actually even MORE effective than using a machine or a partner!

SETTING IT UP AND DOING IT

This exercise should be done in a power rack not only for safety reasons but for ease of getting the bar into position.

The first time you do this exercise, you will need to experiment with the height that you set the safety rails - it'll vary depending on your limb length.

So the first thing you'll need to do is set one safety rail of the rack about 3 feet off the ground. The other safety rail should be set one or two notches LOWER than that first rail.

Now set a barbell on the rails. It should slope downward. Load a 45 lb plate (for starters) onto both ends of the barbell because even though you're only going to be lifting ONE end of the bar, you'll need to counterbalance it with weight on the OTHER end as well.

You're also going to need a calf block to do the calf raise itself on. Set the calf block underneath the end of the bar that's lower and make sure it's perpendicular to the bar (i.e. it would form a cross if you looked down on it directly from over top of the bar).

If you have a barbell pad, that will be helpful as well (a rolled-up towel works just fine, too). It helps to have a little padding for your lower back where the bar contacts it (set the pad down at the lower end of the bar to accomplish this).

Now we're going to test the height of the bar on the rails. Get yourself underneath the bar so that the bar runs down the length of your spine (like Atlas with the world on his back). Grasp the bar with both hands up near where it's resting on the higher rail - that's the pivot point of the exercise. Set your feet on the calf block for calf raises.

Ideally, you'll want to have some bend in your knees at this point (before you lift the bar up). This is important so that when you're in the stretch position of the Donkey Calf Raise, the bar isn't hitting the lower safety rail and stopping the stretch.

So now that you're in position, straighten your legs and begin the exercise. Your legs should stay straight and stiff throughout the exercise to maximize the stretch on the calves.

If the bar IS hitting the safety rail at the bottom, you'll need to lower that rail one more notch to make sure it doesn't.

Now it's just a matter of coming up into a calf raise! At the bottom be VERY sure to get a deep stretch. Come up fully into the calf raise at the top and squeeze the calves hard on each rep.

Once you've got the setup down, you can start adding weight to the bar. Don't sacrifice form or stretch for adding more weight, though. That'll defeat the purpose of the exercise.

CONCLUSION:

This exercise setup is every bit as good as any donkey calf raise machine I've ever used...better, in fact, because your body isn't locked into the movement. Because the end of the barbell moves freely, you're not locked into the exercise and your body can find its own groove.

Also, this exercise beats using a partner for the simple fact that if you don't have a partner, you're out of luck! And if you need more resistance, you need to add more partners. Not so with this exercise!

So next time you're hitting calves in the gym, take a crack at this one. And never mind the strange looks you get from everybody else in the gym. You'll see THEM doing this exercise the next time they're working calves.

For more pictures and also a demonstration video of this exercise in action, click here:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue59-calves.htm

This exercise was originally published in my "Powerful Training Secrets" membership site. If you're interested in MORE unique and effective training information, just like this exercise, definitely check it out now!

http://www.powerfultrainingsecrets.com

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