How important is it to go heavy? I suppose every bodybuilder is entitled to their own ridiculous opinion. In my opinion, it is the one thing that I am most consumed with throughout my workouts. "If you want to grow, you gotta go - heavy that is."
Forced Reps
In my training, I rely on forced reps as a major point of emphasis. So, what is a forced rep?
A rep is considered "forced" when a bodybuilder reaches muscle failure during a set and has a training partner assist in completing past the normal point of failure and therefore fatigues more muscle fiber, as well as those that are normally used, thereby stimulating more complete growth and muscle density.
However, we must realize that forced reps are used for shock. We are shocking the muscle, therefore this means that a forced rep needs to be something that we do not implement into every exercise. This will only negate our underlying purpose. Again, do this sporadically, and not with every exercise!
Having A Good Spotter
In using free weights with forced sets, it is crucial that you have a spotter who understands the philosophy behind what you are trying to achieve. If your spotter is your workout partner, tell him/her that you want them to help you force your muscles to accommodate higher weight, but this does not mean him doing the exercise for you.
Just make sure the spotter is attentive at all times, because if you are truly pushing yourself you will have a lot of weight on your hands and that can be very dangerous if you are going to failure. The key to a good spotter is helping you keep the speed of the movement consistent. It is also very important that you, the lifter, maintain maximum muscle tension throughout the movement, and this takes a lot of concentration.
I feel that forced reps should be a staple in everyone's workout regimen. Not only will they help you grow, they will also help you avoid hitting that proverbial plateau. So give them a shock, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
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What's A Plateau? A level of attainment or achievement in weight loss or bodybuilding where one gets "stuck in a rut", barring further progress or noticable results. As obvious as it may seem, if you continue to do the same thing, you will continue to get the same results. Click here for tips on breaking through plateaus. |
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