Need some Spice in your Workout Routine? Try these alternate techniques today to feel tomorrow!

Going to the gym is simple right, you go in, put some heavy weights on a bar, lift it a few times and that's it. Sounds easy, but also leaves a lot of potential gains on the table if you are just going in and doing three to four sets of whatever and moving on to the next machine or exercise. Let’s talk about some additional and more advanced strategies to help get the most out of your workout and keep those gains coming.

Eccentric Loading of Movements

Eccentric loading refers to a type of muscle contraction where the muscle lengthens while under tension. This is in contrast to concentric loading, where the muscle shortens during contraction. Eccentric loading occurs during movements such as lowering a weight or descending stairs, and it plays a crucial role in various athletic and rehabilitation contexts. Basically, you let your muscles build energy as they stretch out, and use that energy to contract them quickly. This pumps more blood into those muscles leading to greater increases in muscle strength and size compared to concentric training alone. This is partly because muscles can handle greater loads eccentrically, stimulating more muscle fibers. 

Eccentric loading is a powerful training technique that can enhance strength, flexibility, and recovery while also playing a crucial role in injury prevention and rehabilitation. By understanding and incorporating eccentric movements into your fitness routine, you can optimize your performance and overall muscle health.

Drop Sets and Half Reps

Drop Sets and Half Reps are two popular training techniques that can enhance muscle building by increasing intensity, promoting muscle fatigue, and maximizing time under tension. 

First are drop sets, these are an easy favorite to incorporate into a workout, essentially to perform a drop set you perform your regular set of 10-12 reps, then you drop the weight down and perform another 10-12 reps without a break in between. You can stop there or continue into a triple drop set and drop the weight again to perform a third set of 10-12 reps. This is going to push your muscles to fatigue, force them to work harder and stimulate that muscle growth. 

Here's an example:

Now, what about half or partial reps?

Doesn’t performing the full repetition give your muscles the most benefit? Well yes, however, half reps allow you to target a specific portion of the movement, usually the part of the movement with the most connection to the muscle you are trying to build. By targeting the point of peak contraction you are able to enhance the overall muscle engagement and lead to muscle hypertrophy. 

Both drop sets and half reps offer unique benefits that can significantly enhance muscle building. By incorporating these techniques into your training regimen, you can increase muscle fatigue, maximize time under tension, and target specific muscle groups effectively. As with any training technique, it’s essential to use them judiciously and incorporate proper recovery to ensure optimal results and prevent overtraining.

Failure Sets

A failure set does exactly as the name implies, working the exercise to the point that you fail to complete a full repetition. Also called burn out sets, these are a fantastic finisher to any set where you really want to reach muscle hypertrophy. Failure sets increase the intensity of your workout, allowing you to challenge your muscles beyond normal limits. This intensity can lead to greater adaptations, promoting muscle growth and strength improvements over time. If you've hit a plateau in your training, incorporating failure sets can provide the stimulus needed to break through. The increased intensity and challenge can shock your muscles into further growth and adaptation.

Failure sets are a potent tool in any strength training regimen, offering benefits such as increased muscle recruitment, enhanced hypertrophy, and improved mental toughness. By understanding how and when to incorporate them into your workouts, you can take your training to the next level and achieve your fitness goals more effectively.

Conclusion

Sometimes reaching and surpassing your goals in the gym are not about repeating the same exercises over and over with small amounts of weight gain. There are a multitude of ways to reach that sweet sore feeling the next day. Incorporating sets designed to lead your muscles to hypertrophy and challenge you until you can’t go anymore will help increase muscle size, increase strength and add some spice to your routine. Which variation will you try first?