Plateau Busters
Shock Training Methods for Increased Size and Strength
by Joel Marion

Most of your are well aware that structural adaptations aren't achieved
by simply busting your butt in the gym day in and day out. Sure,
that'll work for a while, but even if you continue to put the
same effort forth, adaptation will have its way and progress will
eventually plateau. In reality, progression requires a
methodical, strategically designed approach to training, along with
frequent variation. And while there are many ways to counteract
plateaus through the manipulation of training variables and program
format, this article will provide you with a few specific methods that
can be implemented in most any training block.

1. Supersets The
term superset carries a bit of ambiguity due to its constant misuse in
bodybuilding circles and articles. So, let's make sure we're all on the
same page when talking about the technique. A superset is the practice of doing an exercise set and then immediately moving into another set of an exercise for the same body part. If
you conduct an exercise for any body part other than the one worked
during the previous set, it's not a superset. If you rest — be it one
minute, two minutes, whatever — it's not a superset. Notice the
definition doesn't really specify which types of exercises are to be
conducted in both the first and second sets; however, there is
an optimal way to superset. By conducting a compound exercise first and
then moving into an isolation movement for the same muscle group, you
ensure maximal microtrauma and fatigue of the primary mover. When
using only compound movements, it's possible that the smaller muscles
involved will fatigue before the primary mover (ex: the anterior delts
and triceps fatiguing before the pecs during the bench press) and thus
the primary mover won't be maximally taxed. Now, this isn't
to say that programs utilizing solely compound movements aren't of
value; it just means that periodically superseting such movements with
isolation movements is a smart training decision. So when is
superset implementation valuable? Generally speaking, supersets should
be used during a growth phase when hypertrophy is the major goal and
not during a strength phase. During a growth phase the goal
is to induce extreme amounts of microtrauma, and the use of supersets
will help you do this. The major focus of this type of training isn't
using maximal loads. During strength training, however, the use of
maximal loads is not only desirable, but necessary to fully stimulate
the nervous system and to provoke neurological adaptations (the major
contributor to increases in strength). A muscle must be fully
recovered in order to use the greatest weight possible for the desired
number of reps, and that means rest is of utmost importance. As you can
see, supersets don't really fit in here as load and full recovery take
a back seat to maximal fatigue and microtrauma.

2. Eccentric Training Eccentric
training is based on the principle that you can lower more than you can
lift. It's been observed that trainees can handle anywhere from a
20-40% greater load eccentrically than concentrically. With this type
of training the bar is lowered under control for 2-4 seconds and is
then lifted by a partner (or two) back to the starting position. Near
maximal (90-99% of 1RM), maximal (100%), or supra-maximal (101-140%)
loads can be used with eccentric training and it's generally done with
1-6 repetitions per set and 1 to 6 sets per exercise. Obviously, as the
load increases, the number of reps per set should be decreased and the
number of sets per exercise should be increased to the higher end of
the range. Due to the excessive stress this training
technique places on the nervous system, strength coach Charles Poliquin
has recommended that athletes have at least two years of training
experience under their belt before implementing this method into their
workout regimens. Even so, the technique should only be used rarely and
for no more than a few weeks at a time. This
type of training works best with upper body, compound movements such as
the bench press, dips, pull-ups, etc, and can be used during either a
hypertrophy or strength phase. (My favorite time to utilize this
technique is when specializing one or more upper body muscles.) Eccentric
training heavily taxes the nervous system and can also potentially
induce large amounts of microtrauma if the intensity is kept toward the
lower end of the spectrum (around 90%), the volume moderate to high,
and the rest periods short to moderate. An example of this protocol would be 5 sets of 5-6 reps @ 90% 1RM, with a 4-second eccentric and 1-2 minute rest periods. The
result is a profound increase in both size and strength. If the goal is
mainly strength, volume should be reduced, intensity increased, and
rest periods lengthened, for example, 5 sets of 1-2 reps @ 100-120%
1RM, with a 4-second eccentric and 3 minute rest periods.

3. Drop Sets Drop
sets are a great way to achieve maximal motor unit activation, muscular
fatigue, and intramuscular tension as well as increase the tonnage of a
given workout. A drop set is essentially a series of mini sets in which
a trainee works to positive failure, quickly reduces the load, works to
failure again, quickly reduces the load, works to failure once again,
and so on until the desired number of mini sets are completed. In laymen's terms, they're a ball buster. The
amount of rest between mini sets should only be the time it takes to
unload the bar to the next weight; the shorter the rest period, the
better. Rest period length may, however, be increased up to 10 seconds
when performing drop sets at higher intensities. It's ideal
to have a training partner when utilizing this method as they can help
you strip the weight faster. Also, the weight of your next mini set
should be achievable by only taking plates off the bar. Having
to strip plates and then add plates takes too long, so be sure to set
up your bar appropriately. A final way to limit rest is to use machines
in which the load can be dropped by a simple pin adjustment. Drop
sets can be effectively implemented during either a growth or strength
phase and when conducting compound or isolation movements. Below are a
few Charles Poliquin-approved drop set schemes for both hypertrophy and
strength training protocols.