mihou
Rang: Administrateur
Nombre de messages : 8092
Localisation : Washington D.C.
Date d'inscription : 28/05/2005
 | | Heavy Supports | |
Heavy
Supports
by the editors
Sometimes
the only thing holding you back from achieving new personal records
in the squat is fear. In fact, contrary to popular belief, when
President Roosevelt made his famous speech that included the line, "We
have nothing to fear but fear itself," he was actually talking
about squats. Never mind that he had polio, he didn't let a little
thing like that hold him back.
No
sir, the man had pluck.
You
history buffs can debate the veracity of that story all you want,
we don't care. What matters is how we overcome this fear.
Heavy
Supports
They're
not really an exercise, but a method. We think you'll forget the
semantic inaccuracy once you try them.
The
method was allegedly developed by former Mr. America Chuck Sipes,
but it comes to us courtesy of Charles Poliquin.
Sipes
claimed the method simply built tendon strength and thus allowed
the lifter to squat greater loads. Poliquin, however, believes
it heightens the shutdown threshold of the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO),
which is a tension/stretch receptor located in the tendon.
According
to Poliquin, "The GTO inhibitory effect can be seen when two people
of unequal strength arm wrestle. As the weaker person loses, it
looks like he's suddenly quitting and gets his wrist slammed to
the top of the table. What's really happening is that the GTO perceives
a rapid rate of stretch during the eccentric contraction, at which
point it yells to the brain, 'Shut down, or this pimply-faced goon
is going to rip the biceps apart!' The brain then sends a rapid
signal to inhibit the contraction in order to prevent a muscle
tear."
Apparently
the same thing is true of your legs when you do squats. However,
you can raise the GTO threshold by interspersing 8-second heavy
isometric holds, a.k.a. supports, in between regular sets.
This
his how you incorporate Heavy Supports:
Set
1: Full squats 5 RM at 85% of max (rest for three minutes after
each set).
Set
2: A heavy support of 8 seconds at 200 % of max. Basically, it's
1/16th of a squat. You just unrack the weight and hold an upright
position with your knees just short of lock-out. The weight should
be heavy enough that your knees start to quiver like a certain
seasonal fat man's belly when he laughs.
Set
3: Full squats 5 RM at 85% of max.
Set
4: Heavy support 8 seconds at 210 % of max.
Set
5: Full squats 5 RM at 85% of max.
Set
6: Heavy support 8 seconds at 220 % of max.
Poliquin
maintains that the loads you use during heavy supports go up dramatically
(we've only just begun to experiment with the method so we'll take
his word for it).
While
the percentages indicated are generally accurate, you might want
to use even greater loads then the ones suggested. Don't be afraid.
Regardless
of whether the method improves your squat poundages through building
tendon strength, inhibiting the GTO, or simply eliminating fear,
it works. | |
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