Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Lots of readers can handle a particular
weight for a given number of reps -- let's
say 200 pounds for five reps in the bench
press -- but when they add five or ten
pounds to the bar they can only do two
or three reps.
Or they can do a single with a given
weight -- say 400 pounds in the Trap
Bar deadlift -- but when they load the
bar to 405 they can't budge it.
I get training questions about this
sort of thing all the time -- so it's
obviously a common problem.
It's also a problem that's easy to fix.
You simply need to do more work at your
current weight to truly MASTER the weight
before you try to go heavier.
For example:
If you do four progressively heavier
warm-up sets in the bench press and
finish with 200 pounds for five reps,
don;'t try to jump to 205 or 210 pounds
the next time you do benches.
Instead, do 4 x 5 progressively heavier
warm-ups followed by 200 x 5 and then
200 x 3.
In the next bench press workout, do
4 x 5 progressively heavier warm-up
sets followed by 200 x 5 and then 200
x 4.
Next bench press workout -- do the
4 x 5 warm-ups, and then do two sets
of five with 200 pounds.
In the next bench press workout, do
the 4 x 5 warm-ups, then do 2 x 5 with
200 pounds, and then do 200 x 3.
Same thing in the next bench press
workout, but do 200 x 4 for your final
set.
Next bench press workout -- do 4 x 5
followed by 3 x 5 with 200 pounds.
In your next bench press workout, add
5 pounds to all sets (including the
warm-up sets) and do 205 x 5 for your
working set.
From there, build up to 205 for 3 x 5,
following the same one rep per workout
system outlined above.
In other words, don't try to go up in
weight too soon or too often. That only
leads to staleness, missed lifts and
burn-out. Instead, take your time and
train progressively. EARN the next
poundage increase, don't try to hurry
it.
It's very simple, but very effective.
Try it and see!
As always, thanks for reading and
have a great day. If you train today,
make it a good one!
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Doug Hepburn built World record
strength and power by following a
unique system very similar to what
I just shared with you:
http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
P.S. 2. Thought for the Day: "Wherever
you're going, the best way to get there
is one step at a time." -- Brooks Kubik
