Increase Your Training Intensity - Negative Repetitions
by Rick
Mitchell
zone3
You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively
stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding
ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with
exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the
time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.
In an earlier
article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here
we'll focus on the role that negative repetitions have to play in
intensifying the training effect.
At the most basic level, human
muscles have three types of strength:
1. Positive strength - the
ability to raise a weight.
2. Static strength - the ability to hold
a weight.
3. Negative strength - the ability to lower a
weight.
Many bodybuilders concentrate primarily on their muscles'
positive and static strength but equal focus should be given to negative
strength, or lowering the weight, if true muscle failure is to be
achieved. You can emphasize this aspect of training by completing a set of
negative reps after reaching positive failure.
You'll need one or
two partners to lift the weight to the top position so that you can lower
it under your own control. Once you can no longer control the descent, the
set ends. Take special care with leg exercises and avoid negative squats
to protect the knees.
Beginners should not attempt negative reps
while intermediate and advanced bodybuilders can be imaginative in how
they incorporate negative reps into their training programs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rick Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website
that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of
bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding
Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this
article.
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