Beyond Brawn - The Insider's Encyclopedia on How to Build Muscle && Might

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. Do not lock yourself into traditional rep ranges for specific body parts. For

example, calf and abdominal work are traditionally done with reps of about

, or more. Experiment here with lower reps— or perhaps even as few

as  or —using heavier weights, and you may find that you make better

progress. But make a careful transition between the high reps and low reps.

Do not, for example, add  pounds to your usual calf machine -rep

poundage and immediately start performing full-bore -rep sets. Instead,

move to -rep sets but increase your poundage by  pounds maximum a

week, and later on increase by no more than  pounds weekly, and then later

on by smaller increments.

. Knowledge of your personal rep preferences will influence the type of pro-

gram you choose. It may also lead to modifications of any training program

you consider appropriate for you.

Twenty-rep work

. ough not popular today, in the pre-steroids era the -rep squat was very

influential. It was hugely productive back then, when used as the corner-

stone of an abbreviated training program, and it can be hugely productive

today. Anyone who thinks that high reps do not build muscle and strength is

totally out of touch with Iron Game history. is special -rep rest-pause

work does not have to be limited to the squat. It is very well suited to the

bent-legged deadlift, especially when using a Trap Bar. In fact, for deadlifting,

the Trap Bar is far superior to the straight bar.

. ere is nothing magical, however, about the number . If , or  had

been chosen and initially championed, the muscle-building results would

have been the same. But  is a round number, and what was initially cham-

pioned.

. Twenty-rep rest-pause squatting and deadlifting are extremely demanding,

which is why they can be extremely productive, but only when combined

Find what you can do well and with substantial effort (within the

context of intensity cycling), actually recover from, really enjoy

doing, and then you will obtain what you are supposed to from

weight training—bigger and stronger muscles. Never blindly fol-

low a given program. Tailor it to fit you, always.

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