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

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. Some training approaches mix the two focuses. For example, classic -rep

rest-pause squats combine high reps and long pauses between reps, and have

produced many examples of substantial strength and size gains; and some

strength afficionados perform many low-rep sets.

. Compare how you train against the summary given above. For example, if

you rest  minutes between sets of squats, always take a good few seconds

pause between reps, do just a single work set of each exercise, and squat once

every ten days, your training may have produced substantial strength but

not necessarily substantial size.

. A moderate increase in training frequency—as outlined in the first part of

this chapter—and perhaps later on some adjustments in set and rep format,

and rep performance (while keeping within the confines of abbreviated

training), may make a substantial difference in terms of size gains. Whether

strength gains will continue as before, or be moderated, is another matter,

and will be determined by individual considerations (including genetic) and

the particular training adjustments made. But, remember, tinker too much

and you will kill gains in both size and strength. Make changes in a system-

atic trial-and-error basis. Keep what helps, drop what hinders.

Practical examples

Set-rep change 

. A possibility for increasing hypertrophy, but while keeping strength gains

moving as before, is to add a couple of back-down sets to each exercise.

. For an example of an equal-strength-and-size-focus approach (for want of a

better description), I will use an illustration of  for  sets of  reps in the

barbell squat, with  minutes rest between all work sets, and several seconds

break between reps. Reduce to just one work set, keep all the other variables

If you are not already getting stronger on your current program,

or know from experience precisely what builds strength for you, do

not even think of trying the suggestions given in this chapter. If

you cannot gain strength well, albeit slowly and steadily, then your

training is hugely out of order and what you need to do to fix mat-

ters is not covered in this chapter.

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