more complete reps—and that severely limits occlusion effects.
( R e m e m b e r, the first study above blocked blood flow for two
minutes to get impressive strength results; most standard sets
only last about 20 seconds.)
So there are two ways to get better occlusion effects from
exercises with continuous tension:
1)Add X Reps to the end of the set, such as right below
the midpoint of a leg extension rep. Six to eight X Reps
should add at least eight seconds to the set and force
t he muscl es to k eep co n tracti ng a t t ha t po int of
m a x i m u m - f o rce generation (there ’s more on max-forc e
p oi nts i n Th e U lt ima t e Ma ss Wo r k o u t). S t ati c
contractions at the fully contracted position may work
also to some extent, but we’ve found that movement,
even partial pulses, helps force as much blood out as
possible, and that’s what occlusion is all about.
2)Do a high-rep set of a continuous-tension exercise rest,
then do a big compound movement. That will give you
an extended occlusion effect—50 to 60 seconds—
which could translate into more muscle contractile force
on the second exercise. For example, do a 20-rep set of
leg extensions, rest, then do a set of squats. An added
benefit of high reps is that you’ll get more muscle burn
on both exercises (GH release for more rapid fat loss).You’ll see both of those in the program that begins on page- Number one is self-explanatory, so let’s look at two and
apply it to quads. You’ll use a compound, or midrange, exercise
like squats, hack squats or leg presses, and you’ll use leg
extensions, a contracted-position quad exercise that pro v i d e s
continuous tension (occlusion). Here’s the sequence...
First, warm up on your big exercise. We use hack squats,
doing two progressively heavier warmup sets (if you have knee
issues, you may want to do some light leg extensions too).
Now it’s time for the work sets. Do one heavy all-out set of
hack squats for eight to 10 reps. Go as low as you can and
drive to full lockout. This is n o tthe occlusion part. Your first