Advanced Lifting Techniques

The following techniques are a great addition to any workout routine, and they are especially helpful for getting past a plateau. These are advanced methods of training and they should only be done by experienced lifters in order to minimize the risk of possible injury. These are techniques that have helped me reach my resistance strength training goals, and if used properly, they will help you reach your goals too!

Reverse Pyramid:

            The Reverse Pyramid Training technique involves beginning your first set with the heaviest weight you can lift 3-5 times. Each additional set should be performed with less weight and more repetitions. This training method helps you become stronger and more powerful by allowing you to use more muscle fibers to generate a greater amount of force. You will be able to generate more force with your muscles because they will still be fresh. For example, if you are typically able to do your last set of bench press with 255lbs for 5 reps, you should be able to instead lift 255lbs on your first set more than 5 times (7-8 reps).

Heavy Negatives:

            Negatives affect the eccentric phase of lifting, or when the muscle lengthens in a controlled fashion. The muscle being trained is able to produce the greatest amount of force during this phase, and that is why it is important to focus on the concentric phase (when a muscle contracts/shortens), and the eccentric phase (when a muscle lengthens). Negative lifts are performed by lifting/holding a weight at its ending position and then lowering it in a controlled manner very slowly. For example, on the bench press a lifter would raise/hold the barbell and then would proceed to slowly lower it towards their chest. When the bar touches their chest, with the help of a spotter, they would explosively lift it off their chest. The most important part of the lift is the lowering of the bar in a controlled manner. Also, the bar should not bounce of your chest in this lift. Negatives are particularly useful in overloading because you can lower a lot more weight than you can lift. For this reason, negatives are very helpful for getting past a plateau. For example, if your 1rm on bench press is 250lbs, then you should do a negative with about 275lbs (1.1x1RM). Just remember to use a spotter for when you are doing heavy negatives, and have a good time reaching your strength goals!


To read about additional advanced lifting techniques, please visit: Build More Muscle With These Advanced Strength Techniques

The Sound Of Barbell - A Link Post

The Sound Of Barbell Blog has good information in regards to power lifting. Harley, the creator, writes posts that include tips and advice on how to become as strong as possible. I want to highlight one of his posts that gives advice about the bench press, and also add a few points of my own. The post is titled “The Sound Advice – Part 2: Bench Press”, and it can be found at:    http://www.thesoundofbarbell.com/sound-advice-part-2-bench-press/

The three pieces of advice he gives in this post include:

1.      His first piece of advice is to grip the bar outside of shoulder, and to try different grips to find the best one. This is a good tip but I want to add that people should vary their grip with a spotter. This is because different muscles are activated depending on your grip, and even a weight that is normally in your comfort zone can overwhelm you or lead to injury because your body is not accustomed to lifting this way.

2.      His second piece of advice is to bench with a slight arch in the back. I agree that this a good technique, however, this is for moderate to advanced lifters. I typically only recommend doing this when you reach a plateau in your bench press. I also in a way view this as cheating because it shortens the range of motion.

3.      His third piece of advice is to be careful and watch your form. He makes the argument that your form should be 100% intact throughout your lift. I agree to an extent. For heavy and low rep workouts where serious injury is possible, you should maintain proper form throughout the lift. However, for high rep and low weight workouts there is a benefit to forgoing form for a few extra reps.

In addition to his tips I want to add a couple of my own:

1.      Track your bench and add weight incrementally by five pounds every two weeks. This will help you to not hit a plateau.

2.      Every three weeks, end your chest day by doing an overloaded set with the help of spotters or a machine. Simply put, bench using a weight that is 110% of your max bench. This is done by having spotters hold on to the bar as you lower the weight down to your chest as slowly as possible before exploding up. This type of lift helps develop power and get you past a plateau.   

To read more blog posts by Harley, please visit: The Sound of Barbell