Every once in a while I receive a random email from a fitness influencer that I actually bother to read. Today I saw one that surprised me–I not only read the email, but the linked article. It described a study that suggests straight sets are no more or less effective than special methods like cluster sets, accentuated eccentrics, or tempo training.
What are your thoughts on this?
Along the same lines have any of you run programs with special methods AND more typical powerbuilding programs (in my mind, prescribed exercises, sets, and reps at a given percentage of max)? Did you find any differences in outcomes between the two?
I dont thin science is the god of training…i cant imagine straight sets could be superior tonspevial methods or intensifiers…i just think science hasnt discovered the benefits of special methods yeg
I think it’s surprising that dumb shit works as well as it does.
You can do stuff that uses less weight, or requires less time or fewer reps or sets or whatever and still get the same results.
That’s crazy. And enlightening.
That means Task Failure is just as good as regular failure. That’s awesome. You can use a 4 count eccentric, and as long as you always use a 4 count concentric you don’t have to go to “sloppy, drop the bar failure.” You can just go to “can’t lower slowly anymore failure” and do just as good. Those DoggCrapp guys aren’t a bunch of wimps after all!
Neither can I. Things like pre fatigue holds, slow negatives, and pauses are so much more challenging.
Has this been your experience? I’ve run two program that had slow negatives, paused reps, and clusters. The first time, it did wonders for my strength. This second time, I was mostly just worn out (but also in a caloric deficit).
I don’t know anything about competition benching. Do you train by pausing as long as you expect to pause during competition, or practice with longer pauses?
I was doing these a couple weeks ago. I didn’t really notice any carryover to regular lifting.
Basically… I’ve done almost anything you can think of and still end up going back to straight sets, low volume, high intensity. I balance with MMA though so…
My negatives are just slow enough to control the rep, minimize momentum, reduce injury likelihood. Done paused reps… reduced force production. Clusters were pretty draining. Wave loading was just too much, too
Thib’s (and all the other coaches who are big on special methods) say that it’s the Combination of methods that makes them work so well.
Like eccentrics are OK, and holds are OK and moving the bar explosively is OK. But it’s when you do them all together that the results are Great.
All the studies from the meta analysis involved 1 method. Maybe results would be better if there was a study using some cool combination. Like what if you did Clusters on some stuff to move big weights and occlusion training on other stuff to limit stress and fatigue? Would that be awesome?
Yeah … when i competed still. Id practice pausing.
Also i should add i will pause on flat pressing on occasion. Trying to limit the stretch reflex . In this case trying to develop a little extra strength at the bottom.
Specificity can be a bitch. I remember getting stronger doing Super Slow training and couldn’t wait to see how much stronger I was when I returned to regular rep speed. When I did, I was weaker.
One of Thibs programs uses special methods that get EASIER each week, so that you can handle more weight. You might go from, say, a 8-second pause to a 4-second pause to no pause. That did wonders for my strength.
Like you’re saying, maybe a progression of methods allows you to build and demonstrate strength?