This is a question to all you guys about what style or what about the rep you feel gives you the most results. Whether if it’s where you start from a dead start like pin presses, or if you pause bench press, or go after max force production like CT endorse, or master the strain like Meat endorses.
Even though I haven’t tried all methods I find that pause bench press works my chest more than normal bench press and pin bench press even more.
I find that consistent reps of the hard work variety are the most beneficial.
All of them.
Seriously, why limit yourself to one style of reps?
Reps from a dead start work.
Explosive reps work.
Reps where you are straining to get the weight up work.
Why not use all of them and cover all the bases?
sentoguy’s got it right. But i always avoid grind reps, or I guess what your reffering to as mastering the strain reps. I think there are far smarter ways of working past failure, if you feel the need to.
I think having a broad approach will probably work well for most people. Yes, I agree with Christian’s explosive theory, and I have read a lot of other authors (and BBers) who readily attribute gains to such an approach (whether they focus so much on the turnaround point as CT does, or not). Still, I can’t dismiss the fact that I have made a good amount of my own gains focusing on a TUT style, rationalizing that my muscles sometimes seemed too strong for my joints (aches and pains of getting older I suppose).
In a recent Natty BBing mag, Cordova wrote that explosive reps will actively recruit more fibers. He further says that although you will lose some time under tension, it’s a trade off. I take this to mean that each style has it’s place (something CT echoed when I was training with him in Colorado). A smart trainer will find a wy to make use of both, and focus more on the style that appears to work for HIM.
S