Hard core bodybuilders and powerlifters are constantly trying to find better ways to overload muscle during workouts. There are several definitions for muscle overload, but the best way to summarize it is that the principle of muscle overload is to push the muscles beyond their limit, reaching total muscle exhaustion. This means not stopping at a certain number of reps, but doing as many reps as you can with heavy weights and going beyond. You definitely need a trusted spotter for this type of training.
There are many ways to achieve muscle overload. Some commonly used techniques are negatives, drop sets, and forced reps. The negatives are when you focus on the descent by spending several seconds on the negative part of the movement. For example, if you were doing a barbell bench press, the negative would start at the top of the position where your arms are straight and then slowly lower the weight toward your chest. Negatives are normally done on your last set or two, and the last repeat or two. Drop sets are best described as one giant set, usually two or three sets in one. You’ll do one set with as many reps as you can, decrease the weight by 20 percent, and do another set with no rest in between, then possibly repeat, decreasing the weight each time. Forced reps have a spotter help him out with a few more reps once he’s reached failure and can’t do more on his own.
The techniques described above are excellent tools to help you achieve muscle overload. However, I have discovered a unique technique that has worked quite well for me. When I say discovered, keep in mind that almost every method advertised as a new technique has been said and done by someone, in some way. So, I’m not claiming that this is some magical new technique that will instantly put on 10lbs of muscle in two weeks or anything like that. However, I have gotten much stronger and have noticed my muscles are much fuller when using this technique.
I call it the mega muscle overload technique. This method involves performing one set with a heavy weight and a rep range of approximately four to six reps to muscular failure, then resting for twenty seconds and doing another set with the same weight. Like the negatives, this is only done on your final set or last two sets. The 20 second rest period is only done once, unlike typical sets where you can repeat more than once. Basically, using this technique, you will be able to perform eight to 10 reps overall with a weight that you can normally only do four to six reps with. This principle allows you not only to reach muscle overload, but also to get used to handling heavier weights. Now, there are some who believe heavy weights aren’t necessary, but for most people who want to build muscle mass, heavy training will do the trick (and this is vital if you want to get stronger, obviously).
Here is a sample bench press workout using the mega muscle overload technique:
Set 1: 135lbs x 15
Set 2: 185lbs x 12
Game 3: 225lbs X 8
Set 4: 250lbs x 6
Set 4 – Muscle Overload Mega Set:
250 lbs x 6, rest 20 seconds, 250 lbs x 3
Try the mega muscle overload technique on your first heavy compound exercise, implementing the technique on the last set as above. Your straight sets will require a normal rest time in between, like a minute or two. This often varies from person to person; just remember that you’re not performing an endurance event, so make sure you get plenty of rest to push a lot of weight for the next set. You can do this for any body part and most exercises, but I recommend sticking to heavy free weight exercises or Hammer Strength machines if you don’t have a spotter. Train hard and grow!