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Planned Brutality (/training/planned-brutality)Periodizing High-Intensity Techniques

by John Meadows (/all-articles/authors/john-meadows) | 06/30/14

Tags: Powerlifting & Strength (/all-articles/tags/powerlifting-strength)

Here's what you need to know...

Applying periodization to intensity techniques rather than sets and reps is

rarely, if ever, talked about.

Technique Waving allows you to cycle in the most brutally effective intensity

techniques without breaking the body down.

Technique Waving can be applied to any program, and using these tricks at

the right time is what takes a program - and a physique - from good to
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awesome.

Use one high-intensity technique set on the last exercise you do for a body

part. Any more would be too much.

T Nation readers are familiar with how I crank up the training heat, turning even

the most basic exercises into prolonged torture sessions that would make

William Wallace scream for mercy. However, don't think that I do this on every

set of every workout. And even though I might have dozens of ways to ratchet

up intensity, I don't use all of them, all the time.

Instead, I use a system called echnique Waving. This is how I've learned to

cycle in the most brutally effective intensity techniques without breaking the

body down. It's actually a form of periodization, but rather than periodize sets

and reps, we're periodizing intensitytechniques. In the past, whenever I added

in various high intensity techniques, the body began to adjust. What produced

crippling soreness in week one produced just ordinary soreness in week two. If

repeated for a third week, the soreness plummeted to "meh."

To mitigate this, I began using high-intensity techniques in two-week waves. I'd

incorporate a technique, trash myself, adapt to the technique, and then replace

it with something else. The best thing about Technique Waving is that it can be

applied to any program out there. Applied correctly, it will make your program

more effective. Using these tricks at the right time is what takes a program -

and a physique - from good to awesome.

The Techniques

Forced Reps


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Drop-Sets

Drop sets have been around since the invention of the dumbbell. The conceptis ridiculously simple but effective nonetheless. Train to exhaustion, then

immediately reduce the weight to perform more reps. Continue until total failure,

or until you crap a kidney. Obviously, dumbbell exercises like lateral raises or

biceps curls work exceptionally well with this method, as do exercises using a

selectorized pulley such as triceps pressdowns. That said, barbell exercises

also work if you have a partner to help you slide off the plates.


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How much weight to drop? A good rule of thumb is 20% of your work weight

for a given set per drop, so if you're using 200 pounds on an exercise for 8

reps, you'd drop the weight by 40 pounds, or 20 pounds per side. This should

allow you to perform another 3-4 reps, depending on the exercise, your training

age, and your muscle fiber make-up.

Iso-Holds

This is a classic movement that's been all but forgotten. I'm bringing them back

with a twist Tom Platz taught me. While visiting him, we did iso-holds, but while

in the hold position, Tom actually applied additionalpressure, making me

"tense" the muscle even more. This is probably the most brutal high-intensity

technique I use, pain-wise. Certain movements such as hack squats, reverse

flyes on peck deck, dumbbell curls, and triceps pushdowns lend themselves

quite well to adding pauses at certain points of the range of motion. The length

of the pause can vary - a simple 1-2 second pause at the mid-range point is

sufficient, but anything up to and including a 10-second hold with extra

pressure being added the whole time works really well, too.


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(The iso-hold starts at 1:11.)


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(The iso-hold starts at 0:54.)

Rest/Pause Sets

Rest/pause sets are a favorite of strength trainers and yours truly. They need

little introduction or explanation - you go to momentary failure, set the weight

down for a moment to recover slightly, and then perform a few more reps. The

key is to limit your rest intervals to approximately 10 seconds - any longer and

you'll lose the training effect; any shorter and you won't allow sufficient

recovery of creatine phosphate stores.


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(the rest pause technique begins at 0:54)

The Paradigm

Here's how a typical 12-week phase of cycling different intensity techniques

would look:

Week 1 and 2:Emphasis on forced reps (both concentric and eccentric) and

partials.

Week 3 and 4:Emphasis on drop sets and iso holds.

Week 5 and 6:Emphasis on rest/pause sets.

Week 7 and 8:Emphasis on forced reps (both concentric and eccentric) and

partials.

Week 9 and 10:Emphasis on drop sets and iso holds.

Week 11 and 12:Emphasis on rest/pause sets.

How Often? It's Simple!


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Unleash Hell

When you love to train brutally hard as much as I do, it can be tempting to

throw everything but the kitchen sink at your muscles to see if you can grow to

comic book proportions. Don't do it. Restrain yourself, follow a periodized plan,

and when the program says it's time to open up a can of whoop-ass, then

remove the safeties and unleash hell.

06/30/14

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