How to choose weights for mass training. How to choose the right dumbbell weight. How to find out the weight for different numbers of repetitions

The standard recommendation of “let the reps determine the training weight” does not work for first-time gym goers. They don’t always understand how to train correctly and what “hard” means. And if there is no trainer nearby who could tell you with what weight to perform the exercise, then it’s a disaster. Let's clarify once and for all how to choose the right weight for training in the gym.

The main rules for selecting the weight of weights

1. The choice of weight depends on how many repetitions you need to perform. The dumbbells/barbell should be heavy enough to fit exactly where you need it, no more and no less. If you have the strength to do more repetitions, you need to raise the weight, if you cannot reach the required number of repetitions, lower it.
2. The weight of the weights should be unusual for you. If you are a girl, a mother and you constantly carry your child in your arms, then 2 kg dumbbells will be useless. But if you haven’t held anything heavier than a ballpoint pen, then 2 kg may be fine.
3. Large muscle groups (back, chest, thighs, and buttocks) require heavier weights than smaller muscle groups (shoulders, arms, abs).
4. You can lift more with pulleys and other machines than with barbell or dumbbell exercises. Therefore, never compare dumbbell rows with horizontal cable rows, squats and leg presses.
5. For a beginner, it is much more important to learn the movements than to increase the weight. But this does not mean that you need to systematically underdevelop.

Selecting the weight of the projectile in accordance with body weight
In order not to spend a lot of time searching for that same dumbbell (author Ekaterina Golovina), you can use a simple method of selecting weights - based on your own weight. If you decide to go to the gym, then you have a rough idea of ​​what you will do there.

Let me make a reservation right away: this method is not suitable for trained people, because... they have greater strength relative to their body weight than beginners with low levels of fitness.

So, below is the table.
1. Choose an exercise. The table shows three types of exercises - free weights (WS), on machines with a lever mechanism (RS) and with an eccentric mechanism (EM).
2. Multiply your body weight by the factor next to the selected exercise. The odds for women and men are different. Weights above 79 for men and 64 for women are not used in calculations. That is, if you are a man and weigh 85 kg, then use 79 to select the weight; if you are a woman and weigh 65 kg or more, then take 64 kg as a basis.

For example, a 50 kg woman wants to know how many plates she needs to put on the leg press machine: 50 kg × 1.0 = 50 kg. A novice male weighing 90 kg decided to bench press the barbell for the first time: 79 × 0.35 = 27.6. Round up to 27-28 kg. The approach is performed for the maximum number of repetitions, and the result is recorded in the training diary.

This is not yet a working weight in training, but only a test.
Go ahead.

Choosing a working weight for a beginner
Look at the following table. Let’s say that 27 kg in the bench press for our conditional man is funny to the point of tears - he was able to bench press 17 times, but for his goals (hypertrophy) he needs 10-11 repetitions.

1. In the new table we find the number of repetitions that were done with the test load.
2. On the left we look for the required number of repetitions.
3. At the point of contact between the real and the desired, we have +7.5. This means he needs to add another 7.5kg to his test weight.

Even all beginners have different initial data, and the tables are compiled so that an untrained person does not accidentally kill himself (and, to be honest, a little clumsily). It would be appropriate to add here: focus on your feelings, let the number of repetitions determine the weight of the projectile, the last 3-4 repetitions should be heavy, if you do more than necessary and recover quickly between approaches, then add weight. If you can't finish the set, then reduce it. Let tests be your starting point.

Choosing the correct working weight of the barbell or dumbbells when performing exercises is one of the key points to successful strength training for both men and women. An excessively low working weight will not allow the activation of muscle growth mechanisms, and an excessively high one will increase the risk of injury by reducing control over the technique of performing the exercise (especially when performing).

That being said, the worst thing you can do to determine the weight you need is to rely on the people around you in the gym. Just because someone is doing a biceps curl with 20kg dumbbells or doing a bench press with an 80kg barbell does not necessarily mean that you need the same weight for the same exercise.

Muscle-brain connection

Watching how a pumped up and muscular athlete performs an exercise with a huge weight, a beginner makes a seemingly logical conclusion - the greater the working weight in the exercise, the better. However, this is only the external side of the training. What's really important is conscious activation of muscle fibers, not just lifting a heavy barbell or dumbbells.

Development between the brain and muscles is the first step required to create an athletic physique. You must learn to feel that a strength exercise is being performed precisely by the muscle being trained, and not simply by the force of inertia. In addition, you should feel that the load is on the muscles, and not on the joints and ligaments.

What weight is best to pump biceps?

Biceps training is one example when an excessively heavy working weight simply does not allow a beginner to feel the direct work of the muscles. As a result, when lifting a barbell for biceps, the main work is not done by the arms, but by the muscles of the body, neck and even lower back, provoking the development of chronic pain in the spine.

To find the right weight to train your biceps, start with dumbbell exercises. Take a 5-6 kg dumbbell and perform 12-15 repetitions - if these repetitions are easy enough for you, increase the weight by 1-2 kg. If you notice that you have to strain your core and arch your body to lift the dumbbells up, lower the weight.

Working weight and calculation of the number of repetitions

It is necessary to understand that the limit of repetitions of an exercise recommended in training programs is a direct indication of the amount of working weight. If we are talking about performing 12-15 repetitions in an exercise, then this means using moderate weight. If we are talking about 5-8 repetitions, then a heavy barbell will be required.

In this case, the working weight should be such that it allows you to perform the exercise at the lower limit of the recommended number of repetitions. In your next workout, your muscles will become a little stronger and you will be able to add 1-2 repetitions without increasing the weight. The working weight needs to be increased only when you reach the upper recommended limit.

How much does the barbell weigh?

The key to determining the correct working weight is to write the weight down rather than trying to memorize the number. If today you were able to bench press a barbell with 40 kg for 8 repetitions, then next time you will need 42.5 kg and 6-7 repetitions - in most cases, such “details” are simply impossible to keep in mind.

When calculating the working weight, it is important to take into account not only the weight of the plates on the bar, but also its own weight. A standard Olympic barbell usually weighs 20 kg, but lightweight variations weighing 15 kg are sometimes found. The weight of a curved EZ biceps bar is typically 6.5 kg. If you are in doubt about the weight of the barbell, you can always check with the gym staff.

How to feel the muscles working?

Often, beginners believe that the characteristic burning sensation in a muscle is a sign of its involvement in work. However, this is not always the case. Despite the fact that triceps extensions with dumbbells, performed with the body tilted forward, quickly provoke the appearance of a specific burning sensation in the muscle, this is a deceptive signal.

When performing this exercise, a burning sensation occurs not at all because the triceps is actively involved in the work, but because of the restriction of blood circulation in the arm - in simple words, the muscle is literally squeezed. That is why it is better to use body weight or machine exercises to train triceps.

Rules for safe training

Another important point in choosing the correct working weight when performing strength exercises is constant monitoring to ensure that the joint of the working limb is in the joint capsule. For example, when lifting dumbbells to train your shoulders (both laterally and in front), you must pay attention to ensure that your arm does not “go” too far from your body.

Remember that a shoulder injury, often caused by training with too much weight on dumbbells or a barbell, can put an end to your “sports career.” If you have this injury, you will be unable to perform virtually any exercises that involve your arm - that is, any exercises for the biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, or even back.

***

To choose the right working weight when performing exercises, it is important not only to learn to feel your muscles, but also to observe the recommended repetition limit - first you should work at the lower limit, gradually increasing the number of repetitions, and then the working weight itself. In addition, you must ensure that the joint is always in the joint capsule.

Correctly calculated working weight when performing strength exercises in the gym can in the shortest possible time help an athlete pump up muscles, increase strength indicators, make muscles more prominent and, of course, get rid of ridiculous injuries in training.

All exercises that athletes perform in gyms are usually divided into two main classes, insulating(single-joint) and basic(multi-joint), that is, they involve two or more joints when performing a working movement.

It is very important to choose the right working weight in basic exercises, because only they can significantly influence the growth of strength indicators and muscle mass(remarkably, they can also cause very serious injury to the athlete, so it is important not only to select the correct weight during training, but also to thoroughly study the performance of these exercises).

Basis for calculation working weight should become interest(%) of the maximum possible weight that you can lift in this particular exercise. For example, there are concepts that are closely related to the gym, such as light, medium, and heavy workouts. So, light training means the working weight in the exercise is 60-65% of the maximum, medium 70-75%, and heavy 80-85%.

Let us consider below, using a specific example, the calculation of working weight when performed on a horizontal bench.

An example of calculating the working weight in the bench press

Suppose we found out that our maximum result in the barbell chest press is 90 kg, which means that the working weight, when converted to training taking into account the load, will look like this:

• if we have an easy workout: 90 * 0.6 (0.65) = 54 or 58.5 kg = 55-60 kg
• if the average workout: 90 * 0.7 (0.75) = 63 or 67.5 kg = 65-70 kg
• if hard training: 90 * 0.8 (0.85) = 72 or 76.5 kg = 75 kg

Round up to the whole or a larger number, then during the training itself you can adjust it (not important). You can see how to combine training, light, medium and heavy loads in. As a rule, if the exercise is performed on 6 repetitions, then this heavy training, if 8 – average, if on 12 easy.

As for calculating the working weight in isolating exercises, for example, on a horizontal bench, and so on, there is no strict calculation, here you should focus more on your own Feel, taking into account the load you want to get and the number of repetitions you want to perform.

If you train hard, then at the end it should be really hard (but don’t push yourself to the point of complete failure, this is unnecessary, a lot of stress for the body, after which it will need to be given a lot of time to recovery), if average, then it should not be very hard, but not easy, if the load is light, then the exercise should be performed without unnecessary, excessive effort, in compliance perfect technique.

How to find out the maximum working weight in an exercise

As we have already found out, calculating the maximum working weight in isolation exercises does not make much sense (especially when it comes to training newcomers), so you must concentrate all your efforts on calculating the basic exercises (this is, first of all, the bench press)

1 way

To calculate the maximum in an exercise, you can use universal formula: perform the exercise with the correct technique in 5 sets of 6 repetitions and multiply the working weight by a factor of 1.2, the resulting figure will be your maximum weight.

It is necessary to perform it so that after 5 approaches, you cannot complete the 6th approach fully, without violating the technique, for all 6 repetitions due to the resulting muscle stress (fatigue).

Let's say you're in the gym, doing deadlifts with a weight 120 kg all 6 repetitions in 5 approaches, so in the 6th approach, if you had performed it, you would not have been able to do it for all 6 repetitions (5 or 4), in total we get your maximum deadlift: 120 * 1.2 = 145 kg approximately .

Method 2

Perhaps someone doesn’t like such a rough calculation, then in this case, you need to warm up thoroughly, do a full warm-up, and by experiment, adding weight to the barbells in increments of 5-10 kg, lift the weights until you reach your maximum.

Adjusting the weight on the bar when calculating the weight lifted per time in increments of 5-10 kg, more relevant to isolation exercises, and basic exercises when you approach your limit ( submaximal scales). Typically, athletes begin to use a step 20-30 kg, both during warm-up approaches and when calculating your maximum.

For example, let's calculate working weight in the basic leg exercise – squatting with a barbell on the shoulders:

We know that an athlete assumes that he can squat with a barbell for about 110-120 kg, it is necessary to calculate how much he can actually squat if a regular leg workout of medium intensity looks like this:

• 4 sets of 8 reps, with a weight of 90 kg.

In order to determine how much weight an athlete can lift a barbell with, it is necessary to first carefully warm up using an empty bar, light weights and for muscles (optional).

• 1 set of 15 reps with empty bar
• 1 set of 12 reps with 40 kg
• 1 set of 8 reps with 60 kg
• 1 set of 4 reps with 80 kg
• 1 set of 2 reps with 100 kg
• 1 set of 1 rep with 110 kg
• 1 set of 1 rep with 115 kg
• 1 set for 1 rep from 117.5 - 120 kg (hardcore)

Thus, the resulting figure can be used in all training programs that mention percentages of the maximum working weight in a specific exercise.

3 way

Use different online calculators, or applications from the play market, which often use formulas Brzycki, Apley, Lander, Lombardi, Mayhew, O'Connor, Vatan. However, the accuracy of these programs leaves much to be desired.

The most proven way to calculate the maximum is the one that is carried out practically, by actually feeling the weight lifted, that is, method No. 2.

How to increase weight on a barbell (simulators)

To fully complete the training, in addition to calculating the working and maximum weight, you need to know how to correctly increase bar weight. This is especially important at the initial stage, when the strength, and therefore the weight on the barbell, will grow very quickly, because a beginner is still very far from reaching the limit of the body’s hidden strength capabilities.

Once you feel that it is easy for you to perform installed working weight in an exercise, or you are doing a heavy workout (6 repetitions) with a large margin, then in this case, you can safely increase the weight on the bar by 2.5-5 kg. The main thing in this matter do not rush, and the proverb “the slower you go, the further you will go,” shows the true picture of the upcoming future in increasing the working weights on the bar.

Slowly increasing the weight on the bar has a positive effect on the absence of injuries during training and on the correct execution of the exercise technique.

It is also necessary, especially at the initial stage of training, to start training diary, in which you will record progress and regression in the exercises, that is, the number of approaches and repetitions performed, Time relax, the feeling of fatigue after completing the approach and the working weight in a particular exercise.

By recording the weight on the barbell and the date of the workout in your diary, you will be able to see and adjust further working weight.

Now we know how much weight needs to be placed on the barbell (simulator), and what is the optimal number of approaches and repetitions to do in order to maximally involve muscle growth processes in the work.

All that remains is to choose the most effective exercises for muscle growth.

What exercises to do in the gym

We have already introduced the best exercises for muscle growth in this one. If anyone is interested, be sure to follow the links, because this information will help you choose the most effective ones among the entire list, which in turn will save you time.

For general understanding principle When choosing certain exercises in the gym, you need to understand, as we wrote at the beginning of the article, that there are isolated and basic (multi-joint) exercises. For beginners, must be performed primarily only basic without wasting precious strength and energy on isolated exercises that are ineffective for muscle growth.

So that you don’t rack your brains about how much, in what order, and what exercises to do, we have written training programs, depending on the level of training, if you haven’t done any physical exercise at all (or it’s been a very long time), then this one is suitable for you, and if you have experience in the gym ( 1-2 years), then this one is for you.

If you want us to develop for you individual training program, then contact us via the feedback form.

I would like to emphasize that the rude muscle mass give regular exercises in the range 6-12 reps:

• Deadlift
• Bench press
• Squats

These are exactly those “magic” exercises for a beginner level athlete, which not only can, but also need to be performed (if you are not healthy contraindications).

If your goal is to lose weight (get dry), then you need to radically change your diet. To gain weight (muscle), you need surplus, that is, an excess of calories, to burn fat, you need a deficiency (excess) of calories in the body, which is created primarily by cutting carbohydrates. Read more about how to eat to dry out or gain weight in the relevant articles.

Also remember that the gym when losing weight becomes in a secondary place(but many fitness trainers don’t understand these banal things when they force their client to squat with a barbell in order for her hips to become smaller!), when gaining weight, on the contrary, strength exercises are required so that all excess calories do not turn into fat, but are used as fuel for the growth of high-quality muscles.

The most important thing: there are no universal tables; choosing the weight of dumbbells per kilogram of body will not work (in fact, there are, but their effectiveness and safety are questionable). The basic rule that more experienced athletes use in the gym is targeting the point of failure. In another way, this point is called “muscle failure”, that is, the maximum weight is the one with which it is already difficult, but it is still possible to do 2-3 repetitions.

However, it is difficult for a beginner to understand where the point of failure is and what is “hard” or “impossible.” In addition, different weights should be used not only for different exercises, but also for different sets (sets of several repetitions). In other words, you need to select the number of weights on a barbell or dumbbell taking into account these training parameters.

It is better to write down all calculations (for example, enter them into the training schedule on your phone), since the weight is selected exclusively experimentally, and it is very difficult to remember all the numbers at once. Spend one workout on this, and then you will immediately put the required weight on the bar, plus this will give you the opportunity to observe your own progress.

Please note that the choice of weight for dumbbells, barbells or any other weight must be based on the exact number of repetitions. That is, if you train biceps with 5 kg dumbbells and perform the exercise 12 times in one set, write down these numbers. How do you know that 5 kg will be enough for such a set? If your arm “falls off” already on the 6th repetition, it means that the weight needs to be reduced, and if by the 10th time you were already tired, but were able to squeeze in a couple more (but no more), then this means that this is your weight specifically for this exercise, this set and this hand.

Always start with light weights and work your way up to the one that seems unusual to you. For example, if you have been engaged in intellectual work all your life, then dumbbells of 2-3 kg may already be significant, but if you have just recently returned from maternity leave and are accustomed to carrying a 12-kg child in your arms every day, then dumbbells of 5 kg are unlikely to impress you .

Select equipment for other muscle groups in the same way, but keep in mind that the larger they are, the more weight you will need. Don't compare them to each other: your legs and back are used to lifting more weights than your arms. Don’t compare yourself with others: you may have better developed arms, while someone else may have better developed legs.

By the way, exercises with free weights are usually harder to perform than lifting the same weight with the same muscle group on a machine. The fact is that blocks unload “extra” muscles and facilitate the training process, so you need to select larger numbers on the machine. The advantage of simulators is the correct technique for performing exercises, provided that you have already been taught how to use these simulators. In addition, if you can lift a barbell weighing 40 kg, this does not mean that you can easily lift two 20 kg dumbbells - the type of apparatus matters, simple mathematics does not work here.

If only an instructor is present in the gym, he can show the basic technique of working with both exercise machines and free weights and your body without using weights. Three things are important here: memory, a mirror and the absence of unnecessary ambitions. Carefully monitor the position of the body and limbs while performing exercises, and do not proceed to increasing weight until you have driven the technique into muscle memory. Dumbbells that are too heavy can not only ruin the correct execution (which leads to loss of exercise effectiveness), but also lead to injuries.

Once you have selected a noticeable weight, start experimenting with it. Ideally, a set of 12 repetitions should exhaust your strength - at 8-9 repetitions the load should feel strong, and the 13th repetition is already difficult to do. If this is the case, congratulations, you have found the right weight.

As soon as you feel that the point of fatigue has moved from 8-9 repetitions to 10-12, add a little weight (by 0.5-1 kg). At the same time, the first repetitions in the approach should not be too simple - feel how the muscles work, or add weight. If the last jerks are difficult to complete, the dumbbells tend to fall out of your hands, and it is impossible to return the barbell to its place without outside help, the weight must be reduced.

Another time when you shouldn't put too many weights on the bar is light training, preparation for other types of fitness, recovery or toning/therapeutic fitness. Here the muscles do not need to be brought to the point of failure; warm them up with light dumbbells or an empty bar. High reps + light weight = endurance training, the inverse relationship trains muscle strength.

A weight that is too light will get boring, too heavy will quickly create a negative attitude towards the whole process.

And the last rule, but no less important: no other methods of selecting the weight of the projectile will work for you. Even if they are successfully used by a friend with exactly the same build and training experience. Experimenting with adjusting the weight of the weights can take you one workout, or several weeks or even months. Moreover, during this time you may already have progress, and all the values ​​​​will have to be entered again.

But by that time the most important thing will appear - your personal experience. Once you understand how much you can lift, push, or squeeze, you can begin to adjust your training to increase endurance, strength, and predict progress.

Working weight - this is the weight of a barbell, dumbbell or pancakes on a machine with which you can perform the required number of repetitions. A working weight in bodybuilding is one with which an athlete can perform 6-12 repetitions per set. The number of repetitions is not accidental, since it is in this repetition range that the body manages to spend all the creatine phosphate and switch to energy supply through glycolysis, and this is precisely the condition for muscle hypertrophy. The fact is that the large muscles of bodybuilders are muscles adapted to perform volumetric power work. For example, powerlifters who train in the range of 2-5 repetitions do not have such muscle volume, although they lift more weights, this is due precisely to energetic, rather than muscular, adaptation.

The working weight can only be selected experimentally, since its value depends on a large number of factors. Powerlifting uses a percentage system for calculating the percentage of a single repetition with a maximum weight. It looks like this: the athlete performs a drive, and then calculates the required weights as a percentage from it. The walk is performed like this: the athlete warms up, then performs an approach with an empty bar for 20 repetitions, hangs 15 kg pancakes and performs another 10 repetitions, after which he begins to throw 5 kg each and perform 1-2 repetitions, reaching the maximum. You are allowed to rest for 3-4 minutes between approaches. Be sure to use the help of a partner who will insure you. But in bodybuilding you won’t be able to choose a working weight this way.

Bodybuilding offers a very large number of different training schemes, split construction techniques, methods of working muscles such as supersets, complex sets, cheating and much more, and the working weight in each individual case will depend on a large number of muscle and non-muscle factors. Therefore, in practice, there is a need to select a weight that would be most optimal for stimulating muscle tissue hypertrophy. This weight will depend on the fitness of the athlete, as well as on the specific training scheme that he uses.

Working weight for beginners

The working weight is the tool, and in order to choose the right tool, you need to decide on the task. At the initial stage, the athlete has several very important goals: learn to perform exercises correctly, improve neuromuscular connection , prepare muscular and non-muscular systems for subsequent exercises in the gym. It follows from this that the working weight at this stage should be such that the athlete can concentrate on the technique of performing exercises, muscle work and can comply with all the fundamental bodybuilding principles . This stage lasts 1-3 months and is the most important stage of the entire training period!

To select a working weight, a beginner must perform a kind of penetration. The athlete warms up with an empty bar, then throws 2.5kg on each side of the barbell, performs another set of 12 reps, then repeats the procedure until the athlete reaches muscle failure before being able to complete 12 reps. Muscle failure is a condition where an athlete can no longer perform a single repetition with a given weight without breaking technique or with the help of a partner. Let's say an athlete reaches failure while bench pressing 50kg. This means that the athlete’s working weight in the next 1-3 months will be 30 kg, with which he will learn to perform bench presses with ideal technique. Yes, he can use heavier weights, but until the technique becomes accurate, there is no need to increase the weights. Recommended at this stage, use the services of a trainer or go to the gym with a more experienced friend.

Working weight for a simple circuit

A simple training scheme is an ordinary split that follows the rule of load progression, without the use of various techniques for increasing muscle stress. In other words, at this stage the athlete is already beginning to progress the load, so he should start training diary , in which he will record his results. Progression of loads will be carried out through manipulations with the weight of the equipment and the number of repetitions between approaches. All other factors remain unchanged! Each workout you should perform the same number of exercises, in a certain order, with a certain rest time between sets, rest for a certain time between workouts, go to the gym at the same time and, in general, stick to your training schedule!

The working weight will constantly change, or rather, the athlete’s task is to constantly increase the weight on the bar. From training to training, the athlete should try to increase the weight in at least one approach of one exercise, this will already be progress. The important thing here is to always stay in the working range of 8-12 reps per set. In practice, the progression will look like this. Let's say an athlete completed all the exercises in the previous workout in 12 repetitions in each approach. At the next workout, the athlete threw 5kg in the first exercise and performed the first set for 10 repetitions, the second for 8, in the third he dropped 5kg and performed another 8 repetitions. In all of the following exercises, there is no need to change the working weight. Further progression will be made by increasing repetitions in the first exercise until the athlete can perform all 3 sets of 12 repetitions with a working weight that is 5 kg more than what the athlete was previously training with. Then the cycle repeats.

If, after the athlete completes the first exercise in which he reaches muscle failure with fewer than 12 repetitions, he is able to use more weight in the next exercise than in the previous workout, then it is worth doing. On the other hand, if this doesn’t work out, then it’s okay! The goal is some kind of minimal progression, since over time this “little by little” will still turn into a decent result. The important question is how often to reach muscle failure, since overtraining can lead to stagnation, a plateau, after which the athlete will have to take a step back and recover.

At the initial stage, most likely, there will be no overtraining, so for about 6-8 months you may not think about it. After this time, it will become more and more difficult to progress the load, however, we do not consider the option of lack of sleep or nutrition, since the training program must be selected according to recovery capabilities. Most likely, the slowdown in progression and, as a result, muscle growth is due to the fact that hypertrophied muscles need longer rest. Therefore, after 1 year of training in the gym you need to start using microperiodization . When this stops working, the next step becomes necessary.

Results: It is necessary to select a weight with which the athlete can perform from 8 to 12 repetitions in a set, but from training to training, either the weight or the number of repetitions should increase. It is important to note that within the recommended rep range, the athlete must reach muscle failure, that is, a state after which he cannot perform a single repetition with a given weight without breaking technique or with the help of a partner.

Working weight for advanced

At an advanced stage of training, athletes begin to use various methods of creating the necessary stress to trigger the synthesis of contractile proteins, but all of this, one way or another, is a way to progress the load. The most effective way to progress the load is to increase the working weight, but when you bench press 200 kg, increasing it even by 1-2 kg is already a problem, so athletes resort to various tricks. It is most effective to try to increase the intensity of the training by reducing the rest time between approaches. But this method is very limited, so it is used, as a rule, in conjunction with reducing working weight. Thus, the athlete performs exercises with lighter weights, but his CP increases significantly. If earlier the number of barbell lifts per workout was, say, 100, with a weight of 200 kg, now the KPSh is 200 with a weight of 150 kg.

But, despite the increase in total tonnage, this method is rarely used, and only a few are used correctly, since it’s easier to overtrain in this way! The most commonly used are cheating, supersets, complex sets and forced repetitions. There is no need to talk about what it is, how to apply it, that the load on the target muscle group should increase and not decrease, because if you are an advanced athlete, you already know all this. What is important? It is important to determine whether “super moves” are a system of progressive load, or simply a way to create additional stress on the muscles. If this is a system, then the working weight must be gradually progressed, but if this is a way to create unusual stress, then you can only rely on your feelings.

And precisely because in order to use “super techniques” an athlete must have good muscle sense, understand his body well, be able to empirically select the working weight and load volume, the use of “super techniques” is not recommended. Try to progress for as long as possible using the simplest methods, and only when this is completely impossible, start using “super techniques.” It is also important to note that many of these techniques can only be used if the athlete is using anabolic steroids. For example, it is better not to use complex sets and forced repetitions as a natural. For experienced athletes who avoid pharmacology, it is permissible to use supersets and cheating in their training.