The Good and Bad of Forced Reps
So after six reps of 150lbs on the bench press you decided to call it quits. You were pretty tired even though you know you could have knocked out eight if you had a spotter. You didn't though and didn't want to risk hurting yourself.
Enter the Forced Rep
The situation is the same. You are struggling with your sixth rep, but got it up. Your spotter encourages you to do a seventh. You lower the weight, and lift it about six inches off of your chest and your stuck. Without your spotter, you are in bad situation, but your spotter is there, and lifts about 10lbs of the weight, and you get past the sticking point to power the rest of the rep.
Then your spotter wants you to get an eighth rep. You slowly lower the weight, but its not going back up. You just can't lift the weight, by yourself. Your partner barely lifts the bar with you. He only lifts about 10-30lbs of the weight while you strain and give it everything you possibly have. After what seems to be an eternity, you finally get the bar up and the rep and set is over. That is a forced rep.
The true definition is: an extension of a particular set of repetitions in which your strength level at the beginning of the set has been reduced to a point of positive failure. This is the point at which you can't possibly move the weight by yourself. Your spotter steps in to barely help and you achieve maximum intensity. He only helps slightly but you are so tired that you feel like he's done all the work and you got nothing out of it. Trust me, you are the one who actually lifted that weight, he only helped.
The Good
When performing a forced rep you use up every drop of intensity your working muscles have to offer. When approaching a forced rep a physiological reaction occurs. It's scary when you are in the middle of a rep and can't get the bar up. You don't have many options. You can drop the bar on yourself, try to get the weight off the bar, or let your partner help. This is what your brain is thinking, your body is thinking "this is do or die!" Your body then releases a surge of adrenaline making you stronger and actually able to lift the weight. When all is said and done, if you use one or two forced reps know that you have used maximum intensity.
The Bad
Forced reps are good when used properly, but it's really easy to get carried away. I suggest using one or two forced reps per exercise, not per set. The goal of any size gaining weight training program is to employ maximum intensity. The problem with forced reps can lead to overtraining. When performing a forced rep, your body is lifting a weight that is at its maximum strength capacity, and when intensity increases, duration must decrease. Put simply, the heavier and harder something is, the less you can and should do it. Forced reps are not bad, but doing too many forced reps is bad.
Forced reps are a great way to get the most out of any set. They are a great way of knowing you reached maximum intensity, but within reason. This is why I suggest doing only two forced reps at the end of your last set. If you do more, or on more sets this will lead to muscular exhaustion and actually smaller muscles. - 17269
Enter the Forced Rep
The situation is the same. You are struggling with your sixth rep, but got it up. Your spotter encourages you to do a seventh. You lower the weight, and lift it about six inches off of your chest and your stuck. Without your spotter, you are in bad situation, but your spotter is there, and lifts about 10lbs of the weight, and you get past the sticking point to power the rest of the rep.
Then your spotter wants you to get an eighth rep. You slowly lower the weight, but its not going back up. You just can't lift the weight, by yourself. Your partner barely lifts the bar with you. He only lifts about 10-30lbs of the weight while you strain and give it everything you possibly have. After what seems to be an eternity, you finally get the bar up and the rep and set is over. That is a forced rep.
The true definition is: an extension of a particular set of repetitions in which your strength level at the beginning of the set has been reduced to a point of positive failure. This is the point at which you can't possibly move the weight by yourself. Your spotter steps in to barely help and you achieve maximum intensity. He only helps slightly but you are so tired that you feel like he's done all the work and you got nothing out of it. Trust me, you are the one who actually lifted that weight, he only helped.
The Good
When performing a forced rep you use up every drop of intensity your working muscles have to offer. When approaching a forced rep a physiological reaction occurs. It's scary when you are in the middle of a rep and can't get the bar up. You don't have many options. You can drop the bar on yourself, try to get the weight off the bar, or let your partner help. This is what your brain is thinking, your body is thinking "this is do or die!" Your body then releases a surge of adrenaline making you stronger and actually able to lift the weight. When all is said and done, if you use one or two forced reps know that you have used maximum intensity.
The Bad
Forced reps are good when used properly, but it's really easy to get carried away. I suggest using one or two forced reps per exercise, not per set. The goal of any size gaining weight training program is to employ maximum intensity. The problem with forced reps can lead to overtraining. When performing a forced rep, your body is lifting a weight that is at its maximum strength capacity, and when intensity increases, duration must decrease. Put simply, the heavier and harder something is, the less you can and should do it. Forced reps are not bad, but doing too many forced reps is bad.
Forced reps are a great way to get the most out of any set. They are a great way of knowing you reached maximum intensity, but within reason. This is why I suggest doing only two forced reps at the end of your last set. If you do more, or on more sets this will lead to muscular exhaustion and actually smaller muscles. - 17269
About the Author:
Want to find out more about forced reps, then visit Klint Newton's site on how to choose the best training program for your body type.
posted by X - Men at
6:34 PM
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