In my previous blog, we talked about how to combine muscle groups into optimal compound exercises. Now, I’m sure you’d like to know how much of this should we do to make the most efficient HIIT workout.
The Isolation Exercises
Now that you have a basic understanding of the critical functions of these muscle groups, let’s move on to the stabilizing exercises, which bulletproof these areas.
While all of these groups will be addressed to a certain degree with our compound exercises, the following exercises will isolate, emphasize and target specific muscles that support the most vulnerable areas.
Core (all 4 abdominal muscles)
- Hanging Knee Raise
- Captain’s Chair Leg Raise
- Lying Leg Raise
- Weighted Sit-Up
- Plank
- Abdominal Rollout
- Cross Leg Taps
- Butterfly Crunches
Knees & Hip Joints (calves, quads, hams, glutes, adductor & abductor muscles)
While there are several great strength training exercises to insulate and protect these critical joints, leg extensions are not one of them. The problem with leg extension machines is that they put a tremendous amount of pressure on your knee joints, which is simply not worth the risk of injury. As such, make sure you avoid the leg extension machine (aka knee extension).
Instead, in the Fired Up program, we’ll be using primarily compound exercises like the squat and the following isolation exercises to bulletproof your knees and hips.
- Adductor Exercises (machine, dumbbell or resistance bands)
Dumbbell goblet adductor side lunge, side lunge with eagle arms
- Abductors (machine or resistance bands)
Sidestep with hip band ladder, lateral leg lifts
- Split lunge & Side Lunge with or without dumbbells
Shoulders Joints (deltoids and all 4 rotator cuff muscles)
- Internal and external rotation (resistance bands, cables or free weights)
- Lateral, frontal, angled arm raises (resistance bands, cables or free weights)
Biceps (biceps and forearms)
- E-Z Bar Curl
- Alternating Dumbbell Curl
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl
How Many Isolation Exercises Should I Do Per Workout?
I recommend sticking to 2-4 isolation exercises per workout session. The three primary reasons for this are the same as compound exercises including:
- Allows proper time for recovery.
- Allows you to work stabilizer muscles, which protect key joints and spine.
- Works to create synergy between HIIT and Yoga.
Do 2-4 isolation exercises per workout session
How Many Reps Should I Do?
Remember that we are trying to build maximum testosterone, strength and muscle, which means we need to conform to a specific rep range and intensity.
First, for those who are not already familiar with strength training lingo, let’s go over a little of the terminology.
“Rep” is simply shorthand for “repetition,” which represents a single movement of lifting some type of weight upwards then lowering it down.
“Set” is a fixed number of reps done consecutively without stopping.
In Fired Up we’re going to shoot for 8-15 reps per set on isolation exercises and 4–8 reps per set on compound exercises.
First, let’s talk about compound exercises. In this case, the amount of weight you lift 4-8 times should equate to around 80% of your 1 rep max (the maximum weight you can lift the weight 1 time).
Your goal is to reach positive failure within that 4-8 rep range. This is the point where you cannot do any more reps and will be referred to as a “Hard Set” throughout this training.
Why 4-8? According to studies, research shows that this rep range is highly effective for gaining muscle and strength. Additionally, this range proves to be heavy enough to create maximum muscle and strength but not so heavy that it becomes dangerous or uncontrollable.
In a meta-analysis (in-depth examination of multiple studies) scientists at Lehman College and Victoria University reviewed 21 studies that compared training with heavier weights (60-plus percent of one-rep max) and lower reps versus lighter weights (less than 60 percent of one-rep max) and higher reps.
The scientists discovered that both strategies caused similar amounts of muscle growth, but training with heavier weights caused greater increases in strength.
Researchers also noted that training with lighter weights only resulted in significant muscle growth when sets were taken to, or close to, positive muscle failure (the point where you can’t do any more reps).
Now let’s talk about those isolation exercises. If you’re wondering why you should be doing more reps for isolation exercises here are two good reasons.
First off, your smaller muscles like biceps and triceps are used individually for everyday movements like pushing and pulling and by training them for endurance, rather than power, you become more functional.
Second, for compound exercises that create strength and power like squats, it’s okay to go heavy for 4-6 reps because the load is distributed across your joints (ankles, knees, hips, and spine, etc.). In contrast, isolation exercises put all the strain on one area, which can overload the joint for the benefit of the muscle and put you at a higher risk for injury. Increasing your reps forces you to lift less weight and in the process protects your joints. So remember this:
- Compound Exercises 4-8 Reps
- Isolation Exercises 8-15 Reps
No Gym No Weights = More Reps
While 4-8 reps may be ideal for maximum strength gains, if you can do more than 8 reps of a particular exercise (Main muscle groups or isolation exercises) and don’t belong to a gym, don’t have access to one or simply don’t want to go to one, this range can increase to whatever number of reps it takes to get to positive failure. As you just learned from the study mentioned above, this strategy works almost as well as 4-8 reps with just a slight compromise in strength gain.
Shortly, we’ll talk about changing the tempo of the rep and staying within your rep range without having to add weight, but for now just know that if you can do more than 8 reps of a particular exercise and the gym is not an option, keep going until you reach positive failure whether that’s 10, 15 or 20 reps!
The Double Progression Model
If you do have access to the gym and use weights to strength train, we’ll be employing the use of one of the most time-tested strategies available most commonly referred to as: “The Double Progression Model.”
Essentially, with this model, your goal is to add weight once you can consistently come within 1-2 reps (6-8) of the top of your rep range. Then, once you add weight, if you can consistently lift it 4 reps or more, you’ll keep working with that weight until once again you progress to within 1-2 reps (6-8) of the top of your rep range.
This model will help you progress and breakthrough plateaus, which may have seemed impossible to surmount. Essentially, your goal is to increase your reps, then “cash in” that progress to increase your total volume of weight lifted. Hence, “double progression.”
For example, let’s say you’re bench pressing 4-8 reps, and on the first hard set of your workout you manage push 150 pounds 8 times. Then, on your second set, you get 6 reps in. Based on the Fired Up protocol, you’ve just demonstrated consistently pushing within 1-2 reps of your upper range, which means its time to increase the weight.
The next set you make the total volume 155-160 pounds by adding 5-10 pounds and do at least 4 reps. Congratulations! You’ve just progressed!
Just remember, in order to make double progression work you must end each of your hard sets at least one or two reps shy of positive failure (the point where you can’t do anymore reps safely).
CAUTION!
Pushing, pulling or lifting to full technical failure could put you at risk for injury.
To elucidate this pitfall we need to look no further than the dude in the gym who you might have encountered on TV or perhaps up close and personal. He seemed out of control, didn’t know what he was doing or maybe he just fell prey to “Overkill” and the lesser ego. Either way, he somehow managed to find himself under a barbell screaming at the top of his lungs to complete that one last rep but just couldn’t find the strength to do so, at which point the weight collapsed on him or someone had to save him.
Sadly, this scenario places the lifter at a high risk of injury and was demonstrated by a study that showed how pushing to technical failure leads to a breakdown if form, potential injury and is not necessary for muscle and strength gain.
Don’t be one of those dudes! Make sure your last rep is under your control (aka positive failure), especially if you are lifting free weights without a spotter.
Rep Tempo – How Fast Or Slow Should Your Reps Be?
How fast or slow you lift and lower weight is referred to as “Rep tempo” and is considered another major area of heated debate in the weight lifting world. So before we move on I’d like to issue a word of caution. Believing there is only one way will limit your options and is subject to one of our primary pitfalls mentioned at the beginning of Fired Up – The “One Way Trap.”
For example, those who advocate for a slow tempo (AKA Super Slow Strength Training) often say that “muscles don’t know weight, only tension,” and the more tension they’re subjected to, the more the potential for workload and muscle gain. So by simply slowing down the movement (decreasing the tempo), you create more tension by extending the time under load.
In contrast, those who advocate faster tempo argue that total reps performed with a given muscle group over time is a major factor in muscle gain and that super slow training results in less work done, which reduces the muscle and strength-building potential of the exercise, which is scientifically valid.
But after reviewing the studies in detail it turns out that both slow and fast tempo can work to your advantage.
Ironically, in one experiment, researchers found that a slower tempo of the bench press actually created greater strength gains than fast tempo (9.1% vs. 8.6% respectively). Yet when it came to the squat, the faster tempo beat out slower tempo by almost double (6.8% vs. 3.6% respectively).
Evening out the playing field between fast and slow tempo was demonstrated by another study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, which concluded that doing faster reps gives you 11% more strength gain than slow tempo but only when sets were restricted to 1 set. In contrast, when participants of the study (both slow and fast tempo) were compared for strength gains after 3 sets the results did not show a statistical difference worth mentioning.
The good news is that in Fired Up you’ll have the option of training with or without weights using either slow or fast tempo, depending on your circumstances.
Rep Tempo For Super Slow Strength Training
“Super Slow Strength Training” is a variation of Strength Training, which can be considered HIIT with all its accompanying benefits. Research from fitness experts, Dr. Doug McGuff and Phil Campbell have shown how a normal weight training routine can become a high intensity routine by simply slowing it down. Effectively, by doing this you activate both your aerobic and anaerobic systems, which qualifies this workout as both Strength Training and HIIT.
The good news is that you can perform the super-slow technique with many of the strength training exercises already discussed such as hand weights, resistance machines, bodyweight exercises, or resistance bands.
The beauty of this routine is that you only need about 12 minutes of Super-Slow type strength training once a week to achieve the same growth hormone production as you would from 20 minutes of Peak Fitness sprints. The key to making it work is intensity. The intensity needs to be high enough that you reach muscle fatigue.
Interestingly enough, when the intensity is high, you can also decrease the frequency of your exercise. In fact, in order to continue to be productive, the higher your fitness level, the more you can decrease the frequency without losing benefits. This is because, as a beginner, you can exercise three times a week and not put much stress on your system. But once your strength and endurance improve, each exercise session is placing an increasingly greater amount of stress on your body (as long as you keep pushing yourself to the max). At that point, you’ll want to reduce the frequency of your sessions to give your body enough time to recover in between workouts.
How To Do Super Slow Strength Training
I recommend keeping it simple and using four or five basic compound movements for your super-slow exercise sets. Compound movements are movements that require the coordination of several muscle groups. For example, squats, chest presses, and compound rows.
Start by lifting, pushing or pulling the weight slowly and gradually for 4-8 seconds then lower it for another 4-8 seconds. Also when pushing, stop about 10 to 15 degrees before your limb is fully straightened and then smoothly reverse direction. Repeat this until exhaustion, which should be around 4-8 reps (see Fired Up videos for clarity).
Once you reach exhaustion, don’t try to heave or jerk the weight to get one last repetition in. Instead, just keep trying to produce the movement, even if it’s not “going” anywhere, for another five seconds or so. If you’re using the appropriate amount of weight or resistance, you’ll be able to perform four to eight reps.
Once you finish each set, immediately switch to the next exercise for the next target muscle group and try to get another 4-8 reps in. The amount of sets can vary but shoot for a minimum of 12 minutes and try not to go past 30 minutes or you could overstrain yourself.
If you do not have weights and can’t add enough weight to stay within the 4-8 rep range you can simply slow down your movement, which will make each rep more difficult and get you closer to your ideal rep range. While this won’t give you quite the strength gains as a faster tempo with more weight, it will allow you to increase your time under load and overall workload, which will help you build more strength and muscle.
Just remember, Super Slow tempo is one of several options. As mentioned earlier in the studies, you can still get amazing benefits by doing as many reps as it takes to get to positive failure whether that be 10, 15 or 20 reps.
Rep Tempo For Fast Strength Training
If you do have access to weights or a gym faster tempo will allow you to build more strength. So what is faster tempo? Shoot for a “1–1” rep tempo; this would mean when you push, pull or lift weight it should take about one second, followed by a one-second lowering of the weight. According to scientists at the University of Sydney, this rep tempo has been proven to help gain 11% more strength on the bench press than with slow training.
This should help you out with your endurance but if you’d like to learn more, you can also check out the Fired Up video course here.
