NEWS & EVENTS
 
A cluster set refers to performing a specified number of reps, pausing for 10-20 seconds, then performing a specified number of reps again.
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When it comes to building strength, it's important to maximize the recruitment of your muscles (more muscle recruitment = more strength). Every muscle fiber is driven by a unit of your nervous system, called a motor neuron. If the motor neuron isn't recruited, the muscle doesn't actively produce force. One way to recruit more motor neurons, and therefore more muscle mass, is to move the bar through the "up" phase (think pulling yourself up in a chin-up, or pressing a bar off your chest during a bench press) as quickly as possible. When the weights get heavy, it's not possible to actually move the weight fast, but even the INTENT to move the weight quickly lowers the recruitment threshold of the motor neurons. This helps them become active earlier in the movement and helps you get stronger. This is not true for the "down" or lowering phase of lifts, so always perform this portion of your lifts under control. -Kevin Neeld
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The last week has been crazy with all this snow. Hopefully you're one of the lucky few that doesn't have a shoveling-related back injury. In the future, there's a VERY easy way to prevent these injuries...pay someone else to shovel for you. For $30 or so, you can usually find a spry youngster to do all your shoveling for you ans save yourself the annoyance and week of nagging pain. The Endeavor Staff got back into our training routine this morning. One of our main exercises for today's lift was a Bench Press. We did two warm-up sets (one of 5 reps, one of 3 reps) before doing 3 sets of 1 rep, followed by 2 sets of 10 reps. Why do 3 x 1 then 2 x 10? The goal of this training cycle is two fold: Get Stronger and Get Bigger. Near 1-rep max repetitions (3x1), are EXTREMELY effective in building strength. Slightly higher rep sets (usually between 6-8, but in this case up to 10), will help build size. But that's not the only reason. Performing high intensity (near 1-rep max weight) reps improves the neural drive to the muscles. Simply, your muscles move because your nervous system (including your brain) tells them to. The STRONGEST message from your nervous system is sent to your muscles when the loads are near your absolute max ability. By performing a few reps like this (think 2-3 sets of 1-2 reps), you maximize the neural drive to the working muscles WITHOUT causing significant fatigue. This improved neural drive allows you to use more weight for higher rep sets than you would be able to if you just hopped right into them. More weight for more reps equals more size and more strength. Another way of capitalizing on this improved neural drive is through what I call "overshooting warm-ups". Let's say your goal is to Bench Press 225 for 8 reps. A standard warm-up might look like: First warm-up set: 135 x 8 Second warm-up set: 185 x 6 First working set: 225 x Hopefully 8 Depending on your strength, 14 warm-up reps may over-fatigue you going into your first working set. An example of an overshooting warm-up that I'd recommend is: First warm-up set: 135 x 5 Second warm-up set: 205 x 3 Third warm-up set: 245 x 1 First work set: 225 x AT LEAST 8 Just by adding a rep at a weight significantly ABOVE (245) your working weight (225), you'll improve the neural drive to the working muscles. Train Hard. Train Smart. Get Results. -Kevin Neeld Director of Athletic Development
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