Hit a plateau with benching!!

[Jennifer]

According to the ACSM (american college of sports medicine), training to failure reaps the best results. Good luck!

[Dan C]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

According to the ACSM (american college of sports medicine), training to failure reaps the best results. Good luck!

My personal opinion on the ASCM - too much theory, not enough application. They do better in labs and clinical settings, dealing with VO2 Max and cardiopulmonary issues, than they do in the gym.

What exactly are you studying at Montana, Jennifer? What do you think of the program there?

[Jennifer]

Training to failure has actually been a proven study done by an extended number of people, including the ACSM. The ACSM deals in a large spectrum of exercise and all it entails. True, they do a lot of clinical studies, and one of the highest certifications that they offer is Clinical Exercise Physiologist (meaning the extensive study of how the body reacts, on a cellular level, to exercise). If it seems like I'm defending the ACSM, I am. It is the highest and most accredited set of "sports medicine" accredidations in this country. I would never recommend something that I myself haven't tried, or didn't believe in. As for what I'm studying "up here in Montana", I will be graduating next year with a Bachelor's of Science in Occupational Safety and Health with an option in Applied Health Science.

P.S. I'm a body builder in training, and I myself have reaped more benefits by training to failure (even incorporating the training to failure method with other training methods). It's all about finding what's right for your body because not everyone is the same.

No excuses, Just results!!

Jennifer

[Dan C]

I was an Allied Health major myself, I studied exercise science at Towson and was not particularly impressed with the program, which is why I was asking. The program here was based largely on the ACSM guidelines, and if you look at their recommendations on strength training, the layout is not very impressive (perhaps in theory).

I know the ACSM is supposed to be the highest/most accredited but that really depends on who you talk to. Just like it depends on who you talk to about the "failure vs volume" debate... that's an age old argument you know? And on both sides of the coin, you will find people that have been successful with either methodology. Though if you look closely, a higher percentage of strength athletes do NOT train to failure, whereas the bodybuilder and those more concerned with the size of the muscle, do.

I agree with your last statement about "finding what's right because not everybody is the same", but that kinda contradicts the original ACSM recommendation doesn't it?

[Firehawk]

Yeah i was just thinking the same thing Dan said. In your first sentence Jennifer, you say that training to failure is a proven study, then in your last sentence you contradicted yourself.

Personally I'd look more to experienced lifters than I would to a science lab when it comes to finding out what works best with regards to weightlifting, but even that is limited at best, since different techniques affect everyone differently.

To learn how to build muscle - talk to someone with a lot of it. To learn how to build strength talk to someone with a lot of it. To learn how to build a computer - read it in a book.

There simply is no best way. What works for one will not work for another. Get different opinions from different people, try some different things, and see what works for you best. If you want to build giant slabs of pectoral muscle and don't really care about how much weight you are pushing - talk to some big bodybuilders. If you want to break through a stuck spot to get bigger numbers - talk to a powerlifter.

All valid points of view - with slightly different goals in mind.

[DBZ Status]

All the above are very good points. I'm going to point more to the nutritional side also. First though, try messing with your rep ranges on bench and everything F-Mac said im not going to repeat. Also if ur tracking your diet add 500 calories to whatever your eating this will give u more room to grow in case your diet is holding you back. If your not counting calories go get weightgainer and just take an extra 500 calories a day when u workout just take it with u to the gym and sip on it. It will fuel ur workout/ help u recover thats all i got

peace

[DBZ Status]

oh and about the dumbell things i agree dumbells are important they work your stabilizing muscles. I put it like this ....A rock falls on you u have to push it off but u can balance it...ur dead lol. Now if i only u would have worked dumbells to have those balancing ability


dont forget to stretch before and after and cool down sets