by Paul Becker,
http://www.trulyhuge.com
While many people know the basics of Heavy Duty
training, the advanced techniques are known by only a few. The advanced and
super advanced techniques were fully researched and tested by Mike in the
late 70's, but following the infamous 1980 Mr.Olympia, Mike retired from
competition.
After that he worked as a personal trainer and
concentrated on what works best for beginners and intermediates. And so
Heavy Duty for advanced and super advanced trainees became all but lost,
even though Mike made the best gains of his life using these techniques.
Climbing The Ladder Of Intensity
Mike knew that as a bodybuilder grew bigger and stronger, he would
eventually require an even more intense training stress if he hoped to
continue progressing. If the stress is not more intense, he would stagnate
and stay at the same level of size and strength.
Beginners
For beginners, starting a weight training program is a huge leap in
intensity from not training at all. This is why they make such rapid gains
at first. To keep progressing, they can simply keep increasing the weights
and decreasing the rest periods between sets. When they stop making gains
this way, they are ready for the next level of intensity.
Intermediates
At this stage a more intense stress is required, this is be done by using
Pre-Exhaustion sets. For example, a set of Leg Extensions to failure
followed by a set of Leg Press (or Squats) to failure. Also forced reps and
negatives to go beyond the point of positive failure can be occasionally
used.
These techniques will carry someone into the advanced
level, Mike reached this point and using these techniques he was unable to
get bigger or stronger, this forced him to do further research into the
highest levels of intensity.
Advanced
At this level, Mike found that he was so strong and his willingness to work
at maximum effort was so high that each rep of a set was too intense. Oxygen
debt and lactic acid build up were almost immediate. They were severe enough
that he was forced to stop. This was due to cardiovascular limitations,
rather than because he reached a point of actual muscular failure.
He looked for a way that he could do even more intense
reps while at the same time slowing the buildup of lactic acid and the onset
of oxygen debt in his muscles.
The way he did this was to do his own version of Rest Pause training.
He used a weight that would allow him to do one all out
maximum rep, then rested for 10 seconds.
This would give enough time for his muscle to clear out
waste products and bring new fuel and oxygen so he could do another all out
rep. After the second rep and another 10 seconds rest, he would have his
training partner help him do another all out rep. Or he would reduce the
weight by 20%. He would then rest 15 seconds and do his last all out rep.
This was considered one set, with each and every rep of the set being an all
out effort.
An example rest pause workout that Mike would do for
his chest was Pec Deck 1 set of 4 Rest Pause reps, Incline Bench Press 1 set
of 4 Rest Pause reps and Dips (Negative only style) 1 set of 5 reps. Mike
then had to ask himself what could be more intense than Rest Pause training?
Super Advanced Heavy Duty
Mike's next step up the ladder of intensity was what he called Infitonic
training. He followed each maximum positive rep of a Rest Pause set with a
maximum negative Rep. He had his training partner push down a little on the
negative and he would fight to resist it, lowering it as slowly as possible.
He then rested 15 seconds before his next maximum positive and negative rep.
The very highest level of Heavy Duty is what he called Omni-Contraction
training, meaning all contraction. There are three ways a muscle can
contract:
-
Lifting a weight (positive).
-
Lowering a weight (negative).
-
Holding a weight (static).
In Omni-Contraction training, Mike would make each a
maximum effort. He would do his one all out maximum positive rep, followed
by a maximum negative. But during the negative he would stop the weight and
actually try to raise the weight again (which was impossible).
He would do these static holds at three different
points during the negative rep. The first was at the top, close to the fully
contracted position, the second was halfway down, and the third was close to
the bottom position. Each position was held for a count of 3.
The Results
Mike and his brother Ray used these advanced and super advanced techniques
in the summer of 1979 and it resulted in Mike's gaining 14 pounds of pure
muscle in 9 weeks (while losing fat and at an already advanced level of mass
and strength), and winning his first pro show. He beat the likes of Robby
Robinson, Danny Padilla, and Roy Callendar.
Ray was able to improve so much, he walked in and took
the Mr. America crown that year.
So maybe, just maybe, if you have tried Heavy Duty and it stopped working it
was because you didn't know the higher techniques on your way up the ladder
of intensity. Try them for yourself and find out.
This article is copyrighted 2008, by Paul Becker.
About The Author: Paul Becker is a natural (steroid
free for life) bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more information on
Bodybuilding and
Bodybuilding Supplements visit his website at
http://www.trulyhuge.com
