Training progressions are something that all lifters must be aware of. Doing the same things over and over in your strength routine is the quickest way to thwart any potential gains and hit a plateau. Our bodies adapt to a training stimulus at an amazing rate. After only six to eight weeks of training, your body is ready to kick it up a notch. The typical approach to increasing intensity is to up the weight. That’s only one progression tool at your disposal – albeit the most popular.

In order to have a successful strength training program, you must include a multidimensional approach to progression using different intensity techniques. After all, there’s only so much weight you can throw on a bench press before the chance of injury goes through the roof.

Alternative Tools for Training Progressions

There are a number of ways to increase the intensity of an exercise without changing the weight. Some alter the exercise slightly while others play with variables like set duration and speed. Incorporate the following tools in your arsenal to keep seeing gains and prevent plateaus. Choose one tool and experiment in your workouts. Once you’ve mastered that progression, move on to the others.

You’ve been warned. These progressions present a significant challenge. To prevent overtraining (and be able to move the next day), don’t use more than one or two tools from below in each workout.

Tempo

Lifting speed and tempo are perhaps the most used progression tools out there – aside from piling on plates. Simply put, you can either slow down or speed up the reps in order to change the intensity. There are three significant phases during a lift. The lowering portion, referred to as the eccentric contraction in technical jargon, is when the muscle is under tension as it lengthens (think lowering the bar in a bench press). The lifting or concentric portion is when the muscle is contracting (think pushing up in a bench press). Finally, there is usually a pause between the two where the bar or weight isn’t moving – that’s an isometric contraction.

Eccentric contractions place a far greater stimulus for growth on the muscle and can greatly increase the intensity of the set.  Try slowing down the tempo of your set to jack up the difficulty. More specifically, aim for a 3/1/0 tempo when lifting. That’s three seconds lowering, one second lifting, and no pause between the two.

Complexity

When an exercise becomes easy, the typical approach is to change it up entirely. Complexity is one way to amplify an exercise without changing the entire set up. Think of a dumbbell bench press – a great move for building upper body strength and size. Rather than just increasing the weight when the lift becomes easy, start alternating your arms. This changes the complexity of the exercise and requires greater focus, core control, and concentration. There are several methods to increase complexity in your program:

  • Alternating “up” – Only one side moves at a time, but the other side rests in the “up” position. For instance, on a dumbbell bench press, start with both hands pressed in front of you. One hand remains that way while the other completes a rep. This means that the “up” arm is always working.
  • Alternating “down” – Similar to above but the other side rests in the “down” position. For instance, on a dumbbell bench press, start with both hands at your chest. One hand remains that way while the other completes a rep.
  • Reciprocating – Both sides are moving through the reps at the same time, but in opposite fashion. On a dumbbell bench press, start with your right arm pressed out and the left down. Lower your right arm as you press your left up. This technique challenges your coordination and stability.

Platform

Platform refers to your base of support during a lift. For most standing lifts, the general stance is feet about hip width apart. This provides the most stable platform for exercises like a standing dumbbell overhead press. Instead of changing the exercise, think about changing the platform. Moving one foot in front during a lift throws off your balance and challenges you stability. With standing exercises, move to a lunge variation or single leg stance to increase the difficulty without piling on weight.

Range of Motion

For the majority of exercises, full range of motion is advised to establish better strength and flexibility. However, for advanced lifters, exercises can be tailored to develop a specific range of motion. The floor press, for instance, where an individual lies down on the floor and presses a barbell similar to a bench press can greatly increase upper body strength and power during the lockout phase of a traditional bench. Similarly, rack pulls help develop hip and grip strength during the lockout phase of a deadlift.

Just as partial ranges of motion can be beneficial, greater ranges of motion can help to develop strength and flexibility. Performing a deadlift with an increased depth either by standing on a platform or using smaller weight plates can add an increased challenge and increase your max strength. Keep full range of motion at the forefront of your program, but don’t neglect partial ranges of motion as a method to increase intensity.

Amplifiers

Outside of the progressions mentioned above, amplifiers are methods to increase the intensity by modifying volume. Toss one of these amplifiers in at the end of your workout to finish on a strong note.

Traditional Drop Sets

To perform a drop set, choose an exercise like dumbbell bicep curls, to finish off your workout. Grab a weight you can use for eight to ten reps. When you’re fatigued and can’t do anymore, set the dumbbells back down and immediately “drop” to a pair five to ten pounds lighter. Repeat one more time for a total of two drops from the original weight.

Mechanical Advantage Drop Sets

Similar approach to traditional drop sets, the mechanical advantage variation utilizes body positioning rather than changes in resistance. Start with your body in the weakest position and change to a stronger position when you get tired. For instance, on pull-ups, start with a wide grip. Perform as many reps as possible. Once you’re tired, switch to a neutral grip and start to rep them out. For the last set, switch to an underhand grip. That should leave you with your arms hanging by a thread. You can do the same thing for push-ups (start narrow and work wider) and bent-over rows (start wide then go neutral and underhand).

Negatives

Introducing negatives into your program isn’t only a way to fry your muscles. It can also help you build crazy amounts of strength. To start, load up a bar with a weight you could lift for only 1-3 times. With the help of a spotter, lower the bar under control (should take around 5 seconds) then have the spotter help you lift the bar up. As the reps continue, you’ll need more and more help to push the bar up so make sure your spotter is comfortable lifting the weight. Negatives are often used on pressing exercises like dumbbell and barbell bench press, but they can also be used on pull-ups by having a spotter help you up to the bar and slowly lowering yourself.

The key is introducing other progression tools than simply increasing weight. Keep your body guessing with variables like range of motion, platform, and tempo. Introduce amplifiers at the end of your routine to finish off a great workout. Vary your progressions to prevent plateaus and continue to see results!

What are your favorite progression tools to use with your workouts? Drop a comment with your favorites below.

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