Looking for bodybuilding routines that work? Have you been going stale? Have your gains slowed down or stopped? Believe it or not, most bodybuilders experience this at one time or another.
Once you find yourself in that situation you need to find bodybuilding routines that work for you. It can be difficult to choose which one to go with. There are so many options to choose from that selecting one can be a daunting task.
One thing to remember!
The great thing about bodybuilding is there are no hard and fast rules. It’s a journey you must make on your own. Of course, a little guidance always helps. So read on and add a new dimension to your training knowledge
Here, we will discuss a bodybuilding routine that can really spur new growth and combat boredom. It’s called “a rep and a half.”
A rep and a half is as simple of an approach to bodybuilding as the name would suggest. The trainee performs a full repetition followed by a half repetition or any variation thereof.
While this might sound easy at first, people who attempt this strategy quickly discover that it can be brutal. The extra effort can lead to tremendous results. The pump that you can achieve through a rep and a half training can be skin-bursting. The great thing about this bodybuilding routine is that you can apply to, literally, any exercise. In your quest for bodybuilding routines that work, this may be what you’ve been looking for!
OK, so how do do it?
Well, that’s up to you. Yes, you read that right. It’s up to you!
Let’s say that you’re looking for a way to boost your biceps. Preacher curls are a tried and true method for working this body part, but by applying the rep and a half technique, you can take this exercise to an entirely different level. Better yet, there are numerous options for how you can apply the technique.
For example, you can perform a half rep—from the halfway point to completion, followed by a half rep, from the bottom to the halfway point, followed by full rep, and repeat these motions for a full set.
Alternatively, you can go with a matching strategy—do one-half rep from the bottom up to the halfway, then do one full rep; follow that with two half reps, then two reps, and so on.
This bodybuilding routine may start easy, but by the time you are completing four or five reps of each, your biceps will feel like they are on fire! When you reach that burning point, you can count on the fact that you’re going to see results.
What exercises are best for this training?
Some of the exercises that seem to work well with a rep and a half include:
- Preacher curls for biceps
- Hack squats for quads
- Incline presses for chest
- Close grip bench presses for triceps
- Standing calf raises for the calves.
In each case, you want to be purposeful about how you are using half reps. Remember that each half rep is focusing your energy and working your muscles differently. Be thoughtful, but also don’t be afraid to experiment and make this routine your own. Just remember that the number of sets you put in should never exceed the point at which your pump starts to dissipate.
Use your head, not your ego!
One caveat to this bodybuilding routine is that the trainee may see drastic decreases in the amount of weight he is lifting when he uses this method. This is the point at which you need to leave your ego at the gym door!
A bodybuilder needs to be concerned with developing muscle, whatever it takes, and that is the fundamental difference between someone using a bodybuilding routine, and someone training to increase his strength. The two do cross paths…. but not here.
Give a rep and a half a try for 6 weeks or so. It’s an excellent tool for breaking training plateaus.
