The question that most likely take the world of fitness by storm and probably always will is what is the best for a person to get in shape. This is regardless what the fitness goal f that person maybe. Of course now and days people are overloaded by information because it is so accessible. Not to mention that any were you go will have a different answer. The thing that can be agreed on is that a good diet, adequate exercise routine, and rest are the main ingredient to any level of fitness. The topic that will be discussed here are the four method that are practiced by most especially in the bodybuilding or physic world. Each one of these has their cons and their pros but, it is mostly dependent on the person that is preforming the method and their genetics which we will not be getting into in the essay. We will stick to the comparing the four methods.
The four methods are pyramid system, forced repetitions, periodization, and finally super sets.
Pyramid System Pros
Using the Pyramid system can be applied in both short and long workouts for many people. This system is made to start at a light weight with high reps followed by heavy weight with low reps (Geiger, 2015). Another way of conducting this method is backwards. Start with heavy weight low reps followed by light weight high reps. Both of these way can be effective it just depends on the athlete or the goal that are trying to be met. One of the pro for the pyramid method is that it always starts with a warm up (Geiger, 2015). Warming up before any physical activity is fundamental to preventing injury and preparing the body for the heavier weights in the case. Another advantage of this method is the ability to quickly take a toll on the muscle.
The final pro I would find is the volume of repetitions the can be achieved with in a short period of time (Geiger, 2015). In the bodybuilding world the method is used in the low reps and heavy weight to gain mass and strength, as the more conventional athlete it is used to get high volume in for condition and repetition.
Pyramid System Cons
The pyramid method although it is a good method for building muscle it does have it cons which are not conducive to a well developed fitness plan. The first thing that can be a problem is the warm up that is implied with this method. Require the individual to go to failure. Take the body are muscle group to failure as a warmup can cause injury as well as lose energy that will be needed to get maximum results from the workout (Geiger, 2015). Muscle failure is something that should be left for the end of a workout (Geiger, 2015). The programing should be done to were the final sets and reps scheme the individual should be reaching failure. Reaching it to soon will affect the whole out come of the programing and the purpose of this method.
Forced Repetitions Pros
When using forced repetitions method, it is something that is used towards the end of training session. This will require a training partner or a spotter. Forced repetition is when the individual reach muscle failure and the spotter help them bring up the weight then they control it back down the helped back up doing this two to three rep after failure. It is believed that this method will allow the athlete body to break through that beerier and have the nervous system adapt. The only beneficial thing the this method is the once a muscle has reached failure there is a great increase in muscle fiber tear there fore achieving great muscle hypertrophy.
Forced Repetitions Cons
The cons for this method are far more then the pros. Training in this manner can lead to over training which we all know that come with injuries. Another cons is the the research that has been done like one in 2007 by Drinkwater show that there are no real benefit from doing this methods. Subjects never exhibited any progress when assisted by the spotter. Which is why this method is not seen very often in the fitness world.
Periodization Pros
Periodization is a method that is used in a long term cycle structured with the purpose of reaching peak performance for a specific event or competition (Netanya, 2016). The thought behind this method is to vary the resistance and intensity of training to avoid the body from becoming use to the training and there fore hitting a plateau. So far this is the best methods that can be used by any athlete our individual because it allows you to really monitor and taper the programing as you go along in order to reach the desired outcome at the appropriate time. This method also helps to protect your athlete or your self because you can have more control of when the intensity is applied. Keeping exercise varied between some at max capacity and other at 75-85 percent of their max (Netanya, 2016). Another pro is that progressive overload can be implemented throw out the program to also target strength though out. Progressive overload the best and safest way to train the body to train under high stress with out causing overtraining or injury. The last pro that I will cover is the fact that during the method you can tailor your programing to off season as you can on season training making this method one of the most diverse.
Periodization Cons
As many pro as periodization has it is best effective in a long term format. Meaning that it will require a trainer or a level of knowledge of fitness and the human body to plan out a plan that cover a couple month. Your average individual at the gym many only plan out a week at a time, at most a month (Netanya, 2016). Something tat need to be considered is that this program requires you to be very consistent with your workout program. So someone that can not keep a stable workout pattern or life style will not be able to reek the benefits of the type of methods. This is a method that is more often used by competitive individual or athlete.
Super Sets Pros
Super sets are when a person does more then one exercise at time by compounding them together one after another with very little rest and most of the rest is focused after a set is done of each of the exercises that is are combining together.
There are three different styles of super sets giant sets, pre-exhaust super set, and antagonist super set. Most experts say “the super-set is a widely used resistance training method consisting of exercises for agonist and antagonist muscles with limited or no rest interval between them – for example, bench press followed by bent-over rows.” (Balsamo et al., 2012)
Most indivadal that use this method try to target two different muscle group that correlate to one another which help with saving time as well as getting more volume in. Which helps target muscle indurance.
When it comes to pre-exhaust super set give the athlete the ability test muscular endurance when doing two exercises for the same muscle group at the same time. This style does help achieve better tears I the muscle fiber contributing to more muscle growth.
Finally is the giant set, giant set is composed of three exercises that is done in succession for the completion of one set. This style is very close to what we know as circuit training or our modern way known as cross fit. This is style is the preferred mothed and is very effective when the desired out come is better endurance in one set or out put (Balsamo et al., 2012).
Super Set Cons
So as we have disused the pro like all the other methods this one has it cons as well. First is that it limits your rest cycle which will not be to conducive for maximum output in each set (Balsamo et al., 2012). This is also another work out that if not done properly can lead to injury such as muscle tear due to the high volume in reps. The fundamental of the methods is design to
maximize effort and limit rest. Another cons is that this method should only be applied by more advance individual versus beginners. Due to the high volume the individual doing the program need to have a good fitness foundation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have cover various methods that can be used be multiple individual regardless of their ultimate goal maybe. The commitment level and experience of each person should be taken in to consideration when picking a program to apply. The super set methods does, appear to be the most effective when looking to build strength with a limited time frame but, it also has the smallest amount of rest time implemented which might not be for everyone. When it comes to forced repetitions it has minimal pros but comes with significant cons. Forced repetitions does show the least effectiveness of all the method discussed in this essay. As for the pyramid technique it would be the best choice for your everyday gym visitor. The fact that it includes a warm up is great due to most people not doing proper warm ups which leads to injuries. Now the periodization is the most well-rounded approach because it allows for proper planning and give you the ability to keep thing fresh and avoid plateaus. This program when done properly can be beneficial for not just your dedicated athlete but also someone with minimal experience.
