Bodybuilding.com - Exercise & Rest Principle Formula!

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Using the 1-legged squat as an example, begin by performing this exercise for as many ultra-strict repetitions as possible within a 10 second time frame.

By: Paul Becker

Use on any Non-Apparatus bodyweight only exercise:

Chin-ups
Crunches
Dips
Leg raises
Pushups
Squats (one-legged) Sissy Squats

Stage 1

Using the 1-legged squat as an example, begin by performing this exercise for as many ultra-strict repetitions as possible within a 10 second time frame, Now rest for exactly 10 seconds; after the 10 second rest, immediately begin to perform some more 1-legged squats for 10 seconds, then take another 10-second rest.

Continue this pattern of 10 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest for 9 more complete cycles, for a total of 10. On each of the succeeding five days you increase the number of cycles by two.

Day	Cycles	Work	Rest	Accumulated Work/Rest Time
Time in seconds/seconds/minutes/seconds
1	10	10	10	1:40	1:40
2	12	10	10	2:00	2:00
3	14	10	10	2:20	2:20
4	16	10	10	3:00	3:00
5	18	10	10	3:00	3:00
6	20	10	10	3:20	3:20

Stage 2

This stage, as well as stages 3, 4, and 5, consists of 6 workout days and begins with 10 cycles of work and rest, increasing to 20 by day six, The difference here is that you will perform 15 seconds of exercise and take 10 seconds of rest per cycle,

Stage 3

At this stage you switch to 20 seconds of exercise and take 10 seconds of rest per cycle.

Stage 4

Now you do 30 seconds of exercise and take 10 seconds of rest per cycle.

Stage 5

In the last stage you do 30 seconds of exercise and take 5 seconds of rest per cycle.

To summarize, here are the steps for successfully completing the five stages of the exercise/rest principle.

2. Begin each new stage on day 1 by doing a minimum of 10 nonstop sequences of the exercise/rest principle, then on each scheduled workout day thereafter be sure to add 2 nonstop sequences (as in the detailed stage 1 example).

3. Always do as many ultra-strict repetitions as much as possible during the work phase.