Negatives are among the most powerful training techniques
for rapid strength gains. Learn how to do them
effectively without a training partner.
Want to gain strength rapidly? Negative training is one of
the absolute best ways to accomplish this quickly. But most
negative training techniques require you have a partner to
help you return the weight to the start position. How do
you get around this? In this article, I'll show you exactly
how to do it.
Negative training, also known as eccentric training,
involves loading a weight movement in only the down or
muscle-lengthening phase. For example, if you are doing a
negative bench press, you would start with the weight in
the top position (the weight would be more than you could
lift on your own if you had to push it back up), lower that
heavy weight under control to the bottom position of the
exercise, then have a partner help you return the weight
back to the top position.
How To Do A Negative Rep
The proper method and loading for performing a negative rep
is not always well known. Each negative-accentuated rep
should last somewhat longer than the negative phase of a
regular movement. Depending on the range of motion of the
exercise, this could be anywhere from 3 to 6 seconds.
The initial load used for negative training should be
approximately 105% of your regular one rep max for the
exercise, e.g. if you can bench 200 pounds, use 210 pounds
for negative reps. You can increase this load if you are
able to get more than 6 reps with that weight (6 reps is the
most you should do with negative training - if you can do
more reps, you aren't using enough weight for it to be
maximally effective).
Normally, 3 sets of negative training per muscle group are
plenty. These 3 sets will be all the work you will do for
that muscle group that day. If you do more, you will be
breaking your muscle down too much, making it difficult for
your body to recover and build strength optimally. If you
can do more sets and reps, you probably aren't working the
negatives hard enough.
The real key to effective negative training is in how you
lower the weight. Don't just lower the weight as you would
in a typical rep. You must ACTIVELY FIGHT GRAVITY by
pushing (or pulling, depending on the exercise) as hard as
you can against the weight. If you don't fight the weight,
your results will not be optimal. If you've done negative
training before and didn't feel extremely sore the next day,
you probably weren't fighting the weight. Try it and
you'll feel the difference!
Here are 3 powerful techniques you can use to do effective
negative training on your own. At the end of the article,
there will be a link to pictures of these techniques in
action.
3 Powerful Techniques To Effectively Utilize Negative Training
1. Two Up/One Down Negatives - View
This type of training can be done with machines, barbells
and even dumbbells. Essentially, you use both of your limbs
to move the weight to the starting position and use only one
limb to lower it.
The example that I like to use for the upper body is the
machine bench press. Start by doing a brief warm-up to get
the muscles ready. Set the weight to approximately half of
your one rep max on the machine (you may want to start with
less to get used to the concept first). Using both arms,
press the weight to full lockout.
Click To Enlarge!
Now comes the tricky part. You must remove one of your
hands from the handles and lower the weight with only one.
The reason it's tricky is that suddenly your body is
completely unbalanced. If you don't do something about it,
the weight will twist your body around and drop down.
Here's how you get around that: you must quickly brace your
non-working arm against the bar that leads to the handle.
Press your forearm/wrist against that bar and exert a
strong inward force. This will help to balance the body
while still placing the majority of the tension on the
working side.
Now lower the weight to the bottom, fighting it all the way
down, as explained above. Use both arms to press the weight
back to the top position then focus on working the other arm.
Go back and forth between arms with each rep using this
technique for 3 to 5 reps on each arm. On the last set,
after your last rep of negative training, do as many
conventional reps as you can to really work the muscles.
This technique can also be applied to other exercises such
as machine shoulder press, the leg press, cable rowing,
close-grip pulldowns, etc. Use your imagination!
2. Unilateral Power Rack Stepping - View
This technique requires use of the power rack to do safely.
I will use the flat barbell bench press for this example.
Start by setting a flat bench in the rack. Set the safety
rails to a point a few inches above the bottom point of the
rep (you're going to have to have enough room to slide
yourself out from under the bar). Set the racking pins
(the small hooks where the weight rests against the frame)
above the safety rails. You will be unracking the weight
from these pins. You will basically be setting up a bench
press station inside the rack.
Load a bar with a moderate weight to practice before going
up to the super-maximal weights. Lie down on the bench,
unrack the bar and lower it down slowly (fighting it, of
course) all the way to the safety rails. Be aware that when
you reach a certain point in the rep (it coincides with your
regular sticking point on the way up), your leverage will
decrease and the weight will get a whole lot heavier.
You'll understand when you experience this. That is why
you MUST have the safety rails set properly.
Click To Enlarge!
After your lower the bar to the rails, roll the bar
backwards towards the uprights so that it is over your face.
This makes it easier to get out from under the bar and
moves the bar closer to the racking pins.
Slide yourself out from underneath the bar, walk around to
one end of the barbell and lift it back up onto the top
racking pin. Be absolutely sure you have strong collars
on the bar before you do this!! Walk around to the other
end (the bar will now be tilted down) and lift that end up
to the racking pin.
The weight is now back to the start position. Lie down and
do another rep! Repeat this for 3 to 5 reps.
This technique works best for the flat barbell bench press.
3. Standing Up On Something - View
This technique is the simplest of the three. Basically, all
it requires is a bench or a box to stand on. I will use the
chin-up as an example for this technique. This is actually
the absolute best way to build yourself to doing full
chin-ups if you are unable to do them with your bodyweight
right now.
If you can already do chin-ups for multiple reps with your
bodyweight, fear not! You can always set a dumbbell between
your feet for added resistance or use a hip belt to hang
weight plates from your waist.
Start by setting the bench or box in front of a chin-up bar
(a Smith machine bar also works well for this as you can
adjust the height of it very easily)). If you are using
the dumbbell-between-feet method for added resistance, set
the dumbbell now.
Stand up on the bench and grasp the bar with a close, palms-
facing-you grip (also known as supinated). You should be
in the top position of the chin-up.
Now step off the bench and lower yourself down as slowly as
possible. You should be fighting to pull yourself up as
gravity pulls you down. You will feel this one the next
day!
When you reach the bottom, step back up onto the bench and
do another rep. Repeat this for 3 to 5 reps.
This standing up technique can also be applied to dips with
excellent results. Just set the bench in front of the
dipping bars, stand up, lower yourself down then stand up
on it again.
For More Info...
These three techniques are only the beginning of what is
possible for negative training on your own. Use the
techniques as a guideline and adapt them to other exercises
that you use on a regular basis.
There is absolutely no reason a person training without a
partner can't make use of the incredible power available
with negative training. The results you get from these
techniques will truly astonish you! In 'The Best Exercises You Have Never Heard Of!', you will learn 50 more exercises!
| The Best Exercises You Have Never Heard Of!
The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of is a compilation of 53 of the most innovative, results-producing exercises on the planet. These exercises are guaranteed to keep you making continuous progress! Click here to download the free sample (1,390 kb). Or click here to buy the e-book for only $ 17.00!
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BetterU@fitstep.com
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