This document provides training tips and techniques for strength training. It discusses the importance of using proper form, doing exercises slowly, and visualizing muscles. It introduces the pyramid technique which involves starting with a light weight and high reps then increasing weight and decreasing reps over subsequent sets. Drop sets are described as immediately reducing weight after failure to fatigue additional muscle fibers. Emphasizing the lowering or negative portion of lifts is recommended to engage more muscle fibers. Jumping jacks are presented as a cardio and strength exercise that can be done in intervals. The overall message is that utilizing various techniques can help maximize muscle fatigue and results from strength training workouts.

1. ®
Pump Up Your Fitness!
© DW GROUP, LLC 2008

2. TRAINING TIPS
3 Things to remember when Strength Training
1. Use good form! This is the most
important thing. Good form will help you
get the most out of your time and help
prevent injury.
2. Do all exercises S-L-O-W-L-Y!
This will ensure your effort is most
effective.
3. Visualize the muscle you are
exercising. For example when you
are doing bicep curls mentally focus on
the bicep muscle.
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3. Progression + Intensity = Results
Progression--Gradually increase intensity (i.e. time, weight, repetitions)
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4. Advanced Techniques
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5. Pyramid Technique
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6. The Pyramid Technique
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7. Pyramid Set--How to do it
-Set #1--Start with a light weight and do a high repetition set of 20 reps or so. Your muscles will be burning.
This will hit the Type I endurance muscle fibers and fill the target muscles with blood.
- Set #2--move on to a somewhat heavier weight and aim for about 6 to 10 reps. This will hit the Type IIa
muscle fibers (the moderate-to-heavy oriented fibers).
- Set #3--This is your last set and you want to use a slightly heavier weight (or if this is new the same weight
as the 2nd set) going for only 4-8 reps or as many as you can do. This will work on strength and connective
tissue while focusing on the Type IIb muscle fibers (the very heavy and explosive fibers).
It will take a little practice to figure out what weights you'll be using. This is a
stimulus your body most likely has not experienced before.
The second set of the Pyramid should use about double what you used on the first
set, e.g. start with 5 pound dumbells then do 10 pound dumbells (this increase will
vary a lot depending on the exercise - experiment with the weights you use to find out
what works best for you).
The third and final part of the set is the hardest. If you are new at this you can keep
the same weight as the 2nd set or slightly increase the weight. When you do the third
part, you may feel a strong and deep burning in the muscles. You are tapping muscle
fibers that have rarely been worked! Now every fiber you've got has to kick in and
Fire Away! © 2009 DW GROUP, LLC

8. Drop Set or Breakdown Set
Another technique to enhance training effectiveness is to
increase the length of each exercise set by reducing the
resistance upon muscle failure and completing a few
additional repetitions. A typical set of strength exercise
fatigues fast-twitch muscle fibers but not slow-twitch fibers.
By immediately reducing your weight when you can’t do any
more reps and performing 2 to 4 more repetitions, the more
enduring slow-twitch muscle fibers are pushed to the point
of fatigue.
© 2009 DW GROUP, LLC

9. T H E P U S H -U P
First you doD r o p ”
“ as many regular S eups as possible and then
push t
dropping to your knees push out a few more.
This challenges the muscles to a new level and pushes more blood
into the them as well.
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10. Drop Set Training Research
Drop Set or Breakdown Training
In a study on breakdown or Drop set training, all 45
beginner-level participants performed standard Nautilus
training for the first month (Westcott, 1994b).
During the second month, half of the subjects continued
standard training and half of the subjects did breakdown
training. That is, upon reaching muscle failure they
immediately reduced the weight load by 10 pounds and did
between 2 and 4 additional repetitions to reach a second
level of muscle failure. The breakdown training group
increased their average weight loads by 25 pounds
compared to 18 pounds for the standard training group.
© 2009 DW GROUP, LLC

11. Positive and Negative Repetitions
Goin’ Sloooowwww
The positive repetition takes place when you lift a
weight, the negative is when you lower it. Studies
have shown that by emphasizing and slowing the
negative the most muscle fibers are engaged. Taking
3-5 seconds to lower the weight will accomplish this.
The longer the better up to 20 seconds or so.
Normally we just take one second to lift a
weight and one to two to lower it. By
emphasizing the negative you will increase
the micro tears in your muscles. This
causes a higher “recruitment” of muscle
fibers and their friends.
© 2009 DW GROUP, LLC

12. Jumping Jacks--Plyometrics
Jumping Jacks are a great combination of Cardio and Strength
Training. Great for legs and a natural way to use Intervals. Go
for 30 or so Jacks as an Interval and then recover and repeat.
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13. Now that’s a Workout…

14. ®
Let’s Rock and Roll!
© 2009 DW GROUP, LLC