There is nothing wrong with doing higher reps to improve power or make strength gains.
As long as there is some indication of improvment, either through running times or a power to test, then it works.
Personally, though i am no champion, I have made my best gains in terms of improving my standing long jump when doing reps of 20 and supersetting between leg press and leg extension. I have also seen a 1.65 m champion bodybuilder do a 90cm standing vertical after training with higher reps and moderate weights for years.
If higher reps are done in an explosive way, they will still work fast switch fibres. Just look at Herschal Walker. He did not do weights or low reps, but I am confident he could outrun and outlift most people.
He did run a windy 10.11 and jump 1 metre for a standing vertical. He also benched 370 pounds the first time he ever did it. While he desired to be fast and explosive athlete, he could not be bothered with heavy weights.
So keep on thinking and training, and as long as your peformance improves, then higher reps can and do work.
Who’s Herschal Walker?, football player?
Personally I busted a platue and added 7 reps to my 5 rep max to make it a 12 reps max with same weight.
I did 20 reps with my 5 rep max, by resting from 1 to 25 seconds between reps, without putting bar down. The next session I did 12 reps with that same “5 rep max” but without any rest between reps. It was the single biggest platue busting training experiance I’ve ever had.
If u ever do this I recomend 5 to 6 days before next squat session which should be a/your normal squat session to test any improvement.
It is not a classic cluster set. It is an unsymetrical cluster whereby you rest when you need to and work when u feel you’re up to it, all the time keeping hold of the weight without putting it down. E.g there was no rest between first 4 reps, 5 to 10 secs av rest between almost all other reps, about 30 secs rest between rep 17 and 18, got a second wind and flew through the last 3 reps with no rest between them. The bar was on my back the whole time, about 7 minutes plus :eek:, a test of spirit, I was mashed but next session did 12 strict reps with no rest between reps with what was a weak earlier a 5 rep max leval. AWSOME.
I recomend once or twice in the general preperation phase for anybody, I couldn’t psyche myself up for it every weak even if I wanted to. Also, as somebody pointed out, new stimulas (e.g differant rep scheme) only works for a while, (stick to same exercises allmost all year round)
goose excellent idea, I have seen that written at t-mag, and your results suggest it could be good now and then maybe in a second strength 3-1-3 phase if things arent moving along.
