Subject: 1) support belts  2) negative accentuation during the consolidation cycle

Submitted by:  Simon Dankel, Norway

 

I wonder if you favor the use of a support belt. Especially during consolidation I find that I can lift more with better form with a support belt (squats, deadlifts), but I am thinking that I will not be developing supporting muscles as much with the belt.

Also, we have been having a little discussion on the Yahoo forum about accentuating negatives during consolidation. I thought that the same rule applies for consolidation as for momentum, and assume you would mention it in the book if there was a difference. I feel it's best to lower the heavy 'consolidation' weight slowly for safety. However, it's harder to resist the weight and easier to 'drop down' with the heavier weight and perhaps it would be beneficial to focus on a powerful positive (lowering the weight with control, of course, but perhaps for only 2 seconds as it seems the 3 second rule makes negatives especially taxing during consolidation)? I find that I cannot 'accentuate' the negative relative to the positive during consolidation, as it tends to take me just as long getting that heavy weight back up as lowering it, especially when I lower it as slowly as it takes to complete your fancy phrase 'one extique sleek physique, two extique sleek physique'. Would a less accentuated negative be advisable, to be able to lift more 'powerfully' for the positive lift during consolidation or for other reasons?  

 


Hello Simon, and thanks for the letter.

I wonder if you favor the use of a support belt.  

No, for the reason cited in your letter. You need to develop core strength sooner or later. Better to dispense with the support belt, reduce load, and start developing it now.

I find that I cannot 'accentuate' the negative relative to the positive during consolidation, as it tends to take me just as long getting that heavy weight back up as lowering it. . .

As HIE explains, it is the intended not actual velocity that determines the magnitude of the power adaptive response. Also, you will have to use a considerably lower weight than when lowering the weight more freely, but at some load level you'll find the weight that allows you to lower the weight slowly and lift it for the target amount of reps – in this case 3-4. And this amount will be higher than the amount used during the higher-repetition momentum cycle.

Regarding your general question about negative accentuation during consolidation, there is some flexibility. It is important to expose your muscles to the stress of accentuated negatives using higher resistance, but if you are trying to maximize concentric strength in a particular movement (such as bench press) there's no reason why you shouldn't occasionally use a less accentuated negative to preserve strength for the positive phase. However, I would urge you not to stray too far from the negative accentuation rule, because the research shows that disproportionately concentric resistance training yields inferior results as compared with more balanced training in terms of actual muscle fiber growth, tone, and bone mass. I am not altogether opposed to extra-resisted or "forced" negatives (like a training partner pushing down on a weight while you are lowering it and lowering greater load than you are capable of lifting). And this can serve to alter negative stress and offset other phases of the regimen in which you reduce the degree of negative accentuation in order to further enhance positive strength. I am, however, greatly apprehensive about recommending extra-resisted negatives to any but the more advanced among the advanced, because it's very stressful to connective tissues and the nervous system. Excessive negative loading can keep you out of the gym (or prevent you from training at maximum force) for too long thereby preventing you from optimizing training frequency. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . . disproportionately concentric resistance training yields inferior results as compared with more balanced training in terms of actual muscle fiber growth, tone, and bone mass.

 

Excessive negative loading can keep you out of the gym (or prevent you from training at maximum force) for too long thereby preventing you from optimizing training frequency.