All sport coaches would like big, strong athletes and most combative athletes want to be big and strong. However, most athletes and coaches run into a qoute when training for both size and strength at the same time. The longer an athlete trains; normally they begin to hit a plateau with their current routine. They growth the volume (an growth in sets) or they growth the intensity (percentage of 1 repetition maximum, not perceived muscular discomfort), however they do not do both. Volume training is great for increasing muscle mass, and increasing strength-endurance, however it is not an efficient recipe for stimulating neural (strength) gains.
Muscle mass is commonly stimulated by neural gains. The higher the athlete's maximal strength levels, the higher the intensity used in repetition exercises can be used. an additional one qoute coaches and athletes run into with neural training is the rest intervals must be higher in intensity training for rescue of the neural system (Cns).
Strength Training
The qoute is in the old saying, a pupil can train hard (intensity) or train long (volume) but cannot do both. Some coaches, such as T-Nation's Chad Waterbury have proposed using a low(er) intensity 75-85% bracket and increasing the volume to accommodate this intensity bracket and a decrease in the rest intervals (i.e. 10 sets of 3 with a 6 repetition maximum, with 60 seconds rest intervals). While this is an exquisite recipe and I am not putting it down, I feel there is a good way to work in a higher intensity bracket (80% to 100%) and use enough volume to growth both size And strength!
lump Training: The Athlete's Size and strength Edge
Generally, novice athletes and trainees can make astonishing gains within the 60-70% intensity bracket, normally working their way to 80%. This 80% threshold rule is that strength commonly is stimulated above this division and this normally calls for a decrease in sets and an growth in rest intervals. So our recipe will be working above this 80% threshold in every scenario.
Enter lump Training
Cluster training is not a new concept; in fact most Olympic weightlifters use this recipe without knowing it! Some very well know authors have done much to bring this mighty recipe to light such as Charles Poliquin, Christian Thibaudeau, and Mike Mahler to name a few. Olympic weightlifters must drop the weight to the ground after each repetition; this is followed by a short pause, and an additional one repetition. Most Olympic weightlifters exterior of the super-heavy weight group sport tremendously muscular, athletic physiques to go along with their thinkable, strength!
Cluster training allows the athlete or pupil to use intensity above the 80% threshold rule (generally even higher 85-100%), with enough volume to growth both strength and size (i.e. More reps at a higher intensity). However, this recipe is extremely demanding on the central nervous system and is not recommended for beginners or high school freshmen and sophomores. While this is a mighty method, it should only be applied to One lift per movement group (horizontal push/pull, vertical push/pull, etc.) or One exercise per body part. an additional one caveat is that this recipe necessitates exquisite spotters. If you do not have at least one good spotter, do not do this method. This is not a recipe that will be kind to an athlete if their spotter(s) decide to take a nap! lump training must also be broken into, not jumped into. I show will a progressive model to breaking into lump training and piquant into more developed methods. Coach Thibaudeau breaks them into levels, level 1 consisting of three methods, level 2 consisting of three methods and level 3 consisting of two methods. For athletic purposes I will only be exterior levels 1 and 2, level 3 will come at a later time.
Level 1
The first progression in lump training is the extended 5s method, coined by Coach Thibaudeau. The goal of the extended 5s recipe is for the athlete to do 10 repetitions with a weight they can only do for 5 repetitions. Obviously this is an superior growth stimulus, as there is an growth in both intensity and volume (85% x 10 repetitions). An extended 5s set would go like this...
The athlete takes their 5 repetitions maximum (Rm) and does 5 reps and then racks the bar. Resting approx 7-12 seconds (counted out loud by a training partner or spotter), the athlete then un-racks the bar and does an additional one 2-3 repetitions. Upon racking the bar again, an additional one rest of 7-12 seconds is taken, and a final 2-3 repetitions are performed. The goal of the set is to get 10 repetitions total. commonly an athlete will need two to three pauses to achieve this. The athlete rests 3-5 minutes and repeats 3-5 times. This is an exquisite preliminary recipe to lump training! Here is a summary...
Extended 5s Method
· Load- 80-85% of 1 Rm or 5 Rm (repetition maximum)
· Reps- 5 Reps with 5 Rm, 7-12 pause, 2-3 Reps, 7-12 pause, 2-3 Reps
· Sets- 3-5
· Rest Intervals- 3-5 Minutes
· Target Goal- 10 Repetitions with a 5 Rm
The next progression in lump training is the first-rate lump method. Charles Poliquin wrote about this recipe in his text contemporary Trends in Strength Training (2001) and Mike Mahler has written articles on this recipe calling it Rest-Pause Training. Regardless of the name, it is a mighty and efficient method. This recipe is best used for increases in relative and maximal strength and hypertrophy of the type Ii-B muscle fibers (the ones with the most inherent for force and power output). This recipe uses a higher intensity bracket than the extended 5s method, normally 87-92% of 1 Rm and attempts to hit 5 intermitted repetitions with that load. A first-rate lump set would go like this...
The athlete would take their 3-4 repetitions maximum and performs 1 rep, racks the bar, 7-12 seconds pause, 1 rep, 7-12 second pause in the rack, 1 rep, 7-12 seconds pause, 1 rep, 7-12 seconds pause, and a final 1 rep, and a 3-5 puny rest. normally 3-5 sets are employed. Here is a summary...
Classic lump Method
· Load- 85-92% of 1 Rm
· Reps- 5 Total Reps, intermitted, 1, pause, 1, pause, 1, pause, etc.
· Sets- 3-5
· Rest Intervals- 3-5 Minutes
· Target Goal- 5 Repetitions with a 3-4 Rm
The last progression in level 1 is the antagonist lump method. This is basically a discrepancy of the first-rate lump method, with the irregularity being that the athlete alternates in the middle of to opposing exercises with minimal rest (the pause is taken by the opposing exercise being performed). Reps and sets still apply, however the carrying out of a set is a puny different...
The athlete would take their 3-4 repetitions maximum and performs 1 rep of bench press, racks the bar, proceeds to do 1 rep of bent over barbell rows, 1 rep on the bench press, 1 rep of the row, 1 rep bench press, 1 rep of the row, 1 rep on the bench, 1 rep on the row, and a final 1 rep on the bench, and 1 final rep of the row and a 3-5 puny rest. normally 3-5 sets are employed. Here is a summary...
Antagonist lump Method
· Load- 85-92% of 1 Rm
· Reps- 5 Total Reps each antagonist exercise, 1 Rep exercise 1, 1 Rep exercise 2, etc.
· Sets- 3-5
· Rest Intervals- 3-5 Minutes
· Target Goal- 5 Repetitions with a 3-4 Rm on two opposing exercises
· For those who need to know antagonists, examples would be horizontal push and horizontal pull (bench and row), vertical push and vertical pull (shoulder press and chin up), quad dominant and hip dominant (squat and good morning), arms (curl and triceps extensions).
Level 2
It goes without saying that a foundation of lump training should have been built in the former level prior to taking on the more developed methods here!
The first progression of the second level is named after the late Mike Mentzer, a extremely thriving bodybuilder. I first learned the Mentzer lump recipe through Coach Thibaudeau's exquisite Dvd on lump training, and I continued to research it by reading Weight Training the Mike Mentzer Way. This is a very mighty recipe and should not be taken lightly. The goal of this recipe is to achieve 4 to 5 total reps at 100-80% intensity. First the athlete will achieve 2-3 singles in first-rate lump fashion at 90-100% intensity and drop the weight approx 10% and achieve an additional one 1-2 repetitions with that weight in first-rate lump fashion. For example...
The athlete takes 98% of their 1 Rm and does 1 rep, racks the bar, 7-12 seconds pause, an additional one 1 rep, 7-12 seconds pause, an additional one 1 rep, 7-12 seconds pause, the spotter reduces the weight (in 7-12 seconds) and the athlete performs 1 more rep with this weight. Here is a summary...
Mentzer lump Method
· Load- 90-98% of 1 Rm
· Reps- 4-5 Total Reps, intermitted, 1, pause, 1, pause, 1, pause, sell out weight 10%, 1 Rep
· Sets- 3-5
· Rest Intervals- 3-5 Minutes
· Target Goal- 4-5 Repetitions with a 1-3 Rm
The second progression is called the drop set cluster. This is a blend of the first-rate lump recipe and the Mentzer lump method. Most trainees know what a drop set is, a descending project of dropping weight after performing some repetitions. The drop set lump still uses high intensity (90-100%) and drops the weight 5-10 lbs per drop on single repetitions. Again 5 reps are the target goal. An example being...
The athlete does 1 rep with 98-100% intensity, racks the bar, and the training partner or spotters take off 5-10 lbs from the bar during the 7-12 seconds pause, the athlete does an additional one single, Racks the bar, the spotters tiptoe to strip 5-10 lbs, athlete performs an additional one single, racks the bar and more weight is stripped, athlete does an additional one rep, racks and spotters sell out weight further, and athlete completes last rep. The drop set lump allows a higher level of muscular tension, due to the repetition's slow speed and the rep is being performed at 100% maximal momentary strength (i.e. All muscle fibers are being recruited to lift the load) (Poliquin, contemporary Trends in Strength Training, 18-19). A overview can be found here...
Drop Set lump Method
· Load- 90-100% of 1 Rm
· Reps- 5 Total Reps, intermitted, 1, pause lower weight 5-10 lbs, 1, pause lower weight 5-10 lbs, 1, pause lower weight 5-10 lbs, 1 Rep, pause lower weight 5-10 lbs, 1 Rep, pause lower weight.
· Sets- 3-5
· Rest Intervals- 3-5 Minutes
· Target Goal- 5 Repetitions with a 1-3 Rm
The final progression in level 2 is called the accentuated eccentric lump method. Caution: this recipe will wish a competent spotter! As you might know, I do like to accentuate the eccentric quantum of an exercise (see Eccentric Training for Athletes article). This recipe combines the first-rate lump recipe with an accentuated eccentric quantum of the lift. Again, the set and rep project stays close to the first-rate lump method, however during the eccentric or lowering quantum of the exercise, the training partner will push down on the bar and release at the mid point. This requires a very skilled spotter! They should only apply enough resistance to have the athlete still lower the bar under control! If the bar is dropping like a bag of bricks, it is not helping the athlete it is hurting them! Here is an example...
The athlete would take their 3-4 repetitions maximum and performs 1 rep with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, racks the bar, 7-12 seconds pause, 1 rep with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, 7-12 second pause in the rack, 1 rep with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, 7-12 seconds pause, 1 rep with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, 7-12 seconds pause, and a final 1 rep with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, and a 3-5 puny rest. normally 3-5 sets are employed. Here is a summary...
Classic lump Method
· Load- 85-92% of 1 Rm
· Reps- 5 Total Reps, intermitted, 1 with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, pause, 1 with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, pause, 1 with the training partner applying pressure to the bar in the lowering portion, pause, etc.
· Sets- 3-5
· Rest Intervals- 3-5 Minutes
· Target Goal- 5 Repetitions with a 3-4 Rm
Advantages for the Athlete
In his contemporary Trends in Strength Training (2001) text Charles Poliquin points out the advantages of using lump training for athletes, this is what he wrote...
· A higher total whole of repetitions with a higher mean intensity in the same whole of time as first-rate strength or neural based training
· Increased total training time under tension for the high-threshold fast-twitch fibers; a prerequisite for reaching hypertrophy of these premium fibers. This may seem contradictory to the conception of relative strength, but hypertrophy can be beneficial if it is done in the right motor units.
· Higher force/lower velocities repetitions-a prerequisite for inducing maximal strength gains.
Putting it together
Cluster training is without a doubt a growth and strength stimulus. But how do you combine it into a plan? Clusters should not be used for more than 3-4 weeks, or else the recipe will become stale and your body will have adapted to the recipe anyway. So the recipe must be integrated into a every year plan or at least a periodized cycle.
If an athlete or coach utilizes a conjugate recipe approach, lump training would fall into the plan as a Maximal exertion Method, due to its use of high loads. So one would essentially use it like this...
Max exertion Day
Me- first-rate lump Method
Assistance work done using first-rate hypertrophy methods (2-4 x 8-12)
If the athlete or coach decides to use linear periodization, lump training would fall within the Strength Phase bracket and each movement would be given the lump training method.
Strength Phase
Day 1- Horizontal Push/Pull
Bench Press- first-rate lump Method
Bent Over Barbell Row- first-rate lump Method
If the athlete or coach is utilizing undulating periodization (i.e. Rotating in the middle of assorted strength methods by weeks with a training cycle) lump training could be used for maximal strength work.
Strength Weeks
Week 1 and 5
Day 1- Horizontal Push/Pull
Day 2- Hips Dominant/Quad Dominant
Day 3- Vertical Push/Pull
1 exercise per Movement Group-
Classic lump Method
Cluster training is very versatile, and athletes can benefit from this recipe by increasing both strength and size. However, like any other training tool, this one should only be used in moderation due to the intense fatiguing succeed it has on the Central Nervous System. Also this recipe requires competent spotters, a luxury some do not have.
Cluster training done properly can help to jump start new growth or new strength adaptations in athletes. It can also growth all ready existing levels of size and strength. Any athlete (with the proper foundation) can benefit from this style of training! Good luck implementing this recipe in your and your athlete's training!
Sources & additional Study
1. Poliquin, Charles contemporary Trends in Strength Training (Self Published) 2001.
2. Thibaudeau, Christian (2005) lump Training [Dvd].
lump Training: The Athlete's Size and strength Edge