'Today’s training tip comes from Alwyn Cosgrove:
Balance Your Training
A training program should be balanced in terms of sets, reps, total time under tension, and volume throughout the entire body, but particularly in opposing movement patterns. If, for example, you’re doing 2 sets of 10 reps in the bench press, and 2 sets of 10 reps in the seated row, this isn’t necessarily balanced. You could be pressing with 200 pounds — that’s a total volume of 4000 pounds — and rowing with only 150, a total volume of 3000 pounds. This is actually a major imbalance and would need to be addressed. An imbalance in volume will end up causing a major shoulder girdle problem. In an ideal situation we’d be using the same sets, reps, and loads in all antagonistic movement patterns.’
Wouldn’t different muscle sizes,leverages and such be needd to put into the equation?I’d have to do a shitload of military presses to balance my chin/pulldown poundage.
Yeah I also feel it’s an odd suggestion for having equal loads, reps etc. but I like the idea of equal volume (poundage).
This was in his 7 habits of highly effective programs article and caused a bit of a stir there too.
Say you do bicep curls and skull crushes.On the bicep curls you lift 100 lbsx10x3,a total of 3000 pounds lifted.On the bicep curls you do 80 lbs x10x3,2400 pounds.Now since my triceps are stronger I need to make up for this with additional reps for the biceps?
Same goes for rowing/pressing.I can pull a helluvalot more than I can push.
I was thinking more along the lines of bringing work done in push/pull, knee and hip extension/flexion closer together.
I like the idea, it sounds sensible - I’d also like to hear other opinions, with some evidence if it’s available.
Biceps curls and triceps extensions?
Good point - great example of muscle group strength differences.
I’d assume that putting more emphasis on flexion or extension around a single joint could cause problems.
My personal experience has been with push/pull and knee flexion/extension imbalances.