The Perfect Rep?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I have been experimenting with the following rep tempo:

  1. Explode up
  2. A fast negative, ‘catching’ the weight at the halfway point or below,for a 2 sec iso hold
  3. Lower remainder of the way in a controlled fashion
  4. Pause at bottom, repeat

My idea is that

  1. I get the benefits of explosive lifting
  2. the fast eccentric may be better for hypertrophy per some recent studies
  3. pause at the bottom allows for dissipation of the stored elastic energy, hence more work for the muscle.

Thoughts on this rep tempo for hypertrophy?

2

I would say it’s something you can try out for variety’s sake. Otherwise it appears that the benefit isn’t worth the effort. You’re craming too many things in one rep.

3

It’s okay for a change, but I don’t think it’s perfect.

When I think of a perfect rep, with a bench press for example, I think of a constant controlled descent over a couple of seconds, a strong contraction/hold at the bottom, an explosion from this position, only slowing as the arms reach full extension.

Repeat for as long as possible. If the person loses the ability to control the weights descent, that’s the end of the set.

You get an explosove stimulus AND a long eccentric. On top of this you’re also building stability by pausing and holding the weight at the bottom. Perfect rep.