Halcyon Strength

When working through an exercise program, I believe the most overlooked factors are:

-Tempo
-Form
-Rest Periods

Let me explain…

Let’s say you are trying to improve on flat bench press. You’d probably be happy with just completing the rep scheme at the target load, right? While that may seem like the correct way to work through an exercise program, we cannot overlook the tempo of the rep, your form, and of course, the rest periods.

Why are these 3 factors equally as important as sets, reps and exercise selection?

Tempo: Teaches control, assists in time under tension and helps recruit more muscle fibers which will benefit the athlete in the long run by being able to lift more weight no matter if the goal is to improve a compound lift or build more muscle.

Form: I don’t necessarily needs to go too into detail here because obviously we want great form with every single rep to avoid injury. Cheating is ok from time to time, but the form needs to be perfect almost always.

Rest Periods: Whether you’re trying to build more muscle/ improve on a compound lift or improve your cardiovascular fitness, rest periods will differ. If you’re trying to improve your cardiovascular fitness, very short rest periods are the way to go. If you’re trying to improve on a compound lift or build muscle, longer rest periods are the way to go.

I will say, when it comes to building muscle and improving on a compound lift, a general rule of thumb for your rest periods: Rest long enough to catch your breathe before performing the next set.

Don’t just count the reps, make the reps count.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Athlete: Corey Wesson
Coach: Colten Nall
Current Phase: Growth (bulking)

Corey and I have been working together since April of 2022 with a goal of gaining weight and getting stronger on his compound lifts.

Below is a 14 week progress update:
Left photo: 2/12/2023 - 197.3 lbs // 15.6% BF
Right photo: 5/22/2023 - 214.1 // 17.1% BF

A 16.8 pound difference in 14 weeks.

We did gain some body fat in the process but if you want to MAXIMIZE hypertrophy, you are going to gain body fat.

The second photo is a chart displaying Corey’s progress since April of 2022.

The goal for Corey is to get to a consistent 220 lbs and then we’re going to move into a fat loss/cutting phase. So we’ve got more work to do 😈