Purpose of ME...

[b fold the truth]

Ok...just wondering. If it really does not matter which ME exercise you use because it is supposed to get you used to handling maximum poundages AND get you into the mindset of going all out in a maximum effort...well...ok...

Is it more important to hit a new PR each week...or more important to make the weight each week?

If you liked a certain ME exercise and felt that it helped you grow...you are more likely to stick with it more often than not. You will get stronger on that exercise for a few weeks...then you will stop progressing. By the time you have stopped progressing...it is too late...you should have already changed ME exercises.

Just a thought...but I think that the confidence effect of making a PR each week on any given exercise is more important than doing the exercise for a few weeks in a row. The confidence that you gain from ALWAYS making a new PR on an exercise gives you the feeling of being super strong.

My advice...find a million variations for every exercise and don't do the same one twice every couple of months. Use bands in every way you can, vary your stance/grip, change boards and pins, use different box heights, elevate your heels, and use chains every way possible. ME days should be the most fun times of the week because you should be doing something that is new and different every single week. You should be building confidence...and stress is not a factor because you either have not done this exercise like this before...or it has been a very long time.

Any thoughts?

B True

 

[endpoint]

i think the strain (i guess on the CNS) is the most important thing.
just handling heavy weights as well.

There is a real mental thing for me with failure. I dont get upset...but i punish myself and try harder and harder. I hate floor pressing....no matter what i dont gain as much as i would like. thats why i always include it or a varient. But i think the more time i strain on the floor the more it helps me.


a lot of max effort exercises seem to compliment each other...gaining in one will help out with the other. i am trying to develope a rough guide of a sequence to follow....nothing set in stone and it will always change, but for example My standard goodmorning seems to be eaisier after a week of deadlifts off 4 inch mats...but if i DONT move onto goodmornings and switch to a different type of pull.....i dont get shit from it, and the next time i try a GM i fail.
I guess that ties in with what you were saying about trying different varying factors each week..and straining in a different way.

rough quote...train what is week and it will make you stronger

 

[ZZuluZ]

1.) You're right it's great physchologically, but I don't think this is a determining factor.

2.) It addresses your weaknesses which is crucial.

3.) It perfections your nervous system in that you are doing a movement similar enough to the the actual movement you want to train for. Doing flat benches will go stale real quick, but you can keep on being more neurally efficient if you stick to something similar like decline benches.

-Zulu

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Great point. There is a huge difference in how I feel, my attitude and everything after I hit a PR as opposed to when I miss.

 

[1-dawg]

I asked Dave Tate this question once and he said it really makes no difference. As long as you strain and you hit pr's then you'll be fine. He boiled it down to this -- you'll get stronger by accident.

 

[lexi]

I've been doing the same ME 2 weeks in a row and then switching - coming back to the same excersise 6 weeks later. Is this not a good system? I did 3 board with bands for 2 weeks and made a PR the 2nd week, and I walked out of the gym feeling really good. Then last week I switched to floor press and was REALLY disappointed and it doesn't really make me want to do it again this Saturday. After reading what you guys said I'm not sure if I should switch to another ME excersise or force myself to do it again and try to PR and stay with the 2 week thing I have going.

 

[k1401]

lexi, you should hit the floor press again, just because you didn't PR doesn't mean you won't do better this week. You're putting your body through a different form of stress so it may take a 2nd or even a 3rd workout to adjust to it. Remember work on your weakpoints.

 

[CytoMel]

We switch all the exercises accessary and ME every week. This is what we use, 2,3, or 4 boards, floor with chains, close g incline, illegal wides, reverse band, and flat with shirts every so often. We always switch every week. I know that its working well
because a few months ago we had 2 teams that train, over 400 and under 400 max benchers. Now that has changed to over 449 and under 449 because we are getting stronger.

 

[endpoint]

CytoMel...just got a collection of chains.....do you feel the floor press with chains is better? does it help the standard floor press

 

[CytoMel]

CytoMel...just got a collection of chains.....do you feel the floor press with chains is better? does it help the standard floor press

We always do the floor press with chains. Lots of chains.

We had around 200 pounds in chains on the bar, so I would suggest using all those chains on a floor press and see how it goes.