5 Training methods to take your fitness to the next level
By Martin Ebner (updated July 26th 2021)
Bored to death with your traditional and repetitive workouts with straight sets, reps, exercises and rest times? If you answered yes, it’s likely that your body is fed up too. It’s important for not only your commitment and enthusiasm to your fitness routine to keep things varied but for your results too. After all, our bodies thrive and progress when faced with new challenges, not repetitiveness, boredom and monotonous workouts.
If you’ve been following the same workout plan for 12+ weeks or if you feel that you’ve gotten everything you can from a certain workout(s), add some variety and spice to your exercise routine with the following 5 training methods. All of which can be implemented as a whole or part of a workout.
Amrap - Best for all-out effort
AMRAP stands for as many rounds and/or reps as possible within a set amount of time. Say what you like about CrossFit and CrossFitters but damn, they know how to put together some killer workouts.
AMRAP workouts can be a lot of fun and are a great opportunity to monitor progress and intensify training volume and density as your fitness level, confidence and ability improve. It's also a great way to encourage a self-competitive spirit as you aim to beat your previous results every time you repeat the workout.
Note: I regularly use Amraps when I'm on holiday, have little equipment or when training as part of a group. It’s a great way to hit your full body in a single workout and allows for a variety of different fitness levels to take part at their own pace.
BENEFITS OF AMRAP WORKOUTS
They are extremely versatile and can be used with just about any exercise.
A great way to include different fitness levels in a group training environment.
A great form of high-intensity training as you only take breaks when needed.
Like most high-intensity workouts, it's great for burning calories both during and after your workout due to an increase in (EPOC) Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption aka the after-burn effect. This is when your body continues to burn calories as it recovers from a tough workout.
Can be done anywhere with little to no equipment.
Pyramid training - Best for Muscular growth and strength gains
It's quite possible that you've tried it or even used pyramid training without knowing it. Popular amongst bodybuilders for muscle growth and powerlifters for strength gains, it's a fun and highly effective way to bring some variation and volume to your traditional straight sets.
While there are many different ways to do it, the most textbook methods are an ascending pyramid (increasing the weight on each set while decreasing the number of reps) or a descending pyramid (decreasing the weight on each set while increasing the number of reps). There’s also a 3rd option if you’re really in the mood and that’s to do both the ascendency and descendancy phases (or vice versa). This method of training is ideal for compound lifts such as squats, bench press and deadlifts.
While all three methods are very effective, which one you choose should be dependent on your specific fitness goals.
If your goal is to increase strength, ideally you would do an ascending pyramid. By starting light and with higher reps, you allow for a natural warm-up whilst saving your strength and energy for maximum power for fewer reps in the last set(s).
Note: it's important if you’re training for maximum strength gains not to “rep out” in the earlier sets. This will allow for maximum power for the heaviest sets at the top of the Pyramid.
If your goal is to increase muscle size, ideally you would do a descending pyramid or reverse pyramid as it's also known. By starting with the heaviest weight first, you shift your body into a state of heightened muscle fiber activation. As you decrease the weight and up the reps (optional), you’ll recruit more muscle fibers as you push your muscles to failure on every set.
Tip: When performing a descending pyramid, for optimal muscle growth, aim to rep out between 8-12 repetitions on every set.
Note: make sure to warm up properly beforehand. You want your muscles primed and ready for the heavier sets.
Related article: Bodybuilding: A Personal Trainer's Favorite Supplements for Bulking Up
Tabata - Best for endurance and fat burning
Tabata training or Tabata protocol is a form of high-intensity interval training. It was originally developed as a way to improve both aerobic and anaerobic performance in athletes performing cardiovascular exercise but has since become very popular with just about everyone looking for maximum benefit in a short space of time.
While traditional Tabata training calls for an active to rest ratio of 2:1 (20 seconds of all-out effort, followed by 10 seconds rest) for a total of 8 rounds, it's perfectly acceptable to adjust the times and ratios to accommodate your fitness level and goals. Just make sure the rest periods are short enough to prevent full recovery between exercises.
While original Tabata was primarily used for cardiovascular activities like running and cycling, it’s become increasingly popular for single resistance exercises (8x20:10 sets) like push-ups and bodyweight squats. It’s also great for circuits of up to 8 different exercises.
BENEFITS OF TABATA TRAINING:
Great for those short on time.
It's extremely versatile and can be used with just about any exercise or circuit.
It's great for burning calories both during and after your workout due to an increase in (EPOC) Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption aka the after-burn effect. This is when your body continues to recover oxygen as it recovers from a tough workout - a process that requires burning calories.
Can be done anywhere with little to no equipment.
Improves aerobic, anaerobic and athletic performance.
Read our Full Tabata training guide
Drop sets - Best for muscular growth
Drop sets (also known as strip sets or descending sets) is a training technique where you perform an exercise to failure, reduce or “drop” the amount of weight and continue for more reps until you reach failure again, drop the weight and repeat. By challenging your muscles to rep out over and over again with little to no rest in between sets, you cumulatively activate more muscle fibers which simply isn't as achievable with conventional straight sets of 8-12 reps. By hitting these often stubborn deep muscle fibers, you further damage the muscles which promotes better all-round muscle growth.
Note: While drop sets are an extremely good method to challenge both your muscles and mental strength (it's agony), it's not recommended that you do it with every exercise and workout as it can be extremely demanding. As a general rule, try incorporating drop sets into the last couple of exercises of your workouts and only use one per body part.
Related article: Build Muscle, get ripped and increase endurance with drop sets
Ladder workouts - Best for short on time.
Like a good AMRAP, the goal of ladder workouts is to complete as many rounds of a circuit of exercises as possible within a set amount of time. The difference being, with ladder workouts, you start with low reps (1-3) and ascend (1-3 reps at a time) with each subsequent round until the timer runs out or you can't go on (whichever comes first).
Ladder workouts can be a lot of fun and are a great way to increase strength and endurance whilst maintaining proper form, technique and maximizing training volume as your fitness level, confidence and ability improve.
BENEFITS OF LADDERS WORKOUTS:
Great for strength and endurance improvements.
Suitable for every fitness level.
It's extremely versatile and can be used with bodyweight, cardio and weight training exercises.
Is a great way to include different fitness levels in a group training environment.
Can be a great form of high-intensity training as you only take breaks when needed.
When prioritizing cardio exercises into a ladder workout format, it can easily classify as a high-intensity workout which, as we know, is great for burning calories.
SAMPLE LADDER WORKOUT - 20 MINS
Exercises:
Squats
Burpees
Push-ups
Rows or pull-ups
Step back lunges
Instructions:
Start with 3 reps per exercise.
Ascend 1 rep at a time for a total of 20 minutes.
Practice strict form and only rest when needed.
Good luck and enjoy!
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