Building off from the article about giant sets and how to implement it into your training program, let’s talk about a less implemented style of approaching accessory work for the time pressed trainee. I’ve been working off of this principle since 2019 and can happily report it has brought up my delts and hamstrings, parts that I’ve been wanting to pack size onto. Myo reps have been put onto me by Dr. Mike Israetel.
Myo-Reps, short for “Myofibrillar Repetition,” is a training technique designed to optimize effective volume and efficiency, making it an excellent choice for individuals looking to make the most of their time in the gym in pursuit of hypertrophy responses after main work squats, presses and deadlifts especially when focusing on single joint accessory exercises or easier dumbbell variations.
What are Myo-Reps?
Myo-Reps is a high-intensity training method that revolves around rest-pause sets and intra-set rest periods. The goal is to stimulate muscle growth and strength gains by targeting the myofibrils, the contractile fibers within muscle fibers responsible for generating force. This technique is based on the principle of maximizing mechanical tension while minimizing metabolic stress, making it a potent strategy for achieving hypertrophy (muscle growth) and strength improvements.
How Do Myo-Reps Work?
Warm-Up Set: Begin with a light warm-up set to prepare the targeted muscle group for the upcoming work.
Primer Set: Perform a set of around 15 to 20 repetitions with a moderate weight. This primes the muscles for the working sets.
Working Sets: Select a weight that you can lift for about 8 to 12 repetitions to failure. Perform as many reps as possible, stopping a rep or two short of complete failure.
Rest-Pause Sets: After reaching near failure, rack the weight and rest for about 5-10 seconds. This short pause allows for a partial recovery of the muscles’ ATP (energy) stores without fully recovering. Then, perform another set with the same weight, aiming for another 3-5 reps.
Repeat Rest-Pause Sets: Continue this rest-pause approach for a total of 3-5 clusters (the initial set plus subsequent rest-pause sets).
Total Repetitions: Add up all the reps from the clusters to calculate the total repetitions for that exercise.
Intra-Set Rest: Between the clusters, take a longer rest period of about 2-3 minutes if needed. This allows for more substantial recovery before moving on to the next exercise.
Advantages of Myo-Reps
Time Efficiency: Myo-Reps allow you to achieve significant muscle stimulation and fatigue in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional sets, making them ideal for busy individuals.
Increased Volume: The rest-pause technique enables you to accumulate more total effective repetitions, increasing training volume and promoting muscle growth.
Mechanical Tension: By working close to failure and incorporating short rest periods, Myo-Reps focus on maximizing mechanical tension, a key driver of muscle growth and strength development.
Versatility: Myo-Reps can be applied to various accessory exercises, helping you target specific muscle groups that might not be the focus of your main lifts.
Plateau Breaking: This technique can be particularly useful for breaking through plateaus, as it challenges your muscles in a new way and promotes adaptation.
Considerations: Progressive Overload: Like any training method, progressive overload remains crucial. Gradually increase the weights you use to ensure continuous growth.
Form and Safety: Always prioritize proper form to avoid injury. When using heavy weights, consider having a spotter or using safety equipment. This being a rest-pause protocol start light.
Individualization: Myo-Reps might not suit everyone. It’s essential to find the balance between intensity and recovery that works best for your body.
Myo-Reps offer a time-efficient and effective protocol for those looking to optimize results, especially when focusing on accessory exercises. Myo-Reps capitalize on mechanical tension and promote muscle growth.
As with any training method, it’s important to tailor the approach to your fitness level, goals, and recovery capacity. If you’re short on time and want to make the most of your gym sessions, Myo-Reps could be a valuable addition to your training toolkit.
Summing it up, after warming up and taking a short break, lift the weight you’ve chosen. Do reps until you can’t do more (but keep one rep in reserve). This first set is the “activation set.” Put the weight back, I personally take 4 to 5 breaths and lift it again, and do 1 rep short of failure. For example, if you did 20 reps in the first set, do more reps now. Repeat this, resting and lifting, until you hit another point where you can’t do more reps.This is the auto-regulation part.
Some days or exercises might give you something like 20 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 1 reps. Other times, you might manage 20 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 5 + 4 (or more). The idea is to activate your muscles well in the first set and then keep going, pushing a bit harder, to benefit from the effects of pre-exhausted muscles, which can help with growth with the novel stimuli you expose it to. That’s all the tidbits I have for my iron bug bitten friends. See you all next time where I’ll write about two-a-day frequency sessions for building up your main lifts.
