We're beginning mixed training, a kind of training that combines max strength and hypertrophy. Max strength is different than anything we've done to date, and we're getting used to it.
In this podcast (Quicktime ipod compatible, 15MB; Google streaming flash video), Nancy and I (Bud) show a few exercises and discuss our new mixed training cycle. In the bodybuilding periodization program we are following, mixed training represents an intermediate stage between pure hypertrophy and max strength training. During hypertrophy, weightlifters maximize the size of their muscle fibers but not necessarily the output or the coordination of the muscle fibers.
Obviously, in performance sports like powerlifting, you want to maximize performance, not just looks. Even in an aesthetic sport like bodybuilding, you want to engage in max strength because it gets the muscle to its maximal hardness. This condition of large, hard muscle fibers is referred to as chronic hypertrophy.
Nancy and I did well in this workout, but we are clearly adjusting to the different work schedule. Rest between sets is much longer without that many fewer sets. We're going to have to organize this carefully.
Additional Links
- This article gives a good definition of strength and what we mean by max strength.
