Fred Fornicola was nice (and diligent) enough to go through the massive amount of posts from last week’s blog and excise certain of my (and others) suggestions in an attempt to itemize the method’s key points (which I’m posting below). I’m absolutely stunned by the volume of positive response this method has received and hopefully everybody’s interest will result in all of our ability to advance exercise by retaining the stimulus component while taking steps to further reduce force and wear and tear issues (and proper strength training as Dr. McGuff and I have explained thoroughly in BBS is already a huge leap in this direction) even further. I would also suggest that those interested read the article I posted on the method for (hopefully) additional clarification: http://www.bodybyscience.net/home.html/?page_id=798
– John Little
WHAT IS MAX PYRAMID?
The Max Pyramid is simply a training option. I like it because I think that if one can reduce the forces coming back to the body and the wear and tear, while still retaining the productive elements of the stimulus then it’s a step in the right direction. It also requires virtually a “zero” learning curve as you don’t have to focus on slowing down on the turnaround points and moving at a specific cadence. Having said this, it’s also a new protocol as against the “Big 5″ that has been employed very successfully for decades. I don’t think the stimulus component is necessarily any better with Max Pyramid than with the protocol we recommend in BBS, so if it’s more practical to stick to a “Big 5″ (or a “Big 3″ performed as we recommend in BBS), then stick with that. The forces are also very low in the BBS “Big 5″ workout and it has a much longer (and better established) track record. Don’t worry about switching over, particularly if it will require seeking out a special trainer. Just get to the gym, work hard, don’t overtrain, get adequate rest and recovery and you’ll be doing fine!
WHAT’S THE GOAL?
The goal should be to obtain a sequential recruitment and exhaustion of fibers, while limiting the forces coming back to the body and the wear and tear that attends dynamic (read: motion) attempts at inroading. Training in the position of Max Moment Arm will recruit all fiber types throughout all of a muscle, and, thus, should not negatively impact your full-range strength (it may be perceived that way to some degree, owing to the greater strength expressed in the position of optimal leverage versus the lesser demonstrable strength expressed in the position of a leveraged disadvantage — but in either position it is the muscles that are moving the limb, and the fibers within the muscle are fully addressed and stimulated to become stronger with the MP protocol. Remember that motor units distribute their fibers homogeneously throughout the length of a muscle. So as you start to recruit high threshold motor units, you’re doing so homogeneously throughout the whole distribution of the muscle. As a result, the Type S and the Type G responses that Arthur Jones wrote about years ago are probably more of a neurological event. And, if you’re truly worried about this, you can always salt in a full range workout as you feel the need (and probably should do so). Consequently, if you’ve spent some time training your muscles through a regular range of motion rep modality and then go to a Max Contraction Training protocol (as we suggest in Chapter 7 of Body By Science), then you will produce a strength increase throughout the entire muscle.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT TO START WITH?
I would start with a load about 30 or 40 percent lighter than what you would normally rep with on a SS protocol and then work up to your normal work weight (or slightly higher depending upon whether or not you can sustain that load for 20-seconds). I would recommend as minor a weight increase as your machine will allow (which is typically 10-lbs) as this keeps the forces down and as long as you move immediately to the next weight — and the weight employed isn’t so light as to make it a bounce back between the slow twitch and intermediate twitch fibers for several sets
WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT?
The protocol will also work well with selectorized as well as plate-loading machines. Just make sure that your weight increases are in the 5-10-lb. range and your trainer or training partner makes them quickly for you. Having a stack of smaller plates at the ready by the machine/s you will be using will help this process along nicely. MP can also be used for bodyweight training.
WHAT IS MOMENT ARM EXERCISE?
In essence, Maximum Moment Arm is the when the distance between the axis and the resistance is maximal or, in other words, where your leverage is the worst (resulting in your muscles have to work harder by recruiting fibers more aggressively to sustain or generate a contraction). The “lock position” refers to the position in a pressing exercise where your limbs are locked straight, such as when your legs are fully extended in a Leg Press or your arms are fully extended in an overhead press. At this point your leverage is optimal and the Moment Arm is minimal, thus muscle fiber involvement is reduced to some degree (depending upon the load employed and the degree of involvement of the bones for support).
HOW MANY EXERCISES?
I’ve found that 2 or 3 movements (a Big 3) is plenty for anyone who has been training for a while. I think a beginner should use a Big 3 (and may even be able to tolerate a Big 4), but intermediates and advanced would probably be better served with a Big 2. A good workout to try the MP on would be:
1.) Leg Press
2.) Chest Press or Overhead Press
3.) Pulldown or Seated Row
Again, I wouldn’t attempt to perform all of these movements in one workout but there is room for individual choice and tolerance here, so feel free to experiment.
ANGLES
The hold point is not “potentially” the weakest point in the ROM, it IS the weakest point in the ROM owing to the disadvantageous leverage. Yes, you will be failing in the muscle’s weakest point in the ROM but this doesn’t mean that the fiber recruitment isn’t maximal. A muscle can be loaded in different points (with loads that correspond to the strength of the lever system) of the ROM and a sequential recruitment will still take place until all available fibers have been recruited, however, a large load isn’t necessary to recruit all available muscle fibers if you use leverage to your (dis) advantage. You are inroading to a much greater degree if, for the sake of illustration, you complete a leg press and are unable to move 60 lbs than if you complete a leg press and are unable to move 150 lbs. Thus, the inroad from performing a sequential recruitment of fibers in your position of Max Moment Arm (where strength is not expressed greatly but that is the most difficult) is actually greater.”
MEASURING PROGRESS
Progression is achieved via load and time. The 20-second hold was chosen (over say a 5-second or 10-second) is because it keeps the sequential recruitment process going more aggressively in a manner that will result in lighter weights being employed, thus reducing the forces coming back to the body. I believe I cover the above two points to some degree in the essay I wrote about this protocol (the part about having 200 units of force pushing out against 200 pounds of resistance, Newton’s 2nd Law, etc.).
GOING THROUGH A SET
The big thing to remember is the angle of your limbs during the exercise. If your leg press starts you in a position where your lower leg is at a 90-degree angle to your upper leg, then contract your muscles until the weight is approximately one-inch off the weight stack and hold for 20-seconds. Lower the weight after your 20-second hold, increase the resistance by 10 or 20 pounds (whichever increment that particular weight stack allows for), contract against the resistance for another 20-seconds and so on until you reach a load that you either cannot move from the stack or that you cannot sustain a contraction against for the requisite 20-seconds. At this point, reverse direction and come back up the stack, one plate at a time, until you reach a load that you can again contract against for 20-seconds or you return to your starting weight (whichever comes first). Remember to start out with a load that is not threatening to you; i.e., you’re aware you’re contracting against a resistance but it’s not demanding — and then proceed from there. NOTE: Each set (on the return portion of the protocol) probably will NOT be able to be sustained for 20-seconds — and that’s okay.
SPIN OFFS OF MP
OPTION#1
In keeping in line of what John has described as the back bone for Max Pyramid, I have taken the liberty of expanding his core concept a bit based on professional and personal needs and as such, maybe these suggestions may help some of you.
The main crux of what John offers is quite simple: reduce wear-and-tear on the body while imposing a strong enough stimulus to improve the muscular and cardiovascular systems. Taking that in to consideration, I offered some ideas on how to implement MP using bodyweight only exercises in an earlier post. In this post, I’d like to offer an off-shoot of how MP was originally described.
The following approach works well for:
-solo training
-fixed resistance
-plate loaded equipment
-selectorized equipment that offer large jumps in weight
First, I would recommend buying a digital clock large enough to see the display. I bought one on eBay (Trisonic) for under 5 bucks and that included shipping. I slapped a magnet on the back and I can put it on any machine I use that is metal so I don’t need to count.
Like the original concept of MP, you will need to experiment on finding that right resistance for each exercise movement so there is no way to determine where to start other than trying and finding where to make your tweaks. Ok, so you are on the Nautilus Leverage Leg Press and you train alone….not an easy way to use the MP protocol that you’re dying to try…so I offer you this approach:
Take a light enough resistance and push the foot plate out to almost a lock position. This is putting your legs/hips in their strongest leverage position. Hold for 20 seconds and come back all the way down. This is a non-intrusive warm-up, immediately push the weight back out but this time shorten the range by a couple of inches. Again, lower the weight all the way down and now go out again but this time just a few more inches less for 20 seconds. Do this over 4-5 sets until you are at the weakest leverage position (which is the original position John described in his article). If you picked your weight correctly, you will have one helluva time holding that position for 20 seconds. Now, work your way back up the pyramid so lower the weight and go out just a few inches past that bottom spot and hold for 20. Do this until you are back at your original position and what seemed ridiculously light will be one nasty final set.
OPTION #2
Another way (which I may have mentioned in the essay on this protocol) is one that we used prior to MP, which is simply to move your limbs into the position of Maximum Moment Arm and then sustain THIS contraction for your TUL. It would work this way, for instance, with a Leg Press:
1. You chose a weight that is a little lighter than what you might do dynamically in a typical BBS set.
2. Press the weight slowly into the position of Maximum Moment Arm.
3. Start the clock.
4. Over time (say, 1.5 to 3 minutes) your involved muscles will fatigue to the point where the load begins to overtake you and the weight returns to the stack.
5. Stop the clock and record your weight and TUL.
This also reduces force and wear and tear while still maintaining the appropriate stimulus. It’s a little more tedious and harder to endure, but it is effective.
Both Doug and I are pleased to announce that our latest work, The Body By Science Question & Answer Book is now available on Amazon.com. The book runs a total of 260 information-packed pages — with no illustrations or photos (save for the cover), so there is a wealth of information between its covers. Here is the overview from Amazon.com:
