Increase Your Workout Intensity Using Descending Series

Among the big variety of training methods recommended by successful bodybuilders is the method of decreasing series. It is considered by far one of the most efficient and exhausting techniques and is highly recommended to be used by all bodybuilders.

There are many people who go to the gym and train hard and are very few who achieve great results. Building wanted muscle mass is influenced by a sum factor that any bodybuilder should be aware of: training, nutrition, rest and, last but not the least one, well knowledge of this kind of sport.

Very often is not enough just to read about how to train, rather you need to understand if that type of training is suitable for your goals, to realize the impact that application of training techniques has on your body.

Descending series are series where repetitions are performed with decreasing weights until muscle exhaustion. You have to know that the technique itself is quite simple. Let’s take for example the exercise of barbell push presses for chest muscle.

So, during the last series of exercise do a number of reps with a maximum weight, then take off 1 / 3 of weight from barbell and continue till the exhaustion. After this, take off once more third of the barbell weight, and execute the last one set till the exhaustion. This is the typical scheme for a descending series, but it’s up to you to introduce/do those changes that are best suited to your needs and physical condition.

Technique of descending series has big advantages, and you have to know all of them. The main drawback of this technique consists in the fact that they can be applied to all exercises and that person has not to change the workstation as in other situations.

Studies have shown that in case of the normal set, after performing 6-12 repetitions, muscle reaches a maximum fatigue with that weight at that moment, but did not reach absolute muscle exhaustion. It can be explained this way: during a normal set execution, were not activated and involved in movement all fibers of that muscle group, but only those needed for raising that weight. That is way, by reducing weight immediately and continuing exercise, new fiber muscles will be involved in the execution of the movement.

Technique of descending series is known as giving maximum efficiency in reasonable time. For a better efficiency, you have to consider some moments, like these ones:

- Always prepare barbell, discs, dumbbells, and the device before starting the descending series. Otherwise, you will be put in the situation being unable to continue since you will not find the necessary equipment. It is also recommended to train when the room is not very crowded and have at hand all you need for an ideal execution.

-Try to use most often two rounds of decreasing barbell weight. This means make three sub-series of descending series with three different weights.

- Always try to execute a number of 6-12 repetitions for each subseries of the decreasing series. It’s highly advisable, to begin with, 6 reps with heavy weights and ended with a sub-series of 12 repetitions.

-Your pauses between sets execution should be as short as possible. Several seconds necessary for changing dumbbells, barbell or discharging device are sufficient.

Along with these aspects, you have to know that moderation and caution in using this technique of high intensity will keep you away from overtraining and injury.

Must Read: Why Bodybuilders Should Do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

Bodybuilding is not only about the execution of hard exercise and lifting heavy weights. It’s a matter where knowledge is necessary since constant improvement means testing and choosing new methods that happen to be very effective for other bodybuilders. To this aspect is related decreasing technique. Give it a try a see if it fit your body needs!