HEALTH: Quasar Workouts

My new favorite method of exercise is Quasar Training. It is a method my friend and I made up recently in the gym to help "spice up" our gym routine. I can't say that the idea is novel--I think most everything has been thought of already--but it is new for us. We called it Quasar because it sounds awesome and motivating, but it really is QSSR training.

Quick Start, Slow Release (QSSR), aka Quasar, is a technique that follows exactly what the name implies. Start the exercise with a Quick Start effort, working the Fast Twitch muscles for speed increases. At the peak of the movement, right before you begin the return movement, you change over from "Quick" to "Slow". The Slow Release is returning in a very slow motion, about 2 "Mississippi Counts" worth.

In one exercise, you are increasing your explosive speed, and gaining strength. The muscle strength you gain is also being exercised differently. Since the return is often a quick release of muscle tension, most workouts rarely exercise the muscles in this fashion. Slow Release will allow quicker gains and a more complete muscular workout as you employ stabilizer muscles as well.

A great way to experience Quasar Training immediately is to a set of Quasar Push-Ups right now. Lay on the floor in Push-Up position, but with your chest on the floor. Launch yourself up as fast you can (Quick Start) and then lower yourself back down very slowly (Slow Release). Repeat for a complete set. Do not let your chest touch the ground between repetitions. Each time you are pushing up as fast as you can to build explosive speed, then you are returning down, fighting gravity very slowly.

This has been talked about on EzineArticles as well: http://ezinearticles.com/?Quasar-Workouts-Are-the-Brightest-Way-to-Stellar-Physical-Fitness&id=4523423

HEALTH: Interval Strength Training

If you do strength training, you probably know that your body can plateau and changing up your exercise pattern is a good way to kick your body back into gear. In an effort to do just such a kick start, my gym buddy and I often try new techniques. One such that we find very effective is what we call Interval Strength Training.

The term Interval Training is overused already, utilized for other techniques unrelated to what we are talking about here. While a better name is needed, when we use it in our workout routine, we always know what we mean by it.

You can call it what you want, but in context of this post, Interval Training is a method of simply changing the order of the weight changes in a set. Traditional methods do 3 sets of 10 repetitions (reps) of increasing strength: light, medium, heavy. It is also a good idea to always start with a warm up set that isn't counted in the above 3.

Interval Strength Training is a little different. We shock the muscle by jumping back and forth, and also change the reps per set. The first set is the traditional "light" set at 10 - 12 reps. Next, we jump up to our heaviest set at 4 - 6 reps. If you are able to do more than 6 reps on Heavy, than you have misjudged your weight selection and should fix it next time. The 3rd set is Medium; somewhere between the heavy and light, and should be 8 - 10 reps. Finally, we push out a set of what we call "Super Light" which is set below the Light set from before and we have to do 20 reps at this weight.

The method here allows for your muscles to work on heavier weights earlier in the workout before they fatigue, which will encourage muscle growth. The super light set at the end helps to build endurance as you push your muscles to fatigue. Our own application of this technique is to do 2 or 3 weeks traditional, then a week of Interval Strength Training to "change it up".

Give it a try and see the results. Feel free to report them here for others to benefit.

To Recap:

1. Light = 10 - 12 Reps
2. Heavy = 4 - 6 Reps
3. Medium = 8 - 10 Reps
4. Super Light = 20 Reps