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J-Reps™: The Johnston Rep Method
A Few JReps™ Details
(An excerpt from the book The Johnston Rep Method - JReps™) By Brian D. Johnston
Too much emphasis is placed on set and exercise schemes, and not enough emphasis on how the sets and exercises should be performed for optimum effect.
I am no different from most people who exercise, in that I like strong muscles and being healthy, but my prime objective and motivator to exercise is to look good. I enjoy seeing my abdominals, the veins running through my arms, the separation in my quadriceps, and the feel of pumped, firm musculature. It is a mental rush. This obsession has inspired me to experiment with any and all types of training methods, to discover what works best to optimize development. And in that journey I have made some important observations, although they tend to be different from what other people have or will recommend, and likely, from my perspective, because they are looking for the wrong things, or they look at the bigger picture but in the wrong light.
For example, most people think very linearly about exercise, in that they recommend a 'program' that often is quite static, such as 'x' number of sets for a muscle, or some type of combination, such as 5 sets of 5, or 10 sets of 10. Conversely, I believe that exercise demands need to change, in that there should be times whereby volume and even frequency increase. The time for such an increase would depend on the person, e.g., having the motivation and overall reduced stress levels to undertake a more challenging routine. However, because of recovery limitations, those higher demands need to return to a more tolerable measure eventually and before any signs of overtraining transpire. The book Apex deals with this aspect of long-term training implementation.
Others have claimed that to optimize exercise, one needs to have machines with 'perfect' (or, at least, 'ideal') force curves. The fact that many well-muscled individuals exist without the use of such machines, whether on steroids or not, should make it apparent that a well-made tool may provide a more efficient, quality-driven workout, but that the more important facet is 'how' the tool is used. And this is why free weights or cable exercises can be as effective for developing muscle as what is possible with machines.
And so, what have I determined to be of greatest value in optimizing muscle? Intensity of effort is a given, a factor that I will only address in passing. Fundamentally, even those who do not believe in training to muscular fatigue still are aware of the necessity to train 'hard enough,' in that sitting and staring at a weight will not produce muscular change, and neither will dozens of sets of easy, light-weight training. There has to be enough of a load on the muscles, and when the load increases progressively (which is the nature of strength training, in order to enhance strength levels), this ensures that intensity of effort will be high or maximum. And when intensity of effort is high, then the number of sets and frequency will not be very high - cannot be very high so that the stress levels remain within tolerable means and the trainee can recover between workouts.
Hence, there does exist very basic attributes to any proper exercise program when the focus is to enhance muscle and strength. But with those trainees who do train hard, who do put forth every ounce of effort, they oftentimes hit a wall in progress, and will contemplate a change to a sub-fatigue higher volume approach. This works for a number of reasons, such as:1) A change of pace can produce further progress simply because it is a change, and not because the sub-fatigue higher volume approach is superior (particularly over the long-term);
2) The increase in volume can have a positive effect on muscle pump, which phenomenon does have a positive effect on growth (to be discussed later); and
3) The increase in muscular contractions per workout could have a positive effect on growth (although hypothetical, I believe it to be true).
From my experiences, I noticed that more contractions are better than fewer contractions, such as 10 contractions vs. 5 contractions in a set that would last 60 seconds, for example. The problem is, if your sets last 60 seconds, it is difficult to perform 'more' contractions without moving progressively faster, to the point whereby quality of movement decreases (less muscular control and tension, and more momentum and use of stored energy ), and the risk of injury increases (for the same reasons). Moreover, eventually any 'higher-volume' routine runs out of steam, since intensity of effort still is a primary, and as the trainee attempts to use more weight on the higher-volume routine, it is necessary to employ progressively greater effort. This is true since strength is finite, and the more weight you attempt to use in an exercise, to challenge the muscles in order to make them larger and stronger, the more likely it will be that you will train to fatigue.
But how does one increase muscle pump, the number of contractions per workout (or per unit of time) without moving faster, without increasing the risk of injury, and without implementing a traditional 'high-volume' approach to exercise? The answer to this question came to me after I experimented with JReps', but suffice it to say, my 'accidental' discovery may not have been so accidental, in that I did observe a few related and quintessential factors in physical development and responses to exercise:
1. In the context of a workout, it is how you use the tool to train the muscle that is most important, i.e., the style of performance.
2. In the context of a routine, there needs to exist constant variety and unique challenges on the muscle, so that the muscle has less an opportunity to adapt to the exercise stimulus, in order to adapt by improving in function and size.
3. In the context of long-term application, exercise demands need to fluctuate, so as to force the muscles to a higher state of function.
Points 2 and 3 share some commonalities, but they are different. Certainly altering exercise demands is a method of employing variety, but when addressing variety I mean changing the exercises, their order, and how they are performed. On the other hand, fluctuating exercise demands refers to the measure of sets, frequency and set variable integration, i.e., to create greater or lesser burdens on the muscles.
Most of us are in the dark when it comes to altering exercise demands over the long-term, since it can be difficult to determine how much should be performed out of the ordinary. If you find 5 sets for a muscle ideal most of the time, should you try 8 sets and for how long? I can't answer this for you since it really depends on your ability to tolerate exercise strain, what you are used to, how hard you train, etc. As per the book Apex, I have found that an increase of volume by 100% and an increase of frequency of about 50-100% (above normal, tolerable levels) cannot be sustained more than two weeks before needing to return to a 'usual' routine - not without incurring negative consequences. With the issue of exercise variety, a regular change-up of exercises and their order often will suffice, together with the odd set variable such as forced repetitions.
The style of performance, however, is the area in which I want to address for this book, since I believe the way in which a person exercises, to optimize each set, which then serves to optimize each workout of a routine, is of primary importance. After all, we need to focus on the small things (the rep) in order to have a proper and positive influence on the big things from sets, to workouts, to routines, and to the achievement of long-term goals.
But do not misinterpret what I am about to share with you to be a promise of 18-inch arms, or that you will be 'huge.' As previously alluded to, hard work is a primary factor no matter how you lift a weight, and so that needs to be in place. Performing an appropriate number of sets, too, is of importance. When you put all those things together, and apply an appropriate lifting style, then you have a winning combination to help you achieve the most that your genetics will allow.
Now, the issue of proper lifting style is in debate, and again people think too linearly. For the most part, recommendations are as follows: 'lift the weight up and then lower the weight back down.' Very straight forward. Fewer people will put more thought into the formula, and will recommend slow, controlled movement in order to maintain tension throughout the full range of an exercise. I believe in this latter aspect, in that control and quality of tension/muscular contraction is vital. But I have found further that altering the method of how a weight is lifted, beyond the issues of constant tension and safety tends to have a very positive influence on my muscles, whether to increase their size or to maintain fullness and hardness much better and for longer between workouts.
An example would be the 21-method, whereby 7 repetitions are performed for the first half of the range, followed by 7 repetitions for the other half, and followed by 7 full range repetitions. Of course, this could be called the 15-method if you decide to perform 5-5-5 rather than 7-7-7, but the '21' method has a better 'blackjack' ring to it, and the reader likely realizes how emotionally fixated we can be when it comes to the mystique of numbers and the 'sound' of a name.
Although altering the manner in which I performed an exercise proved favorable, about 10 years ago I noticed the best effect when I implemented bottom range partials, whereby the 'stretched' half of an exercise is performed, and which is one aspect of JReps'. I further noticed that some styles of lifting produced a greater pump, such as 1 1/2 reps and those, too, had an influence on the fullness and hardness of my muscles between workouts.
And interestingly, I implemented JReps™ in early 2005 in order to optimize exercise performance/feel on the Bowflex machine. It was shortly thereafter that I decided to experiment with this method and then discovered that it works incredibly well with other equipment, from free weights to variable resistance machines, and even body-weight exercises.
What you will experience when implementing JReps™ is high volume contractions within a low volume of sets. This is what makes the method so effective, in that a great amount of work, blood pumping and muscle fiber activation throughout an exercise's full range of motion occurs in very brief workouts
Moreover, JReps™ allow you to customize each set of any exercise, so that areas that once felt easy can feel very challenging, and that any zone within an exercise's ROM becomes an effective training zone for optimum growth potential. Because of this, JReps™ reflect the overload principle better than any other method, in that each zone is overloaded to its optimum capacity, which means stimulating more muscle fibers than traditional training. And the more muscle fibers you stimulate, the greater the resulting muscle pump.
This effect becomes obvious to those who integrate JReps™ properly and with vigor, as it becomes easier to lift or move everyday items. You see, when you lift or move something heavy, the muscles move a little, but they try to maintain an isometric position as much as possible, since you are stronger isometrically than you are when moving concentrically. Therefore, the body will attempt to maintain an isometric contraction to provide you the best lifting advantage. No one picks up something heavy, such as a box filled with books, and moves the arms up and down while walking with the load. Rather, you hold it close to your center of gravity and maintain the position to the best of your ability, to make the task easier.
JReps™ involve constant motion, but because the range is concentrated or limited, it better reflects an isometric environment than does full range exercise. And together with greater loading and inroading of specific muscle fibers within each zone of an exercise movement, the carry-over effect you will experience in everyday activities will be more significant.Hence, improved strength throughout the entire range of motion of a muscle makes JReps™ a vital training methodology for the average person, those progressing through injury rehabilitation, and for competitive athletes. (In regard to rehab, a superior pump has a positive effect on nutrient delivery and pain/inflammation reduction, and painful areas of exercise can be avoided or targeted specifically, as required.)
If you have any questions or comments, please email us.
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Disclaimer: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
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