Christopher Barakat

The objective of this research was 2-fold: (a) to acutely assess differences in session duration, muscle excitation, and mean barbell velocity between a Myo-reps (MYO) protocol and a traditional (TRA) protocol using the bench press and (b) to evaluate the differences in muscle size, strength, strength endurance, and volume load (VL) after an 8-week MYO vs. TRA regimen. The acute study used a crossover design with each subject (n = 9) completing both MYO and TRA protocols.

Abstract Bodybuilding is a competitive endeavor where a combination of muscle size, symmetry, “conditioning” (low body fat levels), and stage presentation are judged. Success in bodybuilding requires that competitors achieve their peak physique during the day of competition. To this end, competitors have been reported to employ various peaking interventions during the final days leading to competition.

Just about anyone can make progress following a chest program in the short term. The real trick is discovering a routine that works for more than few weeks. In the face of this challenge, lifters often train in "phases" where they are focused squarely on either strength or size. But I maintain you can build both chest size and bench strength at the same time, without having to go overboard with crazy volume or smashing the same muscle group multiple times a week.