Every experienced lifter hits a plateau every now and then. And to blast through it you need to switch things up a bit. You can't break through a plateau if you continue to do the same things in the gym. One of the most intense ways you can break through a plateau is by increasing your reps and do 50-100 rep sets. Select a weight that will enable you to perform 25 consecutive reps. Once you've completed the 25 reps, rest for 15 seconds and take deep breaths.
After your short rest, continue to do more reps to the point of failure and immediately take another 15 seconds break. Continue with this method until you've completed a total of 50 repetitions. Your rep pattern can look something like this: 25 – pause – 8 – pause – 6 – pause – 5 – pause – 3 – pause – 3, and you get a total of 50 repetitions. If 50 is not too much to you, you can take it to 70-100 repetitions and extend your rest to 20 seconds in between subsets.
Aim to complete the set in maximum 6 subsets. If your goal is hypertrophy, use a weight that's 75% of a 10-rep max and do as few subsets as you can to complete a 50 or 100 repetitions set. If you want to make it even more intense, take 6 seconds long rest pauses, instead of 15-20 seconds. You can try a variation of the 100 reps in a slightly different manner:
- First Set x 40 reps
- Rest x 60 seconds
- Second Set x 30 reps
- Rest x 30 seconds
- Third Set x 30 reps
- Rest x 10 seconds
- Fourth Set x 10 reps
Make sure you adjust your 50-100 rep set according to your compound or isolation exercises. For a leg extension, you use less energy than you use for a squat, for example. If you hit your repetitions goal, make sure you increase your weight the next time you try it. This method is great to break through plateaus, but it also works for hypertrophy. You can try it as a challenge to complete 100 repetitions in 100 seconds. It also works as a finisher or fat-burner. You can do 100 reps for the following exercises as a whole set:
Leg Press
- Sit on a machine with back padded support, place your feet on the platform, and grasp the handles to the sides.
- Push the platform away by extending your knees and hips.
- Return and repeat!
Lat Pulldown
- Grasp the cable bar with a wide grip and sit with your thighs under the supports.
- Pull down the cable bar towards your upper chest.
- Return until your arms and shoulders are fully extended.
- Repeat!
Hammer Bench Press
- Lay down on your back and firmly plant your feet on the floor.
- Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and make sure your hands are wider than shoulder width.
- Press the handles straight up over your body.
- Squeeze the chest at the top of the movement and lower the handles back in starting position and don't allow the weight to return to the stops of the machine.
- Repeat!
Kettlebell Swing
- Stand behind the kettlebell with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
- Grasp the kettlebell handle with an overhand grip and lift off the floor.
- Pull your forearm against your inner thighs and keep your hips and knees bent, with a low back taut.
- Drive your hips forward and upwards. Allow the kettlebell to swing back and down.
- As the weight approaches a lower position, fold at the hips and bend your knees until your forearm makes contact with your inner thigh, permitting the kettlebell to swing back under your hips.
- Immediately repeat the movement and continue to swing the weight with shoulder to eye level height.
- To return, swing the kettlebell back down in between your legs and allow it to swing forward, without extending your hips and knees.
Make sure you need lighter weights with this so that you are able to do at least 50 reps on the first subset for each one of these exercises. If you use lighter weights you will be able to perform as many reps as you can with fewer subsets and rest-pauses without worrying about it interfering with your recovery.
You can use this method for hypertrophy, fat burning, but it's also great for strength training. Only make sure that you use it as a finisher. Meaning, only do the 100 reps after you've completed the rest of your training and use it as a method on your very last exercise.
If you're not training for strength and power, you can do the 50-100 rep routine in the beginning of your workout session, regardless if you're doing it on for a compound or single-joint exercise. If you use it as a fat burner, use the method at the end of your workout, until you meet your fat-burning goals. Either way, using this method for your goals is efficient. So, gear up and challenge yourself to do the 100 rep method to smash your goals!