Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

260 Elite Physique
How to Maintain Your Gains
Since I wrote High Frequency Training in 2012, the most common question I get
asked is, How can I maintain the gains I made from the HFT plans? The answer is
relatively straightforward and consists of three key points:
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Keep training that muscle group three times per week as part of your full-body
workouts.
Perform one set to failure at the beginning of your workout. This is the time
when you’ll have the most energy, and not surprisingly, it has been shown to
elicit the best results (Spineti et al. 2010).
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The single set should be as challenging as possible, based on the modifications
covered earlier. Most of my patients have found that starting the set with a
10-second peak contraction squeeze and ending it with a slow negative, such
as 30 seconds, is sufficient to maintain the HFT gains.
Forearm PCS
This consists of two squeezes on each side:
one for the wrist extensors and one for the wrist
flexors. Sit tall in a chair, knees bent and feet flat
on the floor. Rest the inside of your right forearm,
palm facing down, on the top of your right thigh.
Make a fist with your right hand, and then pull
your right knuckles as high as possible (i.e., wrist
extension). Place your left palm over your right
knuckles to provide resistance. Pull your right
knuckles against the resistance of your left palm.
Squeeze the peak contraction of your right wrist
extensors for 6 seconds. Next, place the top of
your right forearm, palm facing up, on your right
thigh. Make a fist with your right hand and pull your
knuckles as high as possible (i.e., wrist flexion).
Pull your right knuckles against the resistance of
your left palm. Squeeze the peak contraction of
your right wrist flexors for 6 seconds. Repeat on
the opposite side.
a
b
Final Thoughts
As we close out this chapter, it is worth mentioning there’s a lack of research
devoted to training a muscle group with any frequency higher than three times per
week. However, it’s thought that more frequent training results in more frequent
boosts in muscle protein synthesis, which can accelerate growth over the weeks
and months (Dankel et al. 2017). My anecdotal evidence definitely supports that
hypothesis, and I hope you’ll achieve results like my patients have.