As a personal trainer in Miami Beach, I see a lot of people workout in the different gyms I go to. One of the newest trends I see is for people to run from one exercise to the next with little or no rest in between. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with this type of training, only doing this will not give you the best results from your workouts.

Chasing the Pump

Most people do what I call “chasing the pump” when they workout. It seems as if they instinctively know that working out with little rest in between exercises is a great way to sweat and to develop that fatigued feeling that makes them feel like they’ve done a good work out. They’re right, but only to an extent. The truth is that even the best workout will start giving you diminishing returns if you do it long enough.

Here are some reasons working out without resting can negatively affect your results:

• Your body will adapt to short rest times and you will plateau. It may take 3-6 weeks but you will eventually stop making progress.
• Short rest times will not allow you to develop a high level of strength because of incomplete recovery.
• Short rest times will not allow you to lift as much weight.

Let’s face it, it’s human nature to want instant gratification but sometimes this tendency can cause us to lose the big picture. In this article, I am going to give you a program to develop your strength levels. Forget about short rest times; it’s time to get stronger!

Trust me, when you’re lifting a weight that you could only do 10 times, and after a few weeks of maximum strength training, you are lifting the same weight 20 times, you will see a difference in your body!

In fact, don’t trust me, just try my program for 4 weeks then go back to your old program and you be the judge!

Here is a video of me Romanian Deadlifting 275lb after a 4 weeks of of maximal strength training. My 5 rep max at the beginning of the 4 weeks was 225lb:

Maximum Strength Program

Atlas supporting the heavens. He definitely didn't run from exercise to exercise without resting.

Most fitness consumers and weekend warriors aren’t aware, but there are tried-and-true programs out there to develop just about every aspect of human performance. These programs come from the coaches who develop exercise programs for Olympic and professional athletes, and from the research scientists doing studies on exercise. The strength program I am giving you here is based on what I’ve learned from these amazing coaches and scientists.

Some of the benefits of maximum strength training include:

• Quickly develops your strength levels.
• With better strength levels, you will be able to lift lighter weights for more repetitions.
• Lifting heavy weights will cause more more of your body’s muscle building and fat burning hormones to be released.

Getting Started

Here is a basic rotuine to get started on developing your strength:

Monday:

A. Bench Press – 4 sets – 5 reps – 3 minutes rest
B. Bench Press – 3 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
C. Triceps extension – 2 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
D. Shoulder fly – 2 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
E. Optional light cardio – no more than 20 minutes

Tuesday:

Rest or light cardio. No more than 30 minutes.

Wednesday:

A. Pullups (or pulldowns) – 4 sets – 5 reps – 3 minutes rest
B. Pullups (or pulldowns) – 3 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
C. Biceps curl – 2 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
D. Seated row – 2 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
E. Optional light cardio – no more than 20 minutes

Thursday:

Rest or light cardio. No more than 30 minutes.

Friday:

A. Deadlift (or squat or leg press) – 4 sets – 5 reps – 3 minutes rest
B. Deadlift (or squat or leg press) – 3 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
C. Knee extensions – 2 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
D. Hamstring curls – 2 sets – 10 reps – 40 seconds rest
E. Optional light cardio – no more than 20 minutes

*For the 5 rep sets, use a weight that you can get 6-7 repetitions and only do 5. This is important because you will be trying to add weight every week. If you go to muscular failure, you may not be able to progress in weight each week. This is about getting stronger, not getting tired. For the 10 rep sets, use a light weight as you will only be resting 40 seconds between sets. If in doubt, go lighter and try to add weight every week.

Conclusion

This is a basic program to get you stronger. Do this workout schedule for 4 weeks and go back to your old workout. Follow my guidelines exactly as they are written for the best results. You will notice a difference!