Max strength is a progression from hypertrophy to increase strength which yields in greater ability to later build muscle. It is also a platform for building strength and preparing the body for power training. This type of training focuses on increasing the load placed on the body which recruits more motor units thus improving force and synchronization.
We’re using the same warm-up and cool-down to continue focusing on corrective exercises. Core work also remains the same.
It should be noted that max strength training is not required for most. Athletes can cycle back to Phase 1 or 2. However by increasing strength we increase the amount of weight we can lift which in turn will increase our ability to build muscle. Since Michael wants to build muscle and transform his body it’s important to increase his ability to do so. The change in training also gives him a break and keeps the program fresh and exciting.
During this phase of training he will be focused on heavy explosive compound exercises with lower rep ranges and increased durations of rest between sets. The decreased rep range allows him to increase the load significantly while the increased rest period gives him plenty of time to recover between sets. The focus should be moving the weight in an explosive manner while not sacrificing form.
Rest between training will also be increased. Due to the intensity of this type of training Michael will be training 3 days on with 3 days off and 1 cardio session to keep conditioning the heart and improve his ability to shuttle oxygen to the muscles.
