Get Through That Lifting Plateau...

Found an interesting article on www.bodybuilding.com website...regarding muscle building/strengthening

The 28 Method: New Math For Major Muscle GainsThe 21s drill uses three variations (7 reps each) of a classic lift, but what do you do when three variations aren't enough?

Well, you try four. This is the 28 method.
More by Cory Gregory, Muscle Pharm Dec 14, 2011


Variations on exercise technique and reps shock the human musculature system. That's why we should switch routines, reps, and lifting order regularly. The 21s method for biceps shocked my system to a life-changing extreme, but the gains leveled off. Like any responsible bodybuilder, I made a slight change to a proven regimen to create variation and increase my gains.

You know the 21s drill - grab an EZ-Curl bar, perform seven reps going halfway up, seven more halfway down, and then finish it with seven full reps.

Well, I have something even better for you to tackle.

Like everyone else in lifting history, I took part in this great shock method, but I also started applying it to other muscle groups beyond my biceps. At a certain point, my body got used to this method and this technique. Then it no longer had the same impact. From that stagnation, my "28 method" was born; it takes 21s to an entirely different level.

If you're like me and find something missing when you do 21s, the "28 method" is certainly a step up. It might be precisely what you're looking for.

So, what exactly is the "28 method?"
Well, it's not complicated, but it just goes a step farther than doing 21s. To start, you do seven regular full reps with whatever weight you're using and whatever exercises you're performing.

The next step, though, is the most intense. With your muscles already fatigued, do seven slow reps. Slow in this case applies to both the eccentric and concentric part of the movement.

In your head, do a 5-count down and then another 5-count up, slowly lowering the weight and then slowly moving the weight back up. Believe me, this is the part that burns like crazy. From here, finish out the work with seven reps going halfway down with the movement, and another seven reps going halfway up - much like 21s.

So, it goes like this: Seven full reps, seven slow reps, seven reps at the top half of the movement, and then seven final reps at the bottom half of the movement, giving you 28 shirt-splitting reps.

Try three sets for each exercise and pick three exercises for a particular muscle group. Get ready for your muscles to scream in pain.

With just two minutes of rest between sets and the intense workload of the "28 method," you will obviously use significantly less weight for the movement.