Helium's translation and summary of the PITT force routine
OK, this isn't a word by word translation but more a kind of summery.
Well it starts with "Caution, this training isn't for beginners." you
should start with conventional sets until you've learned how to perform
the lifts, ...
The next part is uninteresting as it doesn't contain any information.
Then he presents a plan called "Basic Plan 1" which is for beginners:
WORKOUT 1
incline benchpress
Backsquat
Pull-over
WORKOUT 2
Chinups
Dips
Deadlift
Each with one PITT set with 10-20 reps. Do them on non consecutive days.
The training shouldn't last longer than 30 minutes. It's not for advanced
athlets. (Advanced here means you are abled to benchpress 1.5x your
bodyweight and backsquar twice your bodyweight below parallel).
Then he describes what PITT is. The system is based on performing each
repetition singly/separately. That means you do a short rest between each
repetition. Later on you can combine this with your favorite intensity
techniques if you have to, but start by simply doing 10-20 single reps.
To understand what it is about, you should try the following: Take your
10RM in concentration curls and perfor one rep (if you've used some
special cadence like 4-2-4 use it, I you haven't just perform it like you
normaly do). After this first rep put the dumbbell down for about 2 to 3
seconds. Then pic it up and do another rep and so on. After the 10th rep
you might have to prolong the rest to about 3-5 seconds. After the 15th
rep you might need even longer rest (7-10 seconds). After you've done 20
reps with your 10RM you'll know wat PITT is about.
If your muscles start to burn you have to elongate the rest. Make sure the
muscles got rid of the wasteproducts it produces each rep before you start
a new rep.
With the normal execution only the last reps only relay contribute to
improve the performance. With PITT you get a lot more repetitions that
contribute per set.
In the studio you often see people using too havy weights with bad
technique and a lot of help of their training partners. The higher weigth
doesn't contribute to the growth stimulus.
It should be your goal to produce high tensions for an as long as possible
time, not to perform some kind of motion until you can't perform it any
longer.
That's why most people fail to achive their goal.
Example: You can press 100kg ten times in a controled way. At first this
fulfills the goal pretty well. But your muscle will adapt to this and it
won't be a stimulus any longer. So you have to increase the weight. But
with the higher weigth you won't be abled to do as many reps (shorter
duration of high tension). With rest between the reps this won't be a
problem. You will be able to increase the wiegth earlier (ue more weight
(a higher tnesion) with the same duration).
With the conventional sets you have another problem: your performance
varies daily. On some days you are only able to perform 8 reps and on some
days you are able to perform even 12 reps.
From about 60% of your 1RM the blood supply to the muscle is hampered. The
energy is produced anaerob and you're muscle will shut down because of to
much acid.
... (the next part doesn't realy contai any information. Basically he says
that HIT won't work forever).
PITT Forece allows you to use high weights (=> high tension) for a long
time (the muscle get's exhausted but instead of only 1-2 reps until you
fail you can do perhaps 10 reps in this state).
So you won't even have to perform multiple sets.
Intensity techniques like forced reps, drop sets etc. prolong the set as
well, but fail because you use less weigth (=> less tension).
[Than he repeats that the muscle isn't hampered by unsuficent blood supply
and to much wasteproducts.
And the he takls about red and white fibers, I think it's some kind of
attempt to explain the size principle, but in a strange way.]