| Hi Friend,
Dr. Ken Leistner is one of the most prolific iron game writers out there. With over 1,000 articles to his name, he has penned for strength publications Powerlifting USA, The Steel Tip (his own 1980s newsletter), HARDGAINER magazine, Milo and the Dino Files amongst others. It would be true to say, his hard-hitting writing style pulls no punches.
As a longtime fan of Dr. Ken's work, I want to share one of his training methods with you that works incredibly well for building muscle. And its name? 50% sets method.
50% Sets Method
The 50% sets method is super-simple to implement. Here is what you do:
Select a weight that allows you to perform 12 or so reps to positive failure in good form. Rest precisely 60 seconds and then do a second set to positive failure with the same weight. Your goal is to hit 6 reps — 50% of the reps you did on the first set.
This is a very effective strategy as you’re essentially attempting to smash three PR’s:
- Total reps on set one,
- Reps on set two,
- Total combined reps on both sets.
Author and strength coach Paul Carter is also a fan of Dr. Ken's 50% method. Writing in ‘Strength Life Legacy’, he has this to say:
“Listen, let’s make this simple. If you can bang out 18 reps with 315 on the bench and then bang out 7 more a minute later, you’re going to be big and strong. This is not complicated. The other thing I like about the 50% method… is that if you’re having a down day, you may not be able to break your reps from last week, however, you can still try to meet the 50% standard for the day.”
Paul is right, this is not complicated. So why not give Dr. Ken’s 50% sets method a try?
Until next time,
Squat for Glory!
Lee
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