Discover Program 21

8, 10, 12, 15 is the typical number of reps we do during a workout. But doing the same workout over and over again is not only exhausting for you. This also fatigues your muscles, inhibiting muscle growth and limiting the effectiveness of your workouts.

Luckily, there are many ways to change up your favorite strength training routines to shake up your body and get positive results. One of the most common and proven methods is called "21".

“Eccentric loading is one of the most effective ways to stimulate muscle growth,” explains David Carfagno, Osteopathic Doctor, owner of the Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Program 21 is exactly that. You're alternating three different ranges of motion in one exercise instead of doing regular isotonic exercises with the same range of motion,” he continues.

Below is Dr. Carfagno's workout plan, which takes some very familiar arm exercises to a whole new level, allowing you to go beyond the "plateau" and achieve higher results.

Just like all exercises that have their own range of motion (AP), or the execution scheme that must be followed, the repetitions of the "21" program can be divided into three parts: the lower range of motion, the upper range of motion and the range of motion.

However, fearless bodybuilders, beware: more repetitions combined with three different ranges of motion in one set will be a real test of your strength and endurance.

Be prepared to accept that doing a 21-rep program may require you to select a lower weight than the standard 12-15 full-range reps.

The following is a diagram of the execution of all approaches, in which each amplitude is repeated 7 times, making a total of 21 repetitions.

1. Lower amplitude Lower half contraction - 7 reps each set

2. Upper amplitude Upper half contraction - 7 repetitions in each set

3. Full range Full range contraction - 7 reps per set