Emphasis matters. A lot. If the focus of your training isn’t in the right place, your hard work will be ill-spent. Without the right training emphasis, you won’t see the results want.

Allow me to illustrate:

“I didn’t say he caressed my cheek.”

The meaning of that sentence changes depending on which word you emphasize. Try saying it out loud and putting the emphasis on a different word each time. Or watch me do it:

Finding the Right Training Emphasis for You

Your goals should determine your training emphasis. Within the world of exercise sciences, there’s the S.A.I.D. principle. It stands for specific adaptation to imposed demands, which is just science-speak for a really logical concept.

The results you get are specific to the type of training you do.

It’s pretty straightforward, simple, and honestly, makes a lot of sense. But even the simplest of concepts can get convoluted. And most people don’t know what types of training are going to help them see the results they want. Because, you know, not everyone took exercise physiology during school. And that’s okay.

The problem isn’t knowing your goal. It’s knowing the training strategies to maximize your progress.

The fix is as simple as knowing the right training emphasis.

The Right Training Emphasis for Getting Smaller (Losing Fat)

Low weight and high reps. That’s the key to a lean body, right?

Not exactly.

In fact, low weight and high reps can be counter-productive if you’re trying to get smaller. Seriously. I know everyone says that it’ll help you get lean and toned, but science says it’s a great way to build muscle.

Not a fan of science? That’s fine. Look to bodybuilders instead. They’ve been using high reps to pack on pounds upon pounds of muscle for decades.

To lose fat, emphasize metabolic exercises.

A good exercise will get your heart pumping. But a metabolic exercise will get it to race. Other side effects include sweating, heavy breathing, shedding pounds of body fat, looking amazing, and super powers. (Okay, I made that last one up. And while you might not be a superhero, you could end up looking like one. Ya know, if you’re into that sorta thing.)

Enter Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT). According to one of the best strength coaches in the game, Eric Cressy, MRT is, “any strength training session that employs a series of (predominantly multi-joint) exercises while utilizing little (i.e., under 30 seconds) to no rest between sets.”

A few key points, there: strength training and little to no rest. In other words, MRT is hard.

A lot of the training methodologies that have become wildly popular over the last 5–10 years fall under MRT. (I’m looking at you HIIT, Bootcamps, and Crossfit.)

Put simply, MRT has become so popular because it’s both efficient and effective. I use density training, one of my favorite forms of MRT, in my online coaching programs all the time. It consistently helps people shed pounds of fat. In fact, it was a huge part of my own programming as I prepped for a recent photo shoot.

MRT gets incredible results.

A big reason why it gets such great results is that it sends your metabolism into hyperdrive. In fact, you’ll become a fat-burning machine for as long as 38 hours after your workout. Melting fat while watching Netflix? Yes, please. It’s made possible by something called excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC for short).

During metabolic exercises, your body will enter what’s called oxygen debt. Basically, you need to consume extra oxygen in order to recover from your workout. That’s where the fat-burning magic happens. And that’s what gets you burning extra calories for days—literally.

The Right Training Emphasis for Getting Bigger (Gaining Muscle)

Packing on pounds of muscle is simple. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Research shows that there are three major pillars that optimize muscle growth, or hypertrophy—mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress.

Okay, cool. But what does that actually mean?

I’ll translate. Mechanical tension increases with heavy loads. Muscle damage comes, in large part, from time under tension. For metabolic stress, you want to chase the pump and feel the burn. (MRT strikes again with that, actually. It’s a great way to create muscle-building metabolic stress. Pretty awesome, right? Lose fat and build muscle. Told you it was effective.)

To gain muscle, emphasize a mixture of heavy loads, time under tension, and going full bro (aka pump work).

For heavy loads, shoot for low reps and big weight. Something in the ballpark of 3–6 sets with 2–5 reps using a weight that feels like 8–9 out of 10 in terms of difficulty is a good jumping off point.

Maximize time under tension with slow and controlled reps using moderate weight. I like a 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps using a weight that feels like 6–7.5 out of 10 in terms of difficulty. But here’s the kicker—go slow, maximize tension, and make the lighter weight feel heavy. Try a four-second count during the down phase of your lift (eccentric contraction).

When it comes to going full bro, just do as many curls as you can. In the squat rack, of course. Oh and don’t forget your sleeveless shirt, snapback (worn backward), and Beats by Dre headphones.

Okay, not really.

But you do want to crank up the volume (total reps, not your workout jams) for pump work. Remember when I mentioned low weight and high reps is actually good for gaining muscle? This is what I was talking about. Shoot for high volume with moderate weight. Anything from 3–5 sets of 8–12 reps will get the job done. Ideally, your total volume (sets x reps) should be somewhere around 25–50. Use a weight that feels like 6–7.5 out of 10 in terms of difficulty.

Utilizing all three strategies will help you create a well-rounded training program and optimize muscle growth. Individually, they all help you build muscle. But combined? Your gainz will be even better.

A Warning About Training Emphasis

There’s poison in the dose.

If your training becomes one-sided, your results will suffer. Worse yet, it could lead to overtraining and injury. Nobody wants to get worse results and even fewer people want to get hurt.

Emphasis does not mean hyper-focus.

Losing fat with a training emphasis in metabolic exercises is great. Until you swing the pendulum too far in favor of MRT. Sure, low-intensity work is different, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless. Don’t neglect it.

The same goes for building muscle. Too much emphasis in any single pillar of muscular hypertrophy will lead to suboptimal results. We’ve already mentioned that. To take it one step further, your program should also include mobility and stability work. It may not directly affect your growth, but it will help you keep healthy and can even increase strength.

The trick is finding the sweet spot. For you and your goals. Unfortunately, it can also be tricky. That’s why I want to help you get dialed in on your training emphasis.

Drop me a line and let’s find your sweet spot.