It was a tribute to aesthetics when Troy Alves emerged as the winner at the 2009 Europa Show of Champions. Alves built his classic physique and clean lines through a stubborn insistence on taking every set to – or beyond – failure. Here, he discusses how that “little something extra” can pay big dividends when it comes to your physique and why leaving it all in the gym is still the best way to get results.
ALVES ON “ASSISTED REPS”
“My sets are all beyond failure. When I say 10 reps, I mean I get every last possible rep short of that, with ‘encouragement’ from my training partner to complete the rest. Every rep, though, is with perfect form. I don’t like the term ‘forced reps.’ I prefer ‘assisted reps.’ With the former, you never use quality form. I want my partner doing as little work as possible; I want to make sure I’m getting everything out of every set.”
