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There’s nothing more frustrating than reaching a max-weight plateau, because it will limit your strength gains. If that happens, give cluster sets a shot. A cluster set is one set of an exercise, but instead of only resting once all the reps are done you get mini-rest breaks between reps, allowing you to do more reps or lift closer to your max. In a new study published in the Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research, subjects of equal squat strength did three sets of five squats at 80% of their one-rep max, with three minutes of rest between sets. Later they were tested again but did cluster sets with 30 seconds of rest between individual reps, with three minutes of recovery after each full set. They all saw big increases in peak power output and bar speed, suggesting a clear value in trying cluster sets for anyone wanting to improve performance.
Red meat is fine to eat - as long as you add veg
Good news for steak lovers: you don’t have to give up red meat – so long as you eat lean and unprocessed cuts alongside a Mediterranean-style diet high in fresh vegetables, fish and olive oil. That’s according to new research published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, which examined the link between red meat consumption and heart disease. All subjects saw improvements in their blood pressure and blood lipid levels – key indicators of potential heart problems – when following a Mediterranean-style diet, whether it included lean red meat or not. However, processed red meat has been consistently linked with causing cancer and is on the World Health Organisation list of carcinogens.