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Questions and answers about sports

Understanding Greasing the Groove method?

4 min read

Asked by: Paul Brunhaver

Greasing the groove, as Tsatsouline explains it, means not working your muscles to the point of failure. A common idea in weightlifting is that you should lift until you can’t do another rep, purposely damaging muscle tissues so they grow back bigger.

How long should I do greasing the groove?


If you are to perform grease the groove at 50 to 80 percent. You're either going to do say at 50 percent a five-second.

How often should you grease the groove?

The total training volume is very high, often on the order of 5 to 20 sets per day, every day. The sets are spread out across your day. You do one at a time and rest at least 15 to 30 minutes between sets. You don’t do several in quick succession, as you would in a normal workout.

Can you build muscle with greasing the groove?

Multiple times a day every day just like picking up your guitar. Multiple times a day every day you're going to be practicing the movement. And you're going to get better efficiency. With your brain

Can you grease the groove with running?

The Grease the Groove Method can even be used for cardio. Though it is obviously not the same as running 5 miles without stopping, the Grease the Groove Method can still be leveraged for logging miles and cardio time.

How do I start grease the groove?

Bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, and dips are best for greasing the groove as they’re easier to do on a regular basis than, say, barbell exercises. Perform the exercise several times a day at low reps. When you grease the groove, you are NOT exercising to failure.

Can I lift light weights every day?

Although heavy or light weight training daily may help you lose weight, it’s not necessarily advisable to work out every day. Incorporating rest days into your routine is vital to your long-term weight-loss success. When you rest, you give your body a chance to recover from a weight lifting session.

Who invented greasing the groove?

coach Pavel Tsatsouline

The “grease the groove” method, and expression, was popularized by kettlebell expert and strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline in the early-2000s. Pavel has summarized the method as “training as often as possible while remaining as fresh as possible.”

How many Pull Ups should a boxer do?

The pull-up is a great exercise for boxing and should be a staple within your boxing weight training program. If you’re after sets and reps recommendations, it will depend on your current levels of strength. As a general rule, anywhere from 5-15 reps and 2-4 sets will be a good guideline to follow.

How do you train like a Russian Spetsnaz?

Here’s an example of a typical Spetsnaz training session:

  1. 10km run.
  2. – Five minute rest-
  3. Squat jumps (10 reps)
  4. Push-ups on fists (30 reps)
  5. Pull-ups (10 reps)
  6. Squat jumps (10 reps)
  7. Push-ups on fists (30 reps)
  8. Pull-ups (10 reps)

Can I grease the groove on rest days?

Greasing the Groove can be done everyday, as it does not fully wear out your muscle. With this being said, you should still listen to your body, and take regular rest days when you need them. Keep in mind that it is better to do less reps with perfect form than to force more reps with poor form or injury.

Should you lift every day?

Although you can adjust your workout schedule to lift weights every day, it’s best to leave yourself at least one solid rest day a week. Serious lifters might need more rest time, and each muscle group needs at least one rest day between heavy workouts.

Can you do sets throughout the day?

Getting all of your sets in at once can be better for conditioning and muscle growth while spacing your sets throughout the day can help improve skill and performance.

Is it better to do reps or seconds?

The specific rep range and training volume will depend on the goals, such as muscle hypertrophy, increased muscle strength, or simply improved overall fitness. In general, the lower the repetitions, the more strength is built, and the higher the reps, the more endurance.

How long should rests be between sets?

Adequate rest between sets helps to maintain a high level of force production for the next set. Thus, typical rest periods for increasing strength are between 2–5 minutes, which research shows to be optimal for strength development.