Training system | Pitt Force

PITT-FORCE ACCORDING TO KARSTEN PFÜTZENREUTER

PITT-Force is now a well-known and successful training program that is used by many successful athletes. Initiated and developed by the legendary bodybuilder Karsten Pfützenreuter, PITT-Force combines various training approaches in one system, with the single repetition forming the basis of the system. The goal is maximum strain on the muscles and the resulting increased hypertrophy compared to conventional training principles.

* from left to right: Andreas Frey, Carsten Jürgensen, Diana Bayer, Mark Baumgart, Nicole Pfützenreuter, Karsten Pfützenreuter, Peter Baers

THE BASIC IDEA OF PITT-FORCE

The basic idea behind PITT-Force is to perform a series of individual repetitions as often as possible in succession, alternating with extremely short recovery phases of just a few seconds. This approach creates an interplay between stress and recovery in order to intensify the muscle stimulus.

Because the muscle is given recurring recovery phases, lactic acid production - we all know the feeling of muscle burning during the last repetitions of a set - can be significantly delayed, which allows for significantly more repetitions than is possible with a conventional training set. The short recovery breaks allow for increased blood flow to the muscle and ensure optimal breakdown of waste products and the supply of new nutrients that can be used to build muscle. Because the repetitions are always carried out individually, there is significantly less cheating than is often the case with sets with, for example, more than 12 repetitions.

Since PITT-Force requires a certain amount of training experience, beginners should (still) avoid this principle and practice conventional training methods with 6 to 10 sets per muscle and a repetition range of 8 to 12. Only with increasing experience can PITT-Force be carried out effectively and, above all, injury-free. PITT-Force is an effective training system for all athletes with basic experience as well as for advanced athletes, and above all for overcoming plateaus and creating an unusual stimulus for the muscles. Numerous athletes, such as the German champion Peter Baers, to name just one, have shown that the system, even when used on a long-term basis, enables above-average success.

PITT FORCE TRAINING PROCESS

First of all, the right weight is chosen for an exercise. As a guideline, this should be just high enough to allow at least 8 clean repetitions. After the 8th or 9th repetition, the weight is put down for a set break of three to a maximum of five seconds, and then continue with another repetition.

This procedure is carried out until no more clean repetitions are possible. For advanced athletes who train at a high intensity, the rest time can be extended - but it should always be under the maximum of 20 seconds. A training session per muscle consists of a maximum of 5 sets. If carried out correctly and as prescribed, it should be possible to bring the target muscle to complete exhaustion within these 5 sets.

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Even though PITT-Force is aimed more at advanced athletes and cannot be recommended for beginners, PITT-Force is clearly one of the most effective training methods, enables solid muscle building and, above all, the possibility of effectively overcoming plateaus due to the differentiated muscle stimulus.

In a slightly modified form, PITT-Force is also suitable for intensifying an existing training system by performing a pump set with 3-4 consecutive sets at the end of each muscle group (see also pump set in the Hatfield system).