Yep .. learn it aggravates my sciatica
MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
Testing Your Max Too Often
- Thread starter Perrin Aybara
- Start date
Hard on the 'ol CNS, too.
insaiyan93
New Member
There's a very good documentary on Eddie Hall on Netflix. How good is this documetary you ask? Well it's so fucking good they show you a clip where they are interviewing his wife and you can see Eddie Hall pissing on a tree in his backyard in the background
I thought i was the only one who noticed that lol. Bow THAT is down to earth haha
Hell no. Saw that and was laughing my ass off lol
tenpoundsleft
Member
Perrin, I've started doing trap bar deads, sets of 15,15,15,12,12 - with just enough break between to catch my breath. What do you think about that approach? I like holding my hands neutral like that. And I'm not a PL.
What's your goal with it? I mean it's closer to a hack squat than a deadlift.
tenpoundsleft
Member
Funny, I'd never considered the hack squat - and I've focused on regular back and front squats up until now. My gym is not suited for DL work - you always have to clear an area and go very controlled, no slamming, it's a second floor lifting area.
Anyway, the trap bar is almost always available, and I like the neutral grip - so there are two reasons. And it's also easier on the lower back than regular deads.
Main goal would be hypertrophy - preferably quads and not glutes - and of course stronger back. Thus the relatively high rep count per set. Wrong thinking?
Hack squats do look interesting though, I should give them a try.
It's definitely easier on the lower back. It hits quads for sure, too. Glutes I'm not sure, seems like it still would somewhat though. Lower back somewhat, nothing like regular or sumo deadlift.
At that rep range with so little rest I'd say you're working your mental fortitude more than anything, lol. Nah, it's probably hitting your quads pretty hard. I'd think the nature of it would allow for more weight than a front squat. I've actually never used the trap bar, so I'm not speaking from experience here. I'd think you'd still get the trap and forearm work from it, too. I know for me high rep deads make my traps more sore than anything.
If you're still doing squats regularly with the trap bar deads it might be enough low back work. Like you said you don't do PL. If not you could throw in some good mornings or some back extensions to make it up. Make sure you get some hamstring work in, too much quad work might give you some knee pain if it gets out of balance. I'd drop front squat in favor of back squat with the trap bar deads and hit some high rep hamstring curls once a week or so.
SteroidsBro
Banned
Its weird, sometimes I feel like I get the most muscle tear doing 2 or 3 reps and sometimes when I do 5 to 10 reps. Why is doing max sets not the the best at tearing muscle when you need heavy weight to tear it?
We're talking about testing your one rep max here. Not sure what you mean about max sets and tearing muscle. Do you mean go to failure? Because that's necessary or productive for getting stronger either. Muscles don't need to be torn to adapt to stimulus.
tenpoundsleft
Member
Perrin, a bit OT perhaps but I've started on BP now with healthy (healthier at least) arm tendons, so far no pain, yay!
I'm taking the high volume route - don't want any injuries.
So it's empty bar x 10, then 1 plate x10, then working weight (currently 185) for 6 sets and with 10 reps. I did a "bonus" set with 8 reps with 200 today after the last 185 set.
Shoulders feel great, no issues, just marching along, adding weight every week so far.
Goal being to complete the high volume portion with 2 plates by summer - i.e. 6x10 with 2 plates. Feels like that's a solid base to stand on. Don't know if I want to punish my shoulders with really heavy loads. Kinda the NFL bench challenge.
The question is - is it better to progress slower (using lower weights) and keep the rest period btw sets really short, or rest a tad longer and go heavier? I'm leaning toward to the latter.
Also, is it beneficial to break it up with a session every now and then using something light like single plate and do 3 sets of 35+ reps? - i.e. really high volume - I did that with my squat routine and felt that it helped.
Edit:
The volume is deceiving, I had a guy mumble something about "oh, you're just warming up" when he saw me the other week, and then I invited him to cut in and follow along. He did 2 or 3 sets of 10, then dropped to something 6 and then 4 and then just walked away... the volume gets you.
Do you dig your traps into the bench and retract you scapula? That'll help with keeping pressure of the shoulders. I find getting a hand off helps as well, but I'm often lifting alone with no spot to do it for me.
My preference is always rest longer and go heavier. If I was trying to keep my heart rate up I'd go do some cardio, you know?
For the purposes of a deload it sounds good. It's a little outside of the box, but I've been doing something similar with dips for awhile now and I like it. My program calls for 5x10 of a triceps exercise once a week. For awhile I did really heavy weighted dips and experimented with all types of other triceps exercises and the heavy dips hurt my elbows and shoulders and the other stuff didn't feel worth doing. Then recently I started doing 3 sets of 30-40 bodyweight dips on that day and it's been going really well. Aches and pains are less and my bench is higher than ever. Hit an all time PR of 375x3 yesterday.
I briefly toyed with high volume like that years ago. Definitely gets you worn out doing multiple sets of 10 like that. I'm more of a sets of five and under guy myself.
tenpoundsleft
Member
Thoughtful reply as usual - thanks.
* Traps and shoulder blades are as retracted as I can - if I had a penny btw my shoulder blades, it'd be partially embedded on both sides. Feet dug in, firm back with a slight arch. I'm putting the bar around the nipples, with arms sort of where they wind up with lats fully engaged - not the 90 degree flare. Shoulders feel great, i.e. I don't feel them. Happy with my bench technique at the moment.
* Yeah, I'm not much into cardio either - I used to run like an SOB years ago, was a fairly fast runner, but now it's enough I think to drive the heart rate up with heavy work loads and fairly HIIT (especially when I'm working out with my PT - I'm spent). Resting a bit longer and keeping the weight up feels better, and I've read somewhere that it's better for muscle growth to rest 3 mins btw sets than only 90 sec.
* I like the pump from crazy high volume with low weights - it can almost get too much, I often get painful back pumps after the 4th set of squats. Esp with my PWO "vitamins"... Just curious if it's good for hypertrophy, or if it just feels good.
* Doing this high volume regimen just for bench right now, too much I think to do many muscle groups simultaneously this way. Might try it on squat later, going easy on legs now, I did something to my knee while skiing recently.
I know we have different goals, you're the PL, and I'm just going for being lean and hitting 220lb and whatever size that becomes is what it is.
Props on the 375 for reps. Once I've gotten my volume goal with 2 plates out of the way, being sufficiently conditioned, I'll probably switch to a 5x5 approach and try to go for 3 plates for reps. Maybe a goal for the end of the year - that'd be a massive bench increase in one year. Benching 315 for reps is ~1.5X my BW so I'd be more than pleased with that. I'll be 54 in a couple weeks too. Knock on wood for no injuries!
Anytime, my friend.
Only thing here is I'd bring the bar down just a little below nipple level. It'll help with preventing shoulder issues.
I like to keep my cardio separate. Trying to move to fast is going to limit your weight and in turn limit your progress. Do cardio later or another day.
Honestly couldn't tell you with any kind of certainty. For all I know the high rep dips are working just because the heavy weighted dips were too much and now I'm not doing them. Regardless I like them for now, they give me a sick pump and get plenty of blood flowing to the muscles. If you like it keep it in. Just don't base your routine around it, use it sparingly. My two cents on it anyway.
Probably not a bad idea. You might be able to get away with using high volume on one upper and one lower bodypart at once. Never tried it myself though.
I'm just trying to get to the elite levels of my sport, almost certainly at 220lbs. 198lbs I feel limits me too much and 242lbs I just don't want to eat that much or walk around that heavy at my height. Eventually I'm going to be a pretty lean 220lbs, too.
Thanks. Sounds good to me, your strength will shoot up when you switch to 5x5, too. 315 is possible for sure. You're stronger and in better shape than the majority of guys of any age at my gym.
Sporkzilla
New Member
This is some great information thank you guys!
I felt psycho so went for 285 and I got it barely for a single, and might have done it again when my left arm bitched out.
On bench?
Sporkzilla
New Member
I definitely go on how I feel, like many when I first started I attempted 1rm way to often. I have definitely worked on form the past year and have added over 100lbs to my deadlift and squat. I think guys often times don't realize that be making slight adjustments to their form can add 10 to 20lbs on the lift.
You're doing enough weight where you're at that stage where you'll need more volume at lower intensity to keep making progress. Gotta check your ego.
Yes.
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