Might be a dumb question but I haven’t really found an answer. I know you can gain strength while being calorie restrive just not size (true?) likely in the 1-5 rep range. My question is what rep range for accessory work, 1-5 as well or the normal 8-15? Thats to say you should even do accessory work in a deficit. Just curious, let me know your thoughts.
Short answer: 8-12. If you can reach 15 (for most muscles), time to up the weight.
Long answer: What is your current program? Are you in a deficit for a certain reason? I so, for what? When? If you are aiming for a contest (or whatever the reason you are loosing weight), when is it? What did your off season program look like?
There is no preset rep range for accessory work, it all depends on the movement itself and your programming. Use the rep range for each movement that gets you bigger and/or stronger.
[quote]JFG wrote:
Short answer: 8-12. If you can reach 15 (for most muscles), time to up the weight.
Long answer: What is your current program? Are you in a deficit for a certain reason? I so, for what? When? If you are aiming for a contest (or whatever the reason you are loosing weight), when is it? What did your off season program look like?[/quote]
My current program is running 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, prescribed lifts with heavy singles on 3’s week. I have been adding more cardio after my workout and slowly taking 200 kcal out a week. I am roughly 20% and would like to get that done and my GPP up, but I am trying to be smart about it. There is a meet in September I am shooting for, currently 235 lbs. I have been consuming all of my carbs peri workout, and that has helped with my insulin sensitivity a lot. I usually only do 2-3 exercises after my main lift.
One rep range isn’t necessarily better than the other. It more about overall volume. EX: 3x5 would give about equal hypertrophy as 5x3(overall volume is the same) Just with higher rep ranges you can the same amount of work done in less time( 3x8 takes less time to complete than 8x3)
Also you probably should do accessory work in a deficit, to assure you don’t lose any muscle, because accessories will help hit anything your compound lifts didn’t fully stimulate
[quote]janson8000 wrote:
One rep range isn’t necessarily better than the other. It more about overall volume. EX: 3x5 would give about equal hypertrophy as 5x3(overall volume is the same) Just with higher rep ranges you can the same amount of work done in less time( 3x8 takes less time to complete than 8x3)
Also you probably should do accessory work in a deficit, to assure you don’t lose any muscle, because accessories will help hit anything your compound lifts didn’t fully stimulate [/quote]
This pretty much hits it I think. Wendler (or maybe Tate I forget) also talks a bit about not to over analyze accessory work. Stick to what you’re doing / what works for you. Biggest thing while cutting (for me at least) is hitting your weights on your compounds, and getting the volume in for your accessories.
[quote]pennstate29 wrote:
I have been consuming all of my carbs peri workout, and that has helped with my insulin sensitivity a lot. I usually only do 2-3 exercises after my main lift.[/quote]
Just curious, how can you tell when something has helped your insulin sensitivity, and what changes did you notice resulting from that?
Thanks fot the imput, I will just keep doing what I am doing I suppose. Big compound lift followed by 2-3 accessory lifts. Good to have other peoples imput sometimes especially when I get a crazy thought like accessory work isn’t worth it in calorie deficit.
As far as my insulin sensitivity, I probably should have said I hope it is helping alot. I have been using a finger meter to measure spikes and how fast it normalizes an hour later. I am no science guy on this, so keep that in mind before you more to flame. Carbs only around peri work out and crushing the fish oil game seem to helping with spike normalization. Let me know if you have a better way, Im always open to try others methods.
Thanks for the response. It’s a completely new area for me to think about, so I don’t have anything better to offer. Though it seems actually testing your own insulin levels around post-workout and on off days must be the best way to test it.