Went to my first pre season rugby session last night.
Lots of running, broncos, timed sprints etc.
It killed me, i’m less fit than i was last year noticeably, i can barley move my legs today, feel like lead.
I’ve also got a vasectomy this morning, hopefully that won’t affect any gym time for Monday.
So the vasectomy really knocked it out of me to be honest. Spent the last two days knackered and in pain when using my abs.
Hopefully feel better for my strength session tomorrow morning.
I’ve got one more week as well before my holiday, got two weeks off but only away for the first week. Really need a break to be honest from work and general repetition.
This was definitely ambitious.
I was booked in a couple of years ago but bottled it after reading the disclaimer form. To be honest with my near celibate existence I’ve not regretted it bottling it either.
To be honest from what I’ve read and from people I know I think you’ll be lucky to be training at all next week.
Where you off?
You do any conditioning?
To be expected mate, lots of people talk about how they went straight back to normal the day after… erm I don’t think so .
Ease into it this week.
15th July 2024 Week 25 - Upper Strength - based on PHUL
Incline BB Press
85kg 3 sets of 5
Pull Ups
4 sets of 5 reps
HS Chest press
40kg Each side
3 sets of 10 reps
Seated cable row
84kg
x 10 x 10 x 7
Viking Press
58.5kg
x 8 x 8 x 6
DB Curls - palms up
15kg DBs
x 8 x 8 x 6
EZ Skull crushers
40kg
x 10 x 8 x 7
@aholding88 we are off to seahouses in the North East for a week then a week off just at home. Really need a break and really excited to get away with the family to be honest.
On a conditioning front i stopped after my wrist and used it as an excuse not to do any. I need to get back to doing short bike sprints (as they always seem the best bang for buck) or maybe just get regular rugby training under my belt again. Sprints on a bike might be the way forward though as they are less taxing on my old joints and are quite quick to knock out.
@simo74 & @aholding88 as for the vasectomy, i basically slept from Friday until Monday morning. Although only a small op i was exhausted and my inners really hurt. I do feel 70% this morning though and trained upper body mostly ok (abs area hurt a bit on a few lifts) but overall it was fine. I’ll see how my lower body strength session goes tomorrow morning!
16th July 2024 Week 25 - Lower Strength - based on PHUL
Paused and power reps.
BB RDL
132.5kg 3 sets of 5 reps
BB Squats
102.5kg 3 sets of 5
Hamstring Curls
63.5kg 2 sets of 10 reps
Leg Extensions
30kg Each side x 13 x 12
Calf raises Single leg - physio
4 sets of 6
Cable ab crunches
14 weight
x 12 x 12 x 11 x 10
Had a poor workout really, felt really tight all over my body and achy. I got all my reps on the weights i wanted but the rep quality was poor .
I’ll probably lower the weights after holiday and reset to ensure my form is bob on.
18th July 2024 Week 25 - Upper Hypertrophy - based on PHUL
HS Chest Press
50kg each side x 10
40kg each side x 9
30kg each side x 12
HS Row
45kg each side
x 12 x 10 x 8
Weighted Dips
10kg plus BW
x 10 x 9 x 6
Lat pull down V handle
75kg x 12 x 10 x 8
Cable lat raises
10kg x 12 x 10 x 10
Incline Curls
12.5kg DBs
x 11 x 10 x 10
Triceps metal bar pushdowns
70kg
x 12 x 12 x 10
Question, what is the best progressive overload method for hypertrophy?
I’m pretty happy with how i want to progress on the strength workouts, using double progression and ensure the form of each rep is key).
But with hypertrophy in the 3 sets of 8-12 reps, i’m not sure how best to progress week to week.
Does it even matter?
Same weight for each set then progress in weight once all sets hit 12 reps?
Reverse pyramid (lower the weight each set) then switch up the weight when hitting the minimum or maximum rep ranges?
Is there any info or articles to read on best progressive overload method for hypertrophy?
Adding @davemccright and @TrainForPain @T3hPwnisher for ideas.
I am old and boring so the 8-12 double progression model like you described below always served me well.
But have also noticed in the last few years that I am seeing some muscle growth with heavier weights and less reps and running a simple block progression. Sets and reps same over the 4 weeks but weight increases each week. Then deload and start again at a slightly higher weight. I think as long as you are pushing the body to do more work than it is used to and eating to support the growth you will see results.
Thanks for the tag @simo74!
I’ll do the annoying “there isn’t one,” and “whatever you’re not doing now,” but I think there’s a lot of truth to it.
I believe there is a volume component to hypertrophy. We can debate how much, and what the intensity has to be, and all the normal things, but there is some amount of volume that has to be done.
Why do I bring that up? Because I think when we overly chase more weight/ reps, we can accidentally do a handful things which limit our volume:
With that said, I would suggest a few things:
In terms of actual progression:
You can, and probably should, combine these. Let’s say I care about incline press:
Week 1, work up to a top set of 6
Week 2, try to make that 8
Week 3, do two top sets
Week 4, switch to decline bench
Something like that. I didn’t read every post, so I could be way off-track for what you’re actually asking… but I do love to ramble.
Edit: read some of the responses and I agree with you that it doesn’t matter, I agree with basically everything @throwawayfitness said, and I agree with @simo74 that double progression in the 8-12 is good. I guess my only addition to the party is using muscle vs movement to save both your joints and your nervous system.
Appreciate the tag, but truthfully I don’t believe there IS a “best” method.
Check it out: 3 programs I love for mass gaining: Super Squats, Deep Water, Mass Made Simple.
Super Squats: Keep the reps the same (20), add weight each session.
Deep Water: Keep the weight and reps the same (10x10), reduce rest times between sessions for beginners, keep weight and reps the same (100 reps), reduce number of sets between sessions.
Mass Made Simple: Keep weight the same (bodyweight on the bar for squats), add reps per session.
They all work REALLY well, and work even better when you cycle them to avoid getting stale.
And DoggCrapp works great too: rest pause and beat the logbook each week.
Seems like all those programs have something in common, good old fashioned hard work.
Along with that, there is a LOT of time spent under load, which I find to be key to hypertrophy.
Not “time under tension”, but actual “time under load”. You spend a LOT of time with a bar on your back in all of those programs, and THAT drives some full body growth. You can’t do that with a leg press and machines.
Beat the logbook
until you cant
then alternate to a different but similar exercise
*all while training to failure
is it your belief that simply carrying a lot of weight, that you have a lot of muscle growth?
As in, load specifically on the spine?
Thanks for thinking of me man! I’m a big fan of the way DC and Fortitude incorporate progressive overload. You have an ABC rotation for all of your lifts and then try to progress from session to session in the 6-12 rep range, and when you reach the top of that range you add weight. This keeps the lifts rotating so you only hit them roughly once a month or so, so you don’t get any sort of burnout and your gains are more likely to be muscular than neurological.
Sometimes I’ll progress the weight a little bit “early” if I felt like beating reps felt out of the question for the day. Let’s say last month I was squatting 315x10 and the thought of 315x11 or 12 just makes me sick, I’ll probably just go for 320 and get as many as I can. That’s roughly what I did this past week and ended up at 7. It kept things fun while still progressing. I’m super progression oriented but you have to do it in a way that makes sense to you on that day. Learning auto regulation to that degree can really help drive gains.
I should also note that I try to progress follow up sets/backoff sets every time too, but that’s usually not as big of a focus. Although it can really be a good way to get additional progress or “wins” on a day that maybe you just “didn’t have it” on your first top set and only managed to match reps. Then you feel motivated to go absolutely ham-bone on your next set(s) and progress those like crazy above and beyond last time.
I know that’s a lot to take in, but I hope you find some of my thoughts useful here!
Thanks for all the great discussion on here, will read and digest.
