Hello people,
I’ve been a follower of Dr Darden’s protocols and red most of his books.
For rapid and solid gains, on a 37 year old, what method should work the best and how often per week? 30/30/30; 30-10-30; 8-12 reps at 4sec. Up/down or the latest 10-10-10?
Thanks in advance
Regards,
H @Ellington_Darden
Training correctly instead of these gimmick techniques.
Pease define “ correctly”.
I don’t quite follow you. Correctly? these are all protocols published and perfected by the aythor through various studies.
My question is only regarding the most suitable one for me
I mean this sincerely (as opposed to snark), How would Dr Darden know which protocol or routine is suitable for you?
Only you can answer that, Yes, he is knowledgable and experienced. And this is a coach forum it appears.
But…the outcome will be determined by your consistent use of it. Which means it has to fit your lifestyle and preferences. You can try things out, and give things a chance (consistently), then use what you think is suitable.
“30/30/30; 30-10-30; 8-12 reps at 4sec. Up/down or the latest 10-10-10?”
It does not matter in the big scheme dude. Pick one and try it.
My 2 cents you did not ask for…
If you are younger than 60, try the 30-10-30
Older than 60 try the 10-10-10 until you are able to handle the 30-10-30
I would recommend his books Killing Fat or his latest Still Living Longer Stronger
All methods incorporating progressive resistance work for a while. Somewhere between 6 months and 1 year stagnation begins as human physiology takes over. Otherwise, we would have 400 pound muscleheads waliking around. Scary thought!
Recruiting fast twitch fibers safely is all you need to do. After 6 months, you need to accept your personal genetic growth rate and stay off Internet forums. Acceptance is hard!
P.S. build an aerobic base!
I really like the Surge Challenge. I made some nice gains the summer I ran that! I think it’s called M3 or something like that now.
Also I’m curious about what @OTay said that got flagged. We need some thicker skin around here and not just flag people who we disagree with, even if you feel they’re being rude. Let’s just let the convo happen. The arguments and drama are part of what make forums fun.
@davemccright
I read it before it was flagged. Harmless.
Agreed. First time I felt my lats really grew.
Have you tried any of them? Or are you speaking out of inexperience?
They all work, like any strength training method providing enough tension and progression is applied. Obviously you need to believe in it in order to put enough effort into it.
All I said was “Let me see the results”. I have yet to see anyone post results. Just wild claims.
I also said that the majority of Darden forum posters are just old guys living in the past. Which is also true and makes the claims of these gains even less believable. Most of them of 60+ yrs. old.
No one is going to believe that the poster Jeff60 is single digit or low teens BF when his photos look closer to 40% (which is why he removed the photos) The fact that Darden claims he measured him himself makes me even more critical.
I asked for results no one ever posts photos/results just posts about how great the methods are. Who has put on any appreciable muscle using those gimmicky techniques?
They may be great for old people wanting to put tension on their muscles while staying safe with light weight.
Perhaps your own forum is in order, where uncivil discussion is the order of the day. where bullies rule! This type of forum would contain little training information of value. Personally, I want no part of such discussions.
Yeah, that was a great experience overall.
I keep thinking I should give it another run.
Darden has before/after photos + measurements of several people with names in every book explaining the aforementioned methods.
I for one saw little progress with traditional PPL double progression (probably because of too many sets) compared with Darden full body HIT when I virtually exploded, and gained 22 pounds in a year! This was 6 years ago at age 45. After that gains came slower, but I have continued using HIT paradigms in my training + adding powerlifting and accessory training which added another 22 pounds on my frame. I believe “lean” gains is easier with HIT, due to metcon demands, but as I’ve progressed the challenge is to vary stimulus. My genetics doesn’t allow too much volume though. I currently weigh 220 pounds at about 15% bodyfat. The above experience is what made me a believer in HIT. BUT - The most important thing, which I always recommend, is to try out different methods for yourself, in order to learn your own responces. That said, I’ve tried Wendler’s 531 and though motivated the method left me with little progression (though others share “evidence” it works for them). My powerlifting attempts is therefore successful through other methods (incl. HIT ideas).
I’ve never felt like posting photos online as I don’t need praise or approval from others for my self confidence.
Hahaha. “Where bullies rule”. You’re being serious? The statement was a nerf toss. If you can’t handle it, you need a forum for adults who have the resilience of wet toilet paper.
Perhaps your own forum is in order, where uncivil discussion is the order of the day. where bullies rule! This type of forum would contain little training information of value. Personally, I want no part of such discussions.
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…and yet here you still are 
…despite many on here resorting to tactics ranging from pleading to almost outright abuse, in an effort to get you to stop your “one trick” diatribe ( which you couldn’t resist throwing in yet again (!) above) or leave. Are you not that good at taking hints (subtle or less so), or are you simply one of the great trolls of the internet? 
Why choose?
To answer your question, I rotated the 3 first mentioned modalities, one after the other in a circular fashion (30-10-30, 30-30-30 and 4/4) on 2-3 sessions a week for about 6 months. Each modality had its own benefits, and brought progression. 4/4 was the hardest of them for some reason (was forced to use lower weights and progressed slowly), 30-10-30 brought intensity and endurance, and 30-30-30 was the weight progressor. I highly recommend this strategy to keep it interesting and fun!
Make sure to vary in between free weights and machines (I used machines for 30-30-30 and 30-10-30 and free weights on 4/4). Make a planned schedule for each modality/session that you follow, and change a few excercises over time. Also keep a precise log in order to make sure you use the right weights and keep track on progression.