hi guys, for about the past 6 months i have steadily been training each body part once per week, doing 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps per exercise. just over a month ago i did a heavy cycle for 3 weeks with reps in the 1-6 range. i finished that cycle two weeks ago and am back to my normal routine and in the past two weeks i have gained 5 lbs and i am lifting more than i was prior to my heavy cycle. i am making steady gains and surprisingly i havent gone stale using this routine and i feel as if i am peaking. does anyone think that while i am peaking that it might be a good idea to switch my routine to something like TBT and really shock my body or should i keep doing what i am doing and ride it out while i am peaking and then change later on. i keep reading and people keep telling me that to use my rountine for such a long time is not good, but i just keep getting bigger and stronger and the gains dont seem to stop.
'Nuff said.
I’ll believe experience over theory any day of the week. If you’re happy with your results, then you have a good system.
hey happy dog i think your were one of the guys that told me to do that heavy cycle and i am so glad i did take your advice. before i started that heavy cycle my last set on squats was with a 45 and a 35 on each side for 6 reps and last night my last set on squats was with two 45s and a 35 on each side. that heavy cycle really helped and i just finished it about 3 weeks ago. i am getting lots of comments in the gym about how strong i have gotten and the only supplements i am taking is creatine. so would you say as soon as i start to see the gains stop i might want to try something like the TBT routine
Some of the authors on this site have said that the body adapts to rep range the quickest and exercise selection the slowest. I think that was Alwyn Cosgrove, actually. So if you are doing 12,10,8,6 for each exercise, it should take your system a good long time before it fully adapts to the routine… You should get a lot of mileage out of it.
I agree with skidmark.
Never forget that it is the results that matter and when you stop getting results, then you’ll know that you have adapted to what you’re doing and it’s time to change.
There are an infinite number of routines. You know that none of them are going to work forever, but since you’re in the gym for the results, it’s the results that tell you when to change.
Muscles don’t exist in isolation. They work in concert with nerves and blood flow and different approaches affect those components in different ways. There is no question in my mind that high rep sets improve blood flow, but blood flow is only part of the picture so high rep sets are only a part of what I do over all. Low rep sets build strength; no question. But strength is only part of the picture so low rep sets are only part of what I do over all.
It isn’t about lifting heavy or lifting lite, it’s about lifting smart. The main thing is to just keep at it!