Isolation Exercises for CNS Recovery?

Training Bodybuilding
1

I got this idea from a guy much stronger and bigger than me and I have to say I like it a lot. This guys trains like a psycho, he hits every bodypart once per week and DESTROYS it. High reps, low reps, supersets, rest pause, dropsets, forced reps, and every intensity technique known to man, mixing up basic compound movements and isolation exercises.

As you can surely imagine, this type of training is rather taxing on the CNS. So instead of taking a week off once in while, he does a week of machine training and isolation exercises, moderate to high reps, mostly to failure, still hitting every bodypart once per week.

The reason for this is that the CNS can recover because you isolate the muscles by avoiding big compound movements, but you can still train them for hypertrophy, so you can leap at least some benefit from your “off” week. I have never heard of this before, and I’d love to hear your opinions on this.

Remember this guy has the work capacity of a mutant, but I think this would work pretty well for intermediate/advanced level lifters.

2

For volume monsters like him I am sure it would work. I keep my volume low, so it doesn’t apply to me. I don’t actually need off weeks.

3

[quote]forevernade wrote:
For volume monsters like him I am sure it would work. I keep my volume low, so it doesn’t apply to me. I don’t actually need off weeks.[/quote]

Yeah, I just thought it would be cool to share the idea because I can’t remember reading anything like that, and I read everything I can find about weight training.

4

It’s called backing off. Some people cut their volume for a week, others don’t go to failure, and your guy goes all-machine.

Nice to hear another method. It’s also cool because you get to use all the ‘new’ exercises for a week, recover and maybe even grow or get new ideas.

Thanks for posting.

5

Yup, do this regularly as a deload, works great

6

[quote]Enjoy The Pain wrote:
I got this idea from a guy much stronger and bigger than me and I have to say I like it a lot. This guys trains like a psycho, he hits every bodypart once per week and DESTROYS it.

High reps, low reps, supersets, rest pause, dropsets, forced reps, and every intensity technique known to man, mixing up basic compound movements and isolation exercises.

As you can surely imagine, this type of training is rather taxing on the CNS. So instead of taking a week off once in while, he does a week of machine training and isolation exercises, moderate to high reps, mostly to failure, still hitting every bodypart once per week.

The reason for this is that the CNS can recover because you isolate the muscles by avoiding big compound movements, but you can still train them for hypertrophy, so you can leap at least some benefit from your “off” week. I have never heard of this before, and I’d love to hear your opinions on this.

Remember this guy has the work capacity of a mutant, but I think this would work pretty well for intermediate/advanced level lifters.[/quote]

The CNS is challenged mostly by the rate-coding that occurs when going to failure. So moving to machines and going to failure is not much better.

However, machines de-load the spine, which is good and knock out some stabilizers, which is also good if you are tiring to recover. High reps help the ligaments and joint recover as well.

So for CNS recovery I think this is a good plan except for the going to failure idea.

7

[quote]Lorisco wrote:
Enjoy The Pain wrote:
I got this idea from a guy much stronger and bigger than me and I have to say I like it a lot. This guys trains like a psycho, he hits every bodypart once per week and DESTROYS it.

High reps, low reps, supersets, rest pause, dropsets, forced reps, and every intensity technique known to man, mixing up basic compound movements and isolation exercises.

As you can surely imagine, this type of training is rather taxing on the CNS. So instead of taking a week off once in while, he does a week of machine training and isolation exercises, moderate to high reps, mostly to failure, still hitting every bodypart once per week.

The reason for this is that the CNS can recover because you isolate the muscles by avoiding big compound movements, but you can still train them for hypertrophy, so you can leap at least some benefit from your “off” week. I have never heard of this before, and I’d love to hear your opinions on this.

Remember this guy has the work capacity of a mutant, but I think this would work pretty well for intermediate/advanced level lifters.

The CNS is challenged mostly by the rate-coding that occurs when going to failure. So moving to machines and going to failure is not much better.

However, machines de-load the spine, which is good and knock out some stabilizers, which is also good if you are tiring to recover. High reps help the ligaments and joint recover as well.

So for CNS recovery I think this is a good plan except for the going to failure idea.

[/quote]

+1

8

Isolation Exercises are usually a good way to keep your Deload in check and make sure you don’t kill yourself.

9

[quote]Lorisco wrote:
The CNS is challenged mostly by the rate-coding that occurs when going to failure. So moving to machines and going to failure is not much better.

However, machines de-load the spine, which is good and knock out some stabilizers, which is also good if you are tiring to recover. High reps help the ligaments and joint recover as well.

So for CNS recovery I think this is a good plan except for the going to failure idea.

[/quote]

Let’s take leg day as an example. I can imagine that doing, let’s say 3 sets on the leg press, then 3 sets of leg curls and 3 sets of leg extensions is less taxing on the CNS than mixing up back squats, front squats, lunges, and various machine exercises, even if you do go to failure.

So if one has got very good work capacity, it might work well the way that guy does it. However, if one is not there (yet), it might be better to adjust it for one’s needs. Right?

10

[quote]Enjoy The Pain wrote:

Let’s take leg day as an example. I can imagine that doing, let’s say 3 sets on the leg press, then 3 sets of leg curls and 3 sets of leg extensions is less taxing on the CNS than mixing up back squats, front squats, lunges, and various machine exercises, even if you do go to failure.

[/quote]

Why would you go to failure on a RECOVERY workout?

11

[quote]Enjoy The Pain wrote:
Lorisco wrote:
The CNS is challenged mostly by the rate-coding that occurs when going to failure. So moving to machines and going to failure is not much better.

However, machines de-load the spine, which is good and knock out some stabilizers, which is also good if you are tiring to recover. High reps help the ligaments and joint recover as well.

So for CNS recovery I think this is a good plan except for the going to failure idea.

Let’s take leg day as an example. I can imagine that doing, let’s say 3 sets on the leg press, then 3 sets of leg curls and 3 sets of leg extensions is less taxing on the CNS than mixing up back squats, front squats, lunges, and various machine exercises, even if you do go to failure.

So if one has got very good work capacity, it might work well the way that guy does it. However, if one is not there (yet), it might be better to adjust it for one’s needs. Right?[/quote]

If you don’t have a high work capacity why would you be doing 9 sets for legs on a recovery day?

It is true that single joint or limb exercises help deload and recover the CNS, but if recovery is the aim, why go to failure?

I know many are used to the pain and love to be sore (I like that as well). But if you are busting your butt with heavy loads and compound lifts and need to deload and recover, then recover. Give yourself a break.