And could that be a legit reason to do less volume with training age or ease up during different seasons of your training? I mean, if you can get the same amount of stimulation in fewer reps, or fewer exercises, is this a case for limiting the volume with training age? Or limiting it cyclically to maybe increase sensitivity in the future?
Oh gotcha. It’s a good one!
I remember Coach Thibaudeau writing about how different muscle groups have different proportions of muscle fiber types. So maybe it has to do with that?
But I hear you on arbitrary numbers, and I disagree about pec appearance. If that’s you in the avatar, you’re good! Go home! Stop lifting! Just kidding.
I think so! We always use the example of you get more out of your 500 lbs squat because it’s heavier, so you need less. I’d argue the more experienced lifters can also get more out of the 20 lbs dumbbell side raises than the newer folks can with 50s.
This is a great question and I heard CT recently talking about it on a podcast. It makes a ton of sense and I think stands up to practice: we all know we get stale when doing the same program too long.
Coming at this slightly late but a couple of things, my bench (and other ‘chest’ exercises) are the same, once i’m done i’m 100% done where as other exercises drop off a lot less. I am also a bencher who feels it more in my triceps and shoulders.
So maybe its your chest that needs work to become more dominant. Maybe try some pre-exhaust exercises to see if benching feels any different.
Is it the same on all compound chest movements (DB flat press, incline and chest press) or just bench that it drops off?
This has been an interesting read. My first thought would go right to training history, but I also think a slight imbalance could cause it. At some point one of the muscle groups has just had enough when you otherwise should be able to get more.
As a more personal thing though, I find that just one bad rep can kill a set quicker than it does on other exercises when it comes to chest. The rhythm feels so important and I don’t think I would do well with RP on chest exercises as the fatigue would leave my first couple of reps not to be great which could, as implied, kill the potential of the set. That’s my issue though. With you having more experience it probably isn’t a problem.
I’m the same way with Pec endurance. Back in my youth, I was in the Army ROTC. During our fitness tests I had to use a close grip on pushups to cover up for my chest, which would get tired super fast. We had 2 minutes to do as many pushups as possible, but I would get totally gassed out in under a minute. The little skinny guys would knock out shitty looking, wide grip BS pushups for the full time. Finally I just had to do my pushups super fast to get them in before I got tired.
Fred Hatfield said that fast twitch fibers should be trained with less sets than slow twitch because they get tired so fast. And more rest between workout because they get super blasted and torn apart during training.
But I’d like to hear what Thibadeau or somebody current says, Dr Squat’s info is from a while back.
Maybe you’ve been right to trust your instincts! Check out this piece from the article “Rest Pause Training- Why It Works” by Josh Bryant.
" …open ended rest-pause (ie doing as many reps as possible each mini set) training allows the athlete to adapt the weight to his individual capabilities. A primarily slow twitch lifter will get more reps, a fast twitch lifter will get fewer reps.
Both experience an adaptive overload since maximal intensity is tailored to their individual differences.
Bottom line is, both the slow gainer and fast gainer are performing their sets with an all-out effort; maximum intensity tailored to individual genetic make-up is synergy for great results."
Skipped hip thrusts. No time and I’ll do a lot of those this weekend.
Attempted band pull aparts but something feels fucky in my left forearm and it wasn’t having it.
Anyone ever train hard enough to feel like throwing up after? That’s me right meow.
Professional Gainz
Off to catch a specialized class in FPGAs and network.
Past professor asked me to join a project she was a part of. Said i have a specific skill set that they need… idk if that means they need dad jokes, borderline domestic violence level rough sex, or something in between but thats about all I’m good at so i guess we’ll find out.
