This seems so much less important than everything you listed below, sounds like the right decision in the end.
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100% - thanks man. I’m just kind of thinking out loud in here, and everything kind of ends up as it should be you know?
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Made me smile big time.
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Thanks man!
I scrolled up a little ways and saw a post about prices in OH a year ago. Did I miss two moves?
And it’s awesome seeing happiness. I took a decent pay cut to be a teacher and I don’t care one bit.
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Soooooo back to our discussion about looking stronger than we are, is sticking with a movement bad for you as it slows progression do you think?
So the meadows programmes of 4 x weeks main lift DB press, then 4 x weeks of machine press, then changing to incline then flat bench etc. Each one is progressively overloaded so you grow but then you don’t do that movement for quite some time. So i’m guessing you lose the benefits of your body knowing the movement and being really efficient at it.
I might be talking nonsense but if you just stick to one movement, you become really efficient but does that make it worse for hypertrophy? I’ve read from Brad Schofield before as well that he will take a movement and hammer it over a period than drop it entirely for another movement.
Food for thought on a sunny Thursday morning.
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Yeah… we’re in our 5th place since early ‘22. It’s been a weird road; sorry kids! We should be able to stay here until they graduate high school, though. I think we learned if I had to move again, I would just get an apartment there and commute.
I remember when you were going through it and I actually thought about your situation with all of this. I’m really glad it still looks good in hindsight! I know what you were doing, and, particularly, the environment in which you were doing it was weighing heavily. I’m glad you’re in a place where you can positively impact the people who matter most and get personal satisfaction to boot!
@rugby_lifting deep question and I really don’t know! I think maybe it comes down to theory vs practice. I’ll ramble, as is my wont, and perhaps a coherent train of thought will emerge.
Theoretically, I don’t think there’s any reason sticking with the same movement should be a negative for hypertrophy. As long as you’re contracting the target muscle, it doesn’t seem like you couldn’t just keep using the “best” exercise for doing so.
The counter to that thought would be “but you necessarily stop progressing.” That may be true on the surface, but we can argue against that several ways. First, I think we can always progress, even if it’s just one second less rest between sets or a slightly harder contraction or the gym is 2 degrees hotter. Second, if it’s your “best” exercise, you’re not exactly progressing if you switch to a “lesser” exercise. Third, hypertrophy programs really are built around progressing your suffering more so than weight on the bar anyway.
So that’s the theory side, but what about the practical?
I think, first, you just get beat up from doing the same movements all the time. There is definitely something real to the “overuse pattern” concept. As noted above, hypertrophy programs are about pushing hard enough to be uncomfortable. The better our joints/ bodies feel, the more we can use that discomfort on the muscular part of the movement (vs just sucking up cranky knees or whatever).
Second, it just sucks to not be making visible progress. This game is about consistency, so losing all passion for the gym because you haven’t added a rep to your squat in two years is not beneficial. The purists will say I’m mentally weak, and they may not be wrong, but my point is you have options with movements. If it’s not a trade-off you have to make, why fight that battle?
Third, and similar vein as above, is boredom. Since we can trade our movements and find some new excitement, maybe that gives us a little extra get up and go to push really hard. That’s the main goal, anyway, so let’s maximize that.
Finally (ha, we’ll see; I’m never done talking), I think there is definitely merit to a novel stimulus. Sure we can try to progress in the myriad ways I mentioned above, but we all know we can get all kinds of new soreness just from changing our leg press to a hack squat. I recognize DOMS is apparently not a good indicator anymore (barf), but deep down we know it means we at least worked something.
On that last point, as a bit of an aside, is an example of where I think we outwit ourselves with semantics. People will say “there’s no such thing as ‘muscle confusion;’ muscles only ‘know’ tension.” That’s probably academically correct, but it ignores the practical reality that maybe we’re providing more tension by switching movements.
Anyway, extraordinarily long story to say: I do think there’s merit in switching movements. Like your example, there’s probably a middle ground of sticking with a movement “long enough” where we find the most benefit.
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@TrainForPain you’re both making valid points.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ced40lpL6rN/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
This isn’t the post I initially saw by the hypertrophy doctor, but it’s close enough. He shared a study where one group did the same leg exercise and another did two. I think it was squat for 4x8 vs squat for 2x8 and leg press for 2x8. Hypertrophy was greater in the group with two exercises.
With that being said, it was the usual single digit percentage point improvement.
So is it better? Yes. Is it worth it to guys like us? No.
I think variation (especially in pressing) is great for joint health. CT is a jedi in the weight room with his advanced methods (at least O consider them advanced) and he still says the best program is one you enjoy and will put forth the effort.
This is why I still deadlift. All my favorite coaches say it’s not ideal for me. Poor hypertrophy stimulus, high risk, there are just better options. But I enjoy it. I also suck at squats and want at least one lift that’s not embarrassing. I deadlift to be able to deadlift heavy-for-me weights. I also do power cleans and clean pulls to maintain my vertical and it works (even though I can’t front squat the recommended ratio of my squat or body weight 
).
Powerlifters have taught us that specificity is still important. If you want to be good at a certain lift, then you have to train the movement to be efficient with motor recruitment and order of muscle unit firing. Lifts are skills. Luckily Westside has shown us you can use a variation to build strength and lighter work to master the skill of the lift.
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Counterpoint: Crossfitters have taught us it’s not…
Kind of kidding. I agree with everything you said. I have long felt “do what you want” is valid advice
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Crazy pump today and no AC in the gym: great combo.
-
HS Low Row
-/8
1pps/
1.25pps/4
2pps/12
2pps/8 x 2 -
DB Row
70/4
105/10 x 2
105/10 + 75/8 -
Stretch Pulldown
MAG Handle - love this thing
55/6
115/10
130/10 x 3 -
DB Rear Delt
15/20 x 4 -
DB Hammer Curl
25/12 x 6 -
HS Preacher
1p/8 x 6
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Especially when that movement is 20 rep squats…LOL
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Even crossfitters focus on improving their lifts and movements, so isn’t this still a type of specificity
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Fine!
Great example, though! How hard do you feel like pushing leg hypertrophy right after that program?
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I dont feel like doing anything hard after doing that program.
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Enter the seasons of training. Your hard leg training should be followed by my poolside drinking program. 
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Isn’t that called periodisation
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I take this seriously year round!
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You know, I’ve had the same thought as you in regards to using a John Meadows program to really put Surge to the test. I would love to try his “28 Days Later” program, which is 28 days straight of training with no rest days.
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I’ve done it. It’s brutal. Great test! I actually think I was using Surge (the older formula) when I did.
You crushed the HIT program. It would be cool to see you knock out the other side of the spectrum.
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I’ve always wanted to try a Mountain Dog program and that I’ve seems like a nice brutal entry, especially to use in conjunction with Surge
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