Hello Everyone,
I have done HIT for almost a full year. Didn’t see the results I was hoping for. Switched from HIT to HVT and made gains from 145 to 155 lbs within three to four months. Might give HIT another try starting next week and do it without a Metronome.
How exactly do you define HVT? What kind of set and rep scheme are we talking here? HVT is very general. For instance, I train pretty high volume, 3-4 sets per exercise usually in the 6-10 rep range with about 12-15 sets per body part per week, but I also take every set to failure with a focus on progressing in weight or reps every week. I don’t know what exactly your approach is yet, but maybe one that blends high volume with high intensity like this would be more ideal.
Also being that you’re so new, you haven’t built up the pain tolerance to truly train hard enough to get close enough to true failure to make up for such limited volume. Never limit your thinking to “I only need volume” or “I only need Intensity”. Volume, Intensity, and frequency are all equally important for optimal programming and therefore progression. Dogma can hold you back, so good on you for branching out and trying something different when you didn’t find results.
Are you asking for my definition of HVT? I would define it as sets x reps x muscle frequency. Usually I like to call something HVT within these forums once total sets per body part is greater than six per week with respect to HIT. HIT is usually 1-2 set per muscle for two to three times a week which would be 3-6 total sets per body part a week.
I’ve been doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise. Usually end up with 15 sets per muscle group. I like to stay one to two reps shy of failure. Especially with conventional deadlifts.
Thanks. I really wanted HIT to work. I use to lift slowly with HIT but now I explode the weights on the concentric and control the negatives. I’m assuming your rep speeds sent too slow either?
Curious as to what your HIT program entailed
Be specific
Boom
Dumbbell Squat 8-12
Leg Extension 12-15
Leg Curl 12-15
Calf Raise 12-15
Chin Up 8-12
Incline Dumbbell Press 8-12
One Arm DB Row 8-12
DB Shoulder Press 8-12
DB Curl 8-12
DB Close Grip Press 8-12
Weighted Crunches 8-12
Are you using 4-4 cadence and going to failure?
Have you tried doing this via 30-10-30 method?
No I don’t really count my tempo, but I do my reps about 1 second up, 2 seconds down. That’s just a guess. I do try to make sure the negative is slow and controlled because that’s how I was taught to lift back when I was 12. Exception would be deadlift and pendlay Row because they really aren’t movements meant to be done with a negative.
Just a side note: I NEVER drop my deadlifts fast and sometimes do 3-5 second negatives on them and it is great for back strength, IMO.
Pendlay rows I do agree with that,
So to clarify, we trained in one manner for a while that emphasized one quality of training, and then when we switched to a different form of training that emphasized a different quality, we observed growth?
Gentlemen, I believe we’ve just invented periodization.
I never totally drop it because I do use straps, and I control it just enough that I return to the floor with the bar safely while keeping my balance. I also do Romanian deadlifts during the week, which I perform in the same fashion as conventional deadlifts but without touching the floor and focusing on a slow negative, like you said probably 3-5 seconds. I think this method is working and these two exercises feed each other well.
Yes I was doing the 4/4 Cadence with a Metronome and going into concentric failure. Haven’t tried the 10-30-10. Just realized this post was in Bigger, Stronger, Leaner forum section and not in the Dr Darden forums area 
.
Pendlay Rows are awesome!
All I can say is stick with what works for you
I got my best gains doing variations if 30-10-30, …give it a try
And discarded it instantly.
I’m shocked to hear you got NOTHING out of HIT. Something must be wrong.
Did you reach enough intensity? Most routines require at least +90% of your ability (only one rep left in the tank - or less).
Did you do the same program/excercises for a year? Variety is important to resist adaptation. Dr Darden’s books/programs change a couple of excercises every other week, and most programs run for up til 12 weeks at the most.
Did you move quickly between excercises? Most Darden routines are to be finished within 40 mins - otherwise you are doing something wrong.
Did you apply short-term pre-exhaust specialization programs as an add on? These can be useful as plateaubreakers. Search Darden’s “Leg killer” routine in T-nation articles - A great example!
Most important though: Why didn’t you change approach within 3 months when results failed to show?
On the other hand, as someone who gave it a fair try myself, I am not at all shocked.
