[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
4. Have the ‘‘fast neural adaptation period’’ run out? The first 2-3 weeks you perform a movement the strength increase comes primarily from neural adaptations (intermuscular coordination, intramuscular coordination, high threshold motor units activation, rate coding, etc.) and very little, if any actually comes from actually building muscle.
Since neural adaptations do not require tissue remodeling/building they occur rapidly, but the body is fully adapted just as fast. That’s why, after 2-3 weeks of doing a movement, strength gains will slow down. At that point the fast neural adaptations are completed and now additional strength gains must come from tissue remodeling and building which takes a lot more time.
Some people will interpret that as a plateau, but in reality it’s just that they have switched from stimulating mainly neural gains to stimulating muscle growth. Since muscle growth takes more time, gaining strength will also be slower.
Should you change a movement when that happens? Some coaches recommend that you do… and if strength is your only goal, then I would tend to agree. But if your goal is to build muscle it would be a mistake to change right away. Why? Because you are actually changing an exercise before it had the time to stimulate a significant amount of hypertrophy.
[/quote]
Thib,
Would swapping out one exercise every 3-4 weeks for another very similar one(i.e. 10-degree incline press for 30-degree incline press or altering grip spacing on the same angle incline press) allow for continued strength gains due to fast neural adaptations while still being related closely enough to stimulate significant hypertrophy over time?
I am actually progressing in terms of reps and weight in practically all of mine exercises. Though I ditch them when I stop makin gains altogether.
Damn the fast neural adaption information really cleared me, you mean that when my strength gains slow down in a movement i am actually building more muscle!?
But, do those neural adaptions help in anyway to build muscle?
Thanks again (incredible, the chest routine you put above was exactly what I was doing and as my Bench increased fast my dips were stalled, now I know it is because of fatigue!! A few changes and now my dips are great!)
Would swapping out one exercise every 3-4 weeks for another very similar one(i.e. 10-degree incline press for 30-degree incline press or altering grip spacing on the same angle incline press) allow for continued strength gains due to fast neural adaptations while still being related closely enough to stimulate significant hypertrophy over time?[/quote]
I wasn’t 100% precise with my previous answer. ANY strength gain (short or long term, with low reps or high reps, etc.) will be due to both neural and muscular adaptations. It’s just that short term strength gains are MOSTLY neural by nature.
However some hypertrophy is still being stimulated, after all the muscle tissue is still being externally loaded and has to produce tension (stimulus for muscle growth).
To answer your question, YES small technique changes are enough to elicit neural activation changes.
The second aspect of your question is a bit more complex to answer… the short version is that the smaller the technique changes, the less the neural component will be involved and the more muscular adaptations will occur.
So very slight changes (e.g. 1’’ grip width change) will allow you to stimulate more hypertrophy but less neural adaptations than moderate changes (e.g. 15% difference in the bench incline).
Would swapping out one exercise every 3-4 weeks for another very similar one(i.e. 10-degree incline press for 30-degree incline press or altering grip spacing on the same angle incline press) allow for continued strength gains due to fast neural adaptations while still being related closely enough to stimulate significant hypertrophy over time?
I wasn’t 100% precise with my previous answer. ANY strength gain (short or long term, with low reps or high reps, etc.) will be due to both neural and muscular adaptations. It’s just that short term strength gains are MOSTLY neural by nature. However some hypertrophy is still being stimulated, after all the muscle tissue is still being externally loaded and has to produce tension (stimulus for muscle growth).
To answer your question, YES small technique changes are enough to elicit neural activation changes.
The second aspect of your question is a bit more complex to answer… the short version is that the smaller the technique changes, the less the neural component will be involved and the more muscular adaptations will occur.
So very slight changes (e.g. 1’’ grip width change) will allow you to stimulate more hypertrophy but less neural adaptations than moderate changes (e.g. 15% difference in the bench incline). [/quote]
Not to grossly oversimplify things, but essentially as long as nutrition is spot on, exercise selection is sound, and you train with proper form and intensity with an eye toward progression; hypertrophy will take care of itself to a large degree without having to overthink whether exercises are being cycled in and out too often or not often enough?
[quote]Player wrote:
Coach, any free weight versions for the hamstring curl?[/quote]
Yes… you lie down face on a bench with a DB between your legs.
But what’s the point? It is an inferior exercise. The movement basically becomes unloaded (no resistance) during the second half of the movement and you also risk dropping the DB.
This is one instance where a machine exercise is superior to a free-weight one.
Other options would include the glute-ham raise or natural glute-ham raise.
I know you are probably inundated daily with PM’s, but if you happen to read this one, I have one ?/or suggestion. My question is; when will you and the T-Nation crew be looking for another transformation project rat? If you are or will be, how does one put his name into the hat? It’d be a dream come true if I was to ever get selected to say the least.
My suggestion is; what about a T-Nation transformation challenge? Anyone could compete, just have rules/guidelines and some cool prizes. Just a suggestion.
hey thib I play hockey once a week and I plan on doing beast building and I also know that you dont think its a good idea to do any cardio in any form on phase one so would it be smart to just start at phase two or 3 or is it okay to do the whole thing?
With choices such as elk, buffalo, lamb, pork, rabbit, venison, grass-fed beef, chicken, turkey, ostrich, etc. as potential options; how can one balance the difficulty of being able to have many of these choices readily available with being sure not to consume the same meat too often and potentially developing a food sensitivity/intolerance?
I usually find myself eating 2 or 3 choices from this list throughout a week at any one time and then changing those 2 or 3 choices every few weeks.
And do you feel seafood should always be avoided due to issues with mercury and PCB’s(as well as the potential allergy issue with shellfish) or is consuming seafood sparingly perfectly fine?
[quote]crod266 wrote:
hey thib I play hockey once a week and I plan on doing beast building and I also know that you dont think its a good idea to do any cardio in any form on phase one so would it be smart to just start at phase two or 3 or is it okay to do the whole thing?[/quote]
Doing phase I or II while playing hockey is not that smart.
Doing phase III by itself is kinda pointless since it doesn’t take advantage of the potentiating effect of the first two phases.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
crod266 wrote:
hey thib I play hockey once a week and I plan on doing beast building and I also know that you dont think its a good idea to do any cardio in any form on phase one so would it be smart to just start at phase two or 3 or is it okay to do the whole thing?
Doing phase I or II while playing hockey is not that smart.
Doing phase III by itself is kinda pointless since it doesn’t take advantage of the potentiating effect of the first two phases.
Save it for when you can focus on training.[/quote]
thats what I figured, is there any way around this as far as playing it a certain day or anything like that because chances are hockey will never stop lol…Also the phase 3 wouldnt be bad as just a bodybuilding type plan am I right?
In this short article, you recommend only using preacher curls and reverse preacher curls for 8 weeks. Will this really hit the whole bicep effectively?
I am going to run your shoulders overhaul and figured this arm routine would fit in quite nicely for the arm day. Good idea?
After reading all your posts and the BioSig info the one remark you made in regards to adrenal fatgue stood out.
I have fairly ripped triceps and quads, lean shoulders and can see my 4-pack YET I always have that puffy face, no matter if I eat carbs or no carbs.
My job is enormously stress full and I am a single dad raising two sons so I guess it is cortisol that causes me to not have a six pack however the puffy face seems to be there no matter what (last two years) and something I cannot get rid off.
I have tried low fat, low carb and no carb and they all lean me out but still that round face.
Is it possible for you to give me a general idea of how you attack adrenal fatigue?
[quote]NiallC wrote:
socrgod wrote:
Coach,
Should ZMA be taken in the morning and ubermag in the evening and before bed? Or opposite? Or ZMA at all? (couldn’t find that post in the old thread) Thanks.
zinc is seperate to the mag
zinc am
mag pm[/quote]
Thanks. That’s what I thought. I have some bottles of ZMA to finish off, that’s why I asked. It’s recommended before bed, but I’ll go to the morning for ZMA until its gone and use the ubermag in the evening. Or should I just toss out the ZMA? Any recommendations for zinc products? Thanks again.
[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
NiallC wrote:
socrgod wrote:
Coach,
Should ZMA be taken in the morning and ubermag in the evening and before bed? Or opposite? Or ZMA at all? (couldn’t find that post in the old thread) Thanks.
[quote]socrgod wrote:
NiallC wrote:
socrgod wrote:
Coach,
Should ZMA be taken in the morning and ubermag in the evening and before bed? Or opposite? Or ZMA at all? (couldn’t find that post in the old thread) Thanks.
zinc is seperate to the mag
zinc am
mag pm
Thanks. That’s what I thought. I have some bottles of ZMA to finish off, that’s why I asked. It’s recommended before bed, but I’ll go to the morning for ZMA until its gone and use the ubermag in the evening. Or should I just toss out the ZMA? Any recommendations for zinc products? Thanks again.[/quote]
Just started dieting: 1st phase-Using 4 Heavy sessions and 1 lactate session a week. I am above 15% bf and am worried,thinking I should maybe add some cardio now. Should I:
a) Add cardio of OFF days
b) Add cardio to training days after weights
c) Add cardio to training days first thing in the morning
d) Not add cardio yet, cuz its the first week and Im adding too much too soon