I just have always felt it helps keep my body fat down
I used to be dogmatic concerning only certain programs worked. But I have rethought this and agree that there is no one best program.
Both but mostly that it would be hard to do a high intensity interval session after a weight lifting session with the appropriate level of intensity. Let’s say for example I was going to do a 4x4 VO2 max cardio session. That’s hard enough physically and mentally to complete when it is on its own day or in its own session. Doing it right after lifting would be very, very challenging. At least for me. Even if I did a lower focused cardio exercise after an upper body lift.
I also have a dim recollection that the interference studies showed that the interference effect is more pronounced when high intensity cardio is done in the same session as the lifting (compared to just lifting or lifting and low intensity cardio). Since most people only need 1-2 high intensity cardio sessions a week, it should be easy enough to put it on its own day or in its own session.
1 Like
I feel as though this goal is interfering with your muscle gaining
2 Likes
As in keeping my body fat low is going against muscle gains?
Keeping it low and striving to keep it low.
Ok. Understandable. I only do 10 minutes twice per week.
1 Like
I really like antagonistic supersets! That’s really all I have to say about it
1 Like
Why wouldn’t they?
Why wouldn’t they what?
FINISHERS!
Why would they do or not do finishers!
Also, what’s a finisher?
1 Like
“Finishers” is a new terminology for me too. I was just guessing it was a pump set at the end of a body part.
Is this trolling? Or a legitimate question?
1 Like
Just for clarification.
“Finisher” could mean different things to different people.
I don’t want to start pontificating on junk volume, functional fitness, and the Juarez Valley protocol for no good reason.
1 Like
I can’t remember the last time I didn’t organize my workouts into antagonist supersets. I think it’s been at least 15 years. I vaguely recall trying straight sets for awhile, and I was bored to death and got out of shape pretty quickly. Not only did it take up more time in the gym each week, I got less work in overall, plus I had to waste even more time on cardio to make up for the loss in conditioning. Also, I didn’t progress on my lifts any faster. Straight sets had literally zero benefit to me. The only exception has consistently been power movements like cleans or jumps. I keep those as straight sets, since the benefit only comes from doing each rep as close to 100% as possible.
Supersetting definitely kept me on point as far as work capacity and allowed me to do alot more work throughout the week. I never once felt like getting fatigued on something like pullups negatively affected my next set of bench press, for example. I still progressed on both, and had no troubles pushing the intensity. Another cool benefit was I’ve always managed to stay pretty lean year round thanks to the workouts being more metabolically demanding. Not to mention, shoulders, knees, elbows all just feel sooooo much better for it.
8 Likes
I think we’re in the exact same boat. I can echo everything you’re saying. Great stuff!
This ground has been covered on T-Nation before, obviously. Some columns:
Four times a week approach:
Cressey’s Credo:
What Thibs finds effective:
The Clusterfix Alternative:
2 Likes
Ah… Your firsts et is always the most productive. if you need a “finisher”… your intensity and programming suck. It’s also just accumulating fatigue and damage. They’re bro science trash
I like this firsthand experience
1 Like
Let me begin stating that I don’t know what “finishers” means to anyone on this thread. But there is a phase of my contest training that was what I could easily have called “finishers.” And, further, to not do them would be a foolish oversight.
At the start of my contest prep I started three different things:
- Diet
- AAS
- Added “finishers” to each body part
The first two are fairly self-explanatory. So, allow me to explain what I will call “finishers.” At the end of training each body part, I did 2 or 3 sets of an exercise that focused on feeling the muscle contract and forcing more blood into the muscle, followed by posing that muscle group. (I will say that my “finishers” were not done superset style, though I may have done a few supersets prior to my “finishers.”) Every workout during contest prep was done with the stage in mind.
1 Like