Not really. I’m kidding. But I do have a few questions:
From some reading I have been doing at ironaddict… supposedly high reps and high frequency build size extreemly well. But the muscle is soft for some reason?? And it also goes away shortly if you do not keep pumping yourself up at the gym. Anyone know of any explanation to this?
Also, how aesthetic would one look simply by doing compound exercises? I have been doing alot of row and bench and dead and squat…etc. and I have gained quite a bit of muscle. Is isolation good for anything? And when do you guys decide to use isolation exercises? (if any)
[quote]brucevangeorge wrote:
Not really. I’m kidding. But I do have a few questions:
From some reading I have been doing at ironaddict… supposedly high reps and high frequency build size extreemly well. But the muscle is soft for some reason?? And it also goes away shortly if you do not keep pumping yourself up at the gym. Anyone know of any explanation to this?
[/quote]
[quote]brucevangeorge wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply X. I have alot to learn. Thank you for the link.[/quote]
if you ever want to get prof x’s attention, here are some talking points:
bodybuilders are weak, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is fake muscle, functional training, racism, or religion.
[quote]rawda wrote:
brucevangeorge wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply X. I have alot to learn. Thank you for the link.
if you ever want to get prof x’s attention, here are some talking points:
bodybuilders are weak, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is fake muscle, functional training, racism, or religion.
[quote]rawda wrote:
brucevangeorge wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply X. I have alot to learn. Thank you for the link.
if you ever want to get prof x’s attention, here are some talking points:
bodybuilders are weak, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is fake muscle, functional training, racism, or religion.
am i missing any? :)[/quote]
You forgot: Motorcycles, Pizza, Raw Eggs and Big Ol’ Titties.
Unless you are talking about like sets of 20 or 30 that just pump the muscle up with blood, no, the muscles will not be “soft” or “weak” or “nonfunctional” or any of the above.
In general, lower reps are going to help your max strength while higher reps are going to help build strength-endurance more. Time and experience has proven sets of 4 to 12 to be good for building strength and size. Sets of 1 to 3 reps can be effective for boosting maximal strength because they allow you to work closer to your 1 rep max, thus providing more CNS stimulation. However, unless you are doing a ton of sets (like 10x3), they might not be as effective for building muscle.
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
Unless you are talking about like sets of 20 or 30 that just pump the muscle up with blood, no, the muscles will not be “soft” or “weak” or “nonfunctional” or any of the above.
In general, lower reps are going to help your max strength while higher reps are going to help build strength-endurance more. Time and experience has proven sets of 4 to 12 to be good for building strength and size. Sets of 1 to 3 reps can be effective for boosting maximal strength because they allow you to work closer to your 1 rep max, thus providing more CNS stimulation. However, unless you are doing a ton of sets (like 10x3), they might not be as effective for building muscle.[/quote]
I was thinking 4-6 reps vs somehting like 10-12. Is there a difference?
Also, when you increase reps… do you decrease sets? So that you have the same amount of total reps for the entire workout? Or is it like 4 sets of 4 reps vs 4 sets of 14 reps.
How do you guys figure out the optimum amount of work you can do in a given time? Instinct? Trial and error? A magic eight ball?
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
Unless you are talking about like sets of 20 or 30 that just pump the muscle up with blood, no, the muscles will not be “soft” or “weak” or “nonfunctional” or any of the above.
[/quote]
Blasphemy, high reps is anything over 5. The rest is right.
[quote]brucevangeorge wrote:
How do you guys figure out the optimum amount of work you can do in a given time? Instinct? Trial and error? A magic eight ball?[/quote]
We just feel it. It’s called…Instinctual Training.
[quote]brucevangeorge wrote:
I was thinking 4-6 reps vs somehting like 10-12. Is there a difference?[/quote]
There is a difference, but not as huge as people might think. Doing sets of 10-12 is not going to increas your maximal strength as much as doing sets of 4-6 is. However, it will build your strength endurance which is important as well.
[quote]
Also, when you increase reps… do you decrease sets? So that you have the same amount of total reps for the entire workout? Or is it like 4 sets of 4 reps vs 4 sets of 14 reps.[/quote]
It depends, and it’s all up to you. Generally, I rarely do more than 4-6 work sets (so not counting warmup). I’ve never tried 10 x 3 (10 x 2 for dynamic lifts, but never with a high percentage of my max).
Just by paying attention to how you recover from each workout. As a beginner, most people recommend following a given template that people have found to be effective because you don’t have the experience yet to figure out exactly what works best for you. I’m still very much learning what works best for me and I’m sure most lifters are constantly learning and refining.
