Is it already my turn again?
Maximum intensity is right.
You can argue this until your are blue in the face, it is not going to get resolved
I have argued until I am blue in the face. I'm probably going to keep doing it in the future too
And I agree. It isn't going to get resolved. People are very attached to their training methodologies (as Mentzer would put it, its not a program its a methodology). They want to validate what they put so much effort and time into.
Perhaps ALL of these training methods work. Has anyone ever considered this? And if not, how do you explain someone getting results from a method that you don't believe in? How could that be possible? And don't give me the genetic freak argument. It doesn't wash. Too many people have made progress using too many varied training philisophies to make that argument believable.
YES!!! Thank you, razer2000. All training methods work. That's one flaw I see in some individuals thinking. Sometimes HIT advocates (not einstein) state that no other training systems work. Then what about the people who get results? That genetic freak argument doesn't hold water. I really wish people would stop using it.
Most HITers are soured on higher volume training programs because they tried a Musclemag super volume routine when they first started lifting weights. This is usually the only volume routine they've done. The gained say an inch on their upper arms and then results started to slow down and they got discouraged because they weren't going to look like Arnold in 3 months.
These hardgainers sometimes forget that while they were training "high volume" their daily food intake consisted of a bowl of cheerios, 6 oreos, and a piece of pizza for dinner. Hmmmm, I wonder why they weren't gaining? Must be the routine.
Ok, now back to my friend einstein.
-yes- going to positive failure stimulates growth because it is the last rep of the set which requires 100% intensity of effort. You can acheive + failure after one set.
Yes, you can achieve + failure in one set. And you've stimulated some growth. But there is the very likely possibility that it isn't enough of a workload to stimulate the maximum amount of growth.
it's true that the more heavy exercise you do will cause more microtears in the muscle. The problem is high volume routines do not give you the rest require to overcompensate for the workout. HIT looks for the optimum routine, one that is time efficient and stimulates growth.
Let's get this straight. I'm not advocating high volume for life. I'm advocating switching up programs periodically for maximizing gains.
A way many people have been successful with is building up the volume, working bodyparts 2-3 times per week, 6 workout days a week, sometimes even twice a days, and they dance with overtraining. Then after a few weeks they start cutting the volume back and they basically explode in size and get stronger faster than they would've following one training program for months on end.
How does that sound?
"I definitely think it would be possible to follow a routine training each part twice a week on which you'd grow. "yes but you will eventually hit a plateau from the overtraining.
Yes you would. But that's what I like about the idea of switching up routines when one goes stale. Say German Volume Training for 4 weeks, followed by lower volume HIT workouts for the next 4.
As a scientist, I can see where Jones was interested to find the optimal workout. Yes he was selling a product but so is everyone else trying to sell you their routine.
As a scientist... was he really a scientist? Just kidding. All right, so he was investigating the possibilities which kind of makes him a scientist. But I really think the main reason was more to sell his equipment.
as I said earlier, more sets means more muscle trauma. It's easier for you body to recover and compensate for growth after 1-2 sets vs. 15-20 sets every other day.
It is easier to for your body to recover from 1-2 sets than 15-20. But that doesn't mean immune system recovery is a gauge of how much muscle growth was stimulated. If that was the case we should put as little stress on the immune system as possible for max growth (maybe we should just workout once a month or not at all in that case).
-instead of using the BB, use the machiene. Take each set to + failure, and don't overtrain your delts. Also do 2 sets of DB lat raises to + failure for your lat delts.
I gave up my gym membership after winter was over. I've been training in a minimally equipped garage gym since then. I've got the basics (even a power rack which is great) but I don't have access to any machines.
the fact is that HIT works for everyone because everyone is physiologically built the same. That person would either need to increase rest days, or look to see if there is any overlap. That is assuming that person is getting a balanced diet and is going to + failure and not overtraining.
Now you're saying HIT works for everyone. Like I said earlier all training programs work. So HIT "works", i.e. it produces results.
I'm just saying that changing between low, moderate and high volume would yield much better results (both size and strength) for most people.
As I said earlier, if you can do more reps after supposedly going to + failure, you didn't truely go to + failure.
Even if you did half the number of reps 5-10 minutes later with the same weight,?
You would be able to do more reps even if you initially went to + failure. Muscles recover about 80% of their strength within 5 minutes so you would still have some more left.
As drained as your body feels after taking 2 sets to + failure, you could still do more reps.
You don't think so. What if you dropped the weight? Less intensity relative to your strength at the beginning of a workout. But maybe a high intensity for your energy and muscle fatigue levels.
Just to clarify: I'm not saying if you start off pressing 155 for a set of 8 to failure, that you can rest 30 seconds and do another set of 8 with the same weight.
those people also have steroids and money for a very good diet
Argghhh!
The people who grow off more than 2 sets per bodypart are not all on steroids.
Money for a good diet? Well, eating clean and getting enough protein/calories can be expensive.