Oh dear, oh dear!! Is it possible I've wasted my best potential growth years?

[SteelWeaver]

Oh, the revelations are coming thick and fast!

After thinking hard about everything on the "short , intense" thread, and everything I've read on the training board, I decided to give the lower volume idea a whirl. So I cut my volume by about 25%, and have done three workouts this way so far. The first doesn't count, since I worked light, but on Monday I did shoulders, and back yesterday.

The very first thing I noticed is that my weights went up significantly on the second and third moves - like, 4kgs on one-arm dumbbell rows! This is unheard of for me - strength increases are pretty consistent, but generally small. AND I'm on a diet.

This should be obvious, I suppose - if you do less on the first move, of COURSE you'll be able to do more on subsequent moves, but what REALLY got me is, if I can lift HEAVIER weights on all moves, then technically, my INTENSITY has increased, opening the door for greater stimulation of the muscle, correct?

Oh, lord! Have I been a fool? Have I wasted all my quick growth beginner years training like a juicer without juice????

How come I never felt overtrained, though?

It's still sort of too early to tell, I guess, and now is probably not the best time to figure this all out, but what really gets me is, if I have been way overtraining all this time, how I mourn the size I could have achieved by now!!!

Any comments? Am I correct about the intensity thing?

 

[Gladiola]

I got my ACE certification as a personal trainer (I know, not the best organization, but most people hiring a trainer have NO IDEA anyway between ACE, NSCA, etc. & don't even care - took the test so I could train if need be.)

Anyway - ACE quotes the recommendations of ACSM - which is a well respected scientific organization & considered an authority on sports med. ACE quotes the ACSM recommendations of doing 8-12 reps per set.

& yet NSCA, well respected sports conditioning organization, quotes 5-6 reps per set for strength. I have no clue who is right - but I'm leaning towards the strength people, including the USA Weightlifting Organization (My coach is certified with NSCA & teaches the USAW coach course).

I'm also being told not to go to failure - only in certain mesocycles - which I haven't begun yet.

I'm rambling - but have to say that one thing I have learned is that no one really knows for SURE! There is no one set combo of sets/reps/intensity that is THE ideal to get stronger. So good for you that something is working well!

 

[Gladiola]

Spatts - of all the stuff I've read here about PL, I haven't come across much on mesocycles & percentages. You do periodize, right? I have been exposed to my teammates working at X% X weeks out from a meet - & it's all structured like that.

My coach used to write their percentages on the walls of the warehouse in chalk.