Hi CT, Heres a few questions that I have had that didnt seem to warrant their own thread individually but maybe together could be informative.
Have you found that ending a workout a certain way produces any noticeable change in training effect for the goal you are after? For example… Does ending with a heavy set do anything different than a growth-factor type set or a conditioning effort? I know layers are based on the idea of each layer potentiating the next one so perhaps this is another way to focus on a certain aspect of training. This falls into the minutia and theory perhaps, but its interesting to think about.
For hypertrophy EMOM work what kind of protocol do you like to use? sets of 3 for 8-12 minutes is what I’m thinking about doing (week one = 8 minutes, 10 minutes the next and then 12 on week 3)
last one… I have found that for training frequency the high handle on the TBDL is easier to recover from than the low handles. If that is one of my main lower body exercises am I at risk for devloping any imbalances that should be shored up with other iso exercises (weak hamstrings or something??)
You can end of several types of training to get an added bonus:
Finishing a strength workout with a “down set” that is still heavy. For example after doing a ramp up to a 1, 2 or 3RM, do a set of 3 reps with 85% of the max of the ramp but focusing on perfect technique, tension and acceleration. What you do last has the greatest neurological impact. So finishing on a technically perfect set will carryover over to the next session by improving motor learning
Loaded stretch: finishing an hypertrophy workout by a set where the target muscle is stretched under load. For example finishing a chest session with DB flies, holding the stretch position for 3-4 sec per rep. You can also simply finish by a loaded stretch of 45-60 sec. This is effective to increase the hypertrophy response especially when the muscle is maximally pumped when doing it.
Growth factor set: finishing with a set where the muscle is under constant tension for 50-70 seconds to maximize lactate and growth factors production can increase the growth response from an heavier hypertrophy session without increasing muscle damage.
For hypertrophy I would do 4-5 reps, more likely 5. With a normal tempo that is around 15-20 seconds under load, 10 sec to set up and 30-35 sec of rest. You should use around 70% of your max. 8-12 minutes is fine.