I am doing some forward planning, as I know I will get to the stage where I want to be training more frequently. Anyone have practical experience of this routine, which was x6 sessions a week?
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I personally have not yet, but this routine is on my list to try in the near future as well. Such a great book with a super detailed log.
I had the book after it was published. The guy on the cover, the late Keith Whitley, trained at Austin Gym (located in north Dallas) where I was working out. Owned by Roland Jehl, it was a fairly heavy duty gym and was open from 1978 - 1999 before he sold the location for a nice profit. Keith was a monster and had already won Mr. California in 1985 (https://avaluer.org/explore/2983913-bodybuilder_keith_whitley_mr_california_bodybuilding_muscle_photo_color) – around seven years before being featured in the Bigger Muscles book.
Keith was also #1 in the AAU Jr. Mr America Tall Class in 1985.
Tall Class
1 Keith Whitley
2 Matt Small
3 David McGee
4 Al Ortiz
5 Keith Shaw
Whitley died at 53 of heart issues.
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I bought the book around the time it hit the shelves and still have the copy. I would have to look, but if I recall, the 6X a week training for only for a limited time in that 42-day period. The routine focused around a lot of variation, splits, iso, negative-only, etc. It also focused on increasing calories and getting enough rest/sleep. It’s not my favorite Darden book, but interesting none the less. I couldn’t imagine doing every exercise to utter failure.
Yes, it’s completely off the wall compared to standard HIT routines, e.g. x3 full body sessions. It employs super slow (10-5 cadence) which I have never tried and quite a few giant sets.
I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the negative only stuff, due to my set up. However, I do fancy incorporating the blueprint maybe for a month as a change up. Probably closer to summer.
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I never tried it, but I could see the variety being interesting. I train at home so most of the iso moves would be difficult other than a few exercises perhaps. If I wanted to, I could do negative-only leg press, pulldown, chins…and dips (although I tend to stay away from this move as it feels like too much stress on delts). I could do it on some single joint DB exercises too the more I think about it.
I did a hybrid program of contra-lateral and negative accentuated exercises about 20 years ago. The gym where I trained had a full line of locally manufactured, cable driven machines with single movement arms so I did the whole body 4 day split with the following exercises:
- Right side overhead press
- Left side leg extension
- Right side pulldown
- Left side leg curl
- Right side chest press
- Left side leg press
- Right side row
- Left side Heel Raise
9)Right side shrug
The machines I had access to had round cams, so the resistance curves were pitiful, but I worked around that by using both arms through the first 3/4 of the ROM on pressing movements, then switching to one limb for the rest of the stroke and the entire lowering stroke, until I couldn’t control the weight, opposite for single joint and compound pulling movements. This method is much safer and more productive than NO with partner assist and hand off, EXCEPT for the unavoidable twisting that occurs in the spine. I injured my back several times during the year I trained this way, so I discarded the method. Also, as with “regular “ 2 limb negative only training, I got very strong, but didn’t gain much size.
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