[quote]pkradgreek wrote:
Q: when using your approach, how much strength did you gain in your given lifts?
Answer by Doval:
Let me use my weakest muscle group and exercise as an example: Biceps and Barbell Curls. An old elbow injury, thin wrists and small hands always made this difficult for me. At 18" the best I could do was 135lbs (super strict), three times. Currently I can curl this seven times and 145lbs three times. So that would be a 7.5% increase in strenght. Not that much over 6 months but I STILL have the elbow injury and it still bothers the hell out of me. Most other lifts I have been able to make a 10-12.5% increase at 5 reps (also, my bench press went from 315lbs three times to 325lbs five times, and here too the elbow is a limiting factor). Hope that answers your question.
Q: Also what kind of intensity were you using and at what rate was strength going up?
Answer by Doval:
I initially started with 80% and did as many sets as I could never resting more than 75 sec (in the beginning). Unfortunately after 6-9 sets the 5th rep became the ‘failure rep’. I did not want to increase rest between sets so I lowered the weight to 75% and used that till I could do 20 sets of five (first time I did 12 sets with 60 sec rest, then 3 sets of 4, 3 sets of three and some singles to finish…to give you an idea…
Q: Also what is your training split like.
Answer by Doval:
One exercise per muscle group, 60 minutes per work out (whether I am done or not), 4-6 work outs per week, 2-3 muscle groups per workout (cannot give you any more details since I go by feel a lot…also, I do train when I am sore.
I rest the muscle for three days, work out and then rest four days before working it out again and that’s one cycle. After three of these cycles I rest actively for a week. I then do three full body workouts (lasting only a half hour), all exercises 20 reps…to rest and de-condition the muscles a bit (works great for me)
Q: When did you decide to move up in poundages? This sounds like an EDT type of training.
Answer by Doval:
It is indeed based on EDT and Vince Gironda’s methods. I move up in poundages only when I can do 20 sets of 5 and NONE of the sets are till failure (hope that makes sense). I then test/estimate my 1 rep max and take 75% of that and start over again.
Q:/Remark: I can see why mass would increase using this routine due to the short rest periods and the high volume but as far as strength goes, i don’t see it going up in correct proportion to the mass because of neural fatigue and low creatine phosphate replensihment becuae of the low rest periods.
Answer by Doval:
You are right, but a strenght increase of 7.5% - 12.5% over 6 months is actually not that bad and the 7/8 of an inch on my arms is real good, certainly at my age and after training for 20 years. I plan on doing a 12 week strenght program next to solidify my gains and to be able to use more weight when I go back to this program.
Remark: Also if the type 2b fibers are to be used then they would come into play in the later sets because of the fatiguing of the other muscles fibers first unless the weight was always accelerated at a maximum to make sure those fibers were used.
Answer by Doval:
I indeed accelerate the weight on every rep during the first 3 sets (after that I get in the ‘groove’ and do not think about it anymore)
Remark: If this was indeed the case then i don’t see it possible to be able to hold on to intensity for a lot of sets like you prescribed.
laters pk
Answer by Doval:
You are right, which is why I first rest three days, then four days and after three of those cycles actively rest/de-condition for a week (as suggested by Gironda and Brian from HST training)
Thanks for your response…I actually learned from it and I hope I answered you well.
Cheers!