Hi coach, I’m running a every-other day split in a modified hatfied fashion (I mean
One day: chest+shoulders + Triceps + Quads
The other: lats + upper back + biceps + forearms)
I have bodybuilding (men’s physique) goals and would like to implement MECHANICAL DROP SETS. So for EXAMPLE day 1 might be
CHEST: 60° dumbell Press to 30°s to flat
SHOULDERS: Arnold Press to Dumbell Press in scapular Plane, to dumbell Press on frontal Plane coming down Just to Eye level
TRICEPS: jm press to close grip bench to regular (close-ish) grip bench
QUADS: front squat to back squats (heels elevated) to Wide squat
I Just can’t figure out how many sets like that to do, since It sounds soooo hard and there Is lots of overlap between muscles
With the smaller muscles you can do 3 and maybe even 4 sets. For bigger muscles I’d go with 1 maybe 2. In that case, for the bigger muscle groups you could do 2-3 regular sets and one mechanical drop set.
I Always thought bigger muscles “deserved” more volume… At least that’s what i see in most upper lower programs. In fact i was even thinking like
3 mechanical dropsets for chest
2 for shoulders (as they received indirect stimulation from chest work)
1 for Triceps (as they received indirect stimulation from the two above)
4 for Quads
Why, Instead you advise to do more hard work for the smaller muscles?
It’s more that mechanical drop sets are more neurologically demanding and doing big compound movements are also more neurologically demanding.
So you can do more mechanical drop sets for smaller muscles which are less demanding systemically to training
.Take a set of squats and a set of curls: do an all-out set of squats (let’s say for 8 reps to failure) and a set of curl also take to failure for 8 reps.
How do you feel after a set of squat vs a set of curl?
The set of squats will cause A LOT more nervous and metabolic/systemic fatigue.
Now, let’s do mechanical drop sets for squats, which is essentially hitting failure (or close to it) on squats 3 times during a set. Do you really think you can do 3 sets like that? I mean, at the true intensity of a mechanical drop set?
Probably not, at least not without a significant drop in performance.
However, you can do 3 mechanical drop sets for curls and not feel like you are about to die.
That’s an example of theory is shit: you need to have actually done it in the gym to know what is the best option.
Do 3 mechanical drop sets on squats (at a true all-out intensity) and there is no way you will be able to keep training at a high level of intensity afterwards and the rest of the workout will be crap.
Do 3 mechanical drop sets on deadlift and your lower back will be so pumped that it will take you 45 minutes to be able to stand without discomfort, let alone keep training hard.