T Nation

Rate of Progress

Bodybuilding
#1

What’s the most progress you’ve ever made over a given period? Either in terms of a lift going up rapidly, or gaining endurance rapidly.

Just now as I’m starting out in Meltdown, after only 3 workouts I was amazed to see just how much easier it was to perform the 1st workout the 2nd time around. Less heavy breathing, faster recovery, I actually completed it. In the past when mixing up my routines, I’ve been impressed with the body’s ability to make rapid progress across those first 5 or so workouts, as the reps and weight go up in leaps and bounds across every workout.

#2

I have also just completed my first week of meltdown. The first time I did day 2, I barely made it. The second time, I did it faster, and wasn’t even fazed. If I wasn’t getting muscular failure, I would have done one more set of both A and B. Amazing.

#3

What % of your 1RM (or similar) did you use for your sets in the 1st week? I took it pretty easy since my cardio is poor right now.

#4

Well, I find that I can’t do as many pull-ups for some reason, maybe my diet. I’m squatting 205lb, I don’t know my 1RM for compound movements, really. I just increase it a bit every once in a while when I feel I’m getting stronger. I push-press 100lb, and deadlift 135lb (i’m very new to both push-press and deadlifting, hence the large discrepancy between the squat and deadlift weights). I find dips easier to perform, and pushups do it for me, but the biceps seem to be getting weaker, although they are getting bigger. My back and legs, are getting stronger every day. I tried squatting 135 (my old weight) just for the heck of it, and it felt like I barely had anything on my shoulders heh) :stuck_out_tongue:




All in all, I feel that considering that I was on a harsh (1500kCal) diet for a week, I think the fact that I’ve made strength INCREASE is amazing.