cycling in "light workouts"

[cmdubs]

I know one of the fundamental keys to adding muscle size is progressive resistance so I'm always trying to set PR's and I generally only go to failure on the last set of each excercise. Lately though my joints have been aching and I haven't had much motivation to workout. My mindset has always been "go 100% or go home." In the 4 years I've been lifting I've never had an "easy" workout. I'm starting to wonder if this is effecting my recuperation abilities.

I'm wondering if there are any benefits to cycling in light days where you drop below your max, use higher reps, and stop far short from failure. It just seems like if I do this it would be pointless as my muscles won't be stimualted from the lighter load and that I would be better off just giving my body a complete rest and not lifting at all. Any thoughts??

 

[tzan]

It just seems like if I do this it would be pointless as my muscles won't be stimualted from the lighter load and that I would be better off just giving my body a complete rest and not lifting at all. Any thoughts??

I don't belive in "light workouts", if my muscles are telling me their tired, I'll just take a few days off. Don't get too fancy. Just keep hitting them hard and rest accordingly.

 

[super_rice]

oh no you di'nt

madcow will kill you bros

 

[cwc73]

It sounds like you are decsribing the "15's" in HST. I would suggest going to www.hsnhst.com . There is a FAQ that explains how these "light weight/high reps" can strengthen tendons and joints and prepare them for heavy weights. Also, send casualbb a pm. I bet he can explain it to you scientifically. He's a book nerd!!!!
Chris

 

[Illuminati]

on the days after my max effort days, i like to go back and do light work for the areas that i did the day before. for example, sunday is my max effort bench day. on that day, i max out on my bench do some tri work, lat work, and ab work. the next day, ill go back and do some light benching (ill take 30-40% of my max for 2 sets of 20) and then some light work for the tri's and lats. i do this with the intent on getting blood to flow to areas that i did the day before, helping my recovery.

 

[tzan]

on the days after my max effort days, i like to go back and do light work for the areas that i did the day before. for example, sunday is my max effort bench day. on that day, i max out on my bench do some tri work, lat work, and ab work. the next day, ill go back and do some light benching (ill take 30-40% of my max for 2 sets of 20) and then some light work for the tri's and lats. i do this with the intent on getting blood to flow to areas that i did the day before, helping my recovery.

Don't you think it would be more beneficial to your recovery if you simply did a lot of stretching of that muscle instead of taxing it again with weight? Eventhough it's lighter, it's still enough weight for your muscles to be working no???

 

[Illuminati]

Don't you think it would be more beneficial to your recovery if you simply did a lot of stretching of that muscle instead of taxing it again with weight? Eventhough it's lighter, it's still enough weight for your muscles to be working no???

to tell you the truth, and i know a lot of people wont agree with this, but i have never seen a benefit from stretching. i've never understood it. to me, it just seems like everybody stretches just because its what they have always been told to do that. i know that everybody is different, but for me, i have never felt any benefit from stretching. i know somebody out there is gonna respond with some scientific responses as to how stretching is beneficial. that's cool, i expect that. but this is just my take on it. i have never felt that stretching has made me more flexible.
as far as using light weights to benefit my recovery. i have bought into the whole General Physical Preparedness (GPP) that Louie Simmons of WSB talks about. Lets take the squat for example. Louie says that some people develop the quads, or the hamstrings, or the hips and glutes more than the other than others. He says that if one muscle group is overdeveloped to a degree, its the underdeveloped areas that are holding back your lifts. In order for you to bring up the underdeveloped areas by using special exercises, you must first be in excellent shape before adding more volume to your workouts. By going in and doing extra work with light weights i am both helping my recovery, increasing my work capacity, and increasing my GPP. whereas with just stretching, i feel i am not doing any GPP.

 

[Slyder190]

I'm incorperating light workouts into my program currently my own way to see the results and the way my body responds.