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Lagging Lower Half

Yeah, that looks like quite high volume, but I say if you're handling it with 100% intensity, then don't stop. I don't think high volume NECESSARILY=low intensity. It depends what one can handle. Everyone's different.

Anyway, like I said in another thread, I'm reading Poliquin's "Reps and Sets" right now. He gives some GREAT rep and set variations for busting through plateus.

Like Arioch said, pick some other nice compound type movements in addition to squats, then play with the reps and sets. I did a routine with back squats, front squats, stationary lunges/split squats, finishing off with leg presses (did the W6 50-rep thing once overy 2 weeks on this). Hams were GM's, pull throughs, with hmstr curls too on heavy days, or days I felt like more. Calves I change up a lot, but I did the Poliquin routine that MS posted in spatts' hardgainer's calves thread. That was KILLER, but good. Sorry, I didn't measure, and was dieting at the time, so I can't tell you about progress.

Anyway, back to rep variations - Poliquin has this thing called the 4-5 percent solution. Magdelana, you might wanna try this for your bis, too. I know I'm gonna try it on various movements.

Basically, you increase the amount of resistance by 4-5% every workout whilst simultaneously doing one less rep per workout, so by the end of 6 workouts (the length of the programme), you'll have increased your strength (and thus your ability to increase hypertrophy through using higher resistance) by 10%!!

Choose a 3-rep wide bracket (3-5, 4-6, 6-8), then stick with that range for the 6 workouts. Time under tension should remain the same for the 6 workouts, too. For muscle mass, the average set should last 40 seconds, so you arrange the tempo of each rep to come out to that total, like 4 secs eccentric, 1 sec at the bottom, 2 secs concentric, 0 secs pause at top, repeat.

Rest for 3-4 mins between sets. Don't use the 4-5 percent solution for more than about 2 exercises. Use it on compound movements. I intend to try this on my initial exercise, always a compound move, for each bodypart, then probably range the reps higher for the other movements.

Here's a sample - you come back to the same rep number again in w/o 4.

W/O 1
4-5 setsx7 reps@100 lbs

W/O 2
Increase weight by 4-5 percent and do one less rep per set:
4-5 sets x 6 reps @ 105 lbs

W/O 3
Increase weight by 4-5 percent and do one less rep per set:
4-5 sets x 5 reps @ 110 lbs

W/O 4
Use the weight used in w/o 2 for the 1-rep target:
4-5 sets x 7 reps @ 105 lbs

W/O 5
Use the weight used in w/o 3 for the 2-rep target
4-5 sets x 6 reps @110 lbs

W/O 6
Increase weight by 4-5 percent and do one less rep per set:
4-5 sets x 5 reps @ 115 lbs

You might not be able to achieve the rep target in every set, but so long as you hit your goal on the first set of every workout, you're doing fine.

The 4-5 % solution as applied to squats:
When you squat, you lift the barbell plus 75% of your bodyweight, so you should adjust poundages accordingly. So, for a 200lb athlete squatting 350lbs for 5:

weight increase = 5% (load of barbell + (75% x bodyweight))
weight increase = 5% (350lbs + (75% x 200lbs))
weight increase = 5% (350 lbs + 150 lbs)
weight increase = 25 lbs

Seems complicated, but if you work it all out beforehand, when you're planning your workout, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle, and you'll have very concrete figures to aim for.

Let me know if you try this - I'm going to start tonight. Will let you know if I'm busting out of my pants in a few weeks! :D
 
Sure, but anyone who's been on these boards a while knows by now that everyone's different, and that you should try stuff to find out how it works for YOU. VDL knows that - she's not a newbie. Anyone with half a brain can surely figure out that if they can't lift the weight they're "scheduled" to lift, then they can't lift it, and shouldn't lift it.

That doesn't negate the validity of Poliquin's programme - I'm sure he, as one of the best and most successful *strength* coaches alive, is aware that following a programme to the letter is likely to result in injury, or at least demotivation. The above was offered as a guideline, with a sample to show how it works. To suggest that that is EXACTLY how it will go in real life is simplistic.

Spatts, I think you have mentioned numerous times that if your poundages don't go up on almost a workout by workout basis, you are disappointed.
 
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spatterson said:

In terms of applications to VDL, she's not trying to make strength gains. The cat's mother is trying to make size gains.

Yes, I know. That's why I said "For muscle mass, the average set should last 40 seconds" - time under tension. Poliquin lays this out better than my summary of his ideas - lower time under tension results in greater relative strength gains because of stimulation of fast twitch fibres, more time under tension, and more variation of rep ranges, results in greater muscle mass gains. It says choose a 3-rep range - one could choose 12-14 reps if one wanted to. The reps ranges given were samples.

Isn't intensity defined as a percentage of one's 1RM? The higher the percentage, the greater the intensity, and the greater the CNS involvement, and the heavier, relatively speaking, the weight.

Sorry, I missed the long article - we posted at the same time. I'll read it now.
 
spatterson said:
Let me know what you think of the article. I have read Poliquin and Simmons, and would be interested in a decent compare and contrast thread if you'd like to read both and discuss them. :)

I'd love to, and I've actually been over to the WSB site a few times to check things out there, but the truth is, I've only just started reading more of Poliquin - I've only read articles and some stuff on his website up to now - I've tried unsuccessfully to get a copy of The Poliquin Principles, still on a waiting list at Amazon. I think a thread would be a great idea, though, because there are at least 2 well-respected people on this board I know of who have used Poliquin's ideas very successfully.
 
spatterson said:
Personally, I like to read it all

This is me. If I could somehow squeeze more time into the day, or read like those people with photographic memories, I'd be a blissful woman. The only thing I read that's not somehow connected to bodybuilding or nutrition nowadays is the newspaper. Obsession manifests in so many ways ...

Anyway, with regard to VDL's actual question here, VDL, I think anything that you do now that's different from what you were doing before, with optimal intensity and adequate nutrition, will kick you into a growth cycle. Even small changes, like the rep scheme, grip/foot placement, etc, can provoke progress.

It looks like you need a big change, though :)

I think that's a big basis of the Western periodisation method - simply, the body adapts and needs to be stimulated in different ways to evoke new progress. Even Dave Tate agrees with this:

"The Shock Micro: This micro cycle is designed around shocking the body into new growth and adaptation. This shock can come in many forms and can range from taking a week off to a high volume training cycle. "

Spatts, I'm gonna do some extra internet reading this w/e, then let's get that thread up and see what everyone has to say about it. :)
 
Let me know what you think of the article. I have read Poliquin and Simmons, and would be interested in a decent compare and contrast thread if you'd like to read both and discuss them.

So would I. Guess who I am generally in favor of?
 
SteelWeaver said:


Yes, I know. That's why I said "For muscle mass, the average set should last 40 seconds" - time under tension. Poliquin lays this out better than my summary of his ideas - lower time under tension results in greater relative strength gains because of stimulation of fast twitch fibres, more time under tension, and more variation of rep ranges, results in greater muscle mass gains.


Exactly why I recommend either:

SLower reps
More reps

...on exercise that have a short stroke like calf raises and ab work
 
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