lymph-node-igniting, bone-exploding, fingernail-detonating POWERRRR!!!

[opabinia]

I foresee a strength training cycle of deads, heavy military presses, and weighted chins -- the sort I practiced in the old days, right after I converted to Pavel. Low reps, very high intensity, tremendous return on investment. I have everything I need.

Well, almost everything. A thick, center-suspended, rotating chin bar would come in very handy. Hep-ahem.

Comments

low rep, high intensity

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Does that bulk you up very quickly?

Re: low rep, high intensity

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

Not necessarily. It increases muscle density (as opposed to volume), and makes better use of what muscle tissue is already there by tweaking the nervous system.

Re: low rep, high intensity

[bottleimp.livejournal.com]

Hypertrophy is largely a function of "time under tension." So unless you do many sets, lo-rep hi-tension really doesn't bulk you up at all. Makes you "hard" is the usual descriptor.

Re: low rep, high intensity

[silas7.livejournal.com]

So, low rep as in 8, or 6? I may start switching the old routine around for a bit, to see what happens.

Re: low rep, high intensity

[bottleimp.livejournal.com]

Low rep as in 5. And as few as two sets, more if you want. The basic formula is this: Two to four big, multi-joint exercises. Deads, or squats, some kind of press, a pullup or something if you want.

Two+ sets of 5. One at the current weight, and the second (or more) set at about 90% of that. And you use a basic linear cycle: start with a weight that's quite easy for 5 reps, and increase it by 5-10 # every session.

When 5 reps feels like your head is going to pop off, go back to something slightly above you old beginning weight and start over.

Eventually you'll milk this system dry, but by then you'll have built an uncommon degree of strength and you can start playing around with other movements. So these days I decide I want to do a cycle of weighted chins, or maybe bodyweight chins on fingertip straps, or maybe I drop deadlifts and do squats for a while. Once you've got it it's easier to maintain it.

[bottleimp.livejournal.com]

(looks at ground, scuffs toe in dirt)

The Iron Never Lies

[sanguineempathy.livejournal.com]

Henry Rollins On Weights
Forwared - In case you haven't seen this posted around LiveJournal yet...