Arthur Jones on how much exercise is "enough"

[Baron]

What was your level of intensity when you were working out 4-5 times a week?

Standard split routine sometimes, but mostly whole body, and with generic "set to failure" intensity meaning that I stop a set when I can't push the weight in the positive direction one more time.

I define high intensity as a whole-body workout using negative-accentuated training techniques, meaning that not only can you not do one more rep in the positive, but you can't do one more rep in the negative part of the movement either. That's a totally different ballgame and a much higher level of stress on the body.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I define high intensity as a whole-body workout using negative-accentuated training techniques, meaning that not only can you not do one more rep in the positive, but you can't do one more rep in the negative part of the movement either. That's a totally different ballgame and a much higher level of stress on the body.

That's pretty intense. My understanding is that going beyond positive static failure and into eccentric failure should be done sparingly and not as a matter of course, because it requires considerably more recovery time. And while I am in the training to true (positive) failure camp, I've read that going beyond that point adds mostly to the cost and not so much to the benefit. Even Mentzer, the beyond failure guy, recommended using such techniques occasionally and sparingly.

I bring this up because I was wondering if, rather than reducing your frequency and upping the intensity, you would consider just reducing the frequency of your workouts and going to "generic" failure. In so doing, you would isolate frequency as a variable just to see if your previous frequency was simply unnecessary. It would be an interesting experiment, if only to determine how much stimulus you really need. Just thought.

 

[Baron]

That's pretty intense. My understanding is that going beyond positive static failure and into eccentric failure should be done sparingly and not as a matter of course, because it requires considerably more recovery time.

Right, which is why only a once or twice weekly workout is needed using this method.

 

[luisHK]

Curious about what percentage you guys use when doing a single set, to failure or not, especially for squats.

 

[DTB2]

Fred, there is no reason at age 58 to be training to failure. Absolutely no reason.

 

[panzerman]

Fred, there is no reason at age 58 to be training to failure. Absolutely no reason.

If your goal is to gain muscle mass (or hypertrophy the muscles), you have to work them to failure. That's true at any age. No way around the old adage "No pain, no gain."

Of course that pain should be muscle pain, not joint/tendon pain.

 

[DTB2]

If your goal is to gain muscle mass (or hypertrophy the muscles), you have to work them to failure. That's true at any age. No way around the old adage "No pain, no gain."

Of course that pain should be muscle pain, not joint/tendon pain.

Absolutely incorrect.

Stimulate the muscle, not annihilate the muscle.

Feed the muscle.

Rest the muscle.

No need to go to failure, especially for an advanced lifter (age or stage of training)

 

[panzerman]

Absolutely incorrect.

Stimulate the muscle, not annihilate the muscle.

Feed the muscle.

Rest the muscle.

No need to go to failure, especially for an advanced lifter (age or stage of training)

I guess it all depends on were you are and were you want to go. If a 165lbs guy wants to get 23in biceps, then yes, he will need to annihilate his biceps for years to come. To tone up already shapely calves, not so much. My emphasis is mainly on muscle growth, and doing yoga isn't going to get you shredded eight pack abs, and a butt like a bowling ball, if that is your goal.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Curious about what percentage you guys use when doing a single set, to failure or not, especially for squats.

By percentage do you mean of one-rep max? Since I have not done single rep max lifts in decades, I can't comment. Perhaps others will. But if you are alluding to how many reps people do for their sets, in my own case it varies from exercise to exercise.

Specifically for squats, you my not be interested in my numbers because I do weighted ATG pistol squats. I do what I believe are referred to as "breathing squats." So if you can do, say, about 10 squats at a given weight, you try to go for about double that. As you approach your limit doing normal squats, you start resting longer at the top of the movement and breathing more between the remainder of the reps until you reach your absolute limit. In my case, towards the end of the set I'm taking 3 breaths between reps. Admittedly, it is not in the true HIT style, because, while catching my breath at the top of the movement, my knee is locked so the tension is not continuous. But I'm still standing on the working leg only, holding the weights, and with my other (non-working) leg off the ground in front of me. Presently, I do between 17 and 19 reps for each leg with the weights I'm presently using. If possible, I plan to increase the reps to 20 in due course rather than increase the weight. I take a 3-minute rest between my right leg and my left leg to catch my breath and properly recover. By the time I finish my left leg, it takes me a few minutes just to get my breathing back to normal.

Upper body rep ranges are lower, from 8 to about 16, depending on the exercise, and all are done with continuous tension.

I hope other people chime in with their numbers.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Fred, there is no reason at age 58 to be training to failure. Absolutely no reason.

58? That's so last year.

I actually like going to failure. This is the way I've pretty much always trained. A few years ago, I experimented briefly with not-to-failure, stopping short a rep or so. It just didn't feel right. I love the challenge of giving it my all; it really focuses the mind. But I will admit that when I went to failure when I was much younger, I would do so using body English, which cost me. Presently I only do so using good form.

Although my intensity level is just as high as it has ever been in terms of effort, I have systematically been reducing both volume and frequency. I don't know for certain if I'm doing enough now (I hope so!), but I know I was doing too much in the past.