Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat (2015)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Baron said:
I've been doing that regimen since my gym flooded, so I guess it's been about three weeks now. And yes, I will stop mid rep instead of stopping at the rep before.
More...
Okay, thanks. I asked because I was wondering how long it might take before you start feeling any symptoms of overtraining, if at all. Please keep us posted on your progress. I'm genuinely curious for selfish reasons.

P.S. That is the way I used to do all of my sets to failure years ago. Not that I felt anything wrong with it. I just adopted my current approach of milking the last full rep based on what I've been reading more recently, sprinkled with a bit of my own "wisdom." (Not that there weren't counterarguments presented by other sources.)
 
Last edited:
This the typical workout.

  1. Wide grip lat pulldown
  2. Seated Inclined Dumbbell Press
  3. Wide stance barbell Squat
  4. Seated Bicep Curls
  5. Seated Cable Row
  6. Narrow stance Dumbbell Squat
  7. Skullcrushers
  8. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
  9. Standing Calf Raises
  10. Ab crunches
 
A fairly recent study concluded that going to momentary muscle failure is better than repetition maximum or rest pause:

Key findings
The researchers found that single sets taken to MMF produced better results in strength and hypertrophy for the participants than either; training to Repetition Maximum (where the set is stopped after the completion of the perceived last possible full repetition), or employing a variation of the “advanced” training technique Rest Pause (this group exercised to their Rest Pause Repetition Maximum). There are many ways to perform Rest Pause technique; in this research, after each repetition performed, the participants rested for between 5 and 20 seconds at the bottom of the range of motion.

Whilst the version of Rest Pause training that was used in this study did not produce as good results as simply training to MMF, it did significantly out perform regular self-determined Repetition Maximum training. This study implies that simply training to self-determined Repetition Maximum (RM) is “not efficacious for trained participants.”

http://www.hituni.com/the-science-o...-better-than-repetition-maximum/#.VdCf0NGFNO8

Also, I had e-mail communication a few days ago with one of the authors of the 2004 meta-study that I posted earlier in this thread, who confirmed in a bit more detail their finding in this regard. Specifically:


• After performing a combination of concentric and eccentric muscle actions, terminate each exercise at the point where the concentric phase of the exercise is becoming difficult, if not impossible, while maintaining good form. There is very little evidence to suggest that going beyond this level of intensity (e.g., supramaximal or accentuated eccentric muscle actions) will further enhance muscular strength, hypertrophy, power, or endurance.

You will note that the conclusion of the two studies coincide.

Therefore, I will be going back to MMF after all. I had stopped MMF and have been experimenting with variations of RM ever since I began making major changes to my workout routine a few years ago. But in light of the above, I think MMF is appropriate given that I am now down to a bare-bones routine of 1 set per exercise a couple of times per week. This time, I will do my best to stop tweaking at least long enough to make a meaningful comparative assessment.

Baron, it looks like you're right:

Baron said:
...I will stop mid rep instead of stopping at the rep before.
More...
 
Last edited:
Baron said:
No. Currently I am doing a full body workout with 10 exercises per workout, and one set per exercise, all in the higher rep range of 15 - 20 per set. All sets are done to failure, meaning that I am going to the point that I can't fully complete a rep on my own. I'm not using a spotter so there's no assistance to go "beyond failure" if you know what I mean. And I work out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On occasion I will do 5 sets of jump squats at 20 reps per set on Saturday, depending on how I feel.
More...
Baron, how about some pics today? ya know> d@@ble bicep, crab, lat spread, quads ...you know the good stuff:D
 
Really trying to work on the sugar intake. Sugar is the devil when it comes to fat. All calories from sugar are not equal. Sugar without fiber is bad, really bad. Goes straight to your liver and becomes fat almost instantly. Fruit Juices, all bad. Once you start looking you find sugar, usually in excess amounts, in nearly everything processed, every the supposed low calories diet type foods that are processed. I've made some pretty good headway the last couple of weeks just watching my sugar intake. Down 8lbs. in 3 weeks without changing anything else.
 
jimmiebarton said:
Baron, how about some pics today? ya know> d@@ble bicep, crab, lat spread, quads ...you know the good stuff:D
More...
I'll see if I can take a couple of current ones when I have a chance tomorrow. Been slammed today.
 
Here is where I'm at so far with things. Clearly the problem area for me is just below the navel area. It's just so hard to lose the fat there, especially at 43 years old. But it's actually better than it's been recently, so I'm encouraged to keep on going with the diet and workout program at stated earlier in this thread.

2015-08-19 13.40.37.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top