More Support for Infrequent Whole-Body Workouts

[Frederick Foresight]

I posted these last few videos because they more or less support my decision regarding workout frequency and volume.

Heart felt that, at his level of intensity, he could not do justice to a full body workout of about 8-10 sets. While I may not reach his level of intensity, I do go to full static failure and then finish with an exaggerated negative. (I might occasionally do a forced rep if I feel I didn't do enough reps compared to my previous workout, just to make sure I baked the muscle. But I don't do this as a matter of course.)

Similarly, I found that, over time, taking each set to such failure made it difficult for me to do about 10 sets full body twice a week, which is why I reduced the frequency at around the beginning of the year from twice a week to 3 times every 2 weeks, as I reported after the fact on page 2 of this thread, on March 16. However, I found that even this combo of volume/frequency was getting to be a bit much by mid-March, so I thought I'd do just once such workout weekly. But before this regimen got underway, I decided that I would halve the resistance portion of my workout to only 5 compound sets, but keep the 3x/2wk frequency, per my post day dated March 22 on page 3. And here we are.

It seems that I've come to a point that coincides with Heart's view of volume and frequency when taken to true failure, especially given my age and the number of years I have been working out. Further, deciding to reduce the resistance while still going to failure, which I did a while back, looks to have been a good choice as well. (Nothing like a little confirmation bias, eh?)

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Just one more video for good measure (for now):

 

[CaptainObvious]

https://www.elitetrader.com/et/threads/how-an-ice-bath-may-undermine-your-weight-workout.343368/

I do not do the cold shower after a workout. I take this shower first thing in the mornings. Any clean up after a workout is a normal warm water routine. I haven't noticed any issues with muscle definition or strength so far. I take these cold showers more for improvement in mental focus and stress reduction. There is also supposed to be some help in improving your immune system. All I know is that for me there had been no downside and some noticeable improvement in areas mentioned. I'll admit it's probably not for everybody.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

...I take this shower first thing in the mornings...I take these cold showers more for improvement in mental focus and stress reduction...

Well, when I took a number of those cold showers in the morning in 1999, what I most vividly recall was catching up on all my swearing and screaming. To that end, I suppose there was some relieving of stress. But after the fact.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Well, when I took a number of those cold showers in the morning in 1999, what I most vividly recall was catching up on all my swearing and screaming. To that end, I suppose there was some relieving of stress. But after the fact.

LOL. Just got out of my cold shower. Invigorating On another note I have been working out at home with very light weights and extremely high reps. All I have for the time being. Oddly, or maybe not it seems to take longer to recover. Next day or two after I am sore AF. Any experience with that?

 

[Frederick Foresight]

LOL. Just got out of my cold shower. Invigorating On another note I have been working out at home with very light weights and extremely high reps. All I have for the time being. Oddly, or maybe not it seems to take longer to recover. Next day or two after I am sore AF. Any experience with that?

I think you may be (more) sore because you're doing something different, and it takes a short while for the body to get accustomed to something new. I don't know what you regard as "extremely" high reps, so perhaps you could clarify. I've read that beyond a certain point, you're not giving your fast twitch fibers full throttle:

"a moderately heavy weight allows you recruit the full range of motor units, but not so quickly that only the fast-twitch fibers receive the bulk of the stimulation, and not so slowly that the slow- and/or intermediate-twitch motor units can recover and you end up cycling through the same lower-order motor units again.”

https://www.cbass.com/Carpinelli.htm

Bass reports that a reasonable rep range is between 3 and 20:

https://www.cbass.com/CarpinelliNoNonsense.htm

The key, of course, is effort.

If you're short on equipment t home, you can do slower, full-range push-ups and inverted rows for upper body, and one-legged squats for legs. Not necessarily pistols, but perhaps lunges or rear-foot-elevated squats. You can also do variations of pull-ups and dips without the proper equipment.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

All I have for the time being.

Don't forget this thread:

https://www.elitetrader.com/et/thre...ght-workout-at-home-without-equipment.328433/

You can do pull-ups even if you don't have a door frame like the guy in the video, by putting door stops underneath both side of your most stable door, and at both ends. This will stabilize it and prevent it from being torn off its hinges. You can then drape a towel over the top of the door, and then grip the top of the door as you would a pull-up bar. (I never wrap my thumb under the bar anyway.) Just don't use momentum, or you'll be busy with home repair.

You can also do dips if you have two stable chairs with solid backs, or if you have an L-shaped kitchen counter.

Regardless, you don't need a lot of variety to hit all of the muscle groups in a meaningful way.

 

[CaptainObvious]

I think you may be (more) sore because you're doing something different, and it takes a short while for the body to get accustomed to something new. I don't know what you regard as "extremely" high reps, so perhaps you could clarify. I've read that beyond a certain point, you're not giving your fast twitch fibers full throttle:

"a moderately heavy weight allows you recruit the full range of motor units, but not so quickly that only the fast-twitch fibers receive the bulk of the stimulation, and not so slowly that the slow- and/or intermediate-twitch motor units can recover and you end up cycling through the same lower-order motor units again.”

https://www.cbass.com/Carpinelli.htm

Bass reports that a reasonable rep range is between 3 and 20:

https://www.cbass.com/CarpinelliNoNonsense.htm

The key, of course, is effort.

If you're short on equipment t home, you can do slower, full-range push-ups and inverted rows for upper body, and one-legged squats for legs. Not necessarily pistols, but perhaps lunges or rear-foot-elevated squats. You can also do variations of pull-ups and dips without the proper equipment.

I was reading some articles on a couple of very old school guys, like long dead old school that were doing reps of 100 with light weights of 5lb. dumbbells. So I've been using 10 lb and doing 50 to 75 reps depending on the exercise. Doing sets of 10 rep pushups and air squats to 100. Been at it every other day for a month. Actually seemed easy the first week and has become more difficult as time passes. Last night I hurt all over with a stinging pain. I need a rest for a few days. I have heavier dumbells but no Barbell.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I was reading some articles on a couple of very old school guys, like long dead old school that were doing reps of 100 with light weights of 5lb. dumbbells. So I've been using 10 lb and doing 50 to 75 reps depending on the exercise. Doing sets of 10 rep pushups and air squats to 100. Been at it every other day for a month. Actually seemed easy the first week and has become more difficult as time passes. Last night I hurt all over with a stinging pain. I need a rest for a few days. I have heavier dumbells but no Barbell.

I guess the important thing is doing what you like and exerting yourself. Beyond that, I don't know how effectively you're targeting your fast twitch motor units, which are the prime movers, and the ones we most need to preserve.

P.S. You'll probably want to make sure you do about as many pulling exercises as you do pushing exercises. Otherwise, you may end up with shoulder, and possibly posture, imbalances. Or so I read.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

For what it's worth, I decided yesterday to up the number of compound sets to 7 per workout from the 5 that I previously posted. So it's still a 30% reduction in volume from the ten I was doing beforehand, but not quite the "dramatic" 50% reduction.