HighIntensity.net View Mike Mentzer Bodybuilding Topic

Hi guy′s, can some of you share your thoughts on this. As I said in a previous post, I read a book some years ago from a natural b/b who started to rack the weight in the bottom pos after every rep in the bench press. I have started to use the exact same technique, but in almost all ex.
Example. During chins, I let go of the bar and shake my arms for a few seconds after the neg phase of every rep. During dips, I do the same after the pos phase of each rep. I realise that this takes a certain amount of stress off the muscles, and let′s you perform more reps.
What I would like to know is, is this more beneficial. During a set of chins, after the neg phase you are just hanging there for a split second before starting the next rep. The only muscles that are really working at this point is the gripping muscles to stop you falling off. Does this actually add to the overall benefit of the whole set or not.
If I did a set non stop I would probably fail after 8 reps, but could almost complete douple that if I released from the bar breifly after every rep.
From what I have read, this is not rest pause, but something similar.
Cheers.

Gav,

Remember that the goal is to achieve maximum contractions of the muscles and reach muscular failure in order to stimulate a change.Not to perform an arbitrary number of reps.

Hi HD27, I am still reaching failure, but at the moment I seem to be reaching it after to many reps. After a few more sessions I will find the ideal weight to reach failure with the correct amount of reps. The reason for posting was to find out if stopping after each rep briefly is better for muscular growth/strength. In 2 of the ex (deadlift and chins) the grip will fail before other muscles and in dips I feel that there is unnecessary stress when holding the body in the top position.
Cheers.

I agree with HD27.

I think that technique would be counterproductive because it will hinder your maximum potential level of intensity in the single set by gradually draining energy that could have potentially been used when you were hitting failure (your potential intensity will be hindered). All you′re doing is allowing the muscle fibers you′ve exhausted to re-fuel, which would prevent more from being recruited and therefore hinder growth stimulation. You stimulate growth by getting the body to recruit a certain number of muscle fibers, but the body is not going to recruit more fibers if you allow it to "re-fuel" the fiber′s it already utilized. This "re-fueling" can happen in just a few seconds, and it′s a mistake to make it happen on purpose, since your goal is to involve MORE fibers.

The number of reps you complete has nothing to do with the amount of growth you will stimulate; a certain point of intensity, therefore fiber recruitment does. The last thing you want to do is limit that point that accomplishes what you came to do: stimulate growth!

Thanks christoph, I understand a bit more now and realise that, that technique could be flawed. I do agree that after those few seconds I am feeling as if energy has been added and always seem to be doubling my rep range. This obviously shows that I am recuperating very quickly between reps. Although I realise that the point is to get in the gym hit failure in a particular set/sets and then get out and sest. However I′ve also read that you must use as much weight as possible in good form to acheive the best results. As of yet I don′t seem to have found the ideal weight in certain ex to have me reaching failure using an ideal rep range.
I am going to continue using this technique up until the new year and see how I get on. Hopefully it will have made me strong enough to use pretty decent weight doing a set to failure without stopping breifly between each rep.
Thanks to you and HD27 for clearing this up for me.