HighIntensity.net View Mike Mentzer Bodybuilding Topic

Jeff made an interesting point in a previous post when he posted an article written by a guy named madcow. It basically stated that if you were able to add a rep to your working sets every workout or two, within a short period of time you would be lifting record poundages and since most HD trainees aren′t lifting record poundages, have they really progressed as they claim to have? Probably not. Lets face it, when you are bench pressing 100 lbs and are miles away from your genetic potential it is easy to add a rep or two every workout. After you have trained for a couple of years and are stuck at 250lbs for 5 reps on the bench press, it seems that no matter how intensely you train or how much rest you allow, you can′t seem to get that 6th rep.

Does this mean that the methods you used previously to achieve this level of strength are no longer valid? Is it time to up the volume etc? I say the answer is no. The stronger and closer to your genetic potential you get, the harder it becomes to set new PR′s both in weight and reps. If this weren′t the case pwerlifting records would be broken every other meet. (It′s only an extra 5 lbs!) (or, "do that 1005 lb bench for 2 reps instead of 1 Gene").

The solution can be found in the writings of the great hardgainer bodybuilding author Stuart McRobert-Microloading. On that 250 lb bench where you can′t seem to get an extra rep and adding 5lbs to the bar sends you spiralling back down to 3 reps- try adding 1 lb. You most likely will get the 5 reps next workout and so, next workout, you add one more lb and so on.

All the HD training principals still hold true- you still need to train at high intensity to stimulate growth, you still need workouts that are brief and infrequent- it′s just that naturally as you get stronger and stronger, your gains will slow- it′s unavoidable regardless of what training system you follow.

Hey you like Stuart′s stuff too eh? Cool, I do also. John Christy, one of the writers for the now ceased Hardgainer magazine, is one of the biggest proponents of micro-loading. He has created some monsters in his gym.

Az

I′m a huge fan of Stuarts. Beyond Brawn is, in my opinion, one of the best training books ever written. If you think about it, he and Mike are very much along the same lines. Its just that McRobert is slightly less dogmatic about things.

Adman that′s certain. +1rep per week cannot be sustained for long. John Christy said that 2 pounds per month on big upper body exercises is a good goal for intermediate/advanced. 4 pounds for lower body (squat / dl) and less for isolation exercises like curl, french press etc.

Christy advocate 2×5 NTF per week, per muscles and to add 0.5-2 pounds per week on the different lifts. It seems it work good ! It could probably be done with only one set.

I believe we should keep in mind though, microloading is only necessary once you are an intermediate to advanced trainee. Beginners will be able to add a rep per workout or even more on every exercise for months on end.