HighIntensity.net View Mike Mentzer Bodybuilding Topic

Here is something I read today. Would love some comments.

"……… it is impossible to completely exhaust all available motor units with just one working set. Another problem is Mentzer′s insistence on taking every set to failure and beyond – something which has been shown to reduce testosterone levels and thus decrease the anabolic environment needed for muscle growth."

sacredsystem,

Interesting post, Maybe one set isn′t enough to exhaust all motor units but i′m sure it′s not a huge difference either way, but it could be correct.

One set works thats for sure, when it comes to strength one set is most certainly enough (optimal?), we do get hypertrophy from one set too but I think training should be switched up from time to time and temporarily do multiple sets like CFT for example, which is something i′m going to experiment with soon just to keep things from going stale.

I think it could vary from person to person whether one set is optimal or not but doing ridiculous amounts of sets isn′t the answer.

On failure, i′m not sure on the decrease in testosterone but I think Mike should of maybe been a little more flexible on this because the truth is going to failure all the time takes a massive toll on your body, it works, no doubt about it but it′s not the only way to train, I don′t think he should of made it mandatory.

I can totally see Mikes logic behind training to failure and he′s right but doing it continually is my main beef with it.

Also if one continues going to failure, workouts will continually grow further apart to a point where the body has little reason to grow any more muscle (I′m talking low frequency here). Strength gains may keep coming but it is not optimal for hypertrophy.

Going beyond failure, i′m not a fan of this. I′ve done it many times but I don′t think the extra effort is worth it. Don′t get me wrong I do believe in doing it from time time it can give your training a much needed kick but I certainly don′t think you have to keep continually raising intensity to progress.

On sets, I don′t think number of sets matter a great deal, what I do think is that if you′re going to failure you should only do one set if you′re training just shy maybe add another set or two, the extra TUT may benefit you!

To find out what is optimal for us as individuals is to experiment a little but while staying close to HIT principles. And one set DOES work! But any info on training should never be took as gospel, you could sell yourself short.

I′m always amazed at these so called scientific studies that probably never even took place,most of them are just articles written to fill up space.

If you do more than 1 set..You are just retracing motor units.Every set after the first set just becomes an endurance activity.You ca always do a 2nd/3rd/4th set of anything,but you have to decrease the weight/reps/intensity.

I don′t think it′s 100% necessary to train to failure all the time as long as you are consistently adding weight to the bar and training progressive.However,if you don′t train at least very close to failure,you are just doing what your body is already capable of doing,and the body has no reason to respond and grow.

I′m gonna agree with HD27 here – its easy to find critiques on HIT written all over the net if you look for them, but for every ′expert′ who writes an article on why HIT MOST DEFINATELY doesn′t work you′ll always find another ′expert′ who says it does – and so we end up going round in circles.

Plain and simple, HIT does require a certain amount of tweaking in order to fit an individuals needs, but thats not to say it doesn′t work because it very much does. There are many, many ways you can switch up and vary a HIT routine and it doesn′t stop being HIT just because you′ve played with it a little. Take ′Doggcrap′ training (undoubtedly the WORST named routine of all time!), many rave about its effectiveness and it does sound like a very good method – but essentially all it is is a routine structured entirely around the rest pause method – which is a HIT technique.

Ultimately though, however you choose to train HD27 hit the nail right on the head. If you are continually able to add weight to the bar, even if its just tiny increments (remember, if you add just one pound per workout to the bar and you train twice a week, you′ll raise your weight by 104lbs within the year!) without sacrificing form or reps, whether you train HIT or volume you′re still going to be making progress.

Isn′t that Iron Addict that wrote that statement? I can′t remember, but I′ve read it before. If it is IA, he has his own agenda of selling his own low volume routines. I would ask the author for the research citations for his statement.