HighIntensity.net View Mike Mentzer Bodybuilding Topic

G′day guys

This is my first post here.

I′ve been studying this website a lot and found it very interesting, so I decided to register. My training history is: trained 6 months a year for 10 years, then 12 months a year for the last 3 years. I′m 35yrs, 6ft and 185lb.

I have just re-started HD training after an absence of 4 years. Since then I have used pretty much a Stuart McRobert training philosophy. I made reasonable gains but, I′ve always preferred training at a high intensity because that way I know where I′m at strength-wise.

I′ve also got HD2 and personally think it is the HIT Bible, from which I am currently doing Suggested Routine 1 and progressing well:

Excercise Cycle 1 -> Cycle 2

1. DB Flyes 12.5kg/13 reps -> 17.5kg/11 reps
2. Incline Press 58kg/3 reps -> 63kg/3 reps.
3. Pullovers 22kg/14 reps
4. Pulldowns 40kg/11 reps -> 45kg/12 reps

1. Leg Ext 40kg/12 reps -> 50kg/11 reps
2. Squats 60kg/7 reps -> 60kg/11reps

My question relates to Pulldowns.

In HD2 Mike states that your back training will progress better if you drop the Pullovers every other Back workout. I did this yesterday and got out 12 reps of 45kg, but my forearms failed first, not my lats.

Whereas at my previous back workout, using the pre-exhaust, my lats got worked very hard and I felt it more. I was wondering if it was necessary to drop the Pullovers every 2nd w/o, or if I could keep doing the s/s EVERY back w/o until my progress stalls?

Cheers guys, looking forward to expanding my knowledge of HIT.

( My apologies re the length of this post )

Stevo,

Welcome to the the Forum.

With regards to your question I think it is best if you stick to a particular routine until the time that it is NECESSARY for to decrease the volume of the routine. Their should always be CONSISTENCY in the routine for it to be effective. Also you won′t be able to gauge progression accurately if you do a superset in one workout and a straight set in another? Another thing I do not agree with that suggestion is the fact that when you decrease training volume it should only be for the purpose of ACCOMODATING the limited recovery ability as you grow stronger and bigger. That said if you drop an exercise in a routine why would you want to INCREASE the volume of work again on your next workout? If you decide to drop from 2 sets to 1 set then why would you want to go back to 2 sets again? It doesn′t make sense to me. Also bear in mind that in HIT a Pre-Exhaust SUPERSET although compose of 2 exercise should be considered as ONE SET and not 2. PEACE.

Thanks Neuromass

Your advice makes a lot of sense, I agree it would be very difficult to gauge progression accurately if you do a superset in one workout and a straight set in another. And why drop a set if there is no need to?

Catch ya

Just touching on your last comment Neuromass: " Also bear in mind that in HIT a Pre-Exhaust SUPERSET although compose of 2 exercise should be considered as ONE SET and not 2 "

Can it really be considered only 1 set if you go to failure TWICE?

The rep range and TUL issue tends to confuse me a bit.

Does this mean that being considered 1 set, it should comprise a TOTAL of only 6-10 reps? i.e 3-5 reps for each excercise in the superset? And if so, when the cadence used is 4/2/4, the total TUL is between 60-100 seconds, which I think is reasonable.

On the other hand, if 6-10/3-5 reps are used for the ex in the S/S, the total TUL becomes a lot greater: 90-150seconds. Probably too long in my book.

Any comments would be very helpful.

Cheers

Stevo,

Yes you can consider it as 1 set even if you techincally go to failure TWICE in a set (superset). In fact HITers utilize this method quite often. Like in cases where you go to positive failure with pec deck then continue allowing your partner to assist you to the FULLY CONTRACTED position and continue doing Static Holds until failure. Moreover in Mike′s HYPERTRAINING it even makes you hit failure 3 times in one set (positive, static and negative failure)!

As for your second question YES that is exactly CORRECT. If you do superset to be effective you must continue to maintain your IDEAL Rep/TUL by spliiting the TOTAL reps (TUL) to be done on 2 exercises.

Yes that is why TUL is more accurate than just counting reps becuse reps can vary in tempo but TUL is just a measure of TIME under load. So if your ideal TUL is 60-100 sec. that would be roughly equivalent to 6-10 reps (4/2/4), 3-5 reps for (SS-10/10), or 10-17 reps for (2/4). As for myself I figured my IDEAL TUL as between 30-50 seconds per set which is an indication that I have a predominance of WHITE (fast twitch) Fibers and my cadence is 4/2/4 so my total reps per set is relatively LOW with 3-5 reps per set.
PEACE.