HighIntensity.net View Mike Mentzer Bodybuilding Topic

It seems to me that the one variable that we know the least about is intensity. It is the harderst to control, monitor, and measure.

Perhaps the next great step in HIT training will be related to intensity.

Steve in Canada, who is training HDlatino, has been speaking of finding a way to measure intensity accurately. He is really against too much and is hoping to find a way to ′find the right amount′ accurately 🙂

Az

Analyzer,

You posted in another location the seperation of CNS and PNS and muscle recovery.

It would be very informative if we post what we know about the different recovery rates of each of these systems and debate them relative to intensity.

I for one am interested in learning more about PNS.

Hey Ferrari- The PNS is the system of nerves that run from the spinal column to the actual destinations in the body. In our topics, the muscle fibers. The nerve endings have a sort of sack, filled with neuro-transmitter chemicals. When the nerve receives and electrical impulse this causes some of the neurotransmitter chemical to be excreted. This is quickly absorbed into the muscle fiber where it is interpreted as a signal and the fiber flexes.
When one first starts a set, if enough weight is used, all fibers are firing but they are taking turns and not firing at their maximum frequency. As the set progresses, fatigue starts to limit contraction power so the fibers must be fired in bigger groups in each instance, after a while all fibers firing almost together. Closer to the end of the set even this is not enough force so your CNS turns up the frequency until the fibers are firing at maximum speed. Obviously since were getting weaker we are still losing force. This means the nervous system is working hundreds of times harder to try and keep the muscle fibers firing with enough force.
The neuro-transmitters of course are becoming depleted as we are using them faster than they can be replenished, plus fatigue and congestion is slowing circulation.
There is talk but no scientific evidence yet, but that maybe we can actually deplete or exhaust these nerve endings enough that they actually are almost non-functional for a while.

Ok, that′s what I′ve read on the subject 🙂

Az

Excellent post. Tie this in for me.

A few weeks ago after my overhead press workout I tried to see what my top lift was. I lifted 180, then 190 and failed at 200. I could have tried some weight in the middle but as I had already performed a set to failure I decided not to.

Here′s the thing, the 200 failure felt exactly the same as my regular failure in my routine. The 180 and 190 reps felt the same as some of the middle reps in my routine.

So am I right in assuming that the higher weights hits the PNS and CNS harder than it hits the muscles? Could it be that when the reps get too low they also fry the PNS and/or CNS while not being as good a workout for the muscles?

If so then this would indicate that the rep count is very important in our routine and shouldn′t be taken for granted.

I would also bet that the beginner and advanced trainees might not require the same rep count either as the stresses on each system would have totally different proportions.

What′s your opinion on this?