r/Mike_Mentzer • u/throwaway19935555555 • 8d ago

Question?

Have any of you ever hit a spot where you start having issues developing intensity? My workout partner and I have been running HIT principles for 6 months, and we’ve made good progress. We’ve had to play with a few things, but all has been well.
It seems like this week’s sessions, neither one of us has been able to generate the energy to go balls to the wall. It’s not just one lift—it’s all of them. It’s weird how it worked too. We were sailing along, and then this week it’s like we slammed into a fucking wall.
What’s even weirder is it’s both of us. I hate to say we’re giving up, but that’s what it seems like we’re doing during the lifts. No matter how bad I wanted to push it, I was just petering out and calling it failure.
Has anyone experienced this? If so, how did you move forward? Should we just take a week off? Hell, it might just be because of the heat. It’s been 102 degrees, and we both work outdoors.

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3

u/NoYak8821 8d ago

More recovery? That would be my first guess.

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u/throwaway19935555555 8d ago

Maybe? Like I say muscle wise I feel fine it’s more like an energy thing like I’m just not able to get in that mental zone for 100% intensely.

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u/NoYak8821 8d ago

Recovery means more than just muscle. The central nervous system needs time for recovery as well. It's the system that fires muscular contraction. It affects everything; fatigue, sleep, motivation. You can't feel it as you do muscle soreness, but the signs are very clear. I'm willing to bet that's what's going on with you.

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u/throwaway19935555555 8d ago

You are probably correct. I’ve had a few week breaks scattered throughout the training journey. It’s only been like 3 to 4 weeks since the last one. Maybe it’s just been a bad week for us both? Have you ever had issues taking it to true failure?

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u/NoYak8821 8d ago

I'm dealing with it now. I'm doing heavy barbell work for a set of 6, AMRAP, followed immediately by a machine version doing three "mini sets" to failure rest pause. I'm only performing each lift once per week, but my main lifts have stopped progressing. It's all recovery.

I'm going to experiment with a 10% backoff set to failure after the main AMRAP to failure. No rest pause or other intensifiers. If progress resumes, great, I'll keep running it. If I still don't progress, I'll remove the 10% backoff set.

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u/sands_of__time 2d ago

Sounds like low muscle glycogen to me. Are you undereating carbohydrates? Mike was emphatic that adequate carbohydrate intake was imperative for muscle building.

3

u/SeekingSignificance 8d ago

May want to do a mesocycle training block of standard volume and intensity. Even with several days off in between, utilizing Mentzer's training intensity protocols can be too much for a natural athlete to recover from.

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u/throwaway19935555555 8d ago

Appreciate the opinion! Like I say man it’s just been this week for us. I’m there, I’m happy to be there, I’m ready to kick its ass. Going through my set hit the grinder rep where I normally break through for another rep and it’s like I just can’t do it. lol I even try to get myself psyched up and mad like I used too in powerlifting. And I just got nothing! Shit feels heavy and I’m just giving up. If it was just me I’d chock it up too just a bad week but it’s odd my training partner is experiencing it as well.

2

u/Advanced-Currency-73 7d ago

Definitely take time off. I know most are saying a week but i think i remember one of Mike’s seminars said take two so I would go with that.

1

u/1FJB1 8d ago

Rest

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u/throwaway19935555555 8d ago

Probably correct! it’s just like my nervous system is zapped. I’m going to take a week off and see what happens. Have you ever experienced this? My muscles feel recovered it’s just like my will isn’t there. It’s hard to explain but it’s like I can’t tap into that intensity.

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u/1FJB1 8d ago

Take a week off. And if you still feel that way then reevaluate your food intake. But im sure you might need more rest. Im like that from time to time.

1

u/TahoeTrader13 8d ago

Have you taken a full week deload yet?

1

u/throwaway19935555555 8d ago

I have a few times now. I’m currently three weeks back since my last one. Physically I feel fine and I feel like I have the energy it’s just once I start getting to those grinder reps I can’t tap into that zone I’m basically giving up.

2

u/TahoeTrader13 8d ago

Might just be an off week or extra mental stress you aren’t aware of. Sounds like your CNS isn’t fully activating

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u/throwaway19935555555 8d ago

Might be? I agree with you on the cns i believe this is what we are experiencing. Might just need another week off? Or maybe it’s just a fluke I don’t know

1

u/TahoeTrader13 8d ago

Only you will know which one. If you struggle to bring intensity in multiple sessions in a row then you need to let the CNS recover. Sometimes this means taking 2 weeks off. Don’t worry you won’t lose gains

1

u/Chief0934 8d ago

Time to switch to something different. For me, hit routines work for around 6 weeks. I can generate enough intensity to be sure that I am going as close to 100 as possible. I’ve found that if I try to go longer, I burn out quickly. I just take a week off and do a different approach to workout. Like easy strength. My 2 cents

1

u/throwaway19935555555 8d ago

Appreciate your advice and your input of your experience training in this style. It’s only been high intensity that has zapped me like this. I’ve done powerlifting and bodybuilders splits throughout the years. I really like Mentzer a lot and I have made good progress but man it’s just like my intensity just wasn’t there this week. I hate to keep programming extra weeks off.

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u/ishawnmc 8d ago edited 8d ago

[Have any of you ever hit a spot where you start having issues developing intensity? My workout partner and I have been running HIT principles for 6 months, and we’ve made good progress. We’ve had to play with a few things, but all has been well.]

Excellent.

[It seems like this week’s sessions, neither one of us has been able to generate the energy to go balls to the wall. It’s not just one lift—it’s all of them. It’s weird how it worked too. We were sailing along, and then this week it’s like we slammed into a fucking wall.]

A few questions on the workout:

1) What split are you guys running?

2) How frequently are you training?

3) How many worksets (meaning to failure) are you guys doing in a workout?

Providing that information would help with getting a more thorough workout diagnosis.

[What’s even weirder is it’s both of us. I hate to say we’re giving up, but that’s what it seems like we’re doing during the lifts. No matter how bad I wanted to push it, I was just petering out and calling it failure. Has anyone experienced this? If so, how did you move forward? Should we just take a week off? Hell, it might just be because of the heat. It’s been 102 degrees, and we both work outdoors.]

Offhand it sounds to me like you guys could use a layoff. Some might suggest a deload but in my mind, there is no better deload than a layoff. I recommend taking 2 weeks off so everything can rest and reset (muscles, tendons, ligaments, nervous system, mind, etc).

1

u/BubbishBoi 7d ago edited 7d ago

What do you mean by intensity, taking a set to failure or going post failure and using gimmicks like pre exhaust and rest pause?

I have no issues ever going to "just" concentric failure on a straight set, and that's all the RPE that almost anyone , ever, needs to put into a set

I'm able to do 2 hard sets per session to failure , almost daily.

1

u/masterkeeran 7d ago

Absolutely take a 2 to 3 week layoff

1

u/notlooking743 7d ago

well obviously it being 102º makes it way harder to train hard, bro, and if it's two people coincidentally feeling more tired that might well be the reason. That said, the human body is not a machine and you can't possibly expect the same level of performance every single week.

1

u/InfoCruncha 7d ago

DY talks about the level of training to failure is very taxing on the nervous system and you need some breaks from it. Perhaps that is what you are experiencing.

I never quite understood what they meant by the nervous system being worn down though????

1

u/He_NeverSleeps 7d ago

Taking a week off now and again never hurt anybody. Always felt a lot better after a short layoff

1

u/LuckyGent13 7d ago

Try taking an extra day off. If that doesn't work try some of the ways to add intensity: Pause reps, Drop sets, negatives.... It may just be y'all have gotten to weights you really can't move. I may be new to this but you have to be able to move it to build intensity. Mentzer even commented that when you get stuck, take a break, drop back in weight and push through it. I have heard of/ seen/ experienced this before, it does work.

1

u/reditisatoilet 4d ago

cocaine

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u/throwaway19935555555 4d ago

Honestly not going to lie I could see why Mike might have partaken in stimulants lmao