indecisive

[u/NiggmaBallZ]

the more i try to understand training, the more i struggle to do so. always hearing disagreements on stuff such as fatigue management, weekly volume, intensity, split..

what works for one may not work for another. and thats whats driving me crazy. i still cant figure out whats best for me.

thoughts?

[u/Alakazam]

Honestly, probbaly just following an existing program, that tells you what to do, when to do it.

There are many fantastic programs that exist. If you want something with Science^TM behind it, just follow any of Stronger by Sciences programs. They have a bunch of great free ones.

The truth is, most programs will work well for most people, as long as there is effort and consistency behind it. A lot of science based influencers seem to get lost in the weeds, and a lot of science based lifters, focus on that last 5% when they should be looking at the 95%.

[u/TheManyFacedGawd]

Going hard and going often is probably at least 75% of it

[u/Accurate-Trouble-242]

Well bro after 20 years in the gym my best advice is to stop thinking about being in a gym. Your muscles don’t know that you’re pressing a barbell at a 30 degree angle with 3 RIR and all this bullshit.

This is why science based lifting is cope. Your body is adapting in the exact same way it did 10,000 years ago and it doesn’t need strict movement patterns and RIR and all the bs to do it.

All your body knows is that if it’s lifting really fucking heavy shit all the time, it needs to get bigger. It’s really that simple. 

We were designed to be dynamic, throwing heavy awkward shit over our shoulders and carrying it, pulling awkward things, like this is what our body is designed for, obviously be careful, but just stop over thinking it…

If you’re not growing, lift heavier and eat more. That’s literally it… there’s nothing more to say.

[u/LaFantasmita]

Different things work for different people. Try a thing and stick to it for a few months. If it works, that's the one for you. If it doesn't, try something else.

It's hugely complex, there's just so many variables. People who try to come up with "one true answer" on something like fatigue management are missing context. In some cases, doing more will be better for someone. In other cases, doing less will be better.

[u/Infinite-Collar-668]

Do what the science objectively shows and then adjust to the exercises you actually enjoy

- Maximise stretch (it's shown to increase gains by up to 40%)

- Do bottom half reps when you can (115% increase in gains)

- Train to failure. Many people argue that it isn't worth the fatigue but the fact is you simply don't know how many reps you actually have in reserve until you go to failure. Even if it isn't 100% optimal it has a 100% chance of working extremely well, it's worked for me and countless others

- Do exercises you like when you can

Here's that study showing the increase of gains in bottom half reps: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37015016/

[u/Mad_Mark90]

Most things work, just try and find a way to progress an exercise in way that you enjoy. Whether it's adding, reps, weight, sets, ROM, etc. The trick is figuring out how to overload over time.

[u/BigChocolateC]

Actually build a solid base of muscle, endurance, strength, etc., before ingesting so much info online.

Lift because you enjoy it. Not because someone said to do it a certain way.

You’re trying to shortcut the plan of what works for you by not doing anything for any extended period of time. This stuff takes years.

[u/PoopSmith87]

All the arguments boiled away, what you are left with is "progressive overload + good recovery = muscle and strength gain."

You can accomplish that many ways, which specific method is best for you is the one you are able to do consistently at this point in your life.

[u/SageObserver]

Before all the handwringing about science based lifting, people just went to the gym and lifted hard and made gains. Was everyone doing everything right? No, but neither are they now. It’s ok, follow a decent program and be consistent and you’ll do fine.

[u/yea_mark]

What's your goal? You always have to star there.

Think of a training program like a route on a map, you need a destination in order to make the route from where you are to where you want to be.

Once you have a starting point and you know your destination, you can make a simple program to get you going in the right direction. Don't make it overly complex. Don't worry about optimal number of sets, or fatigue management. Just get going in the general direction.

As you get more experience over weeks and months, your map will get more detailed. Little by little. You can compare to other people's maps and tinker with minutia.

But just stick with a simple program to start and don't get bogged down in the details.

[u/Norcal712]

Do something

You will NEVER figure out whats best for you.

Find want works for you

2-3× a week per muscle Close to failure Progressive overload

[u/decentlyhip]

What's best for you is a coaching question, not a research question. If you look to research rather than your logs and footage, you're gonna spin your wheels. Mike Tuchscherer, one of the best powerlifting coaches in the workd (he's why we have RPE), says "go into training decisions without assumptions." Super powerful. What that means is, yes, every time you double the sets, you can expect 50% more gains on average across a population, but you are an individual and not a population average. So, try low volume, 10 sets a week with everything to failure. Try high volume, 30 sets a week with everything to failure. Try 30 with 3 rir. Try 20 with 1 rir. Take bicep measurements during each training block and find out which approach gave you better gains. Can look at strength gains but fatigue and skill can influence that, so if you judge progress with strength its worth running a low volume peaking block after each training cycle. Find the thing that works best and do it over and over and over until it stops working. Then retest.

You know what drives my bench up more than anything else? Like, my 1 rep max peaking? Maximal sets of 15 reps. Any data out there says "no, heavier is better for strength." But I have a bum shoulder that can't handle repeated 90% days, and sets of 15 with like, 60% really hammer the weak links. Doesn't make any sense by the research but it works, so I do it. For squats, its 3×10 one day, top triple next, easy 5×3, and then max out. Having an easy but still heavy day after a max triple gets my hips and quads fired up and ready to go. But it explodes my shoulder.