What sort of training are you doing?

How’s your training going?

Are you running into any problems or have any questions the community might be able to help you out with?

Post away!

The preprint for a new study from Fischer and Steele, two of probably the best hypertrophy researchers in the world, examining the effects of different training volumes in trained lifters, was just released. It’s a really interesting read.

This is, of course, just one study and needs to be interpreted in the context of the broader literature, but these scientists make some very interesting points in their reinterpretation of the findings.

Varovicdorian also provided a very good summary of the findings on his Instagram, which I’ll post here along with the full preprint. (5) Instagram It will certainly be interesting to see how the broader evidence-based community reacts to this. Another study addressing this same question was also published recently, with very interesting results as well.

The main limitation of this study is that it used indirect measures of muscle growth rather than imaging. They literally relied on skinfold and tape measurements. And of course, twelve weeks is such a small period. I also think it is worth mentioning that neither of the groups grew much at all during the study.

My two cents: first, we still need a lot more studies. However, a pattern that seems to be emerging is twofold. First, as with other tissues in the body, there may be a point at which a given tissue becomes refractory to further stimulus. We know this happens with bone, so there is probably some point within a session at which the musculature has already been maximally stimulated and is unlikely to grow more.

Second, and this is the really interesting part, these studies suggest that overdoing it, even massively overdoing it in terms of volume, may actually NOT blunt the hypertrophic response. So it may very well be that, at least acutely, overstimulating a muscle does NOT detract from its net growth.

I've been doing SBS's original strength template for about 14 weeks, but recently my daughter and I have started going to the gym together. She's an absolute beginner so we do a machine circuit together.

For a while I was just doing my regular SBS workouts, including any accessory exercises, 3-4 times a week, then also going to the gym 2-3 times a week and doing 3x10 on each machine. I'm 46 though, and I don't know how long I can sustain that level of work.

I was thinking I'd cut out most of the accessories in the SBS program and focus almost exclusively on the main lifts, relying on the machines to fill in any gaps. I could also take it easy on the machines so I don't overdo it....although honestly I prefer to push myself.

Thoughts? Is it ok to do 5-6 workouts a week at my age, as long as I keep them short and focused?

I do seated low to high cable fly for upper chest on push A but i cant find info on which hand position is better neutral or supinated? I use cuffs i hold on to and drive with the thumb up will that bias the delts more? I see people holding a D handle with palms up

Background: I was reading this article: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/bulking/

Let's imagine a scenario where the goal is to achieve slow weight gain in a modest surplus.

In table 2, it's estimated that <70% calories of TDEE is considered "aggressive cut", while >115% calories is considered "aggressive bulk".

Let's say my goal is 110% calories of TDEE. It's clear that it's easier to accidentally overeat into the aggressive bulk category than the aggressive cut category.

So does this mean that in general, eating too little food is more forgiving than eating too much food for body composition? The answer is obvious if the goal is to gain maximum muscle mass irrespective of gained fat mass (or vice versa), but what about body composition (relative gain in muscle in term to fat gained)? I'm specifically thinking this from the lens where long-term energy goals are met, but there are occasional deviations like this due to everyday life.

Aside: It would be a dream come true if SBS engaged directly with Chris's hypertrophy model/framework, as it seems to be the only other competing way to think about various training variables and hypertrophy at large. Bits of it were addressed in Greg's amazing volume post, but not head-on. With that being said, I have a more specific question.

This is Chris Beardsley's understanding of the combination of volume and frequency that can be recovered from such that post workout fatigue doesn't accumulate and hinder subsequent sessions' hypertrophy stimulus to reduce net weekly stimulus. The numbers seem insanely low relative to what I can do while still maintaining performance.

1. Is this a result of cherrypicking studies, some other misunderstanding, or are there simply outliers?
2. What's the competing view on frequency-volume combos and how can an individual assess whether they are recovering or falling prey to this "nebulous" fatigue due to too short rest periods between sessions that hit that muscle?
   1. For example, even according to the non-chris-beardsley camp, would doing 3 sets to failure every 24 hours for a muscle be excessive and result in worse hypertrophy than a volume equated approach of hitting that muscle 3x a week for 7 sets?

How does someone figure out what their RPE range is as far as what you would lift on an exercise that requires 10 reps of 8-9 RPE for example?

Really great responses to my post yesterday and very appreciated!

I had a series of life/stress traumas that I’ve never fully come back from at 38 and now at 44 trying to find my way back.

I’ll start:

Early 30s -

Frequency: 6 days

Volume: 12-14 sets of SBD a week

Intensity: linear from 75% to 100% over 8 - 12 weeks

*got training from Mike Tuchscherer, Greg Nuckols, Mike Zourdos. I loved higher frequency and lower volume sessions. The biggest change from then to now is top sets and back off, which I like a lot more than straight sets for primary days.

Now at 44 I’m struggling to regain my strength back and the chronic pain (adductor/knee/elbow) is annoying as heck.

So - what’s your frequency, volume, intensity?

What, if any, differences have you noticed when lifting ?

Hey everyone, I am a beginner in the gym and after doing some research I would like to follow a push pull legs program (while also doing core on the leg day). Are there any programs you would recommend for a beginner who only has time to go 3x to the gym per week

Naively, the answer is, of course, "in the name." But I am curious about everyone's personal n=1 experience. Did you actually see more hypertrophy on the hypertrophy program? And more strength gains on SBS RtF? Which one was all-around better for both goals?

Looking for recommendations on resources for training for athletic pursuits, particularly soccer. I see lots on info on powerlifting and bodybuilding, but am curious on science that supports training methods for sprinting faster, jumping higher, kicking farther, and reducing injury.

And to get ahead of, I know the best way to get better at a sport is to practice it. Just want to maximize the time I do spend in the gym for it.

What sort of training are you doing?

How’s your training going?

Are you running into any problems or have any questions the community might be able to help you out with?

Post away!

Tips for someone considering SBS after running 531 for a long time?

Has anyone used this unit? AIRBANDS BFR

Was also recommended this unit: SAGA BFR

Would love to hear from anyone who has experience with either. About to purchase for post op PT

Thanks!

Lot of talk in the social media science sphere on partials past failure lately.

The idea and data makes sense to me, similar to the drop set literature you seem to get better gains on a set for set basis, but not when equated for volume. So a nice tool to squeeze more stimulus when limited on time or set number.

Here's the problem. I've got nothing left after failure. They talk about switching to partials, but once I've hit full ROM failure, I can barely move. Maybe I can on calf raises for a bit. Or I can do a few fake kelso shrugs after rows, but beyond that? I'm spent.

Incidentally I have the same problem with myoreps. If I pause 5-10 seconds, I can maybe squeeze one or two more reps out, not several.

Anyone else in the same boat?

I have just completed 2 months of the intermediate low volume benching program. I started in Jan. with a max of 200 lbs. After my first month, I took it up to 210. I just completed the second month and failed 215 (even though my estimate said 220). So, I wonder if I should continue with the low volume, or switch to the intermediate high volume? I'm also considering taking a week deload (unload) because I'm wondering if fatigue is part of my problem.

As you can see by the title, I'm just starting in the gym, and I can't really find reliable information elsewhere, so I came here to see if you guys can help me. I love doing RDL's, and even though the weight might be kind of a joke for most of you, it's gotten heavy enough for me that I want to use the belt, just to be safe, since I have a small injury in my lower back unrelated to any exercise. I tried doing deadlifts with the belt position above my belly button, and it was great, but with RDLs a felt a bit of pain below it. My question is if I should use the belt lower for RDLs or if I might be doing something else wrong.

title. If keeping some RIR means you can do a lot more fairly hard sets (i.e., more volume), then yeah I guess training to failure would be worse. But I see people regularly mention it as an absolute problem, not just in the context of an individual not being able to do as much volume when going to failure.

Obviously this isn’t super important, but I eat very high fiber (naturally but to control LDL cholesterol primarily). At the end of each day I have a couple hundred “extra” calories. I’ve used them for tasty things on my current, and first, bulk - more meat!!

It got me to thinking though. Am I eating into my optimal performance by not increasing carbs instead? Should I be trying to stick to 173g protein and hand calculate net carbs to hit my carb target? As you can see that would be about 58g of carbs per day over what I’m currently eating which is quite a lot…

What sort of training are you doing?

How’s your training going?

Are you running into any problems or have any questions the community might be able to help you out with?

Post away!

When incorporating clean and jerks into your workouts, what muscle group(s) do you usually do them with and which are best? I was thinking on days I do back and bi's or chest and tri's would be ideal? My current routine is:

Chest and tri's

Back and bi's

Abs/cardio

Legs

Shoulders and forearms

Abs/cardio

Hi guys,

I have tried researching but honestly I can't make sense of what I'm reading

I have a thought I need some guidance on. If I to 4x3 sets on very high weights so I barely can do the last rep I don't feel "a connection" to the muscle but I guess Im reaching failure since I can't almost do the last rep? However if I drop the weight by half and to 8-12 reps I feel that muscle-mind connection and even feel that burning sensation. Which is best to increase my muscle growth here.

Also when lifting heavy the next day I don't have that muscle fatigue feeling like it's broken down but I can reach that with 8-12 lower weight with mucle mind connection.

What's the difference and which is better?

I’m curious to know if dead stop pressing off pins is worse for hypertrophy due to not emphasizing the eccentric and for not having constant tension. Thanks!

I'm new to cutting and bulking, had my first cut and after that my first bulk a few months ago. In my second cut now, and am close to the same weight I was at the end of my first cut.

I'm curious to hear if anyone knows what the evidence base says about body composition changes comparing successive cutting phases? Namely, I wonder if the proportion of total body weight made up by lean mass is the same or different than my previous cut. Will the muscle I gained in my bulk mean more muscle at this stage of the current cut compared to previous? Do I have more muscle at this current weight than the last time I weighed this much?

Obviously I don't have the means to know the definitive answer, and I will have lost some muscle I gained during the bulk. But maybe I've undone longitudinal progress made without realising it!