Fuzzy Hypertrophy Program
by Mladen Jovanovic
Fuzzy logic and Conjugate Sequence System
What would you answer, if I ask you is it daytime at your current time? Yes or no? And what if I ask you same question at 6AM, 1PM and 7PM, what would the answer be? I belive that you would have very hard time deciding beween „yes“ and „no“ answers…
I see a lot of people (athletes, coaches) asking the same type questions over and over again:
„Is it whole body system or split system“
„Is it structural, hypertrophy or max strength work“
„Is it general preparation or specific one“
„Is warm-up statical or dynamical“
(fill the blank with your own question)
And they mostly expect „yes“ or „no“ answers. This is example of binary logic, where the answer is true or false. But gentlemen, in training (nor life), there is no „yes“ or „no“, „black“ and „white“, „good“ and „evil“, there is rather a continuum between them, or somekind of a „grey zone“. This is grey logic, or fuzzy logic where the truth is a matter of a degree.
For those who are interested more in fuzzy logic, there is a great review at Mathworks, developers of famous MATLAB! The link is here:
http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/pdf_doc/fuzzy/fuzzy.pdf
Fuzzy logic usage is not new in training. A lot of coaches uses it without knowing. One example is Charlie Francis whos major quote is „Everything is done only the volume varies“. This is a example of Russian Conjugate Sequence System (CSS), where every aspect of training is done, but with fluctuating emphasis/volume, thus when one apsect is developed, others are maintained. A time frame under which „everything is done“ is not necceserely one training, but training microcycle.
Superiority of CSS is manifested when working with well developed athletes. In fact, linear/sequential methods can be used with novice athletes allowing progression in load (intensity, volume) and technique acquisition, but as soon athletes develops optimal levels GPP and SPP, CSS is superior in comparation to other methods. Why? Because, when you concentrate on one aspect of training (be it speed, endurance, hypertrophy, max strength to name a few) other aspect will fall, so you are basically going round in circle and starting from a scratch every time the cycle begins. The result is stagnation! CSS solves this problem!
Dont forget that, as Charlie Francis said, there is a lot of ways to skin a cat, but I would add, if you choose appropriate one. This „appropriate cat“ is goal settings, or the goals you want to achieve with your training process. There is a lot of great programs out there, and I belive that you should not look at this one presented here as an ultimate one, but rather as another tool in your coaching toolbox.
Fuzzy Hypertrophy Program
This program presented here is based on Fuzzy logic and CSS, but incorporate some principles and good stuff from other programs including Tier system, Pendulum System, Buffer System (from David Woodhouse) and Poliquin Principles.
The key element of FHP (Fuzzy Hypertrophy Program) is that everything (max strength, hypertrophy, isolation ,prehab, structural work) is done, but with variations during a mesocycle, thus providing variety and unload, while maintaining-improving everything. The length of mesocylce depends on your choice on using whole body or split system and the lasting of microcycles and their numbers. The choice is yours (like ever!).
One would ask, why is max strength a goal in FHP? Because, larger levels of strength allow for greater volume of hypertrophy work, because if you do bench press of 100kg for 10reps, with 1RM of 130kg, improving 1RM to 140kg will allow you to lift those 100kg more time, or to lift bigger load for 10 reps. Thus, maximal strength facilitate hypertrophy, and by the way, you will avoid „all show no go“ situation.
Structural/prehab work must be done to prevent muscles imbalances, but in the same time to facilitate improvements in max strength (and as a consequence a hypetrophy work and growth). It is well know that improving strength of rotator cuff, one can increase bench press but most importatly can avoid shoulder injuries. Injured bodybuilder cannot grow!
In FHP, there are three groups of exercises, their goals and their loads. Namely,
Exercise group-------------------Goal----------------Intensity
Core/main exercise…Max strength…1-5RM
Supplemental/auxilary exercises…Hypetrophy…5-10RM
Structural/Prehab exercises…Struc/prehab/isolation…10-15RM
I chose those intensities as a gude and not as „written in stone“, so you can change them on your will if you feel the need.
During one work-out, exercises are done with the same order: core/main, supplemental/auxilary, structural/prehab.
The emphasis on those exercises mentioned before, is switched during a mesocycle. The mesocycle lasts 3 microcycles (weeks in most cases) in this example, but you can choose different length. The example meso template is as follows:
Microcycle #1
(structural emphasis)
Core/main exercises…4 sets @ 15% buffer
Supplemental/auxilary exercises…3 sets @ 10% buffer
Structural/Prehab exercises…2 sets @ 5% buffer (+testing for new RM)
Microcycle #2
(hypertrophy emphasis)
Core/main exercises…3 sets @ 10% buffer
Supplemental/auxilary exercises…2 sets @ 5% buffer (+testing for new RM)
Structural/Prehab exercises…4 sets @ 15% buffer
Microcycle #3
(max strength emphasis)
Core/main exercises…2 sets @ 5% buffer (+testing for new RM)
Supplemental/auxilary exercises…4 sets @ 15% buffer
Structural/Prehab exercises…3 sets @ 10% buffer
What the hell is buffer? Basically it means that the lifts are NOT done till failure. For example, if your 10RM bench press is 100kg, the 15%buff will be 85kg, or in other words you are going to lift 85kg for 10reps. If your 1RM of squat is 200kg, then with 15%buff, you are going to squat 170kg for one rep. Buffer facilitate great exercises form/technique, applies variations in intensities and prevent from over burning (overtraining). Buffer also provide variety!
Set weight = choosed_reps_RM * (100-buffer)/100
Exercises pools
First I would like to notice that I am not a proponent of machine/isolation work, nor abs/core work except using McGill Big Three and their variations. But for some bodybuilder isolation/machines can be done to develop certain part of the body. After all, I find myself as performance enhancer, not as an hypetrophic freak, but FHP tries to bridge this gap!
Exercises pools depends on your choice on whole body or split system work-outs. Core/main exercises are mostly multy-joint, free weight exercises that recruit large muscle mass and have a need for great concentarion/coordination, so they are best done with smaller reps. Supplemetal exercises are simmilar to core, just are easier to do for larger reps. Supplemental exercises may include some isolation/machine work, DBs, one-leg exercises etc. Structural/prehab exercises mainly target smaller and usually not well developed muscles, but they can include some larger one in various movement patterns.
This is example of exercise pool for whole body workout
Core/main exercises
Squats
DL
Bench press
Standing press
Bent over rows
Rows
Lat work
…
Supplemental/auxilary exercises
Curls
Pec flys
Triceps extention
Lunges
Step-up
Bulgarian squats
GHR
Reverse Hyper
…
Structural/Prehab exercises
Rotator cuff work
Flys
DB dorsiflexion
Shrughs
Ab work
…
This is just for example, so be free to modify it! For split system, exercies pools can be created for every body part, so I will let you do this, because it takes a lot of time, but I think it is not so important to do it!
Example week
If you chose whole body work-out, the following template can be used:
Mon
Squat
Bench
Rows
Bulgarians
Biceps curls
Rotator cuff
Wed
DL
Press
Latt pull down
Step-up
Triceps extentions
DB dorsiflexion
Fri
Squat
Bench
Rows
Bulgarians
Biceps curls
Rotator cuff
You can also choose this split system
Chest and back
Bench press
Rows
Pecs flys
Lat machine
Rear flys
Rotator cuff
Biceps and triceps
Standing curls
Triceps ext.
Preacher curl
Triceps pulldown
Fist work
Shrugs
OFF
Quads, hams, calves
Front squats
DL
Lunges
RDL
Hip work
DB dorsiflexion
OFF
You can also integrate whole body with split system! What? Remember that we said that „truth is a matter of a degree“? Well, you can use core/main exercises for body part, but cover the rest of the body with supplemental exercise. Then you got both! Your choice…
Progression and long term goals
I believe that till now everything should be pretty clear. Microcycle/week structure (read exercises) are repeated during whole mesocycle without changes. But, what after that...
For the athletes on FHP, I would suggest keeping core/main exercises SAME whole time, but every 1-3 mesocycles to change supplemental and prehab ones. Whole body should be worked out on each session. What the hell? Yes, they should be same, because abrupt changes in exercises and loads during a preparation or season (which is the worst case) can cause „adaptive stiffness“ as defined by Charlie Francis. Adaptive stiffnes is simmilar to DOMS but it also „drain“ C.A.R. (current adaptation reserve) neccesary for main training adaptation (sport practice), or in other words, athletes have left not enough of „adaptive energy“ to adapt to their sport practice which is detrimental. Also important to note is that DOMS is not a sign of muscle growth, but rather sign of tissue damage, which is NOT a prerequsite of muscle growth. Buffering and changes in supplemental exercises should provide enough variety for athletes, looking for performance improvements. Also, olys and other DE stuff should be done with within athlete training. In that situation, exercise pool should be changed. But on this topic in some other article. In mean time, I suggest looking into Tier system by Joe Kenn, which is one of the best system I saw for athletes (with little modifications). Try implementing mentioned buffering in it and you have yoursefl a comprehensive program!
Others, looking only to hypertrophy without any other important training can play much more with variations. Changes can be done every mesocycle, but I would keep the same micro structure because of easier load calculations etc. Here are couple of suggestions how to provide some variety ang growth:
-
Switch between whole body and split system. You can implement both approaches as described earlier. Also play with circle and stage types. Implement them both! For example you can do body part with core/main exercise in stage-like arrangement, but cover the rest of the body with ciruit type training with supplemental and prehab work.
-
Change core exercises every mesocycle, and supplemental every other, or vice versa
-
Play with rep schemes
-
Try doing DE with core exercises once in a while.
-
You can also include advanced methods, like:
* Agonist/antagonist supersets
* Post-fatigue supersets (compound + isolation)
*Pre-fatigue supersets (isolation + compund)
*8x3 method
*Tempo contrast
*1 ½’s
*Dynamic/isometric contast
*Cluster sets
*Complex (max + reps) -
You can also try to lift same weight one rep more each week. You can also try doing drop off, extended 5’s, back-off, but those methods are done till failure, so be reserved with this methods. The reason why I avoid doing sets to failure is because they are example of „diminishing returns“, thus they bring only small improvement comapred to sets with 1-2 reps in reserve, but impose greater risk of injury, strain, DOMS, „energy drain“, CNS fatigue and fatigue in general and overburning!
-
„Everything is done only the volume varies“. This does not mean that everything should be done at each training, but rather in one microcycle. So, be free to create one day just with core/main exercises, one day with supplemental work and one with prehab movements for recovery and injury prevention. This depends on your ability to recover
-
Vary the number of exercises per exercise group (core/main, suppl, prehab) in each workout. You can start with 3, and after some time done only 1 exercise for exercise group…
In the ending…
The purpose of this article is not to really present „written in stone“ program, but rather to „free your mind“, thus creating critical thinking and opend mind approach. It is a pattern which you can use with gross modifications, and you can implement/change other methods/programs into it using fuzzy logic and CSS. Look at it as a introduction to fuzzy logic and CSS and their usage in strength training/bodybuilding!
I hope you liked the article, and learned that things are not „black and white“ in training! The most important, I hope that I stimulated you to think criticaly and to develop your own methods. As Charlie Francis stated: „There is a lot of ways to skin a cat!“.
but you are right… Here is a part from Fuzzy Logic toolbox manual from MATLAB HELP