Hypertrophy Protocol

RB34 sent me this via PM, but his PM mailbox is full and won’t accept my reply, so I thought I would reply here. It’s not particularly private in nature, and I thought it might make for a in interesting discussion. I hope he doesn’t mind.

It looks like a derivative of Louie Simmons’ dynamic days. I don’t really worry about bar speed much, but it seems like a reasonable progression. However, if this is being done as a supplement to speed training one potential drawback I can see is trying to maintain a precise training prescription in the face of fluctuating energy reserves after speed training from workout to workout.

Has nothing to do with dynamic work, research Ethan Reeves.

My bad Flash, looking at the old powerpoints Coach Reeves does ref the density method to the dynamic method:

Density Method (Dynamic Effort)

Use your 1RM to determine the intensities for the quality you want to develop.
Power and High Power Range-70-80% 1RM Range

Use rep maxes/percentage to determine total reps.
80 % is 8RM- two times 8RM is 16 reps total volume for Primary Lifts and only 12 reps total for Secondary Lifts
80% is High Power-Strength Range
Example:
Power Clean - warm-up 4x2, 80%/8x2 (308 1RM)
warm-up-154/2, 176/2, 198/2, 220/2, top wt. 247 lbs./8x2
New set “starts” should be somewhere between 60 to 90 seconds.

Whats the theory for this being a hypertrophy protocol?

I’m not familiar with Ethan Reeves. I’ll have to look him up.

One thing about the approach that I do like is that the focus is more on total reps per workout at a given weight rather than reps per set. So you can accumulate volume without the stress of approaching failure during sets. This is not too dissimilar to Doug Hepburn’s approach.

I have used a broadly similar approach for some exercises like deadlifts that don’t lend themselves to higher rep training due to form breakdown. For example, even at relatively lower percentages I have trouble maintaining proper deadlift form for more than 4 reps. So I usually keep the reps in the 3-4 range and simply do more sets with shorts rest intervals.

Not sure what you are asking? After all it’s total volume, doesn’t matter if you are doing 3x10 or 10x3 with 30 sec rest - you will still achieve the same goal in a specific manner. Try doing 8x4x60% with 20-30sec rest-it’s very hard and feel very similar to 3-4x10.

Having tried something similar to this protocol, I would recommend Myo-reps over this approach every single time.801-22

So in essence this is like a split run but with weights?

Why??? 801-22???

Great example!! Yes you are correct. You can also go:

Rest 60-90sec.
4x8
5x7
6x6
7x5
etc
etc

So would you say bar speed is more important than the load on it, for the sprinter?.

I don’t agree with this view. Things happen, within a set, as you reach 6-10 reps, especially as you approach failure. Using too light of weight or doing less than 5 reps is not effecient for hypertrophy. Total volume is important, but more important is keeping the rep range in the 8-10 per set range and the load high enough to make the last couple of reps fairly taxing. Rest should be 60-90secs to allow enough recovery to push the loads next set.

Using 8x4 @ 60% with 20-30secs rest may work as a form of density training and can improve workout capacity, and with more rest, this setup could work well for explosive power, but this will not work very well for hypertrophy.

My recommendations would be…

3-5 sets x 8-10 reps with 60-90secs rest at loads that have you approaching failure in the last few reps of the last set or two.

Edit: As far as bar speed, for hypertrophy use a slow eccentric and a fast concentric. Explosive bar speed does not necessarily improve hypertrophy. For power, use lighter loads, fewer reps, and explosive speeds, but hypertrophy does not mix well with power training. Max strength can work with either hypertrophy or power, but using one exercise for hypertrophy and power, especially simultaneously (working both in the same set) is pretty much impossible.

For hypertrophy using the Myo-rep protocol, you would be doing either a 5-6RM to near failure (4-5 reps) or a moderate load (70-80%RM) to near failure (8-10 reps). Is this your understanding?

TUT purely for hypertrophy purposes is important, yes. I would probably prefer a ‘split’ routine though for a sprinter for reasons Flash mentions in his first post (e.g., after track work, etc), since regulation is rather easier.

Next Mr. Olympia?. :rolleyes:

You guys trying to slow me down.

Take a walk.

i cant find it now, but i remember a picture of bolt shirtless on a gatordae ad. his chest seemed relatiely undeveloped compared to his thighs and shoulders

Reading the discussion seems that there are two main lines of thought about hypertrophy: one stating that it is a matter of volume, another that it is a matter of both volume and lactic acid build-up. Does anyone knows the theory behind them?
Besides it would be useful to know how weightlifters build their considerable muscle mass, since their sport requires a lot of speed in conjunction with strenght, so they must devolp a functional, not a cosmetic, hypertrophy.

You need both intra-muscular tension (depending on intensity and type of contraction) and TUT (depending on reps and lifting tempo). The physiological stress caused by these two variables will result in muscle damage and eventually in protein synthesis, causing hypertrophy. Within certain limits both variables increase LA, which leads to the release of HGH. Core exercises seem to cause a greater T production.

Ask this man.

//youtu.be/v1K5GKMd9HU

or go here; http://www.bodybuilding.com/

Anyone got any money on big Ron for the London games?.