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I have been weight training for almost 30 years. I've tried just about every program, split and variation under the sun, and I've seen and practiced for a time

I have been weight training for almost 30 years. I've tried just about every program, split and variation under the sun, and I've seen and practiced for a time fads that have come and gone. In the last six months, I have changed things up. I now train with low volume per muscle group (on average, 4-6 sets per muscle group, reps per set between 6 and 12, pushing very hard, close to exercise, not muscle, failure, which means I stop when I cannot complete 1 or 2 additional reps with proper form). I do full body workouts, averaging 4 workouts a week (I also do jiu jitsu 2 or 3 times a week, and try to run 1-2 times a week). Almost all the exercises I do are machine-based, following the path opened by the late Arthur Jones (if you haven't read his biography, I recommend you at least skim it: it's wild, disorganized and fun). With this new protocol, I have seen excellent results in terms of strength and muscle growth, with less soreness than I expected. I also increased my protein intake throughout the day to (roughly, I don't use a scale) 1 g per lb of body weight. I find it quite easy to reach this amount by mixing protein powder with Greek yogurt: it is a protein bomb. I have also started taking magnesium glycinate, about 800-1000 mg per day. As for exercise research, scientists should start, and should have started 30 years ago, adding variance measures to their results. A 3% increase vs 1% when testing competing exercise protocols says nothing. I want to know the variance, because individual variability in response to any stimulus or insult is typically high.

moneywoes 4y ago
May I ask your split?
- borroka 4y ago
  Now I do full-body workouts, and all the workouts are very similar to each other. Monday, Wednesday (Friday, optional): run 5 miles at noon, jiu jitsu at night (I have a black belt, so my attendance is a bit less structured than in the past). Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (Sunday optional): gym time--all exercises: 2 sets, 6-10 reps, close to mechanical failure. Approx 3 minutes of rest between sets. Lower body: Hack Squat or Smith Machine squat, Romanian deadlifts (with dumbbells or at the Smith Machine), Glute machine, calf raises. Occasionally: donkey kick machine, abductor machine, leg curl. Upper body: convergent chest press (or incline press or weighed dips), cable fly, chest supported rows of some kind, cable pulls for lats, machine shoulder press, lateral raises with db, triceps push-downs, some type of biceps curls.
- borroka 4y ago
  Apparently for recovery, sleep quality, and soreness. I also take Zinc and Potassium and Boron.
n4r9 4y ago
How do you know whether your increased strength comes from the lower volume, as opposed to just the increase in protein and addition of magnesium supplements?
- borroka 4y ago
  It is difficult to say with certainty. I would say it is more about the intensity and longer rest periods than the lower volume. I had in the past periods of high P consumption, but I did not see this noticeable increase in strength and size. The increase in strength and size was noticeable before I started with the heavy magnesium supplementation.
y-c-o-m-b 4y ago
> when I cannot complete 1 or 2 additional reps with proper form Thanks for mentioning the last part. That "proper form" bit is waaaaaaaaaay overlooked and even the definition of "proper form" can be ambiguous. A lot of people - myself included on SO many embarrassing occasions - tend to cheat out of proper form. This resulted in injuries that have left me permanently unable to do some exercises. Like many others do, I got frustrated with lack of growth so I would try and push through extra reps or higher weights while neglecting what my body was telling me. I'd read threads like this and see somebody talk about how moving to lower rep ranges suddenly packed on way more muscle, so I'd change up my workout to do the same; except this compromised proper form which then lead to injuries due to the additional stress by heavier weights. Even after recovering from an injury, I would take caution for a few months, get frustrated, and repeat the cycle over again with more injuries. You talk about variance here and that's absolutely a topic that is not discussed enough. For example I'm a person with very low bone density. This makes heavier lifts even more dangerous when not done with proper form. Someone with good skeletal structure might cause mild injury where someone like me could end up with a permanent disability making the same mistakes. None of these articles or guides say that though. They treat all bodies like with a one-size fits all approach and it's very dangerous. These days I use a modified Bowflex Ultimate Machine (I've removed the rods and replaced with actual weights using additional pulleys), so everything is controlled by cables. This allows me to keep a somewhat better form due to the angle at which the movements are restricted. It's not as good as proper machine weights, but it's a good trade-off between free weights and machine weights. All my exercises are lighter weight and try to avoid exerting pressure on the spine or other joints. Every exercise is done SLOWLY with careful attention to how much pressure is being exerted on my muscles, tendons, etc. If I can't keep proper form, the weight is too high or I've gone to "failure". No cheat reps. The rep range is generally in the 10-15 area but varies depending on exercise and how much strain I feel during the movement. It's worked very well for me the last 5 years.
- borroka 4y ago
  "I'd read threads like this and see somebody talk about how moving to lower rep ranges suddenly packed on way more muscle, so I'd change up my workout to do the same" - Certain things need to be experienced with proper guidance and in the right environment. Unfortunately, many people on the nerdy side, myself included, think that you can transition seamlessly from reading or listening to applications, but this is not true; there is a large chunk of information that needs to be experienced or guided 1:1. "Train with the intensity expected of professionals" is different from "train with the intensity expected of professionals in the presence of professionals." "You talk about variance here and that's absolutely a topic that is not discussed enough" - Reflecting on variance, individual variability, and the distribution of events and outcomes is lacking in the "reasoning toolboxes" of the vast majority of people. It is remarkable how taking into account variance of responses or outcomes, individuality, and statistical/frequency distribution can improve thinking and reasoning about any kind of problem. I would say that the virulence of most conversations on sensitive topics could be softened if people thought not in terms of averages or anecdotes, but in terms of statistical distributions.
cmpaul 4y ago
What is the magnesium glycinate for?

moneywoes 4y ago

May I ask your split?

borroka 4y ago
Now I do full-body workouts, and all the workouts are very similar to each other. Monday, Wednesday (Friday, optional): run 5 miles at noon, jiu jitsu at night (I have a black belt, so my attendance is a bit less structured than in the past). Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (Sunday optional): gym time--all exercises: 2 sets, 6-10 reps, close to mechanical failure. Approx 3 minutes of rest between sets. Lower body: Hack Squat or Smith Machine squat, Romanian deadlifts (with dumbbells or at the Smith Machine), Glute machine, calf raises. Occasionally: donkey kick machine, abductor machine, leg curl. Upper body: convergent chest press (or incline press or weighed dips), cable fly, chest supported rows of some kind, cable pulls for lats, machine shoulder press, lateral raises with db, triceps push-downs, some type of biceps curls.
borroka 4y ago
Apparently for recovery, sleep quality, and soreness. I also take Zinc and Potassium and Boron.

n4r9 4y ago

How do you know whether your increased strength comes from the lower volume, as opposed to just the increase in protein and addition of magnesium supplements?

borroka 4y ago
It is difficult to say with certainty. I would say it is more about the intensity and longer rest periods than the lower volume. I had in the past periods of high P consumption, but I did not see this noticeable increase in strength and size. The increase in strength and size was noticeable before I started with the heavy magnesium supplementation.

y-c-o-m-b 4y ago

> when I cannot complete 1 or 2 additional reps with proper form Thanks for mentioning the last part. That "proper form" bit is waaaaaaaaaay overlooked and even the definition of "proper form" can be ambiguous. A lot of people - myself included on SO many embarrassing occasions - tend to cheat out of proper form. This resulted in injuries that have left me permanently unable to do some exercises. Like many others do, I got frustrated with lack of growth so I would try and push through extra reps or higher weights while neglecting what my body was telling me. I'd read threads like this and see somebody talk about how moving to lower rep ranges suddenly packed on way more muscle, so I'd change up my workout to do the same; except this compromised proper form which then lead to injuries due to the additional stress by heavier weights. Even after recovering from an injury, I would take caution for a few months, get frustrated, and repeat the cycle over again with more injuries. You talk about variance here and that's absolutely a topic that is not discussed enough. For example I'm a person with very low bone density. This makes heavier lifts even more dangerous when not done with proper form. Someone with good skeletal structure might cause mild injury where someone like me could end up with a permanent disability making the same mistakes. None of these articles or guides say that though. They treat all bodies like with a one-size fits all approach and it's very dangerous. These days I use a modified Bowflex Ultimate Machine (I've removed the rods and replaced with actual weights using additional pulleys), so everything is controlled by cables. This allows me to keep a somewhat better form due to the angle at which the movements are restricted. It's not as good as proper machine weights, but it's a good trade-off between free weights and machine weights. All my exercises are lighter weight and try to avoid exerting pressure on the spine or other joints. Every exercise is done SLOWLY with careful attention to how much pressure is being exerted on my muscles, tendons, etc. If I can't keep proper form, the weight is too high or I've gone to "failure". No cheat reps. The rep range is generally in the 10-15 area but varies depending on exercise and how much strain I feel during the movement. It's worked very well for me the last 5 years.

borroka 4y ago
"I'd read threads like this and see somebody talk about how moving to lower rep ranges suddenly packed on way more muscle, so I'd change up my workout to do the same" - Certain things need to be experienced with proper guidance and in the right environment. Unfortunately, many people on the nerdy side, myself included, think that you can transition seamlessly from reading or listening to applications, but this is not true; there is a large chunk of information that needs to be experienced or guided 1:1. "Train with the intensity expected of professionals" is different from "train with the intensity expected of professionals in the presence of professionals." "You talk about variance here and that's absolutely a topic that is not discussed enough" - Reflecting on variance, individual variability, and the distribution of events and outcomes is lacking in the "reasoning toolboxes" of the vast majority of people. It is remarkable how taking into account variance of responses or outcomes, individuality, and statistical/frequency distribution can improve thinking and reasoning about any kind of problem. I would say that the virulence of most conversations on sensitive topics could be softened if people thought not in terms of averages or anecdotes, but in terms of statistical distributions.

cmpaul 4y ago

What is the magnesium glycinate for?