posted Tue, 12/12/2023 - 11:25
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+ 2 1 Rep Max
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What’s going on everyone, last week of PCT for me however been getting stronger in some of my lifts! I messed around with some 1 RM bench and squats last week before my normal volume stuff.
What do you guys think? Should you train 1 RM if your goal is size? I was thinking maybe one week of my 4 week split to pick a core exercise like bench and do sets of 1 RM.
It’s definitely an ego boast haha
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TUT - Time under tension is the name of the game for bodybuilders. 1 rep max training does not provide the time under tension needed for hypertrophy. Here is the caveat with bodybuilders incorporating power lifting principles into their training though. TUMT - Time under Maximum tension) is what we are really after. The stronger you are obviously the greater weight you can use. That is why so many powerlifters transitioned into successful body builders. They could move some serious weight for the appropriate TUT. As a bodybuilder I would only recommend 10% max of your training be focused on powerlifting. I would also never recommend this 1RM crap. That is just an injury waiting to happen and a huge setback. 3 RM maybe but more a 5x5 approach if trying to boost strength for a change of pace. Then get back to your hypertrophy training.
There are several reasons why I have found Powerlifters transition into Bodyuilding - but I would say the main one is after years and years of chasing solely bigger numbers you get bored of just looking like a big guy in the mirror and not looking half as good as a bodybuilder does. Sure you get some Genetic freaks like Larry, Dan Green and Haack who do actually resemble BBers but they are in the minority. Often after pulling a Max I will feel like doing some accessory work and higher rep work - but you know as soon as you do that it will impact your strength and numbers next time. So the discipline becomes just working the exercise that you want to make stronger. The longer you lift big the more injuries build up over time too esp with age, so there is the longevity factor in going for higher reps in sets. Then also is the fact that the longer you lift the less likely you are going to hit new maxes because at the same time your body is aging, unless you peak later in life by using gear in later years.
It does kind of suck getting old and especially not experiencing those newbie gains anymore
Couldn't agree more matey, it's been on my mind a lot lately about how cool it would be to be reborn into our twenties again and getting another go at it all with the knowledge we all posess now. Its a bit of a mind fuck also as far as the 2 sports are concerned when you really think about it - because both rely heavily on age and health and its a very limited part of our lives where we are able to make the most of it. 20's to 30 are our the prime years, and if you don't cpapitalise on it all right there and then, then things you achieve afterwards into 30's will never be quite as good as they 'would' of been in your 20's Lol I guess its the same with any sport though with that period being your peak years. WIth the Internet being all too ever present now all you have to do is watch Youtube for 5 minutes and there is some 20 year old with the world at their feet achieving incredible things. Younger guys have it soo good now with all the training information online being accesssible with the click of a button, online trainers and coaches, Steroids on tap delivered to your door the next day etc the list is endless!
Thanks for the info guys. You know I will probably make a post separately for this but my PCT is totally finished and what’s odd is I feel like I lost my sex drive after the nova/Clomid routine. Any thoughts? Up until then I had no issues.
Not recovered??
Well I feel good holding on to most of what I gained had a sex drive all through the Nova Clomid cycle. Then poof the sex drive was gone. But I feel pretty good outside of that. Figured I might just need more time recovering.
I did start a new job with a new schedule and I have to get up at 4 AM everyday so it could just be that.
Great question. Honestly I feel the exact same way myself. I'm thinking it's from increased shbg caused by these weaker estrogens. Less testosterone is bioavailable
You going through PCT to then. Good luck man!!
O yeah everytime. Good luck
An old workout partner of mine just bench pressed 470 in the 181 division. But you can't tell by his looks due to low reps, he doesn't have much size. Problem is his joints are fked up and he stays injured. I've been fortunate though. Gotta be careful
If your goal is size then I would say no, don't concentrate on 1RM lifts but instead focus on 2 and 3 rep maxes. When I was lifting my biggest doubles that's when my chest was easily the biggest. You have to be going to failure to get this effect though, as in you are just getting back in the rack with nothing to spare - not still having a rep left in the tank so to speak. Singles are still great for developing strength as long as they are going up and not beginning to stall, otherwise they will start to hurt your joints. Singles are more about technique development and CNS priming, developing the ability to grind and stick with the rep etc. Pressing a single is only really putting the muscle under strain for a few seconds where as doing several will encourage a lot more glycogen loading and microtears/rebuilding of the muscle and thats where you get your size from.
Very IMPORTANT...One rep sets contribute more to strength than size. I know a few powerlifters that don't really have much muscle yet they are stronger than they look. If you're looking to get strong while putting on more size maybe experiment with 5 rep sets. Personally I've always preferred strength with size but alot of powerlifters prefer just strength with no added size. It's comes down to training. I can get into the long technicalities with you but I'm just keeping this simple.
Now I know a little something about this type of training. I've done this for quite awhile now. So this type of training will definitely stimulate fast twitch muscle fibers which are the explosive strength muscle fibers among total fibers. No need for me to get into the technicalities but to keep it simple yes you will get stronger but you risk injury if you aren't warmed up enough and or if you aren't use to lifting a one rep max. Personally if I were you I wouldn't perform a one rep max every week as we powerlifters don't even do that. Once every few weeks or even a month or so is most I'd do.
I’m not sure but I think I have really limited my strength by specifically training fast twitch too much. I could be wrong and just be genetically weak for my size but I’ve spent years training fairly light and doing lots of reps and sets, I’d go to failure but it would be failure at like 15-20 reps not 5 or 6. It worked for growing muscle but if I had trained differently I think I would’ve been much stronger with probably the same size or maybe even more size. Or like I said I’m just a genetic weakling lmao
Possibly. Yea it's just alot to it, I mean we're born with a certain percentage of fast to slow twitch fibers but specific training can alter those fiber type ratios to a certain degree and science can and has confirmed that. Again not gonna get all technical cause the shit can get confusing to some lol. A good example is Ronnie Coleman, now he started out as a powerlifter with explosive movements but eventually as a bodybuilder he was able to alter his ratio of fast to slow twitch muscle fibers. In fact he preferred reps of 12-15 when he was a bodybuilder and it blew him up, but remember he started as a fast twitch guy. Ronnie repped 225 for 72 reps on bench so I'd say he definitely had some power with some endurance but that was because of his change in training style. I can guarantee you alot of strong powerlifters cannot rep 225 over seventy times but they are very strong with one rep max.
I’d be willing to bet utilizing both Styles did him some good also
O yeah for sure!
I definitely think you should be doing 1 rep maxes even when going for size. Or at least coming close to it. I don’t really ever go for a one rep max just because I train alone in a private empty gym with very limited equipment and basically no safety stuff/ no safety bars, no rack or anything. But I still try and go real real heavy every once and a while to at least make sure I’m progressing and to see where I’m at. Also I find myself sometimes kind of training on auto pilot and not really going intense, so testing myself every once and a while is a good way to kind of keep that from happening
That's the right thing to do for sure. If no one is around going for a one rep max should definitely be avoided.
Personally I enjoy checking in with 1RM fairly often. Squats especially. Also find when dropping weight after that I can get more reps out, as it feels way lighter than working up to the same weight.
Exactly. The nervous system comes into play.