Weight Gainers: Week 2

musclebuilder

BTW if you are trying to add weight to the bar each workout, going to absolute failure isn't always a good thing. I will try to leave 1 rep left. When you reach failure it puts a lot of stress on central nervous system so depending on the type and frequency of training it can hinder your recovery. And recovery is when you grow. This is the premise behind the workout program I am doing which is detailed here by Christian Thibaudeau. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete

I agree Cd..I pick and choose my spots to go to failure. Most lifts I stay a rep or so a way from failure. As my peak cycle of training starts nearing the end I will take more lifts to absolute failure because I have a recovery cycle coming. You can only go so many weeks at training to failure before your NS is cooked.

whyflysouth

Wow, makes a lot of sense now. I tend to always go to failure, then be sore for another two days and I got good progress for 6 weeks or so but then seemed to develop slight tendinitis in the arms, a persisting sinusitis and less energy than I used to have. These days I still go to the gym but follow that hyper/power routine you suggested and limit my sets to 3 per muscle group.

I still try to get to failure on the last set of each exercise but considering now it might be best to hold back.

musclebuilder

BTW if you are trying to add weight to the bar each workout, going to absolute failure isn't always a good thing. I will try to leave 1 rep left. When you reach failure it puts a lot of stress on central nervous system so depending on the type and frequency of training it can hinder your recovery. And recovery is when you grow. This is the premise behind the workout program I am doing which is detailed here by Christian Thibaudeau. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete

In that case, when is it ever good to lift to failure? I ask b/c up until now the lift to failure has always been the mantra (though I agree it delays recovery quite a bit)

You have to train in cycles, Recovery cycles, peak cycles..After a recovery cycle I begin increasing intensity each week until I am back up to my working weight. Once I reach that point I start training to failure on my heavy days. I usually can maintain a peak cycle for about 8 weeks. But that is me. Everybody is different.. On my higher rep days I will not train to failure until my peak cycle starts nearing the end. Because I have a recovery cycle coming after that so at that point I can leave it all out there. My higher rep days are more of a higher volume approach. Certain exercises on my higher rep WO's I may take to failure if I am working on a specific goal with that lift. But I balance it out so I am not bomarding my NS day after day. This way I can continue to make steady progress through my microcycle. I use some form or another of undulating non linear training. Varying training intensity and volume from day to day