September Q and A
SideSteel
Posts: 11,068 Member
Aaaand Go!
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I started lifting as a powerlifter, but lately between age and injury-prevention I have taken more of a bodybuilding regime (10+ reps). A set of 15 where you're struggling to get those last 2-3 reps is a whole lot different pain than a set of 3-5.0
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I'm thinking of getting a foam roller...are they all the same or are some better than others? Is there anything in particular I need to look for to get a good quality or highly functional foam roller or certain brands that are better than others?0
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What lifting routine would you recommend to someone who only has Monday-Friday available? I can't workout on weekends any more due to needing to spend time with my kid & shuttle her to her activities.
I'm not totally new to lifting: I've done SL 5x5 & PHUL. Cardio is walking or 20-30 minute body weight routines (Fitstar).
I'm 47 & 119 lbs , 5'2", trying to get leaner but also stronger. My profile pic was from May, when I was probably under 20% body fat. Hydrostatic test had me at 20% in March. I'm probably around 21-22% now (stupid vacation!).
I liked PHUL and looked my best while doing that program. But, with rest days the timing doesn't work out for me. And, I started to have some tendon/muscle pain in my arms from isolation arm work. Currently, I am doing SL 5x5 again.
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Is there a question in here?
Ok, here's a question for ya. My current regimen has me lifting parts four days a week, 45 minute sessions. Longer or more frequent workouts aren't in the cards, but I can typically get in 6-7 exercises per workout in that time.
Given my current fitness goals of injury prevention, general bodybuilding and specifically a bigger chest, I understand switching to doing upper/lower power/hypertrophy days would be recommended. However, in my experience these routines easily break the 45-minute barrier, or else you're limited to 1-2 exercises per body part, vs my 6-7 currently.
So, long question summed up, is it possible to fit an entire upper/lower routine into four 45-minute workouts and make it worth while? Seems to me doing 6-7 chest exercises is better than 1-2 chest exercises twice per week for a total of 2-4. (Incidentally my legs are already my strongest/most muscular part of my body, as evidenced by my squat & leg press numbers compared to everything else.)0 -
What are your thoughts on the recent McMaster University study that found that high reps and low reps are essentially equal in terms of strength and mass gains as long as muscular fatigue/failure is produced? And depending on those thoughts, how would you go about training a 45+ person with regard to joint/tendon/general injury prevention and recovery when the major goal was fat loss with lean mass retention?
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If you have no powerlifting competition goals, how important is it to bench press with good form? i.e. if I just lie on a bench and move the bar to my chest and back up, am I risking injury? Or simply not lifting as much as I would be capable of if I arched my back and used leg drive, etc.
Would it affect hypertrophy at all? Presumably I have a greater range of motion without an arched back?0 -
What are your thoughts on the recent McMaster University study that found that high reps and low reps are essentially equal in terms of strength and mass gains as long as muscular fatigue/failure is produced? And depending on those thoughts, how would you go about training a 45+ person with regard to joint/tendon/general injury prevention and recovery when the major goal was fat loss with lean mass retention?
I thought the study showed that mass gains were equal, but 1RM was higher with low rep high weight vs high reps low weight.
Not patrick, but I have to deal with tendinitis and have had sciatica issues. I found I had to play with the equation a bit. 5x5 programs and extreme volume (GVT/Body pump) do not work well for me. So instead, I have to do 6-12x3-4. Apparently, the decrease in low per set has allowed met to keep lifting. I would also recommend a lot of stretching and if you are injured a good physio.0 -
What are your thoughts on the recent McMaster University study that found that high reps and low reps are essentially equal in terms of strength and mass gains as long as muscular fatigue/failure is produced? And depending on those thoughts, how would you go about training a 45+ person with regard to joint/tendon/general injury prevention and recovery when the major goal was fat loss with lean mass retention?
I thought the study showed that mass gains were equal, but 1RM was higher with low rep high weight vs high reps low weight.
Not patrick, but I have to deal with tendinitis and have had sciatica issues. I found I had to play with the equation a bit. 5x5 programs and extreme volume (GVT/Body pump) do not work well for me. So instead, I have to do 6-12x3-4. Apparently, the decrease in low per set has allowed met to keep lifting. I would also recommend a lot of stretching and if you are injured a good physio.
Re Bolded: You're right...reading/understanding fail on my part. This was a daunting read for a scrublord like me
http://jap.physiology.org/content/jap/121/1/129.full.pdf
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Great questions!
I'll reply tonight hopefully
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tcunbeliever wrote: »I'm thinking of getting a foam roller...are they all the same or are some better than others? Is there anything in particular I need to look for to get a good quality or highly functional foam roller or certain brands that are better than others?
Foam rollers do differ. There are different densities in the foam they use, which will affect longevity and are intended for different use. There are also more "advanced version" (i.e., the ruble roller - see below). The rumble roller will tear you up.
What are you intending to use it for? Do you want one that could support exercise (e.g., planks/sphinx) or one just for myofascial release (message)?0 -
What are your thoughts on the recent McMaster University study that found that high reps and low reps are essentially equal in terms of strength and mass gains as long as muscular fatigue/failure is produced? And depending on those thoughts, how would you go about training a 45+ person with regard to joint/tendon/general injury prevention and recovery when the major goal was fat loss with lean mass retention?
So first of all I think Stu Phillips does some really interesting research and I enjoy listening to the guy on podcasts and such.
Next, a good thing to consider is that higher repetition training taken to failure can be absolutely BRUTAL. Brad Schoenfeld has done at least 1 study comparing high and low rep training and in the high rep group he had several people vomiting during the actual training.
That's not me (at all) discounting the study, it's just that we need to keep in mind that we are talking about taking sets of 20-25 reps all the way to failure.
There's also some theoretical merit to the idea that as the load gets lighter, the importance of training closer to (or all the way to) failure may increase since lower load training doesn't recruit high threshold motor units until much later in the set.
I do think that high rep training likely has it's place, and I also think that (fortunately) we aren't limited to training with a given rep range, and so consequently I think training in a variety of rep ranges is a smart idea.
Finally, I would not be surprised if Brad Schoenfeld (or Alan) reviews this study soon and comments on it in detail. If that happens I'll try to repost here.
Now as it pertains to your question about programming if you have a pre-existing injury I would take that into consideration when I select loads, exercise type, and volume.
If you do not have pre-existing injuries I wouldn't let age be something that heavily dictates rep range unless it's preferential on your part. I have multiple clients between 45 and 60 (two compete in powerlifting) and the programming isn't that much different than how I'd prep a younger client -- the main difference is that older people may not have the same recovery capacity and I might go just slightly less aggressive on the heavy work especially if they tend to get achy joints/etc.
I've totally rambled here.
If I were programming for you I'd consider injury status first, preferences and goals, and I'd likely having you train in a variety of rep ranges and intensities taking those things into consideration. If the goal is to maintain muscle while losing fat and you're not as interested in strength development then I'd probably have most of your training in an 8-12 rep range on mains and probably a bit higher on accessory types of movements.
Let me know if you have more questions though, because this answer was really all over the place, lol0 -
If you have no powerlifting competition goals, how important is it to bench press with good form? i.e. if I just lie on a bench and move the bar to my chest and back up, am I risking injury? Or simply not lifting as much as I would be capable of if I arched my back and used leg drive, etc.
Would it affect hypertrophy at all? Presumably I have a greater range of motion without an arched back?
Great question here. I'll give you my opinion and how I prefer to train people.
Your first question "how important is it to bench press with good form?"
It's important but I'd say there's a difference between safety considerations and performance considerations on the bench press. Hopefully I'll be able to elaborate on this successfully later in this post.
"If I just lie on a bench and move the bar to my chest and back up am I risking injury?"
So I'm stating the obvious here but of course anytime we step into the gym and lift weights we risk injury to some degree and so we are looking at relative risks in some sense.
I'm of the opinion that there are a few simple things you can do on the bench press that will make the bench slightly safer (I have no idea how much, honestly) and also make a decent impact on performance.
I think you should attempt to keep your feet firmly pressed into the floor.
I think you should keep your shoulderblades back and firmly pressed into the bench.
I think you should avoid excessively flaring the elbows at the bottom portion of the press.
I think you should keep your chest high with at least a little bit of an arch in your lower back.
I think your butt should stay on the bench.
Note: I'm not suggesting you try to arch to the moon and back. But I do think there are some great benefits to doing the above in terms of providing you much greater stability on the bench, and generally reducing stress on the shoulder at the bottom portion of the press.
to your original question "am I risking injury by just laying down and benching"
probably not, at least not by any substantial amount. But I'd still suggest the above.0 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »I'm thinking of getting a foam roller...are they all the same or are some better than others? Is there anything in particular I need to look for to get a good quality or highly functional foam roller or certain brands that are better than others?
Foam rollers do differ. There are different densities in the foam they use, which will affect longevity and are intended for different use. There are also more "advanced version" (i.e., the ruble roller - see below). The rumble roller will tear you up.
What are you intending to use it for? Do you want one that could support exercise (e.g., planks/sphinx) or one just for myofascial release (message)?
Looking for myofascial release - didn't even know they could be used for exercise.0 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »tcunbeliever wrote: »I'm thinking of getting a foam roller...are they all the same or are some better than others? Is there anything in particular I need to look for to get a good quality or highly functional foam roller or certain brands that are better than others?
Foam rollers do differ. There are different densities in the foam they use, which will affect longevity and are intended for different use. There are also more "advanced version" (i.e., the ruble roller - see below). The rumble roller will tear you up.
What are you intending to use it for? Do you want one that could support exercise (e.g., planks/sphinx) or one just for myofascial release (message)?
Looking for myofascial release - didn't even know they could be used for exercise.
http://www.foam-roller.com/
Foam rollers are fairly versatile. I tend to aim for high density, but I did start with a standard density. Some people, especially women tend to be less tight than many males, so standard to high will be more likely an ideal place to start as opposed to a light density.
If you can, see if you can try one out.0 -
What are your thoughts on the recent McMaster University study that found that high reps and low reps are essentially equal in terms of strength and mass gains as long as muscular fatigue/failure is produced? And depending on those thoughts, how would you go about training a 45+ person with regard to joint/tendon/general injury prevention and recovery when the major goal was fat loss with lean mass retention?
So first of all I think Stu Phillips does some really interesting research and I enjoy listening to the guy on podcasts and such.
Next, a good thing to consider is that higher repetition training taken to failure can be absolutely BRUTAL. Brad Schoenfeld has done at least 1 study comparing high and low rep training and in the high rep group he had several people vomiting during the actual training.
That's not me (at all) discounting the study, it's just that we need to keep in mind that we are talking about taking sets of 20-25 reps all the way to failure.
There's also some theoretical merit to the idea that as the load gets lighter, the importance of training closer to (or all the way to) failure may increase since lower load training doesn't recruit high threshold motor units until much later in the set.
I do think that high rep training likely has it's place, and I also think that (fortunately) we aren't limited to training with a given rep range, and so consequently I think training in a variety of rep ranges is a smart idea.
Finally, I would not be surprised if Brad Schoenfeld (or Alan) reviews this study soon and comments on it in detail. If that happens I'll try to repost here.
Now as it pertains to your question about programming if you have a pre-existing injury I would take that into consideration when I select loads, exercise type, and volume.
If you do not have pre-existing injuries I wouldn't let age be something that heavily dictates rep range unless it's preferential on your part. I have multiple clients between 45 and 60 (two compete in powerlifting) and the programming isn't that much different than how I'd prep a younger client -- the main difference is that older people may not have the same recovery capacity and I might go just slightly less aggressive on the heavy work especially if they tend to get achy joints/etc.
I've totally rambled here.
If I were programming for you I'd consider injury status first, preferences and goals, and I'd likely having you train in a variety of rep ranges and intensities taking those things into consideration. If the goal is to maintain muscle while losing fat and you're not as interested in strength development then I'd probably have most of your training in an 8-12 rep range on mains and probably a bit higher on accessory types of movements.
Let me know if you have more questions though, because this answer was really all over the place, lol
Thank you so much for the detailed answer, SS.0 -
What are your thoughts on the recent McMaster University study that found that high reps and low reps are essentially equal in terms of strength and mass gains as long as muscular fatigue/failure is produced? And depending on those thoughts, how would you go about training a 45+ person with regard to joint/tendon/general injury prevention and recovery when the major goal was fat loss with lean mass retention?
So first of all I think Stu Phillips does some really interesting research and I enjoy listening to the guy on podcasts and such.
Next, a good thing to consider is that higher repetition training taken to failure can be absolutely BRUTAL. Brad Schoenfeld has done at least 1 study comparing high and low rep training and in the high rep group he had several people vomiting during the actual training.
That's not me (at all) discounting the study, it's just that we need to keep in mind that we are talking about taking sets of 20-25 reps all the way to failure.
There's also some theoretical merit to the idea that as the load gets lighter, the importance of training closer to (or all the way to) failure may increase since lower load training doesn't recruit high threshold motor units until much later in the set.
I do think that high rep training likely has it's place, and I also think that (fortunately) we aren't limited to training with a given rep range, and so consequently I think training in a variety of rep ranges is a smart idea.
Finally, I would not be surprised if Brad Schoenfeld (or Alan) reviews this study soon and comments on it in detail. If that happens I'll try to repost here.
Now as it pertains to your question about programming if you have a pre-existing injury I would take that into consideration when I select loads, exercise type, and volume.
If you do not have pre-existing injuries I wouldn't let age be something that heavily dictates rep range unless it's preferential on your part. I have multiple clients between 45 and 60 (two compete in powerlifting) and the programming isn't that much different than how I'd prep a younger client -- the main difference is that older people may not have the same recovery capacity and I might go just slightly less aggressive on the heavy work especially if they tend to get achy joints/etc.
I've totally rambled here.
If I were programming for you I'd consider injury status first, preferences and goals, and I'd likely having you train in a variety of rep ranges and intensities taking those things into consideration. If the goal is to maintain muscle while losing fat and you're not as interested in strength development then I'd probably have most of your training in an 8-12 rep range on mains and probably a bit higher on accessory types of movements.
Let me know if you have more questions though, because this answer was really all over the place, lol
You really do
But we all enjoy it...0 -
So looking some opinions on a plan i am starting to implement as a secondary check that i covered all bases.
Stats - M, 34 yrs old, 5'11, 177 @ 16% bf (11 point caliper tested; each spot required 3 consistent readings to be accurate).
Its going to be a short terms aggressive cut; my maintenance is 3k, so i am aiming for around 2100 to 2200 calories. P - 150g, F - 70 to 80g, c - remainder. Following a 3 day hypertrophy style full body routine (actually in the process of testing a self designed program; i am doing this to ensure that it works for my wife who has POTS and I dont want her to be the guinea pig as it could have terrible consequences). It's an AB style workout (lower/upper) 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps (non weighted moves are 15 to 25). There are 3 rounds of compound moves (DL, OHP, Squat, Chest Press, lunge, row); one round of isolation (biceps and triceps); one round of 3 to 4 ab moves.
I am doing aggressive for compliance. I am finding a small deficit to be a bit pedantic and an occasional weekend is blowing that deficit away. Mainly cutting out added sugars, adding a lot of lean meats and veggies where possible.
On non lifting days its beachbody HIIT style workouts for cardio health and my active rest day is walking 18 holes and carrying my bag.
Thoughts or concerns?
Lemon1 -
Just wondering how on earth you have a mnx of 3k at BW 177, when my mnx is 2200 at BW 194.0
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Just wondering how on earth you have a mnx of 3k at BW 177, when my mnx is 2200 at BW 194.
Honestly, I always thought that was kind of normal based on what I see in the bulking section (most guys I see in there are around the 2600-3000 range for maintenance). In fact, this was my maintenance at 220 lbs and at my lowest of 170. It's possible that I am on the higher end of the std dev when it comes to metabolism and you are on the lower end. I have a desk job, lift for about an hour 3 days, roughly 2 hours of HIIT and 1hr of yoga/flexibility.
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Question... do you include your expected exercise activity into your weekly total then just divide everything out evenly so you eat the same each day? Or is the 3k your smallest amount consumed, and you eat more on days you exercise?
I've always associated maintenance food intake as BMR, the bare amount needed to stay alive while lounging on the couch breathing.0 -
Maintenance intake is the calorie intake required to maintain bodyweight.0
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I eat higher on lifting days than non-lifting days, but I guess if I were to take my lifting-day bonus calories and spread them across all days equally, I'd still not get close to 3k to maintain. More like 2500 tops before I start gaining weight. Historical observation, not empirical calculation.0
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Question... do you include your expected exercise activity into your weekly total then just divide everything out evenly so you eat the same each day? Or is the 3k your smallest amount consumed, and you eat more on days you exercise?
I've always associated maintenance food intake as BMR, the bare amount needed to stay alive while lounging on the couch breathing.
That would be if you slept all day actually - little brain activity.
Even the old Harris study of 1.2 x BMR for sedentary has been replaced with better studies showing 1.25 at least.
And thats with below 4K walking steps about. Very minor - though I hit below that on my big sedentary days.0 -
I eat higher on lifting days than non-lifting days, but I guess if I were to take my lifting-day bonus calories and spread them across all days equally, I'd still not get close to 3k to maintain. More like 2500 tops before I start gaining weight. Historical observation, not empirical calculation.
So whats your average weekly intake and how much are you losing at that intake?0 -
@psulemon
No immediate concerns with your setup provided that you're adequately recovering. I think it's debatable whether or not protein is sufficient but you're not likely far off.
I'm a bit confused though, you said it's 3/week upper/lower but the way you lay things out afterwards it sounds like full body?
I think you may benefit by 2/week frequency with each body part, or higher.0 -
I am finding myself in a pretty big forward lean on my squats (front & back). Suggestions on how to get more upright?
I feel like I look like this first pic:
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@psulemon
No immediate concerns with your setup provided that you're adequately recovering. I think it's debatable whether or not protein is sufficient but you're not likely far off.
I'm a bit confused though, you said it's 3/week upper/lower but the way you lay things out afterwards it sounds like full body?
I think you may benefit by 2/week frequency with each body part, or higher.
Sorry if it was a bit unclear. It is a full body routine. The rhythm of the routine is as follows:
A1 - Squat
B1 - OHP
A2 - DL
B2 - Chest Press
etc...
So you would do a set of A, then a set of B until you complete 3 full sets of each; 30 sec reps between each complete set.0 -
I am finding myself in a pretty big forward lean on my squats (front & back). Suggestions on how to get more upright?
I feel like I look like this first pic:
Depends on the cause and additionally it might not be problematic.
If you'd like a critique you can post a video in this thread.
Sometimes forward lean is totally fine depending on other conditions. Other times it's indicative of other problems1
