could this be a way to test hit vs volume at same time?

[Arcus]

So I've been doing Yates like workouts along with DC the last couple years but never have volume a try since I was a teenager.

I was thinking about sticking to hit for my upper body and then on leg day go higher volume and after a few weeks or so assess whether volume is actually benefitting me or just overtraining me, and halting my progress..

I chose legs just because they are the part that is currently plateauing whereas the rest of my bodyparts are still progressing each week.

What do you guys think? Is this a safe way to dabble with higher volume without compromising much since its only being tried on a stagnating part, presently.

 

[Papa Van Smack]

I think making changes when progress has halted is always a good idea. My volume for legs is typically a bit higher than for upper body parts. 12 sets instead of 9. It might be just the change you're looking for.

 

[AJW91]

You can't test HIT and volume training at the same time. The reason why Arthur Jones, Dr. Darden, Mike Mentzer, Dorian Yates, etc. stuck to lower volume was because additional volume can stress your systemic recovery ability. So if you up the volume on legs, you'll still be stressing your systemic recovery ability more than normal.

A lot of HIT guys advocated using higher rep ranges on legs. So if you're keeping in the 8-12 rep range on legs, maybe you should try lowering the weight and working up to 15-20 reps. Arthur Jones advocated taking 80% of your 1RM and lifting that weight to failure, in order to make a 20% "inroad" to your starting muscle strength. So test your 1RM on your leg exercises, and then take 80% of that weight and see how many reps you can do. That way, you'll know what rep range to shoot for.

Also, when you plateau while doing HIT, you should try varying volume and intensity. Adding a few sets/exercises might do it for some, while subtracting a few might do it for others. You could also experiment with lower frequency of training. Adding forced reps and negatives can also boost your gains, or if you're already doing them, taking them out of your training can help you (if you're overtrained). Mike Mentzer also advocated rest-pause training. If you followed a rest-pause protocol for a few weeks, maybe you could make greater gains, and then you could return to your normal routine.

One thing Arthur Jones and Dr. Darden did to prevent stagnation was that they would have different "specialization routines." So every few months the bodybuilders training under them would completely change up their routines and focus on a different bodypart.

The thing about HIT is that it's not a template like 5x5 or some periodization routines. It's a lifting philosophy that focuses on intensity, low volume, form, and progression. So take these founding principles of HIT and devise a workout plan that works for YOU.

P.S. I'm pretty sure Dante would not be happy with you lumping DC Training together with HIT.

 

[Arcus]

Thanks for the tips. But it sounds like if I want to try higher volume then I need to switch all my training over to that approach.

And yes, I've read it myself that dante stated he didn't want to be lumped together with hit.. So I should've clarified better when saying I did Yates-like training (hit) and DC.. 2 different methods but only mentioned it as a reference point to show how I trained in the past.. Basically showing I never went real high volume.

You can't test HIT and volume training at the same time. The reason why Arthur Jones, Dr. Darden, Mike Mentzer, Dorian Yates, etc. stuck to lower volume was because additional volume can stress your systemic recovery ability. So if you up the volume on legs, you'll still be stressing your systemic recovery ability more than normal.

A lot of HIT guys advocated using higher rep ranges on legs. So if you're keeping in the 8-12 rep range on legs, maybe you should try lowering the weight and working up to 15-20 reps. Arthur Jones advocated taking 80% of your 1RM and lifting that weight to failure, in order to make a 20% "inroad" to your starting muscle strength. So test your 1RM on your leg exercises, and then take 80% of that weight and see how many reps you can do. That way, you'll know what rep range to shoot for.

Also, when you plateau while doing HIT, you should try varying volume and intensity. Adding a few sets/exercises might do it for some, while subtracting a few might do it for others. You could also experiment with lower frequency of training. Adding forced reps and negatives can also boost your gains, or if you're already doing them, taking them out of your training can help you (if you're overtrained). Mike Mentzer also advocated rest-pause training. If you followed a rest-pause protocol for a few weeks, maybe you could make greater gains, and then you could return to your normal routine.

One thing Arthur Jones and Dr. Darden did to prevent stagnation was that they would have different "specialization routines." So every few months the bodybuilders training under them would completely change up their routines and focus on a different bodypart.

The thing about HIT is that it's not a template like 5x5 or some periodization routines. It's a lifting philosophy that focuses on intensity, low volume, form, and progression. So take these founding principles of HIT and devise a workout plan that works for YOU.

P.S. I'm pretty sure Dante would not be happy with you lumping DC Training together with HIT.