Intensifiers- taking a set beyond failure

[N.L....M.....]

Whatever my max is on the main lift I amrap my 55% of that…usually get about 50-60 reps..takes several minutes

All my sets are amreps lol.

 

[emeric delczeg]

What the mother of fuck, you were doing static holds with squats?! Jfc bro that sounds like something really bad waiting to happen. For me, static holds were for exercises where safety wasn't a huge issue, definitely not squats! I'm no kinesiologist, but it just seems like a really bad idea lol. I wouldn't really do them with too many multijoint exercises, but I admit to being almost a complete pussy

Correct, Squats are not the best for isometric, when you do isometric is the best to have 1 body part (muscle) under fool contraction, with squats you can`t, you have to many parts working at same time, glutes, hamstring, quadriceps, hips and lower back.

 

[qbkilla]

For my next meso cycle I am doing. bro split, chest, back, legs, arms, delts

I want to bring up arms, so after chest, back, and delts day I am adding some volume for arms

Example

Cable curls 1x20-30RP
Tricep Press 1x20-30 RP

I figured this would say me time vs adding in 2 sets for bi's and tries, add 1 RP set

Do you guys count a 20-30RP set as 1,2,or 3 sets typically when you equate volume? Any thoughts if this might be a bit much, to hav intensifiers for arms 3x per week, in addition to an actual arms day?

 

[Prada]

Drop sets seem to wreck my CNS more then anything

 

[Cerberus777]

I workout solo. I do rest-pause and partials.

 

[N.L....M.....]

For my next meso cycle I am doing. bro split, chest, back, legs, arms, delts

I want to bring up arms, so after chest, back, and delts day I am adding some volume for arms

Example

Cable curls 1x20-30RP
Tricep Press 1x20-30 RP

I figured this would say me time vs adding in 2 sets for bi's and tries, add 1 RP set

Do you guys count a 20-30RP set as 1,2,or 3 sets typically when you equate volume? Any thoughts if this might be a bit much, to hav intensifiers for arms 3x per week, in addition to an actual arms day?

I don’t pay attention to volume I just put everything into each exercise.
when I was doing DC I never thought x amount of volume. I just focused on each movement.
I also think meso cycles for bodybuilding are over complicating it. My goal is to always get stronger on each movement. My workout will not change, only my exercises when I fail to add weight or reps.
If I want to bring something up, I get the muscle stronger. I don’t worry about lagging body parts though, as I just continue to build everything and as they get stronger they will grow.
The biggest guys are strong as fuck

 

[heavyhitter]

All my sets are amreps lol.

Me too. Stopping before I’m completely spent has never seemed right to me

 

[N.L....M.....]

Me too. Stopping before I’m completely spent has never seemed right to me

That’s why I always messed myself up doing a Meadows program.

 

[heavyhitter]

That’s why I always messed myself up doing a Meadows program.

Yes! I love Meadows programs but it was very hard for me to do some of the pre pump sets and not just smash it as heavy and hard as I can

 

[maldorf]

What the mother of fuck, you were doing static holds with squats?! Jfc bro that sounds like something really bad waiting to happen. For me, static holds were for exercises where safety wasn't a huge issue, definitely not squats! I'm no kinesiologist, but it just seems like a really bad idea lol. I wouldn't really do them with too many multijoint exercises, but I admit to being almost a complete pussy

Certainly not something for a beginner. When I was squatting regular sets with about 455 I would do the sets were I would hold the weight at the bottom with about 315 lbs to 365 lbs tops.

I'd do the last rep with the hold and then be able to get 1 or 2 more regular reps. Sometimes I'd hold the weight 1/2 way down. You can pick any part of the motion. Holds were for about 5 seconds to 10 seconds.

 

[benchmstr]

All my sets are amreps lol.

When I’m building mass that’s what I do…when I’m building strength I only do it after the max is met…it’s still amrap on all accessories though

 

[totalrecomp]

Relevant to this discussion. He delves into the different effects of different types of reps and as always I learned new information.

Not sure why it won't post the damn link. This is the title:

MUSCLE ROUNDS, CLUSTER SETS, Muscle Minds Bodybuilding Podcast 77, Scott Stevenson, Scott McNally​

 

[qbkilla]

Has anyone did Widowmaker for parts other than quads? Is it performed the same as with quads where you take a weight you can get 10 with and force 20 ?

 

[Flex500]

The best thing I've done in this regard is to slow the reps and come to a dead stop. Not super slow reps....3-5 second negative (depending on the range of motion a hamstring curl for instance is probably 4-6 second), a full and complete stop with a purposely 100% NON momentum transition to the concentric and then a 2-4 concentric positive.

People think they go to failure but so much if it is just fiddle f&^*(*# around using momentum. Change your reps to more of the above and it will change your entire perception. And when it gets hard...really focus on keeping that cadence or going slower.

My only point is most people that think they are "going beyond failure", aren't. They just find ways to speed up the rep, use momentum, etc.

And this isn't some "pump" thing...Training at elitefts a lot of the guys train like this for non squat/bench/deadlift type of work.

 

[Cerberus777]

Has anyone did Widowmaker for parts other than quads? Is it performed the same as with quads where you take a weight you can get 10 with and force 20 ?

Yeah and no. I pick an exercise that has a good stretch. Hold the stretch for a 6 count. I can do 25 reps of something I'd fail at 15.

 

[Mountolympus]

An other interesting technique is mechanic drop sets , i see Justin Harris do these

 

[cal]

Doing static holds at the very bottom of a squat is brutal. Builds great strength. You can do static holds at the point of the motion where you think you are weakest. It will strengthen that part.

You can do it alone as long as you lower the weight significantly, and make sure you can do at least 8 reps with a hold.

pause squats are very popular and common in pl. however once someone gets used to it there isnt a dramatic difference between wha many can puase squat and regular squat. super long pauses generally not possible as one would likely pass out

 

[5Noles]

For my next meso cycle I am doing. bro split, chest, back, legs, arms, delts

I want to bring up arms, so after chest, back, and delts day I am adding some volume for arms

Example

Cable curls 1x20-30RP
Tricep Press 1x20-30 RP

I figured this would say me time vs adding in 2 sets for bi's and tries, add 1 RP set

Do you guys count a 20-30RP set as 1,2,or 3 sets typically when you equate volume? Any thoughts if this might be a bit much, to hav intensifiers for arms 3x per week, in addition to an actual arms day?

When I was doing a high volume routine “Odin Force” designed by John meadows, he does not count drop/ cluster sets. However, as the volume increases he decreases intensifiers.