Mentzer,Genetic potential and Frequency

[HOTROCKS]

Hey Dad and the group
This is just a question with nothing else attached .
I really would like to know the answer
This is a off shoot of the thread ..
“I never see anyone post about work out routines.”
I didn’t want to continue to hijack that thread.
You Guys are very knowledgeable group I believe .

Originally Posted by Dad
Finally got people down to two sets every 10-14 days, telling them they'd reached their "genetic potential."

I don’t ever remember reading that , or hearing him talk about that on any of his vids.
(That doesn’t mean he didn’t ,I just don’t remember .)
I understood it a little differently when he talked about two sets every 10-14 days.
I was under the impression that he was saying that if you HAD reached your genetic potential (GP) that two sets every 10 – 14 days would be sufficient for continual maintenance.
If that isn’t true, then in an overview, what would be ?
Would a workout every 10-14 days be adequate for continual maintenance,
if you had truly reached your GP ?
I would think Yes !
Would it not be true that during that time a “de-conditioning” would take place which would help to continue some sort of positive results on down the road ?

But, what do I know

Thanks

 

[tkav1980]

if your goal is strictly maintainence in dont think that that set scheme would maintain for verry long. i dont know for sure but i would guess that eventually you would get used to it and need to progress in some area to maintain. look at the individual factor as well. if you take someone like me i have to go to extremes to gain and even maintain size then theres freaks like kevin levrone who can take 6-8 months off a year and destroy other guys on stage. i would tent to thing that any type of cookie cutter approach would need to be manipulated by the individual to achieve the desired approach. many trainers will do this with a client, give them a cookie cutter program and diet for the purpose of establishing a basline to work with. once you understand how the individual responds you can make the proper adjustments.

 

[Dad]

Rocks, the short answer is no - it would not be sufficient.

The reason is that muscles recover much faster than every 10-14 days - numerous studies have been done on this.

What doesn't recover as fast is the nervous system, and endocrine system. While I've not done much research in the medical literature, I can say from my expereince with HIT that this has always been the problem: How do yuo train intensely for the muscles, yet not abuse the CNS and endocrine system into overtraining?

THe only guy I know to solve this problem is Dante Truedel. Without giving away proprietary info, he uses periods of pushing all-out with periods of less intensity.

I think now, after all the mistakes I've made, that one must keep from getting overtrained by alternating periods of "pushing" with periods of much lower intensity - especially as we get older. The trick, of course, is in figuring out the "recipe" for this juggling act.

Just my short 2 cents based upon my expereince...

 

[HOTROCKS]

I guess I've been out of pocket doing my own thing too long .
Ok ! Fine .
I'll have to relearn a few things .
I still don't believe there is any magical potion .


Thanks for the replys

 

[Dad]

I agree that there's no magical potions, either.

I think at this point, like I said, that yuo have to train the muscles, but not beat on the CNS and endocrine system for too long.

Personally, I've found recently that I can push sets to failure and/or rest-pause about 50-65% of the time, but not more. THen I pull back from failure and "leave a few reps on the bar." My current strategy is to keep the weights up, but cut down the reps. Up until this week, I'd spent close to 2 months working up to triples on the bench, and 5 reps on the squat, adding just a bit of weight each time (I'm coming back to some heavier lifting after a long year of injury and illness in 2008), the other few exercise are rest-pause. For the next few weeks, I'll stop adding weight, and just do singles on the bench, and doubles on the squat, even though I can get more reps. And too, the assistance/extra work - delts, tris, back, hams, etc - will have lower reps than the 10+ with rest-pause.

We'll see if I'm as smart as all that as the year progresses, LOL!