Mike Israetel volume reccomendations

[cal]

I've gone back and forth between failure and RIR training. First learned about RIR back around 09 from a guy on Getbig under the handle JPM. It wasn't called RIR then. It was just stopping a few reps shy of failure. I find both methods - failure and RIR - to be effective. But I will say that "failure" has some downsides/negatives. (1) My strength, motivation, energy, and enjoyment of the gym all go down. With RIR training I am much stronger, happier, more motivated, etc. (2) It's impossible to reach true failure, which makes "failure" training more relative than absolute, and your less likely to have consistency. (3) Failure training can be riskier for injury. (4) Failure training burns less calories.

I think at some point one cant get any more intense and the only thing one can do is to add volume. No matter how intense a set one still has enough strength to do additional sets, unless the first set was a 20 rep squat with drop sets etc. which is too extreme and far too much CNS at the expense of any volume.

 

[cal]

What's with all the science guys offering "courses" and " curriculum" is this the new fad?

Marketing as Alfresco said,

Branding and marketing are more important in todays age than actual substance it seems.

 

[cal]

If someone dedicates a decade of studying to something, writes a 30 page thesis, then has to orally defend it against their peers….they can be called DR strange if they want to.

You seem way too triggered. Do you have a "doctorate" in gender studies or other useless nonsense or something.

 

[cal]

Paul Carter is a bitch. Fucking hate that guy lol. You don't treat people the way he does. Then on top of everything he occasionally acts like a philosopher, expert on romance, Christian, huge on compassion etc. It's just too much lol.

I once made a totally innocuous comment on his page and called me an idiot. When I still responded politely he made a total ad hominem dissing my appearance. It's irritating because you can't respond in kind, he'll just block you lol.

He acts like a total gentleman on his podcast and youtube interviews. totaly different than his IG.

 

[Alzadosghost]

I'm not into the whole RIR, and while he's not the greatest bodybuilder, Mike looks a lot better than the pic you chose to post

https://imgur.com/REA4n7N

Michael Israetel on Instagram: "30s posing routine from this AM. Next up is the night show! @rpstrength @teamfullrom @jared_feather @charlton_banks @trifecta @teamevilgsp @joe_physiquecollective @bisandtris @bodybuilderswithoutborders @sule

Michael Israetel shared a post on Instagram: "30s posing routine from this AM. Next up is the night show! @rpstrength @teamfullrom @jared_feather @charlton_banks @trifecta @teamevilgsp @joe_physiquecollective @bisandtris @bodybuilderswithoutborders @suleose". Follow their account to...

www.instagram.com

Lol

 

[cal]

A#50 hit the nail on the head here. Iv trained a thousand different ways and they all work it just depends how much heart you put into it and you have to really believe in what your doing. Patience and perseverance goes a lot further than someone else’s opinions.

Long term dont think it matters too much genetics, diet and drugs is what matters so long as go in regularly and work the muscle. Seen enough ppl do it "wrong" in the gym...

 

[cal]

I'm not into the whole RIR, and while he's not the greatest bodybuilder, Mike looks a lot better than the pic you chose to post

https://imgur.com/REA4n7N

Michael Israetel on Instagram: "30s posing routine from this AM. Next up is the night show! @rpstrength @teamfullrom @jared_feather @charlton_banks @trifecta @teamevilgsp @joe_physiquecollective @bisandtris @bodybuilderswithoutborders @sule

Michael Israetel shared a post on Instagram: "30s posing routine from this AM. Next up is the night show! @rpstrength @teamfullrom @jared_feather @charlton_banks @trifecta @teamevilgsp @joe_physiquecollective @bisandtris @bodybuilderswithoutborders @suleose". Follow their account to...

www.instagram.com

Actually looks alot better than I thought from his gym pics. Another 6 weeks of dieting and he would have looked pretty good.

 

[cal]

Obviously he looks like he lifts he just doesnt have good bb genetics

Very odd structure.

I haven't a clue who they are but I just googled it. Obviously you can be extremely knowledgeable and not look the part. Although I find guys ridiculous who talk in depth about weightlifting, strength and bodybuilding and they don't even lift huge weights or look good. If you can't even do the basics why even preach to others. Until you have been there and done it what is the point. Plus guys can look really bad but if they train hard and are on their bodybuilding journey and have made good progress I respect that a lot. I follow snooker and could talk about it but I would never tell people how to play snooker because I am shit at it and I never play it.

Another example are when guys talk about certain drugs like they are experts. You could be an expert about a drug on paper because you have read the literature and user reviews but until you actually take it yourself you will never fully understand that drug. Prime examples of this are DNP and Insulin. It annoys me when you get people acting like experts on both who have never even tried them. Just the same as a scientist going on about hypertrophy who doesn't even lift weights or bodybuild. That was just a general statement and not about Mike Israetel because he actually looks the part and trains. I don't know anything else about him though so can't comment on him specifically.

Greg Nuckols is one of the hosts of stronger by science. He is very strong and has more pl genetics but he doesnt appear to even try to follow his own diet advice.
Israetel does live the bbing lifestyle etc. Just think he overcomplicates things and makes it sound like hes a astrophysicist and has a basically made up degree, Its not in exercise science/physiology, I think he called is "sports science". His wife is an actual MD so who knows maybe he feels the need to keep up with her or something. I also get he needs to make a living, and its not like hes a snakeoil salesman. He also doesnt pretend hes natural or anything either.

 

[alfresco]

I think at some point one cant get any more intense and the only thing one can do is to add volume. No matter how intense a set one still has enough strength to do additional sets, unless the first set was a 20 rep squat with drop sets etc. which is too extreme and far too much CNS at the expense of any volume.

I would say when you can’t get anymore intense the only thing one can do (should do . . . too strong a word?) is to reduce volume.

Guess that is why I am a buck fifty soaking wet.

 

[FK86]

Oddly enough on interviews with very newbie fitness chanenls hes very polite and gracious but on his IG hes always rude unless someone totally kisses his ass.

I don't find anything odd about that. He puts on a fake persona to gather a bigger following and generate more revenue. In fact, you just revealed that it makes him even worse. On one platform he's pretending to be someone he's not, and on the other he's a fake tough guy know-it-all. The latter of which is more prevalent. And like @KillerStack said, it's cringe city when he thinks he's an expert on relationships and everything else. Total goof.

 

[jeroendebleser]

Paul Carter is a bitch. Fucking hate that guy lol. You don't treat people the way he does. Then on top of everything he occasionally acts like a philosopher, expert on romance, Christian, huge on compassion etc. It's just too much lol.

I once made a totally innocuous comment on his page and called me an idiot. When I still responded politely he made a total ad hominem dissing my appearance. It's irritating because you can't respond in kind, he'll just block you lol.

I've said it before on here but he's indeed really a grade A asshole. Fits right in with the rest of T-Nation.

 

[astrosfan123]

lol im really enjoying the paul carter bashing. I always wonder how people like that are in home life. I know he was engaged to some super young girl recently but he doesn't post stuff with her anymore. Maybe its over. Based on the way he treats people online maybe it carries over to real life ha.

 

[pickapeck]

So what works for Branch, works for everyone?

Yes, if you want to tear every muscle twice that will work.

 

[5Noles]

I think both work. But i think if people have any goals of getting stronger and progressing weights, then RIR is not the way to go.

We've seen guys get huge from 8 total work sets and guys get huge from 25 total work sets. I think everyone probably responds a bit differently.
I just know that when i was doing higher volume, not pushing failure and not writing down my weights (notes about progress), i basically stayed the same size for years on end. The moment i dialed up intensity and focused one moving the weights up and progressively getting stronger, i grew.

I know JM and Dr Scott have talked about how possibly switching things up once in awhile would also be beneficial. A low volume approach for some months then move to something higher. I know lots of guys who went from DC to Mountaindog programs and back and forth who had amazing progress.

I switched over to John meadows workouts about 15 months ago and have been experiencing great progress.

I rotate between high volume “odin force” and low volume “colossus”.

1) After a warm up exercise to start the workout, every exercise is taken to failure. With the occasional exception of an exercise not taken to failure for injury prevention (lower back).
2) Meadows gives the science behind the rebound growth experienced following a shift from high volume to lower volume. My experience has been that I get explosive strength development (growth) following the switch from high volume to low volume.

 

[Ruhlfreak55]

I find a lot of these responses funny.
I personally watch essentially every video Dr. Mike puts out, and very much enjoy the information and the depth to which it's presented. Most of the time all he's doing is giving you empirical FACTS about what peer reviewed research with controls has shown. He doesn't have an agenda whatsoever. And all the 'it worked for Kevin Levrone (insert any pro bodybuilder), it must work for everyone" is bull and you all know it. Those guys have the top .001% of genetics, and they would look like freaks if they trained in the least effective way possible. Some of us recognize that we are NOT genetic freaks, and that we better figure out what is the most efficient and effective or we'll never get anywhere.

 

[juggy38]

You seem way too triggered. Do you have a "doctorate" in gender studies or other useless nonsense or something.

No, not yet.

Not triggered, just kinda a fucking dumb comment, is a PHD in sports physiology a stupid degree if you want to be a coach of some sort? I am just not following your thought process

 

[Golden]

Possibly me just me being daft but I read X RIR and haven’t a clue how they can accurately work out exactly how many reps are left. Failure is a known quantity, you hit it and can’t do more

 

[pesty4077]

Mike Israetel on TikTok

Let’s settle the protein debate. Share with your friends!! #rpstrength #proteinintake #diettip

vm.tiktok.com

 

[MR. BMJ]

This is really simple guys. If you follow it, like it, and it works, then by all means, stick with it. I personally do not like his training method, as i like more of a DC style set-up with a few variations as i've got older. I disagree with Mike on some certain issues, and I think he needs to call out his own group of friends when they are incorrect, but he is not a dumb guy. Likeability is so subjective, people like different people. I follow guys to learn, though there are some limits I guess to sitting there and hearing their voices and rants. I like Lyle, he can be a prick and come off wrong to people, but I listen to him because the guy is almost always right on many issues. I like science-based approaches that aren't overcomplicated, and then working them in with what works best for me. I would probably get along with 95% of these guys in person...okay, maybe 80%, lol. We need both science-based guys and 'bros' in my opinion.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

And all the 'it worked for Kevin Levrone (insert any pro bodybuilder), it must work for everyone" is bull and you all know it. Those guys have the top .001% of genetics, and they would look like freaks if they trained in the least effective way possible. Some of us recognize that we are NOT genetic freaks, and that we better figure out what is the most efficient and effective or we'll never get anywhere.

Where, in the past 4 pages, have you read anyone say "well it worked for Levrone and _______" ???
Everyone here has basically said, EVERYTHING WORKS.

Mike looks terrible and the vast majority of his audience are not bodybuilders, they are newbie if not very intermediate lifters juuust getting into lifting.
They often dont know intensity (being they are very new to lifting) and therefore RIR works best because they have no idea how to "train hard."
Listening to him debate Jordan Peters was terrible. I also dont know a single person who he helped thats worth a damn.