pre-exhaust yay or nay?

[kidstuff]

I've been coming a lot across training systems that incorporate a lot of pre-exhaust into the routines.

mike mentzer's original HIT advocates this, so does dorian's training in his video (he uses pre-exhaust for all bodyparts except chest), and most recently i've read (the late) trevor smith's Beyond Failure Training, which is major endorsment for the pre-exhaust princple.

basically trevor explains that pre-exhuast lets you overcome your body's natural genetic disposition for the potential of different muscle groups.

to quote trevor

BEYOND FAILURE TRAINING�Demon Training�is that is cuts through all the genetic predisposition�s because it completely annihilates the muscle group worked and does not allow for any one group to over compensate for the other.
If you have over powering shoulders, they are going to do the bulk of the work every time you do a pressing movement for chest. Likewise if you have great triceps�they will get most of the work. The problem is when they give out during a set, you can no longer continue to give the stimulation necessary for the pecs to grow. This is where Arthur Jones comes in. One of the things Arthur was a big believer in was pre-exhaustion and it is also used extensively with Beyond Failure Training.

so, do you guys think that pre-exhaust is a good technique, i'm asking because i'm interested in it but reluctant to use it because it goes against my logical thinking, that your first excercise should be a compound excercise and you should strive to lift your heaviest to achieve the greatest amount of overload. but say, if i pre-exhaust chest with flys to failure and then go on to bench press, i'll probably be 50lbs weaker.

thoughts?

 

[Gavin Kane]

I personally do a modified version of pre-exhaust in my training. I do a major compound movement first such as bench. I then do flyes before finishing with incline db's. That way I hit a major compound movement first when I am fresh, then isolate and pre-exhaust the muscle before hitting another compound movement.

 

[kidstuff]

I personally do a modified version of pre-exhaust in my training. I do a major compound movement first such as bench. I then do flyes before finishing with incline db's. That way I hit a major compound movement first when I am fresh, then isolate and pre-exhaust the muscle before hitting another compound movement.

that sounds like a good idea. thanks

AP post your bulking diet from bolex on here so the PM bros can see what its like.

i remember when i first read it i was like

 

[healthfreak79]

Is this concidered per exhaust when you train chest sholder and tri

If you hit chest first your shoulder will be per exhausted same with tris from doing the pushing movements.

What do you think

 

[BrooklynBB]

Just a thought

I personally do a modified version of pre-exhaust in my training. I do a major compound movement first such as bench. I then do flyes before finishing with incline db's. That way I hit a major compound movement first when I am fresh, then isolate and pre-exhaust the muscle before hitting another compound movement.

I don't see how, if you're really pounding away at the bench, put any type of effort into the incline db's after doing flyes.

That's like doing Squats, then a leg extension, then a front squat. You'd be dead by the time you hit the front squat.

 

[manboy270]

I think you wear out cardiovascularly well before your muscles do. I used Heavy-Duty back in the day and wasn't overly impressed....

 

[ClintCarter]

I think you wear out cardiovascularly well before your muscles do. I used Heavy-Duty back in the day and wasn't overly impressed....

Wow.

 

[IronMike]

...

I've used pre-exhaust successfully in the past and will probably re-incorporate it again soon. To use it though you have to get over the mindset that you need to lift the most weight to get the most gains - you don't. You need to create the most effective stimulus/stress/adaptive response on the muscles.

Some guys just can't hack taking a plate a side off their bench when they've pre-exhausted with flyes. Similarly leg xtensions before squats - which incidentally is one of my faves. Wouldn't use it for everything, but if you find you're in a bit of a rut and your supporting muscles in compound movements are taking over or making life too easy for the primary muscle groups, give it a go in short stints to cause some damage again. IronMike

 

[Ashop]

You might as well and try it and see if it works for you. Training is about experimenting and finding out what works best individually.

 

[edge250]

something i really like to do with legs that is similar to a superset. 1 set of leg ext, rest, 1 set of compound then back to leg ext and repeat keeping the rest down around 1 minute between sets. adding weight to both each set

 

[Gavin Kane]

I don't see how, if you're really pounding away at the bench, put any type of effort into the incline db's after doing flyes.

That's like doing Squats, then a leg extension, then a front squat. You'd be dead by the time you hit the front squat.

Well, I am still putting up the 140lbs on incline db at the end of a workout and I am down to 230lbs, far from being competitive. This workout method helped me reach the national stage. May not work for you, or everyone here, but it worked for me.

 

[RazorCuts]

I have found no benefit in hypertrophy between using pre exhaust or straight sets compound followed by iso.
I can see legs if the lower back is fatigued easily and doing leg ext before squats.

Everyone needs to try for themselves though.

RC

 

[manboy270]

Wow.

??

 

[BrooklynBB]

Well, I am still putting up the 140lbs on incline db at the end of a workout and I am down to 230lbs, far from being competitive. This workout method helped me reach the national stage. May not work for you, or everyone here, but it worked for me.

That's awesome. Before you do the 140's for reps, what are you pushing up on the Bench and what are you pushing up on the flyes?