Who here has ever attempted Milos training style?

[TheSteamboat]

I find it very interesting. And honestly I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone in real life who has attempted the style of training.

I feel in the recent years there’s been an emphasis on HIT style training. However I have been reading and watching a lot of training of people like Milos and Mike Van Wyck who focus a lot on the pump and sensation of training, focusing less on the weight and more on the feeling of the stimulus they are giving to the muscle.

I plan to start taking this approach myself, worry less about the weight on the bar and worry more about pumping blood to the muscle and taking that to failure with higher volume.

Just curious, has anyone ever taken this approach?

I’m sure things like insulin are also going to be brought up as well

 

[Sacario]

Idk their style but I only do 1 to 2 heavier sets (8-10) and the rest pump/rest push/drop sets per body part. I've gained 10# over the past year and a half this way. I'm mainly doing it because I've gotten older and I can tell the continuous heavy weights are taking a toll.

 

[Elvia1023]

I think many misunderstand Milos when it comes to training. Yes he does giant sets but he doesn't just do that. He incorporates different methods into his training and some of his athletes do more "regular" training as in straight sets and heavier loads as well as the giant sets. To answer your question it's an amazing approach but it's better when used in conjunction (or rotated) with more standardized training. The basics usually work best but his approach can be highly effective as long as you are able to do it properly. If you want to try just giant sets like he does go for it and see for yourself. It can be awkward to do in most gyms so it's best done when the gym is empty and you can essentially do what you want and you don't have to wait for any equipment.

 

[bbxtreme]

I find it very interesting. And honestly I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone in real life who has attempted the style of training.

I feel in the recent years there’s been an emphasis on HIT style training. However I have been reading and watching a lot of training of people like Milos and Mike Van Wyck who focus a lot on the pump and sensation of training, focusing less on the weight and more on the feeling of the stimulus they are giving to the muscle.

I plan to start taking this approach myself, worry less about the weight on the bar and worry more about pumping blood to the muscle and taking that to failure with higher volume.

Just curious, has anyone ever taken this approach?

I’m sure things like insulin are also going to be brought up as well

This is the second time this week this topic has come up. Lol

What @Elvia1023 said.

As someone who’s worked with him and done his program, I’ll say it again. He does not do giant sets every workout. Don’t worry I thought he did too before I worked with him. LOL

Just watch his video. This is how he structures his workouts:

 

[KillerStack]

I think it's a subpar training method by itself. Many say he's a master at off-season gains but I don't know if I'd agree based on his clients. Milos seems to equate a pump with growth while I think a pump by itseld hardly does/means anything. I also think the reps start looking sloppy after a couple of back to back sets.

But like Elvia says, I've seen Milos say he does HIT too. Like starting with a straight set of squats at limit weights. That's the HIT. Then he may do a couple of rounds of giant sets. Milos believes in doing "everything," HIT, volume, pumping, hitting as many angles as possible, different tempos, rest pause, pausing reps at different points and on and on. Just trying to confuse the muscle. I'm a nobody but I think that'sa pretty infantile view. I don't really quite agree with that we all have to find the right way to train for us, as if we were so different. We are all the same biologically, we all respond to stimuli approximately the same way, there is a red thread in all successful bodybuilding programs. Confuse, trick, cajole with weird ass training programs is not the way - to ME. JMHO.

JPs style and principles is probably the closest to a rational training method in my opinion.

 

[qbkilla]

Great thread, I've always been a low volume rest pause type guy. Don't try to look like a bodybuilder, but stay lean year round and look at good as possible at 185ish.

I recently started his style and love it. Feels like the pump stays with you, scale the same but Fuller look. I only do it for parts I want to look better aka arms delts, legs back chest I still train low volume.

Chest back
Legs
Off
Off
Arms
Delts

As people said above, on arms day and delts day I start with a heavy rest pause set. Then hit the giant sets. Usually 4 exercises for 4 rounds, so I guess you could say 16 sets. I used to never do more than 9 for bi, tri, side, rear, so quite a jump.

Lots of carbs around working out but I don't use liquid. A little slin 4 pre 5 post. Definitely feel like I look better and never overtrained, crazy pump.

Recently started throwing in some giant sets for arms or delts after legs on leg day, but not the heavy set first on these days

Last 2 workouts I stopped counting how many I do just keep training, almost by instinct. No set plan on the giant sets let's me really focus on the contractions and intensity.

Would love to hear more about this training. Seems somewhat similar to what they do at oxygen gym, where they just go in and destroy a body part but can't find much info online about what exactly they do.

 

[Necrias]

I have done all sorts of different training styles, and have competing in pretty much all the strength sports at a relatively high level (BB, PL, Strongman). What has always worked best for me was 10-15 working sets, with 2-3 of them being balls to the wall. As I get older (36), the rest aren't quite to failure.

 

[qbkilla]

I see on Milos video he will have them do like 6-8 exercises it seems, not 4 then repeated. Also I wonder if it's better for arms to incorporate bis and tris into the same giant set, like super setting them, or just knock out bis then Tris? I'm sure it won't make me look any different anyway but would be nice to do it just like the guy wants it executed lol.

TBH, I don't see much difference between giant sets then suoersets with short rest intervals, it's all pump training. I like it because you can get really creative with it even combine pre exhaust...say

Cable curls high rep
Pull down close grip to hit his
Barbell curl lower reps
21's
Hammer curls dropset

 

[bbxtreme]

I see on Milos video he will have them do like 6-8 exercises it seems, not 4 then repeated. Also I wonder if it's better for arms to incorporate bis and tris into the same giant set, like super setting them, or just knock out bis then Tris? I'm sure it won't make me look any different anyway but would be nice to do it just like the guy wants it executed lol.

TBH, I don't see much difference between giant sets then suoersets with short rest intervals, it's all pump training. I like it because you can get really creative with it even combine pre exhaust...say

Cable curls high rep
Pull down close grip to hit his
Barbell curl lower reps
21's
Hammer curls dropset

He always had me superset a bi with a tri movement on arm day.

You are correct, I never found it much different than supersets.

I prefer overload style training more all around, but will do things like supersets or an FST 7 set now at the end of workouts to drive blood volume. It’s all about the goal and if you’re using insulin, gear, etc IMO.

 

[Eguz22]

Superseries and triseries have been around for decades.

Milos increased the number of series and called it giant series.

Surely it is an ideal method for certain times, such as just after leaving a competition stage where you are weak and do not want to lift basic and heavy. That is, for a reverse diet, mix it with slin and high carbs and you can have good growth.

It is also a more useful method for older athletes than for young guys.

Then, there's the problem of needing all equipment for yourself, which makes the system uninteresting for someone who can't train at odd hours or who has a home gym but with limited equipment.

And for people who suffer psychologically from seeing their lift weights reduced (that is, people who not only want to look strong, but also want to feel strong), it is a system that will do everything possible to destroy them.

 

[qbkilla]

He always had me superset a bi with a tri movement on arm day.

You are correct, I never found it much different than supersets.

I prefer overload style training more all around, but will do things like supersets or an FST 7 set now at the end of workouts to drive blood volume. It’s all about the goal and if you’re using insulin, gear, etc IMO.

How would a giant set for arms look? 4 exercises, then s break, then repeat for 2-3 more rounds/circuits? Or would he have you do like 6-8 exercises in a row for less rounds?

I assume on shoulder day you would hit all 3 heads in a single giant set ?

 

[bbxtreme]

How would a giant set for arms look? 4 exercises, then s break, then repeat for 2-3 more rounds/circuits? Or would he have you do like 6-8 exercises in a row for less rounds?

I assume on shoulder day you would hit all 3 heads in a single giant set ?

Arms are a smaller body part. Milos sometimes had me doing them twice a week. But you would do 4 exercises, a break and then do about 3 more rounds.

Correct on shoulders. Just structure the exercises correctly and then do your circuits.

It’s very simple, but extremely effective for driving blood flow. I personally would only use them on re-feed or high days OR if you’re looking to maintain and dial in a certain weight or look as you’re not going to be adding much new size with it IMO.

It’s interesting because you see guys like John Meadow’s who incorporated similar styles at times within his programs- especially on arm days. So it’s effective done in the right places.

 

[Fa Seeshus]

There was a coach named Smoke in Baltimore whose contest prep training was based almost entirely on giant sets. It involved training a whole bunch of people at the same time and pretty much taking over sections of the gym. It really only worked if you did it in gym off hours. These giant sets were all using moves you had already gone heavy on in the off season, so you were just doing a fraction of that weight and using continuous tension on the reps.

 

[Deleted member 226465]

Probably miss quoting but roughly I think Justin Harris said it best “as long as you train hard enough to stimulate breakdown that’s enough” he goes on to say something along the lines of find a guy who just trains hard (within some reason) and eats BB foods progressively for years on end will make 95% of his progress VS the guy who spends all the time trying to figure out the 5% (that guys has been me) paralysis via analysis is real.

Specifically in regards to the Milos approach it may work but from what I’ve seen guys seem to do 1 season or prep with him then part ways no idea if that’s anything to do with the training but I think it would be very easy to burn out especially if utilising the twice daily workouts

Also remember most of the top guys you see using this approach (or any for that matter) grow doing literally anything

 

[fisther69]

I did it for like a month or 2..it was fun..but goddamn it was a fast way to
Piss everyone in the gym off

 

[qbkilla]

Arms are a smaller body part. Milos sometimes had me doing them twice a week. But you would do 4 exercises, a break and then do about 3 more rounds.

Correct on shoulders. Just structure the exercises correctly and then do your circuits.

It’s very simple, but extremely effective for driving blood flow. I personally would only use them on re-feed or high days OR if you’re looking to maintain and dial in a certain weight or look as you’re not going to be adding much new size with it IMO.

It’s interesting because you see guys like John Meadow’s who incorporated similar styles at times within his programs- especially on arm days. So it’s effective done in the right places.

Your posts are much appreciated bro as someone who has switched to this style of training and look to learn more. I really enjoy this style after years of heavy low volume.

Seems very similar to what Joe Bennett does, dlb, and Serge nubret training. Also frank Zane's shoulder training and Vince g 8x8.

I wonder if there is evidence behind flooding the muscle with blood being good for growth or it's just theory.

 

[KillerStack]

Probably miss quoting but roughly I think Justin Harris said it best “as long as you train hard enough to stimulate breakdown that’s enough”

Then you read some of the science which says there is no, shouldn't be, any actual damage to muscle fibers from weight training. Certainly no breakdown. I've seen Milos tell the story of his father, who said "say you want to build a brick house, and each time you go to build it you first tear half of it down, how does that make sense?" LMAO. I looked a bit at the video posted above and Milos sees the workout itself, as well as the period immediately after, as an anabolic event whereas others say you first tear it down so it can build back stronger. Mentzer thought it was like this: stressor > recovery period > growth.The periods between are more maintenance periods to Milos. Though he did acknowledge increased protein synthesis lasts between 24-48 hours. I would argue increased protein synthesis can last for a week easy, maybe much longer.

I just say training is a stressor, and growth is the adaptation lol, the minutia will be debated on.

Would you guys agree insulin turns a potentially catabolic event to an an essentially anabolic event, you are actually growing during the workout due to the amino acid influx with his supplementation? Is blood flow with nutrient rich blood an anabolic trigger itself?

 

[Deleted member 226465]

Then you read some of the science which says there is no, shouldn't be, any actual damage to muscle fibers from weight training. Certainly no breakdown. I've seen Milos tell the story of his father, who said "say you want to build a brick house, and each time you go to build it you first tear half of it down, how does that make sense?" LMAO. I looked a bit at the video posted above and Milos sees the workout itself, as well as the period immediately after, as an anabolic event whereas others say you first tear it down so it can build back stronger. The periods between are more maintenance periods though he did acknowledge increased protein synthesis lasts between 24-48 hours. I would argue increased protein synthesis can last for a week easy, maybe much longer.

I just say training is a stressor, and growth is the adaptation lol, the minutia will be debates on.

Would you guys agree insulin turns a potentially catabolic event to an an essentially anabolic event, you are actually growing during the workout due to the amino acid influx with his supplementation? Is blood flow with nutrient rich blood an anabolic trigger itself?

Replying to specifically “The periods between are more maintenance periods though he did acknowledge increased protein synthesis lasts between 24-48 hours. I would argue increased protein synthesis can last for a week easy, maybe much longer.”

I remember Scott Stevenson and I think
Justin Harris also saying that for the less genetically gifted the anabolic signalling (or whatever the correct term is basically how long you’re still growing from a previous workout) may only last 48-72 hours whereas a genetic elite person may get 5-7 days out of it in reference to why higher frequency training may be more beneficial for most but why we see top tier guys utilising once a week bro split more often than not

 

[qbkilla]

Then you read some of the science which says there is no, shouldn't be, any actual damage to muscle fibers from weight training. Certainly no breakdown. I've seen Milos tell the story of his father, who said "say you want to build a brick house, and each time you go to build it you first tear half of it down, how does that make sense?" LMAO. I looked a bit at the video posted above and Milos sees the workout itself, as well as the period immediately after, as an anabolic event whereas others say you first tear it down so it can build back stronger. Mentzer thought it was like this: stressor > recovery period > growth.The periods between are more maintenance periods to Milos. Though he did acknowledge increased protein synthesis lasts between 24-48 hours. I would argue increased protein synthesis can last for a week easy, maybe much longer.

I just say training is a stressor, and growth is the adaptation lol, the minutia will be debated on.

Would you guys agree insulin turns a potentially catabolic event to an an essentially anabolic event, you are actually growing during the workout due to the amino acid influx with his supplementation? Is blood flow with nutrient rich blood an anabolic trigger itself?

To add to this, it seems like Milos believes in fat burning and anabolic periods within a day. The opposite of cico or daily energy balance being the end all be all. Do fasted cardio in the am and burn some fat. Then later in the day pump the muscle, add slin and carbs and grow. So I'd assume he thinks recomposition is possible in alot of people not just fat

 

[qbkilla]

Here's a good video of Matt Porter seems like he used Milos approach with extreme giant sets after heavy work..7-8 exercise in a row