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Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

mennohenselmans.com

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Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#221

Post by shard »

Seems like everything old is new again. I remember reading similar things in misc.fitness.weights about 20 years ago, and a workout routine called Hypertrophy Specific Training was the suggestion. The idea is to do full body workouts every time, starting with 2 weeks of 15 reps, each workout increasing the weight until you reach your max, then 2 weeks of 10 reps, then 2 weeks of 5, then 2 weeks of rest. This workout routine tackles many of the problem points that the article points out.

Another thing I remember from the misc.fitness.weights days is the statement that nothing works for everybody all the time, which applies to diets and workouts. Just because something is working for you right now, does not mean that it will work for someone else, nor does it mean that it will continue working for you in the future as your body changes. Therefore it will always be a journey of exploration to find what works at the current stage in your life.

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#222

Post by swayvil »

reef84_ wrote: post #14
swayvil wrote: post #8

I read in a yoga book that muscle growth (and physical cultivation in general) occurs through the movement of a kind of psychic energy (called prana, sati, awareness or something). And that exercise is simply a way of moving that energy around. For what that's worth.

Well that sounds like bullshit doesn’t it?

No really, I read a book.

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#223

Post by scruple »

red-iron-pine wrote: post #219
scruple wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> most people would get a superb musculature with just cycling/running, squats, deadlifts and bench presses (ignoring pre-existing injuries). FWIW, you just described the essence of the Tactical Barbell system here. I've been using it to great effect over the last ~4 years. I will probably never touch a different strength and conditioning program as long as I live.

And most of Strong-Lifts 5x5. They add in a couple other movements but basically the same idea.

Yeah, but at some point an LP stops being a productive use of time. I prefer wave/block and undulating periodization programs because I never feel like I'm anywhere in the vicinity of failure and I'm always fresh for hard conditioning the day after a strength or hypertrophy session.

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#224

Post by YeahNO »

shard wrote: post #221

Seems like everything old is new again. I remember reading similar things in misc.fitness.weights about 20 years ago, and a workout routine called Hypertrophy Specific Training was the suggestion. The idea is to do full body workouts every time, starting with 2 weeks of 15 reps, each workout increasing the weight until you reach your max, then 2 weeks of 10 reps, then 2 weeks of 5, then 2 weeks of rest. This workout…

>Seems like everything old is new again. I remember reading similar things in misc.fitness.weights about 20 years ago, and a workout routine called Hypertrophy Specific Training was the suggestion. The idea is to do full body workouts every time, starting with 2 weeks of 15 reps, each workout increasing the weight until you reach your max, then 2 weeks of 10 reps, then 2 weeks of 5, then 2 weeks of rest. This workout routine tackles many of the problem points that the article points out.

Yes, Bryan Haycock popularized HST. It's a science-backed routine that you can pick up easily, without expensive training programs. Progressive loading increases each session for two weeks to your 15RM on the last session, the next two week cycle you progress to your 10RM, and the final, you progress to your 5RM. The last cycle is the hardest of all, haha.

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#225

Post by tstrimple »

klyrs wrote: post #214
snordgren wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Accidentally becoming too muscular simply does not happen unless you start injecting. Don't worry about it.

I disagree. I never injected anything, but I was a distance cyclist for many years, ending almost 20 years ago and my legs are still mannish. High reps, low weight can build build muscle on a high-carb diet. What I really don't understand is why cyclists get bulky and runners don't.

Have you seen the thighs on sprinters? Maybe an extreme example, but they are often similar to cyclists.

https://www.menshealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/tra...

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#226

Post by tstrimple »

moneywoes wrote: post #127
texasbigdata wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s literally how science works? Hypertrophy has largely been settled and the main mechanisms and science underneath are well known by now. Call is post-2017. Source: up 40lb of Dexa scan muscle from 2014-2023, at 15lb greater body weight. Not rocket science. Strongly recommend Renaissance Periodization (the hundred of hours of lectures on YouTube if that’s your thing, the two main textbooks, the training template…

In your experience is there a programming silver bullet for those who want to build an aesthetic physique? ( men in particular) like the highest roi

At the risk of being trite, do something athletic on a regular basis. Weight lifting is one way to get there for sure, but there are tons of things which will also do. Regular swimmers for example have great physiques even if they don't lift. The key seems to be to do something you enjoy enough that you'll be consistently active over the course of years.

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#227

Post by therealdrag0 »

a_wild_dandan wrote: post #76
dhr wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm planning out a home/garage gym now. Is there any equipment you recommend? Or ones that people should stay away from?

My living space is limited, so I bought a pair of adjustable box dumbbells (5-75lbs) and a skookum collapsible bench. The stowed combo occupies less space than a chair and they give me serious workout mileage: bench press, flies, rows, sit ups, skull crushers, military press, curls, lunges, deadlifts, etc. It's a great starter gym for us mere not-power-lifter mortals. I WFH and can do sets during breaks and boring me…

Skookum?

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#228

Post by LanceH »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #216
LanceH wrote: post #28

They seem to be talking about bodybuilding a lot, but then (at least some) of the discussions move to muscle growth among random groups of people. The two are not the same. Bodybuilders are trying to put on muscle, sometimes in specific places, long after they have stalled in workouts most people would do. >Going on a higher carb diet increases intramuscular glycogen stores, which attracts a lot of water into the mus…

> No real bodybuilder stops eating carbs to get shredded. depends what you mean by "stop". If you mean Heres the first article to confirm my point. > Carbohydrate intake during the restriction phase varied and competitors reported consuming between 0 and 100 g per day. Conversely, CHO intake during loading was reported to be over 2500 g or 833 g per day https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315482/#:~:tex...…

I really didn't mean stop as 0g. I mean stop as compared to the "high carb" diet previous mentioned in the article that is apparently done for the pump, which I'm highly skeptical of compared to the lifting benefits of having more glycogen.

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#229

Post by iamacyborg »

tstrimple wrote: post #225
klyrs wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. I never injected anything, but I was a distance cyclist for many years, ending almost 20 years ago and my legs are still mannish. High reps, low weight can build build muscle on a high-carb diet. What I really don't understand is why cyclists get bulky and runners don't.

Have you seen the thighs on sprinters? Maybe an extreme example, but they are often similar to cyclists. https://www.menshealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/tra...

Distance running and sprinting lends itself to completely different physiques.

Just like the dudes competing on the Tour don’t look anything like the guys competing in the velodrome.

Re: Why the conventional wisdom on how to grow muscles is wrong

#230

Post by joshka »

Here's a GPT-3 summary because the SNR is low in this article:

SUMMARY: This article discusses optimal program design for bodybuilding by examining the evidence behind rest intervals, training frequency, and training intensity. The article concludes that while traditional bodybuilding bro-wisdom may suggest short rest periods, training a muscle once a week, and sticking to a hypertrophy range of 6-12 reps, the evidence shows that the best program design is dependent on the individual. Rest intervals should be taken according to the individual's needs, with longer rest periods generally being beneficial for muscle growth; training each muscle at least twice a week is recommended for maximum muscle growth; and training intensity should focus on achieving total volume rather than sticking to a hypertrophy range, with a wide range of rep zones potentially being beneficial for muscle growth. Training to failure is not necessary for muscle growth, as the same results can be achieved with submaximal training.

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