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Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

21–30 of 371 posts

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#21
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about making muscles fail by stretching them under load?

Sounds like a great way to injure yourself, also would only work for eccentric motion

To me it doesn't sound much different than "taking your sets to muscular failure".

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#22

If I read this correctly the gist is that it does not matter if you use heavy weights with few reps (common body builder wisdom) or lighter weights with more reps. As long as you always exercise to complete muscle fatigue you'll get the maximum for your genetics (which itself varies a lot).

It is actually common bodybuilder wisdom to go for the lighter version. Stereotyping, weightlifters who go for max numbers do 1 set of a million pounds and rest three hours between exercises, while bodybuilders do thirty exercises a day for 8 series of 15 reps each.

[deleted]

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#23

If I read this correctly the gist is that it does not matter if you use heavy weights with few reps (common body builder wisdom) or lighter weights with more reps. As long as you always exercise to complete muscle fatigue you'll get the maximum for your genetics (which itself varies a lot).

Can we replicate the process of reaching muscle fatigue/failure to spur muscle growth without the strength training or anabolic steroids? Think GLP-1RAs but for this specific biological pathway.

https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/lilly-terminate-obesity-t...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/...

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#24
post #9
post #4

I thought it was already well understood/researched that it's not the weights that matter, but effectively taking your sets to muscular failure. While one might think "I can do 50 reps with low weights" there is practical aspects to this - you don't wand to spend hours at the gym, and doing heavy weights at 5-7 reps is sufficient as long as you are close or at muscular failure.

What about the old gym adage "training to failure is failing to train" - is there any physiological basis for this, or is it mental, or just a myth?

That’s a Pl/Oly mindset rather than a BB/hypertrophy mindset. Totally valid advice in the right context.

Long story short, failed reps get much more risky and problematic as the weight you’re lifting approaches your 1RM.

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#25
post #2

tldr appears to be that if you work to fatigue it doesn't matter if you fatigue out with high weights vs low weights

I agree with this, but for those newbies be careful at what you define as "failure".

I've f.up my MCL by not listening to my body and I have the stability of a typical 85 year old while I try and 'heal'. It takes longer as you get older (you're probably not 20 year old) and stupid stuff can really take you out.

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#26
post #17
post #4

I thought it was already well understood/researched that it's not the weights that matter, but effectively taking your sets to muscular failure. While one might think "I can do 50 reps with low weights" there is practical aspects to this - you don't wand to spend hours at the gym, and doing heavy weights at 5-7 reps is sufficient as long as you are close or at muscular failure.

How about making muscles fail by stretching them under load?

Depending on what you mean by "fail" and "stretching", that sounds a lot like eccentric training [0] (a.k.a. "negatives"). It's effective but notorious for causing delayed onset muscle soreness.

I trained myself to do pull-ups using this method, repeatedly lowering myself in a controlled motion from the top position while I was too weak to actually pull myself up.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eccentric_training

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#28

If I read this correctly the gist is that it does not matter if you use heavy weights with few reps (common body builder wisdom) or lighter weights with more reps. As long as you always exercise to complete muscle fatigue you'll get the maximum for your genetics (which itself varies a lot).

It is actually common bodybuilder wisdom to go for the lighter version. Stereotyping, weightlifters who go for max numbers do 1 set of a million pounds and rest three hours between exercises, while bodybuilders do thirty exercises a day for 8 series of 15 reps each.

[deleted]

Re: Resistance training load does not determine hypertrophy

#29

I know it's practically de rigeur to jump into the comments and immediately complain about methodology for any study that makes it to the front page, and I want to emphasize I don't distrust their findings, but I would like to see an equivalent study go out longer than 10 weeks. When I've been taking weightlifting seriously I feel like I don't even start to notice hypertrophy until 8-10 weeks. I feel like 6 months is…

This is par for the course with exercise science. It's mostly fake. No blinding, small sample sizes, researchers with agenda, low duration, low funding etc. The good news is that doing almost anything works.
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