ACTN3, hardgainers, training for the burn

[Allentown]

Depending on how long I can pause, I could probably do an 5-8RM 20 times. Maybe. It would be silly though.

Up to an hour.
I'm not sure by what definition of 5RM someone could estimate they could do 20 reps, with squats at least, provided there is no racking of the bar.

[cgeorg]

I did 13@8 at 65% in the middle of a jagged set a month ago. Belt tightness + cardio is what did me in. I think I had the legs for 20.

Ooh, found the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... pGqB9eo9FU

[iamsmu]

Depending on how long I can pause, I could probably do an 5-8RM 20 times. Maybe. It would be silly though.

Up to an hour.
I'm not sure by what definition of 5RM someone could estimate they could do 20 reps, with squats at least, provided there is no racking of the bar.

I suck at higher percentages. . . . I'm thinking of an unbroken, no more than 1 breath at the top 5RM. A more lenient 5RM with a couple or three breaths wouldn't translate to a 20 with any amount of rest time at the top. It's unlikely that the unbroken 5RM would either. An 8RM, maybe. But I'm pretty confident that I could take a 10RM (unbroken, no more than 1 full breath between reps) and get 20 reps if I took a few breaths after each rep. It might take 2 or 2 1/2 minutes. It would suck.

If I do any more 20's I'm going to try to keep it to where I have to take multiple breaths on the last few reps at most.

[littlemarkhenry]

I think Thibaudeau is a broscientist and the article is basically typical T-Nation silliness, but I'm bored enough with training right now that I might try this.

[littlemarkhenry]

Sets of 6 on lateral raises? and cable cross overs? and front raises?

Yeah this is stupid. Reminds me of Candito's 1 set of 6 each for shoulders and upper back on his LP.

[cwd]

An idea I'm considering for a squat hypertrophy cycle:
http://danjohn.net/2012/01/mass-made-simple-lite/
Monday: 3 ascending sets of 10
Wednesday: 2 ascending sets of 10
Friday: 5 ascending sets of 10

DJ's programs are always vague about weight selection. We're supposed to use trial and error here, or a coach's eye.

[Wilhelm]

I did 13@8 at 65% in the middle of a jagged set a month ago. Belt tightness + cardio is what did me in. I think I had the legs for 20.

Ooh, found the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... pGqB9eo9FU

Better you than me.

Nice work, btw.

[Hanley]

I did 13@8 at 65% in the middle of a jagged set a month ago

Such a dick programming move

Must use more

[BenM]

Funny, as I have just started doing 20 rep squats.... only once a week though.

What's your squat/deadlift program look like? How is it going? Do you consider yourself a slow gainer?

I've been doing a bastardised MM template of my own making, doing volume squats once a week, deadlifting once a week, with SSB squats as assistance work. I've only done the 20 rep sets a couple of times, and I've done them in a couple of different slots, so it's a bit early to say whether they're doing anything or not. But I'll be starting a new cycle of programming next week and I think I like them (as much as it's possible to like squatting for that kinda volume!) as assistance work after deadlifting so will probably slot them in there and do them once a week. I got the idea from Dan John's Mass Made Simple. Might be an interesting experiment.

Yeah, I consider myself a slow gainer (I don't eat enough, but every time I have, I've gained fat and little muscle). That said, my physical situation might be a bit more conducive to adding some muscle now, we'll see.

ETA: on percentages, the last 20 rep sets I did were at 55% of my (tested) 1RM, and I rated them RPE8. I think if I'm doing them as assistance work after deadlifting, I want to keep them there and not make them an all out effort. Lower back is normally fatigued enough as it is.

[GeorgeC]

anxious over-thinkers.

Oh, hi

[waves back]

[Googles group rate therapy to see if they'd let us Skype the sessions]

The 20 rep squat thing was kind of a thing for a while. I read more than one place where it was you 10RM. Then you start taking more than one breathe between reps and by the end your doing guided meditation with the bearded baby buddha in order to hit 20.

[CamLeslie]

I got the idea from Dan John's Mass Made Simple. Might be an interesting experiment.

Good book. I'd like to actually try the program at some point in the future. Don't know about you guys but I have like 20 programs I would like to do at some point...

[Allentown]

Don't know about you guys but I have like 20 programs I would like to do at some point...

Do what I do- combine at least 3 of those, preferably ones with opposing objectives, using the structure of a 4th, wildly different, program. Then when that fails to produce results after 17 days, switch to a new program, vow to DTFP, but the moment someone posts a "Race To XXXX" challenge add in at least two days of training dedicated toward that challenge without reducing any of the work you vowed to do in TFP. Then get sick, injure yourself outside the gym, get embarrassed by the status of one of your lifts, and pick a new program. Change out most of the lifts in that new program, while also splitting 2 of the sessions into 4 and rolling bits of all the sessions into those 4 sessions. And also take up running.

[CamLeslie]

Don't know about you guys but I have like 20 programs I would like to do at some point...

Do what I do- combine at least 3 of those, preferably ones with opposing objectives, using the structure of a 4th, wildly different, program. Then when that fails to produce results after 17 days, switch to a new program, vow to DTFP, but the moment someone posts a "Race To XXXX" challenge add in at least two days of training dedicated toward that challenge without reducing any of the work you vowed to do in TFP. Then get sick, injure yourself outside the gym, get embarrassed by the status of one of your lifts, and pick a new program. Change out most of the lifts in that new program, while also splitting 2 of the sessions into 4 and rolling bits of all the sessions into those 4 sessions. And also take up running.

You basically just described the last 5 years of my life. In fact, I went on a run Monday and was planning to go today. lol.

And I'm in on the Race to 405 Front Squat.

[GeorgeC]

Do what I do- combine at least 3 of those, preferably ones with opposing objectives, using the structure of a 4th, wildly different, program. Then when that fails to produce results after 17 days, switch to a new program, vow to DTFP, but the moment someone posts a "Race To XXXX" challenge add in at least two days of training dedicated toward that challenge without reducing any of the work you vowed to do in TFP. Then get sick, injure yourself outside the gym, get embarrassed by the status of one of your lifts, and pick a new program. Change out most of the lifts in that new program, while also splitting 2 of the sessions into 4 and rolling bits of all the sessions into those 4 sessions. And also take up running.

Adding this to the best quotes section.

[BenM]

I got the idea from Dan John's Mass Made Simple. Might be an interesting experiment.

Good book. I'd like to actually try the program at some point in the future. Don't know about you guys but I have like 20 programs I would like to do at some point...

Yeah, I enjoyed it. I didn't agree with everything in it, but Dan John is a bit of a legend in the industry and he's mostly pretty old school common sense - not much woo woo.

[CamLeslie]

I got the idea from Dan John's Mass Made Simple. Might be an interesting experiment.

Good book. I'd like to actually try the program at some point in the future. Don't know about you guys but I have like 20 programs I would like to do at some point...

Yeah, I enjoyed it. I didn't agree with everything in it, but Dan John is a bit of a legend in the industry and he's mostly pretty old school common sense - not much woo woo.

Did you get to 225/185 x 50?

[Hanley]

I went on a run

Wait

What

[CamLeslie]

I went on a run

Wait

What

Yeah. 30 min jog with our dogs. The Heavens parted and the angels sung. Hell may have also frozen over.

[iamsmu]

Did you get to 225/185 x 50?

That sounds fun. What's the 185, bench? I tired that the other day just to see. I couldn't make it.

[BenM]

I got the idea from Dan John's Mass Made Simple. Might be an interesting experiment.

Good book. I'd like to actually try the program at some point in the future. Don't know about you guys but I have like 20 programs I would like to do at some point...

Yeah, I enjoyed it. I didn't agree with everything in it, but Dan John is a bit of a legend in the industry and he's mostly pretty old school common sense - not much woo woo.

Did you get to 225/185 x 50?

Pfwah. Hellz no. I haven't actually run the program. Just thrown in a couple of 20 rep sets of squats a few times. And I've been doing them with an SSB at pretty light weight, though I am now intending to actually program them into my next meso properly and progress them.