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An Argument in favor of adopting High Frequency Training


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The best evidence for any argument is based on real world observations – from those who built muscle without even trying, after all, we all know how difficult it is to build muscle at any rate – especially a fast rate.

 

Take a look at your everyday joes. Think about how often a full-time mechanic grabs, grips, and twists with his forearms on a daily basis. How quickly does he(or she) build thick forearms? How about the calf development of soccer players, sand volleyball players, ballet dancers, and cyclists. How about the Thigh development of downhill skiers and speed skaters. And of course, the shoulder, lat, and upper arm development of gymnasts who perform the rings, pummel horse, and uneven bar events.

 

What I am NOT suggesting is that people return to the old school - 6 days a week, 2 hour workouts of Arnie’s day. But a more intelligent approach, in which one would lift frequently, but cut back on the volume “per workout”

 

“Do as much as you can, while staying as fresh as possible”

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but doesn't frequency impact size and top-end power?

 

with any sport I have done (cycling, swimming, running)...more frequency is great for endurance, but always come at the expense of short-term power and in my mind, size/mass as well.

 

Not that I think this is a big issue, as most of us should rather aspire to have great endurance over short-term power....it is more useful for us to live an energetic life and be active throughout the day and all this takes endurance (having massive biceps doesnt help at all here ) .....but some of us are looking to increase mass as well, so when it comes to resistance training, I think fewer workouts with heavy weights may be more effective. I'll get my endurance from running/swimming, etc.

 

 

Ravi

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High Frequency training does not necessarily translate into endurance training. for example, a 5x5x5 program is excellent for mass building. 5 sets of no more than 5 reps, (which as we all know, fewer reps = more power!) exercising a specific muscle group once every 5 days.

 

5 sets of 5 reps once every 5 days = 25 reps every 5 days (total)

 

with a high frequency program one could do 1 set of 5 reps everyday for 5 days in a row with the same weight.

 

1 set of 5 reps everyday for 5 days = 25 reps every 5 days (total)

 

It's the same volume of work after 5 days, and if you're only doing 1 (working set) set, you could probably up the weight a little bit.

 

and with fewer sets per workout, your time in the gym for each workout is shorter.. which equates to more strength/power and less for endurance.

 

 

On a plus note: Since I've adopted a more frequent training program, I've noticed a drastic change over my body composition. I've shed 10 lbs of flab, without any direct aerobic/cardio exercise.

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Pavel whathisname calls it "grease the groove" (GTG). I always push it too far though and find that taking every other day off works better for me. Also to be honest I think if you can just literally spend all day lifting (like a mechanic for example) that works even a lot better. Do a search for isaac nesser, he's legitimately in guiness as having the largest muscular chest in history. He would workout chest 8 to 10 days straight for 4 to 6 hours then take a couple days off and repeat. He was a recluse though and is largely dismissed (despite being in guiness) yet he did dwarf the usually accepted strongest/biggest men in the world. (bill kazmaier for example only had a 60inch chest.)

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I find all this a bit confusing. As far as I understand it, using comparatively light weights and higher reps results in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy - where there is an increase in muscle size due in large part to an increase in non-contractile muscle cell fluid. And using heavier weights and lower reps results in myofibrillar hypertrophy - where there is an increase in the size of muscle fibres due to a gain in myofibrils. No, I'm not as clever as I sound. I just learnt about this a couple of months ago.

 

We see tennis players with one forearm much thicker than the other but are they as strong as they look? The increase in thickness comes from gripping the tennis bat and swinging it for hours. They are not using a heavy weight. So, is there a great increase in strength? There must also be a point after which this endurance-gained muscle size vanishes or marathon runners would have legs like rugby players.

 

It's all rather perplexing. Popeye never had this trouble.

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Pavel whathisname calls it "grease the groove" (GTG). I always push it too far though and find that taking every other day off works better for me. Also to be honest I think if you can just literally spend all day lifting (like a mechanic for example) that works even a lot better. Do a search for isaac nesser, he's legitimately in guiness as having the largest muscular chest in history. He would workout chest 8 to 10 days straight for 4 to 6 hours then take a couple days off and repeat. He was a recluse though and is largely dismissed (despite being in guiness) yet he did dwarf the usually accepted strongest/biggest men in the world. (bill kazmaier for example only had a 60inch chest.)

 

Pavel Tsatsouline. He has some very interesting thoughts on training. I really like his Naked Warrior book. Another great teacher wrote "Your workout is everywhere" Look for opportunities throughout your everyday activities to "practice" your workout. Here at work, I don't take coffee breaks, I have exercise breaks!. While my co-workers head off to the lunch room to have their coffee/soda and chips/chocolate, I stay by my desk and do various exercises- Pushups, ab wheel crunches, pistols etc.

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