HIT Rob

Another strong solid full body MCT workout today, lasted a total of 20 minutes.... I brought along a colleague from work with me to the gym today, hes a 3x per week "for about an hour" kinda guy, id been telling him of HIT theroy and max contraction training, he was interesed...but skeptical. I had him preform a full body MCT workout of sorts (at least that was intention) which would have taken him no more than 20 minutes. The workout was, Leverge leg press, underhand pulldown, pec deck, machine lateral raise, machine biceps and triceps, and then calf presses all performed as static holds. He made it to the 5th exercise, the machine biceps and was done! He was shaking, pale white and feeling nauseous. I give him some glucose and ammio acids and he soon came round, i asked him "how did you find this type of training?", he reply "I thought id been training hard Rob, I dont know how you train like that, I couldnt stomach that lol" (it confirmed what I thought, that HIT is not for everyone). I asked, "do you see how this way of training could/can be effective?", he replied "HELL YEAH!!!".

Its ok lol, its good to have an opinion:) Indeed the majority of the research is in favor of volume training, that being said, I believe theres a few reasons for this... Firstly, those who are more fast twitch muscle fiber dominant will benefit more from high stress HIT techniques such as rest pause, max statics, negative only etc. Secondly, participants in these studies have in many cases have little to no training experience, it takes time to develop the ability to train with maximal intensity, it must be learned. Thirdly, I dont believe the quality of todays research is as good has it once was, theres a lot of poorly conducted research these days, due to inexperienced researchers or funding limitations. One of the longest - best conducted studies, was by one of Germany's most respected physiologists of all time, by the name of A.E Muller, Muller was obsessed with finding out what yeilded size and strength increases in the shortest time poss, he also used a combination of experienced and none experienced participants. After 10 long years of researching many different protocols (3sets x of 10, 5x5, 4sets of 12, once per week, 3 days per week, 7 days per week etc etc) he concluded that a 6 second maximal static contraction (with the resistance held the the fully contracted position of a given muscle) performed once a week per bodypart yeilded the fastest and best gains. He later refined that and said that a one second maximal static contraction (as long as it was truely maximal) would do the same thing. Muller corresponded with the man recognised as the godfather of western physiology, Authur Steinhaus, interestingly enough, he also had similar findings as Muller and was an advocate of maximal intensity static contractions. The man recognised as the godfather of HIT thoery Arthur Jones also did a lot of research and contributed a great deal to the field, he was something of a genius and spent well over 100 million dollars of his own fortune on resesrch. Back in the late 60s, he was advocating training 3x per week with as many as 15-20 exercises (one set to failure per movement), by the 80s (after much research), he was advocating training just twice per week and with 8 or less exercises....thats a heck of a reduction in volume. So does one go with high intensity or high volume, both apparently work, however, one exposes the joints and connective tissues to considerably less wear and tear than the other, and one also has you spend considerably less time in the gym. That makes one superior in my book. Is HIT easier, absoultely not, ive had volume trainees train with me, several couldnt even complete a 20 minute workout. The first my training partner and nephew trained with me, I had him perform an abbreviated full body HIT workout, Bench, Rows and leg presses with just one set to failure per movement, after going to all out vanilla failure on the leg press, he made a v-line for the fire exit door - booted it open and proceeded to throw up all over the place, the workout by the way lasted 15 minutes, afterwards, I said to him "you learned something about intensity today", he didn't say anything, he just nodded. Within 4 months, he went from leg pressing 250kgs to 500kgs (he now uses 620kgs) for the same number of reps, his bench and row also almost doubled. Rob

Hi Chris, Yes mate, did do much that day bar a stroll with the misses, it was2800 cals, with only 380 of those coming from carbs. I actually never use mayo, for salad dressing, I love some good quality extra virgin olive oil and a wee splash of balsamic vinegar , but those suggestions sound good dude. Cheers Rob PS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY mate:)

Eiji, We can cherry pick research all day long to support what were saying, i will say this, HIT isn't for everyone (though neither is high volume training) - it is a fact that everyone must expose themselves to progressively higher intense physical stress to warrant a continual adaptive response, however there is a genetically medicated limit as to how much exposure can be tolerated, just as there are individuals that can tolerate a lot of exposure to high intensity sunlight stress, there are those that can tolerate very little. With regards to CV, it is a physiological fact, that the only way you can get at the myocardium, is by preforming mechanical work with muscle, and to the degree, that the greater the intensity of work done with muscle...the greater the "cardio" benefits. With regards to what you think about my training, i don't really care, ive been training for 25 years and have had highly experienced trainers train me, i did the volume stuff for years Eiji, but it wasn't until i reduced the volume and increased my intensity of my training did i begin to see much better results. I have encountered many people like yourself Eiji over the last few decades, i was even once even physical threatened in a gym for believing what i believe, but i guess that's what i get for challenging decades of tradition based conventional wisdom, it has not detered me in anyway shape or form, as Mike Mentzer once said to me "Am not on this earth to win a popularity contest". I will continue to shout what i believe and what i know works from the rooftops. Have a great weekend Rob

Opinions vary...ignorant and all! Fact is, ANYONE looking to increase their muscular size and strength must expose themselves to intense physical stress, moreòver, physiologists found in the early 1900s that INTENSITY (not volume) was the single must important factor for increasing muscular size and strength. But each to their own, some adhere to the laws of nature, while others try to ice state uphill.

29-9-15 Full body MCT workout of sorts... 1. Underhand pulldown (held at chin level) 130kgs x 2 max static holds -but not to failure 2. Weighted negative only dips bw (243lbs) + 30kgs x superslow negative only reps - not to failure 3. Leverage leg press 420kgs x 2 max static holds - but not to failure (resistance held in the position of max motor arm) Great abbreviated workout, was completely wreck lol... So after just a few days of increasing my carb intake, I was bloated as f#$k, and feeling really lethargic and shity, so I ditched that idea and have gone back to my high fat / ample protein / low carb diet again, within one day I felt much better, ive also resorted back to include some fish, eggs and full fat dairy in my diet again What I ate today... 8.30am 4 large omega 3 enriched egg vegatable omelette / cooked in coconut oil macadamia nuts blueberries 1pm full fat feta cheese walnuts baby beetroot santini tomatoes 2 tbs of high quality extra virgin oilve oil 6.30pm Smoked haddock cooked in butter steamed greens 10pm Full fat greek style yoghurt with a scoop of whey protein mixed in Lentils, beans and grains are pretty much off my menu, much as I love them, my body rejects them, and given that my body does better on a high fat / low carb diet, this is why ive brought the non vegan foodstuffs back in, however there will be no farmed meat!!

Hi Kathy, Ive found static holds with the resistance held in the fully contracted position to be a great way to work around injuries, injuries that for me were caused by the sheer forces that inpinge upon the joints and connective tissues when bones are forced to move through arcs and positions of disadvanged leverage. When it comes to increasing muscular strength and size, it turns out that "lifting" weights isnt even necessary, you just need to expose your muscles to high intensity muscular contractions. Moreover, given that the fully contracted poistion of a muscle is the ONLY poistion were maximal amount of muscle fibers can be recruited, then it begs the question...were is the merit in moving in or out of that one position - all it represents is a diminishing amount of muscle fiber recruitment. So in order to stimuale the chest for example, on a pec deck machine, have a training partner help you bring the resistance into the fully contracted position (which should be anywhere between 25-40% heavier than you can normally lift), statically hold the resistance there until the contraction can no longer be sustained, at that point have a training partner help you lower the resistance. I began using this type of training myself several years ago when I injured my left knee, I couldnt leg press, squat, lunge etc (if fact I could barely walk up flight of stairs), I began looking for a better - more efficient way to exercise, and one that wasnt based on tradition...but science, static holds / max contraction training was the way. I started performing static leg extensions and leg curls, holding the resistance (which was substantially heavier than I could lift through a full range of motion) in the fully contracted poistions of those two exercises, after just 4 workouts my knee condition had greatly improved, moreover, my gains i experienced during this time was far superior to what I had been doing, ie performing compound movements through a full range of motion, most likely because a full range of motion grestly limits how much resistance we can maximally contracted against. Anyho, hope this helps, and if you need mord info give me a shout. Best Rob

20-9-15 Omega set back & biceps workout... Underhand pulldown ( weight held in the poistion of max motor arm for the lats ) Machine shrugs Low back machine Machine curl 24-9-15 Omega set Legs Leg Extension Seated leg curl Inner and outer thigh machines Standing calf raise machine Though brutal, am loving the Max contraction training and omega set training, workouts are literally taking a mere 10-12, minutes to complete (keep in mind that intensity and duration coexist on an inverse ratio). Omega set training is as John Little (the creator of MCT) states "the last word" in intensity, its were you take a muscle into its fully contracted poistion and employ maximal resistance in that poistion, when the contraction can no longer be sustained, youll began to lower the weight fighting it all the way, once the load has lowered several inches, your training partner/s help you bring the resistance back into the fully contracted position, this is repeated several more times, essentially, the muscle is made to maximally contract several times over. Such training methods must be experienced to be believed:) Given that the energy output is greater with this training, ive reduce the freqency of my training again back to just once every 4-5 days (I may experiment by furthur reducing my training freqency). What got me thinking about omega set training was something Mike Mentzer said back in the early 80s, which was, "anything you do to make your training more intense, is a step in the right direction", and given that results are proportional to intense of effort (not volume), id say he was right on the money with that statement. Diet wise, ive returned back to a higher carb eating plan (60% carbs / 25% pro / 15% fat), am also counting calories for the first time in a long time. My maintenance level of calories worked out at 4750, so given that im looking to drop bodyfat (currently 240lbs / 17% BF), ive reduce my caloires to 3750, that should equate to a weight loss of 2lbs per week, after two weeks ill began reducing my calories by 100 per fortnight. Slow and steady as she goes Happy training Rob

So life has just begun:) Happy birthday mate.

Because he didnt have a political agenda, Lewis became a vegan to improve his athletic performance, and promoted it from the stand point.

So back to training tonight after a 7 day layoff, decided to really go for it max contraction style... Chest / Shoulders / Triceps 1. Pec Deck (110kgs + training partner providing manuel resistance by pressing down on the stack) x static hold to failure + 90kg drop set to failure 2. Cable Crossover (100kgs) x static hold to failure + 80kg drop set to failure 3. Machine Lateral Raise (80kgs) × static hold to failure + 60kg drop set to failure 4. One Arm Rope Extension (30kg) x static hold to failure + 25kg drop set to failure Cracking workout! Short n sweet. All holds were held into the fully contracted postion, next up willbe back, biceps, rear delts and abs...cant wait:) ,

Have to agree, thats a weight for that volume on the squat, am even more impressed by the front step up with 70lbs, especially after 30 reps at almost 300lbs on the squat:) Keep er lit mate!

Billions turn in to watch the Olympics, and it just so happens that arguably the greatest track and field olympian in history was vegan. Moreover, when people talk about vegan bodybuilding, the first names that crop up is Roberts and Jims, they have inspired many, and have dispelled a lot of myths about building muscle on a plant based diet. Yes, VG has a has huge number of veiws, but has anyone read the comments? There mostly negative...even from vegans. People are tuning in only to see what outrageous thing hes going to say or do next, its car crash tv at its best.

Interesting you say that (and use worse language than the aussie C-word ever did) because I just made a video, saying he's the "BEST" thing that's happened for the movement. Here's my reasoning: (why can't this YT problem be fixed?) Name someone who's given more visibility to veganism. How many thousands have you reached? Robert Cheeke, Carl Lewis, Jim Morris to name but a few...

Sounds like ya had a good night out on the tiles:)) Why is it chips taste like the food of the gods when weve had a few too many???

Im the same, most beans cause me stomach issues, thankfully lentils and chickpeas dont cause me any irritation. Are all beans an legumes causing problems for ya or is it just specific ones?

I like to fry off some finely chopped red chilli's, mushrooms, and kale in a little olive oil, once cooked, mix them into the rice and beans. Add a wee bit of sea salt and pepper to taste. I also love spicy red lentil soup/stew, fry off finely chooped red chilli, fresh crushed garlic, cubed carrots and onion. Then throw in some cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika, a 500gram bag of red lentils, low sodium vegetable stock and enough water to make it ethier a stew or soup....I prefer a stew, so less water. A pot of that has a whopping 120+ grams of protein and tastes great too:)

Cheers Chris, and you too mate:) Wee tip for the drag curls... Use a slightly lesser weight than you would for traditional bb curls, and focus on really flexing the biceps at the top of the movement, i also like to lean very slightly forward at the waist, get a better contraction than standing fully upright I find. Happy biceps blasting:)

7/9/15 TORSO 1. Underhand Pulldowns - 90kgs x 2 working high rep sets superset 2. Decline Smith Machine Bench Press - 110kgs x 2 working high rep sets 2 minute rest 3. Seated Cable Row - 80kgs x 2 working high rep sets superset 4. Converging Shoulder Press Machine (palms facing) - 65kgs x 2 working high rep sets 9/9/15 ARMS / LEGS 1. BB Drag Curl (wide grip with rotating sleeve on bar) -30kgs x 2 working high rep sets superset 2. Power Pushdowns - 40kgs x 2 working high rep sets 2 minute rest 3. Leverage Leg Press - 300kgs x 2 working high rep sets superset 4. D-B Stiff Legged Deadlift - 2 x 40kgs x 2 working high rep sets Great workouts, the high rep sets were "rhythmical / piston" style reps not fully stretching, and not fully locking out, just constant tension, got a hellva pump! All working sets were just sky of failure.

Miserable or not, a wee drop of something wet now and then does ya no harm Brian Johnston isn really HIT per se, he advocates training 3x per week and mostly not training to failure. The techniques he developed focus on optimizing hypertrophy by producing more contractions per unit of time (high density), this is of huge value to the natural bodybuilder, as we dont rely on recovery inhancing drugs. But ethier way, best of luck with whatever appoarch you go with:) Rob

Oh god yeah, the high order fibers are purely glycolytic, carbs are a must for HIT. Completely agree, protein is not a good fuel source, its takes a lot of self experimentation to get the protein just right on a ketogenic diet. For me, I need no more than 100-120 grams of protein daily, ive gone up to 150-200+, however its too much. On a none training day my carbs would not exceed 30-50grams, on a training day i go triple that, but then every so often ill have a high carb - low fat day or two. Im a big believer in variation, and being sporadic / chaos theory, both with training and diet.

Just like in exercise or medicine, there is an individual response when it comes to dietary requirements, many individuals do much better on a lower carb diet vs a high carb diet, and visa versa. I personally do very well being fat adapted (my irregular heart beat has improved greatly), and I use carbs for performance and glycogen replenishment (my performance and lean body mass has only improved). I also have only one normal functioning kidney, its function gets tested every 6 months, since becoming more fat adapted, my kidney function has actually improved. Best Rob

PIZZA!!! Your banned from the church of keto, you sinner lol. If your looking into BB / hypertrophy specific training ideas, id strongly recommend getting in touch with Brain Johnston on the Dr Darden HIT forum, he has a few new books and dvds (High density training and Variation - the mother of innovation), best money I ever spent on natural bodybuilding idea material. The mans a genius.

Hey Chris, Still not out in the sticks yet mate, waiting on the solicitors getting the paperwork finalised, hopefully in another months or so, and as soon as am there ill get on to putting a sexy gym together, cant wait:)) The chocolate and avocado mouse recipe is on the deliciously ella youtube channal, its avocados, banana, dates, nut nutter, and cacao, its da bomb:)

I'd echo Eiji's comments, the number one factor in any fat loss program is the maintenance of lean muscle tissue, for this reason, id recommend getting some anti-catabolic nutrients in your system before intense training. Train when YOU feel ready to train, both phycological and physiologically and not based what time a class starts or what time a trainer can fit you in. Best of luck with your goals Rob