"Once you have a given percentage of your max on the bar, how close to failure you train doesn't seem to matter that much for strength. " This is extremely fascinating to me.
Very nice! I would like to compliment you. Lately you guys have vastly improved in making the findings more practical and directly applicable to training.
Your recommendations at the end align almost perfectly with Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 method, especially after his refinements in his subsequent books. Putting the specifics aside, the workouts are basically all structured as working up to a top set of a main lift at a high percentage of your 1RM and then going into backoff sets for training the movement pattern. You then do a bunch of higher volume, lower intensity accessories for hypertrophy. There are different templates that play with the intensity and volume within that structure to polarize the training towards strength or hypertrophy, as well as a simple method of periodization where he classifies those templates as leaders, which feature higher volume for accumulation, and anchors, which feature lower volume and higher intensity for realization. It's nice to see how the science is validating a popular methodology that arose from just experience and intuition.
Very good video. I figured this out recently and I rarely hear this approach emphasized. I had been spinning wheels for a long time, smashing too much volume with heavy loads. Polarized approach is much more clever and forces you to reassess everything you're doing.
I went down back to 1x/week. I was too scared to go back even though I saw my best gains that way. Then I went back to it and been doing like 4-6 sets per muscle per week and increased my dumbbell bench from 30kg dumbbells to 40kg dumbbels for 10 reps in 3 months
How close to failure you going on deadlifts and how relatively heavy? Could always pull from the floor once a week and do rack pulls or RDLs the other day , esp help with lower back fatigue if that’s an issue if you’re squatting multiple days a week.
Im doing 5/3/1 with additional rest pause sets for increased volume on the top set of the big lifts then isolation work, mostly one set to failure with drop sets in the HIT way.
On the front end of the training, I understand and see your points and I love it. But I feel not mentioning the recovery/fatigue aspect leaves out some crucial aspects that may have deleterious effects when looking in the scale of weeks to months. And if there are deleterious effects, is it truly maximizing both strength and hypertrophy? Maybe a part 2 of this video including that aspect could be more content for you guys?
I agree with your point! That's why we like the polarized approach as it's generally less fatiguing. We may expand on this in a coming podcast episode.
How do we determine a starting point for reps ? Say: Squat - 1x1@ 9RPE + 20 reps at 4RIR (done as 2x5 @ 4RIR @ 80% of top set and 2x5 @ 4RIR @ 75%). This seems to be suggestions in the video for strength. So, then, how do we know whether we should do 5,10,15,20,25+ reps for back-off when the goal is strength ? Thanks!
This is incredibly information-packed, yet practical and succinct. Thank you so much! I recently started programming for other people, so I would love to hear more about inter-individual differences in responses to various training variables, and perhaps different 'categories' (maybe that's generalizing a bit?) of lifters while making programs, as alluded to with the individual differences on set volume in the video.
Great content, thanks🙏 Feedback on presentation: - keep your hands on the desk (natural gestures look strange when hidden) - buy or improvise a prompter. Maybe combined with a longer lens to reduce eyeline paralax. Overall a very good video!
Some novel concepts here, especially the 4:1 long term ratio of time spent in hypertrophy phases vs strength phases. For powerlifting, would it then make sense to skip the strength phase while including top sets throughout the hypertrophy phase, and then move straight to peaking? Practically, this is what I'm currently trying, just finished 12 weeks of hypertrophy incl deloads, and now doing 3 week peak phase
Been looking forward to y'all breaking this down! For future refinement of this topic, how does this work for someone trying to improve higher-rep strength performance? For someone trying to improve their squat performance in the 15-20 rep range, those loads are below 70%, so does that mean they need to train squat closer to failure even if strength performance is the goal?
What you're considering strength isn't how strength is typically measured in studies- you can likely get away with a closer proximity to failure at light loads
How does this fit in with what you've said earlier about a rep being a rep even for hypertrophy purposes, at least at >75%? Do you believe that still applies with some conditions? If so, what are those conditions? I guess in practical terms what I'm asking is under what circumstances should volume be tracked by total reps, and under what circumstances by number of hard sets? Or is training for hypertrophy in low fatigue style simply an idea that we must let go of in light of more evidence? That would be a shame, since many people, including myself, don't do well with a close average proximity to failure.
Have you tried single joint isolation with higher rep schemes closer to failure (1-4 RIR)? You don't need to be *at* failure. This solved a lot of my nagging elbow etc aches.
Great video! If an individual 'strength trains' following the principles highlighted in this video and sees gains in strength and negligible hypertrophy do we know what physiological adaptation is allowing for these strength gains? Apart from neural adaptations I guess.
Great video. Thank you. Isn't this kind of the best way to train for long term powerlifting goals since hypertrophy is very important for strength in the long run?
You end up doing WAAY more more work and spending WAY more time, when you go for super high volume and you gain very little, if anything. Stick to a few sets for a body part in a workout, 5-8 rep range, you';; be strong and look great.
"Once you have a given percentage of your max on the bar, how close to failure you train doesn't seem to matter that much for strength. "
This is extremely fascinating to me.
I'm sadden by not having found this channel earlier. It's a gem and the production quality is top notch.
Very nice! I would like to compliment you. Lately you guys have vastly improved in making the findings more practical and directly applicable to training.
Appreciate the kind words!
Your recommendations at the end align almost perfectly with Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 method, especially after his refinements in his subsequent books. Putting the specifics aside, the workouts are basically all structured as working up to a top set of a main lift at a high percentage of your 1RM and then going into backoff sets for training the movement pattern. You then do a bunch of higher volume, lower intensity accessories for hypertrophy. There are different templates that play with the intensity and volume within that structure to polarize the training towards strength or hypertrophy, as well as a simple method of periodization where he classifies those templates as leaders, which feature higher volume for accumulation, and anchors, which feature lower volume and higher intensity for realization.
It's nice to see how the science is validating a popular methodology that arose from just experience and intuition.
Mate this was a great video, not too long, broken down really well and to the point.
This is amazing info! I'd love one on frequency as well.
Straight to the point and informative. I would love to see a video on frequency as well. Thanks.
Thank you!
The information and production for this video was top tier.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
Great production quality, guys!
Thanks!
I'd like more on individualising for the specific athlete please. That is one of the biggest practical problems we face.
Hi guys, a video on frequency would be great, thanks
The new format looks good!
Very good video. I figured this out recently and I rarely hear this approach emphasized. I had been spinning wheels for a long time, smashing too much volume with heavy loads. Polarized approach is much more clever and forces you to reassess everything you're doing.
Great video, dude. Spoke like a well oiled machine as well.
Appreciate it Matt!
Big fan of y’all’s work with the meta regression failure study.
Subscribed!
Would love to hear about advanced volume cycling! Thank you guys
Just found your channel. Want to say great content. Keep it up.
Give us more on block periodization and progression strategies for powerbuilding
here from Milo Wolf, loving the content! Commenting for algae rhythm etc etc
Great video! And looks like the editing of the videos has improved lately.
Thanks Arian!
Keep it up guys, that was very informative
Glad you liked it!
Please make that video about frequency! Currently deadlifting 2x a week but debating going down to 1x a week frequency
I went down back to 1x/week. I was too scared to go back even though I saw my best gains that way. Then I went back to it and been doing like 4-6 sets per muscle per week and increased my dumbbell bench from 30kg dumbbells to 40kg dumbbels for 10 reps in 3 months
How close to failure you going on deadlifts and how relatively heavy?
Could always pull from the floor once a week and do rack pulls or RDLs the other day , esp help with lower back fatigue if that’s an issue if you’re squatting multiple days a week.
Top set-> 85-95% 1rm 1-4 reps
Backoff sets-> 70-90% 1rm 2-10 reps
Im doing 5/3/1 with additional rest pause sets for increased volume on the top set of the big lifts then isolation work, mostly one set to failure with drop sets in the HIT way.
You seem like a very nice channel, I subscribed
On the front end of the training, I understand and see your points and I love it. But I feel not mentioning the recovery/fatigue aspect leaves out some crucial aspects that may have deleterious effects when looking in the scale of weeks to months. And if there are deleterious effects, is it truly maximizing both strength and hypertrophy? Maybe a part 2 of this video including that aspect could be more content for you guys?
I agree with your point! That's why we like the polarized approach as it's generally less fatiguing. We may expand on this in a coming podcast episode.
Fantastic video. Very informative. Thank you
I really like this approach to training. You guys are awesome
Thanks for going straight to the point! New sub here
Appreciate the video.
How do we determine a starting point for reps ?
Say:
Squat - 1x1@ 9RPE + 20 reps at 4RIR (done as 2x5 @ 4RIR @ 80% of top set and 2x5 @ 4RIR @ 75%).
This seems to be suggestions in the video for strength. So, then, how do we know whether we should do 5,10,15,20,25+ reps for back-off when the goal is strength ?
Thanks!
This is incredibly information-packed, yet practical and succinct. Thank you so much! I recently started programming for other people, so I would love to hear more about inter-individual differences in responses to various training variables, and perhaps different 'categories' (maybe that's generalizing a bit?) of lifters while making programs, as alluded to with the individual differences on set volume in the video.
Great content, thanks🙏
Feedback on presentation:
- keep your hands on the desk (natural gestures look strange when hidden)
- buy or improvise a prompter. Maybe combined with a longer lens to reduce eyeline paralax.
Overall a very good video!
Some novel concepts here, especially the 4:1 long term ratio of time spent in hypertrophy phases vs strength phases. For powerlifting, would it then make sense to skip the strength phase while including top sets throughout the hypertrophy phase, and then move straight to peaking? Practically, this is what I'm currently trying, just finished 12 weeks of hypertrophy incl deloads, and now doing 3 week peak phase
Very Informative and high quality video, keep it up.
Been looking forward to y'all breaking this down! For future refinement of this topic, how does this work for someone trying to improve higher-rep strength performance? For someone trying to improve their squat performance in the 15-20 rep range, those loads are below 70%, so does that mean they need to train squat closer to failure even if strength performance is the goal?
What you're considering strength isn't how strength is typically measured in studies- you can likely get away with a closer proximity to failure at light loads
How does this fit in with what you've said earlier about a rep being a rep even for hypertrophy purposes, at least at >75%? Do you believe that still applies with some conditions? If so, what are those conditions? I guess in practical terms what I'm asking is under what circumstances should volume be tracked by total reps, and under what circumstances by number of hard sets?
Or is training for hypertrophy in low fatigue style simply an idea that we must let go of in light of more evidence? That would be a shame, since many people, including myself, don't do well with a close average proximity to failure.
Have you tried single joint isolation with higher rep schemes closer to failure (1-4 RIR)? You don't need to be *at* failure. This solved a lot of my nagging elbow etc aches.
Great video! If an individual 'strength trains' following the principles highlighted in this video and sees gains in strength and negligible hypertrophy do we know what physiological adaptation is allowing for these strength gains? Apart from neural adaptations I guess.
Great video. Thank you. Isn't this kind of the best way to train for long term powerlifting goals since hypertrophy is very important for strength in the long run?
Yeah, a lot of these concepts apply for those don't necessarily care about physique and just want to maximize development for powerlifting
This guy seems to know what he is talking about
Good info, but please -- no background noise (music). Makes it difficult to focus on the content.
Sound is a bit out of sync?
yuh!
strength is more about effort not just load.
strength and power are very similar.
You end up doing WAAY more more work and spending WAY more time, when you go for super high volume and you gain very little, if anything. Stick to a few sets for a body part in a workout, 5-8 rep range, you';; be strong and look great.
ㄹㅇㅋㅋ
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT LEARN THE TEXT AND LOOK AT THE CAMERA
WHY ARE YOU YELLING TURN OFF caps lock
Background music too loud, distracting and irritating. Content is great.
8:16 of course Brad is on both papers.