Thread: go heavy???

What's there to be confused about? Going heavy promotes the most growth.

90% of people aren't even hitting the muscles they set out to train. They train everything but what their trying to train..

Originally Posted by JAja04

90% of people aren't even hitting the muscles they set out to train. They train everything but what their trying to train..

Really? 90% huh? Can you show me some data on that number because I know I'm hitting the muscles I'm trying to train and far be it from me to consider myself among the elite 10%.

Originally Posted by CaptainNapalm

What's there to be confused about? Going heavy promotes the most growth.

Mass, hypertrophy, strength, power, and endurance can come from any rep range, intensity, training style, or periodization scheme.

Though certain variables are definitely more likely to create a desired outcome, in the end progress is determined primarily by diet and rest.

Also, while heavy lifting triggers neurological adaptation and recruits large amounts of muscle fiber, the same can be said about higher rep ranges. Sticking to heavy all the time would destroy your CNS. But, sticking to higher rep ranges wouldn't be very productive in developing your maximal strength.

Balance is key. Do heavy sometimes, do light with high volume sometimes, do power lifting, do maximal lifting, do endurance, do everything!

Just make sure your diet permits you to do this in a healthy state of body and mind, while improving performance.

Bodybuilding is about far more than loading up with huge, veiny muslces from performing the biggest, poor-form lifts you can. In fact, that's NOT what it's about. Depending on who you ask, it can be one or more or (as I believe) ALL of these things: muscular development; estetique proportions; muscular strength; explosiveness; fitness; healthy body-image; diet; synergy; flexibility; etc.

Originally Posted by JAja04

everytime i pick up a bodybuilding magazine

I'd highly recommend not dedicating any time to those awful publications

God dammit Phineas, i just got back my ability to rep you and i've lost it again. Nice post.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

God dammit Phineas, i just got back my ability to rep you and i've lost it again. Nice post.

Ya, well I've tried repping you like 10 times and I can't!

To me the entire idea of "go heavy" is about exercise selection in addition to intensity. I'm a lot better off doing a weighted chinup than I am doing bicep curls because there's a lot more weight involved. My biceps are going to get a ton of stimulation from it even if they're not being isolated.

But I think it's good to lift heavy. When I was doing Westside I was always really interested in my workouts, always looking forward to setting new 1RMs or 3RMs, etc. It keeps you focused. It's also really hard to lift a heavy weight if you've never even tried to lift it before. Think about the first time you load up a bar with a new squat 1RM - it feels heavy on your back before you even lower it. A lot of powerlifters do static holds just to get used to the feel of a heavy weight before they attempt it.

Obviously there will be times when you want to de-load, but as a general rule I try to lift as heavy as I can.

Originally Posted by gtbmed

To me the entire idea of "go heavy" is about exercise selection in addition to intensity. I'm a lot better off doing a weighted chinup than I am doing bicep curls because there's a lot more weight involved. My biceps are going to get a ton of stimulation from it even if they're not being isolated.

But I think it's good to lift heavy. When I was doing Westside I was always really interested in my workouts, always looking forward to setting new 1RMs or 3RMs, etc. It keeps you focused. It's also really hard to lift a heavy weight if you've never even tried to lift it before. Think about the first time you load up a bar with a new squat 1RM - it feels heavy on your back before you even lower it. A lot of powerlifters do static holds just to get used to the feel of a heavy weight before they attempt it.

Obviously there will be times when you want to de-load, but as a general rule I try to lift as heavy as I can.

I find some lifts to be awkward for heavy lifting. I find all upper pulls to be tricky to perform properly when performing 3 RM or lower. Pushes are by far the easiest because you're working against gravity and you don't need to grip as much.

What kind of upper pulls do you do at a 3RM or lower? I find weighted pullups amazing for back, delt, and bicep development.

You're always working against gravity when you lift, aren't you?

Originally Posted by gtbmed

What kind of upper pulls do you do at a 3RM or lower? I find weighted pullups amazing for back, delt, and bicep development.

You're always working against gravity when you lift, aren't you?

lol, ya I guess I didn't explain myself properly.

I find it easier to hold a weight in place like in a DB chest press. Whereas with rows or pullups it feels harder to pull myself all the way up once I add weight to a certain intensity.

I don't know how to explain it. Maybe because pulls require significantly more grip, and so if your grip isn't as strong as the target muscles then there will be problems. I guess I can't explain.

I agree weighted pullups/chinups are great. I just find it's harder to do true maximal lifts on them because it's easy for lose form on those particular lifts. For instance, I might pull myself almost all the way, but then stall near the top, and no matter how hard I work I can't finish that last little bit, even though the target muscles don't feel completely "maxed". On the other hand, when doing a push lift where I stall near the top I can keep pushing and my arms will eventually lock out and finish the lift.

Maybe I'm saying lifts where you lock out on the top of the concentric like in pushes or deadlifts (even though it's not a "lockout" in the traditional sense, but a lift where it has a final outcome at the top) are easier for maximal lifting versus upper pulls where even at the top you're fully contracted and can't stop for a normal static hold.

Am I making any sense?

Originally Posted by JAja04

90% of people aren't even hitting the muscles they set out to train. They train everything but what their trying to train..

lol

Originally Posted by Phineas

Am I making any sense?

I feel much more comfortable and stable pushing something away either from the ground or a bench than pulling something towards me.

So yes, you are making sense to me.