Hey everyone. I joined here to ask some questions.
1. I know lifting 90% or higher for five or so reps results in strength gains rather than hypertrophy, but with that in mind, how did Bruce Lee perform sets of 8-12 reps without gaining muscle?
2. If I trained for hypertrophy but only ate maintenance amount of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates, would lack of surplus nutrition prevent hypertrophy? If so, to what degree? All of it? Most of it? Only a little of it?
3. Does eating a surplus of calories make hypertrophy easier to obtain, or does it go by nutrition? Possibly both?
4. Would training hard but only eating at maintenance affect recovery, such as increasing the amount of time I need to recover? Does this go by nutrition instead of just calories?
5. Can stretching reduce and even prevent hypertrophy?
Thank you all for your input.
Several Questions
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
1 - his calorie intake would not have matched his calorie usage..oh and have a look at him...he could have eaten big macs all day and not put on wt...metabolism like a demon i would have thought...rule number 1: donlt compare yourself to anyone else, we're all different
2 - yes it would more then likely...all of it...you may drop fat while maintaining muscle which will have you looking better definition wise but you won;t actually be bigger
3 - eating cal's is nutrition??? but yes anyway
4 - depending on your training mode/s but more then likely no
5 - yes and no depending on when you do it...stretching pre workout decreases force output so you'll use less wt decreasing potential mass gains but you can also stretch btw sets to stretch teh fascia (a sheet that covers the muscles) allowing more blood to flow through and deliver/take away nutrients...i would say yes though (i'm a train for performance type of guy) if i had to choose one as most stretch pre workout
2 - yes it would more then likely...all of it...you may drop fat while maintaining muscle which will have you looking better definition wise but you won;t actually be bigger
3 - eating cal's is nutrition??? but yes anyway
4 - depending on your training mode/s but more then likely no
5 - yes and no depending on when you do it...stretching pre workout decreases force output so you'll use less wt decreasing potential mass gains but you can also stretch btw sets to stretch teh fascia (a sheet that covers the muscles) allowing more blood to flow through and deliver/take away nutrients...i would say yes though (i'm a train for performance type of guy) if i had to choose one as most stretch pre workout
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TheAmazingOti
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I know we're all technically different, but we have roughly the same physiology. If we eat too many calories, we get fat, if we train too much, we overtrain, etc.. Since I don't believe he was gifted (other than having an insanely focused will, at least), I am convinced I can train like him to achieve results like his.
So, limiting calories will help prevent hypertrophy as well as help me lose fat? Awesome, thank you.
I separated calories and nutrition because, well, let's say you need 2000 calories to maintain your current body. You can eat several healthy meals composed of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. On the other hand, you can drink 13 1/3 Dr. Peppers and get the same amount of calories. Obviously, the second one is the right way to go!
As for recovery time, eating fewer calories won't slow recovery? Everything I've found online pertaining to increasing recovery time points to eating so and so immediately after a workout, so and so before a workout, etc.. Do you believe this to be crap?
I was just curious about stretching. Typically, I do a light bouncing kind of stretch (more or less dynamic stretching) and I bounce around a little. Just a quick warm up. Then first set is around 40 or 50% of 1RM. After I work with 1RM on every exercise, I'm going to start static stretching. Just wondering about its effects.
So, limiting calories will help prevent hypertrophy as well as help me lose fat? Awesome, thank you.
I separated calories and nutrition because, well, let's say you need 2000 calories to maintain your current body. You can eat several healthy meals composed of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. On the other hand, you can drink 13 1/3 Dr. Peppers and get the same amount of calories. Obviously, the second one is the right way to go!
As for recovery time, eating fewer calories won't slow recovery? Everything I've found online pertaining to increasing recovery time points to eating so and so immediately after a workout, so and so before a workout, etc.. Do you believe this to be crap?
I was just curious about stretching. Typically, I do a light bouncing kind of stretch (more or less dynamic stretching) and I bounce around a little. Just a quick warm up. Then first set is around 40 or 50% of 1RM. After I work with 1RM on every exercise, I'm going to start static stretching. Just wondering about its effects.
- i don't think anyone here really understands how much you really have to train to oveertrain...in honesty most here don't train hard and/or frequently enough for it to occur
- comparing yourslef to bruce leee? c'mon be realistic...i'm going to do ronnie coleman's leg workout today too....
- i'm not really sure of your goals...do you want to decrease fat while maintaining muscle? do you have enough muscle to start with for this to happen? you can't define what's not there
- cal's, nutrition, it's all the same...the quality is the only thing that matters
- as stated the volume and intensity of your training will dictate how many cal's you need for recovery but as a genral rule, cutting cal's will not be good for your recovery...it all depends when your cutting these cals and what cal's you are cutting out and/or keeping in
- i wouldn't bother with the stretching thing really...how about focusing some heavy wts to get bigger??? now that's a good idea
- comparing yourslef to bruce leee? c'mon be realistic...i'm going to do ronnie coleman's leg workout today too....
- i'm not really sure of your goals...do you want to decrease fat while maintaining muscle? do you have enough muscle to start with for this to happen? you can't define what's not there
- cal's, nutrition, it's all the same...the quality is the only thing that matters
- as stated the volume and intensity of your training will dictate how many cal's you need for recovery but as a genral rule, cutting cal's will not be good for your recovery...it all depends when your cutting these cals and what cal's you are cutting out and/or keeping in
- i wouldn't bother with the stretching thing really...how about focusing some heavy wts to get bigger??? now that's a good idea
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TheAmazingOti
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Oh, I do. I mean, I know it takes a lot of work, but seriously. I would love to train upper body every night if I could. I love weighted pull-ups. 
Besides, this was just an example anyway...
You can do his routine. You just won't be using his weight. It's that simple.
goal is to become as fast and as strong as possible without gaining any size. As for fat loss, it's not a primary goal; I figured I'd just eat around maintenance and let the exercise take care of it.
Quality, yes, thank you. That's what I was referring to.
Well, right now I do a low volume training routine. I'm about to change to a higher one though to develop power instead of just pure strength. As for WHEN I cut the calories, I doubt I would skip them after a workout. Working out makes me soooo hungry.
Stretching is an important part of physical fitness, at least for me. As far as the weights to get bigger, I already lift heavy weights, just not to get bigger. Again, not goal, so not a good idea for me.
Besides, this was just an example anyway...You can do his routine. You just won't be using his weight. It's that simple.
goal is to become as fast and as strong as possible without gaining any size. As for fat loss, it's not a primary goal; I figured I'd just eat around maintenance and let the exercise take care of it.
Quality, yes, thank you. That's what I was referring to.
Well, right now I do a low volume training routine. I'm about to change to a higher one though to develop power instead of just pure strength. As for WHEN I cut the calories, I doubt I would skip them after a workout. Working out makes me soooo hungry.
Stretching is an important part of physical fitness, at least for me. As far as the weights to get bigger, I already lift heavy weights, just not to get bigger. Again, not goal, so not a good idea for me.
About the stretching...
Because stretching directly after a workout can increase the size of your connective tissue, it can actually increase your potential for muscle hypertrophy. It also helps keep your body healthy and well-balanced, which assists in capability and recovery. Flexability is an often overlooked aspect of fitness.
That being said, it is better to stretch after a workout than before. Most benefits occur then, and stretching before completely warm can actually increase your chances of injury and may lessen your performance.
-Aleia
Because stretching directly after a workout can increase the size of your connective tissue, it can actually increase your potential for muscle hypertrophy. It also helps keep your body healthy and well-balanced, which assists in capability and recovery. Flexability is an often overlooked aspect of fitness.
That being said, it is better to stretch after a workout than before. Most benefits occur then, and stretching before completely warm can actually increase your chances of injury and may lessen your performance.
-Aleia
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TheAmazingOti
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- i wouldn't bother with ronnie's volume either and then it's just a bunch of exercises tuck together with no sequence or justification making it worthless to everyone but him...the best reason not to do "magazine" workouts
- well you need to increse your relative strength to get stronger and faster with no wt gain...low-ish volume, maintenance cal's, increase wt each session, fluctuate your training stress each week
- higher volume will induce muscle gain...with maintenece cal's you won't be eating enough to recover so increasing vol is not the answer here
- just remeber you can;t have power without strength so it needs to be maintained at least...deadlift/squat/bench at 1.5 x bw (deads/squat better off at 2 x bw) as a bare minimum for power work to have any great effect and if not keep getting stronger
- well you need to increse your relative strength to get stronger and faster with no wt gain...low-ish volume, maintenance cal's, increase wt each session, fluctuate your training stress each week
- higher volume will induce muscle gain...with maintenece cal's you won't be eating enough to recover so increasing vol is not the answer here
- just remeber you can;t have power without strength so it needs to be maintained at least...deadlift/squat/bench at 1.5 x bw (deads/squat better off at 2 x bw) as a bare minimum for power work to have any great effect and if not keep getting stronger
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TheAmazingOti
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I know I need to increase relative strength, I was just making sure I knew how to avoid hypertrophy.
There must be a way to eat maintenance amount of calories but not slow recovery... Maybe not with very high volume training, but I believe there's a way with "easier" training.
I know about power, don't worry. When I first started strength training, I stopped working on speed all together. So, despite the fact entire body got stronger, I was still the same speed and I had the same vertical leap.
There must be a way to eat maintenance amount of calories but not slow recovery... Maybe not with very high volume training, but I believe there's a way with "easier" training.
I know about power, don't worry. When I first started strength training, I stopped working on speed all together. So, despite the fact entire body got stronger, I was still the same speed and I had the same vertical leap.
what's worng with more muscle anyway? more cross sectional area provides more strength potential...don't overestimate how hard it is to actually build muscle too...
keep the volume low-ish and at maintenece you should be fine...you'll need to fluctuate our training stress throughout the month too or will be too much simply ramping up all the time
keep the volume low-ish and at maintenece you should be fine...you'll need to fluctuate our training stress throughout the month too or will be too much simply ramping up all the time
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TheAmazingOti
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I like the way I look now and I'm comfortable with weight.
I know, I know. For some reason, I just can't get over this paranoia of hypertrophy.
And yeah, I trained at nothing but 1RM for a few weeks and, even though it worked great at the time, I'm starting to plateau. Last night was first night back on 5x5 thing... Depending on how I feel, at least. Sometimes I only squeeze out 3x5, other times I'll go to 7x5 and STILL feel fine.
I know, I know. For some reason, I just can't get over this paranoia of hypertrophy.
And yeah, I trained at nothing but 1RM for a few weeks and, even though it worked great at the time, I'm starting to plateau. Last night was first night back on 5x5 thing... Depending on how I feel, at least. Sometimes I only squeeze out 3x5, other times I'll go to 7x5 and STILL feel fine.