Should You Lift Heavy For Muscle Gains, Light For Fat Loss?

Summary

Dr. Mike from Renaissance Periodization debunks common weight training myths, emphasizing that both heavy and light loads can effectively build muscle across a range of 5 to 30 reps. He advises against dogmatic adherence to high or low rep ranges, advocating for personalizing training based on stimulus to fatigue ratio. Dr. Mike also discusses the benefits and risks of different rep ranges during bulking and cutting phases, suggesting lighter training towards the end of a cut and cautioning against heavy lifting immediately after.

Takeaways

• 🏋️ The traditional belief that heavy weights are best for muscle gain and high reps for fat loss is not entirely supported by scientific evidence.
• 🔍 Research indicates that muscle growth from sets of 5 to 30 repetitions is roughly equivalent, challenging the conventional wisdom of specific rep ranges for bulking or cutting.
• 💪 The individual response to different rep ranges can vary significantly; some people may experience better muscle growth with higher reps, while others may benefit more from lower reps.
• 🤔 The idea of 'etching in the details' during a fat loss phase is physiologically nonsensical, as muscle growth or fat reduction are the only changes that can occur.
• 🔥 Higher rep training can be advantageous during a fat loss phase due to improved endurance and reduced cardiovascular strain compared to heavy lifting.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Towards the end of a bulking phase, lower rep training might be more effective due to reduced cardiovascular limitations and potentially greater muscle stimulation.
• 🚫 Trying to lift extremely heavy weights at the end of a fat loss phase can be risky due to increased fatigue, reduced coordination, and physiological changes that make the body more catabolic.
• 📈 Progressing with rep ranges can be a safer and psychologically rewarding alternative to increasing load, especially when strength gains plateau during a fat loss phase.
• 💊 The best practices involve using a 'stimulus to fatigue ratio' to determine the most effective rep range for an individual, rather than adhering strictly to traditional guidelines.
• 📚 Evidence-based training should be flexible and adaptable, taking into account individual responses and the specific context of each training phase, rather than being dogmatic about certain methods.
• 👍 The RP Hypertrophy app is promoted as a tool to help individuals find the most effective training programs and rep ranges tailored to their unique needs and goals.

Q & A

What is the main goal of weight training during a fat loss phase?

The main goal of weight training during a fat loss phase is the maximum retention of muscle mass while losing fat, as losing muscle mass is not desirable.

What is the traditional belief about training for muscle gain and fat loss?

The traditional belief is that for muscle gain, one should train with heavier weights and lower repetitions (5-12 reps), and for fat loss, one should do lighter weights with higher repetitions (10-20 reps).

What does the scientific literature suggest about muscle growth and rep ranges?

The scientific literature suggests that there is no significant difference in muscle growth between rep ranges of 5 to 30 repetitions. Different individuals and muscles may respond better to different rep ranges, but there is no universally superior rep range for muscle growth.

Why might higher repetitions be more effective for certain muscles or exercises during a muscle gain phase?

Higher repetitions might be more effective for certain muscles or exercises during a muscle gain phase because they can provide a better stimulus to fatigue ratio, which means more muscle perturbation and less cardiovascular limitation.

What is the physiological basis for the belief that high repetitions etch in muscle details during a fat loss phase?

The belief that high repetitions etch in muscle details during a fat loss phase is not supported by physiological or anatomical perspectives. Muscle growth or fat reduction is the actual process, not 'etching in details'.

Why might it be advantageous to train with heavier weights during the muscle gain phase and lighter weights during the fat loss phase?

It might be advantageous to train with heavier weights during the muscle gain phase to stimulate muscle growth effectively, and with lighter weights during the fat loss phase to preserve muscle mass, improve endurance, and reduce the risk of injury.

How does the body's response to a caloric deficit affect muscle growth during a fat loss phase?

A caloric deficit can upregulate AMPK activity and downregulate mTOR activity, making muscles more catabolic and less anabolic. This means muscles are more likely to break down their own structures and less likely to grow during a fat loss phase.

What is the stimulus to fatigue ratio, and why is it important for choosing the right rep range?

The stimulus to fatigue ratio refers to the balance between the muscle stimulation (pump, soreness, etc.) and the fatigue experienced (joint stress, cardiovascular strain, etc.). It is important for choosing the right rep range because it helps to maximize muscle growth while minimizing injury risk and unnecessary fatigue.

Why might it be risky to start a bulking phase with very heavy weights after a fat loss phase?

Starting a bulking phase with very heavy weights after a fat loss phase can be risky because the body, especially the joints and connective tissues, is not adjusted to those heavy loads. Additionally, the increased energy levels from eating more can lead to overexertion and potential injuries.

What is the RP Hypertrophy app, and how can it assist in weight training?

The RP Hypertrophy app is a tool that provides over 28 preset training programs and allows users to create or modify their own programs. It programs everything including exercises, weights, sets, reps, and frequency, and adjusts to the user's unique parameters after every workout, helping to optimize training for muscle growth.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Muscle Mass Retention During Fat Loss

Dr. Mike from Renaissance Periodization discusses the common belief in bodybuilding that heavy weights are best for muscle gain and higher reps for fat loss. He challenges this notion with scientific evidence, suggesting that both heavy and lighter loads can lead to similar muscle growth within the range of 5 to 30 repetitions. He emphasizes the importance of muscle mass retention during fat loss phases and argues against the traditional 'bulker' and 'cutter' terminology, advocating for a more nuanced approach to training.

05:01

🚫 Debunking 'Etching Details' with High Reps

Dr. Mike refutes the idea that higher repetitions can 'etch in the details' or striations of muscles during a fat loss phase. He explains that muscle growth and fat reduction are the only physiological changes, and there is no scientific basis for the concept of 'detail etching' through reps. He also addresses the myth that higher reps burn more calories, stating that the majority of calorie deficit comes from diet and general activity levels, not from weight training variations.

10:05

🔁 The Advantages of Rep Ranges in Training Phases

The video script explains the advantages of using heavier weights during muscle gain phases and lighter weights during fat loss phases. Heavier weights can provide a better stimulus for muscle growth without being limited by cardiovascular endurance, especially when body fat percentage is higher. Conversely, lighter weights can be easier to perform as the body becomes leaner during a cut, and they can also help in retaining muscle mass more effectively due to physiological adaptations to endurance training.

15:05

🤔 Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio in Training

Dr. Mike introduces the concept of 'stimulus to fatigue ratio' as a key factor in determining the effectiveness of a rep range. He suggests that individuals should experiment with different rep ranges to find what works best for their specific muscles and exercises. The goal is to maximize muscle stimulation while minimizing joint and connective tissue fatigue. He also promotes the use of the RP Hypertrophy app to assist with program design and exercise selection.

20:05

📈 Progression and Adaptation in Training

The speaker advises on the best practices for training, emphasizing the importance of progression and adaptation. He suggests increasing rep ranges as a form of progression, especially during the later stages of a fat loss phase when strength gains may be harder to achieve. Additionally, he recommends starting a bulking phase with lighter weights to avoid injury, as the body needs time to adjust to heavier loads after a period of lower energy availability.

25:06

👋 Closing Thoughts on Training Philosophy

In the concluding paragraph, Dr. Mike encourages trainees to be open-minded and not dogmatic about training approaches. He advises against blindly following old school methods without questioning their efficacy and emphasizes the importance of evidence-based practices. He invites viewers to explore the members' area and other resources for further information, signaling the end of the video script.

Keywords

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy refers to the increase in muscle size due to the growth of muscle fibers. In the context of the video, hypertrophy is a central theme as the discussion revolves around effective training methods for muscle growth. The script mentions that both heavy and lighter loads can contribute to hypertrophy, challenging traditional beliefs that only heavy weights are effective for bulking.

💡Fat Loss Phase

The fat loss phase is a period in a training program where the focus is on reducing body fat while trying to retain muscle mass. The video discusses the common misconception that lighter weights and higher repetitions are best for this phase. It suggests that the choice of weights and reps should be based on individual response and the stimulus to fatigue ratio.

💡Muscle Retention

Muscle retention is the ability to maintain muscle mass while in a calorie deficit, which is typical during a fat loss phase. The video emphasizes the importance of muscle retention and how training choices can impact this. It suggests that heavier weights may not always be the best option for retaining muscle during a cut, contrary to popular belief.

💡Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio

This concept refers to the balance between the stimulus provided to the muscles (such as tension, pump, and soreness) and the fatigue experienced during a workout. The video argues that individuals should choose their rep ranges based on optimizing this ratio, rather than adhering to a one-size-fits-all approach.

💡Bulking

Bulking is a phase of training focused on increasing muscle mass, often accompanied by an increase in body fat. The script challenges the traditional bulking approach of exclusively using heavy weights and suggests that lighter weights can also be effective, especially towards the end of a bulk when cardiovascular endurance may limit performance.

💡Rep Ranges

Rep ranges refer to the number of repetitions performed for a given set in a resistance training program. The video discusses how different rep ranges (from low to high) can affect muscle growth and should be chosen based on individual response and the specific goals of the training phase, whether it's bulking or cutting.

💡AMPK

AMPK, or AMP-activated protein kinase, is an enzyme that plays a role in cellular energy homeostasis. The video explains how prolonged caloric deficits can upregulate AMPK, leading to a more catabolic state in muscles and potentially improved endurance. This has implications for training choices during a fat loss phase.

💡mTOR

mTOR, or mammalian target of rapamycin, is a protein kinase that promotes cell growth and is associated with anabolic processes like muscle protein synthesis. The video suggests that a caloric deficit can downregulate mTOR activity, making it harder to build muscle during a fat loss phase.

💡Progression

Progression in weight training refers to the gradual increase in workload to promote muscle adaptation and growth. The video suggests that adding reps at the end of a fat loss phase can be a form of progression that is less taxing on the body and may be more effective than increasing weight.

💡Injury Risk

Injury risk in the context of the video pertains to the potential for harm when training with heavy weights, especially towards the end of a fat loss phase when the body is fatigued and less conditioned for heavy loads. The video advises caution when transitioning from lighter training during a cut to heavier training during a bulk to minimize this risk.

Highlights

The traditional belief that heavy weights are best for muscle gain and high reps for fat loss is challenged.

Research indicates that muscle growth from sets of 5 to 30 repetitions is roughly equivalent, contradicting the common belief in a specific rep range for hypertrophy.

Individual responses to rep ranges vary, with some muscles or individuals showing better growth with higher or lower repetitions.

The idea of 'etching in the details' with higher reps during a fat loss phase is debunked as physiologically nonsensical.

The calorie burn from weight training is minimal compared to diet and other activities, emphasizing the importance of diet in a fat loss phase.

During a fat loss phase, maintaining heavy weights can help retain muscle mass, contrary to the idea of always using lighter weights.

Higher rep ranges can be advantageous for muscle growth in certain exercises and muscle groups, regardless of the phase.

The importance of stimulus to fatigue ratio in determining the effectiveness of a rep range for an individual's muscle growth.

The potential for injury is higher when transitioning from a fat loss phase to heavy lifting without proper adjustment.

Psychological benefits of achieving personal records (PRs) with higher rep ranges during the end of a fat loss phase.

The recommendation to avoid dogmatic approaches to training and instead focus on individualized stimulus to fatigue ratios.

The suggestion to use higher rep ranges for progression in the final mesocycle of a fat loss phase due to fatigue and injury risk.

Advice for a gradual transition from lighter to heavier weights when beginning a bulking phase post-fat loss to avoid injury.

The importance of not relying solely on historical practices or 'old school' methods without considering current scientific evidence.

The introduction of the RP Hypertrophy app, designed to assist with personalized workout programming and education.

Transcripts

your goal with weight training has to be

must be in a fat loss phase the maximum

retention of muscle mass because losing

it is a possibility you don't

want hey folks Dr Mike here for

Renaissance periodization should you go

heavier when you're training for muscle

gain and do lighter higher reps when

you're training for fat loss oo is this

fact or fiction lots of ideas let's find

out what's correct and what is

not the idea of going heavy for your

bulk my bulker every now and again I

read the steroid forums and I'm always

upset and every now and again they use

terms like bulker and cutter doing a

cutter and I found some wistw underneath

Grandma's old

shelves got my PCT

together got kgal on hand just in case

sides hit honestly if I ruled the world

it would be a Libertarian capitalist

Paradise

Ubi all that shit hell yeah Bernie

Sanders you can state to everyone who's

ever commented with slaying in a steroid

form lined up and fucking shot in public

as a lesson never say bulker or Cutter

nothing is ever on

hand I'm just upset in any

case when you are bulking a very common

tradition Through the Ages has been

okay you got to go heavy to put on mass

sets of like five to 12 reps is what

most guys have in mind and then in a fat

loss phase that everyone kind of knows

or the old school tradition is I'm old

school brother uh is you do higher reps

maybe sets of 10 to 20 reps if not

higher but definitely if you tell most

old school bodybuilders hey like when

I'm buling a kind of sets of 5 to 10 5

to 12 when I'm uh trying to lose some

fat I go to sets 10 to 20 is very

unlikely anyone's going to bat an eye

they like yeah

obvious but does this actually make

sense it does make some sense other

sense it does not make let's find out

how first it doesn't make sense what are

the cons against this view first there

has been enough research collected now

we pretty confidently never sure thing

science is never certain we can very

confidently say that heavier loads and

lighter loads build a roughly equivalent

amount of muscle sets of five to 30

repetitions and even a little bit

outside those ranges have been shown in

almost every study study after study

after study different designs different

populations to just not be reliably

differentiable in muscle growth so if

you said something like well sets of 5

to 10 build mass more than sets of 20 to

25 if you loop back to the literature

talk to somebody like Brad shonfeld the

world's expert on hypertrophy then it

would be like that that's actually not

true and the thing is a lot of us who do

the science and RP funds a ton of the

science and I'm a co-author and bunch of

papers nowadays we are all hardcore to

begin with like we're all from that era

and we all thought this was true sort of

hoped it was true and then we found out

it wasn't so it turns out that is just

not true to say that like heavier

weights put on more bulk or more

mass take that for what it is there's a

probability that it's true but it's just

not evident in literature or in real

practice you got guys getting big you

know like Tom Platz the way he got big

legs was like Ultra High Reps all the

fucking time okay so oh that that's just

Tom plat legs didn't apply was he an

outlier if you look at all the data and

all the experience there's just nothing

to generalize

to next lighter loads May in fact be

superior for certain muscles certain

exercises in a muscle gain phase on

average there doesn't seem to be a

difference between sets of five to 10

sorry between sets of five all the way

up to sets of

30 in specific individuals in specific

muscles some individuals seem to grow

better from higher reps some individuals

and their muscles on certain exercises

seem to grow better with lower

repetition but because that diversity is

the case you can even find lots of

individuals and or muscles on

individuals which just grow better from

higher reps and lower reps are just not

the answer for example just taking

myself my biceps if I do sets of five to

10 some stuff happens but if I do sets

of 10 to 15 or 15 to 20 my shit blows up

and so if I was to be a strict adherent

of the okay it's time to bulk that's a 5

to 10 my biceps just wouldn't grow that

much and then when I got to the fat loss

phase I would notice when I switch to

higher reps like my biceps actually like

unfortunately I'm not eating enough to

really grow muscle now but they're just

getting a better stimulus I wonder what

would happen if I did this in the

offseason when I'm bulking and the

answer is I would just get bigger so

that dogmatic you got to train heavier

to put on size thing isn't just not

statistically on average true it's on

average neutral there are many times

where where it's actually wrong and so

if you have that dogmatic view you're

going to be wrong a lot you're going to

have the situation where you do in sets

of 5 to 10 on squats and lag presses and

your knees kind of hurt a little bit

your quads get a decent pump decent

tension takes you little few days to

recover and you're good to go and you're

having like okay leg training and then

one of your buddies comes in from out of

town and you hit a couple sessions with

him you know he's there for maybe he's

staying with you for a few weeks or

something before your wedding or some

shit like that get getting you ready for

the the married life and you hit a

couple workouts with him and he's doing

like a high rep program and you're like

bro my legs are exploding I'm sore all

the fucking time my pumps are out of

this world I physically fucking added

like half an inch I swear to God in the

last two weeks on my legs he's like oh

sweet I love it yeah this this rep range

really works for me and then he gets on

a flight and leaves and you're like all

right back to bulking so that's a five

to 10 that didn't really work all that

well for me so there are situations in

which clearly higher reps work better

and that doesn't make a whole lot of

sense one thing I didn't write here on

the PowerPoint which is also true is the

corollary of that is in the fat loss

phase some guys if they do nice

controlled slow Ecentric nice and strict

injury probability kept low sets of like

8 to 10 or even 6 to 10 they can have an

unbelievably more efficacious retention

of their muscle tissue some guys could

say like dude as soon as I start going

light pre-contest my fucking shit falls

off my body my muscles just start

sinking off but if I keep going as heavy

as I can safely I just have this fucking

hard big ass look I'm able to retain all

my trouble muscles that happens all the

time so it's both false to say that

heavy training is always best for growth

and it's false to say that light

training is always best for cutting

problem next you'll hear guys this one I

had to put in here because something

you're going to hear and I want you guys

to be inoculated against this fucking

nonsense is why fucking build with

fucking heavy weights right right makes

sense and then fucking etching the

details on a

cutter guns loaded don't fucking say

that shit again fucking on a cutter just

kidding uh on a fat loss phase my bad I

fucking Etch in the details with higher

reps oh okay well let's pretend I'm a

physiologist oh wait I am of sport and

let's pretend that we know something uh

together you and I Mr viewer about how

Muscle Works and what it

is describe to me how etching in the

details could possibly work from a

physiological or anatomical persp

perspective I'm sorry you're not a

sculptor motherfucker either the fat

decreases in size or the muscle

increases in size I don't understand

what etching in details can possibly

mean and if you think about it long

enough it can't possibly mean anything

so people who say I'm using the fucking

High Reps to etch in the striations that

is just unabashed

nonsense muscle grows or get smaller fat

grows or gets smaller you want to etch

in details keep your muscle the same

size or grow it a little bit and take

your fat stores and Shrink them down

details etched no rep range

required people also say you know the

higher reps burn more calories and

that's true to an unbelievably tiny

extent that makes almost no difference

the real calorie snc that you generate

for the deficit comes from diet a little

bit of it comes from keeping up a normal

slash normal to high level of physical

activity doing your cardio getting your

12,000 steps a day whatever almost none

of it comes from differences in weight

training and remember weight training we

have one big goal on a fat loss phase we

want to make sure that we preserve as

much muscle as possible sort of attempt

to build it and the building is can

canceled out by the catabolic State and

then you end up at neutral most of the

time ideally if you start to go okay in

my workouts my weight training I want to

burn more calories you were necessarily

sacrificing optimal hypertrophy because

optimal hypertrophy is like a one one

target goal you shoot for that what are

extra goals are are up to n it's like if

you want to go to Subway and pick up a

sandwich and your friend's like hey can

you stop by like CVS for me to pick up

like some gum you're like yeah it could

it's going to cost me 20 extra minutes

we're just not that close of friends so

no I'm not going to do anything for you

again ever Bob

ever don't ask who Bob is never ask me

about who Bob is he's dead to me in any

case if the goal is getting a Subway

sandwich the anything you do extra is

extra and if you're really crunched for

time you're not just a piece of shit

that says no to Bob it really is taking

away from the goal so if your goal with

weight training has to be must be in a

fat loss phase the maximum retention of

muscle mass because losing it is a

possibility you don't want trying to

also Co spped it to just burn a few more

calories seems like a really shit way to

disturb a really important process for a

really small gain I wouldn't recommend

it it's just not a thing that's going to

work now that's all the

downsides there are

upsides and a lot of folks who are

hashtag evidence-based will be like of

course that's all true and uh that you

should just train heavy all the way

through ah but should you there are

distinct advantages

to going heavier on a muscle gain phase

and lighter on a fat loss phase and here

they are

first when you're trying to bulk up

especially later in the end of a bulk

your body fat percent's a bit higher and

you're a lot

heavier higher reps can gas you the fuck

out and because gassing out is almost

defined as your cardiovascular system

limits your performance before your

local musculature does as you're

cranking out hamstring curls and you're

now like can't breathe very well and you

have to stop you might have stopped like

four rep shy failure where you think

it's one it was one rep shy of total

system failure which is why you stopped

but you had four reps in the actual

muscle left over it's the lungs that

kept you back if you instead didn't

train for sets of 20 in the hamster and

curl but try to set do sets of 10 you

might have reached one rep away from

failure amazing stimulus without your

lungs burning much because you just

didn't have to do 10 extra reps

higher Reps for muscle growth are

amazing when you can do them but there

may be times towards the end of a bulk

where lower reps are better just because

they're not limited by our

cardiovascular ability and thus they are

actually more effective for muscle

growth on the other hand when you are

cutting higher reps can be easier to do

each week instead of harder because you

lean out when you're squatting for

higher reps let's say sets of 15 I don't

know why the fuck you'd ever do that

well let's pick a more rational exercise

to sets 15 hack squat when you're hack

squatting for sets of 15 and you're

doing it in a bulking phase oh my God

bro you're just going to start vomiting

blood at some point and stop eight rep

shy failure because you can't fucking

breathe and you're rolling on the floor

thinking you're good this is it I'm

going to die if you're doing sets of 15

on the hack squat especially in the tail

end of a fat loss phase you're losing

weight session to session week to

week and those higher reps are much

easier to do when you were physically

lighter you ever notice small people can

crank reps like crazy big guy does 12

reps and he's on the floor throwing up

and you're leaning out and nothing in

this world short of actual endurance

training makes your endurance better

than losing fat I mean it's magical as

you're leaning out you're more able to

do higher reps which is great here's

another really trippy

thing as you impose a caloric deficit on

your body's musculature that long-term

exposure to the caloric deficit

upregulates ampk activity and down

regulates mtor activity what that means

in science speak is that it makes your

muscles unfortunately slightly more

catabolic likely to break down their own

structures for feeding the body because

it's fucking starving to death and less

anabolic less propensity to grow muscle

that sucks however there's a silver

lining there ampk is also the it's not

just the central catabolic governor of

your cell it's also one of the central

governor of endurance

adaptations and a lot ofk activity

actually changes your fiber type

isoforms on the

margins it improves it signals to

improve vascularity around the the

muscle tissue and a ton of other uh

effects it actually can improve the

oxygen transport ability through and to

the muscle and what that ends up doing

is at the longer you do a fat loss phase

4 and the more ampy activity is summated

over time you actually get better at

reps you get more endurant so not only

getting better reps because you're

getting lighter and leaner but you're

now getting better reps internally

physiologically at the molecular level

that's kind of cool so you might as well

lean into the shit you're getting good

at as opposed to leaning shit you're not

getting good at coming back to that if

you're trying to go your all-time

heaviest at the end of a fat loss phase

that can be needlessly injury promoting

let's take charge of what's going on

here or take stock of what's going on at

the end of a fat loss phase you're

really fatigued you're at a body weight

you're not used to the cushioning of the

connective tissues and the rest of your

body is minimized because you've been

losing fat you're probably in a slightly

less hydrated State than you would be on

a bul because you know you don't have

bloat face anymore and that means all of

your joints connective tissues are not

dehydrated but they're less hydrated

you're also fatigued in a way that

affects your coordination one of the

earliest signs of high systemic fatigue

in athletes is they're not as fluid and

smooth anymore with their movements

they're a little shaky a little Breaky

they make more mistakes you make a

mistake under 200 kilos in a squat of

athleticism you have to lean forward a

bit more something pops there it is you

make a mistake under 120 kilos if you're

a 200 kilo squatter H probably not much

is going to happen so trying to go

alltime Ultra heavy at the end of a fat

loss phase could just be um getting

together kind of a consilience of let's

get

hurt uh potentially

unwise in

addition you may not be able to go as

heavy as possible because you are so

fatigued because your coordination is so

off because your muscles are literally

bereft of most of their glycogen stores

which allow you to do lots of repetitive

efforts if you go heavy at the end of a

cut psychologically this kind of sucks

because you can literally just watch

yourself get

weaker that

blows if you started doing some higher

reps at the end of a cut the amk

transformative process for the muscle

the loss of fat the loss of weight can

actually allow you to continue to either

hold your ground or even make PRS

especially if you're doing sets of 15 to

30 reps and you're not adding load or

maybe a little load but you're adding

reps last month of a cutting phase you

do like press for 400 lb for a set of 15

the next week you do 400 lbs for for

sets of 16 then 17 then 18 then D Lo

something like that you can actually

make PRS which psychologically is really

awesome at the tail end of a fat loss

phase is kind of like how are you able

to hit PRS is it through heavy low rep

no not really okay don't do that are you

able to hit it with higher reps yes then

do that because remember we know their

ability to hold bule is similar and also

the higher ups don't get you hurt as

much starts to be a pretty good argument

here and this leads us to best practices

so there's some downsides there's some

upsides what are the best practices the

first thing I have to say is this just

generally when you're training

the preponderance of your logic for

choosing the rep range should come from

the stimulus to fatigue ratio that a rep

range implies you can only do this by

trial and error if sets of five to 10 on

the leg press cause amazing tension felt

in the quads closer to set rep number 10

they cause a crazy burn in the quads

your pump after a few sets is Monumental

the muscles are clearly perturbed right

you try to walk away from the leg press

and you're kind of walking with bent

legs and someone's like you okay you're

like let me just grab on of this

drinking fountain so I don't pass

out good sign that you did something to

your legs and if it gets your muscle

nice and sore while at the same time

minimizing joint and connective tissue

disruption nobody's going to be able to

set to tell you that sets a five to 10

of leg press are the wrong thing because

your stimulus to fatigue ratio stimulus

being all those good things I said and

fatigue mostly being joint connective

tissue stop but also how much an

exercise systemically beats you up if

your stimulus to fatigue ratio sets a 5

to 10 is

amazing that's the right answer let me

tell you guys about the RP hypertrophy

app with over 28 preset programs already

in the app you can choose to make your

own you can modify an existing program

or you can just run the programs exactly

as they were written by me personally

this app programs everything for you

exercises weights sets reps frequency

the whole thing after every single

workout on every sing SLE week the app

adjusts to your unique parameters with

every single input we have over 250

exercises in the app with detailed video

tutorial links to every single one you

never have to be confused about

technique or form ever again I'm

guessing right now you're pretty

interested in the app download the RP

hypertrophy app

today if you go to sets of 20 to 25 and

you gas out it's your it's your cardio

that's keeping you behind your muscles

aren't being super stimulated you can't

really feel a ton of tension at that

range there is a burn but you're getting

more of a burn in your lugs than in your

muscles the pump is cool but it's kind

of a transient pump like you see some

veins then half an hour later after

you're' done training it's gone whereas

when you go heavier it's like a pump

that lasts kind of all day the muscles

are perturbed like they're tired but

they're they're more fatigued than

perturbed by perturbed I mean like if

you go heavy and sorry not heavy

whatever as effective and you try to use

your legs after they're going to feel

weak and wobbly and particularly there's

a coordination problem and sometimes the

muscles even cramp but if you do a rep

range that's not the best for you like

High Reps for Legs for This example you

could be like yeah like move your legs

around jump around a little bit like I

like feel tired and kind of heavy but

nothing like anything magical happened

to the muscles it's just a similar to

how it would feel after like a five mile

run like well that doesn't grow a lot of

muscle that's not good and if after that

session you don't really get hardly sore

at all then the clearly sets of 5 to 10

are better for you in the leg press in

that time than sets of 20 to 25 you will

have all the data in the world as you

train with the RP hypertrophy app link

in

description of different rep ranges with

different muscle groups with different

exercises and you're going to start to

learn which rep ranges give you the best

results sometimes it can be a diversity

it could be like there's no wrong

answers for Skull Crushers I get a great

pump when I do five I get a great pump

when I do 30 and everything in between

there could be times when it hurts your

elbows and times when it doesn't there

could be a Vari situation where you have

some stainess you've been doing sets of

5 to 10 for a while and then it feel not

so great you switch to sets of 20 to 25

and just the novelty alone Burns you out

and it's amazing so at the end of the

day just going with whatever is a great

stimulus to fatigue ratio and to put

that another way avoiding exercises and

rep ranges that are bad stimulus to

fatigue ratio like not a lot of pump not

a lot of soreness my joints hurt this

exercise is hard as fuck to do then

that's not really the answered and

that's the best possible thing you can

say so if someone's like hey you got to

train heavy to build muscle that's a 5

to 10 you got to be like oh you know

that's true for some muscles for some of

the time for me but it's not really true

for most muscles and they say how do you

know well stimulus to fatigue ratio so

that's the key core concept to keep in

mind on top of that you want to layer

some other ideas consider going a bit

higher rep and adding reps as a form of

progression instead of load especially

in the last Mesa cycle of a fat loss

phase where you're tired you can't make

strength PRS anymore your injury

probability is a little higher that

might just make it psychologically and

physiologically and safety-wise the

better choice I'm not saying always do

it give it a shot and I don't mean Ultra

High Reps I mean if you normally train

for sets of 10 to 15 maybe more sets of

15 and fewer sets of 10 uh at the end of

a fat loss

phase

lastly when in that first Mesa cycle of

massing of bulking out of a fat loss

phase

definitely keep lighter training in

stick to the lighter ranges progress in

loads through them gently but don't go

heavy right away what you do not want to

do is finish a lot of light training on

a fat loss phase and then as soon as you

got some food and fuel in you and some

rest you start day one of the bulk with

ultra heavy shits that's a five you may

want to do that but your joints and

connective tissues or tendons they're

not adjusted to those heavy loads it's a

very different stimulus and because not

only are they not adjusted but now you

used to have very little energy and now

you've been eating food and you have a

fuck ton of energy this is a big fucking

problem because that combination of bad

adjustment to historically what has not

been heavyweight in the last few weeks

or even maybe months combined with the

fact that you're now feeling really

strong and motivated can cause injury

and a lot of guys get hurt at this time

and it's needless what you should do is

through through the bulk the first Mesa

cycle continue to train with slightly

higher reps then in the next phase pick

some lower reps and then phase after

that you can if some of the lower reps

are working really start to keep doing

the lower reps and slowly over time add

weight so that by the end of your

bulking phase you're doing less High rep

training than you used to plenty of low

rep training maybe a little bit of high

rep training in the muscles that don't

gas you out and then when you transition

back to a fat loss phase again you can

start training relatively heavy and then

over time choose some lighter rep ranges

as you continue through the bulk sorry

through the cut good

God that's all I got at the end of the

day folks don't be pedantic about stuff

and don't be dogmatic about it don't say

well I read this from a book so it has

to be true you could give it a little

bit more thought all the evidence

doesn't say that injury risk is enhanced

directly by going heavy at the end of a

fatloss phase because that training

science has never been done that doesn't

mean that the reality isn't kind of

quite obvious and don't be dogmatic

don't say well this is how it works and

that's it maybe or maybe some guys got

some shit you know kind of wrong I mean

if you think about a lot of the

arguments are like well the old school

guys did it yeah they were smaller and

less well- conditioned and uh not as

impressive and there were fewer of them

you say Fuck dare you bro Arnold was

better than everyone sure but how many

Arnolds were there and imagine if Arnold

said this during his day he'd be doing

some exercise and he'd be like where'd

you get that

from got Vince Janda the and guys from

the 50s I mean they really knew things

and guys from the 30s I mean they knew

it

all and guys from 1910 I mean circus

strongman they didn't even have weights

they knew everything because old school

is better the that's bullshit we learn

stuff over time and some of the stuff

from the past can be informative and

true and some of it gets filtered away

so there is some truth to going heavier

and a massing and a bulking phase and

going lighter in a fat loss phase but

it's new and it's not direct and mostly

what you want is the best stimulus to

fatigue ratio possible guys thanks for

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