Weekly net stimulus and why I switched to an upper lower split

Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses the concept of 'weekly net stimulus' and its impact on muscle hypertrophy. They share their journey from a push-pull-leg split to an upper-lower split, influenced by data suggesting that full-body workouts three times a week may be optimal for growth. The speaker emphasizes the importance of volume, recovery, and personal preference in training, concluding that an upper-lower split provides flexibility and effectiveness for muscle stimulation without excessive fatigue.

Takeaways

• 📈 The speaker discusses the concept of 'weekly net stimulus' and its impact on hypertrophy outcomes, suggesting that volume and training splits are crucial for muscle growth.
• 💡 There is an acknowledgment of insufficient data to pinpoint exact hypertrophy outcomes, indicating the need for more research in this area.
• 🏋️ The speaker shares a personal journey through different training splits, including push-pull-leg, bro split, and upper-lower split, reflecting on their effectiveness and personal preference.
• 🔄 The push-pull-leg split was initially preferred for recovery purposes after intense back and leg workouts, highlighting the importance of rest in muscle recovery.
• 🤔 The transition to an arm day was made to avoid fatigue when training arms after back and chest workouts, showing an adaptation in training routine to optimize results.
• 💭 The speaker's contemplation on the effectiveness of different training splits led to the conclusion that the weekly net stimulus is a significant factor in muscle growth.
• 🧠 The idea that full-body workouts three times a week might be optimal for beginners due to the historical context of bodybuilding and the influence of anabolics is challenged.
• 📉 The diminishing returns of volume are emphasized, suggesting that beyond a certain point, increased sets do not proportionally increase hypertrophy.
• 🔄 The speaker's shift to an upper-lower split was influenced by the analysis of weekly net stimulus, offering a balance between personal preference and physiological benefits.
• 🔄 The importance of muscle recovery and the role of muscle damage in recovery and muscle atrophy is discussed, underlining the need to manage volume to avoid excessive fatigue.
• 📚 The script concludes with the speaker's preference for the upper-lower split due to its flexibility and effectiveness, and the suggestion that it might be the best split they have ever used.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is discussing the concept of 'weekly net stimulus' and how it relates to hypertrophy training and workout splits.

What does the term 'weekly net stimulus' refer to in the context of the video?

In the context of the video, 'weekly net stimulus' refers to the cumulative effect of training volume and frequency on muscle hypertrophy outcomes over the course of a week.

Why did the speaker change their workout split to an upper/lower split?

The speaker changed to an upper/lower split after analyzing the weekly net stimulus and realizing that it made the most sense for optimizing hypertrophy adaptations and aligning with their personal preferences and recovery abilities.

What was the speaker's previous workout routine before switching to the upper/lower split?

Prior to the upper/lower split, the speaker used a push/pull/legs routine, which was a more 'broy' version with a day off after push and legs days.

What is the significance of the 'stimulating reps model' mentioned in the video?

The 'stimulating reps model' is significant as it is a method to predict hypertrophy outcomes based on volume, training intensity, and other factors like exercise selection and muscle length-tension relationship.

How does the speaker feel about full-body workouts three times a week?

The speaker personally dislikes full-body workouts three times a week, despite acknowledging that they can be effective for maximizing weekly net stimulus.

What is the speaker's opinion on the importance of personal preference in training?

The speaker believes that personal preference in training is important because enjoying a particular training style generally leads to higher effort and potentially better results.

What did the speaker mean by 'overlapping stimulus'?

'Overlapping stimulus' refers to the carryover effect where certain muscle groups get some stimulation during exercises primarily targeting other muscles, thus reducing the risk of atrophy in the absence of direct training.

How does the speaker view the push/pull/legs split in terms of managing weekly net stimulus?

The speaker views the push/pull/legs split as potentially effective for managing weekly net stimulus but notes that it requires careful management of volume and exercise selection to avoid excessive fatigue and recovery issues.

What is the speaker's final recommendation for someone looking to optimize their hypertrophy training?

The speaker recommends considering an upper/lower split or a full-body split done three times a week, emphasizing the importance of understanding overlapping stimulus and recovery to optimize hypertrophy training.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Weekly Net Stimulus and Training Splits

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for positive feedback on their YouTube videos and introduces the topic of weekly net stimulus, a concept they've been developing with Chris. The weekly net stimulus aims to clarify the impact of training volume and split on hypertrophy outcomes. The speaker acknowledges a lack of specific data but suggests that existing knowledge about volume, training, and muscle length can predict hypertrophy well. They share their personal training history, moving from a powerlifting background to a push-pull-leg split, and later experimenting with an arm day to avoid burnout on biceps and triceps. The speaker's narrative leads to a discussion about the need for a change in their training approach due to insights gained from the weekly net stimulus.

05:03

🏋️‍♂️ Transition to Upper/Lower Split and Full Body Training Insights

The speaker discusses their shift from a 'bro split' to a full-on upper/lower split, influenced by data analysis on weekly net stimulus. They reflect on the history of training splits, noting a transition from full-body routines to high-volume, muscle-specific splits in the 60s and 70s due to the rise of anabolics. The speaker challenges the notion that full-body training is only for beginners, arguing that it can be effective for maximizing growth when volume is properly allocated. They also touch on the importance of personal preference in training programs, as enjoyment can lead to higher effort and better results. The speaker concludes by detailing the concept of weekly net stimulus in relation to muscle growth and the diminishing returns of training volume.

10:05

📉 Volume, Hypertrophy, and the Diminishing Returns of Training

This paragraph delves into the relationship between training volume and muscle hypertrophy, emphasizing the point of diminishing returns. The speaker uses a study that reduced training volume but maintained gains to illustrate that high volumes are not necessary for continued progress. They explain that beyond a certain threshold, the gains from additional sets are minimal compared to the fatigue incurred. The speaker also introduces the concept of muscle atrophy when there is no stimulus for growth, highlighting the binary nature of muscle growth and atrophy. They discuss the need to balance volume to avoid excessive muscle damage and the subsequent recovery issues that can impede performance and growth.

15:07

🔬 Research Insights on Muscle Atrophy and Recovery

The speaker presents findings from studies on muscle atrophy, particularly in immobilized patients, to underscore the rapid loss of muscle mass without stimulation. They argue against the idea that the body maintains large muscle fibers without reason, stating that muscle fibers atrophy once myofibrillar protein synthesis returns to baseline and there is no growth stimulus. The paragraph also addresses the impact of muscle damage on recovery and performance, explaining how inflammation from muscle damage can lead to a downregulation of motor unit recruitment and reduced force production. The speaker emphasizes the importance of considering recovery in training programs to achieve optimal hypertrophy outcomes.

20:08

🤔 The Weekly Net Stimulus and Its Impact on Training Programs

The speaker discusses the concept of weekly net stimulus in the context of training programs, suggesting that smaller volumes of training spread throughout the week can lead to more effective muscle growth. They critique studies that combine high volumes with different training frequencies, arguing that these do not accurately reflect the impact of frequency on muscle growth due to insufficient recovery. The speaker advocates for lower volumes and higher frequency training, which they believe can lead to rapid muscle growth without excessive muscle damage. They also share their personal preference for the upper/lower split due to its flexibility and effectiveness in stimulating muscle growth.

25:12

🏋️‍♀️ Personal Training Philosophy and the Upper/Lower Split Advantage

In this paragraph, the speaker shares their personal training philosophy and the benefits they have found in the upper/lower split. They discuss the flexibility of this split, allowing for targeted muscle group training while still benefiting from overlap in muscle stimulation. The speaker also reflects on the efficiency of the upper/lower split in terms of weekly net stimulus, comparing it to full-body and push-pull-leg splits. They highlight the importance of managing volume to avoid overtraining and the advantages of having weekends off for recovery and other life activities. The speaker concludes by expressing their satisfaction with the upper/lower split and its potential for others, depending on personal preferences and training goals.

📝 Final Thoughts on Training Splits and Weekly Net Stimulus

The speaker wraps up the video with final thoughts on the different training splits and their effectiveness in achieving the weekly net stimulus. They rank the full-body split as the easiest to manage, followed by the upper/lower split, and then the push-pull-leg split, noting the increasing difficulty in managing volume and recovery with more frequent training. The speaker acknowledges the length and rambling nature of the video but expresses hope that viewers find value in the in-depth discussion of training splits and the weekly net stimulus concept. They end on a positive note, wishing viewers a blessed Friday.

Keywords

💡Weekly Net Stimulus

The concept of 'Weekly Net Stimulus' refers to the total stimulus provided to muscles over a week through training volume and frequency. It is central to the video's theme, as it underpins the discussion on how training splits affect hypertrophy outcomes. The script discusses this in the context of different training routines and their impact on muscle growth and recovery.

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle cell size, which is a key focus of bodybuilding and strength training. In the video, the speaker discusses how different training approaches, influenced by the weekly net stimulus, can affect the rate and quality of hypertrophy adaptations.

💡Training Split

A 'Training Split' is a schedule that divides workouts targeting different muscle groups across the week. The script explores various training splits, such as full-body, upper/lower, and push/pull/leg splits, and how they relate to the weekly net stimulus and hypertrophy.

💡Volume

In the context of the video, 'Volume' refers to the total amount of work performed in a workout, often measured in sets and reps. The speaker discusses the role of volume in stimulating muscle growth and how it interacts with the weekly net stimulus.

💡Stimulating Reps Model

The 'Stimulating Reps Model' is a concept that the speaker mentions in relation to predicting hypertrophy outcomes. It likely refers to a model that estimates the number of repetitions that optimally stimulate muscle growth, which is a part of the broader discussion on training volume and its effects.

💡Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis

Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis is the process by which muscle proteins are built and repaired, leading to muscle growth. The video discusses how different training volumes and frequencies can impact this process and, consequently, muscle hypertrophy.

💡Atrophy

Atrophy, specifically muscle atrophy, is the decrease in muscle mass. The script mentions atrophy in the context of what happens to muscles when they are not stimulated through training, and how it is a physiological response to a lack of stimulus.

💡Recovery

Recovery in the video refers to the rest and repair phase after a workout, which is essential for muscle growth. The speaker talks about how different training splits and volumes can affect recovery time and the body's ability to recuperate from muscle damage.

💡Push/Pull/Leg Split

A 'Push/Pull/Leg Split' is a specific type of training schedule where push exercises (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull exercises (back, biceps), and leg exercises are grouped and trained on separate days. The speaker used to follow this split and discusses its advantages and disadvantages in terms of weekly net stimulus.

💡Full Body Split

A 'Full Body Split' involves training all muscle groups in each workout session, typically done three times a week. The video script suggests that this split can be effective for maximizing weekly net stimulus, provided that training volume is appropriately managed.

💡Upper/Lower Split

An 'Upper/Lower Split' is a training routine where upper body exercises are separated from lower body exercises, often trained on alternate days. The speaker concludes the video by advocating for this split due to its flexibility and effectiveness in managing weekly net stimulus.

Highlights

Introduction to the concept of 'weekly net stimulus' and its impact on hypertrophy outcomes.

Discussion on the evolution of training splits from push-pull-leg to upper-lower and the rationale behind these changes.

Explanation of the shift from full-body workouts to specialized splits and the role of personal preference in training effectiveness.

Insight into the physiological basis for muscle recovery and the importance of rest periods in training programs.

Analysis of the diminishing returns of training volume on muscle hypertrophy and the optimal set ranges for stimulus.

Review of long-term hypertrophy studies and their findings on the effects of reduced training volume.

The role of muscle fiber types in atrophy and the binary nature of muscle growth and atrophy.

Importance of understanding muscle damage, inflammation, and their impact on motor unit recruitment and recovery.

Critique of high-volume training methodologies and their effects on recovery and muscle growth.

Discussion on the challenges of finding studies that support the effectiveness of low-volume, high-frequency training.

The theory of myofibrillar protein synthesis and its allocation between repair, recovery, and muscle growth.

Personal anecdote on the transition from traditional splits to an upper-lower split and the benefits experienced.

Flexibility in programming upper-lower splits and the strategy for muscle group emphasis within training days.

Comparison of different training splits in terms of weekly net stimulus and practical considerations for trainees.

The impact of training frequency on muscle growth, and the importance of recovery in maximizing training effectiveness.

Reflection on the importance of personalizing training programs to fit individual needs and preferences.

Conclusion summarizing the key points discussed and the speaker's current preference for an upper-lower split.

Transcripts

all right hi everybody um today is third

day of doing some YouTube videos uh

appreciate you guys' positive feedback

that I've gotten uh these past few days

today's

topic so I want to

talk in today's topic about something

Chris and I um have been working on um

that we're going to eventually flesh out

completely and that is the weekly net

stimulus essentially what the weekly net

stimulus is going to help you understand

is how your volume and how your training

split should impact your hypertrophy

outcomes your hypertrophy adaptations

the rate at which you're

gaining it's as we poured through the

data we don't have enough data in some

specific ways that can help really

pinpoint this exactly so it's I can't

tell you that it's going to be like some

with I give you a like this with the

stimulating reps model with the

stimulating reps model with fatigue with

the the understandings that we have

about volume and that kind of stuff we

can predict the outcomes that we're

going to see in hypertrophy studies

pretty well um especially when you

consider stuff like what exercises are

used what length of muscle trained at

the length of tension relationship you

know all of that kind of stuff it's

pretty much consistent um with the

simulating Reps

model what I feel like it's kind of

cloudy outside the day I feel like it's

lighting is like poor I don't know if I

should turn a light on or not I'm just

doing this and I talk to you guys normal

kind of way all right so I want to talk

about two things and that is the weekly

net stimulus and then why that ended up

causing me to change to an upper lower

split

so I guess we can backtrack that a

little bit for years and years and years

I did a push pull leg split this was

after I stopped powerlifting and came

back in and I did a push pull leg split

but it was it was more of a broy push

pull leg split in that I would do um

like a push day a pull day take a day

off do legs take a day off and then push

pull day off like that that's how I did

the push pull leg split and I did that

because I felt like after a big back day

I'd want a day off and then after a leg

day I'd want a day off so because with

back if you can train at kind of a

longer links um with the lats uh with

the upper back cuz you have to kind of

use some Dynamic motions especially with

the upper back since they're kind of a

midrangey muscle so because you're still

having to train at a longer length I

feel like that there's a little bit more

no matter what when you're training out

muscle a longer link it's going to take

a longer to recover so having that day

off after the back day um and yes you

could say it applies to the PEX too um

but after the those two days I felt like

a day off was probably appropriate and

then after a leg day I felt like a day

off after a leg day was appropriate

because there would be stuff like leg

presses and hacks and pendulums and

things like that so that's how I ran my

push bow leg split and then I changed it

over for a while but I wasn't

like I I changed it to where I had like

an arm day because I I thought I wanted

to do like have one day where I wasn't

having to go in and do biceps at the end

of a bunch of back work I was pretty

usually pretty pretty wiped by that

point and then I was having to do

triceps at the end of some chest and

delt work and I was pretty wi by that

point and I and even though I'm like I

don't my arms aren't really going to

grow much anymore at this point but I

still didn't like that by the time that

I got the triceps or biceps they were

just getting some half-ass work so I was

like I'm just going to chunk an arm day

in here and just see how that goes so I

switched it over and it was like chest

PEX and delts and then back on its own

and then there was like a leg day and an

arm day and I liked it okay for a while

guess what I could describe that as like

I went from pushable legs and that was

like my steady girl for a really long

time I was pretty happy with it and then

you know one day I just felt like we had

Grown Apart a little bit and I was like

you know I don't know how you're feeling

but I'm just kind of it's not as

exciting as it used to be and then

pushful legs was told me back like yeah

I've been thinking about seeing other

people people too and I was like well

why don't we just kind of do our own

separate thing for a little while and

next thing you know I was dancing around

with this other girl for a little while

where I was like I'm kind of in tour but

unsure and then you know Chris and I had

to talk about weekly net stimulus and I

realized I wasn't in the the the split

relationship you know that was really

for me and then I decided to sit down

and have like a good internal

conversation with myself and I I came to

my my the Bro split that I was using and

I was like you know it's not me you know

or it's not you it's me and then you

know the that bro split was like you

know whatever that's what everybody says

in anyway I had to break up with that

bro split and decided to go to a fullon

upper

lower split and the the when we did the

weekly net stimulus and we sat down and

we poured over the data for weeks and

weeks and weeks and weeks the split that

really does actually make the most sense

is what we're doing in Yol butts which

is a full body three times a week and

forever and ever people have thought of

that as just a beginner's only split

it's like the only people that are doing

full body three times a week is

beginners and that's because the thought

was back in the probably late 60s and

70s you know when Arnold came on the

scene or whatever that was when the

volume thing kind of ramped up and

anabolics were more became more

prevalent in bodybuilding at that time

and people people felt like oh we need

to do more volume they were growing

because the antibiotics were giving them

that grow stimulus on top of what they

were getting from training anyway and I

think the what they kind of misconnected

the dots there was that the stimulus

they were getting from the training with

the anabolics um wasn't um it was like

some interconnected in a different way

than I think that it is I think that

it's just the anabolic stimulus and the

training stimulus and then they just

both stack on top of each other now we

Haven impr proven that and that's just

Theory so if that gets proven wrong you

guys say that's not right PA like I'm

not saying it's just a theory at this

point so let's end it there but that was

around the time and the weer stuff came

in and goes no you got to do 9,000 sets

for chest and you got to do 22,000 sets

for legs and you got to do all this kind

of

stuff and that was when they said well

in order to get in the 22,000 sets for

legs and 45,000 sets for lats we have to

actually split that up we can't just do

full body three times a week because now

I'm doing the 22,000 sets for legs and

40 47,000 sets for lats and 52 million

sets for hamstrings like I can't do that

get that all in one day I'm in the gym

for 87 hours a day so what happened was

they went from believe it or not a long

time ago it used to always be low volume

what people think of as low volume now

but low volume full full body splits

like three times a week that's what the

oldtimers did that were truly natural

before anabolics became such a big thing

thing and really clouded the training

world so when Chris and I poured over

the data and I looked at it I was like

wow it really does look like when you

start breaking down the weekl net

stimulus and how the metrics that we use

to do that and I'll talk a little bit

about that as we go that I was like okay

I relent like it does look like if you

were really trying to maximize out your

growth that a full body split um

allocating the volume in the right kind

of way probably giving you the highest

degree of weekly net stimulus with that

said I personally hate full body three

times a week I do I personally just hate

it and I think there is something to be

said for personal preference in training

because anytime you enjoy a particular

training style generally your effort

will be higher which means there's more

mod unit recruitment which means you're

probably going to get better results now

there's a limitation in that always

because physiology does exist so getting

back to the full body split when we

would break down and how the weekly nest

thing is is broken down is you get kind

of an arbitrary unit of muscle growth

from a set perform say two failure okay

so if you do one set that's kind of one

arbitrary unit now some of you are going

to go oh two sets with two arbitrary

units and that's not true because we

know factually from the data that's been

repeatable over and over and over and

over again that volume has a point of

diminishing returns like I talked about

in I don't remember which one I've only

done two so it goes to tell you got my

me my memory is not fantastic today so

uh was it yesterday I talked about

volume which one was I talked about

volume doesn't matter you guys saw it I

hope so if you do one set we'll call it

one arbitrary unit of hypertrophy if you

do two sets it's not two arbitrary units

of hypertrophy it's a fraction because

remember if you do one set to failure it

takes five more sets I'm talking about

the six sets being about where the pl

two occurs one set okay is one AR unit

it takes about um six sets to equal this

again so to get two arbitrary units of

hypertrophy or to get myof fibral

protein synthesis kind of up to an area

looks like it plateaus off and then also

where with long rest periods it tends

Plateau off takes about six sets so this

one set gives you so much right takes

about five more sets to give you this

amount all over again so one set gives

you an arbitrary unit of hypertrophy two

sets doesn't give you two arbitrary

units it gives you a fraction of that

and then you have to get all the way up

to five you have to do five more sets to

get another one arbitrary unit of

hypertrophy okay you with me so kind of

the data that got us interested in

looking at this was this very long-term

hypertrophy study that reduced the

volume they use noobs and then they

trained them for a long time I want to

say it was 11 weeks 11 or 12 weeks that

about 27 sets for legs in the week and

then they cut that down to nine sets uh

for legs in a week and at nine sets a

week done once a week it was the nine

sets done once a week prior to that they

were doing um 27 sets spread over three

days they were training three days a

week so they're doing nine sets three

days a week and then they cut out the

two days and just went to nine sets in

one day at nine sets done once a week

they still kept gaining and I want to

say now I can't remember because it's

been a hot minute since we went over

this data but I want to say that the

gains were actually even like slightly

better once they did that now some will

say that that goes against the um uh

weekl n stimulus model uh but it doesn't

we did the sat down and did the math on

it and it actually factors out about

right now 27 sets a week that's way too

many you're getting everything you're

going to get was we've talked about this

before right anything over about 10 sets

a week for the most part you're you're

you will still get gains and this is

another argument that comes up the lot

they're like well still people are still

getting gains nobody said you're not

going to get gained it's just the

magnitude of gains are infinitely

smaller in comparative to the amount of

work that you're having to do for them

so once you get above 10 12 whatever

sets a week for a muscle group in that

week it's possible you could still be

seeing some gains but they're going to

be minuscule compared comparison to the

amount of fatigue that you're going to

be accumulating so that's kind of it's

not nobody saying hey if you do 15 sets

for a muscle a week you're not going to

get zero gains nobody ever said that

it's just the fact is that you're

absolutely not getting the return on

your investment um so in that study they

eventually reduced it down to three sets

done once a week and the three sets done

once a week allowed them to maintain

their gains and their strength and I

want to say I do think strength

continued to climb a little bit but I'm

not sure again it's been a bit since

we've gone over this study we went over

a million studies after this that study

was done really really well in fact so

well it was kind of the maybe like the

spark for the idea of where the weekly

net stimulus stuff um is so you had to

look at after that there were a couple

of things that we had to look at in

terms of in order to define the weekly

net stimulus and then the second thing

was we had to say okay well if we this

amount if this much volume we wanted to

quantify that through repeatable other

studies and say if this much is the we

had to start at the minimum what's let's

get to the minimum amount of volume that

we've looks like that we can retain

gains and it does look like somewhere

around three sets done even just once a

week will help retain most of your gains

uh and then up to six to eight sets done

once a week with will get you into a

surplus of weekly net stimulus

now um the other part that we had to

look at is what are the rates of atrophy

that is occurring once myof fial protein

synthesis comes back to Baseline in

order to do that some people don't like

this but this is the truth muscle growth

and muscle atrophy are binary so the

fibers at the top of the high threshold

motor unit pool it's they're not being

stimulated right and once M fibral

protein synthesis comes back to Baseline

and goes into the negative then those

fibers start to atrophy and people get

all crazy about that and they're like

it's not binary can't they they don't

just start atrophying well I'm like well

yeah they do they're the most

metabolically expensive tissue that you

have in the body and your body is all

about surviving and basically trying to

keep you alive that's everything that's

going on physiologically with your body

your body does not want to be jacked it

doesn't you know want to be like super

ripped uh it doesn't want to be um you

know all the things that we're doing out

going out training for that basically

goes against the kind of the survival

mechanism so if your body says like I

can get rid of this metabolically

expensive tissue it will so as soon as

there's no reason for your body to keep

those largest fibers that you have then

it'll they'll start to atrophy there's

there's no stimulus coming in there's no

reason to keep them that should make

sense to you just don't like on a basic

Common Sense time type of

level so we had to look at the rates of

atrophy and we're saying well if three

sets is giving us kind of a by the time

seven days rolls around and we're just

we're right back so there's you know you

do three sets in a workout and we're

going get this myal protein synthesis

Spike and then the the kind of last x

amount of time then that means atrophy

is still

occurring however you still ended up

over 7 days with a net positive net

growth stimulus uh not with resets you

were you were back to even but with nine

sets you were still in a positive NE gr

stimulus so you had you had to break

down all these numbers and then we were

using looking at actual atrophy studies

and some of them are pretty wild one of

the ones I found that was done on people

that were put into Intensive Care Unit

and basically did not I mean they

weren't moving um

for various reasons you guys can go look

this one up it's pretty it's pretty

interesting and wild they lost an

average over the course of a month of

immobilization 1% of vastest lateralis

tissue a day 1% a

day that's

crazy so when you go and look at the

immobilization studies for like cast and

arms and stuff like that the rate of

atrophy is like it's through the roof so

anyone who is telling you that you just

your body's just going to keep these

largest fiber types in that size for no

reason when there's no stimulus coming

in that literally physiologically you

can't explain that and it doesn't line

up with any of the research that's

looked at atrophy um or muscle growth so

those were the two things we had to

consider in order to get back to okay

where is um where's the weekl stimulus

what what's it looking at and then the

third one was looking at the

recoverability so if muscle damage

exists um then there's going to be an

inflammatory effect for muscle damage

that's going to also cause a a down

regulation and motor unit recruitment

because the inflammatory response that

is caused by muscle damage is also

detected by the brain because it's in

the blood and it is seen as like an a

negative aint type of feedback so that

will actually cause a down regulation

motor recruitment so you can't recruit

those largest fiber types when muscle

damage exists and you can see that guys

you can go out and look at all recovery

studies and you'll see this over and

over again that their strength levels

don't get back to

Baseline when and a lot of the recovery

the recovery studies I mean they just

stop looking after four days so they're

like it's more than four days they're

like it's more than four days so when

you people are talking about volume is

keying when I I talked about that well

it's not because when muscle damage

exists you literally have myofibrils

that are having to be repaired or you

myof fibral that get destroyed and then

there's regeneration of that myof fibral

and during that time there is a

reduction in force production because if

you have myof fibral that have literally

been um destroyed because it's having to

create a new and replace it because it's

too heavily damaged think about it then

you can't you don't have as much force

production because you don't have as

many mile fibral to actually just

produce Force so we had to look at the

recovery studies to see we can't

actually see the right hypertrophy

outcomes because the volumes are just

too high nobody's

recovering in these methodologies so if

they're doing like something wild like

you know eight sets of 10 on bench press

and then they're like checking 4 days

and say oh have they recovered and

they're like well hell no they haven't

recovered they did eight sets of 10 on

bench press it's 4 days later they're

not even anywhere near back close to

like just Baseline strength that they

started at so what we had to do was

start trying to find studies that um use

really low volumes but at a higher

frequency rate and believe it or not

they're very hard to find so the ones we

did find actually showed what we had

been theorizing and that muscle growth

was occurring at a very rapid rate and

this gets mixed up in all of the meta

analysis that say frequency doesn't

matter and the reason why that those are

of showing frequency doesn't matter is

because the volumes are too high and

most of the studies they Chunk in there

and most of the people simply aren't

recovering

so it's hard to flesh out the kind of

exactness of the weekly net stimulus but

from a physiology standpoint if you're

looking at how long is my fibral protein

synthesis elevated and that's we can't

differentiate that out between when it's

going it's allocated

to um repair and recovery and when it's

allocated to addition of new my fibral

so we just know it's elevated generally

the longer it's elevated means that the

more damage that has

occurred so it's hard to separate that

out and then it's hard to find studies

where they're not like putting on this

metric butt ton of volume for everybody

to use and then nobody's recovered and

then they're like oh see look frequency

doesn't matter if you do 16 sets for

chest on Monday and then you splice it

up during the week by the end they're

like well you know it doesn't matter and

I'm like well number one it does matter

because the fact is that if we take

smaller amounts of volume and we splice

those up over the week and we're not

creating a butt ton of muscle damage

then most of the M fibral protein

synthesis elevation can go toward

towards the addition of new M fibral

rather than just going towards repair

and

recovery so I have actually been talking

about this for 20 minutes

and what happened is over the course of

like going through all this stuff over

and over again I said I hate full body

splits I some people love them and

that's fantastic and I do think they can

even be used by Advanced people um if

you know how to set them up correctly

they have the least amount of margin for

error so if you're an advanced person

and you want to do a full body three

times a week split you can do it and

even specialize in muscle groups and

Chris and I sat down and we looked

through it and like this is how you can

do it because he always programs that

way

I said upper lower looks really good to

me and then we did the math on the

weekly net stimulus for upper

lower and it g came very close to um it

came very close to what the weekly net

simulus numbers look like for uh full

body splits done three times a week so I

decided on upper lower and I feel like I

didn't actually realize CU I haven't

programmed upper lower myself for so

long the amount of flexibility that I

have in an upper lower because a lower

day can be it can still a lower day

where you do where just for quads you

just do some leg extensions you have a

bunch of glute movements or a bunch of

hamstring movements in there but you're

still doing a few sets of leg extension

so your quads still get um some stimulus

if you do a hip thrust quad still get

some stimulus even though you're going

to put that in on a glute day so I I

took the idea that I thought about for a

long time about the fact that there's um

in bro splits there is carryover so like

you know if you do a laat pull down from

like way up here and you pull it down

you know the pecs are really working

hard from these you know higher degrees

of range of motion so you still get some

overlap that's what I call it the

overlaping stimulus like a little bit of

Maiden stimulus this occurs and it

doesn't appear like you need very much

to kind of carry over so that you don't

have any atrophy uh within the week so

those were the things that I put

together that went into me deciding if I

wanted to do change have that break up

and kind of move into a more fulfilling

relationship with my split which is now

become an upper upper Lower Split and

it's really the best I feel like it's

the best split that maybe I've ever done

but it could just be where I am in my

training life but if I could go back

even and do it like all over again I

would definitely sit down and probably

do go from like a full body split

starting when I was like a beginner and

then transition over into an upper lower

split because again the biggest thing

that I have is that I can do if you

think about an upper day so like I'm

just trying everything on upper day in

my upper body but I am kind of deciding

on what it is I'm going to get so if

it's a triceps the only thing I have to

really worry about with triceps is the

long head so because the lateral medior

head are still going to get some like

some mate stimulants from your pressing

so if you're looking at the triceps

think about it you just have to worry

about some long head work so you're

either doing a pullover or you're doing

like a cross body extension um or one

arm push down but something that works

the long head really well you still get

some long head work even stuff like your

Skull Crushers and and your JM presses

and those kind of things it's just a

little bit

less but you're still getting it um so

then if you're like hey I want to

emphasize shoulders a little bit on my

upper split no big deal if you do um an

overhead press and you're kind of

working in more of that sagittal plane

you're still going to get some pecs in

there or or the scaption if you're

working in the scapular plane you're

still going to get some pecs in there if

you're in this sagittal plane you're

going to get a lot of pecs in there with

your shoulders so you have so much

flexibility if you understand overlap

and kind of all those things I feel like

in the upper lower splited really I feel

like is going to be between if you like

a full body split that's going to be

great if you like an upper ler split and

I feel like those two kind of separate

themselves out pushable legs if you're

running six days a week pushable legs

pushable legs Sunday off that's how you

want to run it or if you take a day off

in between you can do that I find you

have to be it's a little bit like doing

the full body split you need to be

really smart in my opinion about

choosing your volumes and about choosing

your exercise selections because I think

that when you're training six days a

week the propensity for you to overrun

one workout with recovery demands is

infinitely higher than the other two

splits so if I had to rank them in terms

of all of that stuff in terms of getting

to the weekly Nest stimulus that's going

to be the easiest with the full body

split done three times a week that'll be

the easiest way again using lower

volumes one to three sets uh to failure

close to failure for an exercise and

then after that will be upper lower um

done Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday kind

of split um or if you're a really wild

person you could do a uh Tuesday

Wednesday um uh Friday Saturday um one

of the things I've Loved about upper

lower now running the way I do CU I have

my weekends off I I did not realize like

how much time like that just takes up to

your training you got to eat before your

training go to the gym do your training

leave all the stuff that surrounds the

workouts really quite a few hours and

with the weekends for you to do errands

and just business and all that kind of

stuff really has made life uh easier so

and then the third I think that the

pushful leg split is probably from a

weekly net stimulus standpoint I think

you're going to you can get very

similars as to what you're getting out

of upper lower all depending on how

you're managing your volume I just think

it gets trickier for making sure you're

not going to be creating too much

fatigue because you are training such so

much more often so this video ended up

running almost 30 minutes which is crazy

because I feel like I just started

talking um and I feel like I just did a

lot of rambling but um I'll check you

guys' feedback to see if you just like

to hear me ramble about all of this

stuff and uh be slightly coherent

slightly incoherent so hope you have a

blessed Friday