Unconventional training methods

[nicoleb07]

@dawn16 I mean there’s a drop off in reps. If I hit 9, then next set would be 8 and the final set is 6.

I think the “don’t go to failure or you’ll explode” is overblown. Going to that level of failure where your body breaks down isn’t as easy as people on the internet make it seem.

It’s more of a mindset than anything. When I try to avoid “failure” I just end up sandbagging. But if I chase that “failure” I just train harder and push each set to its full potential. At the end of the session I know I did everything I could for that day to grow.

 

[dawn16]

@nicoleb07 I gotcha. I have a tendency to redline and take everything to failure but as I get older I realize doing that for multiple sets of each exercise is mentally exhausting and dings me up along the way. So, while I still train with intensity and to failure, I do it a little more strategically.

As far as HIT goes, I would argue if you could, for example, hit 200x9,8,6, then you could probably hit, say, 220x11 as a top set, then squeeze out more reps via cluster set or rest pause techniques. Your totally volume might be lower, but your relative intensity is higher, and you’ve spent less time in the gym. Really just depends on the individual. I prefer higher intensity training but I certainly won’t pretend it’s the only way to skin the cat

 

[nicoleb07]

@dawn16 Got it. That makes sense. You get the benefit of tracking progress easier, since it’s one set, but you still get the volume through the clusters. Can’t believe I never thought of doing cluster sets after the top set…
Might give this a whirl after progress gets stale on my current sets and reps. Thanks.

 

[dawn16]

@nicoleb07 If u keep a fairly upright torso and squat ATG, zercher squats are great, especially for long legged fellows like myself. Much much more comfortable than a back squat. With the latter, my low back is the limiting factor, but with the former it’s my quads every time.

 

[bronsontaur]

@nicoleb07 Shows how different everyone is cause zercher squats are great for my quads

 

[nicoleb07]

@bronsontaur That’s awesome that it works for you. I really tried making them work for 1.5 years because aesthetically they’re badass. For me they grew my glutes and back a ton. If I lighten the loads and did higher reps, I could see them working the quads well. But, I used it as a primary squat and the heavier it got, the lift became more of a deadlift squat hybrid. Which one can argue is user error. But also, one can say by the nature of the lift, it promotes a hip hingey squat at maximal loads.

 

[becknps]

@nicoleb07 I'm not interested in HIT specifically. I used it as an example for unconventional training methods.