fitnessWhat's the best training method for a beginner?
0
Likes
Hi guys
I was just reading an article about Dorian Yates and Mike Menzer and how they really only did one to two working sets, but went to 'complete failure', i.e eccentric failure (This was after a few warm up sets and also getting the central nervous system fired up).
I remember reading another article that suggested that dependent on your level of fitness/strength, it should impact on your training method.
It made the assumption that beginners are able to tolerate more volume because the weight that they are lifting is generally a lot lighter than those experienced lifters, i.e. a beginner may bench 60kg but an experienced lifter may be able to bench in excess of 120kg. Hence the stress on the CNS is much higher so less volume is advised.
I just wanted to ask what you believed was a good method for a beginner with the aim of hypotrophy was? Is the standard 8-12 reps for three sets better than the one working set to complete failure due to the lighter weight?
Quite a tricky question I guess, I look forward to your opinion.
Matt
I was just reading an article about Dorian Yates and Mike Menzer and how they really only did one to two working sets, but went to 'complete failure', i.e eccentric failure (This was after a few warm up sets and also getting the central nervous system fired up).
I remember reading another article that suggested that dependent on your level of fitness/strength, it should impact on your training method.
It made the assumption that beginners are able to tolerate more volume because the weight that they are lifting is generally a lot lighter than those experienced lifters, i.e. a beginner may bench 60kg but an experienced lifter may be able to bench in excess of 120kg. Hence the stress on the CNS is much higher so less volume is advised.
I just wanted to ask what you believed was a good method for a beginner with the aim of hypotrophy was? Is the standard 8-12 reps for three sets better than the one working set to complete failure due to the lighter weight?
Quite a tricky question I guess, I look forward to your opinion.
Matt
By Matt Mitchell – almost 2 years ago
Replies
Similar Posts
Leave a Reply / Answer
You need to be logged in in order to give a response to this question. Sign up here – it's free!
I know Dorian personally and I've been to his seminars (just recently in Toronto actually) and seen him train and I can tell you that compared to the dozens of other pro bodybuilders I've seen train and give advice, Dorian is at least as good as any of them and probably better. There's no substitute for passion, intelligence and experience and Dorian has all three. He LOVES training and thinking about training and telling stories about training and probably dreaming about training...and it SHOWS!
He believes that taking each exercise to failure using one set is all that is required to create the optimal conditions for muscle growth.
For him, when he tried the higher-volume approach, he got stale and stopped making good gains. Having said that, guys have achieved excellent results using other training methods.
Anyhow, on to your training...
You seem to have done your homework and are using terms that indicate that you have a good understanding of how the body responds to training.
I always tell beginners to do an upper body/lower body split, training the upper body twice per week and then the lower body once per week. For legs, do squats and/or leg press, straight-leg deadlifts or leg curls and hack squats, calf raises and possibly leg extensions. For back do a pulldown movement, rowing movement and rear delts. For chest, do an incline pressing movement and a fly movement and shoulders, traps and arms are pretty obvious (but feel free to ask another question for best movements for these muscles).
I would suggest a few 12 to 20-rep warm up sets followed by 3 sets of each exercise because, as you suggest, beginners can't subject their muscles to nearly as much stress as guys who've trained their muscles and their neural systems to produce high levels of power so you need to do more volume to create the muscle damage that stimulates growth.
Some time after 6 to 12 months, you will want to change your training to a more traditional 3 or 4 day split, in which you work fewer bodyparts at each workout and each muscle directly only once per week.
You can also experiment with a "1-set-to-failure" of each exercise protocol at this point and it will probably work very well to start (due to the new stimulus), especially for strength. However, you may find that changing back to the traditional 3 sets after a while gives you more "fresh" gains but it depends upon the person.
The one thing that I would say does not vary between individuals is that you can't go heavy all the time. Even Dorian says you have to back off and "periodize" your training (but that's a whole other in-depth discussion) so that you have periods in which you progressively push the limits for several weeks and then take a week off and start back lifting lighter weights and gradually progress the intensity again. This will not only result in better gains but also fewer injuries.
Nutritionist and Supplement Specialist