Learn how to train - High Intesnity Training

[oatmeal69]

Was playing with ideas while training my tiny chest on Monday. I've always done traditional bench press, inclines, declines and flies. But, it's always been the usual warm-up set, and 3 to fail in the 6-10 rep range.
SO, Monday I got on a machine bench press and did this HIT protocol. I did a warm up and then a set of about 6 or so to fail. Then I drop-set down a couple times to bring my total reps to about 14. It's so intense I can't control the urge to groan in agony. Kept the rest to about 45 seconds and did it again.
By the time I was done, I couldn't even train the declines, flies and inclines I usually do with anything close to the weight I use. Today my pecs are on fire, and feel TIRED, even my shoulders and tri's are feeling it.

Same thing with shoulders. Last week I only did one exercise - presses. But again it was on the machine, drop set style, beyond failure, less than a minute rest. I was about to cry! I got more soreness and fatigue than I have by doing my 'usual' shoulder routine consisting of several exercises and way more sets.
Thanks for this Marcus, I really think you've helped this "hard-gainer" find a new way to add muscle.

[marcus300]

Was playing with ideas while training my tiny chest on Monday. I've always done traditional bench press, inclines, declines and flies. But, it's always been the usual warm-up set, and 3 to fail in the 6-10 rep range.
SO, Monday I got on a machine bench press and did this HIT protocol. I did a warm up and then a set of about 6 or so to fail. Then I drop-set down a couple times to bring my total reps to about 14. It's so intense I can't control the urge to groan in agony. Kept the rest to about 45 seconds and did it again.
By the time I was done, I couldn't even train the declines, flies and inclines I usually do with anything close to the weight I use. Today my pecs are on fire, and feel TIRED, even my shoulders and tri's are feeling it.

Same thing with shoulders. Last week I only did one exercise - presses. But again it was on the machine, drop set style, beyond failure, less than a minute rest. I was about to cry! I got more soreness and fatigue than I have by doing my 'usual' shoulder routine consisting of several exercises and way more sets.
Thanks for this Marcus, I really think you've helped this "hard-gainer" find a new way to add muscle.

Well done and try and keep it up and see if you build any more muscle over the next few months. Will be interesting to see if your body responds to the intensity of this kind of training....Let me know

[slfmade]

Was playing with ideas while training my tiny chest on Monday. I've always done traditional bench press, inclines, declines and flies. But, it's always been the usual warm-up set, and 3 to fail in the 6-10 rep range.
SO, Monday I got on a machine bench press and did this HIT protocol. I did a warm up and then a set of about 6 or so to fail. Then I drop-set down a couple times to bring my total reps to about 14. It's so intense I can't control the urge to groan in agony. Kept the rest to about 45 seconds and did it again.
By the time I was done, I couldn't even train the declines, flies and inclines I usually do with anything close to the weight I use. Today my pecs are on fire, and feel TIRED, even my shoulders and tri's are feeling it.

Same thing with shoulders. Last week I only did one exercise - presses. But again it was on the machine, drop set style, beyond failure, less than a minute rest. I was about to cry! I got more soreness and fatigue than I have by doing my 'usual' shoulder routine consisting of several exercises and way more sets.
Thanks for this Marcus, I really think you've helped this "hard-gainer" find a new way to add muscle.

Maybe throw some rest-pause in there too. I couldn't imagine a HIT session without rest-pause. It's my favorite. If working without a spotter I love....

Warm Up Set
Drop Set
Rest Pause x 3
and done

[oatmeal69]

Maybe throw some rest-pause in there too. I couldn't imagine a HIT session without rest-pause.

On the last of my drop sets, I will usually try to do rest pause, or partial reps. By then I'm ready to scream, it's really hard!

[slfmade]

On the last of my drop sets, I will usually try to do rest pause, or partial reps. By then I'm ready to scream, it's really hard!

Are you trying to do dropsets on every movement?

[RewardingLabor]

Maybe throw some rest-pause in there too. I couldn't imagine a HIT session without rest-pause. It's my favorite. If working without a spotter I love....

Warm Up Set
Drop Set
Rest Pause x 3
and done

Rest Pause sets are absolutely brutal. I always drop the weight substantially so I can actually do this for more than 1 or 2 reps.

So drop set can replace the spotter doing help? As someone who doesn't know how to get someone to spot me consistently I always wondered if I could really ever say I am honestly doing HIT…

Also what about a set where i do as many as i can in a row, then hold at the top for a few seconds as a sort of rest and bang out another rep, then hold at the top for a few seconds and bang out another rep, is this another good way to replicate the spotter experience without a spotter and get closer to positive failure?

Are there any other methods to help get to true positive failure?

[marcus300]

Rest Pause sets are absolutely brutal. I always drop the weight substantially so I can actually do this for more than 1 or 2 reps.

So drop set can replace the spotter doing help? As someone who doesn't know how to get someone to spot me consistently I always wondered if I could really ever say I am honestly doing HIT…

Also what about a set where i do as many as i can in a row, then hold at the top for a few seconds as a sort of rest and bang out another rep, then hold at the top for a few seconds and bang out another rep, is this another good way to replicate the spotter experience without a spotter and get closer to positive failure?

Are there any other methods to help get to true positive failure?

To get to and beyond true positive failure you can use rest pause, drop sets, forced (need spotter) and negatives which will also need a spotter.