"cycling" help.. please read.. need advice.

[anabolicwannabe]

well the general rule of thumb is 2-6 adds mass right? i recently read that your body actually adapts to this range.. so it only works for a short time, then u have to up your range to maybe 8-12 (it does not state specifically, it's a ****ing u-need-to-pay-to-get-it site). then later back down and up again. agree/disagree? how many of you have actually trained for years with the same rep range and still grow? (though not as fast as before, but yeah growth still counts)

[Quake]

Listen to your body and do what's right for you. Variety is always used, whether it's variation of exercise, reps, weight, resting time between sets etc. Some people vary their workouts every week, while others will only change their workouts when they feel they have stopped growing doing the exercises, weights etc that they have been doing for x amount of time. As you gain more experience you will learn what is good for you.

[znak]

well the general rule of thumb is 2-6 adds mass right? i recently read that your body actually adapts to this range.. so it only works for a short time, then u have to up your range to maybe 8-12 (it does not state specifically, it's a ****ing u-need-to-pay-to-get-it site). then later back down and up again. agree/disagree? how many of you have actually trained for years with the same rep range and still grow? (though not as fast as before, but yeah growth still counts)

You need to change things up about once every six months, but still stay heavy to make gains.

I would also add that it is the 6-8 ranges that adds mass, lower than six and you don't get enough work in.

I have added over a pound every month for over three years lifting primarily in the 6-8 range.

If your INTENSITY is high, you will make gains. Hard to get intense with 60% of your 1RM.

[anabolicwannabe]

hmm, but how do i stay heavy using 8-12? well if you're meaning the heaviest you can do, sure.. but i can't use the weight i do with 6 reps when i'm doing 12.. i think i'm going to do like 8 weeks 4-6, and then 8 weeks 6-8, 8 weeks 8-10, then 10-12 and repeat.. thoughts? i'm just wondering if i should just do 4-6 then skip right to 10-12 or should i use what i stated above?

[anabolicwannabe]

You need to change things up about once every six months, but still stay heavy to make gains.

I would also add that it is the 6-8 ranges that adds mass, lower than six and you don't get enough work in.

I have added over a pound every month for over three years lifting primarily in the 6-8 range.

If your INTENSITY is high, you will make gains. Hard to get intense with 60% of your 1RM.

hmm i do in the 4-6 range cause 2 and 3 just ain't enough reps.. well these 2 rep ranges are rather similar so i guess they don't make much of a difference, just what your body works better with and how you like it.

[bluethunder]

Peroidization (cycling as you called it) is most PARAMOUNT. Show me someone who trains the same way day in day out and you will see the same body each time. Neuro-muscular pathways will adapt to the same stress placed on it. As far as 2-3 rep range Dorian Yates did them and many times only one rep scheme. Most do not agree but his intensity was high. The bottom line is you MUST change your routine whether its with intensity, volume, weight, schedule,ect

[znak]

hmm i do in the 4-6 range cause 2 and 3 just ain't enough reps.. well these 2 rep ranges are rather similar so i guess they don't make much of a difference, just what your body works better with and how you like it.

Do the math, there is a huge difference.

Let's say you can push 100 kgs eight times, you do six sets that is 4,800 kgs.

If you push 100 kgs eight times, you probably push 105 kgs six times. Thus, 105 x 6 x 6 for a total of 3,780 kgs.

If you are in the 6-8 range you push a over METRIC TON more metal in one day's work out for ONE exercise.

HUGE difference, not just bodies, not just approach...

[Hypertrophy]

PERIODIZATION!!!
I transition every two weeks.

[anabolicwannabe]

point taken. but how about staying in the same rep ranges, but increasing weights constantly, like 1 kg every week or something.? or is it better to change the range, using x kg for the new range, and using the changed range, increase the weight every week?

[anabolicwannabe]

Peroidization (cycling as you called it) is most PARAMOUNT. Show me someone who trains the same way day in day out and you will see the same body each time. Neuro-muscular pathways will adapt to the same stress placed on it. As far as 2-3 rep range Dorian Yates did them and many times only one rep scheme. Most do not agree but his intensity was high. The bottom line is you MUST change your routine whether its with intensity, volume, weight, schedule,ect

do we really need to change intensity? shouldn't we always for max intensity?

[AandF6969]

Not talking about maxing to failure... you should go to failure 90% of the time at least. He's talking less rest time in between sets, thats one way to increase intensity. Supersets, drop sets, negatives, etc.

[znak]

PERIODIZATION!!!
I transition every two weeks.

IMO this is way too often. You have no idea what is working and what is not working for YOUR body in this short time.

I would change up when you know the results of the split. For me this is 3-6 months.

[anabolicwannabe]

how about my previous question about increasing weights but not reps?

[bluethunder]

This still qualifies for periodization, you are adding more stress. But eventually you need to change the exercises too. That can depend on many factors. If for example you are making gains in strength or mass or just plain feel pump then stay the course. Why change a good thing right?? When you get bored and stale then change something..

[Quake]

If you were able to increase weights but not reps for say 8 weeks before the weight becomes to heavy to do the same amount of reps, it is likely that for the first 6 weeks you will be doing weights that will not stress your muscles nowhere near enough to encourage any sort of growth.

Your idea of doing 6-8 rep (with max weight) for 8 weeks then changing to 10-12 rep (again with max weight) will probably be a good method to encourage both growth and definition, and would work, I would imagine similair things have been done in the past by other people. The variation is a good thing. As I said before, and has been made evident by the posts on this thread, some like longer periods before they change, while others like shorter periods, find what is right for you.

[Hypertrophy]

[QUOTE=znak]IMO this is way too often. You have no idea what is working and what is not working for YOUR body in this short time.

I would change up when you know the results of the split. For me this is 3-6 months.[/QUOT

It is the accumulative effect of my microcycles (strength/hypertrophy) that leads me to my specific goal.

[Hypertrophy]

how about my previous question about increasing weights but not reps?

Yes, that would be a variable to manipulate (intensity or % of 1RM).

[anabolicwannabe]

thanks guys. i got all my answers..