Powerlifting and mass

[RewardingLabor]

So I hear that powerlifters will often work a major compound lift like Bench Press twice a week. First day heavy, next day lighter and faster. How does this compare with going heavy with One or Two muscle groups each day (example: MON Calves and Core, Tues: Chest, Wed Quads and Hams, Thursday Biceps Triceps, Friday Forearms and Core, Saturday Back, Sunday Shoulders) so that overall each muscle group is hit heavy but only hit once a week? Does the answer change if one set of every exercise in the second method is a fast warmup to failure with lighter weight (i.e. getting the benefits of both?)? Is one better for mass and the other for strength or something else?

[Khazima]

There is a lot of evidence suggesting that higher frequency (ie 2-3x per week) will elicit more hypertrophy (the evidence is generally based on non enhanced lifters) however plenty of people especially on this forum have made/make great gains on bodypart splits.

The difference between lower and higher reps is minimal with hypertrophy, overall volume is the key factor in this case. So if you do 3000lb total volume with a 3x10 for example you're going to need something more like a 8x3 to get the same amount of volume with a heavier weight tho hypertrophy will be similar, BUT at the lower reps you're teaching your CNS to more efficiently recruit fibers to lift heavier loads.

Basically, low/high reps have the same hypertrophic response but lower reps are optimal for strength.

[Buster Brown]

One thing to keep in mind is that a PL trains for the lift and a BB trains for hypertrophy. Is there some lap over?.....sure but not necessarily the goal of each. There are heavy days and speed days for a PL but they aren't like that of a BB. There are many times of routines a PL will use and they stay on that program and track there progress for a certain length of time (12 weeks....or so) before changing there program. A BB has much more flexibility in his training due to the fact that he/she just wants to tear the muscles.

[RewardingLabor]

@khazima Do you know why natural lifters prefer higher frequency and lifters on cycle prefer to work a muscle group only once a week?

@buster is adding an extra set of lighter weight for speed (like a more serious warmup) a good idea for hypertrophy? (I like doing it for the pump but I haven't done it enough to know what it does long term)

[Khazima]

@khazima Do you know why natural lifters prefer higher frequency and lifters on cycle prefer to work a muscle group only once a week?

@buster is adding an extra set of lighter weight for speed (like a more serious warmup) a good idea for hypertrophy? (I like doing it for the pump but I haven't done it enough to know what it does long term)

Because there is a point of diminishing returns with volume for the day, for example on your first set of bench you'll get a large adaptation response, on the second you might get 80%, third 60% and fourth 40% (rough numbers) but the fatigue debt is the same for each set, making it harder to recover the more volume you do.

So if you get a 240% adaptation response from doing 3 sets of bench 3x per week, you'll recover from and see better gains than if you were to do 9 sets once a week.

my explanation is kind of poor and confusing, Here's a link with some useful information http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/pow...ing-variables/

[Buster Brown]

@khazima Do you know why natural lifters prefer higher frequency and lifters on cycle prefer to work a muscle group only once a week? @buster is adding an extra set of lighter weight for speed (like a more serious warmup) a good idea for hypertrophy? (I like doing it for the pump but I haven't done it enough to know what it does long term)

If you are training for strength then I see little point in a mid to light weight set after I perform my working sets. Just move on to the next exercise .

[Boozer35]

So I hear that powerlifters will often work a major compound lift like Bench Press twice a week. First day heavy, next day lighter and faster. How does this compare with going heavy with One or Two muscle groups each day (example: MON Calves and Core, Tues: Chest, Wed Quads and Hams, Thursday Biceps Triceps, Friday Forearms and Core, Saturday Back, Sunday Shoulders) so that overall each muscle group is hit heavy but only hit once a week? Does the answer change if one set of every exercise in the second method is a fast warmup to failure with lighter weight (i.e. getting the benefits of both?)? Is one better for mass and the other for strength or something else?

When a PL does a fast set or sets it's typically called dynamic effort or speed work. It's vastly different than a fast warmup set. The two can't even be compared really.

Dynamic effort is usually done in the 50-65% of. 1RM range and for deads and squats it's 8-12sets of singles or doubles. Bench is usually 6-10sets of doubles or triples.

For dynamic effort work you must move the bar as fast as possible. If you don't you are wasting your time doing it. Dynamic work cannot be done slowly otherwise you're just lifting a very light weight. There will be no carryover to force production.