I find set to failure easier. If you do as the book says and push or pull until you genuinely cannot move the weight and then try to do it for a count of ten you know you have pushed yourself hard enough. I do two sets to failure for the five exercises to make sure I really got the stimulus. Just going in and doing three sets of 15 and stop because you did 15 you risk never really digging deep enough to progress. My gym is nearly an hour’s drive away and one day a week means I am way more likely to keep up my workouts. Had good results. Like most I am not looking to get ripped, just stay healthy and strong.
1:27 "constant ever-changing adjustments". Right on. It's 7 days for me before I do the same muscle again. Every week I'm increasing the weight. I love it. (Subscribed -- saw your Doug McGruff interview)
@@user-tn6sq3lx6r I follow the work of Doug McGruff, Mike Mentzer, John Little, Dr Eric Berg, Kevin Richardson. It's kind of eclectic. I pick the most relevant stuff from each of them. Dr Eric Berg has great stuff on stimulating Growth Hormone. Kevin Richardson reminds me to mix it up. Don't let the workout get boring. Mike Mentzer reminds me that it's VERY easy to overtrain. Always keep the workout INTENSE, BRIEF, and INFREQUENT -- I.B.I. Today, for example, I did the Pec Deck machine (butterfly motion). My chosen weight for today was 220 lbs on the machine. John Little's books told me to take 1/2 that weight (110) and hold it fully contracted for 4 seconds to warm up my chest muscles. Then I chose 220, and held it for 30 seconds -- fully contracted, not moving. (My wife trains also. She assisted with that machine.) I won't do my chest again for 7 days. For the last 5 weeks, I have increased the weight 15 lbs each week. Next week, I will choose 235 lbs. Pretty soon, I will max out this machine. I've maxed out several machines at Planet Fitness. I'm an average-looking guy, not muscular-looking yet. Let me know if I missed something. Good luck.
@@user-tn6sq3lx6r My muscles feel larger to me. Mike Mentzer tells us that gaining 1 ounce of muscle per day is realistic for High-Intensity training. I'm in my late 50s. I've been at this for 3 1/2 months. So, it's possible that I've gained 6 lbs of muscle in that time. But during that same time, I lost 35 lbs of fat. I follow the work of Doug McGruff, John Little, Mike Mentzer, Kevin Richardson, and Dr Eric Berg. Berg has good info on how to stimulate Growth Hormone (for most people, growth hormone diminishes as they grow older). Mentzer reminds me that it's VERY easy to overtrain. For example, today I did my chest muscles on the Pec Deck machine. John Little reminds me to warm up the muscle with about 1/2 the weight you're going to max for 4 seconds. So I set the machine for 110 -- held it fully contracted for 4 seconds, not moving. Then I released it. Today, my max was 220 on that machine. (My wife also trains. She assisted me on that machine.) I held 220 lbs fully contracted for 30 seconds, then I FAILED to hold it. I released it. I rested for 20 seconds maybe. Then I tried again. The 2nd time I held it for 16 seconds. THAT'S IT! I won't do chest muscles again for 7 days. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN -- the date you train that muscle, the weight you lifted, how many seconds you held it static fully contracted. For the last 5 weeks, I've increased 15 lbs each week on that machine. Next week, I will do 235 lbs on the Pec Deck. When I can hold the fully contracted position for 30 seconds, I increase the weight I'm lifting. Mentzer reminds me to keep your workout INTENSE, BRIEF, & INFREQUENT -- I B I. (I might have done too much by holding the Pec Deck that 2nd time for 16 seconds.) Kevin Richardson reminds me to be creative. Don't let the workout become boring. I've maxed out several machines at Planet Fitness. So I become creative in finding new ways to max each muscle. I'm an average-looking guy, 6 feet, 200 lbs, I'm starting to look more muscular. For me, this is a lifestyle for the remainder of my earthly life -- it's a long-term commitment. Let me know if I missed something. Good luck.
@@user-tn6sq3lx6rMy muscles feel larger to me. Mike Mentzer tells us that gaining 1 ounce of muscle per day is realistic for High-Intensity training. I'm in my late 50s. I've been at this for 3 1/2 months. So, it's possible that I've gained 6 lbs of muscle in that time. But during that same time, I lost 35 lbs of fat. I follow the work of Doug McGruff, John Little, Mike Mentzer, Kevin Richardson, and Dr Eric Berg. Berg has good info on how to stimulate Growth Hormone (for most people, growth hormone diminishes as they grow older). Mentzer reminds me that it's VERY easy to overtrain. For example, today I did my chest muscles on the Pec Deck machine. John Little reminds me to warm up the muscle with about 1/2 the weight you're going to max for 4 seconds. So I set the machine for 110 -- held it fully contracted for 4 seconds, not moving. Then I released it. Today, my max was 220 on that machine. (My wife also trains. She assisted me on that machine.) I held 220 lbs fully contracted for 30 seconds, then I FAILED to hold it. I released it. I rested for 20 seconds maybe. Then I tried again. The 2nd time I held it for 16 seconds. THAT'S IT! I won't do chest muscles again for 7 days. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN -- the date you train that muscle, the weight you lifted, how many seconds you held it static fully contracted. For the last 5 weeks, I've increased 15 lbs each week on that machine. Next week, I will do 235 lbs on the Pec Deck. When I can hold the fully contracted position for 30 seconds, I increase the weight I'm lifting. Mentzer reminds me to keep your workout INTENSE, BRIEF, & INFREQUENT -- I B I. (I might have done too much by holding the Pec Deck that 2nd time for 16 seconds.) Kevin Richardson reminds me to be creative. Don't let the workout become boring. I've maxed out several machines at Planet Fitness. So I become creative in finding new ways to max each muscle. I'm an average-looking guy, 6 feet, 200 lbs, I'm starting to look more muscular. For me, this is a lifestyle for the remainder of my earthly life -- it's a long-term commitment. Let me know if I missed something. Good luck.
@@user-tn6sq3lx6rMy muscles feel larger to me. Mike Mentzer tells us that gaining 1 ounce of muscle per day is realistic for High-Intensity training. I'm in my late 50s. I've been at this for 3 1/2 months. So, it's possible that I've gained 6 lbs of muscle in that time. But during that same time, I lost 35 lbs of fat. I follow the work of Doug McGruff, John Little, Mike Mentzer, Kevin Richardson, and Dr Eric Berg. Berg has good info on how to stimulate Growth Hormone (for most people, growth hormone diminishes as they grow older). Mentzer reminds me that it's VERY easy to overtrain. For example, today I did my chest muscles on the Pec Deck machine. John Little reminds me to warm up the muscle with about 1/2 the weight you're going to max for 4 seconds. So I set the machine for 110 -- held it fully contracted for 4 seconds, not moving. Then I released it. Today, my max was 220 on that machine. (My wife also trains. She assisted me on that machine.) I held 220 lbs fully contracted for 30 seconds, then I FAILED to hold it. I released it. I rested for 20 seconds maybe. Then I tried again. The 2nd time I held it for 16 seconds. THAT'S IT! I won't do chest muscles again for 7 days. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN -- the date you train that muscle, the weight you lifted, how many seconds you held it static fully contracted. For the last 5 weeks, I've increased 15 lbs each week on that machine. Next week, I will do 235 lbs on the Pec Deck. When I can hold the fully contracted position for 30 seconds, I increase the weight I'm lifting. Mentzer reminds me to keep your workout INTENSE, BRIEF, & INFREQUENT -- I B I. (I might have done too much by holding the Pec Deck that 2nd time for 16 seconds.) Kevin Richardson reminds me to be creative. Don't let the workout become boring. I've maxed out several machines at Planet Fitness. So I become creative in finding new ways to max each muscle. I'm an average-looking guy, 6 feet, 200 lbs, I'm starting to look more muscular. For me, this is a lifestyle for the remainder of my earthly life -- it's a long-term commitment. Let me know if I missed something. Good luck.
I just bought the book. Jay not only I’m a subscriber of you and follow you on Instagram. I know your busy but I sent you a question on Instagram but have not got a rely. Hope to hear something
When I hit what I think failure is, I continue to push against the load and if the weight does not move Ill keep pushing another ten seconds, then slowly lower the weight. Would that count as true failure? If I did another set Id probably get half as many reps maybe less.
Yes that is true muscular failure. Mike Mentzer described muscular failure as not being able to perform another full positive rep under full control despite your greatest effort.
@@alexanderwindh4830its very simple, you have achieved failire whem your are pushing with your 100% of effort and the weight doent move and even starts going down
100% agree, I consider the content of the book great but im wary to adopt mr mcguff advice to the letter, critical thinking is healthier to the mind and body. Another reason is that some anatomical facts can be so wrong. He said in the book that the pectoral minor is atached to the humerus when it goes from the ribs to the coracoid process. So science in many ways can be skewed.
