Great content Doug. Keep it coming. You've no idea how many people, just wait for the next one and get super excited when a new video is out. You're looking just fantastic.
I was recently thinking about the value of adding different angles and additional exercises to the big five, specifically for the chest and back, but this video has provided some good insight. Always comes back to intensity of effort. Also, I noticed that in my old workout program before reading BBS, I would do 3 different exercises for chest (flat bench, dip, low to high cable fly 3x10) and the next day my anterior deltoids would be screaming at me. It seems to be more junk volume and wasted time than sticking with the core compound exercises using sequential motor unit recruitment. Good video.
This is a general concept, not a hard and fast rule. Have nothing against different angles of attack, especially when equipment is non-ideal. However, motor unit fibers are distributed throughout the muscle and they are recruited based on effort and fatigue, so that should be a core component of "getting at" the muscle.
I've got my high intensity strength workout down to just one exercise which effects my whole body ( the Deadlift ). Improved overall strength and cardiovascular benefits. Im using a slow controlled movement up and down with as little as 20 kg which allows me to get the reps in.
Another fantastic video Doug, these videos add so much value to so many people so please keep them coming when you can fit them into your busy work schedule
Yes. Non-contiguous innervation. The sternal and clavicular portions of the pectoraalisl major also share a common tendon of insertion. I used to tell guys to try and contract the sternal portion without contracting the clavicular portion. Of course, they couldn't, but still would do their flat bench and incline bench presses.
Thanks for not dumbing down the terms - the how and the what matter in a period of time when there is much advice elsewhere that is ill-informed, especially on dear ol RU-vid. Looking forward to hearing your talks. Best of health to you and yours, Doctor.
Thank you! Some times I forget how I started and how I got where I am now. Back to basics - I am going to read your book yet again, that will clear the noise.
Imo there is some space for additional movements particularly for larger muscle groups. Or if you workout full body twice per week just do different movements for each workout.
One can, of course, also alternate movements/exercises from workout to workout. For example, a decline press one workout, an incline press the next or leg extensions one workout and leg presses the next.
Doug Brignole speaks to this very same issue. He says there is only one optimal exercise for each muscle group. Therefore he advocates isolation exercises. He also takes the muscle close to failure but not at failure. He does multiple sets. He won the AAU Mr Universe three years ago at the age of 59. It would be a very interesting video to hear you two discuss your different approaches at building muscle
Brignole is wrong, makes a lot of erroneous assumptions about requirements for growth stimulation as well as some basic biomechanics mistakes in his book and some of his videos.
Nice video thankyou . I read Body by Science twice and it changed my trainning positively. I then came across Doug Brignole and his book changed my trainning positively. I do very few if any compound movements anymore . Why? Squats load the lower back , glutes and quads but depending on your lever lengths and joint mechanics it can end up loading each muscle group with 33% of the load . I choose leg extensions .100% load on the quads . One exercise is enough . Not sure if you will read this Dr Doug Mcguff but if you do this is just to just to let you know your book opened my eyes to using logic and not emotion. Thanks man.
Thoughts on this: “Mechanical tension is a stimulus for muscular hypertrophy. In fact, it may be the only stimulus for hypertrophy. Stretching enervated muscle fibers causes them to grow, which tells us that mechanical tension can stimulate hypertrophy without any motor unit recruitment leading to muscle fiber activation, metabolite accumulation, or calcium ion accumulation leading to muscle damage. Conversely, research shows that: [1] high levels of motor unit recruitment leading to high levels of muscle activation can occur without hypertrophy being stimulated (during fast movements like jumping). Only when high levels of muscle activation occur at the same time as high levels of mechanical tension does hypertrophy occur; [2] high levels of metabolite accumulation can be present without hypertrophy being stimulated (during blood flow restriction at rest, without muscular contractions). Only when metabolite accumulation occurs at the same time as high levels of mechanical tension does hypertrophy occur; and [3] muscle damage can occur without hypertrophy being stimulated (when compressive forces cause contusion injury). Only when muscle damage occurs after muscular contractions that involve high levels of mechanical tension does hypertrophy occur.” Chris Beardsley
This makes a strong case for mechanical tension over recruitment. There are 2 types of tension, passive and active. So if you set up the exercise correctly, meaning the line of pull or angle causes passive tension coupled with a slow active contraction… Bobs ur uncle. In theory of course.
Right! In the context of what Doug is saying if you just concerned about activating all the fibres possible. A high effort based approach makes sense. This may keep them alive and minimize their atrophy. However, in the context of hypertrophy, And saying of fibres grow you will probably need a few varied angles (depending on the muscle) and slow contractions.
Dr. McGuff, One of your very best videos was the one from 2019 in which you discussed the 6 way split and more reps (25) for hypertrophy. I have made more progress using those methods than anything I've ever tried. Do you have any more thoughts on those methods since you made that video in 2019? On some body parts I would do two exercises and get the total rep count to 25 but based on today's video I would be just as well off to pick a single good exercise, take it to failure, and then follow with more reps to get to 25.
Great video. I agree. Empirically I have determined that, with the lack of nautilus/medx equipment, a few more exercises has been beneficial for overall muscle hypertrophy (ex. A mid/lower chest press movement as well as an upper chest press movement). Specifically i have found 12 total exercises to be pretty optimal assuming sufficient intensity is applied.
Agree. With ideal equipment what I describe is more reliably achieved. With less ideal equipment it may take more than a single movement to get the depth of fatigue required. Less so for multiple angles, more so for depth of fatigue as motor units are distributed throughout the muscle.
Doug! As always, thank you for your wisdom. I’m a long time fan. I use your books, podcast appearances, and RU-vid videos as principle reinforcement. Your iconic 21 convention speech started it all!
I think that's correct up to a certain point depending on one;s goal. To get that bit of extra development ( certainly not for all muscles/group) one has to do that extra amount of work . Think about line of pull of the fibers that can differ . Or maybe the equipment used that has different resistance profiles.It's not so much more but it will have an exponential effect on recovery though. Nothing wrong with doing the least needed to get the result but also nothing wrong doing some more to get a bit more results. The last years I also reduced my time to the point of failure to around 45 seconds or so. I get a much better "effort" feeling to involve the high treshold fibers at that moment . Suggestive? Maybe, but it payed off. Great to see you again on youtube. Hope your fine.
Agree with everything you said. My fatigue profile is much different than yours, at 45 seconds I don't feel anything....I tend to optimize at a higher TUL. My comments were not so much directed at "us" but at "them" that I keep seeing on RU-vid.
@@dr.dougmcguff282 Get that. Question: what do you expect to feel at a certain TUL? As you might remember I also worked with somewhat longer TUL's . Now with the shorter TUL (yet 5-8 reps or slightly more) I feel that I really can make that last rep while as much as possible fibers are on, not muchhindererd by byproducts of metabolism. But he, there is Rome and there are roads.
I agree with you, sir. I'm 63 year now and here's my weekly, two day a week exercises. Leg extensions immediately followed by squats and then still legged dead lifts, usually with a barbell. Then it's heavy negative chins quickly followed by heavy negative dips. Then behind the neck presses with either barbell or dumbbells, as heavy as I can go for either so long as I can get at least 7 repetitions and then one heavy set of wrist curls. All exercises are carried to the point of momentary failure doing only one set of each exercise. Takes between 15 and 20 minutes, using very strict form. It's hard, but then it's supposed to be, isn't it?
Hi Doc, how can you explain these facts to pro bodybuilders who train pecs in different angles? Because they achieved great results in the old fashion way?
I believe (IMO) this was quite well explained over 13 years ago as the BbS books and BbS videos evolved. These exact Body by Science points took me to two compound exercises (static Max Pyramid) but every two weeks. Week 1: Leg Press and Pull-Down ... Week 3: Leg Press and Chest (or Shoulder ) Press. How in 2022 can folks who frequent these sites not yet realize this? I bet by 2040 we'll be told movement is not necessary when I "read" it right here in 2009/2010!! "Movement develops a skilled performance quicker than muscle" ... unquote
There is plenty of evidence that motor units are not recruited exclusively by the size principle. Different movement patterns, loads, and positions of flexion have shown different recruitment patterns that vary from the strict size principle.
Dr. McGuff, I don't wish to pay for a membership to a regular gym when I only need it for 30 minutes a week. Is it possible to apply the BBS principles to an X3 system workout?
I've seen a few studies on larger and more diffuse muscle groups such as the quadriceps where different angles seem to produce slightly different growth rates in targeted areas. It makes a certain amount of sense as I guess the actual fluid environment and calcium flux etc around a given titin protein can be different within the same muscle, peaking at a specific place within the muscle dependent on joint angle etc and this may cause a slightly greater adaptation in those muscle fibres compared to those which had a less intense metabolic environment when activated. On the other hand if you do one set all out you will gain a general benefit, and a second set at a different angle might well target a different area of muscle in terms of tension or metabolite build up (and I doubt for something as small as say the biceps it makes a worthwhile difference) but the lower overall intensity you will be able to bring to a second set seems like it will negate most of the benefit anyway 🤷♀
Dan. All of the above are considerations. However, if you sacrifice intensity to address all of these considerations you can lose any advantage of doing so. Also ignores "the rate limiting factor" of one's own limitations and the fact that for most, hypertrophy is an adaptation of last resort.
Hi Doug, have recently purchased the medx tricep machine but I feel very crowded on it. It's difficult to grab the handle and get my arms behind the handle. Any tips. I'm about 190cm tall so not extreme tall. Have tried.all the handle positions. The higher seat position seems better.
Great ending, will rush out the door now to take a walk :D one question though; is there a difference in involvement between doing Dips or push ups? I guess not, but I would like to hear your thoughts. Greetings from Germany!
In compound movements, won’t the weakest muscle group determine when momentary muscular failure will happen? For example when doing a pull up, if a person has weak grip, will the lats reach failure?
Would this apply to squats and stiff-leg deadlifts being part of “big6” making calf-raise an unnecessary exercise that might be entirely dropped because calves would get decent enough stimulus in the long run anyway?
Hugh... under the recommnedations of the BbS authors I have stopped ALL movement for the last few years and inroad completely to always trigger MEASURABLE increases. Without movement one is able to accurately PRESCRIBE a proper DOSE of WEIGHT and effectively leave TUL constant. I have been approaching my exercise as "hoisting" a weight into position and "stopping" it from falling. Nature (which includes physics and physiology) is quite simple.
@@DW-vk5hv The dumbbells I mentioned are "gravitized". Use the dumbbells and straps at the same time. Failure is indicated by slackening of the straps.
What does "Go out and do some dope sh*t in the real world" mean? Why are you saying that? Actually, everything that you said previously sounded like factual info, not "dope sh*t" to me. Moreover, I would not have watched the entire video had it not sounded logical.
