-: Alright our last method for Hypertrophy
Program Design is going to be that Oxidative Stress-
Based training. So when we look at oxidative stress,
what increases that in training? It's really simple.
It's the duration at which I'm under that
high amount of tension or high metabolic demand.
When we talk about oxidative in the context
of hypertrophy versus the context of metabolic
training, here we're usually going to be
focusing on a little like more intensity based.
So, we're not just trying to get just oxidative,
we're trying to get oxidative while also
incorporating a significant amount of tension.
That's kind of going to be the separation
of the two. So we need longer sets
at significant tension when we're doing this,
and we're doing it for hypertrophy. We're not
just trying to get the mitochondrial adaptations
but we're really trying to get those
myonucular domains. Like we're trying to stimulate
the inflammatory process that's gonna lead
to those satellite cells donating nuculous so
that I can have greater potential
for future growth. So, we're looking at drop sets
super sets, tri sets, giant sets. Of all
the systems, it's pretty simple you just gotta
work hard, long. Right? Not terribly complicated
to put on paper, grueling to do, very hard
for the body to recover from. So remember,
these are the methods to not use for long periods
of time, definitely not to use for people that
are under metabolic stress or don't
have optimal health. Right? So, our goal, the
things we're trying to consider here is we need
to extend the set, but the thing is, as I'm extending
it, I can't lose so much tension that I just start
doing garbage reps. So, or, just like low intensity
reps. When I'm going on pure metabolic adaptations,
it's a little bit easier for me to extend without
having to worry about losing tension cause I'm
still spending a lot of fuel. Right? But here,
I'm more concerned about maintaining that tension,
because obviously the goal is hypertrophy. I'm
wanting to get more the muscular benefits not
just the metabolic benefits. Right? So that needs
to maintain significant tension and a significant
energy demand as I extend the set. So there's
the point of diminishing returns where I could
essentially work too long because it became
too easy in terms of the amount of load or
intensity. Okay? So, when I'm doing that, okay
if we're looking at drop sets, what does that
mean in terms of rep-range and what-not. So if I
was to look at more so of a metabolic style
like well sure, maybe I could do like, you know
a 10-10-10 type drop set, but for here maybe I'm
looking more at something lower rep. Same thing
with super sets, tri sets, and giant sets looking
at the lower rep scheme. So let's look at the
drop sets, right? So, our drop sets are gonna
extend time under tension through decreasing load.
Right, so we're doing the same exercise, but
we're decreasing load. Okay our tri-sets, we're
extending time under tension through changing
the motor and fiber recruitment that's needed.
So we're allowed to keep working by switching
over to different fibers. It's very important
that you understand the difference between this.
This: same exercise, so same fibers are being
called upon and then when they can't do it,
you gotta reach out for help. Okay, so that
requires a certain amount of neurological
efficiency to be able to reach out and call on
more motor units as needed and get those
fast-twitch fibers involved more as you fatigue.
With this one we're using multiple exercises,
okay well I'm able to get more out of that muscle
tissue and I'm able to maybe perform a little
bit more from a neurological perspective, but
there is a little bit of bouncing around in terms
of which fibers are getting loaded. So, when we're
looking at stress per tissue this is gonna make
it very easy for me to stress the whole muscle more.
Right? In terms of oxidative stress. Whereas
this is gonna make it more so I'm kind of beating
up some specific fibers a lot. Right? So if we're
looking at the amount of fibers within our muscles
that are really stressing oxidatively, you're gonna
be stressing a higher amount of them this way and
a smaller amount of them this way. But these to a
greater degree if you have the ability to actually
do it, than this. Now, what I will say is once
you get to a point where certain volume, certain
fatigue, you're accomplishing the stimulus. Like,
you're stimulating everything if you want to add
volume to that. So if we look in the context of a
single set, you gonna say like, "Oh, these are
very contrastingly different." As the sets go on
they become increasingly more overlapped because
you just have to recruit more tissue and fatigue
further respectively in either method.
So, if we're looking at drop sets, if we're looking
at hypertrophy a typical one would be like the 25
rep drop set, or Japanese drop set where you start
at the set of 5 and then you do a drop of
5, 5, 5, 5. So 25 total reps, but because we started
with 5 here and we're using smaller rep ranges here,
the relative intensity stays high, you know for
a 25 rep set. Right? Versus if you were just to
do 25 reps straight you would not use any of
the weights that you're using in these first
3 sets. But the weight that you use for the last
5 might be a lighter weight than you would use
for a straight 25. But the net intensity for the
set much, much higher. Okay? So, one thing to
think about with drop sets: weight is not the
only way to do a drop set. We can use mechanical
drop sets where we alter body position so that we
go from a point of really crappy leverage, to a
point of greater leverage. Or we decrease, like
you know the leverage of the load so we are
decreasing the load but we're doing it not
by moving a pin or pulling a plate but by just
adjusting the levers. Tempo: so emphasizing going
from where you're focusing on a pause in either
a shorten or the stretch position in a slow
tempo to slowly switching to where you're
maybe able to create a little bit more momentum
or you're just not doing those pauses towards
the end is a way of extending as set. And sometimes
when you're doing these three, in can be fluid.
Like, this says you do 5 you have to stop,
adjust the weight, do it, and you may be able
to do that really fast but there's transitions.
These are specific transitions. Where, it's like
with tempo, when you get really advanced, you can
kind of like slowly be making micro-adjustments
from rep to rep to rep to rep to exactly what you
need to be able to continue working. Same thing
for range of motion so like, getting to the point
where it's like, alright, I'm going to continue
working but I just can't quite do the full range
anymore. This one is limited to exercises that are
going to be loaded usually in the lengthen position.
Or, we'll say, in a position where the ending
position is. So, this is easy to do in a pull.
Like a row or a pull down. Cause if I'm doing
a row and I can't do the row all the way well
it gets stuck there, right? Like okay I couldn't
do it all the way, no big deal. If I'm doing a
bench press, and I come down and I can't do the
bench all- then I'm done. Like I'm done. Like, right?
Whereas the row, this could be my full rep, and
then I fatigue, and I fatigue, and I fatigue,
and I fatigue, and I fatigue, until like I'm
just thinking about the muscle moving. You know?
At that point in time. And it's perfectly fine.
When I'm done I let go and we're good. Doesn't
work that way in exercises where you're not- like
the end position is now you're starting position.
So things like presses, for instance. Right?
So you have to take into account the mechanics
of the exercise on which one of these methods
that you would do. So if I'm doing a press, you
could use a combination of these things. So I
could be doing this type of method but my first
set I could start with a pause in the bottom, press
pause at the bottom, press. Right? Do a drop,
maybe I go from a 2 second to a 1 second pause and
then when I get to these guys so that I don't have
to drop the weight as much I go into no pause. Now
it's just like 5 just 5 reps just reppin' it out.
Alright, so you can mix and blend these methods to
make the most effective way of extending the set
and keeping intensity hight in that particular
exercise, right? And obviously skill set and
execution taken into account there.
When we look at tri-sets and giant sets, you see
what you're gonna do is you're gonna use an
ascending rep method here where you're gonna
start with a lower rep and work to a higher rep range.
So the weight is going down but the reps are going
up. So that you're goal here is that you're still
taxing the cells from a metabolic perspective. Cause
that's what we need to get the oxidative stress.
It's what differs this from, say, the mechanical
damage or the tension-based stuff. So anywhere from
6-6-12 to 6-6-12-20 alright so kind of everything
in between. Whoops, sorry there. So, why not the
prodeotypical 6-12-25? This is a very popular program.
This one I think fits more in the metabolic type
oxidative stress because the intensity drop-off is
so big going from 6 to 12 to 25 it's just- it's
dropping off so fast it doesn't really focus on
hypertrophy type stuff. Right, whereas these we're
spending a larger amount of time where we're
still working at higher intensity, yet still
extending the sets respectively. So, that when
you get to where you're dropping the weight that
fast, likely it's just coming down to the
energy adaptations and it's not gonna be as useful
when your hypertrophy is the goal. And then we
could extend this all the way down to the real giant
sets. So when we say like giant, giant sets like
so we got tri-sets, you know, quad sets- to me
giant sets kinda start at 5 exercises plus. You know,
that's what's giant to me I don't think that's
technical point in the literature. So we're looking
at 5 to 10 exercises, so with those it's like
alright, at that point in time, now, it's just the
volume of work that's doing it. At that point in time,
it's like, okay, it's not really intensity based.
It's the pure volume of work. So, what we're doing
is we're sacrificing being able to maintain high
intensity by just having a ton of volume. And, is
that a superior method? I don't want to say it's
inferior or superior. There definitely is different
neurological adaptations that are gonna occur.
Like, obviously, like, if your goal is to maintain
a certain amount of strength and execution sticking
to the intensity- higher intensity methods is
going to be better than if you're getting in here.
The other thing to consider is most of the time
when you see these methods when they've been used
in the past is that tempo prescriptions
on them on pretty lax like
there tends to be a small amount of tension
per rep and therefor per exercise per set
because there's a lot of momentum driven
movements here and if you do that
style of training you can survive
like the milos giant but if you're
going to use a very controlled tempo,
keep in mind that like that doesn't
exist in this environment cause what ends up
happening is you're time and a ten percent
is like four to five times longer
than what's typically being used
by like these professional bodybuilders
so you have to take into context
how that's functioning, right, so
I mean you're gonna get that hyperemia
effect by volume of loan without having
to have like slow controlled execution
in those type of things.
But there's a massive need for the
ability to fuel these type of sets
so like, to do this type of training
I mean even this type of training
right, where we get into like,
eight, eight, fifteen plus
you need to be able to have be able to handle
a significant amount of carbohydrates
to be able to perform in those type of workouts
and frequency is gonna go down and
your recovery needs to be really good
right, it needs to be really good.
Because here's what happens is when we get into
like this realm and beyond it's because
there's so much torque and fatigue.
You're gonna get oxidative stress and
mechanical damage, this is where those two
really overlap is when the volume of
the oxidative work starts to be excessive
and then cause now in that fatigue state
you're getting increased trauma every rep
even when, even if it's not a very
high intensity rep.
So once you get to like into that
eight eight fifteen realm, the sets
are now long enough, the volume is now
high enough, you do more than three
rounds of this in general, you're gonna have
a significant amount of mechanical damage
as well.
So then, you have to consider the fact
that oxidation is a potent stimulator
for inflammation, mechanical damage is
a potent stimulator for inflammation
so, that inflammatory process is
going to be amplified, huge.
Now that means, the stimulus for that is
going to be huge and there may be instances
where you want that but also means
you need to allow for that recovery time.
Okay? And it means you need to be
in a position to be able to handle that from
a health perspective and a recovery perspective
as well to actually reap those benefits.
So, just you know, looking in context
right like, when you're looking at
getting into these areas where you are
blending oxidative stress and mechanical damage
you need to be a recovery pro
cause if you're not, you're not gonna
make net progress.
Will you be sore? Yes.
Will you feel like a warrior, training
through the programs? Like, you know,
maybe if that's your thing.
You wanna go a hard crippling workout?
Like, by all means you will be crippled.
But that does not mean you will make net progress
that does not mean it will contribute significantly
to your goal unless you have extremely good recovery.
So there are some people from a natural perspective
will never need to do this type of program
they just never won't, they are just
not gifted in recovery like that from
a digestive standpoint from a genetic standpoint
all that, that this is just a program
that's just never gonna be something
that they can make net progress in.
It's always gonna be one step forward, one step back.
But, you will have some people who will
have freaky genetics and maybe you know, are
supplemented with PED's and this is
something that you can occasionally dip into
to really bump up that myo-nuclear domain.
Right, through the inflammatory mechanisms.
Okay, but not something you can use long
in any human. Okay?
So, this is a question I get because
we talked about how when glycogen is lower
oxidative stress goes up.
So I've gotten the question of
well could if I wanted if my goal was
to get the oxidative stimulus,
couldn't I just like, cut out the carbohydrates?
Right so that the workout would become
more oxidatively stressful.
Well, yes, true, that is something
that would happen, it's not necessarily
going to be the ideal way to stimulate this
because, one, you're going to miss out
on all the benefits of like being able
to do repetitions and get like more
neurologically efficient and stimulate
contractile tissue and get some overloaded
benefits of the tension and the
nutrient partitioning and all that other stuff that
we would get from actually being able
to perform well because if you have
restricted nutrition your performance is gonna suck.
Right? It's gonna suck, hard! Right?
Like you're like and that's just
not even good from a mental perspective, right?
So you're gonna have less control of the
cellular damage that occurs because
like, well we don't know when is too much.
Because you're not gonna have see that drop off
where you normally would when glycogen levels are
getting lower like normally when you're
doing this type of training system
all of the sudden, somebody hits a wall
when metabolically they can't really get any further
Right? And it's like okay well we accomplished
the goal.
When you go in metabolically depleted, what
actually happens is people tend to be like
oh yeah I feel lie I can like.
Their performance is low like the weights that they're
using are low but it seems like they can go a long time
because they're not really creating a lot
of substrates.
They're running pure oxidatively at that point in time
like cause so you don't see the drop off
of where the glycogen would start to you know,
come off, right?
And where the glucose availability would drop off.
So, it just looks like they can kinda go forever, but
essentially at that point in time they're doing
endurance work, right? They're- it's just pure
oxidative endurance work. So you have less control
of like well I don't know how damaging this is
or not, right? I have no idea, have we achieved the
stimulus or not? It's gonna drastically limit my
recovery, right, because I well I'm creating all
this oxidative damage well, one of the key things
that I need to be able to repair from that
is to run the pentose pathway which is run by
carbohydrates which is you know I need
glucose coming in to be able to do that. Obviously
if I'm very low on glucose my body is going to have
to choose between like well do we have energy for
survival or do we make antioxidants and glutifione
to repair the cell like hmm I don't know, right?
So you're recovery is gonna be slower, limited, right?
You're gonna be more catabolic, you're gonna waste
more muscle tissue, protein, and it ends up being
much more tacular- much more taxing outside the
muscular system. So the liver, the adrenals. You're
gonna suffer more hormonal and neurotransmitter
consequences by stressing the body in this state where
it's really not able to perform.
So there's the negatives just piled up
if you try and use depletion from a nutritional perspective
as a way of getting the stimulus and ultimately
you can't get much for recovery in terms of
positive adaptation so could you get
can you get oxidative stress if you take away carbs
and then metabolically train somebody
well, absolutely. Is it beneficial though?
That's where I kinda draw the line.
Well, is it actually good to do that?
Well, no doesn't, you're causing,
you're getting the trauma, right? Ya know,
you're kicking the person when they're down
like instead of do you like making like
getting a stimulus or reaction out of that
you're just breaking down the body excessively
at that point in time.
So, when we're doing this we wanna be able
to fully nutritional support that stuff
especially if our goal is hypertrophy
like, we don't want to be carb restricted
if our goal is this.
We want the work to be the stimulus
right? Not depletion being the stimulus.