rest days

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ElkHorn

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
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211
How many rest days do you guys use when training on gear?

I currently use a 3 on 1 off rotation, where i get between 1 and 2 rest days per week. Wondering if i should switch to a 6 on, 1 off rotation where i would always be at 1 rest day per week.
 
ElkHorn said:
How many rest days do you guys use when training on gear?

I currently use a 3 on 1 off rotation, where i get between 1 and 2 rest days per week. Wondering if i should switch to a 6 on, 1 off rotation where i would always be at 1 rest day per week.
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That's sonething that no one can really tell you as it depends on your own body. Personally I train 4 on 1 off at the minute but I'm doing high volume stuff

You have to listen to your body and if you feel overtrained (not to be condused with under-nourished) then you need to take more days off. All things being equal, training a body part or exercise 8 times per month will result in faster growth than training1 it 4 times a month but ONLY if you can recover from it..

Its very much personal and trial and error really.
 
I'm currently hitting everything 3 times per week, 5 sets for every exercise, averaging 10 reps per set, putting me ~150 reps per week each week for every exercise. Was at 4 sets, but bumped it up to 5 once i started the cycle. I also dance at a strip club 2-3 times per week, which can end up being a pretty intense workout some nights.

Thanks for the reply.
 
1 rest day a week. Hit major groups twice and have added shoulders and arms last two days to finish them off before rest day.
 
I usually do something like 2 on 1 off. I look way better when training hard and training less and honestly I think most people train way more than necessary. More a fan of some of Dorian's training methods
 
Swim15 said:
I usually do something like 2 on 1 off. I look way better when training hard and training less and honestly I think most people train way more than necessary. More a fan of some of Dorian's training methods
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I followed Dorians training philosophy for years in the 90s and it worked well....but volume is working well too at present....

With any training routine/method they don't tend to work indefinitely and alternating periods of high/low volume is a good approach.

My main criticism of heavy duty is that the stronger you get, the heavier and heavier the weight used gets which leaves you much more prone to injury (as Dorian discovered).

For example when doing legs heavy duty for 1 or at most 2 sets to failure, I was loading 550-585 on the bar which killed my back and knees but now doing GVT, I don't need more than 225 which is so much easier on my poor old joints and doing 10x10 with 60-90 seconds rest is plenty heavy....plus it stimulates hypertrophy via a different mechanism than Heavy Duty and the nervous system fatigue is really something else...

I'm gonna cycle off it in a week or 2 and do lower volume for a bit.. You should try an 8-12 week cycle of GVT sometimes, I bet you'd be pleased with the results...
 
Yeah I agree the weight/strength can get problematic at some point. I've tried GVT but my CNS doesn't handle it well and I get gassed around the 4-6 week mark.

I've used Dorian methods modified to lighter weights though to mix things up. Instead of going heavy to failure, might go with lighter weights with failure around 15-20 reps or 25-30 reps, etc

My body gets fried easy though unfortunately so I don't train anywhere near the volume or frequency I'd like
 
I personally like to mix it up and periodise things. However imo OP your cycle would be a great opportunity to employ some kind of up-taper in terms of frequency, intensity, weight and rep ranges in order to keep all systems under increasing challenge as the weeks go by.
 
Swim15 said:
Yeah I agree the weight/strength can get problematic at some point. I've tried GVT but my CNS doesn't handle it well and I get gassed around the 4-6 week mark.

I've used Dorian methods modified to lighter weights though to mix things up. Instead of going heavy to failure, might go with lighter weights with failure around 15-20 reps or 25-30 reps, etc

My body gets fried easy though unfortunately so I don't train anywhere near the volume or frequency I'd like
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Yeah, people underestimate how much GVT affects your nervous system...even during the workout, its more nervous system failure than muscular failure (but that's supposedly how works so well for hypertrophy). From what I've read, 6-8 weeks is about as long as anyone's body can take it

When I was doing heavy duty, I'd do 2 sets to failure per exercise. 1 very heavy one and one slightly lighter for higher reps (but still maximum of 10) and both to failure...and I'd only train 3 (max 4) days per week...hitting the whole body every 8 or 9 days or so...Looking back, I should have done things differently..when you're 21-25 your body can take the 500-600 squats and deads for reps month in and out but I couldn't do that now...nor would I want to.

I'm starting back tomorrow after 2 weeks off as I've been in hospital over Xmas and had a small surgery about a week ago. I got wounded quite badly and I've lost count of the number of operations I've had on my right leg...sucks...especially since I'd forgotten I even had to go in for it lol....still, got some morphine pills. 100mg but don't want to take them as I've had problems with painkillers in the past and I'll get dependent again really quickly if I do .
 
CFC said:
I personally like to mix it up and periodise things. However imo OP your cycle would be a great opportunity to employ some kind of up-taper in terms of frequency, intensity, weight and rep ranges in order to keep all systems under increasing challenge as the weeks go by.
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Did you ever get sucked into the Nubain trap mate? Or was that before your time
 
Nah, I fucked up powerlifting early on, then learnt I have ehlers-danlos syndrome (can bend in ways no human should lol), and so cut back on the heavy lifts (except squats which I just can't resist) before my joints became seriously fucked enough to need it. I do get regular hyaluronic acid injections mind - led to an almost complete regrowth of my right knee cartilage :)
 
Backfromthebrink said:
Yeah, people underestimate how much GVT affects your nervous system...even during the workout, its more nervous system failure than muscular failure (but that's supposedly how works so well for hypertrophy). From what I've read, 6-8 weeks is about as long as anyone's body can take it

When I was doing heavy duty, I'd do 2 sets to failure per exercise. 1 very heavy one and one slightly lighter for higher reps (but still maximum of 10) and both to failure...and I'd only train 3 (max 4) days per week...hitting the whole body every 8 or 9 days or so...Looking back, I should have done things differently..when you're 21-25 your body can take the 500-600 squats and deads for reps month in and out but I couldn't do that now...nor would I want to.

I'm starting back tomorrow after 2 weeks off as I've been in hospital over Xmas and had a small surgery about a week ago. I got wounded quite badly and I've lost count of the number of operations I've had on my right leg...sucks...especially since I'd forgotten I even had to go in for it lol....still, got some morphine pills. 100mg but don't want to take them as I've had problems with painkillers in the past and I'll get dependent again really quickly if I do .
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Send em my way mate. I got a nice syringe filter and bacteriostat water that could make good use of just one of those bad boys. Mix it up with some coca-ethylene rc powder and you got non street drug speedball.
 
Serotonin101 said:
Send em my way mate. I got a nice syringe filter and bacteriostat water that could make good use of just one of those bad boys. Mix it up with some coca-ethylene rc powder and you got non street drug speedball.
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lol...if only I could, I would mate..

A couple of times I've crushed the little beads inside the capsule...mixed with water in a syringe, shook up and plugged to try and get a higher BA but it didn't help thst much...I did think about shooting them a couple of times when virtually crying in agony but never did...

Does crushing to a powder, mixing with water and shaking really get all the morphine into the solution without having to add with other chemicals? Technically it should but I have zero experience with that and was curious...

Incidentally, I enjoy posting here with you lads. everyone is cool as fuck and chill (and we're supposed to be the roid rage motherfuckers lol).

In post in OD sometimes to attempt to soread some HR and real-world emergency medicine advice/help but man, there are some fucking cock suckers that post there sometimes....they ask dumb ass question and get all salty if they are not answered immediately as you try to clarify WTF they are talking about first...

I'd much rather post here TBH
 
I try and train full body everyday but shorter sessions. 10-20 sets in an hour. I like the high frequency, low volume, undulating intensity approach.

So I don't ever have intentional rest days, but typically something comes up once or twice a week that makes me miss the gym.
 
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