Hiya,
I have read Bryan’s article on targeting different fiber types. In that article, it is explained that a light weight will only activate the type one (slow twitch) fibers and a heavy weight will keep those fibers activated while also activating the type two (fast twitch) fibers. The type two fibers have the greatest potential for hypertrophy and we would also see our best strength gains by lifting heavy. Right, so the science says, lift heavy, HST principles also say increase the weight or RBE will get to you, so we do purposely back it off to a lighter weight in the beginning, but the goal is always ramping up to a heavy weight until RBE does get to us, right? We want to lift heavy.
So can someone speak to this:
This is from the publishers of Men’s Health, it is a little mini-guide called the Home Workout Bible, it came as a free gift with my copy of the AbsDiet book I ordered (which I am incidentally sending back, no way is it worth $40). The quote from the Home Workout Bible is in a section called “6 NewRules to Sculpt Your Body”. Rule 3 reads: “Lift Light. Capillaries, those small blood vessels, supply your muscles, helping them recover-and grow-faster. Heavy weight training decreases capillary density. Do high repetition sets with light weights. Using only 25% of the amount you can lift once, target whatever muscle group is lagging. It’ll increase the number of capillaries in your working muscles, allowing better nutrient transfer.”
Sound like hogwash? Certainly doesn’t jive with the ideas put forth in my first paragraph about how heavier weights are better at activating a greater range of muscle types, including the ones with the greatest potential for hypertrophy. It seems that lifting this light would only activate the slow twitch fibers and one would have a very tough time growing in this manner. But if he is on to something with this capillary density stuff…
I suspect many on this site will immediately cry foul and say this is bunk, but I have to wonder, before you heard about the principles of HST and studied why they work, you might have thought they sounded crazy at one time too. Could there be data supporting this assertion about capillary density out there? If so, I can’t find it, but without this site and the resources people like Bryan, Dan et al seem to have, I wouldn’t be able to find anything to support HST either.
With that in mind, experts with resources; does this sound like something you’ve read about elsewhere, have you come across or could you come across anything supporting this assertion? For now I am inclined to call it hogwash, but ever since I was convinced of the seemingly counterintuitive methods of HST I try to keep an open mind.
Reactions, opinions, and especially data supporting or refuting this claim will be welcomed.
Thanks,
Brak
I have read Bryan’s article on targeting different fiber types. In that article, it is explained that a light weight will only activate the type one (slow twitch) fibers and a heavy weight will keep those fibers activated while also activating the type two (fast twitch) fibers. The type two fibers have the greatest potential for hypertrophy and we would also see our best strength gains by lifting heavy. Right, so the science says, lift heavy, HST principles also say increase the weight or RBE will get to you, so we do purposely back it off to a lighter weight in the beginning, but the goal is always ramping up to a heavy weight until RBE does get to us, right? We want to lift heavy.
So can someone speak to this:
This is from the publishers of Men’s Health, it is a little mini-guide called the Home Workout Bible, it came as a free gift with my copy of the AbsDiet book I ordered (which I am incidentally sending back, no way is it worth $40). The quote from the Home Workout Bible is in a section called “6 NewRules to Sculpt Your Body”. Rule 3 reads: “Lift Light. Capillaries, those small blood vessels, supply your muscles, helping them recover-and grow-faster. Heavy weight training decreases capillary density. Do high repetition sets with light weights. Using only 25% of the amount you can lift once, target whatever muscle group is lagging. It’ll increase the number of capillaries in your working muscles, allowing better nutrient transfer.”
Sound like hogwash? Certainly doesn’t jive with the ideas put forth in my first paragraph about how heavier weights are better at activating a greater range of muscle types, including the ones with the greatest potential for hypertrophy. It seems that lifting this light would only activate the slow twitch fibers and one would have a very tough time growing in this manner. But if he is on to something with this capillary density stuff…
I suspect many on this site will immediately cry foul and say this is bunk, but I have to wonder, before you heard about the principles of HST and studied why they work, you might have thought they sounded crazy at one time too. Could there be data supporting this assertion about capillary density out there? If so, I can’t find it, but without this site and the resources people like Bryan, Dan et al seem to have, I wouldn’t be able to find anything to support HST either.
With that in mind, experts with resources; does this sound like something you’ve read about elsewhere, have you come across or could you come across anything supporting this assertion? For now I am inclined to call it hogwash, but ever since I was convinced of the seemingly counterintuitive methods of HST I try to keep an open mind.
Reactions, opinions, and especially data supporting or refuting this claim will be welcomed.
Thanks,
Brak