First.
1) Yes. 5 Myths it is. That thread was a goldmine.
2) nkl as always, but I've got like 5 silly posts there. Nothing to be thrilled about.
Second: Increasing the metabolic stress
I got the impression too that Blade said so in one post, and that is one way to do it (performing vascular occlusion before the work sets to increase the metabolic stress), but that will affect the rest of the sets. I believe that it is better to do "burnout" sets after, as one of the Goto studies showed. Functional Isometrics (FI) or isometric holds every rep in the "burnout" set will increase the effect even more (max TUT, max lactate). To quote some benefits with FI (Time under Tension and Blood Lactate Response during Four Different Resistance Training Methods, by Gentil et al):
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Previous studies have reported that the FI method was superior to traditional strength training programs for increasing muscle strength (Jackson et al., 1995, O’Shea and O’Shea, 1989), especially in stronger subjects (Giorgi et al., 1998). In addition to strength gains in specific joint angles (Fleck and Kraemer, 2004) and a higher level of concentric force (Keogh et al., 1999), this could be caused by the higher TUT achieved with this RTM [Resistance Training Methods] when compared with traditional approaches (10RM), as observed in the present study.</div>
The mechanisms for the extra hyperthrophy is unknown to me, but is connected to metabolic stress - it must be high density. How about tonnage? I don't really think so, as 50% of 1RM was better than 70% of 1RM in one of the Goto studies. There are actually several Goto studies. For future reference I quote the abstracts here (bolded the important things):
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Muscular adaptations to combinations of high- and low-intensity resistance exercises.
Goto K, Nagasawa M, Yanagisawa O, Kizuka T, Ishii N, Takamatsu K.
Acute and long-term effects of resistance-training regimens with varied combinations of high- and low-intensity exercises were studied. Acute changes in the serum growth hormone (GH) concentration were initially measured after 3 types of regimens for knee extension exercise: a medium intensity (approximately 10 repetition maximum [RM]) short interset rest period (30 s) with progressively decreasing load ("hypertrophy type"
; 5 sets of a high-intensity (90% of 1RM) and low-repetition exercise ("strength type"
; and a single set of low-intensity and high-repetition exercise added immediately after the strength-type regimen ("combi-type"
.
Postexercise increases in serum GH concentration showed a significant regimen dependence: hypertrophy-type > combi-type > strength-type (p < 0.05, n = 8). Next, the long-term effects of periodized training protocols with the above regimens on muscular function were investigated. Male subjects (n = 16) were assigned to either
hypertrophy/combi (HC) or hypertrophy/ strength (HS) groups and performed leg press and extension exercises twice a week for 10 weeks. During the first 6 weeks, both groups used the hypertrophy-type regimen to gain muscular size. During the subsequent 4 weeks, HC and HS groups performed combi-type and strength-type regimens, respectively. Muscular strength, endurance, and cross sectional area (CSA) were examined after 2, 6, and 10 weeks. After the initial 6 weeks, no significant difference was seen in the percentage changes of all variables between the groups. After the subsequent 4 weeks, however,
1RM of leg press, maximal isokinetic strength, and muscular endurance of leg extension showed significantly (p < 0.05) larger increases in the HC group than in the HS group. In addition, increases in CSA after this period also tended to be larger in the HC group than in the HS group (p = 0.08). The results suggest that a combination of high- and low-intensity regimens is effective for optimizing the strength adaptation of muscle in a periodized training program.
J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Nov;18(4):730-7
</div>
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">A single set of low intensity resistance exercise immediately following high intensity resistance exercise stimulates growth hormone secretion in men.
Goto K, Sato K, Takamatsu K.
AIM: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of an additional set immediately following high intensity resistance exercise on growth hormone (GH) response. METHODS: Subjects (n=8) performed 4 resistance exercise protocols (bilateral knee extension exercise) on separate days. The protocols were categorized into 2 types of protocol, namely "Strength-up type (S-type)" and "Combination type (Combi-type)". The S-type was resistance exercise which consisted of 5 sets at 90% of 1 repetition maximum (RM) with 3-min rest periods between sets, whereas the Combi-type is a training protocol which adds an additional set (either
50% of 1 RM [C50-type], 70% of 1 RM [C70-type] or 90% of 1 RM [C90-type]) to the S-type. Serum GH concentration and blood lactate concentration were determined pre-exercise and at 0-60 min postexercise. Relative changes in thigh girth and maximal unilateral isometric strength were determined pre-exercise and immediately postexercise. RESULTS: The increasing values of GH concentration (DGH) in the S-type was the lowest of all protocols. On the other hand,
DGH in the C50-type showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher increase than in the S-type and C90-type, and a relatively higher increase than in the C70-type. CONCLUSION:
These results suggests that a high intensity, low volume training protocol to induce neural adaptation resulted in little GH response, but GH secretion was increased by performing a single set of low intensity resistance exercise at the end of a series of high intensity resistance sets.
J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2003 Jun;43(2):243-9.
</div>
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">The impact of metabolic stress on hormonal responses and muscular adaptations.
Goto K, Ishii N, Kizuka T, Takamatsu K.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of exercise-induced metabolic stress on hormonal responses and chronic muscular adaptations. METHODS: We compared the acute and long-term effects of an
"NR regimen" (no-rest regimen) and those of a "WR regimen" (regimen with rest period within a set). Twenty-six male subjects were assigned to either the NR (N = 9), WR (N = 9), or control (CON, N = 8) groups. The NR regimen consisted of 3-5 sets of 10 repetitions at 10-repetition maximum (RM) with an interset rest period of 1 min (lat pulldown, shoulder press, and bilateral knee extension). In the WR regimen, subjects completed the same protocol as the NR regimen, but took a 30-s rest period at the midpoint of each set of exercises in order to reduce exercise-induced metabolic stress. Acute hormonal responses to both regimens were measured followed by a 12-wk period of resistance training. RESULTS: Measurements of blood lactate and serum hormone concentrations after the NR and WR regimens showed that the
NR regimen induced strong lactate, growth hormone (GH), epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE) responses, whereas the WR regimen did not. Both regimens failed to cause significant changes in testosterone.
After 12 wk of resistance training, the NR regimen caused greater increases in 1RM (P < 0.01), maximal isometric strength (P < 0.05), and muscular endurance (P < 0.05) with knee extension than the WR regimen. The NR group showed a marked increase (P < 0.01) in muscle cross-sectional area, whereas the WR and CON groups did not. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that exercise-induced metabolic stress is associated with acute GH, E, and NE responses and chronic muscular adaptations following resistance training.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2005 Jun;37(6):955-63.
</div>
Then, as for the layout you posted, I think that's the proper way to implement it. I have also looked at
Bill Star 5x5 (Madcow intermediate or linear version) and there is similarities too this approach. When new PRs are made, at the friday workout, you add a burnout set after the PR triple. In his version it is only 8 reps, but it could be 19 reps if we would use 50% of 1RM.
I will take a premature SD right now as I've strained my lower back again! But that happened during warmup for testing my 5RM maxes (a SD was due anyway in a couple of days). How stupid of me to load too much too early in the DL warmup: BW at set 2!
I will return to the gym with a 5x5 routine. I will tweak it to include burnout sets from the start (every workout), but no other tweaks - in the article it said "Every bodybuilder seems to have Attention Deficit Disorder and an overwhelming desire to customize everything", so I'll try to not change much else. I took the liberty to include Chins on wednesdays (that was ok) and Wrist extensions/curls (who cares?).
And third, the stats:
2008-10-10:
Weight: 69,8 kg (153,6 lbs) (+0,3 kg [0,7 lbs] from yesterday) (+0,3 kg [0,7 lbs] from start, 51 days ago)
Routine: HST 5RM test (Chins, Dips, Row, Deadlift, Squat, Wrist extensions)
Target kcal: 2653 kcal (+76 kcal) (before subtracting TEM)
Macros: 19% (109g) P; 45% (287g) C; 35% (99g) F (before subtracting TEM)
2008-10-11:
Weight: 69,1 kg (152,0 lbs) (-0,7 kg [-1,5 lbs] from yesterday) (-0,4 kg [-0,9 lbs] from start, 52 days ago)
Routine: SD
Target kcal: 1995 kcal (+4 kcal) (before subtracting TEM)
Macros: 34% (145g) P; 34% (160g) C; 32% (68g) F (before subtracting TEM)
Note: During SD I will focus on maintenance calorie intake, so my cut will end now. When I begin my EOD bulking scheme again, I'll go for 500 kcal surplus on workout days, and a 500 kcal deficit on off days. I hope this will go well with the 5x5...
