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Barbell Questions about a free weight workout?

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Bones

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I watched a video and was intrigued. The gentleman speaking was talking about how he takes between 5 and 15 minute breaks between sets. I have never taken more than a minute between sets so this sounded ( as I am getting older) like a smart move.

I also if I am correct think i heard Joe Rogan say he can lift every day as he has great recovery, is this true?

If one takes 5- 25 minute breaks between sets how long are you in the gym? Do you only work one body part a day?

Can someone show me a sample workout? I would like to start right away.
 
Hello mr Bones.
read the classic Power to the People, and your questions will be answered

+1 Power to the People is a really excellent resource. I've read and re-read it many times and I still seem to learn something new every time. Long rest times are certainly the way forward if your focus is on pure strength and not muscular growth.

In answer to your Joe Rogan question, the key variables involved in managing a daily training program are training history, and the intensity and volume of the daily workout:
  • Training history: An experienced lifter will have made numerous adaptations to allow for greater training frequency (up to and occasionally beyond twice a day, six days a week). A novice lifter may need more time to recover between sessions.
  • Intensity and Volume: The training load/resistance used and the amount of sets/reps performed will also determine how much recovery is required after each training session. An experienced lifter will probably be able to recover from either a high volume at a low intensity (high reps, many sets, less challenging exercises/lower weights) or a low volume at a high intensity (heavy weights but fewer reps and sets with longer rests between).
If your goal is strength or endurance, either of those qualities can be developed with daily training sessions with either high intensity and low volume (strength) or low intensity and high volume (endurance) provided that muscle tissue breakdown is avoided.

For bodybuilding type training (which 99% of gym trainees seem to engage in whether they're aware of it or not), both moderate-high intesities and moderate-high volumes are used, resulting in breakdown of muscle tissue and the accumulation of fatigue. In this case, recovery days between sessions may be necessary or, at least, training separate muscle groups on different days. While it is certainly possible to train for strength/skill/endurance on a daily basis, muscle growth needs rest days (unless the trainee is seriously chemically enhanced or genetically abnormal). Sorry for the long-winded answer; I hope that sheds some light on the subject.

If you're after a program to start right away, the articles section on the StrongFirst website has plenty of excellent programs for a variety of goals. Failing that, if you can let us know what your goals are, there are plenty of knowledgeable folks on this forum who I'm sure would be delighted to give you some pointers.

Congratulations if you actually read this far and welcome to the StrongFirst forum!
 
Long intraset rest periods Are necessitated by exercises that involve the most muscle mass through the longest effective range of motion which allow the use of the largest loads. Sets of 5 barbell back squats with a load that you can complete 3 sets with is a an all-involving activity that will deplete your immediate ATP reserves. If you do not allow full recovery (full, not 80%) of your ATP, you will not succeed on the subsequent set. This is not true with hugely submaximal loads or with exercises that work only a few isolated muscles. The latter exercises simply lack the ability to create a need for comprehensive intraset recovery.

People have different things in mind when they say they “lift” every day. Can you blast your chest and tris on Monday, back and bis on Tuesday, “legs” on Wednesday, etc.? Yes. Can you do kettlebell swings T-Rex every day? Yes. Can you do planks and planches and pullups and muscle ups every day? Yes. Can you squat 3x5, Press or Bench 3x5, and deadlift 1x5 while adding weight each session in a properly-designed novice strength training program every day? No.

The comprehensive physical stress imposed by an efficient l strength training program precludes both short rests and daily training.
 
Long intraset rest periods Are necessitated by exercises that involve the most muscle mass through the longest effective range of motion which allow the use of the largest loads

Long Rest Period Between Sets

These are necessary for "Limit Strength", Power and Speed Training; 3 minutes plus between sets.

As you note, allowing ATP Restoration is necessary for "Limit Strength", Power and Speed Training, evoking Mechanical Tension.

Short Rest Periods Between Sets

This are more effective for Endurance and Hypertrophy Training.

The prime factor for Hypertrophy being "Metabolic Stress", aka "The Pump".

"The Pump" traps blood in the muscles. The muscle contraction proving a "Tourniquet Effect"; the muscle contraction restricting ventricle blood flow back to the heart.

Essentially, the muscles become a balloon; blood balloons the muscle up instead of air. This triggers an anabolic hormonal cascade effect which increases muscle mass.

People have different things in mind when they say they “lift” every day.

Great Point

In most instanced, exercising every day is acceptable, providing the same muscle group is not trained on back to back days. As with everything, there are exception to that rule.

Kenny Croxdale
 
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I did Justa's Singles #1 for about eight weeks. This is daily training, starting around 70% RM, with escalating volume (reps 3,5,7,9,11,13,15) over a seven day cycle. I did just two lifts, DL and Floor Press. It took a bit of getting used to but was very doable. I've also done PTTP (reps 5,3,2) waving weight averaging about six days per week for quite a while, maybe three months. DL and Military Press. I would strongly recommend daily or almost daily training to anyone who hasn't tried it. I got great results in limit strength and general confidence around technique. For starters the high frequency keeps everything fresh in your mind (you only have to remember what happened yesterday) and I found myself really immersed in this uninterrupted process of learning and experimentation. You do need to keep a careful eye on the weight and recovery, always mindful of the ability to lift again tomorrow
 
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