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Other/Mixed Maintaining/Gaining Muscle Mass + Easy Strength

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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bluejeff

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I was reading Dan John say something in the book easy strength about how once you are over 28, every training session should be an "armor building" session. Indeed, I have seen this notion mentioned in many different places, that as you age hypertrophy becomes more important, because muscle mass is lost more easily as we age. I am approaching 38 next week. I also have been searching for a training style or routine that fits my personality and my goals. I would like something that allows me to progress, while still keeping me fairly fresh, and allowing me to train the same skills fairly often (4-5 days/week), as I enjoy training very much. Thus, something like easy strength comes to mind. However, I am not sure how to go about maintaining muscle mass or seeing hypertrophy as I age at the same time. I have finally been seeing some hypertrophy with the FPP style rep scheme for pushuing and pulling, and I would not like to see it diminish... but the volume of the FPP scheme always seems to sneak up on me when I try it and zaps my energy.

Would it be as simple as doing one or two sets each week at a higher volume, or closer to failure, and before rest days? Or perhaps something akin to easy strength, but in which volume (instead of weight) is slowly progressed over a longer period of time (e.g. 4-8 weeks), and then volume is lowered and weight is added, then repeating the whole process?

Thanks all!
 
A great deal of hypertrophy is from nutrition.
Yes, adding some form of failure or set extending strategy as a final act with a given exercise per session can shift almost any routine into a muscle building routine. Make sure to train at least 1/3 of your sets with heavy weight.


 
Thanks,

as per Thibaudeau's article... I have been guilty more often than not of doing too much volume. In my case though, when I drop the volume it seems like I shrink a bit.... I seem to have a difficult time finding a happy medium between my goals.

As per the link to Kenny's post, that is quite close to how I already eat: most of my protein is usually in one meal, with the other two meals being a lowish protein and a moderate.
 
Thanks,

as per Thibaudeau's article... I have been guilty more often than not of doing too much volume. In my case though, when I drop the volume it seems like I shrink a bit.... I seem to have a difficult time finding a happy medium between my goals.

As per the link to Kenny's post, that is quite close to how I already eat: most of my protein is usually in one meal, with the other two meals being a lowish protein and a moderate.
Its a tough thing to feel out, when in doubt train heavier.
Thib had a quote that stuck with me paraphrase "do enough to trigger muscle protein synthesis and get out of the gym".

Another thing that helps is to reduce daily volume, increase frequency.

I made my biggest mass gains by training less, not more. If hypertrophy is the goal, put everything you have into your last set - you should feel like more volume is a waste of time. If attempted anyway it should feel pointless.

This doesn't have to be done with lighter weights - Clusters, Rest/Pause will all allow increased volume with heavier weight. Or structure so that your middle sets are heavy, nowhere near failure. Reduce load slightly, and kill the last set.
 
I'm not sure how much Easy Strength is a hypertrophy program and how much it makes sense tweaking it. I think you're better off building mass in a separate block with a separate program.

However, maintaining the muscle mass you've gained is way, way easier than gaining it. Some studies say there is a tenfold difference.

In short some make great gains with three sets to failure a muscle group a week. Some enjoy 10-20 sets with a rep or two in reserve. You will have to try it out.
 
I'm not sure how much Easy Strength is a hypertrophy program and how much it makes sense tweaking it. I think you're better off building mass in a separate block with a separate program.
Yes, that's precisely why I asked my question. Easy Strength isn't a hypertrophy program, based on my knowledge. What attracts me to it is the prospect of gaining strength through frequent practice. Years ago I was only concerned with hypertrophy and thus I didn't care if I only trained a muscle group a couple days per week. These days, I look at the things I want to do and they look fun to me, so I want to be able to do them often.

So you could say that I fall into the group that is training to be better at what I'm training, not necessarily just increase quality of life. I do quality of life training too, but I do that stuff differently.

For instance, my long-term goal is to be able to do a set of 10 HSPU almost every day the way I can do a set of 10 standard pushups pretty much whenever I want. That training mindset is what led me to Easy Strength. I just wasn't sure if I would be sacrificing muscle mass by going into the high-frequency/low-volume approach.
 
Yes, that's precisely why I asked my question. Easy Strength isn't a hypertrophy program, based on my knowledge. What attracts me to it is the prospect of gaining strength through frequent practice. Years ago I was only concerned with hypertrophy and thus I didn't care if I only trained a muscle group a couple days per week. These days, I look at the things I want to do and they look fun to me, so I want to be able to do them often.

So you could say that I fall into the group that is training to be better at what I'm training, not necessarily just increase quality of life. I do quality of life training too, but I do that stuff differently.

For instance, my long-term goal is to be able to do a set of 10 HSPU almost every day the way I can do a set of 10 standard pushups pretty much whenever I want. That training mindset is what led me to Easy Strength. I just wasn't sure if I would be sacrificing muscle mass by going into the high-frequency/low-volume approach.

What exactly is the question, then?

As before, I wouldn't worry about maintaining the muscle mass on ES.

I think the most simple answer could be to add some sets on your last day of the week. Say you take Saturday and Sunday off. Do three sets to failure on Friday of each exercise. Train as usual on the other days. See how far it gets you.
 
What exactly is the question, then?
Maybe this is falling under the category of "asking to break the rules," but I was trying to find a happy medium between frequent practice and making progress, while maintaining, if not outright gaining some muscle. I like the idea of just doing one "hard day" a week though.

The training scheme in that Thibaudeau article was interesting sounding, too. Going 2 sets at a moderate load and then one double rest-pause set as the third, and calling it good. In that article he has two pushes and two pulls per session, so I wonder if it would be doable to do just one exercise and do it a little more often (4-5 days as opposed to 3).
 
Maybe this is falling under the category of "asking to break the rules," but I was trying to find a happy medium between frequent practice and making progress, while maintaining, if not outright gaining some muscle. I like the idea of just doing one "hard day" a week though.

The training scheme in that Thibaudeau article was interesting sounding, too. Going 2 sets at a moderate load and then one double rest-pause set as the third, and calling it good. In that article he has two pushes and two pulls per session, so I wonder if it would be doable to do just one exercise and do it a little more often (4-5 days as opposed to 3).
My version of his plan was to insert 2 heavy sets in place of the middle one. These were done with a load approx 4-6 rep max so I could do two sets at 2-3 reps pushing as fast as I could. The last set drop load a bit and pound it in.

Have taken this one step further and now use Cluster Sets, an approach that might align well with your goals. Winds up being a hybrid strength/hypertrophy focus with more focus on strength depending.
 
What exactly is the question, then?

As before, I wouldn't worry about maintaining the muscle mass on ES.

I think the most simple answer could be to add some sets on your last day of the week. Say you take Saturday and Sunday off. Do three sets to failure on Friday of each exercise. Train as usual on the other days. See how far it gets you.
I have a strong suspicion that when it comes to muscle the dude who does half as much in twice the time looks the same as the dude who does twice as much in half the time. What’s important is simply to trigger muscle growth (see comment above). And just adding a close to failure set to an existing strength exercise, about once a week, will do the job. More frequently and more sets will do the job quicker.
 
@bluejeff, hypertrophy is in the eye of the beholder. I've always been thin, but I am more muscular, not less, at age 66 than at any earlier time in my life.

I also have been searching for a training style or routine that fits my personality and my goals. I would like something that allows me to progress, while still keeping me fairly fresh, and allowing me to train the same skills fairly often (4-5 days/week), as I enjoy training very much. Thus, something like easy strength comes to mind.

Better, IMO, to have a goal rather than search for a process. The goal will largely determine the process. Enter a powerlifting meet. If hypertrophy is your goal, enter a bodybuilding competition. If improving your skill at kettlebell lifts is important to you, pick a goal: Simple, or Solid, or Sinister, or the Rite of Passage's 1/2 bw press and/or the ROP's 200 snatches @ 24 kg in 10 minutes, or pass your SFB or get your first bodyweight pistol. Those are but a few examples of goals which can give training meaning.

I am approaching 38 next week.

May you live a whole lot longer. Don't just think about what you want to be doing and looking like in a few years; think about what kind of training will best prepare you to be twice your current age instead.

Just my opinion; your mileage may vary.

-S-
 
as you age hypertrophy becomes more important, because muscle mass is lost more easily as we age.

Hypertrophy Training

Traditional Hypertrophy Training that the Bodybuilders perform increases muscle mass at the expense of Maximum Strength, Power and Speed; when the Hypertrophy Training Protocol is solely performed.

Mark Rippetoe

As per Mark, "Strong people are harder to kill and more useful in general."

While increasing muscle mass is important, it need to be...

Functional Hypertrophy

Functional Hypertrophy training means individual are just as strong as they look; as you know.

Dr. Brad Schoenfeld's Hypertrophy Research

Schoenfeld determined that these three factors increasing muscle mass...

1) Mechanical Tension

This is Maxium Strength Training with heavy loads.

2) Metabolic Stress

This is produced with Traditional/Bodybuilding Hypertrophy Training.

3) Muscle Damage

This is elicited by stressing muscles; via pushing and exercise near the limit or to the limit in at the end of a Periodization Training Cycle.

This is also produced when Full Range Movement are performed.

As an example, in a Full Squat, a Loaded Stretch occurs in bottom part of the movement. This stress trigger muscle growth.

Loaded Stretches between Sets in a Exercise, Rest Period between Sets for around 30 seconds (Dr Jake Wilson) also elicit Hypertrophy.

Hypertrophy Program Design

A well written and performed Hypertrophy Training Program should incorporate all three of he above.

This also true for Maximum Strength Training

Dr. Michael Zourdos

Zourdos' (Powerlifter) research determine the same approach, as Schoenfield's, applies for the development of Maxium Strength.

Zourdos found days that specifically focued on one type of Strength optimized Maxium Strength.

1) Monday: Hypertrop;hy Training

2) Wednesday: Power Training

3) Friday: Maxium Strength Training


The Westside Powerlifting Method incorporate all three of these method into it's program: Repetition Method (Hypertrophy), Max Effort Method (Maximum Strength) and Speed Training (which is really Power Training).

Synergistic Effect

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

That mean the synergistic effect amount to adding 2 + 2 and getting 5.

With that in mind, a well written need to incorpoate these components in it for optimal results for increasing strength or muscle mass.

The training objective (as Steve stated) determines how the program is written and perform for Hypertrophy or Maxium Strength deveopment.

Another Approach To Functional Hypertrophy

Incorporating Hypertrophy Training into a program that also includes Maxium Strength and Power is one method, as Zourdos research demonstrated.

Another method is...

Dr Jonathan Oliver's Cluster Set Hypertrophy Training

Oliver's Objective was to find a method that increased athletes muscle mass without decreasing their Maimum Strength, Power and Speed with a Traditional Hypertrohy Training Program.

Oliver determined that Cluster Set Hypertrophy Training allowed athlete to do just that; increase muscle mass while maintained and/or increasing Speed, Power and Maximum Strength.

Loss of Muscle Mass With Aging

Diet is one of the main facotors this occur for most individual.

As you know, a certain amount of protein (Leucine) need to be consumed per meal to trigger mTOR (which turn on the anabolic, muscle building effect).

Dr Donald Layman's Meal Research

Layman's detemined that the majority of individual only have one meal a day with enough protein (Leucine) to maintain/promote muscle growth; Dinner.

They do not consume enough protein for Breakfast or Lunch to elicit the anabolic effect.

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Pulse Feeding

This method has been show to work with older individual, around 60 years old.

It doesn't appear to be effectivce for younger individual.

The Refactory Period

Research on spacing high protein meals/intake ever 4 - 6 hour apart, has been shown to optimize Muscle Protein Synthesis.
 

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I am aware of it, but am not familiar with the principles of it. I don't have funds to purchase anything at the moment really... (in school).
Theres enough articles on here by Fabio Zonin to get it figured out fairly well. Similar to easy strength but a little more variety & volume. Search his articles & he'll get you there.
 
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