People people people. When working out. Everything works! For awhile. No matter if its volume heavy duty 6 days 2 days etc. A beginner doesn't need 10 sets nor do they need complete and total failure. As we advance in workouts our bodies adapt to EVERYTHING we try. That's why workouts need to be changed around. No matter what type you do you need to change things around sometimes. Back in the day the guys would train heavy, less sets, less reps ,less days a week. They were trying to build "bulk". But at the same time their body was resting more and recuperating. Their diets were not strict then either. But then as a contest or summer approached they would up the intensity, increase the sets, reps and days.( and of course take more steroids then too). Most didn't need or do cardio because the amount of weight training they did burned off the fat.
None trained in any one way for the entire year nor dieted nor took the amount of drugs. In fact alot would come off completely until training for a show. And those type were actually training very smart by switching training routines, style, intensity,diet etc. They were shocking their bodies into growth. No one can grow forever no matter what type of routine you use. And their bodies all looked different from one another. Is volume training really "over-training" Is extreme heavy duty over- training"? Do we even know if over-training really exists? ( swimmers gymnasts track people etc all "over-train but yet they look great and excel in their sport) Does the human body really need to rest for days after workouts? Isn't the human body able to do remarkable things? Back in the day after a farmer worked 16 hours digging a ditch busting rocks and cutting wood did he say "hey i need to rest for a week because I over-trained. No. I am not saying over - training doesn't exist because i believe it does but do we really know? The barbarian brothers used to say their is no over training just under eating and under sleeping. maybe they were right. But then again the great Dan Duchaine had said that steroids work best on an "over trained " body. So its my belief that there is no one way to workout no matter what some may think. All workouts will work but all workouts will stop giving results eventually.NO you dont do 50 sets when 20 sets stop working. And no you don't do heavy duty until your eyes blow out either. A smart body builder will change routines from time to time to keep getting results or at least to get some rest while maintaining. And some body parts will respond better to certain ways of training . ( some need high reps ,some low and heavy ,some need more sets, some need fewer etc) If you focused on one body part and it grew may not mean your way of training was the best it could mean that you focused on that body part, made it a priority and it grew. Could be arms ,chest, calves etc. Doesn't matter. Pay attention to a lagging body part give it 100%, train it first before your better body parts and watch what happens. Pellius keeps referring to calves as being almost "universally difficult" to build. But are they really? Back in the day very few guys had good calves ( white or black. And in fact they used to say blacks couldn't build calves) But people always trained calves last in their routines (if at all) . Arnold made his a priority. He focused on them. He worked them first 6 days a week.He used ALOT OF WEIGHT. Now look at calves on most modern guys. They all have them. (even blacks) So i don't think they are that hard to build IF someone really wants to put forth the effort
Again I always say find what works for you. Dont get all hung up on this or that. Have an open mind and really put forth the effort. It's kinda like a chevy guy who drives a ford. No matter how good the ford has been he will hate it. Same way with some bodybuilders. They refuse to give 100% in to a new routine because they are to stubborn thinking that only this way works ( on paper anyways). That's why Arnold was so great. He did what worked. The guys back then didn't need studies or graphs or experts". They watched and listened to their bodies and of course had help too. Building muscle is not difficult once we all learn our limits are decided by genetics.
