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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => Training Q&A => Topic started by: Vince B on October 16, 2006, 07:35:57 PM

Title: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 16, 2006, 07:35:57 PM
Arthur Jones arrived on the bodybuilding scene in 1969 and stuffed up hypertrophy training for decades. Even to this day we have the phenomenon of countless pseudo-intellectuals seeking out the right method from the on line sites such as HST and HIT. Well, I have news for you. All those groups are variations of what Arthur Jones preached 35 years ago. Arthur is the smartest guy who ever posted in bodybuilding magazines. He had us reading his ads for goodness sake! Those ads were state of the art theory about bodybuilding. His logic was so sensible it led to most of us doubting our protocols and I think just about everyone sought to do less instead of more to make gains. He demonstrated his ideas by training Sergio Oliva in 1972 and helped Sergio be at his largest ever. That Arnold won the Olympia in Essen is the stuff of controversy. Even Arnold admits Sergio was superior.

The point is does high intensity training and other brief training methods lead to maximum hypertrophy? Nope. It isn't going to happen. It is a big lie. Today we have nonsense about positions of flexion. All nonsense. I read the magazines and cannot see anything worthwhile written there for a long time. The last guy with something new to say other than myself was a Dennis guy who back in the 70s suggested a waste products theory of hypertrophy and used Larry Scott and Sergio Oliva as examples. Somehow he was forgotten and editors like Holman and publishers like Robert Kennedy became the theory guys. Yeah, sure.

There are some truths in bodybuilding. One is progressive resistance. That is the cornerstone of hypertrophy and permeates all theories and programs. The extension of progressive resistance is that in order to get large muscles you have to hoist heavy weights. Not rocket science at all. How come so few guys ever get really big muscles? If the formula is simple where are all the huge guys? You are lucky if you find one or two in each gym. Various hardcore gyms have heaps more big guys. That hasn't changed in over 30 years. Guys get to be a certain size and stop. Just about everyone is on a plateau. So what is the formula for success? Is there a simple formula to follow?

The sad truth is that various drugs and substances have ruined the whole bodybuilding scene. The very biggest guys are probably all using drugs. Please post anyone who is huge but not using? What has happened is that bodybuilding theory is now almost irrelevant because drugs will make up for what is lacking in theory. The big guys hang out together so they all gravitate towards doing similar things. Same drugs, same kind of training, more or less.

Well, there is a simple formula but unfortunately just about everyone who has developed any visible muscle feels he is an expert and knows how to get huge. In principle most of these people are wrong. They do not know how to get huge. Well, not naturally that is.

I could post my ideas here but this in not the proper place to post sensible things. Besides, all manner of flotsom and jetsom will emerge claiming to know more than all the Ironagers. The the real Ironagers trained before 1955. After that it is all suspect.

What is obviously true is that way too many bodybuilders have closed minds. They literally can never know the truth. Beliefs persist like a religion and it is uncanny how so many believe so much rubbish. This is unlikely to change from what I can see. Zillions of guys will blast away in the gym and remain on lifelong plateaus! It really is a crazy activity.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Disgusted on October 16, 2006, 07:42:16 PM
I agree with many of your Points Vince. BTW, is Aurther Jones still alive?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: 240 is Back on October 16, 2006, 07:50:00 PM
give a guy enough food and gh and he could ride a tricycle all day and still win a local NPC show.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Wombat on October 16, 2006, 07:50:18 PM
The simple reason you don't see tons of huge guys in every gym across the country is easy...Most people just go thru the motions...Most of the guys i know in the gym are doing the same workouts they have been doing for 20 years...Sure they have tried diff/approaches but they always fall back to their old workout..Why, because it easy and their body knows it.  Their eating is close to the same and their sleep/rest is the same..Except now they have more stress in their lives in forms of employment and family responsibilities...

The very few that push thru and make gains are simply guy who take it way more seriously...IMOP
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: AVBG on October 16, 2006, 07:56:49 PM
Arthur Jones arrived on the bodybuilding scene in 1969 and stuffed up hypertrophy training for decades. Even to this day we have the phenomenon of countless pseudo-intellectuals seeking out the right method from the on line sites such as HST and HIT. Well, I have news for you. All those groups are variations of what Arthur Jones preached 35 years ago. Arthur is the smartest guy who ever posted in bodybuilding magazines. He had us reading his ads for goodness sake! Those ads were state of the art theory about bodybuilding. His logic was so sensible it led to most of us doubting our protocols and I think just about everyone sought to do less instead of more to make gains. He demonstrated his ideas by training Sergio Oliva in 1972 and helped Sergio be at his largest ever. That Arnold won the Olympia in Essen is the stuff of controversy. Even Arnold admits Sergio was superior.

The point is does high intensity training and other brief training methods lead to maximum hypertrophy? Nope. It isn't going to happen. It is a big lie. Today we have nonsense about positions of flexion. All nonsense. I read the magazines and cannot see anything worthwhile written there for a long time. The last guy with something new to say other than myself was a Dennis guy who back in the 70s suggested a waste products theory of hypertrophy and used Larry Scott and Sergio Oliva as examples. Somehow he was forgotten and editors like Holman and publishers like Robert Kennedy became the theory guys. Yeah, sure.

There are some truths in bodybuilding. One is progressive resistance. That is the cornerstone of hypertrophy and permeates all theories and programs. The extension of progressive resistance is that in order to get large muscles you have to hoist heavy weights. Not rocket science at all. How come so few guys ever get really big muscles? If the formula is simple where are all the huge guys? You are lucky if you find one or two in each gym. Various hardcore gyms have heaps more big guys. That hasn't changed in over 30 years. Guys get to be a certain size and stop. Just about everyone is on a plateau. So what is the formula for success? Is there a simple formula to follow?

The sad truth is that various drugs and substances have ruined the whole bodybuilding scene. The very biggest guys are probably all using drugs. Please post anyone who is huge but not using? What has happened is that bodybuilding theory is now almost irrelevant because drugs will make up for what is lacking in theory. The big guys hang out together so they all gravitate towards doing similar things. Same drugs, same kind of training, more or less.

Well, there is a simple formula but unfortunately just about everyone who has developed any visible muscle feels he is an expert and knows how to get huge. In principle most of these people are wrong. They do not know how to get huge. Well, not naturally that is.

I could post my ideas here but this in not the proper place to post sensible things. Besides, all manner of flotsom and jetsom will emerge claiming to know more than all the Ironagers. The the real Ironagers trained before 1955. After that it is all suspect.

What is obviously true is that way too many bodybuilders have closed minds. They literally can never know the truth. Beliefs persist like a religion and it is uncanny how so many believe so much rubbish. This is unlikely to change from what I can see. Zillions of guys will blast away in the gym and remain on lifelong plateaus! It really is a crazy activity.

Well, there you go.. I look forward to seeing you this weekend at the Aust Nationals!  
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 16, 2006, 08:03:02 PM
give a guy enough food and gh and he could ride a tricycle all day and still win a local NPC show.

That's an absolute fallacy.       
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: bailey on October 16, 2006, 08:04:54 PM
Wombat : You hit the nail right on the head !
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: 240 is Back on October 16, 2006, 08:08:45 PM
That's an absolute fallacy.       

matt C showed us some studies that a group on gear will add more muscle mass by sleeping than a group of natties training their asses off.  Was he wrong?

perhaps i was exaggerating a tad about the tricycle.  it might be a 2-wheeler.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince G, CSN MFT on October 16, 2006, 08:13:10 PM
Yawn.....
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 16, 2006, 08:14:14 PM
matt C showed us some studies that a group on gear will add more muscle mass by sleeping than a group of natties training their asses off.  Was he wrong?

perhaps i was exaggerating a tad about the tricycle.  it might be a 2-wheeler.

Oh, Matt C told you that? 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: 240 is Back on October 16, 2006, 08:16:01 PM
Oh, Matt C told you that? 

Yep.  Dude mainlines gray matter. Wise beyond his nationality.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: jmt1 on October 16, 2006, 08:16:29 PM
Arthur Jones arrived on the bodybuilding scene in 1969 and stuffed up hypertrophy training for decades. Even to this day we have the phenomenon of countless pseudo-intellectuals seeking out the right method from the on line sites such as HST and HIT. Well, I have news for you. All those groups are variations of what Arthur Jones preached 35 years ago. Arthur is the smartest guy who ever posted in bodybuilding magazines. He had us reading his ads for goodness sake! Those ads were state of the art theory about bodybuilding. His logic was so sensible it led to most of us doubting our protocols and I think just about everyone sought to do less instead of more to make gains. He demonstrated his ideas by training Sergio Oliva in 1972 and helped Sergio be at his largest ever. That Arnold won the Olympia in Essen is the stuff of controversy. Even Arnold admits Sergio was superior.

The point is does high intensity training and other brief training methods lead to maximum hypertrophy? Nope. It isn't going to happen. It is a big lie. Today we have nonsense about positions of flexion. All nonsense. I read the magazines and cannot see anything worthwhile written there for a long time. The last guy with something new to say other than myself was a Dennis guy who back in the 70s suggested a waste products theory of hypertrophy and used Larry Scott and Sergio Oliva as examples. Somehow he was forgotten and editors like Holman and publishers like Robert Kennedy became the theory guys. Yeah, sure.

There are some truths in bodybuilding. One is progressive resistance. That is the cornerstone of hypertrophy and permeates all theories and programs. The extension of progressive resistance is that in order to get large muscles you have to hoist heavy weights. Not rocket science at all. How come so few guys ever get really big muscles? If the formula is simple where are all the huge guys? You are lucky if you find one or two in each gym. Various hardcore gyms have heaps more big guys. That hasn't changed in over 30 years. Guys get to be a certain size and stop. Just about everyone is on a plateau. So what is the formula for success? Is there a simple formula to follow?

The sad truth is that various drugs and substances have ruined the whole bodybuilding scene. The very biggest guys are probably all using drugs. Please post anyone who is huge but not using? What has happened is that bodybuilding theory is now almost irrelevant because drugs will make up for what is lacking in theory. The big guys hang out together so they all gravitate towards doing similar things. Same drugs, same kind of training, more or less.

Well, there is a simple formula but unfortunately just about everyone who has developed any visible muscle feels he is an expert and knows how to get huge. In principle most of these people are wrong. They do not know how to get huge. Well, not naturally that is.

I could post my ideas here but this in not the proper place to post sensible things. Besides, all manner of flotsom and jetsom will emerge claiming to know more than all the Ironagers. The the real Ironagers trained before 1955. After that it is all suspect.

What is obviously true is that way too many bodybuilders have closed minds. They literally can never know the truth. Beliefs persist like a religion and it is uncanny how so many believe so much rubbish. This is unlikely to change from what I can see. Zillions of guys will blast away in the gym and remain on lifelong plateaus! It really is a crazy activity.

i dont agree with what you said about aas ruining bodybuilding.

but great post on HIT and arthur jones...he was a genius and very much ahead of his time...all the different variations of HIT over the years are based on his theories...people today should try to fully understand HIT and embrace it as the greatest method of bodybuilding training.

its a shame that there are still guys talking about this light weight, high volume nonsense...they spend hours in the gym doing endless sets and reps...then they try to equate time and endurance in the gym with intensity...lol
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: jmt1 on October 16, 2006, 08:19:22 PM
matt C showed us some studies that a group on gear will add more muscle mass by sleeping than a group of natties training their asses off.  Was he wrong?

perhaps i was exaggerating a tad about the tricycle.  it might be a 2-wheeler.

240 your a smart guy...you really dont believe that do you?

if i recall correctly matt c is one of these delusional "all drugs" guys....and i belive he once made the comment that the only difference between himself and jay cutler was the drugs....lol
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Rami on October 16, 2006, 08:23:00 PM
 ;D Why would I take ANY of this old man's advices??? (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyberpump28_3.jpg)
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: 240 is Back on October 16, 2006, 08:24:01 PM
nah, i do believe that genetics and calories matter a lot too.  Genetics mostly.  Perhaps an amendment - a guy with good genetics on gear would destroy a natty who trains well.

Ronnie coleman working in an accounting office, taking the same stack he does now, would destroy Joe Lunchbox who trained his ass off, in a BBing show.  Matt C's was an extreme, and I just used it because I'm ina groovy mood tonight and I amused myself with the tricycle line.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 16, 2006, 08:39:27 PM

I could post my ideas here but this in not the proper place to post sensible things. Besides, all manner of flotsom and jetsom will emerge claiming to know more than all the Ironagers. The the real Ironagers trained before 1955. After that it is all suspect.


Vince, using the TA sales method ("I have the answer and I'm not going to tell you yet") is beneath you.  If you have something you'd like to share, then spit it out.  You'll get some haters and you'll get some rational guys, just like always.

How are we going to have a discussion if you won't tell us the topic?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: GoneAway on October 16, 2006, 08:45:16 PM
I agree with the point of people sticking to the routines they know, but the average Joe Schmo who works out isn't going to compete in strength/physique competition. They sign up to "get fit." Whatever that means to them is their business, so whose to say they want to be at 6% BF and huge? I'm pretty sure most wouldn't. Maybe they seem to be getting nowhere to people who strive for that ripped/huge muscle look, but without knowing what their goals are, it's hard to say they're not improving at whatever they're doing just because their body seems to look the same.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Mr. Michael Moore on October 16, 2006, 09:55:14 PM
As usual, McFarland is right !!!!!!!!!!

Only a guy who ACTUALLY competed (not a shitty pics-posted contest ;) ) like McJeff knows what it takes to be competitive onstage.

It's not hard AT ALL to find guys shooting up the GH/slin/test combo, yet how many of them make it (respectably) to the stage???? Not many, judging by proportions......

You can cause a riot inside the SIZEN Labs. facilities, and take all of their GH into the siringes, and yet, if you don't put the due suffering in the weight room, it WON'T HAPPEN, just like that.

Everybody likes to rip Dorian's Sandows accomplishments, but how many of their coleagues from that time actually were known to put the same kind and amount of hard work in the gym???? No one.....hence, Dorian reigned absolute. That's what Shawn could never grasp......and I'm not saying his training wasn't hard, by the contrary, Ray trained very, very hard, on a different aproach compared to Dorian's, but Yates' level of intensity was on another level.

Everyone who thinks that all it takes to make it big in bodybuilding is injecting to a heart's content all the drug combos in the world without putting up the grueling hours in the gym should get his head checked twice........ :-\
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 17, 2006, 12:44:54 AM
As he did three years ago on this forum Vince states a good case and then follows up with nothing. Tells us what's wrong with every method out there eludes to the "fact" that he has the "secret" formula and just as he did back then when Milos and I called him on it, he says "well this is not the place to post this information.

DOMS the breaks.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: whitewidow on October 17, 2006, 12:48:52 AM
goodbum-2007 baby!!
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 17, 2006, 01:06:35 AM
As he did three years ago on this forum Vince states a good case and then follows up with nothing. Tells us what's wrong with every method out there eludes to the "fact" that he has the "secret" formula and just as he did back then when Milos and I called him on it, he says "well this is not the place to post this information.

DOMS the breaks.

Very well put.

Vince Basile, how about give an example of what a month of training would look like?

Training for the whole body, that is.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: smaul on October 17, 2006, 01:11:19 AM
I'd like to see a months schedule too, were there any specific nutrition guidelines?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 04:18:11 AM
Curiosity with scepticism is healthy. Did you notice one of the guys who most needs help 'yawns' in this thread. How typical of knuckleheads to dismiss what others say and cling to notions that result in hardly any improvement at all. That is the problem. Too many think they know what they are doing. The results say otherwise.

There are two ways we could approach the problem of diminishing returns from training. Over a certain size the number of years spent in the gym mean nothing at all. No further growth occurs and bodybuilders subscribe to the belief that steroids and other drugs are the only way they will get any bigger. In addition, they attribute the success of some to genetics when in truth no one has a clue about who has potential, and how much size is possible. If Larry Scott was a young fellow today could he be Mr Olympia? I wonder. The odds are that he could not. However, it might be possible. He put an awful lot of muscle on a rather small frame. Larry was and is the master of bodybuilding technology. Because he had a small frame he had to discover the most effective methods to build his body. The question is whether he found the optimum system or just part of it.

Okay, we have some factors in hypertrophy that must be there. Resistance leading to mechanical tension on a target muscle and some sort of duration and frequency. Exactly how much is required, how long and how often has never been determined. It is believed that each person might be unique and therefore has to find his optimum protocols, etc. If it is true that each person is an individual and needs special routines and protocols then we might as well abandon any help from science. When you cannot predict results you cannot know the process and hence hypertrophy would not be knowable by science. Or if knowable would be too complex to be of use to individuals.

Why do so many toil for years and years and stay more or less the same? That is something that has never been studied and therefore all we can do is conjecture. Sure, diet and the repeated bout effect can undermine the progress of most of us. Are there strategies that can overcome the repeated bout effect? We can eliminate diet by assuming one should keep abreast of the latest proven research and maintain an optimum diet for growth.

What amuses me is to talk to people about training and then see the people doing the same thing over and over while looking the same. Surely that is lunacy. Let me describe a situation with an actual bodybuilder. This bloke is trying to build his calves up. We have had a few discussions about strategies and methods. His calves do not look any bigger than before and this has been going on for several years now. He is not stupid and considers what I say. Today I had another chat with him. He had the seated calf machine loaded up with about 180 Kg or 400 pounds. The heavy frame adds another 100 pounds at least. Here he was doing sets with 500 pounds of resistance. To be able to move that amount of weight and do several sets he was resting several minutes between sets. Maybe 5 minutes. I told him that isn't going to make his calves much bigger? Why? Well, it seems to me he is doing strength training and there is little reason for his calves to get any bigger. So the calves do the right thing and stay the same size. We talked about eating and I told him he can't expect more size if he is not gaining weight. I suggested he wear a heavy vest around and walk up lots of hills every day for a few months and see what happens.

The point is simple. If you are training hard and not growing rapidly you are doing something wrong or failing to do something and are probably not eating enough, either. So, if you return to the gym and keep doing the same thing that is lunacy. Oh, I am sure trainees justify what they are doing in the belief that gains come slowly and therefore are imperceptible. It takes years, or so everyone says.  My point is if you are not growing from each workout then do something different. That is a requirement. Sure adding weight might help but you cannot keep adding weight indefinitely. If you are adding weight and not growing then that is pointless. You might not be putting enough mechanical tension on your muscle. You might have to try a different exercise or different protocols or both. Somehow you have to figure out how to grow rapidly. When you can do that for one muscle it is easy to apply those principles to other muscles.

Oh, for what it is worth, HIT and HST do not work beyond a certain point. Something is wrong with the theory behind those methods. It isn't intensity that causes hypertrophy although sometimes it can stimulate some growth. Nope, that isn't a sufficient factor. HST tries to distill a method from science. If only the scientists were trying to cause as much growth as possible. Well, they have had some success with fowl and cats and perhaps some rats. Humans have been competely ignored as far as trying to cause substantial growth in their muscles. It is a pipedream that HST is going to be the optimum method and that is what we find. The forums of these believers are repetitive and hardly anyone is still growing. The methods seem to work on some people for a while then growth stops. Thus, these believers wonder what to do next and start changing things in the prescriptions. I guess that is trial and error and you wonder how a supposedly scientific method still needs it. The truth is those methods are not themselves scientific. There has been little or no research to support those beliefs and methods. It really reduces to charlatanry.

I have no obligation to describe specific methods and prescriptions. Suffice is to point out the folly of what so many believe. This is, afterall, a discussion board of opinions regarding bodybuilding, etc.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 17, 2006, 04:30:39 AM
Curiosity with scepticism is healthy. Did you notice one of the guys who most needs help 'yawns' in this thread. How typical of knuckleheads to dismiss what others say and cling to notions that result in hardly any improvement at all. That is the problem. Too many think they know what they are doing. The results say otherwise.


I have no obligation to describe specific methods and prescriptions. Suffice is to point out the folly of what so many believe. This is, afterall, a discussion board of opinions regarding bodybuilding, etc.

I will not dismiss your theories.

And no, you have no obligation whatsoever to describe specific methods, or give examples on what you believe is the least faulty (ie, most correct) way to train.

It would, however, be very nice to get a look at a typical training layout, if you were to design it for a natural athlete.

I believe it would also help people understand what you mean with your DOMS training.

How about it? Spill the beans mate.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hurricane Beef ! on October 17, 2006, 04:52:58 AM
I agree with many of your Points Vince. BTW, is Aurther Jones still alive?

Yes, Arthur Jones is still alive.

I addition to Nautilus he owns the Bowflex, Stairmaster and MedX (evaluation and rehabilitation equipment ) lines. If memory serves me, he has some connection to Hammer Strength as well.

The Beef
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 05:03:08 AM
I will not dismiss your theories.

And no, you have no obligation whatsoever to describe specific methods, or give examples on what you believe is the least faulty (ie, most correct) way to train.

It would, however, be very nice to get a look at a typical training layout, if you were to design it for a natural athlete.

I believe it would also help people understand what you mean with your DOMS training.

How about it? Spill the beans mate.

YIP
Zack

Vince, this is something I love to see!!!

Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: dseiler on October 17, 2006, 05:07:28 AM
give a guy enough food and gh and he could ride a tricycle all day and still win a local NPC show.

By far the dumbest thing you have ever said.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 05:15:23 AM
"Oh, for what it is worth, HIT and HST do not work beyond a certain point. Something is wrong with the theory behind those methods. It isn't intensity that causes hypertrophy although sometimes it can stimulate some growth. Nope, that isn't a sufficient factor. HST tries to distill a method from science. If only the scientists were trying to cause as much growth as possible. Well, they have had some success with fowl and cats and perhaps some rats. Humans have been competely ignored as far as trying to cause substantial growth in their muscles. It is a pipedream that HST is going to be the optimum method and that is what we find. The forums of these believers are repetitive and hardly anyone is still growing. The methods seem to work on some people for a while then growth stops. Thus, these believers wonder what to do next and start changing things in the prescriptions. I guess that is trial and error and you wonder how a supposedly scientific method still needs it. The truth is those methods are not themselves scientific. There has been little or no research to support those beliefs and methods. It really reduces to charlatanry."



Vince, question

I thought that the point was to keep the muscle under tension for a long period of time *giving sufficient weight*, which is the goal of rest/pause and HIT

isn't that why drop sets are so effective?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 17, 2006, 05:36:31 AM
i'm sorry, and this is no disrespect to vince, but look at the guy. ::)

if he actually did know what builds a body don't you think he would have one? i mean he runs a gym for crissakes! it's not like he doesn't have access to the tools. how many guys have you trained to mr olympia calibre vince? i didn't think so. :'(

he doesn't know shit. he is simply an attention whore. if he did have the 'secret' do you think he would be discussing it (or in this case not even going that far) on a message board ???

IF one could actually grow 'workout to workout' like he says, you would have bodybuilders walking around as big as sky scrapers. think about it people!

what he means by doms training ie delayed onset muscle soreness, is that he THINKS, like a lot of people, that doms indicates muscle growth. however, the simple fact is that it doesn't.

one could get doms doing 100 rep sets of push ups but are you going to get big doing that? waddy please don't bother answering. if so then marines would be looking like bodybuilders. they don't... unless they train bodybuilding.

i believe jones was on the right track with his theories. brief and brutal because if you are seriously training brutal how the hell do you training long.

compare the sprinter to the marathon runner. whose body would you rather have?

Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Petrucci on October 17, 2006, 05:55:10 AM
give a guy enough food and gh and he could ride a tricycle all day and still win a local NPC show.

its sad but its true...I would like to see a guy, NATURAL, with very shitty genetics construct a good body...this guy´s routine and trainning methods would be good to hear...
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: jaejonna on October 17, 2006, 05:56:16 AM
;D Why would I take ANY of this old man's advices??? (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyberpump28_3.jpg)
Monster forehead
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: smaul on October 17, 2006, 06:03:05 AM
Vince, Does this mean that you believe that HIT etc can be good to shock the muscle into growth once in a while though?, when stuck on a plateau?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: LASTREP72 on October 17, 2006, 06:16:54 AM


I have no obligation to describe specific methods and prescriptions. Suffice is to point out the folly of what so many believe. This is, afterall, a discussion board of opinions regarding bodybuilding, etc.
Put up or shut the fuck up >:(
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 17, 2006, 06:21:05 AM
Vince, you seem to eschew the notion of a limit of how much muscle a BB can put on.  Would you at least agree that more advanced BBs have a harder time making gains than a beginner?

Is your theory that DOMS is related to growth?  If so, how so (cause of, product of, paralleled by but not causally related...)?  How can we use this to maximize gains?  Please be specific so your ideas don't get lost in the Getbig Shuffle.

You've obviously put a lot of thought into your theories.  I would like to hear them, as would others I'm sure.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: sarcasm on October 17, 2006, 06:24:03 AM
Arthur Jones arrived on the bodybuilding scene in 1969 and stuffed up hypertrophy training for decades. Even to this day we have the phenomenon of countless pseudo-intellectuals seeking out the right method from the on line sites such as HST and HIT. Well, I have news for you. All those groups are variations of what Arthur Jones preached 35 years ago. Arthur is the smartest guy who ever posted in bodybuilding magazines. He had us reading his ads for goodness sake! Those ads were state of the art theory about bodybuilding. His logic was so sensible it led to most of us doubting our protocols and I think just about everyone sought to do less instead of more to make gains. He demonstrated his ideas by training Sergio Oliva in 1972 and helped Sergio be at his largest ever. That Arnold won the Olympia in Essen is the stuff of controversy. Even Arnold admits Sergio was superior.

The point is does high intensity training and other brief training methods lead to maximum hypertrophy? Nope. It isn't going to happen. It is a big lie. Today we have nonsense about positions of flexion. All nonsense. I read the magazines and cannot see anything worthwhile written there for a long time. The last guy with something new to say other than myself was a Dennis guy who back in the 70s suggested a waste products theory of hypertrophy and used Larry Scott and Sergio Oliva as examples. Somehow he was forgotten and editors like Holman and publishers like Robert Kennedy became the theory guys. Yeah, sure.

There are some truths in bodybuilding. One is progressive resistance. That is the cornerstone of hypertrophy and permeates all theories and programs. The extension of progressive resistance is that in order to get large muscles you have to hoist heavy weights. Not rocket science at all. How come so few guys ever get really big muscles? If the formula is simple where are all the huge guys? You are lucky if you find one or two in each gym. Various hardcore gyms have heaps more big guys. That hasn't changed in over 30 years. Guys get to be a certain size and stop. Just about everyone is on a plateau. So what is the formula for success? Is there a simple formula to follow?

The sad truth is that various drugs and substances have ruined the whole bodybuilding scene. The very biggest guys are probably all using drugs. Please post anyone who is huge but not using? What has happened is that bodybuilding theory is now almost irrelevant because drugs will make up for what is lacking in theory. The big guys hang out together so they all gravitate towards doing similar things. Same drugs, same kind of training, more or less.

Well, there is a simple formula but unfortunately just about everyone who has developed any visible muscle feels he is an expert and knows how to get huge. In principle most of these people are wrong. They do not know how to get huge. Well, not naturally that is.

I could post my ideas here but this in not the proper place to post sensible things. Besides, all manner of flotsom and jetsom will emerge claiming to know more than all the Ironagers. The the real Ironagers trained before 1955. After that it is all suspect.

What is obviously true is that way too many bodybuilders have closed minds. They literally can never know the truth. Beliefs persist like a religion and it is uncanny how so many believe so much rubbish. This is unlikely to change from what I can see. Zillions of guys will blast away in the gym and remain on lifelong plateaus! It really is a crazy activity.
no offense dude but if you know so much then why aren't you big?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 17, 2006, 06:31:46 AM
Quote
Yes, Arthur Jones is still alive.

I addition to Nautilus he owns the Bowflex, Stairmaster and MedX (evaluation and rehabilitation equipment ) lines. If memory serves me, he has some connection to Hammer Strength as well.

The Beef
Jones is still in Florida, running MedX. All the other companies are part of Nautilus, which is not the same entity he was involved with. His son runs Hammer Strength.

Some great ideas, most of which make sense; one of the top guys concerning theory. His arrogance and that of his converts in talking AT others has always been annoying though.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: GoneAway on October 17, 2006, 06:32:34 AM
no offense dude but if you know so much then why aren't you big?

See: Vince when he was younger.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: sarcasm on October 17, 2006, 06:33:22 AM
See: Vince when he was younger.
he wasn't big at all to come off like such an expert.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: LASTREP72 on October 17, 2006, 06:40:10 AM
no offense dude but if you know so much then why aren't you big?
Cause remeber he doesn't beleive in lifting heavy weight - no benching, squating or heavy deadlifting. And gear is so terrible but it wasn't so bad for him to pop dbols for 6 weeks ???
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: natural al on October 17, 2006, 07:11:10 AM
Yes, Arthur Jones is still alive.

I addition to Nautilus he owns the Bowflex, Stairmaster and MedX (evaluation and rehabilitation equipment ) lines. If memory serves me, he has some connection to Hammer Strength as well.

The Beef

nautilus put out a line of machines in about 1989 that were like early versions of alot of the hammer strength stuff, we got them in my HS.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 17, 2006, 07:34:35 AM
Could you pls lay out all your expert training and nutritional principls for putting on most muscle in shortest amt of time (all-natural) Vince? It could be intriguing, esp for guys like Vince G & Alexxx.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: sarcasm on October 17, 2006, 07:37:09 AM
Could you pls lay out all your expert training and nutritional principls for putting on most muscle in shortest amt of time (all-natural) Vince? It could be intriguing, esp for guys like Vince G & Alexxx.
he doesn't know, if he knew he'd be big himself.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 07:37:31 AM
There is so much negativity among members of this board and in fact just about everyone with some muscular development considers that they know how to build muscle. They assume it is just a matter of training harder and they can get bigger. The unvarnished truth is that it is extremely difficult to make muscles quite large. There might be many, many ways to explain why maximum size is so difficult but there is no way to know which explanations are true.

It is possible to account for maximum size without referring to DOMS or any other phenomenon. I used DOMS as a likely feedback mechanism and speculated what it might be like to grow continuously and at a marked rate. I had to dismiss much of what I thought I knew about physiology to construct my theory. It was forced upon me by the facts.

Can one build up huge size by doing pushups? Obviously, no. Why do thinkers suggest the absurd? The ultimate hypertrophy theory will be consistent with all the facts already known about muscles and growth. Philosophically, it is possible to grow at a maximum rate. Suppose we do a thought experiment. Assume that someone has managed to train in a fashion that led to obtaining maximum muscle size in the shortest time possible. It would be a simple process to reverse engineer everything and know what to do on each workout right back to the first session. It is clear that there have been some men who have developed huge size. We need look no further than the top Olympians. However, they have cheated by using agents for a shortcut. It may be that we cannot obtain such size naturally, although I see no reason, in principle, why this might be so. Women are another matter and it is unlikely anyone can replicate Ms Olympia size naturally.

Many are wondering why I didn't get huge in the past. I obviously didn't have the right theory about training. There were also problems about equipment deficiencies that are no longer a shortcoming. I am no longer motivated to get huge. Also, I have many injuries from past training that do not make training enjoyable. However, it is also part of my theory that significant size can be developed at just about any age. That goes against what most of us have been told. However, hypertrophy is easy to trigger so it is just a matter of application to continue the process.

Is intensity an important factor in hypertrophy? Well, I prefer to think about thresholds and as long as sufficient tension is placed on a muscle for a sufficient length of time and then repeated at the optimal frequency then there is no reason one shouldn't keep growing. The actual application of this process is complicated because in moving systems there are just too many slight differences. In other words, it is difficult to test training among individuals because there is no way to know if they are doing things in precisely the same fashion.

It is likely that size is related to effort in training and that as one grows larger the amount of effort increases exponentially. This might help to explain why so few obain huge size. Again, how are we supposed to discover how much effort is required when no one is studying such things?

I have found it is dangerous to merely think about this process. Arthur Jones was mistaken in some of his thinking about how muscles contract. It is clear no one knew what we now know at the molecular level in the muscles. The maximum size theory must be consistent with all known and future reseach. So far no one has managed to falsify my theory. Some armchair speculators dismiss various ideas I have written about but the research agrees with what I have found. At least that is encouraging. I welcome considered criticism because the true theory will survive all such criticism. Just make sure you know what you are talking about as well.

Please remember that I cannot respond while I am at work or asleep. Eventually I will reply to various questions.  

Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 17, 2006, 07:39:43 AM
Monster forehead

Awesome build.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: sarcasm on October 17, 2006, 07:41:04 AM
There is so much negativity among members of this board and in fact just about everyone with some muscular development considers that they know how to build muscle. They assume it is just a matter of training harder and they can get bigger. The unvarnished truth is that it is extremely difficult to make muscles quite large. There might be many, many ways to explain why maximum size is so difficult but there is no way to know which explanations are true.

It is possible to account for maximum size without referring to DOMS or any other phenomenon. I used DOMS as a likely feedback mechanism and speculated what it might be like to grow continuously and at a marked rate. I had to dismiss much of what I thought I knew about physiology to construct my theory. It was forced upon me by the facts.

Can one build up huge size by doing pushups? Obviously, no. Why do thinkers suggest the absurd? The ultimate hypertrophy theory will be consistent with all the facts already known about muscles and growth. Philosophically, it is possible to grow at a maximum rate. Suppose we do a thought experiment. Assume that someone has managed to train in a fashion that led to obtaining maximum muscle size in the shortest time possible. It would be a simple process to reverse engineer everything and know what to do on each workout right back to the first session. It is clear that there have been some men who have developed huge size. We need look no further than the top Olympians. However, they have cheated by using agents for a shortcut. It may be that we cannot obtain such size naturally, although I see no reason, in principle, why this might be so. Women are another matter and it is unlikely anyone can replicate Ms Olympia size naturally.

Many are wondering why I didn't get huge in the past. I obviously didn't have the right theory about training. There were also problems about equipment deficiencies that are no longer a shortcoming. I am no longer motivated to get huge. Also, I have many injuries from past training that do not make training enjoyable. However, it is also part of my theory that significant size can be developed at just about any age. That goes against what most of us have been told. However, hypertrophy is easy to trigger so it is just a matter of application to continue the process.

Is intensity an important factor in hypertrophy? Well, I prefer to think about thresholds and as long as sufficient tension is placed on a muscle for a sufficient length of time and then repeated at the optimal frequency then there is no reason one shouldn't keep growing. The actual application of this process is complicated because in moving systems there are just too many slight differences. In other words, it is difficult to test training among individuals because there is no way to know if they are doing things in precisely the same fashion.

It is likely that size is related to effort in training and that as one grows larger the amount of effort increases exponentially. This might help to explain why so few obain huge size. Again, how are we supposed to discover how much effort is required when no one is studying such things?

I have found it is dangerous to merely think about this process. Arthur Jones was mistaken in some of his thinking about how muscles contract. It is clear no one knew what we now know at the molecular level in the muscles. The maximum size theory must be consistent with all known and future reseach. So far no one has managed to falsify my theory. Some armchair speculators dismiss various ideas I have written about but the research agrees with what I have found. At least that is encouraging. I welcome considered criticism because the true theory will survive all such criticism. Just make sure you know what you are talking about as well.

Please remember that I cannot respond while I am at work or asleep. Eventually I will reply to various questions.  


monster excuses.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 17, 2006, 07:48:43 AM
he doesn't know, if he knew he'd be big himself.

Hey, at least he won the overall in the IFBB Mr Canada. It was one of the bigger (you can say biggest even) events around back then and still is today.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: natural al on October 17, 2006, 07:53:09 AM
;D Why would I take ANY of this old man's advices??? (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyberpump28_3.jpg)

I "think" Jones was almost 60 when that shot was taken and that was after his first serious training program in years.  I think if you look up the Colorado Experiment they list his before and after stats and they are not that bad considering how old he was.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: lvtolft on October 17, 2006, 08:00:36 AM
I believe that most people have problems reaching their goals because they do not have the commitment necessary to see constant progress.  Building muscle is difficult to do and requires more than just showing up at the gym.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 08:09:43 AM
Vince before we go any further I'd like to see or hear an example of who you think epitomizes your bodybuilding ideal, or at least who came the closest that you are aware of to having achieved what a "successful bodybuilding routine" would produce.  What type of physique do you have in mind as an ideal...as something that might result from the "correct" exercise program, proper execution of this program, and fulfillment of whatever nutritional demands this physique would require?   
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 08:10:38 AM
no offense dude but if you know so much then why aren't you big?

this is not really a fair statement. Many elite athletes have coaches and gurus does that mean that the guru/coach is better than them?

lets wait until Vince posts his training guide

I could be wrong but I am guessing that Vince is an advocate of something like "progressive 6 X 6"

lift weight heavy enough for 6 reps over 6 sets *rest 90 seconds* should be sufficient enough to stimulate hyperthophy

Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 17, 2006, 08:11:30 AM
So far no one has managed to falsify my theory.  
 

Vince-
I'm not being negative here - but I'm unclear as to what it is you are proposing to maximize hypertrophy most efficiently.  Have you discussed this in previous threads?  What exactly IS the theory?  

Please - state your theory and a recommended workout schedual.  I'd genuinely like to discuss it with you.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Marty Champions on October 17, 2006, 08:18:42 AM
yeah you clowns make sure you dont overtrain hahah im the biggest nucca here and will always be cause everyone is so stupid about training and nutrition. ive written many of posts yet they get deleted on the subjector

 the key to gaining muscle and losing fat is simply

hardwork...but its all a simple equation

a calorie is a calorie. you eat too much you get fat. if you eat 5000 calories and burn 5100 calories you get leaner and grow muscle over time if done consistently most people do not do the WORK of 5000 calories perday, that requires a good amount of muscle/energy/work to be able to consistently burn this many calories. lets say if someone eats 10,000 calories over a long period of time and burns 10,100 calories over a long period of time, they would have put on alot of muscle, becuase their calorie burning furnace (MUSCLE TISSUE) has had to ADAPT to a high workload daily, you have to do a SHITLOAD of working out to burn 10,000 calories, focusing on legs mainly squats leg lunges or presses would be the key to burning this many calories, fairly moderate way so you dont injure yourself because you will be sore as hell adapting to the high workload.you can only burn so much in a period of time doing bicep curls....overtime your muscles will be fairly efficient at assimilating 10,000 calories a day for the amount of work you put into it, i cant say for sure how many new pounds of muscle this equates to, but i would bet on a person eating this much and doing this much work would be bigger than a guy doing the 5000 calorie a day diet


as you can see getting muscle and losing fat is a simple equation

****the more you eat the more energy you can exert******
this is the key to putting on muscle, but in order to put on muscle, we DO NOT want to get fat. I hate gettin fat even though i can easily let a few pounds creep up on me. But for males the key to gaining muscle would be to eat ALOT, BUT we have to ASSIMILATE all those calories and not let them GO TO WASTE (UGLY FAT GAIN). I have done strict dieting before and got very lean under 2000 calories a day, but i could only workout but so hard before i got fatigued with those low calories. Now i eat around 8000 calories a day i have put on a small amount of fat ( which is fine because if i want to lose it ill just diet for a couple of days) but the point is im growing muscle, not in pounds, but small amounts by the week, im noticing smaller veins becoming more pronounced and muscle definition coming out. Its a slow proces, but with all these extra calories my body doesnt want to quit when im in the gym i can workout for 2 hours with tons of cardio and not tire out, its amazing THE POWER OF FOOD
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 17, 2006, 08:24:14 AM
Before anyone dismisses Basile, lets see what he brings to the table.

Some kind of layout, some kind of hypothetical workout program for two-three weeks.

Or at least list one weeks workouts.

That would give us an idea of what frequency, what volume, what load, et al.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 08:32:29 AM
daddywaddy, here is how muhc of a joke you are!

I am reading a story on Espn about Amere Stoudimere  about a basketball player for Phoenix. By all accounts he doesn't train as a BB

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp06/columns/story?id=2621039


"On the plus side, he moved freely, ran the floor well, showed some strong moves around the glass, and reported that a hearty summer regimen of weights and swimming has brought him into the season at a svelte 237 pounds, with 7 percent body fat."

I would argue that with 2 month training he would own you.


Dwayne Wade another basketball player, yet again he doesn't train as a BB. From this pic I would argue that he is not that far behind you

you are a stupid tool!!
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Marty Champions on October 17, 2006, 08:40:06 AM
youll argue anything, you need to start focusing on yourself though quit worrying about how great i am and trying to belittle my masterfullness
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/honigga/getbig257k9-1.jpg)

yeah he gets paid millions of dollars to screw around, if i played any college ball id be a pro football or b-ball, but i dont take any college classes and they dont let on walk ons (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/honigga/getbig257k9-1.jpg)

i would be the white dennis rodman of rebounding for shure id kick ass in b-ball or football
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 17, 2006, 08:44:03 AM
Quote
a calorie is a calorie. you eat too much you get fat. if you eat 5000 calories and burn 5100 calories you get leaner and grow muscle over time if done consistently most people do not do the WORK of 5000 calories perday, that requires a good amount of muscle/energy/work to be able to consistently burn this many calories. lets say if someone eats 10,000 calories over a long period of time and burns 10,100 calories over a long period of time, they would have put on alot of muscle, becuase their calorie burning furnace (MUSCLE TISSUE) has had to ADAPT to a high workload daily, you have to do a SHITLOAD of working out to burn 10,000 calories, focusing on legs mainly squats leg lunges or presses would be the key to burning this many calories, fairly moderate way so you dont injure yourself because you will be sore as hell adapting to the high workload.you can only burn so much in a period of time doing bicep curls....
Long-winded, incomplete and general obvious stuff; establishes nothing. Burning calories isn't particularly relevant to muscle gain. Completely overlooks the idea of working smart as well as hard, because the author doesn't understand the difference.


Quote
Vince before we go any further I'd like to see or hear an example of who you think epitomizes your bodybuilding ideal, or at least who came the closest that you are aware of to having achieved what a "successful bodybuilding routine" would produce.
He's referring to training to potential; what his ideal is or isn't is an aside.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: jmt1 on October 17, 2006, 08:52:15 AM
yeah you clowns make sure you dont overtrain hahah im the biggest nucca here and will always be cause everyone is so stupid about training and nutrition. ive written many of posts yet they get deleted on the subjector

 the key to gaining muscle and losing fat is simply

hardwork...but its all a simple equation

a calorie is a calorie. you eat too much you get fat. if you eat 5000 calories and burn 5100 calories you get leaner and grow muscle over time if done consistently most people do not do the WORK of 5000 calories perday, that requires a good amount of muscle/energy/work to be able to consistently burn this many calories. lets say if someone eats 10,000 calories over a long period of time and burns 10,100 calories over a long period of time, they would have put on alot of muscle, becuase their calorie burning furnace (MUSCLE TISSUE) has had to ADAPT to a high workload daily, you have to do a SHITLOAD of working out to burn 10,000 calories, focusing on legs mainly squats leg lunges or presses would be the key to burning this many calories, fairly moderate way so you dont injure yourself because you will be sore as hell adapting to the high workload.you can only burn so much in a period of time doing bicep curls....overtime your muscles will be fairly efficient at assimilating 10,000 calories a day for the amount of work you put into it, i cant say for sure how many new pounds of muscle this equates to, but i would bet on a person eating this much and doing this much work would be bigger than a guy doing the 5000 calorie a day diet



A calorie IS NOT a calorie




 the "calories in calories out" mantra fails to take into account modern research that finds that fats, carbs, and proteins have very different effects on the metabolism via countless pathways, such as their effects on hormones (e.g., insulin, leptin, glucagon, etc), effects on hunger and appetite, thermic effects (heat production), effects on uncoupling proteins (UCPs), and 1000 other effects that could be mentioned.

Even worse, this school of thought fails to take into account the fact that even within a macro nutrient, they too can have different effects on metabolism. This school of thought ignores the ever mounting volume of studies that have found diets with different macro nutrient ratios with identical calorie intakes have different effects on body composition, cholesterol levels, oxidative stress, etc. Translated, not only is the mantra "a calorie us a calorie" proven to be false, "all fats are created equal" or "protein is protein" is also incorrect. For example, we now know different fats (e.g. fish oils vs. saturated fats) have vastly different effects on metabolism and health in general, as we now know different carbohydrates have their own effects (e.g. high GI vs. low GI), as we know different proteins can have unique effects.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 08:57:29 AM
Long-winded, incomplete and general obvious stuff; establishes nothing. Burning calories isn't particularly relevant to muscle gain. Completely overlooks the idea of working smart as well as hard, because the author doesn't understand the difference.

He's referring to training to potential; what his ideal is or isn't is an aside.

Nah, us seeing why he thinks we NEED a better/more effective/more efficient training philosophy is crucial here. 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 09:03:35 AM
To reply to Hedgehog. There is a philosophy of hypertrophy even though no one has written much about it. On bodybuilding sites people usually insist on sets and reps and exercises instead of finding out about the theory behind the training. If I can instruct someone about the theory and he has the capacity to absorb that information it is then likely this person can benefit from the theory. If individuals have no grasp of the theory behind the training and what is guiding them how on earth will they know what their task is and if they are on the right track? Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that the correct theory be explained first. The leap from the philosophy of hypertrophy to the technology is still not as easy as it sounds because that is where immense experience becomes absolutely essential. If a person has not obtained maximum hypertrophy or demonstrated it through another it is highly unlikely that the technology of hypertrophy will be accurate and therefore valid. So it is still possible to have the true theory but apply it insufficiently and not get the results.

My theory insists that if rapid, measureable gains are not obained on a daily basis then something is wrong about the training. Now that is a severe test for any bodybuilding theory and I know of no other theory that makes that bold claim. Most theories suggest gains occur over a time period and may or may not be recordable as a continuous process. It is my belief that progress on limbs that can be measured with a tape can occur steadily and be significant and measureable the day following the workout.

To get some glimpse of what I am suggesting it requires that we address the potential each of us have for growth. What is the maximum increase that any of us can generate from a single workout if given the limits of 12 hours of training in a single day? Well, surely this is an interesting problem. I do hope everyone appreciates that what might stimulate maximum growth in novices and others who have not trained a muscle for a time is quite different from that of moderate and advanced trainees. If we further restrict things to make them practical we might miss the potential for growth that is possible. The idea that one goes to a gym and trains for an hour or two is just about universal in bodybuilding. There have been a few individuals who trained longer but they did not obtain more hypertrophy than those who trained much briefer. I rather doubt any of these men actually exhausted their growth potential and those results with professionals are contaminated because of the use of drugs. We have no idea exactly what is responsible for their growth and that is why bodybuilding magazines have lost a lot of their value. Most of us simply do not believe what those writers are telling us. They either simply do not know or have no idea what is causing the growth. In the absense of any real information writers can claim just about anything they wish. The research quoted in magazines reveals the interests of those scientists and not bodybuilders. We should be learning heaps from science but most of the recent research is of limited value or not relevant whatsoever. We have been extrapolating training ideas from animal studies for decades now. It really would be refreshing if we had some good research into the maximum hypertrophy phenomenon.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 09:04:52 AM
Vince who do you aspire to look more like by applying these theories? 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 17, 2006, 09:11:55 AM
Quote
Nah, us seeing why he thinks we NEED a better/more effective/more efficient training philosophy is crucial here. 
Making muscles larger/hypertrophy is what he's talking about; no "ideal" is needed to undertand this, actually detracts from the point.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 09:13:19 AM
The essence of bodybuilding is to transcend what we have developed and take it to another level. We all see others with superior development so that helps us aim for what is possible. We may or may not be able to achieve comparable results to others. If we can exceed what we have now that is still progress. Bodybuilding is simply reconstructing ourselves on a weekly basis.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 09:15:13 AM
The essence of bodybuilding is to transcend what we have developed and take it to another level. We all see others with superior development so that helps us aim for what is possible. We may or may not be able to achieve comparable results to others. If we can exceed what we have now that is still progress. Bodybuilding is simply reconstructing ourselves on a weekly basis.

No, Vince...give us one example of someone demonstrating superior development. 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 17, 2006, 09:18:57 AM
If I can instruct someone about the theory and he has the capacity to absorb that information it is then likely this person can benefit from the theory. If individuals have no grasp of the theory behind the training and what is guiding them how on earth will they know what their task is and if they are on the right track? Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that the correct theory be explained first.


Fine.  For the fourth time: WHAT IS "THE THEORY"?

Please start your next post with the words, "My theory is this -" and then explain it.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 17, 2006, 09:27:10 AM
The problem with putting a theory out there is that you just know some of the experts here will be all over it like flies on sh--.

More interesting is the premise that there's greater potential that isn't realized; doesn't mean anyone necessarily has the answer on that yet.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 17, 2006, 09:33:03 AM
The problem with putting a theory out there is that you just know some of the experts here will be all over it like flies on sh--.

Maybe, but at least then we'll know what we're talking about. 

WHAT IS "THE THEORY"?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 09:35:27 AM


More interesting is the premise that there's greater potential that isn't realized; doesn't mean anyone necessarily has the answer on that yet.

That's right.  I wanna know if he really thinks there's been a bodybuilder that's done it right that could have done it easier, or if he has an explanation as to why he couldn't have looked more like that guy had he followed the same theories/programs/procedures, or if he has a good reason as to why he wasn't willing to do what it apparently took that guy to do.  But first things first.  I just wanna see him tell us ONE PERSON he thinks looks good.  My guess is that if he does have someone in mind that he'd like to look like, it'll be someone that 1) did juice and 2) didn't die from doing it, or anymore so from his doing anything else.  At which point his whole argument will become moot.          
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Thin Lizzy on October 17, 2006, 09:38:47 AM
The problem with putting a theory out there is that you just know some of the experts here will be all over it like flies on sh--.


So what? If his theory is so sound, it should be able to stand the heat

Vince sounds like some Stock Market tout who claims to have "The System"
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 09:50:08 AM
Would some of you people recognize the true theory of hypertrophy if you saw it? The point is what is the test of truth of any theory? Well, in bodybuilding it surely is whether that theory can produce the results it claims. HST and HIT and Heavy Duty and every other theory has failed to generate continuous growth in believers. What happens is that those who do not make gains blame the theory.

One fact that cannot be disputed is that Arthur Jones helped generate additional size on already huge Sergio Oliva. So, what Arthur said cannot easily be dismissed. That success has to be part of the true hypertrophy theory. What a pity Sergio didn't return to train with Arthur and see how big he could have become. It appears than many top champs get to a certain size and stop growing. Additional extreme training often leads to career ending injuries. I have stated before that bodybuilding is one of the most dangerous activities because one is always pushing the limit to cause more adaptation.

Speaking of adaptation it is clear that this mechanism has to be known and then used to guide training. The one problem with following the work of Selye and others is that the doctors might have been mistaken about these mechanisms. Even HIT people make assumptions about growth and that might limit what can be obtained with those methods. The biggest obstacle to continuous growth is adaptation. Somehow you have to trigger growth but not let the muscles adapt. Once muscles 'recover' the repeated bout effect occurs and similar training will no longer generate hypertrophy. That is probably why so many have trouble growing. We have been told stuff we accepted as true without actually looking into how the body grows. We are literally the blind following the blind. Seek real knowledge and then you might be able to transcend where you are now. Clearly, continuing to do what you are doing now is never going to give you the results you want. Look at those who are writing articles. If they are not huge then beware. Simple as that. One problem in bodybuilding, besides the drugs, is that most champions are incapable of passing on information about how to train. Can anyone tell me how Arnold actually got as big as he did? The one exception is Larry Scott. His information is clearly based on thorough trial and error which is about as good as it gets in bodybuilding. I doubt Mike Mentzer was fair dinkum about what made him grow. He is one of the few philosophers in bodybuilding and I acknowledge his contribution to that sparse subject.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 17, 2006, 09:57:10 AM
So it's Zen and the Art of Bodybuilding is it?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 10:00:26 AM
Look at those who are writing articles. If they are not huge then beware. Simple as that.


There, that's even simpler. 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Thin Lizzy on October 17, 2006, 10:04:04 AM
Would some of you people recognize the true theory of hypertrophy if you saw it? The point is what is the test of truth of any theory? Well, in bodybuilding it surely is whether that theory can produce the results it claims. HST and HIT and Heavy Duty and every other theory has failed to generate continuous growth in believers. What happens is that those who do not make gains blame the theory.

One fact that cannot be disputed is that Arthur Jones helped generate additional size on already huge Sergio Oliva. So, what Arthur said cannot easily be dismissed.color]

You're right, Vince. Our feeble intellects simply can't handle the ideas you put forth.


As far as Arthur Jones helping Sergio acheive greater size: Was Sergio natural at that show? If not, how can you be sure that wasn't a combination of drugs that helped Sergio achieve that size?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 10:07:31 AM
You're right, Vince. Our feeble intellects simply can't handle the ideas you put forth.


As far as Arthur Jones helping Sergio acheive greater size: Was Sergio natural at that show? If not, how can you be sure that wasn't a combination of drugs that helped Sergio achieve that size?

I'd like to hear him elaborate on how steroids have ruined bodybuilding any moreso than they've helped create it.     
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Thin Lizzy on October 17, 2006, 10:14:36 AM
I'd like to hear him elaborate on how steroids have ruined bodybuilding any moreso than they've helped create it.     

I think Vince just wants to sell us some used Nautilus machines.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 10:33:22 AM
Vince, you are losing me here! First you claim that we don't understand the mechanics behind unlimited growth, fair statement. Then you post dribble that only you care to follow, how does that help us. Then you go off and say that we need to understand the theory first... :)

you are beginning to sounds like a more intelligent TA. Granted you know a lot of more than him but in the end you are doing the same thing that he is! You bombard this site information yet fail to deliver a practical application.

fuck man, if you are trying to prove how to smart you are then clearly you are targeting the wrong audience. 

once again, I am guessing that your theory amounts to "progressive 6 X 6"
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 10:34:57 AM
I can see there are not many students of hypertrophy here. It is so easy to laugh and dismiss others instead of contributing to some progress in bodybuilding. The arrival of stacking in drug protocols ended hypertrophy theory for the most part. I have no idea what drugs Sergio was using and what contributed what. However, he never again duplicated the size he had when working with Arthur. So I credit Arthur, his methods and machines with generating more hypertrophy in one of the giants of all time. That is no mean feat.

If we look at many of the top guys we discover that they cannot sustain huge size for long and if they take a long break they can not duplicate the former size they had. I give you Dilette and Sonbaty. We have more to learn about androgen receptors and such. Somewhere, somehow natural bodybuilding overlaps with open bodybuilding. At the moment no one has a clue about what is possible naturally. As soon as most guys reach a peak or come into contact with others who are larger they adopt the current practices and abandon natural training. What a pity that is.

Sometimes it is a matter of beliefs and I wonder how solid our theories of hypertrophy are. Oh, it is far easier to criticize theories than to present true ones. What bothers me is that the very process is now discouraged and ridiculed. Who would have thought that would even happen to bodybuilding?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 10:44:28 AM
I can see there are not many students of hypertrophy here. It is so easy to laugh and dismiss others instead of contributing to some progress in bodybuilding. The arrival of stacking in drug protocols ended hypertrophy theory for the most part. I have no idea what drugs Sergio was using and what contributed what. However, he never again duplicated the size he had when working with Arthur. So I credit Arthur, his methods and machines with generating more hypertrophy in one of the giants of all time. That is no mean feat.

If we look at many of the top guys we discover that they cannot sustain huge size for long and if they take a long break they can not duplicate the former size they had. I give you Dilette and Sonbaty. We have more to learn about androgen receptors and such. Somewhere, somehow natural bodybuilding overlaps with open bodybuilding. At the moment no one has a clue about what is possible naturally. As soon as most guys reach a peak or come into contact with others who are larger they adopt the current practices and abandon natural training. What a pity that is.

Sometimes it is a matter of beliefs and I wonder how solid our theories of hypertrophy are. Oh, it is far easier to criticize theories than to present true ones. What bothers me is that the very process is now discouraged and ridiculed. Who would have thought that would even happen to bodybuilding?

Vince I'm not so sure you should focus so much of your time and energy on trying to find a better way to look like you're on drugs when you're natural if you haven't even come close to having taken your natural training to the limit.  BTW, do you even claim to be a lifetime natural?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 10:44:39 AM
To obtain maximum hypertrophy you cannot put it down to simple numbers. There might be an equation that indicates what to do but it would be progressive and complex. I suspect we are talking about a geometric process or part of one. That might explain why Sergio required someone to push him beyond what he was able to do on his own. We have to salute Larry Scott who built magnificent arms in 1965 that even today are remarkable. What he found to generate that growth is also part of the field theory of hypertrophy.

It isn't about sets and reps so don't ask for that. All training can be described in sets and reps but in maximum hypertrophy training the goal is the key and triggering further growth requires effort, novelty, persistence and precision. It is hardly a simple or easy thing to do. Those who insist I spell out this theory have no idea about what I am talking about.

Question to students of hypertrophy. What do we make of the animal studies that generated hypertrophy? Are they essential and required knowledge or are they irrelevant or mostly so? Does hyperplasia occur? What exactly is DOMS and why does it happen?

The main thing Adonis and I have in common is that we are both students of hypertrophy.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 17, 2006, 10:49:17 AM
Vince, I have gone through this thread and your posts and I see three common strands:

1) drugs have ruined bb, and, for you, halted any substantial research into 'hypertrophy'

2) everybody responds differently to training -ie. we all individuals (intone like 'Life of Brian'  ;)  )

3) you don't really have any more 'real' answers than many of the 'experts' or some of the better versed members of Getbig who are trashing you, rightly so, for hinting that you do

Maybe instead of looking for absolutes, you could enjoy some of the relative pleasures that working out bring?  Make an improvement here or there, always looking to improve somehow, rather than trying to re-invent the wheel.  :)
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 10:50:01 AM
Vince, no one is being critical of you. Personally I enjoy this kind of discussion.  

but....have you ever had an uncle or older relative that would stare off into the yonder and about matters that seemed distant? almost like he is talking to someone that is not there. He would rehash stories of past glories, wars and experiences. Some of it true but alot of he probably saw while watching MASH. Vince my friend with the pink workout machine you have now become that person


The children gathered at your feet are now looking at each with other puzzled looks. Asking "is he asleep or dead"? Then the old guy farts and the kids runaway and seeking exciting stimuli elsewhere.


I prefered your thread where you were trying to get a shag..that is getting creepy..please don't fart
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 10:51:58 AM
To obtain maximum hypertrophy you cannot put it down to simple numbers.

Question to students of hypertrophy. What do we make of the animal studies that generated hypertrophy? Are they essential and required knowledge or are they irrelevant or mostly so? Does hyperplasia occur? What exactly is DOMS and why does it happen?

 

To what degree of size have these animals hypertrophied in these studies (that I'm presuming didn't involve drugs or gene mutation, if your premise is sound) that you keep referencing?  
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 10:54:07 AM
I am confident I can exceed previous muscle size at my age and naturally. It would be interesting to see what others could do who have less injuries and tenderness in joints. The sky is the limit. I doubt many are crazy enough to do what I suggest. My ideas are so unusual I get called crazy and an idiot when I post them. If others insist on using what they think is true about training then they will never be able to accept new ideas. Clearly most theories are false in science and this is also true about something as pedestrian as bodybuilding. Has anyone ever wondered why we are still discussing and arguing this very subject? Grown men are still debating hypertrophy theory endlessly on line and this will continue until someone comes up with the true theory of hypertrophy. So far no one has done that. Sceptics clearly know that. It takes an accident or unusual experience to abandon pet theories and beliefs. I can assure you that is required before you can appreciate the requirements of maximum hypertrophy training.

I could prove my theory in three months. By then I would know if it is true or not or partly so. If I can do this at 64 and without drugs or supplements that would be something newsworthy in the Irongame.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 10:57:54 AM
The experiments with fowl are interesting for hypertrophy. Dr Antonio was able to generate a 300% increase in one muscle in 30 days. That is phenomenal. What might be possible in humans if they used that research to base protocols on?

It is 4 am here in Sydney and I am off to bed. See you lads later.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 11:00:07 AM
Vince, let me save you some stress. At your age, no one will fault for getting in a good HRT. Actually we would very happy for you.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Army of One on October 17, 2006, 11:00:26 AM
I am confident I can exceed previous muscle size at my age and naturally. It would be interesting to see what others could do who have less injuries and tenderness in joints. The sky is the limit. I doubt many are crazy enough to do what I suggest. My ideas are so unusual I get called crazy and an idiot when I post them. If others insist on using what they think is true about training then they will never be able to accept new ideas. Clearly most theories are false in science and this is also true about something as pedestrian as bodybuilding. Has anyone ever wondered why we are still discussing and arguing this very subject? Grown men are still debating hypertrophy theory endlessly on line and this will continue until someone comes up with the true theory of hypertrophy. So far no one has done that. Sceptics clearly know that. It takes an accident or unusual experience to abandon pet theories and beliefs. I can assure you that is required before you can appreciate the requirements of maximum hypertrophy training.

I could prove my theory in three months. By then I would know if it is true or not or partly so. If I can do this at 64 and without drugs or supplements that would be something newsworthy in the Irongame.
You are typing long rambling Paragraphs which basically reveal nothing, just stating we dont know how Hypertrophy occurs in an as many different ways as you can.The only hint you have given to your theory, is it takes a driven, goal setting, willing to mix styles and not shy to push himself to the limits person to build muscle, we didnt know this already?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 11:02:22 AM
I am confident I can exceed previous muscle size at my age and naturally. It would be interesting to see what others could do who have less injuries and tenderness in joints. The sky is the limit. I doubt many are crazy enough to do what I suggest. My ideas are so unusual I get called crazy and an idiot when I post them. If others insist on using what they think is true about training then they will never be able to accept new ideas. Clearly most theories are false in science and this is also true about something as pedestrian as bodybuilding. Has anyone ever wondered why we are still discussing and arguing this very subject? Grown men are still debating hypertrophy theory endlessly on line and this will continue until someone comes up with the true theory of hypertrophy. So far no one has done that. Sceptics clearly know that. It takes an accident or unusual experience to abandon pet theories and beliefs. I can assure you that is required before you can appreciate the requirements of maximum hypertrophy training.

I could prove my theory in three months. By then I would know if it is true or not or partly so. If I can do this at 64 and without drugs or supplements that would be something newsworthy in the Irongame.

Make yourself look better than you do now over the next 3 months and then come back and tell us how you did it.  If your list of new behaviors employed doesn't include 1) an increase or decrease in calories, 2) a change in exogenous hormone manipulation, or 3) greater intensity, volume, or frequency used during your training, we will be surprised.  If you come to look better than you do now by training less frequently, with less intensity, and/or with less volume than you have performed over the last 3 months, we'll be somewhat more than surprised.

If you tell us you painted your pink weight machine blue we'll probably deem that highly irrelevant to whatever physique changes you achieve.    
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 11:09:34 AM
The experiments with fowl are interesting for hypertrophy. Dr Antonio was able to generate a 300% increase in one muscle in 30 days. That is phenomenal. What might be possible in humans if they used that research to base protocols on?

It is 4 am here in Sydney and I am off to bed. See you lads later.

Was that a 300% increase in size, weight, or strength of the bird's muscle?  Did this size increase come with a decrease in the size of any of the other muscles had by the bird?   
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 17, 2006, 11:12:38 AM
My ideas are so unusual I get called crazy and an idiot when I post them. If others insist on using what they think is true about training then they will never be able to accept new ideas.

How would you know that?

To my knowledge, you still haven't posted any training layout or suggestion for anyone to try, I believe you once three years ago mentioned doing ten sets of heavy reverse grip pulldowns, but that was about it, that was just an example of one excersise then?

Post a layout. I doubt nobody will call you an idiot, but rather will be glad that you finally explained what kind of workouts you are EXPERIMENTING with right now.

That could also be a way for you to get your point through:

Tell us how your workouts have changed since the 70's, briefly of course. Mostly focusing in on the last few years, and the different layouts that you've used that are the result of your DOMS theory.

Basile, I sincerly believe it's a failure to communicate. Nothing more.

Try using the method of posting the history of your DOMS related training layouts, and what you discovered, what parts you kept, and what parts of those workouts you disclosed.

Good luck.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: voiceofreason on October 17, 2006, 11:38:37 AM
2) everybody responds differently to training -ie. we all individuals (intone like 'Life of Brian'  ;)  )

I'm not
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 17, 2006, 11:42:33 AM
I'd like to hear him elaborate on how steroids have ruined bodybuilding any moreso than they've helped create it.     

It's simple really.

Instead of forcing the bodybuilders to develop the best possible training methods, steroids allowed for enormous mass gains with the same level of knowledge on training as previously.

If you would look at some of the strength feats at the ancient Greek Olympics, you would be surprised to see the power displayed. An athlete named Bybon, lifted a 315 lbs stone above his head.

With one hand.

(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/pictures/1990.12.0675.jpeg)

Strength training hasn't developed much.

The steroids are paralysing the world of sport, instead of improving it. I won't mention names, but I wouldn't call anyone a great mind, as far as training goes, if his success is with clients that are on the juice.

Take out the drugs of the equation, and you are left with only training, mental training, nutrition and rest.

That way, you are forced to take the training methods to a higher level, instead of upping the dosage.

I know a guy who competed in NOC recently, and didn't do all that well, he shared with the board earlier this year, that he upped the dosage in order to improve.

What if there would not have been any drugs. Then the only thing he could have improved on, was the other parameters.

You get the picture.

This is not really about drugs being bad for the health, or whatever.

It's how they have paralysed the evolution of training systems.

I urge you to look up the training protocols of the Ukraine powerlifters. The Russians. The Bulgarians.

All these protocols relies on drug use. The Bulgarians have tried to find a natural version of their 18 workouts/week protocol. It's currently 8 workouts a week.

But it's still a protocol based on faulty premises.

It's originally made to fit drug users. The Bulgarians still don't really have no idea of what is optimal for the natural trainer.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 17, 2006, 11:56:48 AM
Quote
One fact that cannot be disputed is that Arthur Jones helped generate additional size on already huge Sergio Oliva. So, what Arthur said cannot easily be dismissed. That success has to be part of the true hypertrophy theory. What a pity Sergio didn't return to train with Arthur and see how big he could have become.
Jones' training of Oliva was the most beneficial of his career; Oliva said he later regretted that he didn't continue with it.

The only problem with Jones' training is that it's difficult to discern which factors contributed the most. That is assuming that they can be split up:

1/ The machines-Oliva said they were more effective than free weights, which the majority on most BB sites don't get.

2/ HIT

3/ The fact that someone was pushing him beyond his normal limits.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 17, 2006, 12:20:20 PM
I'm not
Shut up, you.  :D
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: davie on October 17, 2006, 12:22:48 PM
Arthur jones traiing he did with casey viator would almost be fun to try but apparently u have to have access to nautilus machines that can be used (e.g.) for flys then bench press.

If this workout style was as effective using say pek dek then bench press, then it might b worth trying.

davie
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 12:24:21 PM
It's simple really.

Instead of forcing the bodybuilders to develop the best possible training methods, steroids allowed for enormous mass gains with the same level of knowledge on training as previously.

If you would look at some of the strength feats at the ancient Greek Olympics, you would be surprised to see the power displayed. An athlete named Bybon, lifted a 315 lbs stone above his head.

With one hand.

(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/pictures/1990.12.0675.jpeg)

Strength training hasn't developed much.

The steroids are paralysing the world of sport, instead of improving it. I won't mention names, but I wouldn't call anyone a great mind, as far as training goes, if his success is with clients that are on the juice.

Take out the drugs of the equation, and you are left with only training, mental training, nutrition and rest.

That way, you are forced to take the training methods to a higher level, instead of upping the dosage.

I know a guy who competed in NOC recently, and didn't do all that well, he shared with the board earlier this year, that he upped the dosage in order to improve.

What if there would not have been any drugs. Then the only thing he could have improved on, was the other parameters.

You get the picture.

This is not really about drugs being bad for the health, or whatever.

It's how they have paralysed the evolution of training systems.

I urge you to look up the training protocols of the Ukraine powerlifters. The Russians. The Bulgarians.

All these protocols relies on drug use. The Bulgarians have tried to find a natural version of their 18 workouts/week protocol. It's currently 8 workouts a week.

But it's still a protocol based on faulty premises.

It's originally made to fit drug users. The Bulgarians still don't really have no idea of what is optimal for the natural trainer.

YIP
Zack

So you're saying that there's no better way you can think of for Vince Basile to impress the world than by having honed an ability to pick up heavy rocks overhead without the use of drugs.  Interesting.  How often do you advise this to others?        
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 12:28:44 PM
That looks like a big rock, though.  The guy lifting that without drugs must be hella strong.   
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: The True Adonis on October 17, 2006, 12:28:53 PM
Gravity Training is the most efficient way to train.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 17, 2006, 12:31:39 PM
Gravity Training is the most efficient way to train.

Well, yeah, I guess gravity does play a part, Adam.   
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 17, 2006, 12:40:02 PM
Quote
Arthur jones traiing he did with casey viator would almost be fun to try
Supposedly they have to carry the trainee from one machine to the next; throwing up is common. Eventually they get used to it.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 17, 2006, 12:53:19 PM
Arthur jones traiing he did with casey viator would almost be fun to try but apparently u have to have access to nautilus machines that can be used (e.g.) for flys then bench press.

If this workout style was as effective using say pek dek then bench press, then it might b worth trying.

davie

the idea of using the pec dek is to pre-exhaust the chest thus taking the triceps out of the equations.  The downside being that you obviously won't be able to go as heavy.

why not use the smith machine?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 17, 2006, 01:31:33 PM
So you're saying that there's no better way you can think of for Vince Basile to impress the world than by having honed an ability to pick up heavy rocks overhead without the use of drugs.  Interesting.  How often do you advise this to others?       

No. That's not what I am saying.

Firstly, I am not trying to make any case for Basile.

Secondly, re-read my post.

Instead of forcing the bodybuilders to develop the best possible training methods, steroids allowed for enormous mass gains with the same level of knowledge on training as previously.

The example with the stone lift, was an attempt to show that training hasn't developed all that much in 1500 years.

Sorry for confusing you mate.

Hope this clears things up?

To sum it up in ONE sentence:

I believe drugs have prevented bodybuilders from developed optimal training methods.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 17, 2006, 01:39:57 PM
Would some of you people recognize the true theory of hypertrophy if you saw it? The point is what is the test of truth of any theory? Well, in bodybuilding it surely is whether that theory can produce the results it claims. HST and HIT and Heavy Duty and every other theory has failed to generate continuous growth in believers. What happens is that those who do not make gains blame the theory.

One fact that cannot be disputed is that Arthur Jones helped generate additional size on already huge Sergio Oliva. So, what Arthur said cannot easily be dismissed. That success has to be part of the true hypertrophy theory.

Casey and Sergio were known volume trainers and known steroid users. Read below on Sergio and Jones.

The September 2002 Issue of Ironman had an interview with “The Sandwich” (TS) and Sergio Oliva. Here are a few direct excerpts from the interview.

TS: What were your impressions of Arthur Jones?

Sergio  Oliva:  Oh, Arthur Jones is a terrific man. A very honest and smart man. He was the only one who offered everybody a lot of money to go to Deland Florida to train with him. He also was the first one to find out how big our biceps really were. Arthur measured my head, and it was smaller than my arm! (laughs) It is true I was weighing in at my biggest and at my best when I was training with Arthur.

Max Rep commentary… so now your thinking well Arthur Jones is the father of HIT so Sergio got his biggest and best using HIT right? And he was “paid a lot of money by Jones “just to train”. Being photographed on HIS equipment. Nice. 

TS: Tell us how you did it.

Sergio Oliva: My routine was basic –– and the same for nearly all body parts. The only difference was weight. But even so I used a good amount of weight because I didn’t like to go too light.

TS: How about sets and reps?

Sergio Oliva: I did lots of sets –– 32 sets just for chest, for example –– with a variety of exercises. I trained chest and other body parts twice a week.

Max Rep commentary… does THAT sound like low volume HIT that Jones advocated?  32 sets for body parts. But let’s continue later on in the interview.

TS: I know you never went to failure on your sets, but how do you feel about Mike Mentzers style of HIT training?

Sergio Oliva: Mike and all of those guys had a great routine and were very strong. Arthur did things a little different and so did I.  No one routine works for all, and I’ve seen many variations. Bodybuilding is suited for the individual athlete in more ways that one.

Max Rep commentary… keep reading this next statement nails it.

At one point in the interview Sergio is talking about diet and says “Sometimes I make six to twelve whole eggs and mix them in with white rice. That’s a lot of protein. I then eat my fruit and work out. I would work out hard for 3 ½ hours.

Max Rep commentary… 32 sets on a body part. Body parts 2 times a week. Workout length 3 ½ hours. Yup that sounds like Jones style training the way we’ve been sold it to me! 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 05:30:12 PM
Max Rep, your last post quoting Sergio Oliva is quite inaccurate if you are trying to suggest how Arthur Jones trained him. You are implying that Sergio did 32 sets for a bodypart and trained for 3 1/2 hours each workout. That is hogwash and you know it. That is the worst example of journalism I have seen on Getbig for some time. To me that is intellectual dishonesty.

The workouts Arthur had Sergio do were absolutely brutal and the account is a great read. Jones combined Nautilus machine training with free weights and came up with workouts that almost destroyed Sergio. For thighs Sergio warmed up on a Leg Press exercise and went to failure with a heavy weight. He raced over to do leg extensions with heaps of plates for as many reps as he could then without resting did something like 10 or 15 reps full squatting with something like 400 pounds. The first time Sergio tried to duplicate Casey's workout he collapsed when he decended in the first rep of the squat. Eventually he was able to perform that super-human tri-set. It is clear that few people were capable of training that hard. Jones had a champion bodybuilder who's pride was at stake and he was motivated to defeat Arnold who he had lost to in the Olympia. Jones knew exactly what was required to make Sergio larger and he succeeded magnificently.

Compare Sergio's condition in 1972 to Dorian's in 1993.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: AVBG on October 17, 2006, 05:41:21 PM
Max Rep, your last post quoting Sergio Oliva is quite inaccurate if you are trying to suggest how Arthur Jones trained him. You are implying that Sergio did 32 sets for a bodypart and trained for 3 1/2 hours each workout. That is hogwash and you know it. That is the worst example of journalism I have seen on Getbig for some time. To me that is intellectual dishonesty.

The workouts Arthur had Sergio do were absolutely brutal and the account is a great read. Jones combined Nautilus machine training with free weights and came up with workouts that almost destroyed Sergio. For thighs Sergio warmed up on a Leg Press exercise and went to failure with a heavy weight. He raced over to do leg extensions with heaps of plates for as many reps as he could then without resting did something like 10 or 15 reps full squatting with something like 400 pounds. The first time Sergio tried to duplicate Casey's workout he collapsed when he decended in the first rep of the squat. Eventually he was able to perform that super-human tri-set. It is clear that few people were capable of training that hard. Jones had a champion bodybuilder who's pride was at stake and he was motivated to defeat Arnold who he had lost to in the Olympia. Jones knew exactly what was required to make Sergio larger and he succeeded magnificently.

Compare Sergio's condition in 1972 to Dorian's in 1993.


I like you Vince, But do you know what gives me the shits VB? Posts like the above... Earlier in the thread you carry on how drugs have ruined BB, yadda yadda yadda..

Then you post alleged Hypertrophy workouts of Sergio/Viator.. Now you tell me, how is any natural or clean trainee supposed to benefit from copying or emulating these workouts?? when these guys were juiced to their eyeballs.



Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: The Luke on October 17, 2006, 06:04:43 PM
Max Rep, your last post quoting Sergio Oliva is quite inaccurate if you are trying to suggest how Arthur Jones trained him. You are implying that Sergio did 32 sets for a bodypart and trained for 3 1/2 hours each workout. That is hogwash and you know it. That is the worst example of journalism I have seen on Getbig for some time. To me that is intellectual dishonesty.


Well said Vince,

Max_Rep should know that the details of Arthur Jones training Sergio are a matter of record... many witnesses have attested to the nature of the training involved.

Max_Rep's post IS completely dishonest: it's a cut and paste job from an old interview Sergio gave in which Sergio's answers have been taken out of context and replaced with answers to different questions.

Sergio made the point in that interview that he trained very high volume with lots of partial reps till he went down to Deland, Florida... With Arthur Jones, Sergio trained exclusively HIT style and achieved what he himself considered his best ever physique.

If you'd read the entire interview you would also note that Sergio credits HIT with being THE most effective training method that he ever used... if memory serves, I remember Sergio also pointed out that the biggest regret of his bodybuilding career was not sticking with Arthur Jones and eclipsing Arnold completely... I also remeber that Sergio said he utilised Arthur's HIT techniques in his free weight workouts when he returned to training on his own... (although he did admit having to slightly increase the volume to compensate for the lack of equipment).

What Arthur Jones managed to do was greatly improve the physiqes of steroid using volume trainers with brief, infrequent, high intensity workouts... Ellington Darden (www.drdarden.com) has been doing the same with scores of natural trainees for decades now.

To my knowledge no one has ever managed to improve the physique of a dedicated HIT advocate via volume training. That should tell us something.

For the record, the vast majority of heavily muscled (relatively speaking) naturals are HIT trainers (the rest are low volume higher intensity types)... I can't think of a single notable natural volume trainer... that should also tell us something.
 
The Luke
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 06:13:20 PM
I am responding to posts made by others who cited Sergio and what he did.

I also have to include all training protocols in the field theory of hypertrophy. Distilling what is required by naturals is difficult, to be sure, but my guess is the programs would be similar to what professionals do.

I was going beyond what anyone actually trains like in this quest and was speculating what was required to grow at the maximum rate possible. When I did this it was clear to me that protocols and routines would exceed what is being done by a significant margin. I reject the HST and HIT approaches as sub-maximal methods that cannot generate maximum hypertrophy. I base this on animal studies and personal anecdotal experience. Once we know how to generate maximum hypertrophy it will be not too difficult to prescribe routines that are sub-maximal but more effective than anything done presently that I am aware of.

There have been individuals who have done extreme training in the past and their results are important, too. There is nowhere anything resembling controlled experiments so what we have are more anecdotal reports.

We have all heard about over-training. Lee Priest doesn't believe such a thing exists whereas others do. I tend to agree with Lee. There is so much confusion and nonsense in bodybuilding. People believe things with no adequate reason to do so except that almost everyone believes the same thing.

I say stuff the drugs and supplements and let us find a way to get huge naturally, quickly and steadily. This is what is guiding me and I think I have an idea how to do it. Now all I need is one subject to volunteer to try what I say. He will have to be intelligent, experienced and capable of following directions to the letter. Too many people improvise and soon lose the direction they were going.  
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: The Luke on October 17, 2006, 06:13:31 PM

I like you Vince, But do you know what gives me the shits VB? Posts like the above... Earlier in the thread you carry on how drugs have ruined BB, yadda yadda yadda..

Then you post alleged Hypertrophy workouts of Sergio/Viator.. Now you tell me, how is any natural or clean trainee supposed to benefit from copying or emulating these workouts?? when these guys were juiced to their eyeballs.



An important point of fact here:

Naturals shouldn't utilise a training regimen simply because it works for steroid users... because EVERY training regimen works for steroid users (to some degree at least).

Naturals should emulate the type of training that works BEST for steroid users (making allowances for reduced recovery ability).

That seems to be HIT... superslow, rest-pause, counted negatives, negative-only, positive-only... these are all methods by which HITers convince themselves they are training hard when they aren't, and the promulgation (and multiplication) of these training theories simply muddies the waters.

HIT doesn't stop working... people scale back their efforts either consciously or subconsciously.

Squatting till you puke will ALWAYS work... it stops working when people stop puking.

The Luke
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 06:21:56 PM
The Luke is a welcome addition to this thread. I don't give compliments easily. He obviously has done his reading and has paid his dues in the gym.

The HIT trainees and the HST trainees embrace their ideas like people do religion. Heck, a good scientist abandons what doesn't work and also if a better theory replaces what was previously believed.

There is a persistent incommensurability regarding various theories in bodybuilding and that has contributed to the clashes, debates and misunderstandings.

I think I could enhance the muscles of all HIT and HST enthusiasts. The obstacle is overcoming their rigid belief systems. If you do not believe something is possible you are unlikely to transcend the results you currently have.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 17, 2006, 06:31:16 PM
Quote
If you'd read the entire interview you would also note that Sergio credits HIT with being THE most effective training method that he ever used... if memory serves, I remember Sergio also pointed out that the biggest regret of his bodybuilding career was not sticking with Arthur Jones and eclipsing Arnold completely... I also remeber that Sergio said he utilised Arthur's HIT techniques in his free weight workouts when he returned to training on his own... (although he did admit having to slightly increase the volume to compensate for the lack of equipment).
As i've pointed out quite clearly, there is ambiguity in how much of the benefits were due to any one thing. According to what Sergio said, anecdotally the machines were the biggest difference, not HIT or having someone push him, but it's not clear. A better interviewer might've been able to flush that out.

In the interview he says he wishes he'd had the machines in Chicago, as if that was the main difference.

It's also unclear whether he would've stayed on an exclusively HIT training schedule for any length of time-he regrets not continuing it now but probably also neglects to mention, because it doesn't sound so good, is that the agony of HIT training if done correctly ensures that it's more of a temporary jolt for most BBs.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Van_Bilderass on October 17, 2006, 06:40:26 PM
I say stuff the drugs and supplements and let us find a way to get huge naturally, quickly and steadily. This is what is guiding me and I think I have an idea how to do it. Now all I need is one subject to volunteer to try what I say. He will have to be intelligent, experienced and capable of following directions to the letter. Too many people improvise and soon lose the direction they were going.  
You are absolutely DELUSIONAL if you think there is some "scientific" routine that will make the average natural trainee bigger than what we have seen so far.
You simply refuse to accept that training methodology has been tapped as far as what can be accomplished. It has ALL been tried. We KNOW what makes muscles grow. There is nothing that will revolutionize training methods for hypertrophy.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pobrecito on October 17, 2006, 06:48:41 PM
Max Rep, your last post quoting Sergio Oliva is quite inaccurate if you are trying to suggest how Arthur Jones trained him. You are implying that Sergio did 32 sets for a bodypart and trained for 3 1/2 hours each workout. That is hogwash and you know it. That is the worst example of journalism I have seen on Getbig for some time. To me that is intellectual dishonesty.

The workouts Arthur had Sergio do were absolutely brutal and the account is a great read. Jones combined Nautilus machine training with free weights and came up with workouts that almost destroyed Sergio. For thighs Sergio warmed up on a Leg Press exercise and went to failure with a heavy weight. He raced over to do leg extensions with heaps of plates for as many reps as he could then without resting did something like 10 or 15 reps full squatting with something like 400 pounds. The first time Sergio tried to duplicate Casey's workout he collapsed when he decended in the first rep of the squat. Eventually he was able to perform that super-human tri-set. It is clear that few people were capable of training that hard. Jones had a champion bodybuilder who's pride was at stake and he was motivated to defeat Arnold who he had lost to in the Olympia. Jones knew exactly what was required to make Sergio larger and he succeeded magnificently.

Compare Sergio's condition in 1972 to Dorian's in 1993.

Dorian dwarfs Sergio. In the same condition as Sergio, Yates is 300lbs.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: alexxx on October 17, 2006, 06:50:48 PM
Dorian dwarfs Sergio. In the same condition as Sergio, Yates is 300lbs.

LMAO you are delusional. I am sure if there is one man that is untouchable in bodybuilding circles it's Sergio.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Snotroot on October 17, 2006, 06:52:34 PM
I was hoping all the GH hormones thaey add to beef and chicken these days would be enough for me to grow.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Rammer on October 17, 2006, 07:03:56 PM
I just want to chime in with some personal experience of my own for what it's worth.  I'm a natural bodybuilder that has competed at the national level.  I was at a plateau in my strength and bodyweight.  A coworker let me listen to some Mentzer audio tapes on high intensity training.  The tapes blew me away.  Everything Mentzer said made logical sense.  At that time I was doing the standard 3 exercises for 3 sets for each bodypart working out 4 days a week.  To cut my volume down to 1 or 2 sets sounded insane to me but logically it made sense after listening to those tapes.  I decided to cut back my volume gradually, first by doing only 2 sets of each exercise bringing my total sets per bodypart down from 9 to 6 and I also increased my recovery time by not training on consecutive days.  My strength went up and I put on some body weight.  After a few weeks I cut some more volume out by decreasing the number of exercises down to 2 so now I was doing 4 work sets per bodypart.  My strength went up again and I put on some mass.  Finally I went down to 1 set per exercise for 2 movements per large bodypart and one set for smaller bodyparts.  Again my strength increased and my lean body mass went up.  I kept a training journal and every single workout I was either able to increase my poundages a little or squeeze out an extra rep.  It was amazing, I broke through all my plateaus and made considerable gains and was in and out of the gym in 45 mins.  I can't recommend HIT for everyone especially beginners.  I believe you have to be an advanced lifter to utilize HIT properly.  Only an advanced lifter can generate the intensity needed to train this way.  My training partners didn't respond nearly as well to HIT, they were athletes, not bodybuilders and they didn't have the mind/muscle connection to be able to generate the intensity necessary to train this way.  I no longer compete but I still keep my intensity high and keep my volume low.  Anything but high intensity feels like a waste of time to me and I believe the logic and science behind HIT make it the most sound method of training.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: alexxx on October 17, 2006, 07:06:28 PM
I just want to chime in with some personal experience of my own for what it's worth.  I'm a natural bodybuilder that has competed at the national level.  I was at a plateau in my strength and bodyweight.  A coworker let me listen to some Mentzer audio tapes on high intensity training.  The tapes blew me away.  Everything Mentzer said made logical sense.  At that time I was doing the standard 3 exercises for 3 sets for each bodypart working out 4 days a week.  To cut my volume down to 1 or 2 sets sounded insane to me but logically it made sense after listening to those tapes.  I decided to cut back my volume gradually, first by doing only 2 sets of each exercise bringing my total sets per bodypart down from 9 to 6 and I also increased my recovery time by not training on consecutive days.  My strength went up and I put on some body weight.  After a few weeks I cut some more volume out by decreasing the number of exercises down to 2 so now I was doing 4 work sets per bodypart.  My strength went up again and I put on some mass.  Finally I went down to 1 set per exercise for 2 movements per large bodypart and one set for smaller bodyparts.  Again my strength increased and my lean body mass went up.  I kept a training journal and every single workout I was either able to increase my poundages a little or squeeze out an extra rep.  It was amazing, I broke through all my plateaus and made considerable gains and was in and out of the gym in 45 mins.  I can't recommend HIT for everyone especially beginners.  I believe you have to be an advanced lifter to utilize HIT properly.  Only an advanced lifter can generate the intensity needed to train this way.  My training partners didn't respond nearly as well to HIT, they were athletes, not bodybuilders and they didn't have the mind/muscle connection to be able to generate the intensity necessary to train this way.  I no longer compete but I still keep my intensity high and keep my volume low.  Anything but high intensity feels like a waste of time to me and I believe the logic and science behind HIT make it the most sound method of training.

How about you cut it to 1 work set per muscle? It would only make sense..
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Rammer on October 17, 2006, 07:10:22 PM
How about you cut it to 1 work set per muscle? It would only make sense..
I didn't superset so I did one pressing movement for chest and one flye movement for example.  Large bodyparts were trained like that and small bodyparts were trained with only one set.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: alexxx on October 17, 2006, 07:11:30 PM
I didn't superset so I did one pressing movement for chest and one flye movement for example.  Large bodyparts were trained like that and small bodyparts were trained with only one set.

Did you reach a plateay or are you still gaining?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Rammer on October 17, 2006, 07:24:45 PM
Did you reach a plateay or are you still gaining?

I never stopped gaining while I was training that way but unfortunately I moved to a rural area for a year when my wife did her internship and the only place to train in town was horrendous.  I could put every single plate they had in the whole gym on the crappy leg press they had and it wasn't heavy enough.  They only had six 45's in the whole gym.  I struggled that year to retain muscle and I lost substantial size and strength.  When we finally moved back to civilization I started training heavy again but now I had a job that didn't allow me to eat whenever I wanted and the priorities in my life changed.  I was done competing so without that as motivation it was hard to maintain the same intensity.  Plus I was getting older and some of my joints are starting to ache a bit.  As you get older your natural hormone levels also change which affect your training.  I don't see how Vince can say he thinks he can get in the best shape of his life today when it is known fact that testosterone and GH production goes down as you age.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: disco_stu on October 17, 2006, 07:25:12 PM
out of 100 people who read and learn about HIT, only 1 understands it and implements it.

the problem is that the 99 who dont really understand it think they do.

Mike Mentzer understood it, Yates, I believe, did too.

Most arrive at something that resembles the reader's interpretation of HIT, not actual HIT.

True students of HIT understand the balance of recovery, intensity, volume and other aspects such as recruitment of working muscles, moment arms in range of movements and so on.

HIT is about employing these things optimally which means a bit of empirical discovery through practice, as well as some well thought out strategy.

it also requires inhuman determination to train a the levels required when required.

its purely an extrapolation of the first principles of how muscle grows. simple as that.

and yes, AAS and other growth drugs have ruined it by removing the ability to assess cause and effect properly.

it's hard enough assessing it with all the existing variables, let alone by stacking a bunch of drugs into the scenario.

anyone whos ever trained will know that, unfortunately, there is no substitute for drugs...dont be naive and think there is.

You can get big by being lifetime natural, but the guy on drugs can be as big as you in months, not years.. and you will never be as big as those on gear.

just the facts.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 07:29:24 PM
To reply to Van_Bilderass. There is nothing scientific about what I propose although it will be consistent with scientific research. 

I do not believe that so-called conventional training has tapped the hypertrophy potential of any natural trainee. That is nonsense. We have a long way to go to discover maximum hypertrophy training theory.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: jmt1 on October 17, 2006, 07:31:14 PM
I just want to chime in with some personal experience of my own for what it's worth.  I'm a natural bodybuilder that has competed at the national level.  I was at a plateau in my strength and bodyweight.  A coworker let me listen to some Mentzer audio tapes on high intensity training.  The tapes blew me away.  Everything Mentzer said made logical sense.  At that time I was doing the standard 3 exercises for 3 sets for each bodypart working out 4 days a week.  To cut my volume down to 1 or 2 sets sounded insane to me but logically it made sense after listening to those tapes.  I decided to cut back my volume gradually, first by doing only 2 sets of each exercise bringing my total sets per bodypart down from 9 to 6 and I also increased my recovery time by not training on consecutive days.  My strength went up and I put on some body weight.  After a few weeks I cut some more volume out by decreasing the number of exercises down to 2 so now I was doing 4 work sets per bodypart.  My strength went up again and I put on some mass.  Finally I went down to 1 set per exercise for 2 movements per large bodypart and one set for smaller bodyparts.  Again my strength increased and my lean body mass went up.  I kept a training journal and every single workout I was either able to increase my poundages a little or squeeze out an extra rep.  It was amazing, I broke through all my plateaus and made considerable gains and was in and out of the gym in 45 mins.  I can't recommend HIT for everyone especially beginners.  I believe you have to be an advanced lifter to utilize HIT properly.  Only an advanced lifter can generate the intensity needed to train this way.  My training partners didn't respond nearly as well to HIT, they were athletes, not bodybuilders and they didn't have the mind/muscle connection to be able to generate the intensity necessary to train this way.  I no longer compete but I still keep my intensity high and keep my volume low.  Anything but high intensity feels like a waste of time to me and I believe the logic and science behind HIT make it the most sound method of training.

good post...i agree 100%...my best gains by far have come with HIT.

i think alot of guys just dont understand what training with intensity and to failure really means...they claim they want to be bodybuilders yet they are posting about workouts that last 2 hours, doing sets for 100 reps, ect...lol.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 07:49:26 PM
Ray and Mike Mentzer, Casey Viator and Sergio Oliva all made gains using the methods of Arthur Jones. That is a fact. However, if intensity is THE factor in hypertrophy how do we explain the hypertrophy of all the other bodybuilders who do not use HIT? I think it is a copout to argue that few comprehend HIT and that is why they do not make gains.

It is my belief that most bodybuilders train too many bodyparts all the time and that interferes with hypertrophy. Those who cut down on training might assist hypertrophy obliquely. HIT cannot lead to maximum hypertrophy. I rather doubt that it can. We all know how HIT trainees dismiss the warmup sets and then say they are doing very little training. There is so much dishonesty in that camp. I challenge that theory and I suspect it will be found wanting in the field. The best theory works and keeps on working. HIT falls short with most people. If you have to wonder if you are doing it right that clearly cannot be the way to train. The idea that a few intense sets will lead to huge size is almost laughable. That a few people have managed to succeed is remarkable but does not prove the theory true. The legions of trainees who fail to make gains falsify that theory in practice. Theorists then suggest they weren't really following HIT principles. That smacks of nonsense. Abandon false theories and replace them with better theories. Intensity has a place in hypertrophy theory but is not the main principle. I doubt drop sets, failure, partner pushing or any of those methods are necessary. Rest-pause is almost useless. What one cannot abandon is to actually train for growth and then test these various methods. I haven't found these methods helpful. The ideas of Larry Scott are another thing and much closer to the truth regarding hypertrophy.

I look at the various methods that deliver some hypertrophy and if you imagine all these methods in the wide area of a funnel then they all have to go through the narrow part of the funnel to trigger hypertrophy. The symptoms of that process is lactic acid build up, shaking, pumped muscles, and exhaustion. I remember arguing this point with Ray Mentzer and we talked about the Stress of Life by Hans Selye. You cannot trigger hypertrophy in developed muscles without going through the same process. It may be that some people can induce growth with less exercise. The vast majority need far more sets. Of course, the body is a system and we had better make sure that other beliefs don't hamper growth. Most bodybuilders are quite uninformed about nutrition. The unsuccessful ones are, at least. If you have extreme views about eating healthy and so on you are unlikely to be able to get big. If even one part of the formula is inadequate there can be no growth.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Lion666 on October 17, 2006, 08:02:58 PM
Vince your words,
"I say stuff the drugs and supplements and let us find a way to get huge naturally, quickly and steadily. This is what is guiding me and I think I have an idea how to do it. Now all I need is one subject to volunteer to try what I say. He will have to be intelligent, experienced and capable of following directions to the letter. Too many people improvise and soon lose the direction they were going."
Any takers yet? Dr. Antonio and the 300% muscle increase in 1 month, who wouldn't want that. I certainly agree with the reference you made about lee priest & overtraing. All relative. What would be the parameters of instruction, training/rest/diet/times etc. How specific & detailed would they be. Who's up for this challenge. Let's put these theories in motion and GETBIG.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Rammer on October 17, 2006, 08:06:01 PM
The ideas of Larry Scott are another thing and much closer to the truth regarding hypertrophy.

You keep mentioning Larry Scott.  Now I don't know what principles Larry Scott has developed or used successfully but what I do know is I watched a Larry Scott training video once and it was one of the funniest things I have seen.  He was doing these exercises that looked ridiculous and half the time he couldn't even demonstrate them properly to the training camp in the video.  And when the training camp tried to mimic his movements you could tell they felt awkward and were getting no benefit from the weird exercise form.  He did a bizzare form of pullup and other weird movements, no movement was done conventionally, not even a flat bench press.  He did things like inverted chest flyes using handles attached to chains hanging from the ceiling.  He couldn't even maintain his balance while performing the movement and literally fell down half the time.  I watched the tape mostly for entertainment purposes and didn't glean anything useful from it.  You couldn't workout like Larry Scott in a normal gym because normal gyms don't have chains hanging from the ceiling etc.  Please tell me that somebody else here has seen this tape and can vouch for what I said above because I know it sounds bizarre. I only wish I still had the tape so I could upload it to YouTube.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Lion666 on October 17, 2006, 08:06:10 PM
http://home.hia.no/~stephens/hypplas.htm
a link to dr.antonio regarding his studies on muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia
mentions weighted stretching, x-reps, pof whatever tag line people use. know some pretty big bb's that use that technique at end of sets on certain excercises. been using it myself for a while now.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 17, 2006, 08:43:05 PM
Thanks for that link. Antonio writes:

"But you might ask yourself, what does hanging a weight on a bird have to do with humans who lift weights? So who cares if birds can increase muscle mass by over 300% and fiber number by 90%. Well, you've got a good point. Certainly, nobody out there (that I know of), hangs weights on their arms for 30 days straight or even 30 minutes for that matter. Maybe you should try it and see what happens. This could be a different albeit painful way to "train." But actually the physiologically interesting point is that if presented with an appropriate stimulus, a muscle can produce more fibers! What is an appropriate stimulus? I think it is one that involves subjecting muscle fibers to high tension overload (enough to induce injury) followed by a regenerative period."  
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 12:20:34 AM
Well said Vince,

Max_Rep should know that the details of Arthur Jones training Sergio are a matter of record... many witnesses have attested to the nature of the training involved.

Max_Rep's post IS completely dishonest: it's a cut and paste job from an old interview Sergio gave in which Sergio's answers have been taken out of context and replaced with answers to different questions.

Sergio made the point in that interview that he trained very high volume with lots of partial reps till he went down to Deland, Florida... With Arthur Jones, Sergio trained exclusively HIT style and achieved what he himself considered his best ever physique.

If you'd read the entire interview you would also note that Sergio credits HIT with being THE most effective training method that he ever used... if memory serves, I remember Sergio also pointed out that the biggest regret of his bodybuilding career was not sticking with Arthur Jones and eclipsing Arnold completely... I also remeber that Sergio said he utilised Arthur's HIT techniques in his free weight workouts when he returned to training on his own... (although he did admit having to slightly increase the volume to compensate for the lack of equipment).

What Arthur Jones managed to do was greatly improve the physiqes of steroid using volume trainers with brief, infrequent, high intensity workouts... Ellington Darden (www.drdarden.com) has been doing the same with scores of natural trainees for decades now.

To my knowledge no one has ever managed to improve the physique of a dedicated HIT advocate via volume training. That should tell us something.

For the record, the vast majority of heavily muscled (relatively speaking) naturals are HIT trainers (the rest are low volume higher intensity types)... I can't think of a single notable natural volume trainer... that should also tell us something.
 
The Luke

Sorry boys but the accounts of Sergio's workouts with Jones that we ALL read about in the 70's were Jones's accounts. The interview I posted from can be found in the September 2002 issue of IM. I posted Q & A directly from the interview without alteration. Of course I did not post the entire interview as it is much to long for this forum. If it is inaccurate then the interviewer "The Sandwich" or Sergio is responsible for those inaccuracies. What reason would I have to alter them?

I find it quite funny that you take Jones so much at his word. We all read the stories of Sergio's workouts with Casey and how Sergio didn't make it through the workouts. What we don't know with any degree of accuracy was how long Sergio followed those workouts until he went back to his own volume training. Weeks? Months?

We all know that a few weeks on any new program will bring about a new growth spurt. To say that Jones was solely responsible for Sergio's growth is to leave out several unknown factors.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 18, 2006, 12:23:27 AM
All the training conjecture in the world doesn't mean a damn w/o the right nutrition. A whole encyclopedia could be writen concerning this subject. Your thoughts Vince with regard to this critical aspect of BB?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 12:34:37 AM
If you study nutrition textbooks written for graduate students in nutrition then that should be sufficient to address nutritional concerns. The research by supplement companies is suspect to say the least. I guess bodybuilders who are not growing (which is just about everyone) doesn't want to think he is not getting enough protein, etc. The protein requirement is still controversial but I am on record as saying that bodybuilders ingest perhaps 3 times more protein that they need. The rest gets converted to energy and that is a complete travesty of resources in our world.

The theories about nutrition are endlessly ridiculous. In my opinion there is more nonsense than knowledge out there.

The formula is simple: Adequate nutrition + Training stimulus = possible hypertrophy

If you are not growing and ingest enough energy they your training stimulus is inadequate. I can't make it any simpler than that.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: MonstaDwarf on October 18, 2006, 12:38:40 AM
use the chaos theory....
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 12:39:55 AM
You keep mentioning Larry Scott.  Now I don't know what principles Larry Scott has developed or used successfully but what I do know is I watched a Larry Scott training video once and it was one of the funniest things I have seen.  He was doing these exercises that looked ridiculous and half the time he couldn't even demonstrate them properly to the training camp in the video.  And when the training camp tried to mimic his movements you could tell they felt awkward and were getting no benefit from the weird exercise form.  He did a bizzare form of pullup and other weird movements, no movement was done conventionally, not even a flat bench press.  He did things like inverted chest flyes using handles attached to chains hanging from the ceiling.  He couldn't even maintain his balance while performing the movement and literally fell down half the time.  I watched the tape mostly for entertainment purposes and didn't glean anything useful from it.  You couldn't workout like Larry Scott in a normal gym because normal gyms don't have chains hanging from the ceiling etc.  Please tell me that somebody else here has seen this tape and can vouch for what I said above because I know it sounds bizarre. I only wish I still had the tape so I could upload it to YouTube.

I have the same 2-tape series and picked up several good tips from it. Of course his performance on exercises was unconventional. They were what Vince Gironda and Larry worked up. To bad you looked at it with so much skepticism because you missed some valuable tips. I looked for what I could learn and not what looked like everything else I’ve seen.

I think Vince is not talking about specific exercise perfomance but Larry's "Bio Phase" training method.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 18, 2006, 12:50:18 AM
If you study nutrition textbooks written for graduate students in nutrition then that should be sufficient to address nutritional concerns. The research by supplement companies is suspect to say the least. I guess bodybuilders who are not growing (which is just about everyone) doesn't want to think he is not getting enough protein, etc. The protein requirement is still controversial but I am on record as saying that bodybuilders ingest perhaps 3 times more protein that they need. The rest gets converted to energy and that is a complete travesty of resources in our world.

The theories about nutrition are endlessly ridiculous. In my opinion there is more nonsense than knowledge out there.

The formula is simple: Adequate nutrition + Training stimulus = possible hypertrophy

If you are not growing and ingest enough energy they your training stimulus is inadequate. I can't make it any simpler than that.

What would you consider to be adequate nutrition? Like I said, whole tomes would be written on the topic...
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 12:59:38 AM
Larry Scott is probably the best bodybuilding technologist out there. He has analyzed exercises and come up with better and more effective ways to isolate and target muscles. It may be difficult to transmit that information outside the gym but if you were to spend time with Larry you would soon know that he is an expert. His methods of inducing pain in the muscles are second to none. His methods work. When comparing HIT to Scott training then Scott wins hands down.

Max Rep should realize that some of us have lived through the Jones era. We were all amazed that Sergio gained while training with Arthur. That is not something anyone can dismiss. A huge guy gets bigger with brief, intense training. We didn't buy the Colorado experiment involving Casey Viator. The Oliva gains were significant. Sergio was reported to have said he didn't have access to Nautilus machines when he returned to Chicago. I suppose the missing element that made the difference was Jones himself. The machines probably are not crucial. However, the way he made Sergio train is probably what was responsible for that growth. It wasn't classic HIT either but a modified method that resembled conventional training but doing the Scott thing of not resting much between sets.

If you want us to reread that interview then post a link to that discussion. Some of us are capable of reading long interviews and even books!

It is easy to be mistaken about matters of fact. If you misrepresented statements in an interview then correct your points and move on. Trying to defend the indefensible aggravates an already dismal position.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 01:03:09 AM
When you are growing you have to eat enough so that you weigh more every single day. That is the requirement. Have a balanced diet and you will be fine. It hardly matters where those calories are coming from. You can have a junk diet but there is no such thing as a junk food. Well, unless you call mushrooms a food. Also, diet drinks have no nutritional value that I can think of except the water. Either a substance is food or it is junk. It cannot be both.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 01:09:48 AM
There is enough information posted in this thread and the links to articles that is sufficient to guess what my method would be like. There is no need to actually post what it is. If you cannot see this then that is too bad. No one told me anything about training or nutrition or posing when I was bodybuilding. I had to find everything out by reading or trial and error. It is sufficient that it is possible to get huge naturally and without taking any supplements or much protein. Giving actual protocols and exercises is not going to inform anyone at all. The research is out there. The theories are out there. Find them and apply them and see what happens.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: The Luke on October 18, 2006, 01:27:18 AM
Max_Rep,

You need to re-read that interview... the marathon training Sergio describes is what he did BEFORE training with Arthur Jones. It's pointless to take a excerpt from an interview out of context... it's absolutely reprehensible to change the context of someones statement in order that it supports your argument. You, my friend are guilty of the latter.

The Luke
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 02:13:29 AM
Max_Rep,

You need to re-read that interview... the marathon training Sergio describes is what he did BEFORE training with Arthur Jones. It's pointless to take a excerpt from an interview out of context... it's absolutely reprehensible to change the context of someones statement in order that it supports your argument. You, my friend are guilty of the latter.

The Luke

No Luke you need to re-read it. I took NOTHING out of context. It is NOT the same interview posted all over the internet of Sergio and Brian Johnston. I posted it exactly
as it was stated without alteration of context (the sections which I did post we unaltered but as I said I did not post the entire interview) and it is YOU who is reprehensible to suggest that I changed the context.  The interview is the interview. It says what it says. I reported what it says and you disagree with that so you accuse me of altering it? I'll make a note of that. Only select people get to call me a freind. Don't accuse me of dishonestly and then suggest that you are in that select category. Again... what reason would I have to alter what was printed?

Now my point was this. We all know that Sergio used high volume BEFORE Jones. We also know he went back to high volume AFTER Jones. This has also been verified by several witnesses. What we don't know is how long he followed Jones workouts and we don't know if he went back to volume before his competitions. Was it weeks, or months. If Jones workouts were so successful for him and altered his physique so much for the better why would he go back to volume? That would be like saying I’ve driven the Ferrari and I want my Yugo back! Makes one stop and think, doesn’t it?  THAT is why I'm skeptical about offering Jones credit for Sergio's progress. It’s not because I doubt Sergio followed those abbreviated routines while training in Deland.

We also know Casey followed volume BEFORE and AFTER Jones but we also know that Casey was with Jones for quite a long time. In this case I believe Casey was a true follower of Jones principles. He also left the principles of Jones and the influence of Mentzer to follow his own 40 set per bodypart program in the late 70’s and early eighties. I witnessed several of those workouts. He also recommends about 6 sets a bodypart in his current coaching. This is much more volume than Jones or Mentzer recommend. Again why would someone who spent years following the recommendations of Jones, now recommend something completely different UNLESS he knows otherwise.
   
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: The Luke on October 18, 2006, 02:24:54 AM
Max_Rep,

I read that Ironman interview with Sergio Oliva in the actual magazine and the way you presented it is misrepresentative.

Did you read an online transcript that might have been edited/altered?


The Luke 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 02:41:46 AM

Max Rep should realize that some of us have lived through the Jones era. We were all amazed that Sergio gained while training with Arthur.
.

Vince should realize that Max Rep ALSO lived through the Jones era and still has every article printed in IM during that era. He read every one of them in his early years of training. He also has a copy of the original Nautilus bulletin #1, he also trained with Ray and Mike Mentzer. My other post covers my skepticism about crediting Jones for Sergio's progress. I don't know of a link to the interview, I just have the magazine.

Does Vince know what Jones was talking about here?

“Next to intensity of effort, XXXXX may very well be the most important factor for the production of the best rate of training progress; without XXXXXX XX XXX XXXXXXX xx xxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx, a trainee will seldom produce good results—and never in proportion to the efforts expended.”

It seems any discussion on hypertrophy from a proponent of a Jones should include this factor being as Jones thought it was THAT important and since good results = hypertrophy.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 02:44:31 AM
There are two issues here and only one is relevant. What training did Sergio do to be at his biggest and best. Answer: follow Arthur Jones. That volume training led to most of Sergio's size is evident. That is probably true of more than 95 % of the biggest bodybuilders. It is possible to retain much size with abbreviated training but very difficult to build size with brief training. I really don't see that this is something worth arguing about. I surely don't want to debate it. The point is how do we resolve such issues? What is the test of truth about matters or fact including interviews and methods?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: UK Gold on October 18, 2006, 02:47:31 AM
Basille, you are so deluded its almost scary. You hold up Sergio and Larry Scott as prime examples to us all, yet you fail to stress the role of steroids. They used and loved the mighty juice. It made them strong, it made them grow.  

When i am clean volume training works for me, but when i'm 'on' its heavy duty all the way. People have to find there own way - everyone is different.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 02:56:52 AM
That Jones is convincing doesn't mean he is right. His description about muscles contracting like box cars is mistaken because we now know there is a sliding filament theory. If you are mistaken about basic matters of fact the whole enterprise can come tumbling down. Jones commissioned a lot of valuable research and that is important to hypertrophy theory. We cannot dismiss the work that he has done.

Let us look at this issue from another point of view. What good are huge muscles? What can they do that smaller muscles cannot do? When you understand that you will know how to train and HIT and HST are not the optimum methods nor will they lead to maximum hypertrophy.

Another issue that is not mentioned is length of workouts. Well, I keep that open ended because it might be possible to grow the fastest duplicating those animal studies. That introduces something impractical because who out there has the time and energy and motivation to try training for up to 12 hours a day? It is clearly lunacy and no wonder few have ventured there.

There is no way anyone can naturally maximize all his muscles at the same time. That is the downfall of almost all trainees. They assume they have to train all the bodyparts at least once a week. Says who? Another practice universally followed by most of us most of the time. I am naturally lazy and will use a lifting device instead of muscles to hoist heavy things. I prefer to do the minimum training for the best result. After Jones told us we were idiots to train longer than half an hour a day every second day who would imagine one might train for hours and hours daily? That was literally unthinkable after Jones finished 'educating' us.

The trouble is believing something doesn't make it true. So, be prepared to turf out most of your cherished beliefs if you want to attain maximum hypertrophy at light speed.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 03:05:38 AM
UK Gold. Are you proposing a theory there? Volume for naturals and HD for juicers? Seems to me a lot of people will disagree with you.

We have to look at the history of bodybuilding to get an idea of what is possible. Perhaps no one would have 20 inch arms if they didn't use drugs. That is something we can't know although some will insist they got that big naturally. The overwhelming experience is that about 17 1/2 inch arms on an average size man is a good result and usually takes many years to get there. Taller guys might be able to build 18 1/2 inch arms naturally. Again, this is only guessing. There are no scientific studies to base our conjectures on.

The theory is either true of false and has nothing to do with beliefs about the mental states of anyone involved. I make bold claims about my theories and if true they will shake bodybuilding like an earthquake.

I still haven't seen an explanation about what DOMS are and why they follow certain kinds of training but not all training. Why are the biceps difficult to get sore? If we could get them sore they should grow. If you can keep them sore they should keep growing.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 03:08:53 AM
Max_Rep,

I read that Ironman interview with Sergio Oliva in the actual magazine and the way you presented it is misrepresentative.

Did you read an online transcript that might have been edited/altered?


The Luke 

Sorry Luke we have the same magazine and I do not agree with your accusation. I have taken many advanced courses on Communication and Linguistics and am aware that 5 people can read or discuss the exact same subject using the exact same words and come to 5 different conclusions or interpretations. But for you and Vince to say I altered it or misrepresented it is totally FALSE.

Again look at the questions asked in my post and answer them.

Steve Mahalick (sp) owned Nautilus Machines, trained with Jones and then trained six days a week and did 75 sets on a bodypart.

Why?

Grymkowski owned the machines trained with Arthur and did 40 sets?

Why?


Sergio went back to 32 sets

Why?

Casey went to 40 and recommends 6 for guys to gain size.

Why?

Not one of the guys followed a full body in one workout routine that Jones recommended.

Why?

Neither did Ray or Mike even though they used lower volume.

Why?

It seems that the onky time any of them followed Arthers routine was when they were in Arthers presence.

Why?

All I'm saying is there more to the topic than meets the eye. Jones once wrote an article in MD on Caseys training. In the article he described Caseys rountine as being 6 days a week Chest, Back, Shoulders (Mon wed, fri) Legs, arms (tuesday, thursday saturday) 3 sets of 3 exercises 12 to 20 reps. When giving a seminar at a local University a student (who had the article with him, I also have the same magazine somewhere and remember the articke as it was "the Mister America Series) asked about it and Jones satated that casy never followed such a routine and where did the fellow ever get a crazy idea like that?

Maybe it was Ghost written?

Jeez it's late.    
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: wes on October 18, 2006, 03:24:10 AM
We all know that a few weeks on any new program will bring about a new growth spurt. To say that Jones was solely responsible for Sergio's growth is to leave out several unknown factors.

BINGO !!!!
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: UK Gold on October 18, 2006, 03:30:53 AM
Basille, i can only say with certainty what works for me. Combining heavy duty with 'heavy' androgens/anabolics makes my muscles fucking explode. But when i'm on if i do volume training i shrink. But, when i'm clean its the complete opposite.

Everyone has their own key to growing. Look at daddywaddy. He has an incredible physique that almost anyone would be proud to have. But he does ludicrous 100 set workouts combined with drinking beer, eating ice cream etc. 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: The Luke on October 18, 2006, 04:01:37 AM

Max Rep commentary… 32 sets on a body part. Body parts 2 times a week. Workout length 3 ½ hours. Yup that sounds like Jones style training the way we’ve been sold it to me! 


Max_Rep,

The thing Vince and I are taking issue with is that statements such as the one above imply that you are using excerpts from the interview to assert that Sergio used 32 sets a bodypart while training with Arthur Jones.

That simply isn't true... if you think so, you are mistaken.

The Luke
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 04:27:13 AM
I subscribe to Ironman on line but they don't go back to 2002. I stopped buying muscle magazines several years ago. Has anyone got that interview at hand so they could post it here? Sort of an honour issue now!

One day I was doing lying triceps extensions with upper arms on pads on a device I made. I got relatively strong in that movement and my elbows needed heaps of sets to warm up. Well, I finished doing 9 plates for a set and Ray Mentzer assumed he could do more because he was bigger. He did the same weight without any warmup and he was rubbing his elbows afterwards. That was lunacy. Elbows have to be watched and you must never put pressure on them. When doing bis and tris make sure your elbows extend past the edge of the pads. If your gym has primitive equipment then don't use that piece that might lead to damaged elbow joints.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: CT on October 18, 2006, 05:44:54 AM
Sorry boys but the accounts of Sergio's workouts with Jones that we ALL read about in the 70's were Jones's accounts. The interview I posted from can be found in the September 2002 issue of IM. I posted Q & A directly from the interview without alteration. Of course I did not post the entire interview as it is much to long for this forum. If it is inaccurate then the interviewer "The Sandwich" or Sergio is responsible for those inaccuracies. What reason would I have to alter them?

I find it quite funny that you take Jones so much at his word. We all read the stories of Sergio's workouts with Casey and how Sergio didn't make it through the workouts. What we don't know with any degree of accuracy was how long Sergio followed those workouts until he went back to his own volume training. Weeks? Months?

We all know that a few weeks on any new program will bring about a new growth spurt. To say that Jones was solely responsible for Sergio's growth is to leave out several unknown factors.


You could go here: http://www.i-a-r-t.com/articles/Fitness%20Articles/Sergio%20Oliva%20Interview.pdf and read an even more recent interview with Sergio and his account of HIT training.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 06:23:32 AM
I read that interview and it says what Luke and I have been saying. Oliva credits Nautilus and Jones with making the difference. It was how he used those machines. He insisted on combining free weights with the machines and that is partly why squats were included.

It is refreshing to read that interview because just about everything he said is true or has happened. His account of the corrupt IFBB and so on is a lesson for everyone. I respect Sergio. He tells it like it is because he fears no one. Lee Priest has taken the baton from Sergio but the sheep won't follow.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Army of One on October 18, 2006, 06:30:19 AM
Oliva credits Nautilus and Jones with making the difference

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 06:49:22 AM
Oliva escaped from communist Cuba. When he arrived in Chicago he soon learned that blacks had to be better than whites to win. That was demonstrated when Bob Gajda beat Sergio in the Mr America. That was unfair but the AAU refused to let a black win that contest because Mr America represented the ideal America who can't be black. No black won until Chris Dickerson in 1970 or thereabouts.

If you knew Sergio you would know that no one buys him. He says what he thinks. Period. He covered up for his wife when she shot him and that was one of the few lies he told. Why should he lie about training? That is not what he stands for.

The point here about Sergio goes against what I believe as far as optimal training methods go but not totally. It does make a difference how you train and on what equipment. Sometimes you cannot achieve more results unless you use effective equipment. That is Sergio's message to us in 2006. Not that it is going to do me any good. The young fellows here with dreams of winning contests might benefit. If your brains are already filled with theories and ideas you won't benefit from any additional information so this thread is almost a waste of time.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: CT on October 18, 2006, 07:02:08 AM
I read that interview and it says what Luke and I have been saying. Oliva credits Nautilus and Jones with making the difference. It was how he used those machines. He insisted on combining free weights with the machines and that is partly why squats were included.

It is refreshing to read that interview because just about everything he said is true or has happened. His account of the corrupt IFBB and so on is a lesson for everyone. I respect Sergio. He tells it like it is because he fears no one. Lee Priest has taken the baton from Sergio but the sheep won't follow.

AND I think that it also validates the way Scott trained (under Vince Gironda... really theyr are Gironda's methods, not Scott's): that is to use very short rest periods. BTW I wrote an article about Gironda's methods a while ago. You can read it here:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-092-training
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: TheAnimal on October 18, 2006, 07:07:54 AM
Nice thread Vince everything you have said has a lot of validity to it in my opinion however I have a question regarding training as you have been around the iron game for a long time now surely you must see the people who make the best progress whom are odviously natural and decipher which methods of training are the most efficient for muscle growth. Even so being a gym owner you must witness many people who train with good or little to no results and link their training accordingly.

I don't think I could do a HIT/HST approach as training so little would leave me unsatisfied as I enjoy the individual training challenges regularly whilst also getting the short-term benefits of training also. You seem to be saying that you see many people in the gym who seem to make little progress but where are the ones WITH the progress? Is this progress you imagine possible? Do you see guys training making good progress at all because from what I have read in your posts you seem to not have seen people make good bodybuilding results without drugs.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 07:42:08 AM
Hi to Christian Thibaudeau. A bit of supplement promotion in that Gironda article.  Larry Scott gave a seminar at my gym in 1979. I recorded it and have it on tape somewhere. It should be put into written form and circulated. At the vary least given back to Larry for his site. Larry joked that some of Vince's ideas were extreme and were occasionally used to get attention.

About the guys who are growing in my gym. The natural guys stay the same it appears. That is sad to see. They won't listen to me because they don't believe me. Well there you are.

Some of the casual trainees make gains but only in the upper body. They hate doing legs. I guess when their arms get bigger they love training arms and specialize on them and look very impressive. Very few guys ever train hard enough to cause any growth.

You see, my method requires growth from each and every workout. Your arms and calves can be measured bigger. If you are not growing you have to try something different and maybe train again the very next day. There is no other way. If something doesn't work immediately you have to do something different.

A case in point which I have mentioned before is triceps training. You are unlikely to get big triceps if you continue to do only pressdowns. It won't happen. What happens is that as you use heavier weights you recruit other muscles to assist that movement and you are no longer working triceps that hard. If they are not really sore the next day you didn't train them right. So get back in the gym again and make them sore. Forget about training any other body part. Find out how to make specific muscles grow rapidly. You don't need drugs and I doubt if you need supplements.  
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 18, 2006, 07:55:20 AM
i'm sorry, and this is no disrespect to vince, but look at the guy. ::)

if he actually did know what builds a body don't you think he would have one? i mean he runs a gym for crissakes! it's not like he doesn't have access to the tools. how many guys have you trained to mr olympia calibre vince? i didn't think so. :'(

he doesn't know shit. he is simply an attention whore. if he did have the 'secret' do you think he would be discussing it (or in this case not even going that far) on a message board ???

IF one could actually grow 'workout to workout' like he says, you would have bodybuilders walking around as big as sky scrapers. think about it people!

what he means by doms training ie delayed onset muscle soreness, is that he THINKS, like a lot of people, that doms indicates muscle growth. however, the simple fact is that it doesn't.

one could get doms doing 100 rep sets of push ups but are you going to get big doing that? waddy please don't bother answering. if so then marines would be looking like bodybuilders. they don't... unless they train bodybuilding.

i believe jones was on the right track with his theories. brief and brutal because if you are seriously training brutal how the hell do you training long.

compare the sprinter to the marathon runner. whose body would you rather have?



ok...umm so, are we any closer to learning the real 'secret' from the guru basile? i suppose at least he has got 7 odd pages of attention now though ::) so you've achieved something hey vince?

what i don't like about you is that you dribble on and on about, basically nothing. you give nothing in the end. it's like you just want to read your written text and see how many replies you get or something. great achievement! wow...

wtf is the point of bashing everyone that HAS actually succeeded in developing large muscle mass if you have ZERO evidence of a successful alternative ???

i'll let you in on a little secret vince. i know this might be hard for your brilliant intellect to cope with, but ALL you have (only in your pea brain mind you) is a THEORY, just like everyone you've mocked. in fact, the only difference is that you have absolutely no evidence to back up that theory.

i'm sorry old man but that makes you pathetic.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: CT on October 18, 2006, 07:55:53 AM
Hi to Christian Thibaudeau. A bit of supplement promotion in that Gironda article

 :P Well, I do believe in those products, and they are in line with Vince's recommendations.

Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 08:18:43 AM
Believing in products is hardly science. I am afraid I am not impressed with the supplement industry. They still exaggerate and that disappoints me. Bodybuilders are gullible because they are not growing so there is a ready market. The general public is also ignorant so buy way too many unnecessary things.

I see I am wasting my time with people like Beast. Where are the champions explaining in great detail how to get really big? You have to pay for that information but it is mostly non-existent. I am trying to involve others and see if together we can be led to the correct hypertrophy theory.

HIT argues that it is the right method. If followers do not make gains do they abandon the method? Nope. They simply come up with excuses or explanations to account for the lack of results. It is plain to me HIT theory is false. Period. There are some half truths that might be useful. The whole system is rubbish. Ditto for HST. Those methods are not going to work for massive gains. The people behind these methods know this, too. That is the sad thing. I have more intellectual honesty than that. I design and build machines. If they aren't used then what good are they? I have to have something right to get them so that bodybuilders will use them. It is not guesswork but applied technology.

I probably cannot specify the complete field theory of hypertrophy that will work for everyone. That is a huge task. I am confident it will work for most individuals. There just are too many factors involved in training with humans. How on earth are we going to control all factors? It is a pipedream. If we can construct the theory that works by building on known results we have a good chance of achieving something worthwhile.

The only reason this thread is still active is because there are interested parties who want to know more. Several people have sent me messages asking me for training advice. I thought if I made a post I might be able to help them in the process. I would prefer to know the theory and some details of equipment, etc. The rest I could figure out. Why is that asking too much of others here? Surely we are not novices with no clue at all?  
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: pumpster on October 18, 2006, 08:31:24 AM
Quote
HIT argues that it is the right method. If followers do not make gains do they abandon the method? Nope. They simply come up with excuses or explanations to account for the lack of results. It is plain to me HIT theory is false. Period. There are some half truths that might be useful. The whole system is rubbish. Ditto for HST. Those methods are not going to work for massive gains.
Vince has some valid points, but is also prone to talking at people (pontificating: not much back and forth, answering selectively) and making blanket statements. Someone with that degree of experience should know better than to talk in absolutes, given the fact that there is nothing conclusive yet about many of these theories. Smarter, in the absence of perfect knowledge, to assume that each has some validity, to pick and choose from each those things which work-most of Gironda's & Jones' theories make sense, but not all.

I am not a HIT practicioner but am aware that it can be effective in theory and practice for those with the proper psyche needed to use it on an ongoing basis-not a large segment of trainers. True HIT is agonizing; most HIT trainers aren't doing real HIT nor is it satisfying for most trainers. Thus we have to separate effectiveness from desirability, as well-if it's effective but unappreciated for the long-term, it's efficacy is limited.

We also aren't sure whether HIT or any system works for the long-term vs. immediate short-term gains realized by the shock engendered by a change to any new and effective protocol, which can be misleading.

Lastly, it's still not established how much of the benefits of Jones' training was due to:

-The effectiveness of the equipment
-The effectiveness of HIT
-The effectiveness of being forcibly driven beyond normal training bounds, with a training partner. Those advantages might apply equally to conventional training as well as HIT.
-Synergies involving the above.

A better interview might've drilled down below the surface on these.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 18, 2006, 08:34:11 AM
Hi to Christian Thibaudeau. A bit of supplement promotion in that Gironda article.  Larry Scott gave a seminar at my gym in 1979. I recorded it and have it on tape somewhere. It should be put into written form and circulated. At the vary least given back to Larry for his site. Larry joked that some of Vince's ideas were extreme and were occasionally used to get attention.

About the guys who are growing in my gym. The natural guys stay the same it appears. That is sad to see. They won't listen to me because they don't believe me. Well there you are.

Some of the casual trainees make gains but only in the upper body. They hate doing legs. I guess when their arms get bigger they love training arms and specialize on them and look very impressive. Very few guys ever train hard enough to cause any growth.

You see, my method requires growth from each and every workout. Your arms and calves can be measured bigger. If you are not growing you have to try something different and maybe train again the very next day. There is no other way. If something doesn't work immediately you have to do something different.

A case in point which I have mentioned before is triceps training. You are unlikely to get big triceps if you continue to do only pressdowns. It won't happen. What happens is that as you use heavier weights you recruit other muscles to assist that movement and you are no longer working triceps that hard. If they are not really sore the next day you didn't train them right. So get back in the gym again and make them sore. Forget about training any other body part. Find out how to make specific muscles grow rapidly. You don't need drugs and I doubt if you need supplements.  


good point Vince about making the muscle sore.  I have to disagree with the not needing suppplements!

as you know creating that "sore" feeling in the muscle depletes it of glycogen.  Why not use supplements (Dextrose/Maltodextrin) to replenish the glycogen store and initiate the healing process as soon as possible.

also what kind of work out splits do you recommend?  you mentioned something about not needing to train a bodypart more than once per week. With that in mind I see tons of big fat guys making their muscle sore but the BF is not coming off. This could be attributed to nutrition.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: wes on October 18, 2006, 08:38:00 AM
So Vince,what would you have a trainee do to continue growing?

You have given us a history lesson with Scott,Oliva,and Gironda and Jones,but have not elaborated on your theory at all.

Give us a hypothetical case scenario using an imaginary trainee please.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 18, 2006, 09:00:04 AM
So Vince,what would you have a trainee do to continue growing?

You have given us a history lesson with Scott,Oliva,and Gironda and Jones,but have not elaborated on your theory at all.

Give us a hypothetical case scenario using an imaginary trainee please.

lol, Vince doesn't deal with the practical application..he only gives theory
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 09:03:28 AM
Lots of guys have already developed huge muscles but few have done that naturally. Leroy Colbert was in the magazines in the 50s and 60s claiming to be the first man to have 20 1/2 inch muscular arms. Amazing for those days. What we wonder is if those sorts of gains are possible for some of us without any drugs.

I am not against supplements but require rigid testing and evidence for accepting them and timing, etc. Too many people are making money out of supplements and that worries me. Still, there is a lot to know about nutrition. Read the textbooks instead of the magazines and you might be okay. Well, read the actual research journals, too.

I doubt training a muscle once a week will lead to much growth. My strategy is to trigger growth and then keep the muscle growing. You have to avoid recovery and adaptation because then you will be up against the repeated bout effect. Target a few muscles and the adjoining muscles will get some benefit. Do not train the whole body.

I am off to bed now. I will add more to the training suggestions tomorrow my time.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 09:05:09 AM
If the theory doesn't work it is false and has to be abandoned. There is nothing more practical than that.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 18, 2006, 09:06:37 AM
Believing in products is hardly science. I am afraid I am not impressed with the supplement industry. They still exaggerate and that disappoints me. Bodybuilders are gullible because they are not growing so there is a ready market. The general public is also ignorant so buy way too many unnecessary things.

I see I am wasting my time with people like Beast. Where are the champions explaining in great detail how to get really big? You have to pay for that information but it is mostly non-existent. I am trying to involve others and see if together we can be led to the correct hypertrophy theory.

HIT argues that it is the right method. If followers do not make gains do they abandon the method? Nope. They simply come up with excuses or explanations to account for the lack of results. It is plain to me HIT theory is false. Period. There are some half truths that might be useful. The whole system is rubbish. Ditto for HST. Those methods are not going to work for massive gains. The people behind these methods know this, too. That is the sad thing. I have more intellectual honesty than that. I design and build machines. If they aren't used then what good are they? I have to have something right to get them so that bodybuilders will use them. It is not guesswork but applied technology.

I probably cannot specify the complete field theory of hypertrophy that will work for everyone. That is a huge task. I am confident it will work for most individuals. There just are too many factors involved in training with humans. How on earth are we going to control all factors? It is a pipedream. If we can construct the theory that works by building on known results we have a good chance of achieving something worthwhile.

The only reason this thread is still active is because there are interested parties who want to know more. Several people have sent me messages asking me for training advice. I thought if I made a post I might be able to help them in the process. I would prefer to know the theory and some details of equipment, etc. The rest I could figure out. Why is that asking too much of others here? Surely we are not novices with no clue at all?  

of course i am interested in a positive discussion on promoting gains in strength and muscle tissue, but all you can do is critique people that actually go out and do it without actually providing a positive insight. you just tease that you have a differing theory. well let's hear it?

it is very easy to think you have an answer, but what use is that? you have a hypotheses without the experiment. that's ridiculous.

at least arthur jones actually tested his theories on subjects and drew conclusions based on practical evidence. how the hell are you fit to knock that. you won't even comit them to text.

that is why i say you're an attention whore because what else are you doing here?

read the title of the thread jackass. you typed it. it has nothing to do with open discussion. you started it to critique.

well why is hit wrong then? because not everyone use it? is that your explanation?

so for it to be right, more people must be using it then? hmmm, that sounds logical ::) brilliant.

so far (7 pages) the only insight i've got from you is that if you aren't growing constantly then your training is ineffective. wow. you do know that if one was to grow constantly they would die don't you? you do know that is not possible? the human body strives to maintain equilibrium and the last thing in the world it wants to do is produce endless amounts of muscle tissue.

perhaps i should start a thread with an open letter to all 'basile theory' believers...oh hang on, you haven't actually got a theory do you?  

Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: peteK on October 18, 2006, 09:35:38 AM
Hi Vince,

I did some research on your methods and they seem to make a lot of sense. In fact I'm gonna try them out myself. Why? Because I made the best gains in pec hypertrophy when I concentrated on doing lots of flyes for a while. I didn't do much for the rest of the body. Right now I'm going to focus on quads and triceps...

Day 1
triceps extensions (lots of sets.)
dumbell row 3-5 sets

Day2
dumbell flyes 3-5 sets
biceps curls 3-5 sets

Day3
bulgarian squats (lots of sets)
hamstrings 3-5 sets.

I'll try to train the muscle groups in like three days. But I understand that I cannot always train triceps and back together since the most important part is keeping the triceps sore. So I basically try to keep quads and tris sore and fit the rest of the body in wherever I can. Did I understand your theory?
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 18, 2006, 09:46:12 AM
 ::)
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: wes on October 18, 2006, 09:58:48 AM
How is soreness an indicator of growth?

If you don`t rest and recuperate,you will not grow!

This thread has taught me one thing,and that is that this thread sucks!!  :)
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: GoneAway on October 18, 2006, 10:20:16 AM
Throw rules out the window in BBing training and eating. It is so person-specific, I think most of this theory is useless. Read about nutrition. Read about how to train and different methods. From there on, the gym and the kitchen are at your disposal to find what works for you.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: McFarland on October 18, 2006, 10:26:41 AM
"Black then white are all I see in my infancy.
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
Lets me see there is so much more
and beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities.
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine...
drawn outside the lines of reason...
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.

Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind."


                                               --Tool, "Lateralus"

Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 11:10:26 AM
AND I think that it also validates the way Scott trained (under Vince Gironda... really theyr are Gironda's methods, not Scott's): that is to use very short rest periods. BTW I wrote an article about Gironda's methods a while ago. You can read it here:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-092-training

Not true at all CT. I mentioned this in one of my previous posts. The interview in the link you’ve provided with Sergio and Brian D. Johnston was conducted BEFORE the interview with “The Sandwich” and was already posted all over the internet. It is a completely different interview which I have also read.

At the time of the interview with Johnston, Johnston was an HIT proponent and had some type of an association with Mike Mentzer. Johnston developed a personal trainer certification program as well as a course called J-reps which it Johnston’s own method of increasing intensity (you can Google J-reps). Mike and Johnston had some type of a falling out which Mike talked about on his Website due to the fact that according to Mike, Johnston abandoned HIT to advocate volume training. I do not know Johnston’s side of the story.

I’m still waiting for someone to address my questions.   
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Rammer on October 18, 2006, 02:42:46 PM
So Vince what were we supposed to learn here in this thread?  You invite the high intensity believers in just to shoot down that training protocol along with every other one mentioned here.  You seem to favor Larry Scott's principles but fail to explain what they are and allude to having some theory that will keep natural BBers growing continually.  So please what are the Im-Basile Training Priciples?  Larry Scott seems to think burn, pump and soreness are growth indicators but science proves they are not.  What kind of routine would you suggest for a natural BB that has been training for 10 yrs and is stuck at a plateau as far as strength and growth are concerned?  Just lay out a sample routine disregarding diet and supplementation.  I'd like to see it and how it differs from the other training programs out there.  Thanks.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 18, 2006, 02:47:11 PM
Note to everyone:

Don't post on this thread until Vince post some suggested routine or a general idea on how he thinks one should go about training.


YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 03:09:56 PM
AND I think that it also validates the way Scott trained (under Vince Gironda... really theyr are Gironda's methods, not Scott's): that is to use very short rest periods. BTW I wrote an article about Gironda's methods a while ago. You can read it here:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=06-092-training

Great article CT.
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 03:21:41 PM

HIT argues that it is the right method. If followers do not make gains do they abandon the method? Nope. They simply come up with excuses or explanations to account for the lack of results.
 

Vince this is one statement were I agree with you.

But, surely you must be aware that this is the result of Jones/Mentzer/Darden teachings. Both men would always blame a lack of progress on the lack of intesity of the trainee or their genetics or the fact that they were STILL over-training. It was never that their system was flawed or that the system didn't work for everyone. The followers are simply repeating the platitudes of Jones/Mentzer/Darden.
 
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 18, 2006, 03:25:25 PM
So Vince what were we supposed to learn here in this thread?  You invite the high intensity believers in just to shoot down that training protocol along with every other one mentioned here.  You seem to favor Larry Scott's principles but fail to explain what they are and allude to having some theory that will keep natural BBers growing continually.  So please what are the Im-Basile Training Priciples?  Larry Scott seems to think burn, pump and soreness are growth indicators but science proves they are not.  What kind of routine would you suggest for a natural BB that has been training for 10 yrs and is stuck at a plateau as far as strength and growth are concerned?  Just lay out a sample routine disregarding diet and supplementation.  I'd like to see it and how it differs from the other training programs out there.  Thanks.

my friend if you are seeking a practical application of the "Im-basille" theory then you are in the wrong place

as vince has stated before through out his seven pages of rambling:

7 pages comes down to this:

anyone can grow indefinitely using my methods, I won't tell you what they are in the practical sense but all of others don't work. Just remember get sore and stay sore, especially in the triceps.  And for cardio try shagging a sheep or two Aussie style preferrable, right Lee ;)
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: wes on October 18, 2006, 03:39:12 PM
my friend if you are seeking a practical application of the "Im-basille" theory then you are in the wrong place

as vince has stated before through out his seven pages of rambling:

7 pages comes down to this:

anyone can grow indefinitely using my methods, I won't tell you what they are in the practical sense but all of others don't work. Just remember get sore and stay sore, especially in the triceps.  And for cardio try shagging a sheep or two Aussie style preferrable, right Lee ;)

LOL  :)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 05:04:58 PM
It is obvious very few people are capable of discussing the philosophy of hypertrophy. If they were they wouldn't keep asking for a detailed prescription about how to proceed.

Let me say something about falsifying a method. If we can agree on this then that has to apply to my method as well. If you propose that intensity is the main factor in hypertrophy then how do you explain zillions of trainees training for intensity but no longer growing? Remember Mike Mentzer's long articles where he talked about some of his clients who couldn't grow? In each instance he related that all that was necessary was to schedule less frequent sessions and growth finally occurred. If someone trained too often that was why they wouldn't grow. Mike would insist that these individuals couldn't grow. Now, how would we know if this is a scientific fact? Well, we would have to get a group of guys who couldn't grow and then control the factors in one group while doing nothing to the other group. If the experimental group gained then it might suggest that factor made the difference. We have nothing like that to limit our claims. What happens is theorists and writers can claim whatever they like. Anecdotal experience is fact in magazines and discussion boards. That clearly is not sufficient to prove a theory correct. If a method doesn't work for everyone it might be false and should be abandoned. What happens is the method remains and gets modified to account for the lack of growth. Or it is claimed trainees are not doing it right. The theory remains no matter what happens and that is not science.

I think HIT training is more related to gaining strength than size. There is a relationship between strength and size but it is not a linear one. Stronger people are usually bigger but not always.

If intensity is not a sufficient factor in training then what else is required? Intensity MAY be adequate to cause growth in some individuals some of the time. It is easy to falsify. Just train as outlined in the method and see how you go. If you don't keep growing then what? Sure, all theories have to be modified to account for unusual individuals and so on. Ad hoc clauses are needed to keep the theory consistent. The idea is to fine tune a theory until it covers all contingencies. Well, HIT and Heavy Duty have been around for decades. I think it has had a fair go. Sure it looks good on paper but in practice it leaves much to be desired.

It should be obvious that while a threshold re loading has to be reached a certain number of repeats have to be done to trigger more and more hypertrophy. In other words, you need volume over a certain threshold resistance. How much volume and what threshold is what theories are all about. More on this later.

A guy called Bryan Haycock was clever enough to comprehend exercise science research. He then distilled enough 'facts' from that research to create what he called Hypertrophy Specific Training principles. He then fashioned a method based on those principles and has a website to support it and allow discussion of the method, etc. What do we find re the success rate? Well, it is unclear because many there embrace that method like disciples. There are guards appointed to intercept and dispatch anyone who might attack and/or undermine the system. Bryan seldom debates the issues. If you go to the archives and read what was posted two years ago then do the same for last year and then finally read what is now posted you will find a repetitive similarity in the questions asked and issued raised. When results are not forthcoming one has to manipulate the method. Or take a longer break to allow the muscles to strategically recover. Interesting stuff. Does it work? Sure, for a while and for beginners. There should be HST guys winning national shows by now. What do we find? A few intermediates claiming modest results. Some German guy endorsed his method but was arrested in Europe on charges relating to drugs used in bodybuilding.

We all have some experience in training. We can easily test theories and methods to see if they work. What do we find? Most theories and methods do not work. Heck, most guys cannot grow no matter what they do! Why is that? Why can't most intermediate and advanced trainees easily grow? Do you think it is possible to take a group of guys with say 17 1/2 inch muscular arms and have HIT or HST experts quickly add an inch to their girths? Nope, it won't happen. Why? Because those methods as outlined are not going to lead to 18 1/2 inch cold arms. There is no point lying to bodybuilders. If you look on sites promoting various methods look around and see if they are selling anything. If they are then suspect that system. Anyone selling products is a businessman and not a scientist or philosopher. I do credit Mentzer with being a philosopher and it really is a pity that Mike died in 2001 just before he tuned 50. We lost a very sharp mind. Ellington Dardon has a PhD and is still championing the HIT principles. It appears that method is not going to lie down and die.

The obvious point is that in the absence of any comprehensive method that works for everyone we can have all manner of competing methods all claiming some validity. If you don't make gains you aren't doing it right.

This post is long enough. More later.

I don't think it is fair for moderators to change the titles in threads by way of commenting on the content. If those moderators like Hedgehog and Max Rep want to debate with me then show up and present your case. Insisting that I spell out some formula is egging on the knuckleheads here. I don't think that is responsible behavior. This is, afterall, an opinion board. I am not posting this on the training board. So I do ask that I be given a fair go to present things the way I wish to. A seminar occurs when informed people gather to discuss an issue. Why should I hand out cookies to every beggar showing up with his hat in his hand?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 18, 2006, 05:31:23 PM
The reason Vince, as to why I change the title of the thread, is because I want to make sure that nobody reads your posts in hope of finding any hints to what you believe is the proper way of training.


In regards to your scientific method of falsifying non-working training protocols:

You're not even close to taking on a scientific approach, I'm sorry.

As an example, we don't know jack shit about the training OR results that Sergio Oliva performed when training with Arthur Jones.

That is, we need to get sets, reps and loads for every workout, plus his entire nutrition and drug protocol when down there.

Still, you use Sergio Oliva as an example.

I think this shows that you need to re-think your "scientific" approach.

You also claims that a method either works. Or it doesn't.

That sounds very good in theory.

But the problem is when a juiced up genetic freak trains on a less than stellar protocol with optimal rest and optimal nutrition, he will most likely still grow like a weed.

Sadly, you don't seem to realise this.

I asked you to drop a suggested routine, as this would sort of give us an idea to how you feel about training.

Then, there would be feedback, which would help you.

But perhaps you're not interested in dialogue, only in monologue?

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 18, 2006, 06:12:49 PM

I asked you to drop a suggested routine, as this would sort of give us an idea to how you feel about training.

YIP
Zack

Yeah really, Vince claims you should have immediately measurable growth after each workout or your doing something wrong.  I want to know what workout will give me those types of gains.  And what measuring device do you use Vince?  My tape measure only measures to 1/32 of an inch  ::)
Title: Re: Open letter to high intensity believers, hardgainers, etc.
Post by: IFBBwannaB on October 18, 2006, 06:21:15 PM
give a guy enough food and gh and he could ride a tricycle all day and still win a local NPC show.

You dont know much about GH do you?
It actualy doesnt do shit without the proper anabolics involved.(muscle gainage wise)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dav-bol on October 18, 2006, 07:08:25 PM
 Redundant, lengthy, circular bullshit.
Waste of bandwidth.

My advice: Up the dosage and be done with it.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 07:11:05 PM
The reason Vince, as to why I change the title of the thread, is because I want to make sure that nobody reads your posts in hope of finding any hints to what you believe is the proper way of training.

Zack as I said in my first post in this thread, this thread is no different then a similar thread three or four years ago. Vince made the same statements of superiority in knowledge about hypertrophy and never gave one indication of practical application.

According to Vince Jones was a genius who made the god Sergio into a Super-God BUT his methods won't work for anyone. Neither will the methods of his students.

No-one no matter how experienced or knowledgeable, offers anything worth merit except Vince but his methods are a mystery to the entire intergalactic universe. He offers no proof that his theories are effective, no case studies, just rhetoric

This thread is a complete waste of time which was his intent in the first place.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: bb doc on October 18, 2006, 07:15:28 PM
http://www.amazon.ca/Medical-Writing-Prescription-Neville-Goodman/dp/0521498767


Vince -

If the author cant communicate his/her ideas clearly to an interested audience, it is the AUTHOR's fault, not the audience.

If you really want to teach people something, condense your 3000 word emails into a nicely formatted, comprehensible, argument rather than this circular, rambling crap you keep posting.

Good luck
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: andydude00 on October 18, 2006, 07:30:15 PM
Hey Vince. I have talked to you before and I mentioned how under constant stress I got my calves to grow this past summer.I carried a heavy bookbag and walked everyday for about an hour. I have also noticed that after carrying a heavy duffelbag to school one of my traps is about 1/2 an inch larger than the other when flexed. I think that my muscles grow rapidly under constant stress (one of your beliefs). How would I apply this to my other bodyparts? For shoulders would holding a dumbbell at a full contraction (shoulder raise style) stimulate growth? Well I will try it out. But what is the explanation for this? Do natural bodybuilders need a completely new way of training like what I stated?

Also I think it is possible to get results from all techniques but not for very long. I have tried HIT but I plateued and changed to training with higher reps. I have tried circuit training, also. Part of the problem for me was gains in strength. For natural bodybuilders I would also say that diet is much more important than for non natural. I found it hard to increase my calories to a point where my bodyfat wouldn't be increasing along with the muscle. Then the other problem was getting ripped. Everytime I would try to get ripped I would lose a crazy amount of mass.

Another question I have is about overtraining. Is anything over 1 hour counterproductive? Or is it bs? I can tell if I am going to be sore the day after, and sometimes it takes me more than 1 hour to get there? I do continue to make gains, but at a very slow rate. Well I hope Vince or anyone can tell us about their experiences, questions, and findings.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 07:32:02 PM
Zack, is that your idea of a dialogue? What are you contributing except criticism which equals nothing at all.

Rammer. Just because you seldom grow rapidly enough that you cannot measure the gains from day to day does not mean this cannot happen.

Now, just to make one thing clear. Everyone makes statements about drugs and bodybuilding but I haven't seen any recent studies done on advanced bodybuilders. All these opinions are just speculation and conjecture. Where is the evidence? All we have is anecotal reports and cynical analyses by armchair experts. That adds up to very little. I could care less that most big guys use drugs. So what? We can still look at the size they attained and some of the protocols that helped them get that big. Clearly not everyone using drugs develops large muscles. If that were true there would be no need for oil injections and inserts.

Some of you people think I am completely dismissing HIT and other methods. Well, I claim that they don't work for everyone or for very long. In my method it matters not how you trigger growth. Do you people comprehend that at all? The stimulus has to trigger growth and then has to be able to trigger more growth on a continuous basis. If you fail to sustain growth you have to try something else? How much clearly can I be?

Let us examine the possibility of maximum possible hypertrophy from a particular day. Suppose we select a group of advanced trainees who all have large muscles and have been training for many years. How would we go about inducing more growth in these individuals? We select only natural bodybuilders to keep our sample uncontaminated. Well, according to a suggestion by Haycock it appears from the animal studies of Antonio and others that something like 8 hours of sufficient tension are going to induce maximum hypertrophy. Let us presume this will also apply to humans. Since it is not practical to put a target muscle under tension continuously for 8 or more hours we will have to improvise and perhaps try doing an effective exercise or two targetting arms for example and supersetting back and forth for the whole darn time. Now, it might be that for guys who train up to an hour on arms anyway that leaping to 8 or more hours right away is not necessary. It may well be that 2 hours of arm training will stimulate maximum hypertrophy the first workout. It is then an easy matter to increase the length of time to keep the muscle growing.

I suspect that some progression might be practical. There have been individuals who have tried 'all day' arm training and not reported much in the way of permanent gains. I did this twice and nothing much happened. Clearly, one such day will not induce anything permanent at all. Antonio suggests someone try these long tension workouts and see what happens. It is my guess that if one were to do the 8 to 12 hour protocol that something will have to happen soon or there will be an injury. Since no one has systematically tried a program like this and sustained it we have no idea what will happen. A muscle under increasing loads that are sustained for days respond by growing and also growing new fibers. If hyperplasia can be induced this way then clearly that is what bodybuilders should be doing. Heck, we will need those 24/7 gyms afterall!

Should a trainee then persist and train the same way the next day or should he wait. Well, again we have to return to the literature and see what produced the best growth. It seems that training daily will not be necessary. We can only imagine the level of soreness following such a protocol and surely no one will be ready to train those arms again for a few days. The whole idea is to get the target muscles growing and then keep them growing by additional sessions and perhaps progressive resistance. It is my bet that strength will increase rapidly and one will be able to add weight easily over the period of perhaps a month or two.

You can see that such training for maximum growth is not something just anyone can do. The person has to have all his time to devote to this task.

A suggested workout would be Triceps extensions with arms elevated on pads. This exercise would be supersetted with parallel close grip lat pulldowns to the front of the chest. I predict both the arms and all the upper body will hypertrophy rapidly.

On the arm rest days one can do a thigh workout. We can only imagine what this will do to the body. No one has attempted anything approaching this before. Not that I am aware of. It may be sufficient to train only the upper body but if the legs were included then the systems of the body will be stimulated like never before. The brain will wonder what the hell is going on and will summons up the fire brigade, ambulance and police all at once. 'Someone is trying to kill me', will be the message the brain receives!

It is clear that just any exercise is not sufficient. One has to be completely sure that selected exercises will generate growth. This should be known before proceeding because it will be pointless to waste all that time and effort only to find the exercise was inadequate. This is where experience is invaluable.

Now, can one induce sub-maximal gains and still grow like crazy? Yes, and this might be more practical. Haycock suggests that perhaps 4 hours of tension might induce 50% of the maximum hypertrophy possible from a session. This might be the preferred path to try this method. You could do the 4 hours and see how you go. It may well be that anything over 4 hours is unnecessary! Now that would be sad to discover.

Please understand that I am just speculating about possible hypertrophy. Do not try this method and then blame me for unforseen consequences or injuries. I hope the connective tissue adapts side by side with hypertrophy and if not then that is a huge limit to maximum hypertrophy training. MHT training is not for the meek!

About DOMS. Well, what other feedback mechanism do we have that indicates drastic changes occurring in muscles? Why does DOMS occur after some training but not all training? From the little research on DOMS that I have seen I would bet DOMS is related to growth. All rapid growth is accompanied by DOMS. That doesn't mean that all DOMS will lead to growth. I hope everyone appreciates this and doesn't think the DOMS method is falsified by silly protocols that result in soreness but no growth. It is also a fact that DOMS is associated with some inflammation. How much of that is hypertrophy and how much swelling? No one knows. At a practical level it doesn't matter. You are going to try to get the muscles larger every day and so what is some of that is swelling? As you get stronger you can be confident most of the swelling will be hypertrophy/hyperplasia.

It may be that hypertrophy is an adaptation to shorter protocols. The long under tension ordeals might generate hyperplasia. If this is true then I am afraid the longer sessions will be necessary. If hyperplasia can be induced then this is what bodybuilding needs. Instead of taking years to build large muscles it might take just months. I have no idea how long growth can be sustained. In a previous experiment on myself I injured both my elbows and achilles tendons. I was doing arms and calves. I put an inch on my arms and over an inch on my calves. I was so enthusiastic by my gains I was running to the gym and training body parts every 2 or 3rd day. My strength on calves exploded geometrically and I was doing set after set after set with 6 and 7 hundred pounds for 60 to 70 quick, short reps. It was painful but effective. I would do a set walk in two short circles and return within 20 seconds to do the next set. Perhaps 10 sets were done like this and that was after many decending warmup sets. The bouncing damaged the Achilles tendons and I had to stop. That was really disppointing. So, no ballistic movements. I assume that is the problem and not the protocols. Likewise I damaged the sheath covering the elbows by pressing the elbows on pads for those extensions. Now I advise everyone to warm up thoroughly and keep the elbows beyond the pads. So far there has been no pain once I get warmed up. Even though I have had sore elbows since 1965 I can still train triceps hard by first warming them up with lots of high rep sets. Why the pain evaporates after engorging the muscle is a mystery. I am confident it was the faults in the execution and not the lack of adaptation in the connective tissue. I first concluded that DOMS training might be dangerous for the connective tissue. However, why should a muscle adapt and not the connective tissue? That makes no sense at all. Both must adapt together to the increased tension.

Anyway, I throw this out to the naysayers and we can continue from here.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 07:36:02 PM
Andy used to train at my gym in the 1970s. He and I have communicated because now he lives in the States. I am glad that other older guys are interested in training to get bigger. I hope to outline my method and offer more details as we go.

I am impressed that Andy tried the daily walks with added bodyweight. If you did this systematically and climbed hills and kept adding weight you would probably grow like crazy.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 18, 2006, 07:51:26 PM
Andy used to train at my gym in the 1970s. He and I have communicated because now he lives in the States. I am glad that other older guys are interested in training to get bigger. I hope to outline my method and offer more details as we go.

I am impressed that Andy tried the daily walks with added bodyweight. If you did this systematically and climbed hills and kept adding weight you would probably grow like crazy.

ok, so your into creating false accounts vince?

'andy' states that he carried his duffle bag to 'school' and grew larger trap.

you state that he is an old guy that trained at your gym in the 70's. ;D

man, you are beyond pathetic. i think you need professional help.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 18, 2006, 08:18:59 PM
You, Beast, are no scientist at all. I have never posted on this site as anyone else. You can have my gym if you can prove that. In the meantime concentrate on the subject at hand.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 18, 2006, 08:23:50 PM
You, Beast, are no scientist at all. I have never posted on this site as anyone else. You can have my gym if you can prove that. In the meantime concentrate on the subject at hand.

yep, basile, you the scientist man! apparently you have a 'theory' about how to train effectively but you haven't actually experimented with it or tested it in any way. hell, you can't even commit it to text.

yep, you the 'scientist' all the way bro. ;D
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 18, 2006, 11:40:46 PM
Eight pages of senseless rambling by someone who can't communicate.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Sincerely,
Vince Basile
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: 240 is Back on October 18, 2006, 11:43:28 PM
VINCE -

PLEASE POST A SUGGESTED ROUTINE. 

THANK YOU.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 19, 2006, 12:05:53 AM
Basile,
finally you're starting to communicate, although perhaps you may want to look into the art of being slightly more condensed.

As far as training a muscle group (in this case arms) repeatedly for a very long time, one of the problems would be that you would stimulate mainly the weak muscle fibers, Type I.

Unless you wait 3-6 minutes between every set, and uses heavy enough weights.

My main critisism of Haycock is that his protocol targets the Type I fibers too much.

Simply put: There are too little rest between sets. You should never risk that the strongest muscle fibers doesn't recover in time for the next set or excersise.

The same goes for you and your theories.

Check out Henneman's Principle for further reference on how muscle cells in a muscle work.

Then you will understand that doing lots of sets with little rest in between is counterproductive.

Despite what Arthur Jones, or anyone else, will tell you about supersets, training without rest or shit like that.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 02:30:20 AM
I make no claim to know everything about muscles. There is simply too much to digest and comprehend. It would be a miracle if someone came up with the ultimate training program from exerience.

My guess about training is that hypertrophy and big muscles are good for moving moderately heavy loads several times and then repeating this over and over for an hour or so. Translated into sets and reps big muscles can do more than 15 sets for about 10 reps every 3 minutes for 45 minutes with the same resistance! HIT will develop muscles that will be good at heavy resistance for a few sets. The vast majority of big guys do heaps of sets with moderately heavy weights. That is the common factor and this is independent of drugs.

I have taken the volume idea to a different level. The most effective way to train is to do set after set with your maximum resistance for the target reps. If you do this you will have to rest longer and longer as the sets mount up. You have to do this because you reach a point after the 3rd superset where the reps decrease significantly. That is why I recommend doing about 15 reps as a target and then when they reduce to 8 after 4 or 5 sets you can keep going. If you end up doing 3 ro 4 reps this will not be as effective. Also you want to avoid recruiting other muscles to assist you move the weight. It is a fact that people cheat when they use heavy weights.

Now can you people imagine what doing your maximum resistance for 8 to 12 hours might do to your muscles? If you survive they might grow rapidly indeed. I have wanted to do this but would need a month to work up to that level. I would alternate lying extensions with lat pulldowns or chins on my assisted chinning machine. The chin machine allows you to hang and stretch at the bottom. By putting tension on a stretched muscle you are facilitating hypertrophy. The lying triceps movement has the triceps in a stretched position.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: UK Gold on October 19, 2006, 02:43:33 AM
Basille, just give us a total body routine. Whatever 'gems of wisdom' reside within the reams of bullshit you spout are being lost to eveyone.

Give us a routine. Now.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 19, 2006, 04:09:30 AM
Vince, you use terms like "I bet...", "I imagine..." and "I predict..." a lot.  When you can use terms like "I know...", "It has been scientificly proven..." and "these are the results..." then I may start listening to you. 
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 19, 2006, 04:37:06 AM
Vince -

If the author cant communicate his/her ideas clearly to an interested audience, it is the AUTHOR's fault, not the audience.

If you really want to teach people something, condense your 3000 word emails into a nicely formatted, comprehensible, argument rather than this circular, rambling crap you keep posting.

Good luck
I agree with my good colleague's diagnosis. It seems you are trying to convey some of the gleanings of a lifetime of bb experience but are locked in some kind of 'autistic' spasm resulting in a shambling, rambling rhetoric, and to some, sophistry. :-\ 
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Army of One on October 19, 2006, 04:58:07 AM
In Fairness Vince did just post his theory in a nutshell, finally.Sounds like hell though.Basically involves training anywhere from 2-10 hours a day on a bodypart, forcing your brain to say "hey I have to adapt and make this muscle larger quick due to this ungodly stress".How come I can sum up your theory in 2 sentences Vince but it takes you around 20,000?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 19, 2006, 05:26:28 AM
Vince's long-winded meanderings, condensed:

"Buy my upcoming courses."




Anyone know whether the same advice from 4 years ago was recycled over from the original thread?  ::)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 06:37:24 AM
I have nothing unique to write about. If I were to employ my own ideas and myself build up now then that will be important. Too many write books about bodybuilding that don't say much. There aren't many original people out there.

I didn't have this theory 4 years ago. I did have the DOMS theory and now I am combining that with MHT. Someone has to come up with something different to help people who aren't growing. Who knows if it will work. It won't be much fun finding out, either!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 19, 2006, 07:05:26 AM
Vince, you know the saying "nothing is new under the sun"? Well it can be applied to everything in the world of bodybuilding; even your theory. You are not the first one to advocate super long (4-8 hours) workouts for the same body part using only 1-2 exercises.

The funny thing is that yesterday (before I read your theory) I was talking to my friend who is the president of the Quebec bodybuilding federation and who has lived and trained in Venice for many years, and we were discussing Vic Richards. My friend saw him train hundreds of times over a 2 years period and told me that Vic would basically only perform one exercise in a specific workout, but would train on that exercises for hours and hours (4 hours seemed to be his average).

Serge Nubret also trained a muscle group for at least 4 hours a day using moderate weight (for him).

I also remember the famous 1-day arm cure program which was first presented by Peary Rader which had a trainee train biceps and triceps for a whole day, performing a few sets of two exerises (in a superset fashion) every half hour.

Then Jay Schroedder (more of a performance trainer) published a similar program, but based more on neural (CNS) factors than metabolic factors... (he used low reps, heavy weights and intensity techniques instead of the original higher reps protocol espoused by Rader).

Finally Charles Poliquin further adapted Rader's method by adding a specific nutrition/supplementation schedule to go with the program.

Other related examples include Dr. Judd Biasiotto, when he was training for powerlifting (4 times world record holder) had a bench press set up in his kitchen and would perform a few sets everytime he was in the area.

Finally, most modern era olympic weightlifters (most notably the Bulgarian lifters) would train all day (it was their job). In segmented bouts of around 60 minutes followed by 60-90 minutes of rest/massage/eating.

Certainly not your exact theory, but these guys shared the same basis as you did.

But regarding Dr. Antonio's research. We must understand that it was conducted using *stretching* exercises not weightlifting. Weightlifting is more energy draining, requires a much greater implication of the central nervous system (especially if its passive stretching like in Dr.A's research) and cause more glycogen depletion and protein degradation. Trying to apply the same logic to a weightlifting workout would lead to either metabolic or nervous overtraining within a very short period of time.

Plus, we could also argue that a lot of physical labour workers do not continue to add muscle mass forever despite working hard physically 8-10 hours a day. At first they do gain muscle and strength, but once their body is adapted to the work schedule their muscle growth stops (otherwise they'd all be bigger than Ronnie Coleman). So the actual time spend contracting your muscles against a resistance cannot be the sole factor responsible for growth stimulation.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 19, 2006, 07:14:17 AM
Quote
Vince, you know the saying "nothing is new under the sun"? Well it can be applied to everything in the world of bodybuilding; even your theory. You are not the first one to advocate super long (4-8 hours) workouts for the same body part using only 1-2 exercises.
Too lazy to make that assumption, given that there's no conclusive proof that every possibility's been explored. That's aside from the added consideration that, as VB mentioned, much of the existing/historical info's been compromised, making conclusions difficult.

Obviously there's sufficient interest here for any new possibilities. Poliquin's info is only an offshoot of existing data yet is well-received, so there is quite obviously still a lot of room for alternatives. ;D
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 19, 2006, 07:18:13 AM
pumpster, I don't disagree. I'm just saying that there is some anectodal evidence that makes it worthy to discuss this subject further. HOWEVER my second point was that it is not 100% correct to design weight lifting programs based on the results from passive stretching of dissecated muscles.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 19, 2006, 07:26:19 AM
Plus, we could also argue that a lot of physical labour workers do not continue to add muscle mass forever despite working hard physically 8-10 hours a day. At first they do gain muscle and strength, but once their body is adapted to the work schedule their muscle growth stops (otherwise they'd all be bigger than Ronnie Coleman). So the actual time spend contracting your muscles against a resistance cannot be the sole factor responsible for growth stimulation.

give the man a cigar.

that's exactly why it fails. your body must be adapting to grow and the thing is it is going to fight you all the way.

therefore, obviously there will be a point where it will say, 'yep, seen this before, can handle this' and hey presto - no growth.

so then you've got to make the loads greater right (to keep the body adapting - anabolic). well, what you're not factoring in here basile and fellow basilidiots is that meanwhile your poor nervous and musculo skeletal systems have to somehow cope and recover from the increasingly exhaustive demands, not to mention hormonal balance and emotional stress.

now, IF (huge IF here people) basile had bothered to EXPERIMENT with his 'theory' (or whatever he calls it at the present time) he would have learned all this... or maybe not.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 07:29:33 AM
I have no idea if my theory is original. Maybe somewhere someone has tried what I am suggesting.

I did the Rader all-day arm routine twice with a few fellows and no one made any permanent gains. Very disappointing. My idea is vastly different from that. You use a maximal load and continue to do that every 3 or 4 minutes all day. You make sure the exercises are effective and probably put the muscle in a stretched position. Superset with an opposing muscle. Eg., triceps and pulldowns. Thighs and hams. Just to be clear, you do one exercise then follow up with the other exercise and then have a minute rest then resume with the superset. It helps if the machines are close together.

The crucial part of the program is to adhere to the DOMS method whereby target muscles are kept in a perpetual state of significant sorness. You do not let the muscles recover. Keep training frequently enough to keep them sore and you must grow every session. It should be measureable. No ballistic movements and no joints rubbing on pads.

The nutrition program has to be adequate and one should avoid supplements such as vitamins. You have to eat a huge breakfast and big supper afterwards. The food and drink during the day has to be able to be digested without causing any disorder in the digestive system.

So the program really goes for a whole month and maybe two. I predict you should gain 2 inches on your arms in 2 months. Ditto with calves if you have over 16 inch calves and arms to begin with.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 19, 2006, 07:37:16 AM
Vince, the original Rader (and Poliquin's) program indeed (as you pointed out) stimulated only short term gains, mostly due to swelling and then glycogen surcompensation. I have has similar results to you. Schroedder's program was a bit better, I even applied it to the bench press with one of my clients with some success.

I don't disagree that this type of training might work. However the time constraints alone might not make it ideal for 99% of the population.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 07:37:29 AM
Beast have you ever been to a seminar? You don't throw shit you kill false ideas with arguments and facts. Be sceptical but contribute if you have anything original there.

I have experimented and it is recorded in Ironman Magazine in the Aug 2000 issue, I think. There was a follow up article, too, in 2001. The method works. There can be no doubt about that. I haven't done the longer sessions but I don't see any problem. Once you get pumped up you will feel great and it is easy to keep going once you are have some rhythm. I think I grew about 1/10" each workout for those bodyparts over the whole month. That is not bad. All day training should do much better than that. I expect over 1/8" per training day. I averaged a workout every 3 days.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 19, 2006, 07:52:17 AM
Vince, I would think that using this approach for thw whole body would be a) unpractical (it would necessiate something like 40 hours of training a week) and b) counterproductive (might cause overtraining, especially in the overlapping muscles ... biceps being involved when you train the back and triceps being involved when you train chest and triceps, etc.).

However a case could be made for a rotation of specialization of 1-2 body parts (e.g. biceps/triceps) while the rest of the body is trained for maintenance (once a week for a total of 3-6 sets per muscle group).

Or maybe if one would perform your method for chest/back, then biceps/triceps work would become unecessary.

That having been said, I find your ideas fascinating, but I still have some problem with the possible overtraining and glycogen depletion that this approach might cause.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 19, 2006, 07:55:50 AM
Beast have you ever been to a seminar? You don't throw shit you kill false ideas with arguments and facts. Be sceptical but contribute if you have anything original there.

I have experimented and it is recorded in Ironman Magazine in the Aug 2000 issue, I think. There was a follow up article, too, in 2001. The method works. There can be no doubt about that. I haven't done the longer sessions but I don't see any problem. Once you get pumped up you will feel great and it is easy to keep going once you are have some rhythm. I think I grew about 1/10" each workout for those bodyparts over the whole month. That is not bad. All day training should do much better than that. I expect over 1/8" per training day. I averaged a workout every 3 days.

read my last post. i did present my argument ie progression and biological recovery.

'throw shit' is exactly what you did when you started the thread. how the hell do you think you have debunked the universally accepted and PRACTISED training philosophies of hit, hst, etc.

you now state that you HAVE experimented with your 'theory'. well put a link up or post the articles indicating your results so we can all make a judgement on it's effectiveness.

exactly, i didn't think so.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 08:08:06 AM
I am confident I am right about my theory. That is sufficient at the moment. It is up to you experts to refute it. If you cannot do that then hold your piece.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 19, 2006, 08:13:30 AM
Plus, we could also argue that a lot of physical labour workers do not continue to add muscle mass forever despite working hard physically 8-10 hours a day. At first they do gain muscle and strength, but once their body is adapted to the work schedule their muscle growth stops (otherwise they'd all be bigger than Ronnie Coleman). So the actual time spend contracting your muscles against a resistance cannot be the sole factor responsible for growth stimulation.

give the man a cigar.

that's exactly why it fails. your body must be adapting to grow and the thing is it is going to fight you all the way.

therefore, obviously there will be a point where it will say, 'yep, seen this before, can handle this' and hey presto - no growth.

so then you've got to make the loads greater right (to keep the body adapting - anabolic). well, what you're not factoring in here basile and fellow basilidiots is that meanwhile your poor nervous and musculo skeletal systems have to somehow cope and recover from the increasingly exhaustive demands, not to mention hormonal balance and emotional stress.

now, IF (huge IF here people) basile had bothered to EXPERIMENT with his 'theory' (or whatever he calls it at the present time) he would have learned all this... or maybe not.



there, i reposted it for you. read above where i 'refute' it.

how about if YOU can't come up with shit 'hold your piece'.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 08:27:26 AM
What refutation? Progressive resistance is built in to this program because strength will increase rapidly and more weight must be added to the maximum resistance. By the end of the month perhaps 50% increases in strength can be made. I don't buy that central nervous system stuff. You can't sustain the same number of reps with the same resistance all day but you still use the same resistance and do as many reps as you can as long as they are still about 8 minimum. Resting a little longer between sets as the day wears on won't make any difference I don't think.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: 240 is Back on October 19, 2006, 08:30:34 AM
Vince, can you please post what a routine would look like? monster confusing.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 08:57:33 AM
Here are the exercises for the upperbody workout for the first month or two. You can change the exercises in the next month. The combination of exercises and muscles targetted are unlimited. Find effective exercises and do them. It really doesn't matter if you change exercises during the month as long as you keep sore and keep growing. Feedback is an essential part of this program. The legs are optional. I did calves and that was fun. I was running to the gym because growing rapidly was fun. Doing squats all day reminds me of what Arnold said he did when he was young. He and a few of his mates did that once in a while. That would be some workout. I would want to have a full medical checkup before even entertaining such a program. You could blow a gasket doing this. I think 2 to 4 hour sessions should be what most sane people should attempt first. The aim is to trigger hyperplasia and it might require the extraordinary.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 09:00:29 AM
Chin at full stretch.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 19, 2006, 09:03:50 AM
What refutation? Progressive resistance is built in to this program because strength will increase rapidly and more weight must be added to the maximum resistance. By the end of the month perhaps 50% increases in strength can be made. I don't buy that central nervous system stuff. You can't sustain the same number of reps with the same resistance all day but you still use the same resistance and do as many reps as you can as long as they are still about 8 minimum. Resting a little longer between sets as the day wears on won't make any difference I don't think.

alrighty then so here is subject a who started your 12 hour routine with his typical 500lb dead lifts for 8 reps and now he's doing set after set with that weight all day long? riiiiiiiiiiight.

of course he's only going to get stronger from this system so in a years time we revisit him and there he is day after day deadlifting 700lb for sets of 8 reps - 12 hrs a day....

not to mention the other exercises he's doing along with dls.

sure, his cns and his joints and muscles will do juuuust fine with this right? afterall, overtraining doesn't exist does it? and when he's doing his 12 hrs of 450lb bench press for 8 reps set after set all day every day, he'll only get stronger and thrive. no chance of fucked up rotators or pec tears because 'OVERTRAINING DOESN'T EXIST'.

won't need anabolics either. why would anyone take drugs when they're 'GROWING FROM WORKOUT TO WORKOUT'???

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 09:17:07 AM
If you have read what I have written before on this forum you would know that I would never recommend deadlifts for bodybuilding. It is a stupid and dangerous exercise. I tore my right biceps doing it with 509 pounds in 1978. A sad day to be sure.

I should hope that intelligence and sense goes hand in hand with extreme training. I fear some might use their own ideas and brains and stuff themselves up completely. You have to know which exercises are dangerous. There are many. There are also many ineffective exercises but people still do them. Do as I suggest not what you think is best. Otherwise, why ask me for advice and prescriptions. I made the machines or modifications for these exercises. Maybe Adonis and Goodrum can come to Sydney for 2 months and participate in the Meadowbank Experiment to put two inches on their upper arms. Should be interesting.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: wes on October 19, 2006, 09:58:08 AM
Christ,you`d have to move into a gym to train all day long.

Your theory,in essence,sucks!!


Ridiculous waste of peoples time to read this nonsense.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: ManBearPig... on October 19, 2006, 10:18:06 AM
Christ,you`d have to move into a gym to train all day long.

Your theory,in essence,sucks!!


Ridiculous waste of peoples time to read this nonsense.

no kidding.

all of vince's marathon training crap could be replaced by:
a. upping the weight
b. upping the dosage
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 19, 2006, 10:26:59 AM
I am confident I am right about my theory. That is sufficient at the moment. It is up to you experts to refute it. If you cannot do that then hold your p[ea]iece.
I don't think you understand how science works, Vince. Once one proposes a theory, it follows that the theorist test that theory.  Asking someone to refute/prove it false does not follow. What I mean is, I could say that I am the master of time/space but unless I can prove/demonstrate this and have such a finding reproduced by others, it is nothing but hot air.   ???
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: McFarland on October 19, 2006, 10:46:07 AM
I think Basile felt that he should have grown to look like Larry Scott eating 10mg's worth of dianabol a day and when he didn't, gained an inferiority complex.  Hey Vince, consider this quote:

"In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity."
                                               --Hunter S. Thompson
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: bb doc on October 19, 2006, 12:46:14 PM
Vince -

1. I concur w Dr. Chimps. It is the duty of a theorist to prove his/her theory.  You're wrong until proven right.

2. Posting a pic of yourself needing a machine to do chin-ups is a good route to getting flamed.  So is posting pics of people w/ minimal triceps developmt doing triceps exercises.  NOT saying that those flames are FAIR, just saying that they're gonna happen...

-bb doc
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 19, 2006, 01:49:46 PM
http://veepers.budweiser.com/service/RetrieveCard?id=IjVcd6PF2XgIJ_0t9QHodG
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: ManBearPig... on October 19, 2006, 02:44:25 PM
I think Vince is actually John Titor trying to trick us all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Titor

you cannot imagine my disappintment with finding out john titor's fake.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Samourai Pizzacat on October 19, 2006, 03:00:28 PM
Vince -

1. I concur w Dr. Chimps. It is the duty of a theorist to prove his/her theory.  You're wrong until proven right.

-bb doc

Wrong, the correct way is to falsify the theory. Carl Popper (science philosopher) gave a very good example of the pitfall of trying to prove theories:
All swans are black. You can prove this every time you see a black swan but when the 121.745.876th swan is white, the theory goes bottoms up. (BTW, competing theories can coexist on the same continuum, as they might hold true under different conditions.)

That doesn't mean that someone can make any claim they want and get away with it. A study that yields certain results can be used to formulate a hypothesis or theory. New, similar research will try to emulate the results (and fail ideally) to disprove the previous study.

Where vince's logic fails is that he takes intensity as a constant. He then proceeds to say that it isn't the intensity that makes the ultimate difference. The problem is that it's impossible to measure or controll intensity. Levels of intensity and intensity perception vary hugely between subjects, so it's the intensity that would actually be something worth studying.

It simply comes down to making the muscles do something that they have not experienced before. That will require them to adjust in a couple of ways: The muscle becomes more efficient and will grow a bit. After a short period of training a muscle will be close to it's maximum efficiency and most of the adjusting will be in the form of growth. Different muscles will react differently to different stress. The calves are very much a slow-fiber aerobic muscle group. Using added weights on your normal walking can slowly build them, that is the same idea as vince's constant stress concept. The pecs are different, short but heavy workouts have greater effect here. More volume like doing a lot of pushups will grow them but only initially and not that much.
I think intensity is the key to succes. It's the last 5% of the excercise that makes the difference, the first 95% is just working your way to that point.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 19, 2006, 04:14:31 PM
Vince one question... Why are you so small if you claim to have found the ultimate program?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 04:21:57 PM
It is refreshing to read that someone has read Karl Popper's work. That is a start to having a clue about the philosophy of science. Even false theories, if good approximations to the truth, can be useful. Newton's theory of gravity is false but using it predicted and found new planets. It had a huge problem with Mercury's orbit and was eventually replaced by the ideas of Einstein.

What is also important is to come up with bold theories that explain all the phenomena in a particular domain and then conjecture about new things that explain things better. No one has adequately explained why so many train hard but do not grow. That is probably the biggest problem in bodybuilding. Arthur Jones and Mike Mentzer thought they explained this by claiming people trained too long and too frequently. Nope, that doesn't hold up to inspection.

My theory is bold and it also allows for why so many are not growing. They are simply not making their muscles sore enough on a regular basis. If you rest too long the muscles recover and then you have to overcome the repeated bout effect. Essentially I am proposing that we do the opposite of what everyone has been saying about how muscles grow. Either I am right or I am mistaken. It is also possible I am partly right.

There are lots of competing theories in bodybuilding because thinkers feel they alone can explain hypertrophy. If others did what we believe they should grow. There is another problem and that is the incommensurability of various theories. Often we have the same words for different phenomena. The concept 'intensity' is one such word. In HIT intensity is about going close to what you can lift for one complete, maximum repetition. Intensity for Larry Scott was using burns to get the maximum pump. The general usage means to train hard. Clearly it can't mean all of these things. When the very vocabularies mean different things is it any wonder that confusion and misunderstanding exist in bodybuilding?

In my theory all that is important is the resultant growth from each workout. That is the constant test of the theory's truth. That is the feedback that is important. No growth and you are not doing something right. I use DOMS as the best feedback mechanism to guage growth occurring in muscles. So far no one has refuted my suggestion that DOMS is associated with muscle hypertrophy as long as sufficient nutrition is provided so that growth can occur. I also require that the DOMS be induced by using programs where one repeatedly does sets with the maximum resistance possible for 8 or more reps.

So far I believe my theory is internally consistent and all that remains is to demonstrate that it works. I anticipate all manner of contingent problems occurring and it may be that the theory has to be fine tuned or ad hoc clauses created to accommodate unusual populations.

A simple experiment will settle the issue so it is easy to falsify. I rather doubt anyone can dismiss my theory unless they have vast personal and scientific experience.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 04:27:12 PM
Alexxx, your question is a foolish one, indeed. Look at photos of Arthur Jones and you won't see a huge guy. Yet his mind was vast and his ideas jolted the very foundations of exercise science. Jones even called all exercise scientists idiots! That was how confident he was right and they were wrong.

I have demonstrated that I can grow rapidly. At my age I do not have the motivation or connective tissue health to proceed with such an extreme program. Why you younger guys can't seize the opportunity to transcend yourselves without drugs is one of the mysteries of humans. Clearly, everyone who has some muscular development considers themselves to be experts. I give as evidence our very own board experts. In fact, who is not an expert here?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 19, 2006, 04:34:20 PM
Alexxx, your question is a foolish one, indeed. Look at photos of Arthur Jones and you won't see a huge guy. Yet his mind was vast and his ideas jolted the very foundations of exercise science. Jones even called all exercise scientists idiots! That was how confident he was right and they were wrong.

I have demonstrated that I can grow rapidly. At my age I do not have the motivation or connective tissue health to proceed with such an extreme program. Why you younger guys can't seize the opportunity to transcend yourselves without drugs is one of the mysteries of humans. Clearly, everyone who has some muscular development considers themselves to be experts. I give as evidence our very own board experts. In fact, who is not an expert here?

Vince I am a natural for life. You have some very waky ideas so how about putting them to the test? Make a Journal and prove to us your own theories work.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 04:35:23 PM
The Bud spoof is funny. Why don't guys have the guts to put their own names there instead of trying to make it look like I did?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 04:40:33 PM
I am recruiting subjects as we speak. If all fails I will demonstrate my ideas on myself. I fear no man so will boldly tread where ordinary mortals tremble with fear!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 19, 2006, 04:43:48 PM
I am recruiting subjects as we speak. If all fails I will demonstrate my ideas on myself. I fear no man so will boldly tread where ordinary mortals tremble with fear!

Believe you me their is not one training program that scares me least of all your own laughable 2-4 hour routine pfff! I have done full bodyworkouts everyday with some good results. A real champion will learn self control and instead of indulging into a pump for how many hours you train, he will opt for the ultimate program proven to put on mass faster than any other even if it means training only 3 times a week with weights.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 19, 2006, 04:45:40 PM
Believe you me their is not one training program that scares me least of all your own laughable 2-4 hour routine pfff! I have done full bodyworkouts everyday with some good results. A real champion will learn self control and instead of indulging into a pump for how many hours you train, he will opt for the ultimate program proven to put on mass faster than any other even if it means training only 3 times a week with weights.

lol, are you interviewing for the job Alexxx?

maybe now you won't finish next to last in the mr.getbig
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: McFarland on October 19, 2006, 04:48:31 PM
I am recruiting subjects as we speak. If all fails I will demonstrate my ideas on myself. I fear no man so will boldly tread where ordinary mortals tremble with fear!

SOMEBODY GO OVER THERE!  Adonis go over there!  Ha ha ha!  Holy shit, Getbig Gold!   ;D 
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 19, 2006, 04:51:32 PM
Vince, as I mentionned earlier your ideas sound interesting. However I find them too impractical to be applied. Ok, training 8 hours once a week is probably doable (on a weekend day when you are not working) but for most this kind of schedule as a complete training system would be iimpossible to apply (job, family, studies, etc.).

Furthermore there is also the aspect of building the complete body... if you recommend training a muscle group for 4-8 hours, 3 times per week how is it possible to train your whole body? I could see performing two muscle groups per session, but that would mean limiting your training for something like 20% of the muscle mass of your body. Obviously if one were to use only compound movements (e.g. a rowing movement + a pressing movement) it would be somewhat possible to overcome that shortcoming as the whole upper body would receive some stimulation. But that still leaves the leg out of the equation. What are we to do, add more training sessions? I think that for 99% of the population training 3x for 4-8 hours a day would be impossible, imagine 6 workouts per week.

On a strictly intellectual point of view I would really be interested in seeing the results from your protocol and if it works I'll be the first to acknowledge your success. HOWEVER even if it works (which has not been established yet) since it's not applicable for 99% of the population I would have to class this protocol in the same category as myostatin inhibitor (knocking the gene that limits muscle growth): interesting results but that are doomed to stay outside the reach of most.

In other word on an intellectual standpoint a theory that would prove to be the best way to stimulate hypertrophy without fail would be super interesting; but if it requires a schedule that none can apply, it remains an intellectual curiosity.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 05:08:41 PM
HST came up with a practical program but it cannot lead to maximum hypertrophy. No one using that program has demonstrated huge size. End of story.

HIT cannot demonstrate that it applies to everyone. Anecdotal experience suggests HIT doesn't work for everyone. No one has started using HIT and ended up huge. Not one single person. Not promising and perhaps intellectually dishonest to boot.

The problem I had was to speculate if it was possible to be huge naturally. I believe most bodybuilders would say this is not possible without drugs. How would they know this? I conjecture it is possible and have proposed a method to do it. Sub-maximal programs might be sufficient to do the same thing but take longer. It would be an easy thing to demonstrate if this works. If it does then it will be practical because bodybuilders can get huge quickly and do not need to take years and years to do so. I agree that one has to have all his time to devote to this program.

The question about total body development is an interesting one. From my experience I would say that one of the factors that contributes to so many training and not growing is that we do too many bodyparts. If we can induce parts of our body to grow then adjoining muscles will also benefit. If we combine exercise that are complementary then it is possible to stimulate much of the body to grow at the same time. I agree that MHT cannot be done on all the muscles at the same time. If you can get your arms to grow 2 inches on the program I have outlined I am sure your back will be much bigger, too. Chins are not just for lats. That is part of the fallacy of bodybuilding lore. Analyse a chin and you will see that most of the muscles in the upper body are involved in that exercise. I think this is a minor problem and one easily solved with MHT.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 19, 2006, 05:10:05 PM
I wasn't talking about either one of those programs Vince! ::)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 19, 2006, 05:12:29 PM
so Vince, lets say that we send Alexxx over there to train with you. How long will the training last?

Alexxx, are you ready to pack up and move there for several months to train?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dav-bol on October 19, 2006, 05:16:11 PM
CRACKPOT
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 19, 2006, 05:22:53 PM
I agree with you Vince, this is why I said that using only compound movements would partially resolve this problem as any pulling exercises will involve the lats, rhomboids, teres, traps, rear delt, biceps, brachialis, forearms, etc while all pushing exercises will involve the chest, anterior and lateral delts, triceps, serratus, etc.

Regarding specialization, or not training equally all muscle groups, I also agree with you on that subject. In fact many of my articles deal with that subject. In my articles I propose training the specialized muscle(s) 3x per week and only performing maintenance work for the rest of the body; rotating the spec muscles every 4-6 weeks.

But I feel that the time constraint of the program might sill pose a significant problem. BTW, I'm not a HIT nor HST advocate so I don't necessarily think that low-volume is the solution.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 19, 2006, 05:25:06 PM
so Vince, lets say that we send Alexxx over there to train with you. How long will the training last?

Alexxx, are you ready to pack up and move there for several months to train?

I am willing to test it.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 05:29:34 PM
Alexxx, you do not have the vocabulary to succeed. A pity.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 19, 2006, 05:42:19 PM
Alexxx, you do not have the vocabulary to succeed. A pity.

You are a bitter old fool who never fullfilled his potential.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 19, 2006, 05:48:31 PM
I am recruiting subjects as we speak. If all fails I will demonstrate my ideas on myself. I fear no man so will boldly tread where ordinary mortals tremble with fear![/color]
Wow, Vince. I can see why you use purple for your words. This sounds more promising as you are moving away from airy theory towards empiricism. Any idea of your sample size? Large enough for any kind of conclusions or will they be of an anecdotal nature? Controls? Variance? Very interesting. Keep us posted. Maybe you could make a thread in the training section?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 05:50:15 PM
Well, Alexxx, demonstrate that you have read the philosophy of science and can relate with educated people. Why should I waste my time of wannabes and fools? I encounter hundreds of those all the time. If you want to be outstanding you will have to transcend what you are doing now. Or don't you realise this?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 05:52:23 PM
A sample of one will be sufficient to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program. If I can get larger than I ever was in the past and do it at the age of 64 it will be nothing short of astonishing. No one will be able to deny that it works.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 19, 2006, 06:15:24 PM
Do it then ASAP; you're not exactly getting any younger. Get a good natural test booster too.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 06:25:46 PM
I am confident that stimulating some muscles to continuously grow will make for a positive chemical environment. There is no need to supplement what nature will provide. The whole point is to do this completely naturally. Any drugs at all will be cheating. I don't want this experiment contaminated. That is why I have to select disciples who are true believers and also independent thinkers. If someone wants to qualify they have to read Karl Popper's 'Conjectures and Refutations' and discuss that book with me. I will then know if I have someone with sufficient intelligence to invest my time with. If guys like Alexxx go around insulting people then that is hardly promising. Naturally, many are sceptical and that is fine. However, I require an intellectually honest person to be the guinea pig. There is nothing stopping anyone out there from testing the method themselves. Good luck.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: The Luke on October 19, 2006, 06:30:34 PM
Vince,

Animal studies don't always correlate well with human trials... different Hox genes controling muscle physiology.

I think your program is a mistake... I wouldn't even try it at my age (30ish), let alone in my sixties. My reasoning is that you are most probably unaware of the MRI studies done a few years ago on negative-failure training.

Long story short: the biceps need 80 (yes, eighty) days to recover from a single rep of bicep curls done to complete negative failure (electrodes were used to force the muscle contraction).

Sorry, but as we scientists say.... your theory, (while interesting) is what we call N.E.W. (NOT EVEN WRONG).

No offence, but you should have seen this when you started considering doing continuous maximal load sets. The sets would deteriorate thusly:

Set one: X weight for 10 reps  (rest a minute)
Set two: X weight for 5ish reps (rest a minute)
Set three: X weight for 2ish reps (rest a minute)
Set four: X weight for 1 rep maybe (rest a minute)
Set five: X weight for a bit of a rep
etc etc
 
If this doesn't happen then the load wasn't maximal to begin with, or true failure wasn't achieved.


Again, no offence Vince,
The Luke
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Bast000 on October 19, 2006, 06:32:18 PM

Long story short: the biceps need 80 (yes, eighty) days to recover from a single rep of bicep curls

Are you Retarded?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 19, 2006, 06:37:04 PM
Are you Retarded?

Yes, yes he is and he gives Vince a good run for the money.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: AVBG on October 19, 2006, 06:37:40 PM
Are you Retarded?

Hey Bast.. how you feeling? someone said you got polio
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Bast000 on October 19, 2006, 06:38:59 PM
Hey Bast.. how you feeling? someone said you got polio

not that i know of

(http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/global/david/dwe002/dwe002g/dwe00209g01.gif)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: AVBG on October 19, 2006, 06:41:24 PM
not that i know of

(http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/global/david/dwe002/dwe002g/dwe00209g01.gif)

Dont sweat it. You deserved better at the Mr GB!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 19, 2006, 06:43:34 PM
Well contributed, The Luke. Yes, animal studies are not always applicable to humans. A pity the scientists aren't doing more bodybuilding experiments on humans.

There is no need to go to failure. Well, I advocate doing as many reps that you know you can complete. Then rest and do more sets.

I am aware of the physiological fall-off in reps when training with maximum loads. That is why I superset with another muscle. Biceps and Triceps for example. Then to maintain a target rep range it is necessary to rest a bit longer between sets. Once you get the rhythm going it is possible to keep the reps around 7 or 8 and still do the maximum resistance. The trick is to select a maximum that you can do for about 15 reps. That is after several higher rep warmups. When the reps fall to 8 that is still sufficient to be safe and also trigger hypertrophy.

In practice, I usually recommend doing about 5 or 6 maximum sets. No one has done this for squats yet! Too damn hard. However, what would happen if they did such protocols.

I am aware that the repeated bout affect has a lingering presence in the muscles. All the more urgent, then, to avoid that adaptation and keep the muscles sore.

It is just speculation about all day training. It may or may not work. I think it would but I am not that confident. In the meantime, there are many sub-maximal routines that will be almost as effective. What worries me is we might miss out on possible hyperplasia if we persist with conventional training.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: The Luke on October 19, 2006, 06:51:10 PM
Are you Retarded?

The experiment I'm refering to involved a guy holding a bicep curl machine at full contraction for as long as he could (approx 2 mins I think), electrodes in the biceps were used to maintain an involuntary contraction long after the subject was unable to continue... eventually failure was reached independently of increased voltage.

Basically; they flexed some poor bastards bis against resistence using electrodes... as the weight started to lower they ramped up the voltage... they continued doing this till the muscles reached TRUE (cellular) muscle failure.

Subsequent MRI scans showed muscular damage lasting 80 days... full strength returned around the 90th day. They didn't mention anything about noticeable size changes that I'm aware of....

The workouts Vince is advocating would necessitate lengthy layoffs for recovery (weeks).

The Luke
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 19, 2006, 07:12:04 PM
Quote
The workouts Vince is advocating would necessitate lengthy layoffs for recovery (weeks).
80 days, weeks between workouts..if you're serious you're really onto something with practical applications. ::)

The all-day thing could be viable.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Bast000 on October 19, 2006, 07:13:52 PM


Basically; they flexed some poor bastards bis against resistence using electrodes... as the weight started to lower they ramped up the voltage... they continued doing this till the muscles reached TRUE (cellular) muscle failure.



How do you figure that is the same as 1 biceps curl?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: The Luke on October 19, 2006, 07:15:52 PM
How do you figure that is the same as 1 biceps curl?

He just lowered the weight once over the course of two minutes... screaming and puking the whole time.


The Luke
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 20, 2006, 01:46:33 AM
Vince after reading your posts it seems that you see soreness (DOMS) as the trigger fro muscle growth. If that is the case then I must disagree: play a sport intensely, even if its a very catabolic one (tennis or a marathonfor example) and chances are that your muscles will get sore yet these will not cause hypertrophy. I used to work with a lot of triathletes and after their big competitions their muscles ached all over yet they were all very small.

Another example could be hitting you with a baseball bat... if I strike your hamstrings (for example) it will cause muscle damage and subsequent soreness and swelling. Yet, nobody ever grew big from getting beat up!

If muscle soreness was the trigger for muscle growth then it would stand to reason that:

a) anything that cause muscle soreness will trigger muscle growth
b) every thing that doesn't cause soreness will not trigger growth

Furthermore some people get very sore easily while other don't get sore that much, even if they have a similar training experience and follow the same program. This is likely due (in part) to some peoples being more sensible to pain (they have more receptors or their receptors are activated to send the "pain" signal at a lower treshold). Not to mention that overtime, even if the training stimulus increases, the body gets used to soreness and the pain treshold augment: while there might be the same amount of muscle damage; the soreness it causes will decrease.

I'm NOT saying that your protocol will not work. I'm saying that DOMS itself is not a trigger for musle growth... just like the pain felt from an inury is not what causes the body to heal itself.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 20, 2006, 03:14:47 AM
exactly, which i pointed out about 6 pages ago but apparently basile didn't read it.

i am certain now that any success that vince had a a bb was completely reliant on his admitted use of steroids. his ideas are completely illogical and he is arrogant enough to state them as effective without any trial, and on a continual basis regardless of age, hormones, muscle cells, etc.

my question to vince is: how the fuck did you get to 60 odd by being so ignorant.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 20, 2006, 04:03:37 AM
Well Vince, you're as mad as a hatter but your heart is in the right place. 
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:13:30 AM
CT I have dealt with that in a previous post in this thread. DOMS does not trigger hypertrophy but DOMS accompanies rapid hypertrophy. DOMS is merely a state that is aimed for with the protocols I have outlined. Namely, heaps and heaps of sets with the maximum resistance for 8 to 15 reps.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 20, 2006, 06:15:49 AM
CT I have dealt with that in a previous post in this thread. DOMS does not trigger hypertrophy but DOMS accompanies rapid hypertrophy. DOMS is merely a state that is aimed for with the protocols I have outlined. Namely, heaps and heaps of sets with the maximum resistance for 8 to 15 reps.  

hahaha...oh man, STFU already.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 07:22:45 AM
Quote
If muscle soreness was the trigger for muscle growth then it would stand to reason that:

a) anything that cause muscle soreness will trigger muscle growth
b) every thing that doesn't cause soreness will not trigger growth
1/It's quite possible that soreness from other activities is not the same thing as DOMS from lifting weights; one can't necessarily be compared to the other.
2/ Adding resistance to anything that causes soreness might then trigger further DOMS that is in fact similar to that from weight training.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 20, 2006, 07:38:42 AM
CT I have dealt with that in a previous post in this thread. DOMS does not trigger hypertrophy but DOMS accompanies rapid hypertrophy. DOMS is merely a state that is aimed for with the protocols I have outlined. Namely, heaps and heaps of sets with the maximum resistance for 8 to 15 reps.  

What evidence do you see for DOMS being related to rapid hypertrophy?

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 20, 2006, 07:46:52 AM
What evidence do you see for DOMS being related to rapid hypertrophy?

YIP
Zack

His incredible muscle size. ::)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 20, 2006, 08:01:12 AM
His incredible muscle size. ::)

alex, please don't give Basile the easy cop-out of complaining that he's feeling insulted.

Let Basile once and for all put his theories out, and have them discussed.

With a minimum of namecalling.

Lets get to the core of his ideas.


Basile, lets try the question one more time:

What evidence do you see for DOMS being related to rapid hypertrophy?

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 08:05:16 AM
Quote
What evidence do you see for DOMS being related to rapid hypertrophy?
To be fair, there's no clear proof either way so it's unrealistic to ask for anything more than a theory rather than conclusive evidence.

From experience, from reading, intuitively and anecdotally, I think DOMS is critical.


Quote
alex, please don't give Basile the easy cop-out of complaining that he's feeling insulted
"Alexxx" once again confirming ongoing immaturity.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: chris_mason on October 20, 2006, 08:20:46 AM
Basile, lol, you do this every 6 months or so, eh?  You TALK a lot but do nothing.  A few years ago you claimed you could make your arms their biggest ever and blah, blah, blah but nothing.

Frankly, your claims resonate of TA's b.s.

Either do something or stop talking about it. 

Please.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 20, 2006, 08:23:20 AM
I agree with Chris. Vince basile is on the same level of delusion as Ta and Vince G. Somebody should lock them all into a cage and see who comes out with the wackiest idea of breacking out without actully doing so.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 08:29:56 AM
Quote
I agree with Chris. Vince basile is on the same level of delusion as Ta and Vince G. Somebody should lock them all into a cage and see who comes out with the wackiest idea of breacking out without actully doing so.
What does "Alexxx" propose as an alternative..
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 08:30:34 AM
From what I have read about DOMS it seems it is associated with repairing damaged tissue in the muscle. If that is so then all DOMS is indicative of growth. If you do a light resistance and it causes DOMS then some growth is occurring. It is a simple matter to increase the resistance and keep the DOMS and you should grow. If you start with ridiculously light resistances then of course the growth will not be large. If you use significant resistance as suggested the growth will be rapid.

Evidence? Well, I did the DOMS training for a month. Arms and calves. Gained 1 inch on arms and over 1 inch on calves. That was over about 10 workouts so the gain was 1 inch divided by 10 which is pretty good going. I could measure increases the day after training. When you can do that you really get enthusiastic. I am confident that others should also gain rapidly. Of course you must be gaining bodyweight, too. If you don't then you might find you won't grow. Abandon all that stuff about protein and eating healthy. Most of that information is nonsense or not important. Eat a balanced diet and perhaps 4 meals a day. Don't use supplements. Hey, I must be the first bodybuilder in history to say this. Well, I don't lie or bs about training. That is what I believe. Sure, if you read the nutrition research you might be persuaded to do this and that. All a waste of time. Eat what your mum cooked for you but a little more of each serving. Don't eat too much protein because it is too hard on your system to digest. If you eat too much protein it gets converted into energy. That really is dumb and a waste of money and resources.

Someone asked about overtraining. I don't believe it happens in ordinary programs. I heard of a guy who was running in really hot weather and kept going even though he was dehydrated. His muscles sort of fused or something. Very sad. No one lifting weights has to worry about that. I agree with Lee Priest that it is not worth worrying about. I think that idea was supposed to explain why so many are not growing. You were supposed to be overtraining. What a joke. If anything you are undertraining but doing too many body parts. Why do all the body parts twice or three times a week? Do you think they will all grow? Nope. You won't get anywhere like that. That is one of those beliefs you have to abandon.

You know, Hedgehog, the sum of my posts in this thread is original and could easily have been published in a magazine. Yet I have knuckleheads knocking me for no good reason. Do you think anyone with something original to offer here would put up with this crap? I enjoy the responses of CT who is a recognized writer and thinker. Look at his responses and compare them to board heroes who try to dismiss someone instead of refute them. What a pity more people here aren't educated.

Anyway, I have persisted because I expect some to post that distracting stuff. What is the test of truth in this discussion? Results. It has nothing to do with opinions. I have told you I am ready to abandon my theories if they don't work. So instead of blasting me with nonsense go out and prove to yourself that I am all hot air. Try this training on a target muscle like calves. Do anything at all to get them sore. Then keep them sore for a month and see if they grow. You have to gain weight over the month or you are wasting your time. Report your results here.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 20, 2006, 08:35:20 AM
What does "Alexxx" propose as an alternative..

Stop listening to this bickering old fool and do a program that has proven the best results.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 08:40:06 AM
Alexxx are you so naive to believe you can't defeat me in a debate? What a dreamer. Come up with something original for goodness sake. Just knocking someone and calling them names wins you nothing at a university. You have to have an argument with substance. I do not accept that you are my peer or a bodybuilding expert so your opinions are worthless here or nearly so.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 20, 2006, 09:04:44 AM
Alexxx are you so naive to believe you can't defeat me in a debate? What a dreamer. Come up with something original for goodness sake. Just knocking someone and calling them names wins you nothing at a university. You have to have an argument with substance. I do not accept that you are my peer or a bodybuilding expert so your opinions are worthless here or nearly so.  

No am not naive to believe that I can defeat you in a debate if I choose to.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 20, 2006, 09:19:51 AM
From what I have read about DOMS it seems it is associated with repairing damaged tissue in the muscle. If that is so then all DOMS is indicative of growth. If you do a light resistance and it causes DOMS then some growth is occurring. It is a simple matter to increase the resistance and keep the DOMS and you should grow. If you start with ridiculously light resistances then of course the growth will not be large. If you use significant resistance as suggested the growth will be rapid.

Evidence? Well, I did the DOMS training for a month. Arms and calves. Gained 1 inch on arms and over 1 inch on calves. That was over about 10 workouts so the gain was 1 inch divided by 10 which is pretty good going. I could measure increases the day after training. When you can do that you really get enthusiastic. I am confident that others should also gain rapidly. Of course you must be gaining bodyweight, too. If you don't then you might find you won't grow. Abandon all that stuff about protein and eating healthy. Most of that information is nonsense or not important. Eat a balanced diet and perhaps 4 meals a day. Don't use supplements. Hey, I must be the first bodybuilder in history to say this. Well, I don't lie or bs about training. That is what I believe. Sure, if you read the nutrition research you might be persuaded to do this and that. All a waste of time. Eat what your mum cooked for you but a little more of each serving. Don't eat too much protein because it is too hard on your system to digest. If you eat too much protein it gets converted into energy. That really is dumb and a waste of money and resources.

Someone asked about overtraining. I don't believe it happens in ordinary programs. I heard of a guy who was running in really hot weather and kept going even though he was dehydrated. His muscles sort of fused or something. Very sad. No one lifting weights has to worry about that. I agree with Lee Priest that it is not worth worrying about. I think that idea was supposed to explain why so many are not growing. You were supposed to be overtraining. What a joke. If anything you are undertraining but doing too many body parts. Why do all the body parts twice or three times a week? Do you think they will all grow? Nope. You won't get anywhere like that. That is one of those beliefs you have to abandon.

You know, Hedgehog, the sum of my posts in this thread is original and could easily have been published in a magazine. Yet I have knuckleheads knocking me for no good reason. Do you think anyone with something original to offer here would put up with this crap? I enjoy the responses of CT who is a recognized writer and thinker. Look at his responses and compare them to board heroes who try to dismiss someone instead of refute them. What a pity more people here aren't educated.

Anyway, I have persisted because I expect some to post that distracting stuff. What is the test of truth in this discussion? Results. It has nothing to do with opinions. I have told you I am ready to abandon my theories if they don't work. So instead of blasting me with nonsense go out and prove to yourself that I am all hot air. Try this training on a target muscle like calves. Do anything at all to get them sore. Then keep them sore for a month and see if they grow. You have to gain weight over the month or you are wasting your time. Report your results here.

Impressive results from that DOMS training. What did those workouts look like?

And please, add any reflections on what could've been done different if you would.

Now we're getting somewhere bro.

Thanks,

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 20, 2006, 09:30:49 AM
Vince, first of all I do appreciate your answers. While I don't agree with everything you say I can recognize that your are passionate about your beliefs and you obviously had some decent results with it. I find it childish that some peoples would attack your theory based on how you look; obviously at 64 years of age and with some tendon/joint problems it's obviously hard to turn into a Mr.Olympia overnight :) Heck, some guys who attack your theory by stating the way you look as an example are also the ones who put Sergio Oliva or Arnold up to demi-God status... yet nowadays they don't look all that good; aging and injuries can take its toll on a body. The appearance of someone, especially when he has a lot of experience in the field shouldn't be the sole basis for refuting a theory/training methodology. Heck, most NFL coaches look like fat out of shape slobs who couldn't sprint more than 5 yards, yet their knowledge and experience make them true experts in the game of pro football.

Ok, that having been said, regarding the DOMS I can see your point. However not everybody gets super sore. Take me for example, I rarely get severe DOMS, even when I was competing in Olympic lifting and training 4 hours a day I wouldn't get sore... the muscles I work hard do become stiff for a few days but that's pretty much it. And I do train very hard (I know I know 99% of the peoples claim that they train hard... so you'll just have to take my word for it :)  ). The thing is that DOMS is not even entirely understood at this point in time. We know that it is the result of induced muscle micro-trauma, but we do not know yet the exact reason for the stiffness/pain.

I will say that DOMS is indeed a sign that the micro-trauma imposed on the muscles is sufficient to stimulate the hypertrophic response. However in some individuals, and once the body becomes better conditionned the same (sufficient) micro-trauma could only lead to some stiffness but no DOMS, still it is sufficient to elicit the same muscle growth response.

Basically DOMS induced by strength training is an indication that a sufficient stimulus was imposed on the muscles but I do not think that the absence of DOMS means that the stimulus was sub-optimal. I find that super conditionned athletes really don't get sore much. I work with a lot of ice hockey players who are in superb physical shape as they train all their physical capacities: they have great endurance, speed, power, strength, tolerance for lactic acid, etc. And besides the first 1-2 weeks upon re-starting their off-season program they hardly ever get sore despite a pretty high volume of work. And on average they do gain 10-15lbs of mass in a 3-4 months period of training, so we know that the stimulus for growth is sufficient.

We could use an illness as an analogy: while coughing and sneezing is a sure indication that you are suffering a cold; it is still possible to have that same illness without exibiting these two symptoms.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 09:45:09 AM
Let's clarify:

-Fairly irrelevant that there is variance in soreness from one individual to the next. The obvious consideration is actually soreness relative to the individual's norms. Easy stuff.

-The absence of DOMS in every workout in no way contradicts the proposition.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 20, 2006, 09:49:00 AM
Let's clarify:

-Some get more soreness than others. The next logical step is to look at soress relative to what is the norm for the individual.

-The absence of DOMS in every workout in no way contradicts the proposition.

Agreed. However I do think that individuals can get desensitized to muscle soreness, so I would say that it's hard to establish a "scale of soreness" for one individual as it would have to evolve in time.

I think that Vince's proposition that there should be measurable progress on a weekly basis is a better indication of the efficacy of a program. Still, sometimes changes are so minute that they might be impossible to measure.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 09:57:01 AM
Quote
Agreed. However I do think that individualized can get desensitized to muscle soreness, so I would say that it's hard to establish a "scale of soreness" for one individual as it would have to evolve in time.
Desentization occurs but i've found that the frequency of workouts in which soreness occurs has increased measurably by (1) finding the most effective exercises and (2) switching some of the variables from time to time to shock the system, and (3) combining them to achieve considerably better mind-muscle connections.

All true, thus soreness and superior tissue stimulation have resulted on a more frequent basis.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 20, 2006, 10:05:08 AM
Obviously changing exercises every 3-4 weeks will somewhat prevent habituation. Probably because of the theory of neurological compartmentalization of the muscle fibers which indicate that a muscle has more level of division than the gross anatomy of a muscle shows. So changing exercises could probably switch more growth stimulus to different muscle fiber compartments (all compartments in a muscle will receive some stimulation, but the focus can be placed on certain regions). The new exercises would thus hit less habituated muscle fibers and that would lead to renewed soreness (and probably growth).

I'm currently working on an article on that topic and I had to review over 50 research papers on neurological compartmentalization and it's quite fascinating.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 20, 2006, 10:37:07 AM
Vince, in one of your long rants many pages ago you advocated doing 10 reps for 10 sets. Ofcourse decreasing the weight as needed to keep the reps up.  In the case of dumbell presses after 5 sets or so the triceps would be start to do more work than intended.   You also recommended supersetting with tricep press down...care to elaborate?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 20, 2006, 11:19:45 AM

You know, Hedgehog, the sum of my posts in this thread is original and could easily have been published in a magazine. Yet I have knuckleheads knocking me for no good reason. Do you think anyone with something original to offer here would put up with this crap? I enjoy the responses of CT who is a recognized writer and thinker. Look at his responses and compare them to board heroes who try to dismiss someone instead of refute them. What a pity more people here aren't educated.
Quickly now, Vince. This thread has gone on for as long as it has because people are genuinely interested in new methods of training, protocols you call them. You have offered up half-theory, which was rightfully pooh-poohed. I am younger than you, but even I have heard enough theory on bb training that to not be skeptical a new 'super' one would be foolish. People, like myself and others here at GB, are looking for something a bit more meaty than this. I think you fully know this. You then offered to do the training yourself, or with someone else 'smart' enough to have read a certain Karl Popper book. I would be willing to bet that more people on this board than you would acknowledge are familiar with him/his ideas. Intellectual snobbery is for the small minded at groups like Mensa who believe that intelligence is an absolute, to hold/lord over other people rather than a quality to be respected and humbled by. Don't be one of those people. Lastly, you have thrown what little you have synthesized to the masses here at GB and indicated that they can do it themselves. Unlikely to happen, as you well know, for many reasons, laziness and inertia being but two. You are an  exasperating man, Vince, wanting to be respected for something and lashing out when these wishes are not realized. You must remember that philosophers (and perhaps bbs like yourself), in their latter years, usually always strive for what is referred to as 'grand theory,' all-encompassing ideas that try to tie up all loose ends. Don't feel badly, Einstein, Newton and even, I think, a fellow named Popper fell short of doing so.  :)


/As for being published in a magazine, I think you really first need to polish your writing a bit more, particularly with regards to flow. One idea/thought must follow a like one or introduce a new one, and here I am noting your paragraph blocking which seems, at best, to be arbitrary. Very confusing for the reader to follow and may have contributed to more than the normal amount of disparaging comments from 'knuckleheads.'           
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 11:27:43 AM
Quote
People, like myself and others here at GB, are looking for something a bit more meaty than this.
Free of charge?  ???


$$$ talk, beggars walk..
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 20, 2006, 11:42:26 AM
providing myself as a case study.

i am not a pure bodybuilder, but i love doing it and use it for effective strength gain.

my sport also involves a lot of stress on the calves eg. skipping, running, sprint intervals, plyos, etc.

i spend a lot of time on the toes, especially whilst training for comp.

considering that i weigh about 230lbs when in peak shape there is obviously a great deal of stress on my calves every day in training camp.

i have doms every day during this period. sometimes i can't even walk in the morning until some blood gets in there.

guess what happens when i train like this? my calves get smaller.

what happens when i do less and continue weight training them about once a week very briefly? they get bigger.

oh, btw, if i eat more than i need whilst in training camp i just get fatter. so much for the doms plus 'eat more' theory.

recovery is a huge part of the picture and every athlete and trainer knows this. for some 66yr old fat man that can't even chin his own bodyweight to say that overtraining doesn't exist just proves he's talking out of his ass. to say that one can gain CONTINUOUSLY on his program without any regard for size, sex, hormones, mindset, musculo skeletal system, genetics, recovery is beyond ignorant. the man is obtuse.

he has made the statement earlier that doms plus extra food = anabolism. that's his 'theory' ??? there is absolutely no scientific/anecdotal evidence at all to back that up (i challenge ANYONE to prove otherwise) and, in fact, neither he or any subject has actually tested it.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 20, 2006, 11:56:34 AM
Free of charge?  ???


$$$ talk, beggars walk..
True. But I didn't get the drift that Vince was spamming. Maybe a little ego-massage, but not spam.  ;)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 11:57:06 AM
Quote
spend a lot of time on the toes, especially whilst training for comp.

considering that i weigh about 230lbs when in peak shape there is obviously a great deal of stress on my calves every day in training camp.

i have doms every day during this period. sometimes i can't even walk in the morning until some blood gets in there.

guess what happens when i train like this? my calves get smaller.

what happens when i do less and continue weight training them about once a week very briefly? they get bigger.
Too easy to poke holes in this. I've already pointed out that non-weight/resistance DOMS likely differ in effect.

Secondly, i doubt the calves are actually getting smaller and if they are, it's because of the extra lard paired off from the rigorous exercise.

Quote
if i eat more than i need whilst in training camp i just get fatter. so much for the doms plus 'eat more' theory.
Yet another example of poor comprehension. He was talking about eating in regards to gaining muscle whilst using progressive resistance. In addition, it is a prerequisite for making gains but doesn't mean that it will always work.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 20, 2006, 12:14:20 PM
Too easy to poke holes in this. I've already pointed out that non-weight/resistance DOMS likely differ in effect.

Secondly, i doubt the calves are actually getting smaller and if they are, it's because of the extra lard paired off from the rigorous exercise.
Yet another example of poor comprehension. He was talking about eating in regards to gaining muscle whilst using progressive resistance. In addition, it is a prerequisite for making gains but doesn't mean that it will always work.

no. calves were bigger and more muscular with less work.

sorry, but you'e the one with poor comprehension. he says eat more with doms. he doesn't believe in any specific muscle building foods/supplements ie protein, etc and i can't really refute that.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:07:06 PM
To reply to CT. You state that experienced trainees seldom experience DOMS. Yes, most of us consider DOMS to be a nuisance phenomenon and when we are introducing novices to weight training often give them only one or two sets so that they don't end up sore. After a week or two trainees no longer get sore. You state that you don't get sore even though you consider that you train hard and often long. If you did Olympic lifting this wouldn't surprise me because you rest a long time between sets or lifts. Now, if what I claim is true then you weren't making rapid size progress. Had you been able to induce DOMS then you would have grown rapidly, and assuming you were gaining weight. That is my claim. I acknowledge that most people do not experience DOMS and I say that is what explains why so many are on plateaus. For most bodybuilders they have to train hard just to stay the same which is still a good result but hardly progress. Like I said, others explain the lack of results by claiming people overtrain. I say rubbish to that. I seldom see anyone training very hard in my gym and I have been there for 35 years. Everyone thinks they are training hard but that is wishful thinking.

Another problem is that some exercises will not be effective enough to trigger DOMS. I discovered that for myself when I was training triceps. No matter what I did on triceps pressdowns or how much mechanical tension I thought I was putting on them they wouldn't grow beyond a certain size. It took the lying triceps extensions with arms on pads to cause DOMS and the next day my arms were measurably larger. A light went on in my head and I thought I had discovered something important. So I tested that theory and found that keeping the muscles sore did lead to rapid growth and also rapid strength and muscular endurance, too. It also explained why so many were not growing. No DOMS no growth. Well, if you don't experience pronounced DOMS you won't be growing much at all.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 20, 2006, 05:16:14 PM
You mean this worthless thread is still going on.

Here's an idea. Step 1 go to the gym. Step 2 train. Step 3 go home.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:16:53 PM
SteelePegasus. One of the things Doug Hepburn taught me when he trained me back in 1969 was not to reduce the resistance. He gave me a program for arms. 20 sets of 5 reps with the same maximum resistance. We were using his personal exercise machine that he invented and it had resistance in one direction only. That protocol using concentric reps generated 1/2 inch on my arms in two weeks. I was very impressed. Doug had to lend the machine to someone he was trying to sell the design to so I stopped going there. Shortly afterwards Arthur Jones started writing in magazines and he told us 20 sets was stupid. Why do volume when one or two sets is sufficient. I also believed that Larry Scott was onto something when he encouraged us to always try to exceed our maximum pump size. Grimek said 100 sets of presses didn't do anything for his shoulders. So I ended up compromising and did 7 or 8 total sets, including warmup for bodyparts. That was how many sets I needed to get a maximum pump. I knew that Sergio did volume training and got a muscle pumped then kept doing more sets to keep it pumped. You can't ignor what you read about how the biggest guys trained.

Keep the resistance at the maximum and rest longer between sets so that you can still do about 8 reps. The maximum resistance done set after set after set is the basic requirement for hypertrophy. That is what big muscles are for!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:18:44 PM
Pumpster. Always try to induce as much DOMS as you can. The kind that lasts for 5 days is better than the level that is gone after 2 days. If you can't induce severe DOMS you won't be growing rapidly.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 05:22:14 PM
First off, I cannot believe I have wasted around 2 hours reading through this shit. Vince surely for such an intelligent man who has read the Karl popper book for clever people, it wouldn't have been too much trouble to say 'my theory is:

To lift the heaviest weight you can for 8-15 reps, for as many sets in a day as you can, as many days a week as you can  = bigger muscles.????

Now what amazes me is the fact, you claim that this is new, and could be potentially the biggest thing to hit bodybuilding since biotests myostatin blockers? (why ct, why????? ::))

You have criticized HST, but seem to have totally missed the point that the routine you propose falls exactly in line with the science Bryan Haydock used to come up with HST. In short owning yourself.

high frequency + progressive load, with the only exclusion the absence of a deconditioning/deloading period, which in your system would leave you feeling dead after a week through, what you call myth, overtraining

Also your belief on diet is utterly ridiculous, and the only thing you would get from these mad workouts you propose with the lack of increase in protein, is smaller muscles in every body part not getting the constant training, and I include the maintenance trained muscles in that group too, as the muscles that are getting constantly tore down would need protein from somewhere, and if its not from diet, it'll be from the muscles used the least.

Is it is my theory that your theory is the nonsensical ramblings of an attention whore, and simply put I am angry I gave your nonsense the time of day.
 >:(
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:22:50 PM
Max Rep. People are criticizing me for contributing to this board as an Ironager. I decided to offer my theories about training on the Gossip and Opinion board and others are interested and that is why this thread is still going. I think this is the first time a training thread has been taken seriously on the Getbig G&O board. I don't think it is an accident. I am doing my best to answer questions and so on.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: davidpaul on October 20, 2006, 05:25:17 PM
Max Rep. People are criticizing me for contributing to this board as an Ironager. I decided to offer my theories about training on the Gossip and Opinion board and others are interested and that is why this thread is still going. I think this is the first time a training thread has been taken seriously on the Getbig G&O board. I don't think it is an accident. I am doing my best to answer questions and so on.  

stoneager more like old man, do you even know what an ipod is?

keep blogging granp's.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:33:00 PM
dr chimps. I know you are an intelligent and educated person. So are several of the lads here on Getbig. I don't see anyone else presenting an original theory about hypertrophy on Getbig and defending it. Does it take intelligence to get big? No, but a person has to either be smart enough to find the right method or listen to someone else who is. The point is if you are not growing then there is something wrong with your method. What do people do when they stop growing? They should abandon what they are doing and try something else. Nope. Everyone assumes growth happens mysteriously and over time. It may not be perceptible. I say hogwash to that. It is observable and gains should be made from each workout that triggers or sustains intense DOMS. If you do get sore as hell and don't grow then something is wrong with my theory. I have heard of some who say they get sore all the time but are not growing. If they are gaining weight while sore then that is a problem for the theory. I would have to look into what those individuals are doing. So far from my own experience severe DOMS = rapid growth.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 05:38:11 PM
so what about that study that shows fatigue is not needed for strength gains?

while this study is based on strength,

there is a unrefutable corelation that stronger muscles can lift more weight, and more weight = more micro trauma = more growth/protein synthisis.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 05:38:17 PM
It would be interesting to trace back the growth spurts that occurred during one's lifting career to see if there were any commonalities that could be replicated, aside from the advantages that sometimes accrue early on in training.

Also interesting whether severe DOMS would be desirable over mild DOMS every workout, which is in itself an accomplishment once the body's aclimated to the protcol.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:40:14 PM
Fatpanda.  I do not recommend training as often as one can. I suggest training every 3rd day. It may well be that daily training is best but I rather doubt that.

Bryan Haycock used scientific research to get his HST method. The method itself is not scientific because it has not been tested and from what I have read the success is modest at best. Where are the giants from using HST? There are none and there can be none because that is a submaximal program. Haycock said he can't get any bigger than he was two years ago. In the language of Getbig he self-owned himself! He knows about the 8 and 4 hour requirements for maximum  and 50% hypertrophy respectively. Why does he think he can't grow any more? Tell him to come to my gym and I will get his arms an inch bigger in a month.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 20, 2006, 05:46:54 PM
SteelePegasus. One of the things Doug Hepburn taught me when he trained me back in 1969 was not to reduce the resistance. He gave me a program for arms. 20 sets of 5 reps with the same maximum resistance. We were using his personal exercise machine that he invented and it had resistance in one direction only. That protocol using concentric reps generated 1/2 inch on my arms in two weeks. I was very impressed. Doug had to lend the machine to someone he was trying to sell the design to so I stopped going there. Shortly afterwards Arthur Jones started writing in magazines and he told us 20 sets was stupid. Why do volume when one or two sets is sufficient. I also believed that Larry Scott was onto something when he encouraged us to always try to exceed our maximum pump size. Grimek said 100 sets of presses didn't do anything for his shoulders. So I ended up compromising and did 7 or 8 total sets, including warmup for bodyparts. That was how many sets I needed to get a maximum pump. I knew that Sergio did volume training and got a muscle pumped then kept doing more sets to keep it pumped. You can't ignor what you read about how the biggest guys trained.

Keep the resistance at the maximum and rest longer between sets so that you can still do about 8 reps. The maximum resistance done set after set after set is the basic requirement for hypertrophy. That is what big muscles are for!

Vince, maybe I am missing something.  If you are lifting at maximum resistance for 8-10 reps, I don't see how on the after 4 sets you can still push that kind of weight.  Especially if you superset it with tris as you recommended. The rest period would have to be extremely long. 

You mentioned not going too heavy on the tricep push downs as to not invoke other push groups. good tip
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:47:45 PM
I have said before that DOMS is not the be all of MHT. I just assume it will accompany rapid growth. Find a method that makes you grow rapidly then train the same muscle every 3rd day and see what happens. I just presume you will be sore.

The research re strength has limited value for hypertrophy training. The scientists are not interested in maximum hypertrophy in humans and that is why there is no such research. Don't you think that is unfair in 2006? Well, the scientists think we are lunatics and narcissists. Mirror athletes have no value in universities and are universally considered an embarrassment. What hypertrophy science? What a joke. That is partly why Haycock proposed a method that cannot generate huge size. Why? Well, big muscles are good for volume training not HIT stuff. So if you want big muscles you have to do volume. There is no other way. HIT has been around for a long time. Well, take a bunch of subjects and train one twin HIT for 3 years and let the other twin train HST. I would bet neither group would gain much. Now, give me one twin and I will show you what is possible in 3 years. My results would eclipse those other methods by a factor of at least 2. This is a bold statement but I think a safe one.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 20, 2006, 05:50:56 PM
Fatpanda.  I do not recommend training as often as one can. I suggest training every 3rd day. It may well be that daily training is best but I rather doubt that.

Bryan Haycock used scientific research to get his HST method. The method itself is not scientific because it has not been tested and from what I have read the success is modest at best. Where are the giants from using HST? There are none and there can be none because that is a submaximal program. Haycock said he can't get any bigger than he was two years ago. In the language of Getbig he self-owned himself! He knows about the 8 and 4 hour requirements for maximum  and 50% hypertrophy respectively. Why does he think he can't grow any more? Tell him to come to my gym and I will get his arms an inch bigger in a month.  

you mentioned only training 1 body part per session.  I don't see how you can train every 3rd day and fully train the body.  That would meaning training a body part every couple of weeks. Isn't that too much time to recover especially when trying to maximize hyperthophy?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 20, 2006, 05:51:48 PM
From what I understand DOMS is more apt to occur when you do eccentric contractions or negatives.  If you want to get sore just do very heavy negatives to failure.  Also DOMS can be reduced by a thorough warmup and stretching before and after a workout.  My wife never used to get sore even though she trained extremely hard and wondered why I always got sore.  Well she was an aerobic instructor who was constantly doing cardio (flushing waste products from muscles) and stretching.  It wasn't until she stopped teaching aerobics that she started getting sore after every workout.  Now if 2 people were to perform identical routines but one warmed up and stretched after each workout and didn't get sore while the other didn't warmup thoroughly nor stretched but got really sore would you say one was growing while the other was not?  What does that say about DOMS?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 05:52:57 PM
yes vince you may get his arms bigger in a month, but the rest of him will end up smaller in that same month, and for a guy that small thats some feat.

i do not rate hst for how its creator looks, that would be foolish, i rate it on the scientific studies its based on, and while i do not think its the perfect program by any stretch ot the imagination, i am not surprised that so many have stalled on it. i myself tried it for 3 months and burnt out/over trained constantly, and my weights never got any heavier and i never got any bigger, however i have since read more, and advanced my knowledge of the science behind hst, both cited by bryan and various other studies not cited by him and powerlifting science and feel i have came up with a winning program design that stays true to the hst science, but adds in various aspects from eastern block strength science, with good constant size gains and no burnout, yet.........

i am very happy with how things are going at present, but i am not closed minded enough not to keep trying to learn and educate myself on new ideas or science, that was why i felt robbed after reading through your epic ramblings asthey had neither. :o
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:55:37 PM
SteelePegasus.  The trick of doing set after set after set with the maximum you can handle for 8 reps is to select a weight you can do for 15 reps. If you select a weight you can do for 8 to 10 reps to start with then by the 4th set your reps will be half of that and that is not the best rep range for hypertrophy. In addition, doing less that 7 reps is getting into the dangerous zone and you don't want to compromise your form and risk injury. Also, 8 + reps are better for increased blood flow which helps stabilize the muscle. The best method had better be a safe one.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 05:58:56 PM
Rammer. If you try what I suggest you cannot avoid severe DOMS.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 20, 2006, 06:00:25 PM
SteelePegasus.  The trick of doing set after set after set with the maximum you can handle for 8 reps is to select a weight you can do for 15 reps. If you select a weight you can do for 8 to 10 reps to start with then by the 4th set your reps will be half of that and that is not the best rep range for hypertrophy. In addition, doing less that 7 reps is getting into the dangerous zone and you don't want to compromise your form and risk injury. Also, 8 + reps are better for increased blood flow which helps stabilize the muscle. The best method had better be a safe one.

with that said wouldn't the first 3-4 sets be a waste of time?

ideally  wouldn't it better to peak out at 10 reps for every set?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:04:33 PM
SteelePegasus.  Follow my suggested program. Triceps supersetted with chins or lat pulldowns. That will stimulate growth in your upper body. If you do leg presses supersetted with calves your legs should grow rapidly. Such a program should be a severe way to train and the only choice the body has to survive is to get bigger. You have to guard against the body shutting you down through injury. Exercise selection and warming up have to be optimal. You cannot do just anything and survive on this program.  Don't worry about doing all body parts every week. That is not necessary. If you believe it is and do additional exercises you can kiss any chance of growing goodbye. We are talking about natural training here.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 06:05:26 PM
What hypertrophy science? What a joke. That is partly why Haycock proposed a method that cannot generate huge size. Why? Well, big muscles are good for volume training not HIT stuff. So if you want big muscles you have to do volume. There is no other way. HIT has been around for a long time. Well, take a bunch of subjects and train one twin HIT for 3 years and let the other twin train HST. I would bet neither group would gain much. Now, give me one twin and I will show you what is possible in 3 years. My results would eclipse those other methods by a factor of at least 2. This is a bold statement but I think a safe one.

you are probably right about them being equal after 3 years, both their problem lies in the over training aspect, and thet eventusally burnout stopping them from increasing the weights/reps, which brings me back to strength being very important for hypertrophy, jones himself who you hold in such high regard used strength as a gauge to tell if someone was improving or not? how can you explain this if strength has little to do with hypertrophy, you youself said you have to increase weight to increase the damage done to the muscle, how do you propose this will happen if you are not increasing your strength? and please dont try to tell me its the extra 1/500th of an inch you gained in that 3 days that providing the extra strength!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:10:47 PM
SP, the first 3 or 4 sets with the maximum for 15, 12, 10, 9 reps are not a waste of time. You have to do them to end up on a plateau where you can continue set after set for 8 reps. I would have preferred doing 5 reps but I found the resistance too dangerous for the connective tissue on the arms. I needed to get and stay pumped to overcome the pain in my elbows. If you do 5 reps you are going to injure yourself. Doing 10 reps is safer than 5. 8 reps is a compromise. The exact number of reps is not that important. The volume using your maximum resistance is important. You are always trying to increase the resistance for those reps. Perhaps adding small increments with each workout is better than leaping a whole plate or 10 pounds every week or so.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 20, 2006, 06:16:10 PM
Vince, you have laid out some intriguing observations. If you could pinpoint what it was exactly that spurred your 1-inch increases in arms and calves in short period of time natural, we could be on to something here.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 06:16:26 PM
Quote
Triceps supersetted with chins or lat pulldowns.
Why those muscles together?

Decades of experience now, I agree with keeping the reps 8-12 both for tissue development and mitigation of injury potential. Keeping the rest periods shorter also helps in regards to the latter.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 06:21:04 PM
vince how is what your proposing different from the volume style of arnold?

it sounds almost the same? except you feel your system will do more work for a couple of body parts than arnie did for his whole body, without any overtraining????? and all this without steroids or increased protein?

are you the second coming of christ?

gp are you serious about that question? what increased his arms and calfs was work x frequency, nothing new or intriguing, also a point to note before giving up your current style, an average arm or calf will increase by an inch or more after every workout for that bodypart due to blood in the area. i guarentee if he did not increase protein in his diet one or more of his other body parts would have shrunk more than 1". thats a scientific fact not theory !
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:22:11 PM
It is easy to get confused talking about training. A bigger muscle should be a stronger one. Training for strength doesn't alway lead to more size. It depends in part by how much you eat. You are always trying to increase the resistance you are using. But the essential thing for hypertrophy training is to do volume with your maximum resistance. That is the key. Don't reduce the weight. Don't do drop sets. Those are a waste of time.

HIT and HST people are doing too many bodyparts to grow. That is my theory. Target a few muscles each week and make them grow. The surrounding muscles will get stimulated because they are part of a system. Also, a lot of the beliefs about training are inaccurate. For example, we say we are doing bench presses for chest when in fact you are training forearms, arms, delts, lats, abs, and pectorals when you do bench presses. You also use your calves and hamstrings to stabilize your upper body. If you do bench press, chins and then shoulders, arms and so on you are repeatedly targetting the same muscles but not stimulating any particular ones to grow.

HST is supposed to be hypertrophy specific training. That is nonsense. What I am discussing is exactly that. Haycock sells protein, etc., so needs a simple system that stooges can follow and then buy his protein when the gains are not coming. I am selling nothing. Zero. I present my theory as it is for you to inspect and refute if you can.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:27:47 PM
Fatpanda. The need for more protein is the biggest lie magazines have done to bodybuilding. I advocate 1 gram of protein for every Kg of bodyweight. So if you weigh 220 pounds you need about 100 grams of protein. I would bet that 100 grams is more than enough. Taking more is foolish. I don't trust the research about this subject. There is simply too much money to be made from selling supplements to stupid people. Go and do the research about nutrition. Don't read bodybuilding magazines. I subscribe to Ironman on line. They had a recent issue where they reported from a nutrition conference. Info relevant for bodybuilders that is valuable = zero.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 06:28:57 PM
Quote
with that said wouldn't the first 3-4 sets be a waste of time?
IMO the first few sets of this protocol's like ascending pyramid training-the initial sets are essentially warmup sets to lubricate the muscles, joints and ligaments in combination with the psychological preparation for what is to follow,  the core portion of the training.

IMO this is part of what many don't like about HIT, completely aside from the rigor. That is, there's no opportunity to get to the same point before the workout's already over. Of course, longer warmups could be done in HIT to simulate that, but i haven't seen it.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:29:42 PM
Rammer. About negative reps or eccentric contractions. I wouldn't do them because the risk of injury is too great. Do conventional reps and get pumped up. That is much safer. This is one instance where safety is more important than effectiveness.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 06:31:45 PM
Quote
how can you explain this if strength has little to do with hypertrophy, you youself said you have to increase weight to increase the damage done to the muscle
I had to explain this recently in another thread-strength gains ARE important, but only within the context of other accompanying variables like moderate reps, reasonably short rests, etc. Not by itself!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 06:33:26 PM
i agree that strength does not always equate with size, but it does allow you to lift a heavier weight that will in turn damage a muscle more. i also agree that diet plays a big role in this, so how can you propose a theory that defies the laws of physics? all that extra protein thats going into those 14" guns of your has to come from somewhere, if your not eating it, its coming from somewhere else.

i really think you need to re-read the science of hst vince, its clear to me you dont really understand it. while i dont think its a perfect program as is, its much better than most, because the science it is based on (hypertrophy science) is solid.

i think once you do you'll be surprised, and re think your training theory.

can you answer the overtraining aspect of your system? how will you cope when this will occur? you cant simply ignore that it exists, especially at your age. ( this is not a dig, i'm 28 myself and i find over training a real problem)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:35:49 PM
Fatpanda. I don't judge a method by what the theorist looks like. I judge it by what the disciples look like and if the method fits into my web of knowledge about training. When Haycock said he couldn't get any bigger he might as well have shut up shop and opened a health food store. That is effectively what he has done on his site. There is nothing original there and the method is a con. It cannot lead to maximum hypertrophy. He knows it and I know it. What happens is that the poor blokes who want to believe in his system have to change things until it works for them. That is crazy. I insist people do as I say and not experiment. If my theory is wrong then it deserves to be rejected and abandoned. HST is not optimal as outlined on Haycock's site. What I am proposing is an optimal program. If it doesn't work it is false. That is the test of truth of any method.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 20, 2006, 06:37:30 PM
Rammer. About negative reps or eccentric contractions. I wouldn't do them because the risk of injury is too great. Do conventional reps and get pumped up. That is much safer. This is one instance where safety is more important than effectiveness.

Well, knock on wood, I have never injured myself doing HIT.  Didn't you mention injuring your achilles and elbows doing the training you are trying to advocate?  I'll stick with my 2 sets and 45 mins in the gym while you spend all day there working out trying to stay sore.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 06:38:26 PM
I had to explain this recently in another thread-strength gains ARE important, but only within the context of other accompanying variables like moderate reps, reasonably short rests, etc. Not by itself!

i agree.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 20, 2006, 06:38:31 PM
Fatpanda. The need for more protein is the biggest lie magazines have done to bodybuilding. I advocate 1 gram of protein for every Kg of bodyweight. So if you weigh 220 pounds you need about 100 grams of protein. I would bet that 100 grams is more than enough. Taking more is foolish. I don't trust the research about this subject. There is simply too much money to be made from selling supplements to stupid people. Go and do the research about nutrition. Don't read bodybuilding magazines. I subscribe to Ironman on line. They had a recent issue where they reported from a nutrition conference. Info relevant for bodybuilders that is valuable = zero.  

Not just the protein that counts but the amt that is ABSORBED and ASSIMILATED by the body per se. Dgestion is highly overlooked in BB, esp in natural BB. No nutrients being utilised du eto intestinal bile = no gains.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:49:01 PM
I have read what Haycock has posted on his website re the principles and science behind HST. I find it absolutely dishonest to claim such a thing as HST while fully knowing there is no such scientific evidence re humans in the literature. What science? Sure there is a lot or research at the molecular level in muscles. That is the kind of research that is getting funding at universities. Has there been any recent studies where they tried to induce hypertrophy in advanced subjects over a 1 year time frame? Nope. We won't see any such research. They are not interested.

Haycock considers various aspects of growth including time-frames re protein synthesis in the muscles and concludes that retraining a muscle should occur every 36 hours. He has to be practical so he suggests retraining every 48 hours so people can easily follow this routine. What I wonder, for a scientist, is how come the 7th day is ignored? Why on Friday do we wait until Monday to retrain the muscles? There is no explanation except this is more practical. What hogwash. Gyms are now open 7 days a week.

I look at the exercises recommended and I see foolishess personified. There is little of value in that method. Those exercises cannot lead to maximum hypertrophy. Those protocols are not adequate. I don't know what to say except this is just a scam. That whole method is intellectually dishonest as far as I am concerned. Haycock can come here to debate with me. He wouldn't debate with me on his site so I presume he cannot defend his method. So much for science.

If my method doesn't work for you then discard it asap and do something else. That is what you should do with every method.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 06:51:11 PM
i'm surprised at that vince, you look no more than 160lbs, so should i throw the baby out with the water? i think not.

i agree that hst is not optimal as is, but thats not to say its science is not sound, the only thing hst lacks in my view is proper periodization, for some reason this aspect has been totally missed. the reason it does not work is the same reasons linear progression only works so long, you lose strength in certain rep ranges and burnout occurs.

as for the protein issue, you dont need to attend nutrition seminars, etc to understand the body cannot manufacture protein from thin air. if you are breaking down a muscle, yet are not increasing protein intake you are not growing overall, as that protein is coming from somewhere. hormones, etc will only allow your body to recycle protein so far before a wall is reached, and net balance is maintained or reduced.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 20, 2006, 06:53:45 PM
Vince Basile = IFBB Mr Canada!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 06:54:50 PM
HIT will lead to injuries once you get strong enough. It is a dangerous method. MHT is an unknown protocol because no one has tried it. I did injure my elbows while rubbing my elbows on pads. If you avoid that contact you can do the method safely. Avoid ballistic movements in all body parts and especially calves. I am confident I can now train calves safely. It could be that I might aggravate an old injury but warming up a muscle really thoroughly and getting pumped seems to protect the muscle. That is what many bodybuilders have to do to keep training. Injuries in this extreme activity are almost unavoidable.

Gosh, I get up and log onto Getbig and am still here two hours later and haven't even had breakfast. How am I supposed to attend that bodybuilding contest? It is already too late.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 07:02:23 PM
Fatpanda. The protein requirement is not a matter of opinion. I am ready to modify my beliefs if I am convinced by science that we need more protein. So far 100 grams a day is more than enough. I find it amusing that all this research suggests eating protein before and after workouts. In the 1960s some guys were sipping milk while training! Many were taking brewers yeast tablets. It is a never ending source of entertainment to see what some bodybuilders will do. Very few actually read the valued textbooks in the first place. If you read bodybuilding magazines you are bombbarded with supplement ads. Most of those ads are rubbish. It is a pity you can't lock up those guys or put them on a barge outside the 200 mile limit of countries. Bodybuilders, collectively, are ignorant. Nothing has changed since 1959 when I started training. I go by the nutrition textbooks and the latest pertinent research.

I weigh 230 at the moment but am carrying a lot of fat. When I do the DOMS training my body quickly becomes harder and more muscular.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 07:07:21 PM
hahahaha

ifbb mr canada on the same gear as everyone else who has been or will be mr canada anytime in the future.

as 240 stated there was a study that showed steroid users who dont workout, put on more muscle that naturals who did. this shows how much effect gear has on muscle mass, so like 240 said give the guy some gh and a bike and there you have a show winner.

vince you owned yourself again with your claims of hst not being based on human studies, then go onto decribe various human studies hst uses to justify its program, also the one animal study you refer to as being dishonest to use, is the same one you used to quantify your theory???

everything else you say about hst i share, it IS poorly designed, and needs a rethink to address the issues i mentioned.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 07:13:52 PM
Quote
i'm surprised at that vince, you look no more than 160lbs, so should i throw the baby out with the water? i think not.
Rather a cheap shot, not pertinent for someone well past prime. Parcells supposedly knows football yet looks embarassingly like a blimp, which no one seems to notice.  :-X
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 07:16:43 PM
i dont understand how you can honestly think 100g of protein a day is enough, untill science says otherwise?

can you answer this question then?

say your body is 230 lbs like you say, and are eating maintenace calories, how can you expect to gain muscle weight if you do not increase protein?

i can admit there is an assimilation problem for the natural trainer, but your body will take care of this itself via hormone/enzyme changes untill it is recycling protein is maxed out. then what will you do? your body will surely start to canabalise its other muscles eventually.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 20, 2006, 07:19:38 PM
i dont understand how you can honestly think 100g of protein a day is enough, untill science says otherwise?

can you answer this question then?

say your body is 230 lbs like you say, and are eating maintenace calories, how can you expect to gain muscle weight if you do not increase protein?

i can admit there is an assimilation problem for the natural trainer, but your body will take care of this itself via hormone/enzyme changes untill it is recycling protein is maxed out. then what will you do? your body will surely start to canabalise its other muscles eventually.

I was thinking the exact same thing Panda.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 07:22:42 PM
Rather a cheap shot, not pertinent for someone well past prime. Parcells supposedly knows football yet looks embarassingly like a blimp, which no one seems to notice.  :-X

i disagree, it was a pot kettle black situation, and in my eyes was very pertinent. one of its deciples was the german guy he refered to earlier, who was/is a beast, and much bigger then vince himsef ever was, admitidly he is on gear, but so was vince in his prime.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 07:33:12 PM
Anyone on gear really should be looked at differently; it's an entirely different playing field.

I agree that the source of fitness info should look the part but not with advancing age, no. Small time to go after someone well past prime.

This guy supposedly knows something about training, are you going to attack his knowledge to? hahahahaahahh
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 07:38:51 PM
I think bodybuilders are considered foolish at best. When university professors look at what they do they shake their heads. I had to reassess what I was doing re vitamins when I was challenged at UBC by a professor from England. He said the sewers of Vancouver were flowing with vitamins and minerals excreted by the body. He was right. At that time I was taking a vitamin and mineral pill. Since that time I haven't taken much in the way of vitamins or anything else. I have read about wonder substances but consider that all hype. It may well be that lots of things are important so I keep an open mind about it. However, I still believe we can get sufficient nutrients from eating well-balanced meals. Why take those additional things if they are not necessary. I think a culture of taking way too much has persisted in bodybuilding.  What is the test of truth regarding supplements? I should think proper scientific tests. Not just taking stuff and extra and believing that makes a difference. How would you determine just how much to take of any substance? Clearly, bodybuilders are not growing and yet are still taking too much protein. That is crazy and stupid at the same time.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 07:48:03 PM
You will all find out age is not very nice to experience. Bodyfat accumulates easily and is difficult to get rid of. If you diet you lose muscle instead of fat which is really disheartening.

Can a so-called old man still make gains? Of course. I might have a go at doing just that. I just can't seem to get motivated enough to do it. Bodybuilding is not a haphazard enterprise but one requiring dedication and pesistence. What value is there in working that hard just to look good? If someone 64 can get bigger than ever before and do it naturally then that is an impressive result and one thought unattainable by exercise scientists. I am confident I can still generate more hypertrophy by triggering the growth and making it happen. We all have vastly more potential than we imagine or are able to fulfill.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 07:52:43 PM
Fatpanda. I am not basing my theories on animal studies. I am conjecturing based on those studies and my own experience. It will work. What I don't know is how well those long sessions will work. If I can induce hyperplasia then that is something that will transform bodybuilding. If I don't get the results I hope for then MHT is a pipedream.

What I am doing and what Haycock is doing are two different things. He has abandoned personal hypertrophy while I am still having a go even at my age. I think Bryan is consumed with his business and has no time to fool around doing bodybuilding. Maybe grown men shouldn't be wasting their time talking about this subject!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: wes on October 20, 2006, 07:58:58 PM
Vince,if you train using your mehod/theory at 64 years of age,be prepared to wither away and die!!

You would never recoup from such a stupid regimen.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 07:59:58 PM
Anyone on gear really should be looked at differently; it's an entirely different playing field.

I agree that the source of fitness info should look the part but not with advancing age, no. Small time to go after someone well past prime.

This guy supposedly knows something about training, are you going to attack his knowledge to? hahahahaahahh

you totally misunderstood what i was saying, i wasn't attacking his knowledge, i was making the point that if i looked at him, and made assumptions about a training style based on his size, i'd be throwing out the baby with the bath water. in effect i do not judge a persons knowledge on his size, he was. i put him in his place, just like i have you. ;D
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 08:01:53 PM
Anyone on gear really should be looked at differently; it's an entirely different playing field.

I agree that the source of fitness info should look the part but not with advancing age, no. Small time to go after someone well past prime.

This guy supposedly knows something about training, are you going to attack his knowledge to? hahahahaahahh

i am goint to attack arnolds knowledge for training natural, his encyclopedia of bodybuilding was a joke !
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 20, 2006, 08:14:03 PM
Fatpanda. I am not basing my theories on animal studies. I am conjecturing based on those studies and my own experience.

hst is not based on animal studies either, so why do you insist it is? just because bryan mentions one study to highlight a possible outcomes just like you have, does not make hst based on it.

this makes you a hypocrite!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 20, 2006, 08:25:04 PM
Quote
you totally misunderstood what i was saying, i wasn't attacking his knowledge, i was making the point that if i looked at him, and made assumptions about a training style based on his size, i'd be throwing out the baby with the bath water. in effect i do not judge a persons knowledge on his size, he was. i put him in his place, just like i have you.
Another paragraph later he's still talking in circles.

Quote
i am goint to attack arnolds knowledge for training natural, his encyclopedia of bodybuilding was a joke !
This is a fave unproven theory by some getbig amateurs, that somehow all the fundamentals of training change on drugs, with no proof whatsoever that there's any difference other than degree. Absurd.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 20, 2006, 09:09:06 PM
It is rather difficult to interact with undisciplined blokes. It is wasting my time. If you guys want to pontificate and think you are clever then keep going because I see little information that anyone has except CT and dr chimps.

I have outlined my ideas in a systematic fashion so that an experienced and educated person would have much to think about. If one or two respond in a sensible fashion then that is more than I expected on Getbig.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Tapeworm on October 20, 2006, 09:20:36 PM
I have outlined my ideas in a systematic fashion so that an experienced and educated person would have much to think about. If one or two respond in a sensible fashion then that is more than I expected on Getbig.

Oh, don't be poopy Vince!

We appreciate your thoughts and efforts even if we don't always agree.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 20, 2006, 09:38:17 PM
I see little information that anyone has except CT and dr chimps.



Thanks Vince. I think that we are both somewhat similar in that we are passionate about training AND are always looking for a "better way". Many coaches put out one type of training out there (e.g. HST, HIT, EDT, etc.) and stick to their gun. On the other hand I'm always trying new ideas and when I find something that works I'm not afraid to change my views.

When I was a kid I used to play golf (I come from a "golf family") and every single month I would read "Golf Digest" which had a monthly pro swing analysis (frame by frame)... without fail every month I would spend hours trying to copy that swing in hoe of improving my game! I'm much the same way with lifting. This has led to some interesting discoveries but also some wasted time.

Some of my ideas have been described as "out there" (maybe when I reach 64 years of age internet posters will call me crazy too ;)  ). But the truth is that I will try any method that seems to be sound and that could offer some benefits... I like experiementing too much. Right now I'm making great progress but if my progress comes to a halt I'll be glad to try your approach.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 20, 2006, 09:46:22 PM
Hello Basile.


Outline in the rough how you would have this "twin" train.

Lets try this, I list some questions, and you give it back if you want and if you can:

1. How many workouts per month

2. How many workouts per week?

3. How long would the workouts be?

4. How many excersises used per workout?

5. How many sets per workout?

6. How many repetitions?

7. What percentage of 1RM (1 Rep Max)?

8. How many bodyparts per week or month?


YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 20, 2006, 09:57:28 PM
Oh yeah ... everytime I read something that sounds far fetched or crazy, I try not to dismiss it before thinking it through. I always remind myself the following:

Just because something goes against what I personally believe doesn’t mean that it’s not true

Objectivity is so important if we are to progress optimally.

Personally I'd rather waste 4 weeks on an ineffective idea than miss out on a lifetime of success.

Okay, it's late and I'm starting to sound like my grandpa... gotta go to sleep.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 02:14:56 AM
CT, I never joke about exercise or bodybuilding although I often have fun with some of the characters involved.

Hedgehog. It is Sat night here and I have to go out. I will give outlines of practical workouts that interested parties can try. I will outline the MHT protocols. Then, if anyone is crazy motivated enough we might find out if it works.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Max_Rep on October 21, 2006, 02:16:52 AM
Max Rep. People are criticizing me for contributing to this board as an Ironager. I decided to offer my theories about training on the Gossip and Opinion board and others are interested and that is why this thread is still going. I think this is the first time a training thread has been taken seriously on the Getbig G&O board. I don't think it is an accident. I am doing my best to answer questions and so on.  

Have at it Vince. I'm just wondering why it took you 12 pages to actually tell us something about your program and so far it doesn't appear to be anything other than a variation of Vince G and/or Larry Scott's program with a little twist of your own. I respect both Larry and Vince for their contributions MUCH more that Jones.

Larry and Vince both recognized the role of the pump in growth whereas Jones Mentzer both said the pump had nothing to do with muscle growth. This was a THEORY that neither gentleman ever proved. They offered some cockamamie story about doing 100 reps on curls and hw it produced a pump but no growth. Yet their training method with warm-ups offered a pump. And they grew. So it's just a theory that the pump doesn't contribute to growth. A false theory in my opinion. It’s not the only requirement for growth. In other words if you just pump and don’t fulfill the other requirements for growth then and only then would their theory on pump hold water.

The other requirements of course being:

1) Stimulation -- For muscles to grow, they have to have a good reason. (Jones would have called this “intensity of effort”) which includes intensity, pump and rest periods and workout duration. (Jones only recognized one way of measuring/achieving intensity which was another flaw in his thinking).  
2) Stronger/Bigger -- Muscle size and strength go hand in hand, the stronger your muscles will become the bigger they will get and vice versa. Get stronger and mass will follow very shortly.
3) Recovery -- After a workout the body must first recover energy lost during the workout before it can even begin to grow and build new muscle mass. Improved recovery improves results. This also includes workout frequency and body-part frequency.

I must have found it useful to use both High Intensity, Low Volume at times but also VERY High Volume at times.  By starting with volume training, I maximize training stress and to tax my bodies adaptive potential to the limits. Over a period of weeks I add to the workload causing a state of emergency in my body and its ability to adapt is pushed to a higher level. Then I abruptly and dramatically lower the volume. The adaptive energies are already at a high level for a short period of time, because of the previous volume training and the sharp contrast between high adaptive energy and lower volume results in a growth burst (I believe this is what most people experience when they switch to HIT from volume.) I simply make use of the benefits of both systems and could care less about which “camp” is correct.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: CT on October 21, 2006, 03:46:21 AM
Vince, just a thought...

Wouldn't your theory eventually prove itself wrong? If I remember correctly on the HST board your argument against HST was that eventally it wasn't enough the stimulate maximum hypertrophy in advanced lifters therefore it couldn't be labeled as being "hypertrophy specific" as it was not effective for all levels of lifters.

You also made a case for DOMS being an indication that the training performed was optimal to cause the body to increase its muscle mass.

Lets consider the following scenario:

Assuming that your theory indeed works and that you should be able to register increases in measurements every week (you even mentionned every workout earlier in this thread). Let's say that a dedicated bodybuilder gains around 1/8th of an inch on his arms per week (the example you stated yourself earlier). That would mean that every 2 months the individual would gain 1" on his arms, so roughly 6" for the whole year... that is IF your program didn't have the shortcomings of HST (you once mentionned that for a theory of optimal hypertorphy to be true it means that it is true in every case/scenario). Would that really be possible? Within a year I would be a tad over 25" ... within 2 years 31" etc.

I think that we will both agree that this is not possible (although it would be cool). Consider that an individual eventually reach 21" on your program (which by all accounts would be considered a huge arm if in lean condition) and at that point the gains stop, YET there is still the presence of DOMS post-workout (a very plausible scenaraio); wouldn't that put a dent into your theory?

By your own standards, a theory of maximal hypertrophy should apply to any level of lifter with equal benefits, yet it is obvious that at some point gains will come to a halt. This puts your thepry in the same boat as HST in that it eventually become insufficient to cause further adaptation.

But the problem I have with this is that once you reach your ceiling, any lesser stimulation than what the body is accustomed to might in fact cause a de-adaptation (loss of size). So does that mean that the individual would have to continue on lifting 8 hours per workout simply to maintain his size? Is that really acceptable?   
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: dr.chimps on October 21, 2006, 04:03:17 AM
You will all find out age is not very nice to experience. Bodyfat accumulates easily and is difficult to get rid of. If you diet you lose muscle instead of fat which is really disheartening.

Can a so-called old man still make gains? Of course. I might have a go at doing just that. I just can't seem to get motivated enough to do it. Bodybuilding is not a haphazard enterprise but one requiring dedication and pesistence. What value is there in working that hard just to look good? If someone 64 can get bigger than ever before and do it naturally then that is an impressive result and one thought unattainable by exercise scientists. I am confident I can still generate more hypertrophy by triggering the growth and making it happen. We all have vastly more potential than we imagine or are able to fulfill.
Perhaps, Vince, with an eye on motivation, you could combine making some gains and testing out your hypothesis, keeping us informed of your progess. I would be very interested in seeing what happens and, I think, for others here, it would add some validity to your words. Age calls us all home before we are ready, so it might be reassuring to see that one can still get better as we get older.

/Although, now that I think of it, perhaps informing us at spaced intervals, rather than the continuous onslaught that was contest preparation Arvilla, would be better.  ;)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Fatpanda on October 21, 2006, 04:29:52 AM
pumpster, do you actually own the book? and have you actually tried the workouts arnold prescribes?

trust me when i say they are not intended for a natural.

and vince, i comend you for your love of the iron game, and your determination to succeed, however why wont you address my concerns? if this theory is the ultimate hypertrophy program you should be able to answer my ligitimate questions

1. how can your system improve muscle size, with no change in calories?
2. how will you address the obvious overtraining that will occur?

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 21, 2006, 05:35:08 AM
It is rather difficult to interact with undisciplined blokes. It is wasting my time. If you guys want to pontificate and think you are clever then keep going because I see little information that anyone has except CT and dr chimps.

I have outlined my ideas in a systematic fashion so that an experienced and educated person would have much to think about. If one or two respond in a sensible fashion then that is more than I expected on Getbig.

Vince, I may not have the necessary vocabulary to carry on a discourse on this topic. But with that said I appreciate your posts and have modified my training accordingly. 


lol, I won't put down the supplements :)
my post workout shake tastes too good and besides with the heavy volume perscribed a natually would need assistance for recovery.

I have been reading alot of insulin, glycogen and muscle repair as it relates to hypertrophy
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 21, 2006, 06:39:22 AM
vince criticises hst because the creator is not currently making gains, even though he has obviously achieved success and so have others. he has, in fact, experimented.

vince has not even attempted to perform his program. no one has. he hasn't even committed it to text 15 pages later.

now he is starting to whinge about his detractors, implying their negativity and if THEY CRITICISE he (who has not even so much as committed a theory to text, never mind actually testing it) they are simply not constructive. ::)

is that not the very height of arrogance.

he has played on people's desire for results to achieve his own agenda, that being attention. now he wants to grab his bat and go home in a huff.

my issue is not his ideology, but his hypocrisy and arrogance. remember WHY he commenced this thread (to critique hst and hit, etc), but then comes up with some cock and bull theory THAT HASN'T EVEN BEEN APPLIED YET.

vince says doms is the most important aspect when science and field tests on athletes proves that it isn't.

vince says that one must eat more during the program but then says that nutrition isn't important.

vince says that overtraining doesn't exist, but then says that one must not train more than once every 3 days, especially if their natural ???

vince says that one must progress every single workout no matter what sex, age, health, size, level of fitness, hormonal levels, recovery ability, genetics, strength/muscle mass level, drugs/natural, etc, etc, etc.

vince looks like shit. sorry pumpster but this is a factor when he has only himself to offer as a subject that has PARTIALLY performed the program. the difference between your example and vince's is that the football coach can actually offer countless successful athletes that have practised his ideology. vince can only partially offer himself (he hasn't even fully applied it and god knows what ACTUAL results he got).

there are too many contradictions with vince's logic, aside from the fact that he seems to make it up as he goes along.

if vince had come on here and said, "guys, i want to discuss this theory i have. what do you think?" i would have been more receptive, but he has not done this. he has come on here and said everyone else is wrong and he is right (and perhaps vince gironda and larry scott are worthy also ::)).

vince basile = attention whore.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 21, 2006, 08:59:16 AM
Beast, thank you.  I wanted to make a post like yours but couldn't justify spending the time to go through the previous 15 pages to quote all the contradictions that Vince said.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: pumpster on October 21, 2006, 09:05:43 AM
Quote
It is rather difficult to interact with undisciplined blokes. It is wasting my time. If you guys want to pontificate and think you are clever then keep going because I see little information that anyone has except CT and dr chimps.
Interesting comments VB, but kindly refrain from the personal stuff if you want to be taken seriously. It should've been evident by now that there are others with experience, some of which may rival yours. Amateur & unfriendly to  assume otherwise. ;)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 10:01:26 AM
I will say something to Beast and then ignor what he has to say. You are incapable of comprehending what I post so there is absolutely nothing to be gained from interacting with you. Others here are worthy of replying to and I will interact with them.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 10:19:48 AM
To reply to Max Rep. I talked with Ray Mentzer a lot about training when he stayed at my house in Sydney. We discussed the desirability of getting a pump and he, too, insisted it was irrelevant. When pushed about it he admitted it was a comcomitant of hard training but wasn't a goal in itself. I suppose he wanted to avoid saying that just pumping a muscle would lead to hypertrophy. Ray was very much into strength and he was a powerful man. My position is that you try to pump more than ever before but with heavy resistance.

We agree that a muscle must be stimulated before it can grow. Everyone assumes this is easy to do but the larger you get the more difficult it is to trigger more hypertrophy. It may well be that special movements are required. I claim that the best stimulus is volume with the maximum resistance. I think something like a minimum of 5 or 6 sets are required for growth. For maximum hypertrophy it might be many more sets than that.

Progressive resistance is the key to hypertrophy. One always tries to do more reps with a resistance and then adds resistance so that the reps remain the same.

I deny that recovery is required for growth. Those who train calves daily often report they make gains. How is that possible if recovery is part of hypertropy. In fact, you have to avoid the repeated bout affect that accompanies recovery. Therefore I insist on stimulating growth and then contining to stimulate growth before recovery. This is where I vary from most other theorists. In practice I am hardly different because HST suggests we train every second day. The optimal frequency is a matter for scientists to determine but it appears to be 2 or 3 days. HIT would argue that you need longer. If HIT trainees recover then the amount of stimulus required next time might be much more than was needed in the first place. That could explain why so many get frustrated with those short, intense workouts.

When I was training for my pinch grip assault on the world record I discovered that the best frequency was every 4th day. So strength and hypertrophy might have different frequency intervals. Hypertrophy needs more frequent training. Again, this is a matter for science and not speculation. I suspect that the super long workouts might need a couple of days rest. That is just a hunch. It may not be necessary to train more frequently. The ideal is to do the minimum required for the maximum result.

With maximum hypertrophy training it shouldn't be necessary to rotate protocols from intense to volume. However, that again is a matter of fact that is open to science to establish. Novelty itself, as long as the threshold stimulation is reached may help many grow a bit. I think novelty has to be built into all hypertrophy programs.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 10:39:04 AM
To CT. We all have a lot of experience. It is always possible that a beginner and even a knucklehead can be right about training and old timers mistaken. Most of us are too darn stubborn to abandon our cherished beliefs so I understand the resistance towards what I have been outlining. We use our knowledge and experience to evaluate programs and methods. Sometimes we feel we can dismiss something because it just sounds crazy. Or we can dismiss some method as being insufficient to trigger hypertrophy in us. If someone tells me I can grow my calves with 2 sets every 2 days I will laugh in his face. Ditto the rest of my body. It just is not going to happen. Then we find out the 2 sets means the 2 training sets and not the 5 or 6 warm up sets. Well, folks, that is misleading and dishonest. Tell us how many sets to do and count them all. If someone said I could gain with 7 sets every 2nd day I wouldn't dismiss that because I have trained like that before. I might wonder about the close frequency but it is possible such a program might give modest results. It will never be a maximal growth program.

How much in the way of gains can we expect from MHT? I have no idea. If someone is natural and has 19 inch arms who knows how much he can gain? If it is possible to cause hyperplasia then no one knows what the limit will be for size. I should think that 20 inch arms on an average man is truly huge muscular size. Heck, most men would be delighted to have 18 1/2 cold arms. Everyone would notice you and comment on your size.

I predict that MHT will add 1/4 or more to your arms every week you sustain the program. How long one can continue to grow I have no idea. I suspect it is possible to gain 2 inches in 2 months. Anyone who can do this will be absolutely delighted. If you gain that much on your arms your whole upper body will be larger because the supporting muscles will have to handle the extra weight being lifted.

There is always a limit to any enterprise. Suppose we added 10 pounds a week to our bench press. Well, in one year we would be lifting an extra 520 pounds. We all know this is impossible or virtually so. So there is a drop off and that is reached sooner than later. It may well be that gains slow down as one gets larger. If this is so then new strategies will have to be created to keep the growth going.

The main benefit of MHT is to discover how to make muscles grow rapidly then apply that knowledge to other body parts. There is no way anyone can make all the muscles grow rapidly at the same time and sustain this for 2 months. I suspect that would be too stressful for the body and might even be a physical impossibility.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 10:48:19 AM
To fatpanda. MHT requires that one eat enough to support the growing muscles. This means one must eat extra calories. I doubt one needs extra protein. However, as always, I will be guided by nutrition scientists and not writers and magazines.

Overtraining is an idea promoted by HIT theorists. I deny it occurs in typical trainees. I agree with Lee Priest it is probably nonsense. Most young fellows simply do not eat enough so of course then cannot grow. I also think the concept 'hardgainer' is nonsense. Many might find gaining hard but not because they are hardgainers. The programs I have outlined might be described as overtraining but so was suspending weights on the wings of those birds. We will do whatever is required to trigger rapid and sustained growth.

It is 3:45 am and I am off to bed. Catch up with you guys later.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 21, 2006, 11:13:50 AM
Hello Basile.


Outline in the rough how you would have this "twin" train.

Lets try this, I list some questions, and you give it back if you want and if you can:

1. How many workouts per month

2. How many workouts per week?

3. How long would the workouts be?

4. How many excersises used per workout?

5. How many sets per workout?

6. How many repetitions?

7. What percentage of 1RM (1 Rep Max)?

8. How many bodyparts per week or month?


YIP
Zack

Bump for reply from Basile.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 21, 2006, 12:28:50 PM
Vince, if overtraining is a myth then why not train every muscle as hard as you can, 8 hrs a day, every day, 365 days a year?

As far as counting warmup sets when doing HIT, I don't think they count. None of my warmup sets gave me a pump or taxed my muscles.  Think of warming up for a HIT workout as you would warm up for a one rep max on the bench.  You wouldn't want your warmup to take away from your maximal effort but you also wouldn't want to hit your max weight cold.  So you get a little blood flowing to the muscle and joints with a low intensity, light weight set then maybe a moderate weight for a few reps so your work set weight isn't a shock when you pick it up.  Then you hit that one set as hard and intense as you can.  For example when I trained chest I would do incline bench press, starting with an empty bar for 15 reps to get blood into the shoulder joint and to get a feel for the movement.  Then I'd do about 10 reps of incline flyes with 30lb dumbells to stretch the pecs and warmup the tendons.  Then I'd do another warmup with 185 for 8 then another warmup of 275 for 3 just so I could feel a heavy weight.  Then I'd do my one work set of 365 to failure, say 8 reps.  None of my warmups gave me a pump or taxed my muscles.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 04:06:03 PM
Overtraining is not the reason novices fail to make gains. It sounds good but an analysis would refute this conjecture.

Re training frequency. Suppose we need 100 units of a substance to remain healthy. If we take 150 or 200 units we will still have a sufficient but unnecessary amount of that substance. Likewise, it is probably not necessary to train daily to grow at the maximum rate. The ideal is to do exactly what is sufficient and no more. In practice this is never easy to know. Again, we need more research to find such points. When you think about it hypertrophy is not well understood by science at all. Look at all the important questions we have no answers to. The lack of information is what allows so many competing theories to exist. The more we know the less competing theories exist to explain things.

If the muscles and connective tissue require 5 sets to sufficiently warm up then this is a necessity and those sets have to count. If you or anyone else does those 5 warm up sets but do not count them then you are lying to yourself and everyone else about a program. It is about time HST and HIT and other programs started being honest. I dislike when systems claim to be based on science when that is a lie and the reality is trainees have to fine tune and adjust programs before they will grow. In other words they have to do something else and not the prescriptions advocated by the methods. I am ready to debate Dr Ellington Dardon and Bryan Haycock but they have better things to do. Will either of them be prepared to abandon their theories if they are refuted or found wanting? I doubt it. If they are not willing to abandon false theories then they are hardly scientists. I just wish there was more intellectual honesty in bodybuilding. I would bet that all parties mentioned sell things at their sites. The bodybuilding methods are just a way to attract gullible customers. Don't you think we should have the answers to most bodybuilding questions? If everyone was fair dinkum about the theory and science behind bodybuilding we not be in the ignorant position we find ourselves today.

The test of truth of theories is if they work. If my theory doesn't work then it is false. I will be pleased if it is close to the truth. The likelihood that any hypertrophy theory will universally work is small, indeed. At best we can find some method that works for most people.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 04:07:45 PM
SteelePegasus. If you insist you need supplements then you haven't read the post-graduate textbooks in nutrition.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince G, CSN MFT on October 21, 2006, 04:27:18 PM
Overtraining is not the reason novices fail to make gains. It sounds good but an analysis would refute this conjecture.

Re training frequency. Suppose we need 100 units of a substance to remain healthy. If we take 150 or 200 units we will still have a sufficient but unnecessary amount of that substance. Likewise, it is probably not necessary to train daily to grow at the maximum rate. The ideal is to do exactly what is sufficient and no more. In practice this is never easy to know. Again, we need more research to find such points. When you think about it hypertrophy is not well understood by science at all. Look at all the important questions we have no answers to. The lack of information is what allows so many competing theories to exist. The more we know the less competing theories exist to explain things.

If the muscles and connective tissue require 5 sets to sufficiently warm up then this is a necessity and those sets have to count. If you or anyone else does those 5 warm up sets but do not count them then you are lying to yourself and everyone else about a program. It is about time HST and HIT and other programs started being honest. I dislike when systems claim to be based on science when that is a lie and the reality is trainees have to fine tune and adjust programs before they will grow. In other words they have to do something else and not the prescriptions advocated by the methods. I am ready to debate Dr Ellington Dardon and Bryan Haycock but they have better things to do. Will either of them be prepared to abandon their theories if they are refuted or found wanting? I doubt it. If they are not willing to abandon false theories then they are hardly scientists. I just wish there was more intellectual honesty in bodybuilding. I would bet that all parties mentioned sell things at their sites. The bodybuilding methods are just a way to attract gullible customers. Don't you think we should have the answers to most bodybuilding questions? If everyone was fair dinkum about the theory and science behind bodybuilding we not be in the ignorant position we find ourselves today.

The test of truth of theories is if they work. If my theory doesn't work then it is false. I will be pleased if it is close to the truth. The likelihood that any hypertrophy theory will universally work is small, indeed. At best we can find some method that works for most people.



 ::)
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 04:48:13 PM
I will outline the minimum requirements for a growth program that intermediates and advanced trainees can use. Novices might be able to grow with less stimulation. It is always best to do the minimum that is required for maximum results. This outline is not for Maximum Hypertrophy Training but should work for sustained hypertrophy training.

1. How many workouts per month?  Ans: 10

2. How many workouts per week?  Ans:  every 3 rd day.  If there is no DOMS following a workout you have to train again the next day and do something different. It might be that you have to try a different exercise. There is no rigid answer on frequency. I suggest 3 day intervals but this may not be optimal for anyone. It may be better to vary the intervals to add novelty to the process. The goal is to do whatever is required to stimulate more growth.

3. How long would the workouts be?  Ans: minimum 1 hour. You can stimulate growth supersetting one or more exercises representing push-pull muscles. It may be necessary to increase the length of workouts as more sets might be required. For MHT it might be necessary to train at leasts 4 hours for 50% growth potential and up to 8 or more hours for a 100% stimulation.

4. How many excersises used per workout?  Ans: 2. Eg. Lying triceps extensions supersetted with chins or close grip lat pulldowns. You could use more exercises and rotate them. I found using one movement per muscle group is best. The trick is to find effective exercises.

5. How many sets per workout?  Ans: 5 warmup sets and at least 5 maximum resistance sets. If you do not experience severe DOMS the next day then the stimulus was insufficient to cause rapid hypertrophy. You can wait 3 days and do something different or train again the next day and see if that induces severe DOMS. Exercise selection is crucial for some bodyparts. You cannot do just any exercise and expect to grow. For MHT the number of sets will be the number of hours X 15 to 20. I count all sets including warmups. You do 1 superset every 3 minutes. If you cannot do the number of reps then rest a bit longer between supersets.

6. How many repetitions? The warmup reps should be high. For triceps you can aim at doing over 40 reps for the first set. Add a plate and do as many as you can. Keep adding one plate until you can do only 15 reps. Then stay at that resistance for the rest of your sets. 15 reps will be safe and will help you stay pumped. When you drop to 8 reps after 4 or 5 sets you can stay at this resistance indefinitely. You should be able to add small increments on a daily basis to the maximum resistance. You will get stronger quickly then reach a level where smaller increases are all that will happen. Use 1/4 plate increases. You are always trying to do more reps and sets at the maximum resistance.

7. What percentage of 1RM (1 Rep Max)? I have no idea. You could work this out easily enough. Of course one should never demonstrate strength. One must avoid injuries at all costs. One muscle tear and your career might be over. You can on occasion see what you can do for 5 reps. That is a better guide to strength improvement.

8. How many bodyparts per week or month? This is something not worked out. I advocate doing upper body training only for a month to see if you can grow rapidly. Since bodybuilders insist they have to train all bodyparts then I am afraid that is a myth that prevents most from growing. Select opposing muscles and train them. Don't do too much in the body because you are unlikely to stimulate much at all to grow. Masochists can train legs on the day following the upperbody day. You could do leg press or Nautilus duo squat supersetted with calves. Donkey calf training is preferred because you are putting the calves under stretch. Loading while stretching is a good idea for effective hypertrophy training. Chins and lying triceps extensions both provide resistance in the stretched position. If you have an assisted chin machine you could hang at the bottom of each rep for a pause of up to 5 seconds. You could do dips and chins on that machine and have a total upper body workout. I find that dips are a bit hard on the elbows so I tend not to use that exercise. If you experience sharp pain in any movement you have to stop doing that exercise.

I don't know if Hedgehog is satisfied with these answers but that is about as good as I can give at the moment. I am sure more definitive answers can be given once the longer protocols have been tried.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 04:50:19 PM
Would Vince G CSN MFT know an effective program if he saw it? Thank goodness a man's knowledge is not guaged by his physique. I hope Goodrum supports me on this fact.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: chris_mason on October 21, 2006, 05:05:20 PM
Vince, you stated in this thread that from what you have read regarding DOMS it is indicative of hypertrophy.  I cannot find the quote I saw earlier but I did find this related one:

"In my theory all that is important is the resultant growth from each workout. That is the constant test of the theory's truth. That is the feedback that is important. No growth and you are not doing something right. I use DOMS as the best feedback mechanism to guage growth occurring in muscles. So far no one has refuted my suggestion that DOMS is associated with muscle hypertrophy as long as sufficient nutrition is provided so that growth can occur. I also require that the DOMS be induced by using programs where one repeatedly does sets with the maximum resistance possible for 8 or more reps."

Tell me more about your theory of how DOMS and hypertrophy are related.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince G, CSN MFT on October 21, 2006, 05:27:06 PM
Would Vince G CSN MFT know an effective program if he saw it? Thank goodness a man's knowledge is not guaged by his physique. I hope Goodrum supports me on this fact.


When I first started lifting weights in 83, coach made us do Arthur Jones Full Body Workout routine 3 days a week in high school.

I used Mentzers HIT training in the late 90s because of the limited time I had to hit the gym and I got some great results from it although it could have been the gear I started using at the time.  I used the same thing for the Metrolina


For the Mountaineer, I used Arnold's split training routine working out twice a day 6 days a week. 





Honestly, I think that there is no superior training routine.  I just mix it around so the workout doesn't get stale and the body can't really tell the difference.  Resistance is resistance
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: chris_mason on October 21, 2006, 05:50:45 PM
Vince, you stated in this thread that from what you have read regarding DOMS it is indicative of hypertrophy.  I cannot find the quote I saw earlier but I did find this related one:

"In my theory all that is important is the resultant growth from each workout. That is the constant test of the theory's truth. That is the feedback that is important. No growth and you are not doing something right. I use DOMS as the best feedback mechanism to guage growth occurring in muscles. So far no one has refuted my suggestion that DOMS is associated with muscle hypertrophy as long as sufficient nutrition is provided so that growth can occur. I also require that the DOMS be induced by using programs where one repeatedly does sets with the maximum resistance possible for 8 or more reps."

Tell me more about your theory of how DOMS and hypertrophy are related.


Bump for Vince to answer.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 21, 2006, 05:52:58 PM
Bump for Vince to answer.

Vince is a good guy at heart..I have seen guys that have never worked out that have more muscle mass than him.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 21, 2006, 06:29:19 PM
If the muscles and connective tissue require 5 sets to sufficiently warm up then this is a necessity and those sets have to count. If you or anyone else does those 5 warm up sets but do not count them then you are lying to yourself and everyone else about a program. It is about time HST and HIT and other programs started being honest.

Vince, let me ask you this.  If a guy can bench press 365 for 8 reps does doing a warmup with the empty bar for 15 reps count as a set?  The warmups required for a HIT workout do not tax the muscles nor give a pump, if they do then you are doing HIT wrong.  If I grab a 5 lb plate and do some shoulder rotations to warm up the joint is that a set?  Does picking up a couple of plates to load the bar count as a set?  Vince I take it that you have never performed a HIT workout in your life.  You can either train long or you can train hard.  You can't train long and hard which is what you are advocating.  I did some searching and found an interesting post on the ironage board from years ago about Dorian training using HIT.  It has an account of an actual workout and the weights he handled and the reps.  You should check it out Vince:
http://ironage.us/yabbse/index.php?topic=2393.0
HIT works, I know because I did it, and it works better than any other type of training I have ever done.  I'm natural and built a national level physique.  Why spend 8 hours in the gym when all you need is 45 mins?  I wish I had a nickel for all the time you've wasted in the gym Vince.  I'd be a multi-billionaire  ;D.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 07:02:50 PM
SteelePegasus. I don't see too many guys my age who  have more muscles than me and that includes Arnold. What interests me is the potential of all bodies to grow and even in supposedly old age. Anyway, my theory is independent of individuals. All my results are anecdotal and not a scientific experiment.

By the way, I wasn't knocking you in this thread.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 07:04:06 PM
Vince G CSN MFT. From what you have posted it doesn't sound like you know how to make muscles grow rapidly.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Hedgehog on October 21, 2006, 07:07:05 PM
Basile, many thanks for the detailed response.

With the answers you supplied, I am sure people will be able to try your theory out in reality.

YIP
Zack
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 07:09:36 PM
To reply to Chris Mason. I am sorry Chris, but sometimes I don't see a need to reply to every question or sometimes I overlook some.

There was an important piece of research that suggested DOMS is related to rebuilding of fibers in the muscle. I will see if I can find the paper. That supported what I was advocating but the lads on HST forum didn't accept it as being noteworthy. Those guys are very hard to convince of anything except HST! Dan Moore is very knowledgeable about the science re muscles and so are several of the guys there.

If you train a muscle using volume and maximum resistance you will generate severe DOMS and, I believe, growth. I have done it successful for a full month and the growth was constant and measureable.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 07:12:39 PM
No worries, Hedgehog. Even though my business is owning a gym and building gym equipment I do not charge for information unless I give seminars and training camps in my gym. I would like to see others contribute their ideas like Milos recommended. We should all have access to the various theories and methods out there. That way we have a chance at progessing instead of bashing our collective heads together.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: SteelePegasus on October 21, 2006, 07:15:26 PM
SteelePegasus. I don't see too many guys my age who  have more muscles than me and that includes Arnold. What interests me is the potential of all bodies to grow and even in supposedly old age. Anyway, my theory is independent of individuals. All my results are anecdotal and not a scientific experiment.

By the way, I wasn't knocking you in this thread.

Vince, forgive me for not making it clear. I was talking about Vince G

I respect you, and constantly check this thread hoping to get more information from you
I am grabbing bits and pieces here and there and applying them to my routine

today I did back and biceps..my biceps are not are sore as I would like. So are per your instructions I am doing to hit them again tomorrow first thing.

I am waiting patiently for your workout guideline :)

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 21, 2006, 07:20:57 PM
Vince, let me ask you this.  If a guy can bench press 365 for 8 reps does doing a warmup with the empty bar for 15 reps count as a set?  The warmups required for a HIT workout do not tax the muscles nor give a pump, if they do then you are doing HIT wrong.  If I grab a 5 lb plate and do some shoulder rotations to warm up the joint is that a set?  Does picking up a couple of plates to load the bar count as a set?  Vince I take it that you have never performed a HIT workout in your life.  You can either train long or you can train hard.  You can't train long and hard which is what you are advocating.  I did some searching and found an interesting post on the ironage board from years ago about Dorian training using HIT.  It has an account of an actual workout and the weights he handled and the reps.  You should check it out Vince:
http://ironage.us/yabbse/index.php?topic=2393.0
HIT works, I know because I did it, and it works better than any other type of training I have ever done.  I'm natural and built a national level physique.  Why spend 8 hours in the gym when all you need is 45 mins?  I wish I had a nickel for all the time you've wasted in the gym Vince.  I'd be a multi-billionaire  ;D.


Vince can you please answer my post above.  Selectively responding to certain questions while avoiding others is no way to debate.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 07:28:02 PM
Rammer, I know what you are getting at. I have done Olympic weight lifting in the past. We always warmed up with 135 no matter how strong we were. Most weightlifters do this as well no matter how much they can lift. Are those warmup sets necessary or are they something we do that was passed down and probably aren't important? I can tell you I did pull a muscle in the press with 135 pounds one day. That reminded me that even 135 is a substantial weight. It is basically doing 67 1/2 pounds in each hand and that is a lot of weight if you used dumbbells.

I know of no one who does the empty bar as a warmup who can bench over 400 pounds. If someone did then I would count that set as part of his routine because it still takes time.

HIT insists you cannot train with high intensity and train for a long time. They define intensity as a percentage of a 1 rep maximum. Clearly no one can do set after set with his 1 rep maximum so that statement is true.

There is a threshold beyond which hypertrophy will be stimulated. For advanced trainees this is somewhere around 75% of a 1 RM. When I could bench 410 pounds I could warmup with 225 for about 18 full reps. I suppose selecting about 250 pounds would have been sufficient to trigger hypertrophy if done for a long session of many sets. I would start at 15 reps and continue set after set hoping to get at least 8 reps a set. I imagine with sufficient rest one could sustain this routine for a long time and perhaps several hours.

You would be a poor man if you got money for every hour I spend in the gym. I am naturally lazy and do not like lifting weights. Most weeks I train less than an hour. If you have made good gains using your method then you have no need to do anything else. It is still possible that you might grow larger and faster with other protocols. Unless you have tried them you can't be sure you have the ultimate program.

I think the gains from my method will eclipse what HIT can generate and you don't have to train 8 hours a day, either. For most trainees the amount of time will be 2 hours or less. That should be sufficient to get any muscle growing steadily.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 07:36:48 PM
Who would have believed a training thread would be near the top on this board for several days? Vince Gironda said that everywhere he went people wanted information. That is still true today.

SteelePegasus. Biceps are very difficult to get sore. Remember that the biceps have 3 functions. Flexion, supination and lifting the arm. If you select seated dumbbell curls you might be able to work all three functions. Rotate the dumbbells as you curl and then lift the dumbbells at the end of the rep. Do them slowly. If you hold the dumbbells towards one end then you will work the supination muscles to twist the dumbbells upward. Twist the dumbbells before they reach a horizontal position.

Get in there the next day and blast them any way you can. You can use several exercises if you want to. The key is getting them sore. This kind of training will expose how pathetic most gym equipment is. The best triceps machine other than the ones in my gym is the MedX triceps machine that has resistance near the complete extension. There may be other good machines out there but if you sit down and have your arms raised you cannot push hard enough to make the triceps grow. You can lower the seat and lean into the machine. I had to do that in Canada but it still wasn't right.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 21, 2006, 07:38:45 PM

When I first started lifting weights in 83, coach made us do Arthur Jones Full Body Workout routine 3 days a week in high school.

I used Mentzers HIT training in the late 90s because of the limited time I had to hit the gym and I got some great results from it although it could have been the gear I started using at the time.  I used the same thing for the Metrolina


For the Mountaineer, I used Arnold's split training routine working out twice a day 6 days a week. 





Honestly, I think that there is no superior training routine.  I just mix it around so the workout doesn't get stale and the body can't really tell the difference.  Resistance is resistance

And this is the secret to your success you say?

You are as far gone as the monkey who started this thread.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 21, 2006, 07:43:02 PM
And this is the secret to your success you say?

You are as far gone as the monkey who started this thread.

Come on Alexxx, don't forget Vince won the overall in one of the premier national competitions of his day...you? Where's the respect? He is spouting lots of nonsense now yes BUT if you look closer at his reams of text, there are some gems that will accelerate your progress in BB.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 21, 2006, 07:50:14 PM
Come on Alexxx, don't forget Vince won the overall in one of the premier national competitions of his day...you? Where's the respect? He is spouting lots of nonsense now yes BUT if you look closer at his reams of text, there are some gems that will accelerate your progress in BB.

How will he prove his ways. What he is suggesting is nothing new and basically a rip of Arnold's methods.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 21, 2006, 07:54:55 PM
How will he prove his ways. What he is suggesting is nothing new and basically a rip of Arnold's methods.

Actually his method is a bit different. Let's just see what happens. Although it'll probably flop, what harm could it do? If it actually does work, even a bit, all of us will see greater strides in our development.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 07:56:33 PM
See, it is easy to be confused with the more famous Vince on this forum. What a pity he ever posted his photos. He would still be a force to reckon with!

I am posting what I believe. There is a lot behind what I post. That is partly why I have taken so long to present it all. Most bodybuilders prefer to see sets and reps whereas the theory is what is really important. If you grasp the theory and know how to apply it you have learned something important.

Let me relate a sobering experience with a fellow at my gym. Let's call him Tony. Well, Tony wants to get his arms bigger. So I showed him various methods to put more mechanical tension on his arms. He also worries about his appearance so he is always the same weight. How on earth can he expect to grow? He cannot and he does not grow. There is another problem that defies theories. If a person cannot put mechanical tension on a target muscle it cannot grow. Tony is one of those guys.  He blasts away but only his shoulders get bigger. Well, his arms come up a bit, but more or less stay the same. I have supervised his training on several occasions and when doing the Nautilus biceps curls he uses his shoulders to move the resistance. Even if I hold his shoulders down he still cheats. It is amazing. I literally cannot help him. He cannot do the exercises strict enough to cause any growth except in his shoulders. That is partly okay because big shoulders look impressive so his training is not a complete waste of time.  He would be better off not doing arms and concentrating on presses and other movements.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 21, 2006, 07:58:08 PM
Come on Alexxx, don't forget Vince won the overall in one of the premier national competitions of his day...you? Where's the respect? He is spouting lots of nonsense now yes BUT if you look closer at his reams of text, there are some gems that will accelerate your progress in BB.

You mean gems like this quote:
"I am naturally lazy and do not like lifting weights. Most weeks I train less than an hour."
Vince, how can you go on for 16 pages about your theories and say you are going to test them on yourself and then say the above quote.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 21, 2006, 08:00:59 PM
You mean gems like this quote:
"I am naturally lazy and do not like lifting weights. Most weeks I train less than an hour."
Vince, how can you go on for 16 pages about your theories and say you are going to test them on yourself and then say the above quote.

lol seems Vince spends all his time online instead of proving himself in the gym.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 21, 2006, 08:11:22 PM
You mean gems like this quote:
"I am naturally lazy and do not like lifting weights. Most weeks I train less than an hour."
Vince, how can you go on for 16 pages about your theories and say you are going to test them on yourself and then say the above quote.

Haha yeah, actually I find some of his stuff funny as heck too. But I find his stuff on injury prevention and what hedid unorthofox that led to one inch increases in armsand calves intriguing. Still, his nutrition theory is garbage to say the least.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 21, 2006, 08:18:58 PM
Haha yeah, actually I find some of his stuff funny as heck too. But I find his stuff on injury prevention and what hedid unorthofox that led to one inch increases in armsand calves intriguing. Still, his nutrition theory is garbage to say the least.

His arms and calves didn't grow, the muscle tissue was damaged and inflamed so it measured larger with a tape measure.  Go get a sunburn and measure your arms, they will be at least 1/8" bigger because your skin is inflamed and puffy.  Did your arms grow? 
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: alexxx on October 21, 2006, 08:20:44 PM
His arms and calves didn't grow, the muscle tissue was damaged and inflamed so it measured larger with a tape measure.  Go get a sunburn and measure your arms, they will be at least 1/8" bigger because your skin is inflamed and puffy.  Did your arms grow? 

Yeah I got that same effect on all bodyparts when training full body workouts everyday. Then when I stopped for a couple of days the pump went away and measures back to normal.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 21, 2006, 08:32:11 PM
His arms and calves didn't grow, the muscle tissue was damaged and inflamed so it measured larger with a tape measure.  Go get a sunburn and measure your arms, they will be at least 1/8" bigger because your skin is inflamed and puffy.  Did your arms grow? 

Maybe...but I thought he said the increases were permanent?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 09:29:49 PM
If you get an injury and cannot train you lose some of your gains. Sad but true.

About training. I don't like to train unless I am doing it to grow. If I happen to be ill or busy I don't train. I don't like it but as you get older you find other things more interesting than lifting weights. Seems I am not the only one spending too much time on line.  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 21, 2006, 09:31:52 PM
I think after 400 posts the moderators can move this thread to the training forum and perhaps those who are interested can find it there. There is no need for the thead to be contaminated by the usual GB nonsense.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 21, 2006, 10:26:14 PM
His arms and calves didn't grow, the muscle tissue was damaged and inflamed so it measured larger with a tape measure.  Go get a sunburn and measure your arms, they will be at least 1/8" bigger because your skin is inflamed and puffy.  Did your arms grow? 

very good point.

a lot of people just don't get. they confuse things like pump and swelling with hypertrophy.

i guess when you're a fat ass like vince you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. i mean he can't see his actual muscles anyway underneath all that fat so any swelling at all would convince him.

vince, my grandma has better definition and seperation in her arms than you and they're bigger too.

she puts it down to 100s of sets of knitting interspaced with one minute breaks throughout a 8 hour workout. hey maybe you have got something there. :o
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 22, 2006, 07:13:39 PM
Vince looked pretty good when he won the IFBB Mr Canada Overall title.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 22, 2006, 08:10:04 PM
Vince looked pretty good when he won the IFBB Mr Canada Overall title.



yes he did and you have to give him kudos for competing, but he was doing what everyone else was doing at that time including the same style of training, which is different to what he's talking about now, some 30 years on.

the difference is that what he was doing then was/is used successfully by many bodybuilders. now he's talking straight from his rectum and making it up as he goes along.

one thing is obvious. there is only one reason he started this thread and that is to get attention. i just don't know/care why.

Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 22, 2006, 08:26:24 PM
I posted this thread to prove a point that training theories are of interest to bodybuilders. When a few earnest guys like CT contributed it took the discussion to a new level. The moderators insisted I outline my program which I did and made it practical enough to follow. The really long training for maximum hypertrophy is what is really interesting. That is something that is worth pursuing. Of course, modern bodybuilders don't have to try training 8 hours a day every third day on the same two muscle groups. They merely take various drug stacks and hope for the best. I want to see if maximum hypertrophy is possible for naturals. Unless someone actually tries this method it cannot be dismissed out of hand by Getbig armchair experts. Imagine huge guys with small, natural waists! It is possible and whoever succeeds will surely be something to marvel at. 
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Vince B on October 22, 2006, 09:08:05 PM
1: Histochem Cell Biol. 2004 Mar;121(3):219-27. Epub 2004 Feb 26. Related Articles, Links 

 
Evidence for myofibril remodeling as opposed to myofibril damage in human muscles with DOMS: an ultrastructural and immunoelectron microscopic study.

Yu JG, Carlsson L, Thornell LE.

Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Section for Anatomy, Umea University, 901 87 Umea, Sweden.

The myofibrillar and cytoskeletal alterations observed in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) caused by eccentric exercise are generally considered to represent damage. By contrast our recent immunohistochemical studies suggested that the alterations reflect myofibrillar remodeling (Yu and Thornell 2002; Yu et al. 2003). In the present study the same human muscle biopsies were further analyzed with transmission electron microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. We show that the ultrastructural hallmarks of DOMS, Z-disc streaming, Z-disc smearing, and Z-disc disruption were present in the biopsies and were significantly more frequent in biopsies taken 2-3 days and 7-8 days after exercise than in those from controls and 1 h after exercise. Four main types of changes were observed: amorphous widened Z-discs, amorphous sarcomeres, double Z-discs, and supernumerary sarcomeres. We confirm by immunoelectron microscopy that the main Z-disc protein alpha-actinin is not present in Z-disc alterations or in the links of electron-dense material between Z-discs in longitudinal register. These alterations were related to an increase of F-actin and desmin, where F-actin was present within the strands of amorphous material. Desmin, on the other hand, was seen in less dense regions of the alterations. Our results strongly support that the myofibrillar and cytoskeletal alterations, considered to be the hallmarks of DOMS, reflect an adaptive remodeling of the myofibrils. Copyright 2004 Springer-Verlag

PMID: 14991331 [PubMed - in process]  
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheAnimal on October 23, 2006, 12:33:10 AM
Imagine huge guys with small, natural waists! It is possible and whoever succeeds will surely be something to marvel at. 
Even so they would have a hard time proving they are indeed natural ala Skip La Cour
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: Rammer on October 23, 2006, 02:51:52 PM
Unless someone actually tries this method it cannot be dismissed out of hand by Getbig armchair experts. Imagine huge guys with small, natural waists! It is possible and whoever succeeds will surely be something to marvel at. 

Absolutely classic!
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 23, 2006, 09:05:27 PM
Give Vince a chance...anyone attempted his methodology yet?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 29, 2006, 02:28:04 AM
Bump.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: BEAST 8692 on October 29, 2006, 04:04:25 AM
Bump.

 ???

prince, why don't YOU give it a try and get back to us in a year.

you should be mr olympia by then. :o
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 30, 2006, 01:44:45 AM
???

prince, why don't YOU give it a try and get back to us in a year.

you should be mr olympia by then. :o

I already have one Sandow.... ;)...now it's time for you kids to step up & shine too.
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: TheGoldenPrince on October 30, 2006, 01:46:29 AM
???

prince, why don't YOU give it a try and get back to us in a year.

you should be mr olympia by then. :o

Why don't you try the program with Ronnie's diet and actually build some muscle for once? ;D
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: tallandfat on July 07, 2010, 04:19:18 PM
didn't yates do the HIT?
Title: Re: Open letter to HIT believers, hardgainers, etc. Seminar.
Post by: tallandfat on July 08, 2010, 05:24:59 PM
There has to be some stubborn bugger who uses HIT and it works for.

Please step forward!