Re: Training Failure & Tsatsouline Article

[Guest guest]

Viet Le wrote:

<Following what you wrote, how would this information figure in?

Fincher, G. Less is more in resistance training. Biomechanics

2000;7:43-52.

" ...athletes, when attempting to complete a set of repetitions at a

specified repetition maximum (RM), often terminate the exercise

several repetitions short of true concentric muscular failure. This

termination of the exercise before concentric muscular failure may

not elicit the maximum benefit possible, because intesity of effort

is the primary stimulus for the physiologic adaptiations associated

with resistance training. "

Dr. Fincher cites the following article for his comments: Fleck SJ,

Schutt RC. Types of strength training. Clin Sports Med 1985;4:159-

168.

So my question is...Is higher volume or failure more important in

resistance training?

Excuse my impertinence for I meant none. I am a new subscriber to

the list, an undergraduate seeking opinions and thoughts from those

of you who have been in the business of maximizing the human physique.>

First off, let me clarify that I am not Dan Wagman, as you had indicated,

but Dan .

Secondly, my intent was not to argue that Pavel Tsatsouline's Ladder

Method, or that stopping short of failure, is the most effective means of

resistance training. While I do believe that to be true, the case for

stopping short of failure has been made much more effectively in the past,

by the likes of Pavel Tsatsouline, Ditillo, Staley, and

many others who have more knowledge of strength training in their little

pinkies than I will probably ever acquire.

My intent was a clarification/correction of the method that Tsatsouline

advocates. Rosemary's description was that the trainee should increase the

reps per set until the trainee reaches failure. Whether it was merely a

slip or a misunderstanding of Tsatsouline's article, I do not know. But

the sets in the Ladder Method should never be taken to failure. For

instance, when a trainee works up to 8 reps of chins and thinks that he

could probably eek out a ninth, he should stop, go back to 1 rep, and then

start the ladder over again. In this manner, the Ladder Method can be

employed frequently. Were a trainee to take each of the " top rungs " of the

ladder to failure, each successive " top rung " would not be as effective due

to the fatigue imposed by the failure of the first " top rung " set.

Furthermore, the trainee would not be able to employ the Ladder Method on a

daily (or every other day) basis, as Pavel recommends.

Similarly, with Tsatsouline's Grease the Groove article, which I believe

appeared in the March issue of MILO, Tsatsouline advocates training up to

four times a day. If a trainee were to attempt to take each of those sets

to failure, he/she would be overtrained before the end of the first day.

Instead, Tsatsouline suggests taking your 5RM or 6RM, and performing 3-4

reps per session. So, if you can squat 300 lb. for 6 reps as a 6RM, you

would do 4 sessions per day that would consist of 3-4 reps at 300 lb. By

not training to failure, you can increase your total volume. Again, while

I may happen to agree with him, this is what Pavel is arguing, not me. I

was merely correcting Rosemary's description of Pavel's MILO article.

Dan