One of the biggest bottlenecks holding many back from reaching their ideal physique is that many people overestimate how hard they’re actually training.
They believe they’re pushing their sets to failure…But in reality they often still have several reps left in the tank.
When this happens, the training stimulus they think they’re creating doesn’t match the stimulus their muscles are actually receiving, which is one of the reasons so many people train for years yet still look the same.
In this episode of the Chasing Clarity Health & Fitness Podcast, I’m joined once again by Dr. Scott Stevenson to explore whether the average trainee is truly pushing their sets hard enough to maximize muscle growth.
We examine the research on load selection, effort regulation, reps in reserve accuracy, and training volume, and discuss why many lifters may unknowingly be training further from failure than they think.
We also explore Dr. Stevenson’s hypothesis of there being a potential central governor in resistance training, and whether subconscious pacing may influence effort during high-volume training sessions.
In this episode we cover:
WHY MOST TRAINEES SELECT LOADS THAT ARE TOO LIGHT
RESEARCH SHOWING LIFTERS CHOOSE ~53% OF THEIR 1RM WHEN SELF-SELECTING WEIGHTS
WHY LOW-LOAD TRAINING REQUIRES PUSHING CLOSER TO FAILURE TO STIMULATE HYPERTROPHY
THE LIMITATIONS OF USING RIR AND HOW INACCURATE FAILURE PREDICTION CAN BE
WHY MANY LIFTERS BELIEVE THEY’RE TRAINING TO FAILURE WHEN THEY AREN’T
WHY META-ANALYSES SHOW A DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VOLUME AND MUSCLE GROWTH
THE PELLAND META-REGRESSION AND WHY HIGHER VOLUMES DON’T SHOW A CLEAR INVERTED U
HOW EFFORT PER SET MAY CHANGE AS TRAINING VOLUME INCREASES
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES THAT MAY OCCUR DURING HIGH-VOLUME TRAINING SESSIONS
SANDBAGGING, PACING, AND KEEPING REPS IN RESERVE
THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNOR THEORY IN REGULATING EFFORT
WHY RPE OFTEN TOPS OUT AROUND 7-8 IN MANY TRAINING STUDIES
WHETHER THIS REFLECTS EFFORT REGULATION OR ADAPTATION TO HIGH WORKLOADS
PRACTICAL COACHING INSIGHTS ON HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU’RE TRULY TRAINING HARD ENOUGH
Ultimately, the goal of this episode is to encourage you to ask yourself one honest question:
Am I really training as hard as I think I am?
Because sometimes the biggest breakthroughs in physique development don’t come from adding more exercises or more volume…They come from learning how to push the sets you’re already doing to a higher level of effort.
WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:
Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/
Email: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com
For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry
Brandon’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com
My Reading Recommendations:
THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS
https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
The Central Governor Model of Exercise Regulation:
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-Central-Governor-Model-of-Exercise-Regulation-proposes-that-the-brain-regulates_fig2_224709105
