11 Comments
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Griffin's avatar

+1 ive enjoyed Ox's most recent PPL program.

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BowTiedOx's avatar

I felt the need to add that because truly I was almost falling into the camp of not enjoying hard, higher volume training & once I made the shifter to high intensity, lower volume I started loving it again and still do to this day.

It’s actually amazing how little you can do if you truly workout hard each set

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BowTiedBaluga's avatar

I'm starting your 3 day split tomorrow, pumped to see where I'm at come this summer.

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Griffin's avatar

i guess my question is that is it important to switch between this hard and easy style training? or should one just stick to which works best for them? personally i go through bouts where i enjoy both.

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BowTiedOx's avatar

You answered your question at the end. As long as your goal and actions align then it’s all gravy.

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Griffin's avatar

cool, thanks ox. need to do a cut cycle!

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BowTShrike's avatar

One challenge I've had with intensity is holding form. I start trying to cheat the motion when it gets hard. Is it failure when I catch myself cheating, or how can I get another rep or two out so that I can better push the target muscle?

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Pop's avatar

I prefer to think of training "easy" as "laying bricks" you're not making a massive effort in the gym every time, but you are making a modicum of progress.

once or twice a month, a hard training session can do a long way while in a training "easy" cycle.

after an extended time training hard, I have pivoted in life and have learned to love training "easy" while focusing my energy on other things.

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Joe Melo's avatar

A buddy of mine gifted me a subscription to Paul Carters training program. He's had huge success with it but his program seems to be very different from yours. It's just 3 - 4 exercises per day with just one working set per exercise, 3 - 4 training days per week. So basically on any given day you'll take 3 - 4 sets to failure in total (i.e. just one set to failure for each exercise). Each meso is about 8 - 12 weeks and over the meso the intensity ramps up somewhat with an added set to failure here or there or some rest pause etc. But in general wayyy less volume than what I'm used to. Do you think this method of training is effective?

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The Reader's avatar

Really enjoyed this - might be time to make an adjustment in my routine - however, I like the fact that you're saying whichever way one decides to go, they need to think critically. Goals need to align with input for expected output. This applies across the board, so this skill (honest critical thought) doesn't just help at the gym. Thanks!

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Spartan123's avatar

Completely unrelated comment lol, but is Animal Pak a solid multi or a marketing gimmick?

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