Can You Avoid Plateaus by Manipulating Relative Training Intensity? • Stronger by Science

Observe: This text was initially printed in MASS Analysis Evaluation. It’s a evaluation of a current examine: Different Load Intensity Transition Schemes to Avoid Plateau and No-Response in Lean Body Mass Gain in Postmenopausal Women by Carneiro et al.

Key Factors

1. Wholesome, postmenopausal ladies accomplished 24 weeks of lower-body resistance coaching, consisting of 12 weeks of moderate-load coaching (units of 8-12 reps), and 12 weeks of low-load coaching (units of 27-31 reps), carried out in a randomized order.
2. Each orders of coaching sequencing produced related will increase in lean mushy tissue mass (15). Moreover, common charges of lean mass accrual had been related within the first and second 12 weeks of coaching.
3. The current examine employed a crossover design and reported particular person topic knowledge. Such knowledge permits us to probe questions associated to optimizing relative coaching depth for people, and the reliability of classifying individuals as “excessive responders” and “low responders” to resistance coaching.

If you attain a plateau in your coaching – you retain coaching laborious, however additional muscle progress and energy beneficial properties are laborious to come back by – how will you break by way of that plateau? Potential choices vary from enjoyable (dreamer bulk, child), to practical-but-boring (attempt to sleep extra and handle stress higher), to illegal-in-many-jurisdictions (up the dose, raise essentially the most). One surprisingly controversial possibility, nevertheless, is to make important changes to your coaching program. Some will argue that altering your coaching program is barely logical, since your present program isn’t producing the outcomes you need. Different individuals will accuse you of “program hopping,” or say you could have “coaching ADHD,” and that you simply simply have to commit tougher to your present coaching method (particularly if it beforehand produced strong outcomes for you).

So, what does the analysis say? Are you able to get the beneficial properties rolling once more by altering your coaching method, or is doing so a waste of time? Surprisingly, there’s not a ton of analysis on the subject. Nonetheless, a current examine (1) purports to exhibit that switching to a totally completely different relative coaching depth (share of 1RM) can assist you keep away from a plateau. Within the current examine, topics accomplished 24 weeks of coaching. Half of the topics did 12 weeks of low-load coaching (beginning with 30% of 1RM, and performing units of 27-31 reps), adopted by 12 weeks of moderate-load coaching (beginning with 80% of 1RM, and performing units of 8-12 reps). The opposite half did 12 weeks of moderate-load coaching first, adopted by 12 weeks of low-load coaching. The researchers discovered that, in distinction with different analysis (which means that hypertrophy slows down dramatically after about three months of coaching), lean mass beneficial properties occurred on the identical charge throughout each 12-week blocks of coaching. So, are wholesale modifications in coaching depth the holy grail for avoiding or breaking by way of plateaus? Learn on to seek out out. I’m not absolutely satisfied, however the design and thorough knowledge reporting within the current examine permit us to probe a number of attention-grabbing and sensible questions associated to particular person responses to completely different coaching kinds.

Objective and Hypotheses

Objective

The first objective of this examine was to match the consequences of low-load coaching adopted by moderate-load coaching, versus moderate-load coaching adopted by low-load coaching, for the aim of supporting lean mass accretion. The secondary objective was to see how altering coaching depth would have an effect on responsiveness to resistance coaching. 

Hypotheses

No hypotheses had been straight acknowledged. 

Topics and Strategies

Topics

24 postmenopausal ladies participated within the current examine. All topics had been not less than 50 years previous, had not menstruated within the previous 12 months, didn’t use hormone substitute remedy, had been free of serious cardiometabolic or orthopedic points, and had not participated in common bodily exercise greater than as soon as per week within the six months previous the examine. Topic traits might be seen in Desk 1.

Experimental Design

This examine happened over 28 weeks, together with a 24-week coaching intervention. In the course of the first week, topics carried out three familiarization classes to get acquainted with the workouts used within the examine (leg press, knee extensions, leg curls, and calf raises). In the course of the second week, topics accomplished 1RM checks to find out their preliminary coaching hundreds, and researchers collected the topics’ fundamental anthropometric knowledge (top, weight, and physique fats), together with assessing thigh lean mushy tissue mass (through DXA). From weeks 3-14, topics accomplished twelve weeks of resistance coaching. Throughout week 15, researchers reassessed the topics’ thigh lean mushy tissue mass and 1RM energy for all 4 coaching workouts. From weeks 16-27, topics accomplished 12 extra weeks of resistance coaching. Lastly, thigh lean mushy tissue mass was reassessed in week 28. Publish-training 1RM energy was not assessed (or, at minimal, it wasn’t reported).

All topics accomplished two completely different resistance coaching applications. Each applications consisted of leg press, knee extensions, leg curls, and calf raises, all carried out for 3 units (2) with 90 seconds of relaxation between units. All units had been carried out “till, or near, voluntary concentric failure,” in line with the examine (although, so far as I can inform, proximity to failure wasn’t strictly managed or straight quantified). The 2 applications solely differed by way of coaching load. The moderate-load program began with topics at 80% of their 1RM, with the goal of finishing 8-12 reps per set, whereas the low-load program began with topics at 30% of 1RM, with the goal of finishing 27-31 reps per set. When topics accomplished not less than 12 reps through the first set of an train on the moderate-load program, or 31 reps through the first set of an train on the low-load program, coaching hundreds had been elevated by 5-10% for his or her subsequent coaching session. Half of the topics had been randomly assigned to finish the moderate-load program first, whereas the opposite half accomplished the low-load program first. After the primary 12 weeks of coaching and the mid-study energy and lean mass assessments, topics switched coaching applications for the second half of the examine. So, half of the topics accomplished 12 weeks of moderate-load coaching adopted by 12 weeks of low-load coaching, and half of the topics accomplished 12 weeks of low-load coaching adopted by 12 weeks of moderate-load coaching.

The researchers had been primarily concerned about two outcomes: development of coaching hundreds (absolute coaching hundreds, whole reps accomplished, and quantity load), and accrual of thigh lean mushy tissue mass. The lean mass knowledge was additionally analyzed in two alternative ways. First, the researchers in contrast the 2 coaching approaches (low-load adopted by moderate-load coaching, versus moderate-load adopted by low-load coaching) to see if both loading scheme produced higher outcomes. Second, the researchers break up aside “excessive responders” and “low responders” to resistance coaching following the primary 12 weeks of coaching, utilizing a median break up (i.e., the 50% of topics with the most important lean mass beneficial properties through the first 12 weeks of coaching had been deemed to be excessive responders, and the 50% of topics with the smallest lean mass beneficial properties had been deemed to be low responders). They had been concerned about assessing whether or not coaching responsiveness through the first 12 weeks of coaching was predictive of responsiveness over the past 12 weeks of coaching, and whether or not altering relative coaching intensities would enhance total coaching responsiveness within the preliminary low responders.

Findings

Desk 2 exhibits the coaching load development noticed following the 2 coaching approaches.

Total, each of the applications labored, insofar as absolute load and quantity load elevated over time. I’m not too within the direct comparisons between the 2 applications, although. Based on the outcomes desk, the low-load program appears prefer it was more practical, however I believe that’s an artifact of the best way preliminary coaching hundreds had been assigned. As soon as individuals get a bit of coaching expertise (i.e., as soon as somebody establishes respectable energy endurance), they will usually full significantly greater than 27-31 reps at 30% of 1RM, whereas 8-12 reps at 80% of 1RM is fairly difficult for most folk. So, through the use of 30% of 1RM because the preliminary depth for the low-load coaching protocol, I believe the researchers merely (inadvertently) stacked the deck for low-load coaching to look to permit for larger development of coaching hundreds. Regardless, it’s clear that each applications successfully promoted enhancements in energy (demonstrated by absolute coaching hundreds growing in each applications) and work capability (demonstrated by whole quantity load growing in each applications).

Desk 3 exhibits the modifications in lean mass over time.

Each protocols had been equally efficient at selling will increase in thigh lean mushy tissue mass. Within the group finishing low-load coaching adopted by moderate-load coaching, topics gained a mean of 0.4kg of lean mass within the first 12 weeks of coaching, and 0.3kg of lean mass within the final 12 weeks of coaching, for a internet enhance of 0.7kg. Within the group finishing moderate-load coaching adopted by low-load coaching, topics gained a mean of 0.3kg of lean mass within the first 12 weeks of coaching, and 0.4kg of lean mass within the final 12 weeks of coaching, additionally for a internet enhance of 0.7kg.

Nonetheless, an attention-grabbing sample emerges once we take a look at the thigh lean mushy tissue mass accrual of “low responders” versus the “excessive responders.” In the course of the first 12 weeks of coaching, which had been used to find out responsiveness, the low responders gained little or no thigh lean mushy tissue mass (0.1kg), whereas the excessive responders gained 0.6kg. Nonetheless, over the past 12 weeks of coaching, the low responders truly gained (nominally) extra thigh lean mushy tissue mass (0.4kg) than the excessive responders (0.2kg; p = 0.16). The excessive responders did nonetheless wind up gaining considerably extra thigh lean mushy tissue mass over your entire 24 weeks of coaching (0.8kg versus 0.5kg; p = 0.044), however the distinction between excessive and low responders narrowed significantly. You’ll be able to see particular person topic knowledge illustrating the completely different time course of lean mass beneficial properties in Determine 1.

Criticisms and Statistical Musings

My solely important criticism of the current examine was the choice to research excessive versus low responsiveness to coaching utilizing a median break up. Finally, in the event you’re concerned about analyzing whether or not coaching responses through the first 12 weeks of coaching are predictive of coaching responses over the past 12 weeks of coaching, regression evaluation is way extra informative (3). With a median break up, you flatten out variations between people, such that the worst responder is handled the identical as a topic within the forty ninth percentile, and the very best responder is handled the identical as a topic within the 51st percentile. Equally, topics close to the median who skilled very related responses through the first 12 weeks of coaching are handled as in the event that they’re utterly completely different.

I extracted the info in Determine 1 utilizing WebPlotDigitizer, and needed to see the connection between relative will increase in thigh lean mushy tissue mass within the first 12 weeks, versus will increase within the final 12 weeks of coaching. You’ll be able to see the ends in Determine 2. Every knowledge level represents a single topic; their x-axis coordinate tells you their relative will increase in thigh lean mushy tissue mass through the first 12 weeks of coaching, and their y-axis coordinate tells you their relative enhance in thigh lean mushy tissue mass over the past 12 weeks of coaching.

As you may see, there wasn’t a lot of a relationship between hypertrophy through the first section of coaching and hypertrophy through the second section of coaching (r = -0.28; p = 0.18). This scatterplot is extra informative than the group-level evaluation evaluating imply responses on the backside of Desk 3. And, whereas Determine 1 shows all the identical data seen on this scatterplot, it’s nonetheless tougher to straight interpret because the low responders and excessive responders are break up out onto completely different axes. Nonetheless, once we deal with coaching responsiveness as a steady variable (fairly than a binary variable), we are able to extra clearly see that lean mass accretion through the first section of coaching was poorly predictive of lean mass accretion through the second section of coaching.

Interpretation

This can be a examine I’ve needed to see for a very long time. My anecdotal remark is that some people merely appear to reply higher to heavier coaching, and some people merely appear to reply higher to lighter coaching. Nonetheless, the managed proof to again up that remark was shaky at greatest. There have been two research that may very well be used to make that case, however each of them had some apparent points. First, a examine by Beaven and colleagues ran topics by way of 4 completely different coaching protocols (3 units of 5 reps at 85% of 1RM, 4 units of 10 reps at 70% of 1RM, 5 units of 15 reps at 55% of 1RM, and 4 units of 5 reps at 40% of 1RM), and examined the topics’ acute salivary testosterone and cortisol responses (4). Topics accomplished three weeks of coaching with the protocol that elicited the most important enhance in testosterone:cortisol ratio, and three weeks with the protocol that elicited the smallest enhance (or largest lower) in testosterone:cortisol ratio. The researchers discovered that topics skilled a bigger enhance in physique mass through the three weeks once they carried out the protocol that elicited the most important enhance in testosterone:cortisol ratio. Nonetheless, the restrictions in that examine must be apparent. The coaching intervention was actually quick (simply three weeks with every protocol), and it’s a stretch to imagine that will increase in physique mass essentially equal will increase in muscle mass. One other examine by Jones and colleagues assigned topics to coaching protocols that had been alleged to be appropriate with their genetics or incompatible with their genetics, utilizing a proprietary algorithm (5). The themes accomplished energy endurance-based coaching or power-based coaching. Total, topics skilled bigger enhancements in a number of measures of efficiency when coaching in a way that was appropriate with their genetics. Nonetheless, that examine contained a transparent battle of curiosity – the algorithm used to assign topics to completely different teams isn’t publicly out there, and an worker of the corporate that developed the algorithm was one of many authors of the examine. Now, research with conflicts of curiosity shouldn’t be discounted out of hand, nevertheless it helps for outcomes to be independently validated by different analysis teams that lack those self same conflicts of curiosity. To the very best of my information, the outcomes of the examine by Jones and colleagues haven’t been replicated.

Moreover, as we’ve coated in MASS earlier than, there’s fairly a little bit of proof that many coaching variables have a a lot smaller affect on hypertrophy than innate variations in trainability. For instance, a examine by Hammarström and colleagues (reviewed in MASS; 6) investigated the consequences of coaching quantity (whole units carried out) on quad progress. Topics accomplished six weekly units of quad work with one leg, and 18 weekly units with one other leg. The researchers discovered that increased coaching volumes tended to lead to extra muscle progress, however that innate variations in trainability influenced hypertrophy excess of coaching quantity. In different phrases, somebody who experiences lots of muscle progress with excessive coaching volumes will in all probability expertise lots of muscle progress with decrease coaching volumes, and somebody who doesn’t expertise a lot progress with low coaching volumes in all probability received’t expertise that a lot extra progress with increased coaching volumes. A examine by Damas and colleagues (7 – also reviewed in MASS) had related findings when testing the impact of holding coaching variables constant session-to-session versus various load, relaxation intervals, the muscle actions carried out, and coaching quantity. Topics who skilled lots of progress following diversified coaching had been additionally prone to expertise lots of progress with extra constant coaching, and topics who skilled little progress with diversified coaching had been unlikely to expertise far more or method much less progress with constant coaching (Determine 3).

To this point, I’ve painted a fairly bleak image for folk who wish to optimize their coaching. Possibly manipulating coaching variables can enhance your outcomes barely, however the overwhelming majority of your outcomes are merely dictated by your innate trainability. Nonetheless, there’s a notable exception to this rule. One other examine by Damas and colleagues examined the consequences of various coaching frequencies (frequencies of two, 3, and 5 instances per week), utilizing a within-subject unilateral design (8). Every coaching session employed the identical quantity, such {that a} frequency of 5 instances per week coincided with 2.5-times extra quantity than a frequency of two instances per week. In that examine, innate trainability didn’t appear to matter fairly as a lot. Some topics grew a ton with increased volumes and frequencies (and never very a lot with decrease volumes and frequencies), and a few grew a ton with decrease volumes and frequencies (and never very a lot with increased volumes and frequencies). So, whereas quantity itself appears to matter lower than innate trainability when coaching frequencies are the identical (6), a single particular person can obtain dramatically completely different outcomes – both higher outcomes or worse outcomes – when pairing increased or decrease coaching volumes with increased or decrease coaching frequencies (Determine 4).

I’ve lengthy suspected that relative coaching depth was one other variable that may affect particular person outcomes. Some individuals actually appear to reply effectively to heavier coaching, whereas different individuals swear by low-load, high-rep coaching. Nonetheless, whereas some research using within-subject unilateral designs have examined the consequences of various relative coaching intensities (9 – MASS review; 10 – MASS review), they haven’t reported particular person topic knowledge, which might be essential to see if particular person outcomes do, in actual fact, considerably differ when coaching at completely different relative intensities.

The current examine helps fill that hole (1). Whereas it didn’t make use of a within-subject unilateral design, the topics did all full a comparatively lengthy interval of each low-load coaching and moderate-load coaching. It’s doable that the crossover design might have launched some sequencing results (i.e., maybe topics reply in a different way to 1 coaching fashion after a interval of coaching with a special coaching fashion), however that appears unlikely, since group-level outcomes of each moderate-load and low-load coaching appeared unaffected by which coaching fashion was carried out first. In different phrases, low-load coaching appeared equally efficient when it got here earlier than moderate-load coaching and when it adopted moderate-load coaching (and the identical was true with moderate-load coaching, previous or following a interval of low-load coaching).

Referring again to Determine 2, it doesn’t simply present particular person outcomes through the first twelve weeks of coaching versus the final twelve weeks of coaching. Since topics modified coaching kinds on the midpoint of the examine, it additionally exhibits particular person outcomes following moderate-load coaching versus low-load coaching. Determine 5 shows the identical knowledge in a barely completely different format (just like Determine 1), displaying that particular person hypertrophy responses to 1 loading scheme have nearly no bearing on particular person hypertrophy responses to the opposite loading scheme.

That is an thrilling discovering, as a result of it presents us with one other clear choice to strive when “regular” coaching isn’t producing notably notable ends in a selected trainee. Most hypertrophy-focused coaching employs a reasonable set quantity (5-10 units per muscle group per session), a reasonable depth (hundreds that allow you to full 6-15 reps per set), and a low-to-moderate frequency (coaching most muscle teams 1-3 instances per week). For most individuals, that produces fairly good outcomes. Nonetheless, if that doesn’t work notably effectively for somebody, there aren’t a ton of nice troubleshooting suggestions that we know are prone to produce considerably completely different outcomes. There are some issues that may, on common, produce barely higher outcomes (i.e., growing coaching quantity; 6). There are additionally loads of choices for which within-subject variability is unquantified. For instance, we all know that coaching to failure and stopping just a few reps shy of failure tend to produce similar muscle growth, on common, however we don’t know if they have a tendency to supply considerably completely different outcomes inside a single trainee. If stopping just a few reps shy of failure doesn’t lead to a lot progress for you, are you prone to obtain meaningfully completely different outcomes in the event you begin coaching to failure? We don’t know for positive. Ideally, we’d have a protracted record of coaching variables which might be recognized to lead to giant within-individual variations in muscle progress. Nonetheless, till now, the Damas examine which examined the consequences of various volumes and frequencies offered us with the one recognized set of variables that produce giant within-subject variations in muscle progress (8). So, if “regular” hypertrophy coaching wasn’t working, you can advise somebody to double (or halve) their weekly coaching quantity and per-muscle coaching frequency, and be fairly assured that such a advice would produce considerably completely different outcomes…however that’s a fairly dramatic advice. The current examine suggests {that a} much less dramatic advice may be prudent: if units of 10 aren’t slicing it for you, give units of 30 a shot as a substitute.

Earlier than wrapping up, I wish to tie up just a few unfastened ends.

First, the authors of the current examine recommend that their findings exhibit that shifting from moderate- to low-intensity coaching or from low- to moderate-intensity coaching prevents (or not less than delays) plateaus, and preserves coaching responsiveness over an extended time period (1). Some proof means that hypertrophy tends to decelerate fairly a bit after about 12 weeks of coaching (11), however topics within the current examine grew simply as a lot over the past 12 weeks of coaching as the primary 12 weeks of coaching. Nonetheless, I’m unsure I agree with the authors’ interpretation of their outcomes. It seems to me that altering coaching intensities solely preserved the identical common charge of progress as a result of it dramatically improved the outcomes of the topics who skilled minimal muscle progress through the first 12 weeks of coaching. If something, altering coaching intensities might have hindered the expansion of topics who skilled substantial muscle progress through the first 12 weeks of coaching. In different phrases, common outcomes had been related throughout each 12-week blocks of coaching as a result of many of the topics accomplished one block of coaching they responded effectively to, and one block of coaching they didn’t reply effectively to; for about half of the topics, the primary block of coaching was the efficient block, and for the opposite half of the topics, the second block of coaching was the efficient block. I believe a greater takeaway is that you simply shouldn’t essentially change coaching depth every now and then for its personal sake; fairly, you must change coaching depth if it turns into clear {that a} specific relative coaching depth isn’t producing the outcomes you need, however you must persist with a selected relative coaching depth so long as it’s nonetheless working for you.

Second, this examine may very well be interpreted as a examine evaluating linear periodization versus reverse linear periodization. As we discussed recently, it seems that linear and reverse linear periodization lead to related muscle progress, on common (12). The current examine provides to that physique of literature.

Third, the current examine fantastically illustrates a pitfall that’s fairly widespread within the evidence-based health neighborhood. If you devour lots of scientific literature, it’s straightforward to fixate on common outcomes, as a result of most statistical methods are centered on testing for variations between means. Nonetheless, averages typically cowl up lots of underlying variability. For instance, think about somebody asks you, “ought to I give low-load coaching a shot? I’ve been doing units of 8-12 for the previous six months, and I haven’t seen any outcomes.” It may be tempting to reply, “don’t waste your time. Low-load and moderate-load coaching produce related muscle progress, so if moderate-load coaching isn’t working for you, low-load coaching in all probability received’t both.” Whereas that reply can be based mostly on a kernel of reality (13), it will nonetheless be a fairly unhealthy reply. “Factor A and Factor B produce related outcomes, on common,” is not the identical as, “Factor A and Factor B produce related outcomes for all (and even most) people.” When fielding questions or evaluating anecdotes, it’s essential to maintain that distinction in thoughts.

Fourth, the current examine helps illustrate one among my issues with the idea of figuring out excessive versus low responders to resistance coaching. Finally, if somebody is recognized as a “excessive responder,” that simply means they responded notably effectively to 1 specific coaching program. Equally, if somebody is recognized as a “low responder,” that simply means they responded notably poorly to a selected coaching program. Over the course of your coaching profession, I’m positive you may consider durations the place you had been making speedy progress, and durations when your outcomes had been stagnating (and even regressing). If a researcher took a snapshot of your coaching at varied factors in your lifting profession, they may establish you as a excessive responder generally, and a low responder different instances. Thus, the label doesn’t appear notably significant, as a result of your innate means to reply to coaching didn’t change – you had been the identical organic organism the entire time (I assume). Within the current examine, if the median break up approach to establish excessive versus low responders was repeated after the topics accomplished all 24 weeks of coaching, a full third of the topics would have switched teams (Desk 4). 4 of the “excessive responders” (inside the prime 50% of responders) after 12 weeks of coaching would have been categorized as “low responders”  (inside the backside 50% of responders) after 24 weeks of coaching; equally, 4 of the low responders after 12 weeks of coaching would have been categorized as excessive responders after 24 weeks of coaching. After finishing a single coaching program, we actually don’t know if a selected particular person is a excessive or low responder to coaching in a normal sense. Moreover, it’s price noting that nearly all topics ended up accruing a considerable quantity of lean mass over the course of the examine. It’s not unusual for research to report that roughly 1/third of topics are “nonresponders” – individuals who both lose muscle, or expertise beneficial properties that fall under the boundaries of dependable detectability. Within the current examine, 7 out of 24 topics (29%) both had reductions in lean mass, or will increase smaller than 1.3% (the decrease finish of dependable detectability for the DXA used for lean mass measurements) after the primary 12 weeks of coaching. Nonetheless, after giving low responders the chance to strive a brand new coaching program for an extra 12 weeks, solely two topics (8%) would have been categorised as nonresponders in any case 24 weeks of coaching. With all of that in thoughts, I believe most classifications of “excessive responders,” “low responders,” and “nonresponders” are basically bunk. At minimal, there’s not nice proof that such a classification is especially persistent or dependable, and the current examine supplies proof that such classifications will not be persistent or dependable.

Lastly, simply to handle a possible criticism of this text, I’m positive some readers could also be involved that the topics of the current examine had been untrained postmenopausal ladies. First, I don’t suppose that’s inherently a limitation; postmenopausal ladies do exist, in any case, and a few of them learn Stronger By Science. So, even when the outcomes of this examine don’t generalize past that inhabitants, the outcomes are definitely nonetheless precious. Second, and extra importantly, I do suspect that the outcomes of the current examine will generalize to different populations. In research on older adults, I’m primarily involved about three issues when assessing whether or not the outcomes are prone to generalize: 1) are the topics wholesome sufficient to deal with a strong coaching stimulus, 2) are the outcomes broadly in step with research on different populations, and three) are the topics so previous that they merely don’t expertise a strong coaching response anymore. This examine ticks all three containers. First, the topics had been finishing 18 units of quad coaching to failure (or close to failure) per week, so that they had been clearly able to dealing with some fairly difficult coaching. Second, it’s very well-established in quite a lot of populations (together with each skilled and untrained lifters) that moderate-load and low-load coaching produce related hypertrophy, on common. That was the principle level of intersection between the current examine and the broader literature, and the outcomes of the current examine had been completely in step with the broader literature. Third, the topics clearly skilled a strong hypertrophy response: thigh lean mushy tissue mass elevated by a mean of 0.7kg (7.6%) over 24 weeks of coaching. A 2020 meta-analysis discovered that whole-body lean mass will increase by about 1.5kg (about 2.5%) after about 10 weeks of coaching, on common, in topics between 18 and 40 years previous (14). You’ll be able to’t make a strict apples-to-apples comparability between these two figures – thigh lean mushy tissue mass isn’t an identical to whole-body lean mass, and 24 weeks is for much longer than 10 weeks – however they’re definitely in the identical normal ballpark. Thus, whereas I’d definitely prefer to see these outcomes replicated in different populations, I’m not too terribly involved a couple of lack of generalizability.

Subsequent Steps

I’d like to see the current outcomes replicated in different populations. I’d additionally like to see this identical examine design utilized to different coaching approaches. As simply one among many potential potentialities, I’d like to see a examine investigating whether or not individuals really get desensitized to coaching quantity over time. There’s a well-liked concept proposing that in case your coaching quantity creeps too excessive, you’ll be unable to proceed constructing muscle in the event you strive shifting to a lower-volume method. A crossover examine may examine that declare. One group may carry out 12 weeks of high-volume coaching (perhaps 20 units per muscle group per week), adopted by 12 weeks of lower-volume coaching (perhaps 10 units per muscle group per week). One other group would full the identical blocks of coaching within the reverse order (decrease quantity adopted by increased quantity). The examine may examine whole muscle progress over the total 24 weeks of coaching, and in addition study whether or not the high-volume-to-low-volume group was unable to proceed constructing muscle through the decrease quantity block of coaching. 

Software and Takeaways

If moderate-load coaching isn’t serving to you construct muscle on the charge you’d like, low-load coaching would possibly simply enable you recover from your plateau. Regardless that low-load and moderate-load coaching are equally efficient at constructing muscle, on common, that doesn’t essentially imply that your particular person outcomes will likely be related with each approaches. The current examine demonstrates that how effectively you reply to coaching at one depth isn’t predictive of how effectively you’ll reply to coaching at a really completely different depth.

References

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2. In the course of the very first week of coaching, topics solely accomplished one set per train. They accomplished two units per train in week 2. They accomplished three units per train within the subsequent 22 weeks of coaching.
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15. The precise time period used within the examine was “thigh free-bone LBM.” I’m fairly positive they meant lean mushy tissue mass of the thigh (all the lean mass of the thigh, minus bone mass – lean mushy tissue mass is the commonest time period for this), however I’m not 100% constructive.