I boxed most of my life and was about 160-170. Sparred a dude who was 240 and knew nothing but showed up for a training session. He threw one wild punch that I braced for and he still cracked my rib. Size matters. Now, 13 years later after realizing this and building size, im 240. If you see a guy named Mario with glasses, LMK.
I've been plateaued at 160 on bench for a while now, and honestly, the point of activating too many muscles makes so much sense. It explains why some attempts are pure locks, and some go and work. Sounds like some mind muscle connection work is in order.
For ppl love competing in PL, it's probably not a great idea to compete often early on, as hypertrophy phase would get shrunk down due to competition schedule. This video exactly implies that its smart to compete when you are at least early advanced.
Yep. In the beginning, you have to focus more on getting better than showing it off. Because what's to show off in the beginning? Not much? And what's to improve? EVERYTHING! - Dr. Mike
re: Get Bigger Analogy. My second car was a 1997 V6 firebird. Coming from a 93 camry is was sexy as hell and I started to really learn about auto performance for the first time. Went on some forums and asked "Hey, I'm looking into cold air intake, exhast, ignition, etc. What should I do first to go fast?" Literally every time I asked the answer was "Get a V8."
After finding the short about size equals strength, I followed up and find this video and realize I need switch to hypertrophy to progress gaining strength. This may have saved me a lot time! Thanks!
This is pretty much exactly what I did for the past 6 months or so! Got to a 365lbs for 5x10 squat, and a 380lbs for 5x8 DL (always had a strong bench and upper body, but lower body has always lagged for me), and I’m just switching back to strength training. It’s funny because Doctor Mike is totally right, heavy weights and low reps are a totally different ballgame than a weight you can handle for say a set of 8 or 10!
This video deserves millions of views. Nothing but straight facts and real world experience. Listen up young ones, this is the shit that takes years to learn.
When i first started lifting i noticed changes in the first 16 months but over the last 3 months i havent seen much change in my lifts and size of body. Im currently eating more and still going to the gym 5 times a week. I hope i can push through this tough stage.
A lot of pro talk, which is different for a newbie to understand, example, derivative lifts? Deficit dead’s? Sets of 3 to 6 reps, but how many sets? PR? Would love to be able to access this wonderful knowledge, but I am stumped by the pro talk.
Always under the impression that, train for hypertrophy, then deload and train for strength then back to hypertrophy, to get bigger and stronger in each mesocycle
There’s something to be said for training hypertrophy for several mesos in a row to accrue momentum. But when a trainee becomes resistant to volume, taking a strength meso to reset your sensitivity can be a good idea.
@@imsorrythankyouplease7613 Dr. Mike says this outright too. 7:45 - spend multiple months lifting and eating for hypertrophy. 9:10 - spend multiple months training that muscle for strength.
Great uploads Dr Mike. Question, I am in the middle of a hypertrophy phase right now. Fulll body 3 times per week with about 3-6 sets of 12 per body part for 36 sets total per workout. Gained probably 10-15 pounds so far. I am just under 200 lbs and have been eating 3800 calories without gaining any more weight over the past 4 weeks. Have upped the calories to 4300 2 weeks ago without the scale moving much. I'm still progressing on some exercises but have stalled on others. I cant fit much more calories into my day at this point and am unsure why I haven't been gaining weight. Is this something you have experienced before with the people you train and what did you do to resolve it? Currently deloading and plan on switching to a PPL program after. Is this a good idea or would a mini cut be a better idea? Thanks!
I have read that a mini cut would be a great idea in this situation. Your body will be ready to put on more weight if you spend maybe a month at -500 calories per day.
Dr. Mike, can you not just train different rep ranges during the week? For example, lets say you train chest 3x/week. Could Monday be 4 sets of 3-5 reps, Wednesday is 4 sets of 8-12 and Friday 4 sets of 12+ reps (perhaps as high as 20)?
Replace the 3-5 reps with 5-10 reps and that's what Dr. Mike essentially recommends in his hypertrophy articles (with lower reps/heavier weights first thing in the week and higher reps/lower weights at the end of the week.). If you haven't read those articles, I'd highly recommend it!
Great videos, love the channel! Is it still worthwhile doing hypertrophy mesos if your main goal is strength and you’ve been training for 10+ years so muscle gains are now minimal?
I doubt it would be worth it. You’re not going to put on any more size at this point. Unless you have a lagging muscle group. Then it would be worth doing a hypertrophy bulk.
How do you feel about conjugate/concurrent periodization where you do both hypertrophy and strength related work each week? Seems like you are pushing for a more block oriented style of training.
More reps eventually means your percent 1RM is not heavy enough to elicit strength adaptations. So if you're doing sets of 5 and increasing loads, you'll add more medium-term strength than starting at 5's and adding reps to get to 10s. - Dr. Mike
So we take Hypertrophy training and apply the same principles as previously talked about for 6-12 week mezzo-cycles starting with 4-6RIR, adding weight and sets each week to reach a final week of 0RIR, beyond failure, then reset and do this a number of times all in the 8-30 rep range and should end up being bigger than before Also - sad no big tip.
Hey yall could you make a video on how to take care of joint health? My elbows are starting to give me issues... probably a form issue, but curious if there's anything else i need to know! Thx
Going from 5-10 reps straight into sets of 3-6 reps after 2 months, or going slowly by adding a few pounds each week while decreasing the reps by 1 or 2 each week till you are at sets of 3?
I'd say add loads in your 5 to 10 phase until you're doing lots of sets of 6,7,8. Then, "switching to 6's" is just a matter of throwing on 10lbs cause you're already there, more or less. - Dr. Mike
I train concurrently so I do my heavy/speed work first then do hypertrophy work after. Doing the heavier work first allows you to get more out of the lighter work. And the saying goes that a bigger muscle has more strength potential, so tecnnically you gotta get the muscles bigger first, and then your strength work will teach you to use those new muscle fibers more effectively. But honestly just focus on steady progressive overload and you will be big and strong in the long run. Consistency and time spent lifting hard are #1
It regards to being in a surplus for hypertrophy - if you have a high body fat percentage, can you build muscle while not in a caloric surplus? If so, what's kind of the threshold where you you'll absolutely have to be in a surplus?
If you have a high body fat percentage you can probably get away with eating less carbohydrate and fat calories but don’t reduce your protein calories. You still need at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight for ideal protein synthesis.
@@jaysson1151 that's pretty much what I've been going with for the last 4 weeks. I think I'm gonna run with that until I stop seeing physical changes and hopefully it matches closely to a deload so I can decide whether to bulk or cut for the next mesocycle.
I have been doing High intensity training since 1 year like 5 to 10 reps..and from last 5 months my strength and size hasn't changed..what should i do?
Sorry using my girls RUclips. I'm 37 years old. I started working out 7 months ago. Stupid me went on testosterone for a cycle. After that cycle I added in some tren E and tri test. I was severely under weight at 115 at 36 years old. Now I'm 175 but I'm at a plateau right now and my appetite is shit! I feel like I'm not growing
Just a question. I am stuck at 100 kg ( high bar squats - medium stance ) 7 reps. I can do 109kg 4 reps. But stuck their. I am currently on a CUT though but want to work on my squat & deadlift strength. What do you suggest sir ?
@@taibro3868 I beg to differ, I have a 190kg Squat at 96kg bw and still am able to cut while increasing (I sport a bit of a protruding belly but far from obese). Programming, sleep=success
Strength is very task specific while volume will usually be the main driver of overall progress you want quite a bit of sets or repetitions week to week so you can practice the movements it is you want to specialize in
I need some help or guidance. I'm a skinny dude and recently got serious about putting muscle and size. I'm 6'1" btw. I went from 155 to 168 in a few months through focused hypertrophy training and calorie surplus. I don't like how much fat I'm putting on around my stomach area though. My arms are jacked, I look amazing in all my shirts, my back is filling out but when I take my shirt off I just look "skinny fat" I've been stuck at 168 for a few weeks now and I'm scared to up my calorie count again to put on that half a pound per week requirement. My end goal is to be around 190 15-20% body fat unless my body can handle less, it always has been able to but I've never had that much muscle before so idk.
I’ve had an almost identical weight gain over the past few months, from about 145 to 170, at 5’9”. You’re probably less fat than you think. Probably a decent idea to keep bulking a bit more, as long as you currently aren’t so fat that it’s hindering your training sessions. Or, you can maintain/do a mini cut, lose a bit of your belly fat, then gain again. Like I said, you’re probably less fat than you think.
@@haykkhulyan6201 yeah you're right, I've just never gained this much weight so it's different to me. Thought I'd always have my six pack and still gain size and weight but I'm seeing now that's not possible, atleast not on the time frame I'm working in
@@taibro3868 yeah I'm trying lol, my goal is atleast 190 like I said. Just don't like that lots of it is going to my belly. The rest of my upper body hasn't filled out enough to compensate I guess
You are a gift to the fitness industry. One of the best straight shooters and most entertaining channels out there.
Thank you! - Dr. Mike
facts
You kiss ass
Love the daily uploads. Nothing better than seeing Dr. Mike almost every day
@Jo Jo more like a really funny and weird uncle who has unreal knowledge on how to train😂
If you keep seeing the doctor often enough, maybe he will do your prostate exam
@@h3Xh3Xh3X he's not that kinda doctor Lennart
Actually I feel like I start losing my gains that day when a new video from dr Mike didn’t come up
Someone wants something in there mouth
I boxed most of my life and was about 160-170. Sparred a dude who was 240 and knew nothing but showed up for a training session. He threw one wild punch that I braced for and he still cracked my rib. Size matters. Now, 13 years later after realizing this and building size, im 240. If you see a guy named Mario with glasses, LMK.
lmao
Luigi looking for vengeance ☠️
I got the same experience, sob with 40lbs on me broke my orbital on our first sparring lmao
Currently working on getting the weight up lol, not there yet!
Mario saw this and stopped wearing glasses🤣
I've been plateaued at 160 on bench for a while now, and honestly, the point of activating too many muscles makes so much sense. It explains why some attempts are pure locks, and some go and work.
Sounds like some mind muscle connection work is in order.
Did you break your plateau?
@@xposex1052 Yes, I did! I'm now working up to more reps at 170
This was actually a phenomenal and succinct description of how to go from strength to hypertrophy and for how long and why.
6:00 this crystallizes everything you need to know
Especially if one is making their weakest muscles bigger, this results in the best progress.
For ppl love competing in PL, it's probably not a great idea to compete often early on, as hypertrophy phase would get shrunk down due to competition schedule. This video exactly implies that its smart to compete when you are at least early advanced.
Yep. In the beginning, you have to focus more on getting better than showing it off. Because what's to show off in the beginning? Not much? And what's to improve? EVERYTHING! - Dr. Mike
re: Get Bigger Analogy.
My second car was a 1997 V6 firebird. Coming from a 93 camry is was sexy as hell and I started to really learn about auto performance for the first time. Went on some forums and asked "Hey, I'm looking into cold air intake, exhast, ignition, etc. What should I do first to go fast?" Literally every time I asked the answer was "Get a V8."
After finding the short about size equals strength, I followed up and find this video and realize I need switch to hypertrophy to progress gaining strength. This may have saved me a lot time! Thanks!
This is pretty much exactly what I did for the past 6 months or so! Got to a 365lbs for 5x10 squat, and a 380lbs for 5x8 DL (always had a strong bench and upper body, but lower body has always lagged for me), and I’m just switching back to strength training. It’s funny because Doctor Mike is totally right, heavy weights and low reps are a totally different ballgame than a weight you can handle for say a set of 8 or 10!
Very cool! - Dr. Mike
I'm back in a strength phase now after doing a couple months of only hypertrophy work, and yeah, it's crazy how heavy that stuff feels now!
380 deadlift for 5 sets of 8? Jeez Man that’s unreal. I don’t know how you do it. I know I’ll never be able to do that.
@@GDoggy-em2xcthey say belief is a self-fulfilling prophecy, carefal what you say to yourself
I’m watching so much RP I’m starting to talk like Dr. Mike - “well gosh, I don’t know!”
The only channel I got that bell for and i actually click the video
You had me at 'eat at surplus', bro. Starting permabulk to 2500 total, thanks!
2500 only?
@@Fish-rm6nl Powerlifting Big 3 lifts total, not calories
@@lastsonofkrypton3918 Lol, ok.That's a lot xD
"plateau looking situation" beautiful...will use from now
best information on the INTERNET no doubt
Video idea: how to use strength to break through hypertrophy platues
Straight to the point and solves my issue while teaching us what to do. Quality video 🤲
This video deserves millions of views. Nothing but straight facts and real world experience. Listen up young ones, this is the shit that takes years to learn.
When i first started lifting i noticed changes in the first 16 months but over the last 3 months i havent seen much change in my lifts and size of body. Im currently eating more and still going to the gym 5 times a week. I hope i can push through this tough stage.
Time for a new programme maybe
God tier educator! Fuck yea, Dr. Mike!
Oh look, a video just for me at exactly the time I needed it! Thanks, Dr Mike!
Makes a ton of sense, Dr. Mike. 👍
A lot of pro talk, which is different for a newbie to understand, example, derivative lifts? Deficit dead’s? Sets of 3 to 6 reps, but how many sets? PR? Would love to be able to access this wonderful knowledge, but I am stumped by the pro talk.
Just golden information!
If you have been following the Doc since the beginning this video is common sense! 🤙
Dr.Mike Israetel us some good advice
Love this channel 😄
Always under the impression that, train for hypertrophy, then deload and train for strength then back to hypertrophy, to get bigger and stronger in each mesocycle
There’s something to be said for training hypertrophy for several mesos in a row to accrue momentum. But when a trainee becomes resistant to volume, taking a strength meso to reset your sensitivity can be a good idea.
This is def my philosophy. Build muscle to get stronger to build more muscle to get even stronger rinse repeat etc
Hypertrophy drives strength, not the other way around.
I agree with this a lot.
@@imsorrythankyouplease7613 Dr. Mike says this outright too.
7:45 - spend multiple months lifting and eating for hypertrophy.
9:10 - spend multiple months training that muscle for strength.
Should’ve brought this out in October with that thumbnail sir🧟♂️
Great uploads Dr Mike.
Question, I am in the middle of a hypertrophy phase right now. Fulll body 3 times per week with about 3-6 sets of 12 per body part for 36 sets total per workout. Gained probably 10-15 pounds so far. I am just under 200 lbs and have been eating 3800 calories without gaining any more weight over the past 4 weeks. Have upped the calories to 4300 2 weeks ago without the scale moving much. I'm still progressing on some exercises but have stalled on others. I cant fit much more calories into my day at this point and am unsure why I haven't been gaining weight. Is this something you have experienced before with the people you train and what did you do to resolve it? Currently deloading and plan on switching to a PPL program after. Is this a good idea or would a mini cut be a better idea? Thanks!
I have read that a mini cut would be a great idea in this situation. Your body will be ready to put on more weight if you spend maybe a month at -500 calories per day.
thanks once again for the free algorithm college!
Dr mike, can you please do a vid on “stunt” supplements? Perks and what to stay clear of?
Beautiful video. Thanks
Where would a fat loss diet fit into this hypertrophy->strength cycle?
You can probably put in a fat loss phase after having completed a post-strength cycle maintenance phase. If that makes sense 😅
Good shit, sir -- thank you!
Great video, thanks!
"blowing all your load" dude i was in the middle of an incline press set
Dr. Mike, can you not just train different rep ranges during the week? For example, lets say you train chest 3x/week. Could Monday be 4 sets of 3-5 reps, Wednesday is 4 sets of 8-12 and Friday 4 sets of 12+ reps (perhaps as high as 20)?
Replace the 3-5 reps with 5-10 reps and that's what Dr. Mike essentially recommends in his hypertrophy articles (with lower reps/heavier weights first thing in the week and higher reps/lower weights at the end of the week.). If you haven't read those articles, I'd highly recommend it!
Thats DUP. So probably.
That’s what I do. Full body Sets of 5 reps Monday sets of 8 reps Wednesday sets of 12 res Friday. Works amazing for me
Great topic!
Great videos, love the channel! Is it still worthwhile doing hypertrophy mesos if your main goal is strength and you’ve been training for 10+ years so muscle gains are now minimal?
I doubt it would be worth it. You’re not going to put on any more size at this point. Unless you have a lagging muscle group. Then it would be worth doing a hypertrophy bulk.
How do you feel about conjugate/concurrent periodization where you do both hypertrophy and strength related work each week? Seems like you are pushing for a more block oriented style of training.
My hunch is the more advanced you get, the more specialized/block oriented your training needs to be. I'm no expert though.
He spoke on this a bit with tate on elitefts table talk
Good stuff. Question: difference between more sets of five vs. more reps at same number of sets?
More reps eventually means your percent 1RM is not heavy enough to elicit strength adaptations. So if you're doing sets of 5 and increasing loads, you'll add more medium-term strength than starting at 5's and adding reps to get to 10s. - Dr. Mike
the best info 🎉❤
Neraul adaptations. Cool I've been trying to explain this shit to my friend for months now
Awesome video. Almost like 5-3-1 BBB
So we take Hypertrophy training and apply the same principles as previously talked about for 6-12 week mezzo-cycles starting with 4-6RIR, adding weight and sets each week to reach a final week of 0RIR, beyond failure, then reset and do this a number of times all in the 8-30 rep range and should end up being bigger than before
Also - sad no big tip.
Dr Mike looking lean!
Super helpful thank you 💪
what if i only ever trained in hypertrophy range? i only do 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps for every exercise. yes, sit ups aswell 😅
If I ever meet you doc i'm gonna kiss that big beautiful bald head just because you made this video.
Hey yall could you make a video on how to take care of joint health? My elbows are starting to give me issues... probably a form issue, but curious if there's anything else i need to know! Thx
❤love this thank 🙏💕 you Mike
this guys great
Love your ig ! 🤣
Legend
3:12 but then DJ submitted a 250lb dude who also is a brown belt in BJJ is hilarious
Going from 5-10 reps straight into sets of 3-6 reps after 2 months, or going slowly by adding a few pounds each week while decreasing the reps by 1 or 2 each week till you are at sets of 3?
I'd say add loads in your 5 to 10 phase until you're doing lots of sets of 6,7,8. Then, "switching to 6's" is just a matter of throwing on 10lbs cause you're already there, more or less. - Dr. Mike
@@RenaissancePeriodization
Exactly what I thought, thanks alot!
Wouldn’t there be a deload in-between these switches? By the time you’ve reached 6,7,8 in hypertrophy phase, you’d be at 0-1 RIR
What would be the effects of doing strength first and hypertrophy later? Stronger muscles=more muscles later?
I train concurrently so I do my heavy/speed work first then do hypertrophy work after. Doing the heavier work first allows you to get more out of the lighter work. And the saying goes that a bigger muscle has more strength potential, so tecnnically you gotta get the muscles bigger first, and then your strength work will teach you to use those new muscle fibers more effectively. But honestly just focus on steady progressive overload and you will be big and strong in the long run. Consistency and time spent lifting hard are #1
@@StrengthHacksCoaching I'm the same - heavy lifts first and pump/reps/etc later.
"Thought this was a strength series and we're back to hypertrophy.." *darth vader nooo.mp4*
In other, you can only upgrade the starter weapon for so long
hey a jiu jitsu shirt
I get it now only took 36 yrs
#trainandshutthefuckup love it. Brb breaking plateaus with my thick skull
It regards to being in a surplus for hypertrophy - if you have a high body fat percentage, can you build muscle while not in a caloric surplus? If so, what's kind of the threshold where you you'll absolutely have to be in a surplus?
If you have a high body fat percentage you can probably get away with eating less carbohydrate and fat calories but don’t reduce your protein calories. You still need at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight for ideal protein synthesis.
@@jaysson1151 that's pretty much what I've been going with for the last 4 weeks. I think I'm gonna run with that until I stop seeing physical changes and hopefully it matches closely to a deload so I can decide whether to bulk or cut for the next mesocycle.
@@stenmin1234 cool 👍👍
I have been doing High intensity training since 1 year like 5 to 10 reps..and from last 5 months my strength and size hasn't changed..what should i do?
So if I’m interpreting this correctly, you wanna do 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps to get that size, then switch to 3-5 sets of 3-6 reps?
Can you make a video on junk volume?
also why did i red "renovate taverns" on your shirt?
Sorry using my girls RUclips. I'm 37 years old. I started working out 7 months ago. Stupid me went on testosterone for a cycle. After that cycle I added in some tren E and tri test. I was severely under weight at 115 at 36 years old. Now I'm 175 but I'm at a plateau right now and my appetite is shit! I feel like I'm not growing
Get off gear, learn how to diet and train properly to get a good foundation. Fool
I love breaking though plateaus lol
Meat moves metal!!
Thanks
Just a question. I am stuck at 100 kg ( high bar squats - medium stance ) 7 reps. I can do 109kg 4 reps. But stuck their. I am currently on a CUT though but want to work on my squat & deadlift strength. What do you suggest sir ?
Why are you cutting at that level of strength
Unless you are overweight with a poor body composition, I wouldn’t even bother with cutting down at that level of strength.
What is your estimated body fat percentage and bmi?
@@taibro3868 I beg to differ, I have a 190kg Squat at 96kg bw and still am able to cut while increasing (I sport a bit of a protruding belly but far from obese). Programming, sleep=success
Hold onto all you can on your cut, then do hypertrophy training (sets of 5-12 reps) for a few months and you're likely to break through! - Dr. Mike
getting stronger in the 5-10 rep ranges meaning by adding weight to the bar?
can I still go for pr's whilst in the 5-10 hypertrophy phase?
2:44 LOL
Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.
You said a single myorep set works about as well as multiple sets with rest for Hypertrophy. Is this the same for strength?
Strength is very task specific while volume will usually be the main driver of overall progress you want quite a bit of sets or repetitions week to week so you can practice the movements it is you want to specialize in
Nah. I wouldn't do myoreps for strength because they are too light. - Dr. Mike
I need some help or guidance. I'm a skinny dude and recently got serious about putting muscle and size. I'm 6'1" btw. I went from 155 to 168 in a few months through focused hypertrophy training and calorie surplus. I don't like how much fat I'm putting on around my stomach area though. My arms are jacked, I look amazing in all my shirts, my back is filling out but when I take my shirt off I just look "skinny fat" I've been stuck at 168 for a few weeks now and I'm scared to up my calorie count again to put on that half a pound per week requirement. My end goal is to be around 190 15-20% body fat unless my body can handle less, it always has been able to but I've never had that much muscle before so idk.
I’ve had an almost identical weight gain over the past few months, from about 145 to 170, at 5’9”. You’re probably less fat than you think. Probably a decent idea to keep bulking a bit more, as long as you currently aren’t so fat that it’s hindering your training sessions. Or, you can maintain/do a mini cut, lose a bit of your belly fat, then gain again. Like I said, you’re probably less fat than you think.
@@haykkhulyan6201 yeah you're right, I've just never gained this much weight so it's different to me. Thought I'd always have my six pack and still gain size and weight but I'm seeing now that's not possible, atleast not on the time frame I'm working in
@@LeslieWorks You are 168lbs. Thats very skinny for 6'2. You need to fill out that frame
@@taibro3868 yeah I'm trying lol, my goal is atleast 190 like I said. Just don't like that lots of it is going to my belly. The rest of my upper body hasn't filled out enough to compensate I guess
@@taibro3868 agreed, im 6'8 355, and not fat. I woukd get to 200 before worrying about cutting
I just wanna fill out the a4 gi with muscle can you help me dr mike?!
I used to train in Tang Soo whateverthephek
3:14 Khabib wants to know your location
lol I love it.
3:14 Mikey Musumeci wants to know your location
Kinda like the swearing, feels more natural
Algo
Algorithm for revenue!
Lol the entire fight argument part should be removed u started to sound like that Bradley Martin guy he's 260 bro