Dude, RP has changed my WHOLE APPROACH to training, radically, for the better. And I can't wait to tweak and improve my mesos, meso to meso. Besides providing awesome knowledge in a clear and entertaining way, you guys make training so much fun for so much longer! I've always been pretty motivated with the iron game, but now... it's just on a whole other level. Thank you so much, tovarich Israetel 🙇🏻♂️
Yeah I couldn't agree more. I've been obsessed with watching RP vids and lectures for the past few months and it's also changed my entire approach to training for the better. Mesos are much more structured and now I know how to subjectively/objectively tweak training over the weeks. So much more enjoyable.
Genuinely appreciative of this type of break down approach. Getting my exercise science degree and the way this was broken down so practically makes it much easier to dissect the material. This and the periodization explained were very helpful for some of my projects.
This is totally true, I just started going to the gym in dec, didn't know much, but I trained as much as I could and after 3 months, the fatigue caught up with me and I had to rest for a week and start a bit easy again. Found these videos late last year and it broke things down so easily for me and made it effortless to go to the gym. Just understanding how to know if I'm improving and all that. Greatly appreciate this channel!
And here I was just training week after week and wondering why I felt like shit and was losing progress. Glad to know this is normal -- time to give this deload thing a try.
Dr. Mike, I am usually a lurker but I honestly have to say... I love you, even though you don't know me. Your videos are more than I could ask for, and for someone who wants to learn more about training and other stuff related, this channel is a fucking banger. My whole approach to training has changed for the better in so many ways, I could write a fucking book on it, but I won't 'cause it would suck ass. Anyway, just wanted to show my appreciation for your work, and for making us laugh while we learn. You're the man! Thank you.
I'm an old man and my training has exponentially improved even this late in the game because of Dr. Mike and his "son," Jared. Having said that, the info in bullet points 4 of this particular lecture is a fckin' gem that if followed will literally require muscle growth to occur. This channel is a gold mine.
I just got the RP app. I have been working out 20 years off and on and only deload on days I am hungover but somehow make it to the gym. Suppose time for a change
I think people should listen to their body more. I’m an advanced lifter. I’ve been lifting for 20 years and been obsessed with learning as much as I can from the beginning to train smarter and harder. I think your body tells you a lot once you’re in tune. It tells you how heavenly to go, how many sets/ reps. If you listen to the mind muscle connection you can tell when you no longer feel it. You can tell when to rest and or when you need an extra day. I train super hard and I shoot for 3 days on 1 off in all my splits. I almost can’t train on day 4 because I can’t get out of bed early, I’m exhausted and sore all day. But I listen to my body and if I feel like I can go 4 day then I do an extra day. I also listen if I need 2 days off instead of 1. I just did 4 on 1 off then went back yesterday exhausted and weak so I did 4om 1 off 1 on then another day off because my body needs it. I think sticking to 5 on 2 off isn’t the most ideal split. If you’re training super hard you’re going to be dead by Thursday and Friday and your workouts are going to suffer. Having a day more frequently keeps the intensity up.
Thing is most don't even realize something is wrong. MOST of the people i know are GYM BROS and they just go to the gym and lift mad weight and just crash and learn and repeat thats their whole thing and they dont really work hard and just lift mad weight and say i worked hard and then they resort to PEDs coz they want to get huge and thats the story of their journey like most of the GymBros i know. Now these guys are on PEDs and they dont even understand why they feel like crap and just chalk it off to im a very fragile hooman being and i get sick alot like NOPE thats PEDs side effects and they dont even realized it so they are trap on a spiral. Then come ME, i stopped working out for 10 years so i was so out of shape its disgusting but i know how to train properly so they call me weak and an oddball but by month 8 i literally beat all of them except one dude, the biggest and he called me weak and im almost at his level even though he does PEDs and i dont so thats the usual scenario on every gym i went to. Its rare to find a gym packed with people that knows how to train so dont be surprised why theres just a few of us out there. Another kick in the nuts. Most of them dont even know what Spinal Erectors are and how important it is and most of the strong gym bros i know use 80 lbs for WARM UP so yeah i can already see it that SOON these guys are gonna tear something and they wont come back to the gym ever again.
This is good info. I know this is a year old, but new to me. I just hit 12 weeks as new again lifter, and looking at my session volume it is starting to flatline. My son who is 14 and 8 weeks in seems to be going backward. We will try a deload week, and see if that helps him not be completely gassed half way through the session, and reboot my volume gains.
Hey Mike, RP team, First, thanks for the great content, as always! Second, I have a question related to RIRs - in a lot of the videos that mention deloads, mesocycles, etc. you consistently mention a pattern of going from 3 (rarely 4) to 0 RIR in the span of one mesocycle. However in other videos, mostly in the context of programming based on different levels of the trainee, you've mentioned that beginners should not fall below 2 RIR and mostly train in the 4-2 range. Can I safely assume that when you use 3-0 in your examples, I can substitute this with 4-2 for beginners? Also, how strict are the recommendations for those 4-2 ranges, because to me it seems like a balancing act between getting the best possible results and not overdoing it too early? Thanks in advance!
Thanks for another great video Dr. Mike. I was wondering what you would recommend if I'm trying to get my strength training in and also do boxing training. I watched your video on "functional" mma training where you said to strength train and then move to sports training when competition comes up. But what if you don't compete and just spar for shits and giggles? Did strength training but then my legs would be completely shot during sparring so I've been skipping leg day because of it
It's all about tradeoffs. I wouldn't skip leg day, but I would maybe do less leg volume and work on heavier loads and fewer reps, and also do leg day AFTER bigger boxing days or spread far apart in the day so that you can be fresher for boxing. - Dr. Mike
I’ve watched a fair amount of RP videos and what I am confused about is sets. So increase load or Reps, but never number of sets ? If so how do you choose the number of sets, and why Reps not sets
Great video Dr mike . I was wondering if anyone could help answer me a question on this topic . I consider myself an intermediate, I usually stay around 15-20 sets a body part every week , but I’m continually getting stronger and increasing the weight every week. Do I need to keep adding sets every week to grow , or if im still adding weight every week is it fine ??
If your getting stronger every week then your definitely working with your MAV (Maximum adaptive volume) so you will definitely be providing growth stimulus, you may be able to add volume if you measure the proxies listed in mike's "how much volume" etc videos, but if you are adding weight to the bar every week you are still technically adding volume because volume = set x rep x load x distance thus providing more stimulus each week to match the climbing MAV. Sometimes being able to add load every week is a sign that fatigue is very low and it's not masking your performance at all, so you could have room for more volume - but use the RP guides to adjust your volume so you don't accidently overreach early by just adding random sets.
Adding weight every week is the best position to be in. It's incredibly fun to be getting stronger and stronger. Keep doing what you're doing and pay attention to when to deload
Hey Dr. Mike, I don't rlly know if you're gonna answer, but I have a question. I'm planning on starting a 5:1 meso where my RIR transitions from 3,2,1,1,0, deload. But when I train in the 2 to 3 RIR range, I don't really get a pump and the fatigue and intensity isn't really there. I'm aware that progresses throughout the meso... but I kind of just feel bad training that way and it isn't very fun training without getting a pump for a whole 1-2 weeks. Is it supposed to be that way? If it is, I'm ok with sacrificing enjoyment for the sake of gains, but I'm just curious. I'm so used to just training to and beyond failure every single set and absolutely toasting my muscles every single time I enter the gym.
Gordon Ramsays stuffed croissant video vs this? When you're going from a mini cut into mass gain block, you best believe I chose both 😉💪🏾😎 P. S. Scary good timing RP (going into a deload then mass gain next week) thank you for all the free applicable knowledge you put out 💪🏾🙏🏾👍🏾 (this video is about 100x more useful for my mass gain block though... Stuffed croissants? Not so much 🤭😅)
RP Family- Can anyone tell me what software Dr Mike is using for these video lectures? That allows video and the slideshow picture in picture like this? Thank you in advance! Thanks Dr Mike and RP for the great content as well!
i make youtube videos man, he can literally be using any program, all that he is doing is having a picture over his video, from what i know all video editing programs have this ability. you would just make that slide, take a pic of it, and then overlay it into the video
@@AGPKPHP no prob bro, i actually suspect what he does is the exact following 1) he has a camera recording himself 2) he screen records his laptop power point 3) he then takes the video of the power point (note that most of the time the "video" is a still image), and overlays it into his video, essentially it's a video within a video, and the video happens to just be a screen recording of that powerpoint
So is a deload a light workout for a week, or no lifting at all for a week? This is the first yr I've been consistent at all in the last 10 and I've been doing blocks of 8 weeks on and then a week of light lifting, then right back to 8 weeks. It's 2 full body workouts a week so I'm not going full hulk mode lifting everyday but I make them count. I'm about to start a 10 week 3 day plan with a week of active rest in between the strength phase and power phase.
For deloads what worked for me while I was working with a well known coach was we would take all working weights and reduce them to 70% so 100lbs goes down to 70lbs. and reps stayed the same but sets were cut by half or more. If I was doing 4 sets at an exercise it's 2 for deload and if it was 3 then it's 1 on deload week. Honestly the deload workouts just felt like a good warm-up but the following week I would be smashing new weights and keep making progress. Also mentally deloads are a wonderful break but kinda make me feel like I'm cheating or wasting my time.
What if you're unable to increase reps and weight but still able to match previous week's numbers on the same rir week to week while increasing set numbers? Does that call for a deload?
Not yet but nearly Unless you are training for strength Though a deload at that point for hypertrophy wouldn't hurt either, just you could go another week or two.... maybe. If you can recover in time and you at least match your last numbers (while keeping form the same) then sure, but perhaps a deload will boost the strength and make the next weeks more productive than the two without the deload would have been. Hard [for me] to say for sure though
If you're doing 12 week mesos it's fine adding one set per week if you are starting at MEV. But what if you are doing a 4 week meso? Do you add 2 to 3 sets each week to go from MEV to MRV? O
Autoregulation, there's an RP article on the website on it under the training volume landmarks, chances are if your having to forcibly add tons of volume every week like that to hit an arbitrary choice mesocycle length it's probably too short for you, start a meso at MEV and autoregulate until you need to deload, then you will get your mesocycle length, it's based alot on individualisation (fibre types, fatigue accumulation rate etc.) and lifestyle, diet circumstances. For example during a massing phase i can push 5-6 weeks before needing to deload, during a diet or prep my MEV-MRV window is much shorter and I often can't push more than 4 weeks without dying. Always start at MEV and assess over the meso to dictate meso length, you'll find some meso's will be longer than others, stuff like work stress, or maybe one meso you just really nail your fatigue management and get an extra week or two of accumulation.
Do you think there's a difference on what the length should be if you're cutting vs massing vs maintenance? Should one phase be a shorter but more aggressive meso while another is longer and less aggressive?
Can anyone answer me this: If I start a training block and feel like I can do 3 sets of x reps with 3 reps in reserve, when I'm getting to the end of the cycle can I reduce the number of sets (e.g., just 2), since I will be pushing the exercise to 0 reps in reserve? I feel like those all-out sets knock me out and I need to reduce the volume just to get through the workout.
After watching many of RP‘s lectures I would say probably not, since volume is the main driver of hypertrophy and you also don‘t want to lower the stimulus as the meso progresses. I think Mike said something along those lines, but I can‘t remember the video
You know what’s crazy? I did like 4 years of intense working out for sports in highschool, took several years off in my early adult hood and just returned to working out consistently about 3-4 months ago, and I’ve never heard mesocycles referenced until finding this channel. I’m sure I did this intuitively to some degree, but I’m intrigued to put this to use consciously and see the results. Thanks for the great info brotha!
Been doing this for the past year and a half since I read your Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy, and I have to say that 4-5 weeks is my sweet spot. And being able to auto-regulate base on how I'm feeling has been a total Godsend. If I'm feeling wrecked, I'll end it at 4 weeks on target. But if I'm feeling pretty strong I'll keep it going for another week, adding weight and reps and sets each week. Also... when I was younger I never planned deloads, mainly because I didn't want to miss out on any gains, and I got hurt... Which really delayed my goals for a few years. Deloads, and a focus on recovery has really given me a new joy into lifting for me. My joints don't hurt, my lifts continue to get stronger, and my body is looking like I've always wanted it too. Thanks Dr. Mike and for all that you guys at RP do. Radically changed my lifting for the better.
I used to think of Mesocycle planning as overkill but then I realized how it's just a name for an integral part of natural progression. You can plan your mesos or you can let them have their way with you. You will deload either way if you're training hard. I've just chosen to a plan on how to approach mine. Just another way to organize and track my progress.
Oh yeah, and what a fantastic video as usual. The timing is perfect also as I'm planning my first training program on my own and need all the help I can get. Thanks Dr. Mike. You sir are the Wayne Gretzky of Hypertrophy Training. (I think he played hockey or something, idfk I'm American)
This RP’s principle of fine tuning mesocycle progressive loading and deloading has change the way I approach training, not only for weight training, but also for my cycling endurance training. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 thank you very much dr. Mike
While pushing strength as the first priority I know I can, with the loads I'm using currently, push for 5 weeks at the time and then need to take a lighter week. Now with switching to more hyperthrophy focused training I've just started week 8 without any signs of slowing down. Ofc I've made few adjustments along the way, but still the big picture remains the same. The new stimulus, higher reps, new movements and pushing the sets to 2-0 RIR coupled with increased calories makes me feel like a juggernaut. Tiny juggernaut, but still.
Is 25lb an ok range for loading and de-loading? You were talking about super heavy training and then de-loading, but right now my heavy weight is about 95lb and my light weight for de-loading is about 70lb. Thank you!
Yeah, that’s probably fine in your situation. Dr. Mike has some really detailed videos on deloading, but the important thing is that those sessions should be way easier than what you normally do, so you can rest up and come back strong the next week. General process is to reduce the weight, sets, and/or reps by 1/3 to 1/2. It should leave you feeling like you got some good movement in, but you’re not particularly tired and you didn’t have to push yourself.
its problematic for me to know when to deload because my job is physicaly demanding so when im tired i never know if it has something to do with training or just with a job...then its kind of thing of the mindset for me, to allways be able to push through and train...like 95% of the time, i feel better afterwards, so idk...
Optimal mesocycle length ... hahahaha. I'm happy if my kids don't bring another killer virus from daycare every other week and I can train for even 3 to 4 weeks without forced 'deload'. (Sad truths aside: thanks for the great content!)
Really appreciate Dr. Mike's power point videos. 28-30 minutes of video, however, fast forward and read through presenation, catch high-lights, get it done in 5 minutes
Do U really think, this periodization works? I've asked three olympians and everyone told me they've never touched this system and they're way bigger than these scientists. I also think this way of RIR training is for people who arent motivated enough to really train hard everytime they hit the gym.
Lateral raises? Oh... great! 1. Scapular plane. 2. Then someone told me that's not healthy so I put the DB more in front. 3. After this the trend went to "lean a bit more forward, bro" 4. Then I had to hold myself somewhere to get this leaning raises done. 5. And now I should lean in the opposite direction... Looking forward to the next iteration of this exercise. And, as a sidenote, I am meanwhile back to the first variation of the list - for some abnormal reason it works best for me. But of course I will test the new flavour.
I’m a little confused about RIR. Does this mean I should never go to failure on any exercise until end of meso cycle? Usually I try to go to failure on last set of at least one or two exercises out of ~3-4 total exercises per muscle group
I was wondering, if i take like 4 days of complete breaks from training (due to not sleeping from having a newborn) or maybe im sick for a week or two, do i still need deloads? Its very confusing to me right now
Fair question. This is a science-heavy channel, though. Training by feel makes it too subjective, when what Mike is trying to do is school folks on the science of the best training for the best results.
For deloads what worked for me while I was working with a well known coach was we would take all working weights and reduce them to 70% so 100lbs goes down to 70lbs. and reps stayed the same but sets were cut by half or more. If I was doing 4 sets at an exercise it's 2 for deload and if it was 3 then it's 1 on deload week. Honestly the deload workouts just felt like a good warm-up but the following week I would be smashing new weights and keep making progress. Also mentally deloads are a wonderful break but kinda make me feel like I'm cheating or wasting my time.
Can you make a video on improving overall recovery time? I've seen some other videos that give pretty basic advice like getting enough sleep and eating enough protein, but I have a family history of auto-immune disorders/high inflammation levels and I find my muscles take wayyy longer to recover than most people's seem to and it's making it difficult to get enough quality sets in each week. Is foam rolling mostly hype or genuinely effective? Should I add a supplement like turmeric to help or is that overrated? Are influencers just lying about how many sets they're actually doing? Am I just going 0-100 way too fast, and how do I know if that's the reason why I'm taking so long to recover? Great video, as always! I learn so much from you and your approach is so engaging and fun!
It’s not fancy but if you’re relatively new to training then it’ll take your muscles longer to recover especially if you’re controlling the negative portion of the rep. I cannot stress the importance of adequate protein intake and being in a calorie surplus and adequate sleep if you want to recover well and grow. Regarding turmeric and foam rolling… make sure you get an omega 3 with a high DHA content. This is far more evidence based for anti inflammatory properties and you need to consume an unbelievable amount of turmeric to get a therapeutic dose Stick with it, your journey is a marathon not a sprint (I wish I told my younger self that) enjoy the process and keep learning 👌
I have Psoratic arthritis, inflammation that flares chronic. Diet is key I train heavy Monday , Wednesday heavy , lite Friday half sech then swim 15-20 mins. Take a day off gym if you're really feeling unwell and resume. Deloading is probably between week 4-6 . I deload by half the reps and sets Monday & Wednesday, rest till Monday after that . Cut back on high Gi carbs and a Mediterranean diet is best. See a rheumatologist for medication and don't stress yourself , love is the best healer. Love everything.
Dude, RP has changed my WHOLE APPROACH to training, radically, for the better. And I can't wait to tweak and improve my mesos, meso to meso. Besides providing awesome knowledge in a clear and entertaining way, you guys make training so much fun for so much longer! I've always been pretty motivated with the iron game, but now... it's just on a whole other level. Thank you so much, tovarich Israetel 🙇🏻♂️
Our pleasure! - Dr. Mike
what he said !!!! thanks!!!
Yeah I couldn't agree more. I've been obsessed with watching RP vids and lectures for the past few months and it's also changed my entire approach to training for the better. Mesos are much more structured and now I know how to subjectively/objectively tweak training over the weeks. So much more enjoyable.
Welcome to the other side,for me as well,he is great!
qq
I have never come across an RP video or content that I do not find AMAZINGLY USEFUL. As always, great job Dr. Mike AKA FULL ROM KING.
Same here. Impressed to get such great content
Thank you! - Dr. Mike
I could honestly listen to dr mike talk about of topic stuff for hours
"We are here for serious knowledge, not my BS"
I like both.
Is there a channel with just bs? I’ll subscribe
I was going to say I’m TOTALLY here for his BS!
Without both I wouldn’t be such a big fan
Your videos are changing my training for the better. I thought i was bodybuilding for 2 years but i was doing strength training. You are the best.
Genuinely appreciative of this type of break down approach. Getting my exercise science degree and the way this was broken down so practically makes it much easier to dissect the material. This and the periodization explained were very helpful for some of my projects.
This is totally true, I just started going to the gym in dec, didn't know much, but I trained as much as I could and after 3 months, the fatigue caught up with me and I had to rest for a week and start a bit easy again. Found these videos late last year and it broke things down so easily for me and made it effortless to go to the gym. Just understanding how to know if I'm improving and all that. Greatly appreciate this channel!
And here I was just training week after week and wondering why I felt like shit and was losing progress. Glad to know this is normal -- time to give this deload thing a try.
Dr. Mike, I am usually a lurker but I honestly have to say... I love you, even though you don't know me. Your videos are more than I could ask for, and for someone who wants to learn more about training and other stuff related, this channel is a fucking banger. My whole approach to training has changed for the better in so many ways, I could write a fucking book on it, but I won't 'cause it would suck ass. Anyway, just wanted to show my appreciation for your work, and for making us laugh while we learn. You're the man! Thank you.
I'm an old man and my training has exponentially improved even this late in the game because of Dr. Mike and his "son," Jared.
Having said that, the info in bullet points 4 of this particular lecture is a fckin' gem that if followed will literally require muscle growth to occur.
This channel is a gold mine.
Thank sweet baby jesus for RP and Dr. Mike!
I just got the RP app. I have been working out 20 years off and on and only deload on days I am hungover but somehow make it to the gym. Suppose time for a change
As always, amazing content!!!
Awesome content for sure. You make it easy for someone to understand what does and doesn’t work. Thanks Dr. Mike
It's not a joke, it is an example so that it helps people understand what emphasizing a syllable is.
This is gold
I think people should listen to their body more. I’m an advanced lifter. I’ve been lifting for 20 years and been obsessed with learning as much as I can from the beginning to train smarter and harder. I think your body tells you a lot once you’re in tune. It tells you how heavenly to go, how many sets/ reps. If you listen to the mind muscle connection you can tell when you no longer feel it. You can tell when to rest and or when you need an extra day. I train super hard and I shoot for 3 days on 1 off in all my splits. I almost can’t train on day 4 because I can’t get out of bed early, I’m exhausted and sore all day. But I listen to my body and if I feel like I can go 4 day then I do an extra day. I also listen if I need 2 days off instead of 1. I just did 4 on 1 off then went back yesterday exhausted and weak so I did 4om 1 off 1 on then another day off because my body needs it. I think sticking to 5 on 2 off isn’t the most ideal split. If you’re training super hard you’re going to be dead by Thursday and Friday and your workouts are going to suffer. Having a day more frequently keeps the intensity up.
Thing is most don't even realize something is wrong. MOST of the people i know are GYM BROS and they just go to the gym and lift mad weight and just crash and learn and repeat thats their whole thing and they dont really work hard and just lift mad weight and say i worked hard and then they resort to PEDs coz they want to get huge and thats the story of their journey like most of the GymBros i know. Now these guys are on PEDs and they dont even understand why they feel like crap and just chalk it off to im a very fragile hooman being and i get sick alot like NOPE thats PEDs side effects and they dont even realized it so they are trap on a spiral. Then come ME, i stopped working out for 10 years so i was so out of shape its disgusting but i know how to train properly so they call me weak and an oddball but by month 8 i literally beat all of them except one dude, the biggest and he called me weak and im almost at his level even though he does PEDs and i dont so thats the usual scenario on every gym i went to. Its rare to find a gym packed with people that knows how to train so dont be surprised why theres just a few of us out there.
Another kick in the nuts. Most of them dont even know what Spinal Erectors are and how important it is and most of the strong gym bros i know use 80 lbs for WARM UP so yeah i can already see it that SOON these guys are gonna tear something and they wont come back to the gym ever again.
Excellent Dr Mike!!👌💪😎
Incredible information, thanks
Is Mike sir doing biceps curl in the thumbnail or is it a row??
This is good info. I know this is a year old, but new to me.
I just hit 12 weeks as new again lifter, and looking at my session volume it is starting to flatline. My son who is 14 and 8 weeks in seems to be going backward. We will try a deload week, and see if that helps him not be completely gassed half way through the session, and reboot my volume gains.
Hey Mike, RP team,
First, thanks for the great content, as always!
Second, I have a question related to RIRs - in a lot of the videos that mention deloads, mesocycles, etc. you consistently mention a pattern of going from 3 (rarely 4) to 0 RIR in the span of one mesocycle. However in other videos, mostly in the context of programming based on different levels of the trainee, you've mentioned that beginners should not fall below 2 RIR and mostly train in the 4-2 range. Can I safely assume that when you use 3-0 in your examples, I can substitute this with 4-2 for beginners? Also, how strict are the recommendations for those 4-2 ranges, because to me it seems like a balancing act between getting the best possible results and not overdoing it too early?
Thanks in advance!
Mike thinks I DON'T come here for his BS? How cringe, OMG...
Really thou, amazing informative video, flawless delivery, as usual.
Thanks for another great video Dr. Mike. I was wondering what you would recommend if I'm trying to get my strength training in and also do boxing training. I watched your video on "functional" mma training where you said to strength train and then move to sports training when competition comes up. But what if you don't compete and just spar for shits and giggles? Did strength training but then my legs would be completely shot during sparring so I've been skipping leg day because of it
It's all about tradeoffs. I wouldn't skip leg day, but I would maybe do less leg volume and work on heavier loads and fewer reps, and also do leg day AFTER bigger boxing days or spread far apart in the day so that you can be fresher for boxing. - Dr. Mike
We need a compilation of Dr Mike Israel outtakes and funny s*** now
I like Dr Mike.
You should post a video with ONLY your BS. That would be great. Would make many people happy. Perhaps even life changing.
Chef Dr. Mike: I got you bro.
Today i made my eccentrics 5 seconds long because of this guy 😂😂
Got a dad joke for Dr. Mike.
"A man walks into a bar,
...ouch"
you're welcome
Applause! - Dr. Mike
Does this apply to beginners? Who are consistently making gains month to month without deloading?
Yes once you stop making rapid gains start planning deloads to keep making gains and avoid injuries.
Me who just discovered the concept of deload after 2 years of lifting and wondering why i no longer can match some of my lifts:
*oh*
I’ve watched a fair amount of RP videos and what I am confused about is sets. So increase load or Reps, but never number of sets ? If so how do you choose the number of sets, and why Reps not sets
It's increase sets and load or reps. For me MEV is 10 sets per week per muscle group. MRV is between 18 and 22 sets after a 4 week accumulation.
Have just the video for you: ruclips.net/video/ZlVBSZYaVF0/видео.html
- Dr. Mike
Great video Dr mike . I was wondering if anyone could help answer me a question on this topic . I consider myself an intermediate, I usually stay around 15-20 sets a body part every week , but I’m continually getting stronger and increasing the weight every week. Do I need to keep adding sets every week to grow , or if im still adding weight every week is it fine ??
If your getting stronger every week then your definitely working with your MAV (Maximum adaptive volume) so you will definitely be providing growth stimulus, you may be able to add volume if you measure the proxies listed in mike's "how much volume" etc videos, but if you are adding weight to the bar every week you are still technically adding volume because volume = set x rep x load x distance thus providing more stimulus each week to match the climbing MAV. Sometimes being able to add load every week is a sign that fatigue is very low and it's not masking your performance at all, so you could have room for more volume - but use the RP guides to adjust your volume so you don't accidently overreach early by just adding random sets.
Adding weight every week is the best position to be in. It's incredibly fun to be getting stronger and stronger. Keep doing what you're doing and pay attention to when to deload
W content
Hey Dr. Mike, I don't rlly know if you're gonna answer, but I have a question. I'm planning on starting a 5:1 meso where my RIR transitions from 3,2,1,1,0, deload. But when I train in the 2 to 3 RIR range, I don't really get a pump and the fatigue and intensity isn't really there. I'm aware that progresses throughout the meso... but I kind of just feel bad training that way and it isn't very fun training without getting a pump for a whole 1-2 weeks. Is it supposed to be that way? If it is, I'm ok with sacrificing enjoyment for the sake of gains, but I'm just curious. I'm so used to just training to and beyond failure every single set and absolutely toasting my muscles every single time I enter the gym.
Gordon Ramsays stuffed croissant video vs this? When you're going from a mini cut into mass gain block, you best believe I chose both 😉💪🏾😎
P. S. Scary good timing RP (going into a deload then mass gain next week) thank you for all the free applicable knowledge you put out 💪🏾🙏🏾👍🏾
(this video is about 100x more useful for my mass gain block though... Stuffed croissants? Not so much 🤭😅)
RP Family- Can anyone tell me what software Dr Mike is using for these video lectures? That allows video and the slideshow picture in picture like this? Thank you in advance! Thanks Dr Mike and RP for the great content as well!
i make youtube videos man, he can literally be using any program, all that he is doing is having a picture over his video, from what i know all video editing programs have this ability. you would just make that slide, take a pic of it, and then overlay it into the video
@@stepbystepfitness3301 Legend, thanks mate!
@@AGPKPHP no prob bro, i actually suspect what he does is the exact following 1) he has a camera recording himself 2) he screen records his laptop power point 3) he then takes the video of the power point (note that most of the time the "video" is a still image), and overlays it into his video, essentially it's a video within a video, and the video happens to just be a screen recording of that powerpoint
Not only do I hate the use of "cringe" but I, too, also hate the emphasis / syllable joke. Austin Powers, right?
21:00
For the lambo
I love you
So is a deload a light workout for a week, or no lifting at all for a week? This is the first yr I've been consistent at all in the last 10 and I've been doing blocks of 8 weeks on and then a week of light lifting, then right back to 8 weeks. It's 2 full body workouts a week so I'm not going full hulk mode lifting everyday but I make them count. I'm about to start a 10 week 3 day plan with a week of active rest in between the strength phase and power phase.
For deloads what worked for me while I was working with a well known coach was we would take all working weights and reduce them to 70% so 100lbs goes down to 70lbs. and reps stayed the same but sets were cut by half or more. If I was doing 4 sets at an exercise it's 2 for deload and if it was 3 then it's 1 on deload week. Honestly the deload workouts just felt like a good warm-up but the following week I would be smashing new weights and keep making progress. Also mentally deloads are a wonderful break but kinda make me feel like I'm cheating or wasting my time.
What if you're unable to increase reps and weight but still able to match previous week's numbers on the same rir week to week while increasing set numbers? Does that call for a deload?
Not yet but nearly
Unless you are training for strength
Though a deload at that point for hypertrophy wouldn't hurt either, just you could go another week or two.... maybe. If you can recover in time and you at least match your last numbers (while keeping form the same) then sure, but perhaps a deload will boost the strength and make the next weeks more productive than the two without the deload would have been.
Hard [for me] to say for sure though
If you're doing 12 week mesos it's fine adding one set per week if you are starting at MEV. But what if you are doing a 4 week meso? Do you add 2 to 3 sets each week to go from MEV to MRV? O
Autoregulation, there's an RP article on the website on it under the training volume landmarks, chances are if your having to forcibly add tons of volume every week like that to hit an arbitrary choice mesocycle length it's probably too short for you, start a meso at MEV and autoregulate until you need to deload, then you will get your mesocycle length, it's based alot on individualisation (fibre types, fatigue accumulation rate etc.) and lifestyle, diet circumstances. For example during a massing phase i can push 5-6 weeks before needing to deload, during a diet or prep my MEV-MRV window is much shorter and I often can't push more than 4 weeks without dying. Always start at MEV and assess over the meso to dictate meso length, you'll find some meso's will be longer than others, stuff like work stress, or maybe one meso you just really nail your fatigue management and get an extra week or two of accumulation.
@@Jovahkiiin Ah, thanks a lot for your explanations. Helped a lot!
but wait isnt it beter to train on feeling? if you feel good for weeks just go hard and when you feel an bit low on energy just hit it less hard?
That's definitely a part of it, but ideally, you'd do a combination of thinking AND feeling. - Dr. Mike
Wait - you’re saying at times I shouldn’t be TRAINING HARDER THAN LAST TIME!?!?
Depends on scale
I get the joke though
Yes you should within a mesocycle
Do you think there's a difference on what the length should be if you're cutting vs massing vs maintenance? Should one phase be a shorter but more aggressive meso while another is longer and less aggressive?
You have to earn your deloads, and pancakes
is the syrup free?
God I love maple syrup
@@AngryOscillator that, in fact, is the incentive. U dnt hav to do anytthing for it. Just enjoy ur postworkout goodness w ur favorite training buddy😛
Can anyone answer me this: If I start a training block and feel like I can do 3 sets of x reps with 3 reps in reserve, when I'm getting to the end of the cycle can I reduce the number of sets (e.g., just 2), since I will be pushing the exercise to 0 reps in reserve? I feel like those all-out sets knock me out and I need to reduce the volume just to get through the workout.
After watching many of RP‘s lectures I would say probably not, since volume is the main driver of hypertrophy and you also don‘t want to lower the stimulus as the meso progresses. I think Mike said something along those lines, but I can‘t remember the video
Try it and see if it helps you progress after your deload happens.
Cringing at cringe is cringe.
TBF I’m here for your BS.
Whata cringee cringe joke, jus sayin muahhahahhaahhaa
Ngl that random boomer rant at the beginning was cringe
I come for both the bs and the knowledge Dr. Mike. its honestly a 60/40 mix for me at this point
@Combat Ace I mean, the obvious side tangent stories he was self-deprecating about. I love the weird stuff he comes up with sometimes
As a trainer cannot lie, I steal your knowledge and apply it individually to my clients. Feel like it’s taken me to the next level 🙌🏽
Who are you? Next level?
Smoking c**cm?
How much do you charge for training?
nothing stealing about it, that is how knowledge is passed down.
You know what’s crazy? I did like 4 years of intense working out for sports in highschool, took several years off in my early adult hood and just returned to working out consistently about 3-4 months ago, and I’ve never heard mesocycles referenced until finding this channel. I’m sure I did this intuitively to some degree, but I’m intrigued to put this to use consciously and see the results. Thanks for the great info brotha!
Been doing this for the past year and a half since I read your Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy, and I have to say that 4-5 weeks is my sweet spot. And being able to auto-regulate base on how I'm feeling has been a total Godsend. If I'm feeling wrecked, I'll end it at 4 weeks on target. But if I'm feeling pretty strong I'll keep it going for another week, adding weight and reps and sets each week.
Also... when I was younger I never planned deloads, mainly because I didn't want to miss out on any gains, and I got hurt... Which really delayed my goals for a few years. Deloads, and a focus on recovery has really given me a new joy into lifting for me. My joints don't hurt, my lifts continue to get stronger, and my body is looking like I've always wanted it too.
Thanks Dr. Mike and for all that you guys at RP do. Radically changed my lifting for the better.
Dude me too. I'd push for like 13 weeks and then get some sort of crazy illness and be fucked for 3 weeks. Instead of just deloading lol
I'm 4 weeks into a rough hypertrophy mesocycle. The timing of this video is impeccable, I needed this more than you know!
Tbh if I couldn't sleep for 3 days in Tokyo. I would enjoy the first day to the fullest. The 2 other days will be shit no matter what I do.
I used to think of Mesocycle planning as overkill but then I realized how it's just a name for an integral part of natural progression. You can plan your mesos or you can let them have their way with you. You will deload either way if you're training hard. I've just chosen to a plan on how to approach mine. Just another way to organize and track my progress.
Oh yeah, and what a fantastic video as usual. The timing is perfect also as I'm planning my first training program on my own and need all the help I can get. Thanks Dr. Mike. You sir are the Wayne Gretzky of Hypertrophy Training. (I think he played hockey or something, idfk I'm American)
master mike spitting facts back down the mic no one is safe from his verbal fury
Thanks for another great video Dr. Mike, your lectures(and humor) have changed my training completely!
Are you kidding me? I find you last week, already watched like 20 hours and searched like crazy for exact this topic. Thank you very much!
Same here man
same
This RP’s principle of fine tuning mesocycle progressive loading and deloading has change the way I approach training, not only for weight training, but also for my cycling endurance training. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 thank you very much dr. Mike
While pushing strength as the first priority I know I can, with the loads I'm using currently, push for 5 weeks at the time and then need to take a lighter week. Now with switching to more hyperthrophy focused training I've just started week 8 without any signs of slowing down. Ofc I've made few adjustments along the way, but still the big picture remains the same. The new stimulus, higher reps, new movements and pushing the sets to 2-0 RIR coupled with increased calories makes me feel like a juggernaut. Tiny juggernaut, but still.
Thanks
You shouldn't swear too much mike. You might get banned on youtube too 😂
PhD in training in under 30 minutes! Beautifully done as usual 👏
Thanks so much for this one! Listening now!
Hey thanks 🙏 Appreciate your knowledge.
Took up training 4 months ago at the age of 66. Any issues for the older lifter Dr Mike?
Great question!
Answers here: ruclips.net/video/r8zcF6Ut7lo/видео.html
- Dr. Mike
Is 25lb an ok range for loading and de-loading? You were talking about super heavy training and then de-loading, but right now my heavy weight is about 95lb and my light weight for de-loading is about 70lb. Thank you!
Yeah, that’s probably fine in your situation. Dr. Mike has some really detailed videos on deloading, but the important thing is that those sessions should be way easier than what you normally do, so you can rest up and come back strong the next week.
General process is to reduce the weight, sets, and/or reps by 1/3 to 1/2. It should leave you feeling like you got some good movement in, but you’re not particularly tired and you didn’t have to push yourself.
Volume = reps x weight x sets. Once l can add nothing to weight or reps after 4 workouts,that exercise cycle is over for me.
its problematic for me to know when to deload because my job is physicaly demanding so when im tired i never know if it has something to do with training or just with a job...then its kind of thing of the mindset for me, to allways be able to push through and train...like 95% of the time, i feel better afterwards, so idk...
Finally second
The deload of commenting
Optimal mesocycle length ... hahahaha. I'm happy if my kids don't bring another killer virus from daycare every other week and I can train for even 3 to 4 weeks without forced 'deload'.
(Sad truths aside: thanks for the great content!)
Took almost a full page of notes during this. Crazy. Thanks RP!
Really appreciate Dr. Mike's power point videos. 28-30 minutes of video, however, fast forward and read through presenation, catch high-lights, get it done in 5 minutes
Do U really think, this periodization works? I've asked three olympians and everyone told me they've never touched this system and they're way bigger than these scientists.
I also think this way of RIR training is for people who arent motivated enough to really train hard everytime they hit the gym.
Lateral raises? Oh... great!
1. Scapular plane.
2. Then someone told me that's not healthy so I put the DB more in front.
3. After this the trend went to "lean a bit more forward, bro"
4. Then I had to hold myself somewhere to get this leaning raises done.
5. And now I should lean in the opposite direction...
Looking forward to the next iteration of this exercise. And, as a sidenote, I am meanwhile back to the first variation of the list - for some abnormal reason it works best for me. But of course I will test the new flavour.
I’m a little confused about RIR. Does this mean I should never go to failure on any exercise until end of meso cycle? Usually I try to go to failure on last set of at least one or two exercises out of ~3-4 total exercises per muscle group
I was wondering, if i take like 4 days of complete breaks from training (due to not sleeping from having a newborn) or maybe im sick for a week or two, do i still need deloads? Its very confusing to me right now
What do you mean by “recovery sessions” or “half weeks”? Do you happen to have a video going more in depth on these topics?
Meso1 6 weeks, meso2 was then 4 weeks.
You are what you eat. I wonder if Dr. Mike recalls eating a fucking legend
This is all very scientific and grey area no black and white
What ever happened to training by feel?
Fair question. This is a science-heavy channel, though. Training by feel makes it too subjective, when what Mike is trying to do is school folks on the science of the best training for the best results.
@@MotheoMoleko but of course this is the real science. ruclips.net/video/g7K-0UQeRnY/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/53st-1lU2BE/видео.html
It's important, and you can check it out if you google "autoregulation." Going by feel AND thought is probably best! - Dr. Mike
"that joke is cringey. you know what else is cringey? people who call out things that are cringey."
keep on keepin on mate.
I'm here for my than JUST your bs Dr.Mike ;)
If you have a 3 rir , are you supossed to have a 3 rir with every set? Or at the end of all sets that you perform for this muscle?
I am beginning to think all these crazy life events dr mike talks about really happen and he is trying to throw us off of the trail….
Awesome stuff as always
Take a drink everytime Dr. Mike says deload.
Dr Mike not giving a fuck about swearing early in the RUclips video >>>>
I’m still a noob at around 1 year of training….deloads aren’t part of my equation yet 😍
They really should be mate, you'll progress quicker.
For deloads what worked for me while I was working with a well known coach was we would take all working weights and reduce them to 70% so 100lbs goes down to 70lbs. and reps stayed the same but sets were cut by half or more. If I was doing 4 sets at an exercise it's 2 for deload and if it was 3 then it's 1 on deload week. Honestly the deload workouts just felt like a good warm-up but the following week I would be smashing new weights and keep making progress. Also mentally deloads are a wonderful break but kinda make me feel like I'm cheating or wasting my time.
Gigachad mike
I do low volume so I can have big loads
Can you make a video on improving overall recovery time? I've seen some other videos that give pretty basic advice like getting enough sleep and eating enough protein, but I have a family history of auto-immune disorders/high inflammation levels and I find my muscles take wayyy longer to recover than most people's seem to and it's making it difficult to get enough quality sets in each week.
Is foam rolling mostly hype or genuinely effective? Should I add a supplement like turmeric to help or is that overrated? Are influencers just lying about how many sets they're actually doing? Am I just going 0-100 way too fast, and how do I know if that's the reason why I'm taking so long to recover?
Great video, as always! I learn so much from you and your approach is so engaging and fun!
It’s not fancy but if you’re relatively new to training then it’ll take your muscles longer to recover especially if you’re controlling the negative portion of the rep.
I cannot stress the importance of adequate protein intake and being in a calorie surplus and adequate sleep if you want to recover well and grow.
Regarding turmeric and foam rolling… make sure you get an omega 3 with a high DHA content. This is far more evidence based for anti inflammatory properties and you need to consume an unbelievable amount of turmeric to get a therapeutic dose
Stick with it, your journey is a marathon not a sprint (I wish I told my younger self that) enjoy the process and keep learning 👌
I have Psoratic arthritis, inflammation that flares chronic. Diet is key I train heavy Monday , Wednesday heavy , lite Friday half sech then swim 15-20 mins. Take a day off gym if you're really feeling unwell and resume. Deloading is probably between week 4-6 . I deload by half the reps and sets Monday & Wednesday, rest till Monday after that . Cut back on high Gi carbs and a Mediterranean diet is best. See a rheumatologist for medication and don't stress yourself , love is the best healer. Love everything.
what is MRV ?
Max recoverable volume - the amount of volume you can take and recover from until your next session that trains the same mescle.
MAV is max accumulative volume?
Oh god that intro was cringy