Is there any point going with moderate weight and moderate to high reps for function? Like will that increase strength a bit and endurance? Or is it a waste of time. Forget about aesthetics for the sake of this question.

>>76343895 (OP)
I did some basic research myself. The point is to surprise your muscles by doing something they are not expecting.

>>76343960
The "suprising your muscles" is made up nonsense. Since when do they have brains to fathom a suprise?

If you want to build muscle, strenght and endurance you can mix and match and have differente sessions focusing on the thing you want to improve. But you will not have the same result as somebody that is only training for strenght or endurance for the same lenght of time.

>>76343960
>>76343977
I don't have access to heavy weights so I have to make do with what I have. Also my genetics are shit for aesthetic excercises and I have gyno.
So I wonder, if I can salvage something out of all this by at least increasing function. But people online say, that anything that isn't lifting heavy is a waste of time.

I'm in my 40's and have trained every rep range and style over the years. I've also dealt with injury, mobility, prehab, rehab etc. Do you know what matters? Time in the game and diet. All of you once you've almost any routine dialled in with the fundamentals of progressive overload and your diet is solid will max out within 18-36 months. After that point you'll basically be trading peaks or maxes off against each other as you balance competing goals and priorities. You'll gain size over time, but it'll be the size gained from having a male hormone profile over 5-10-15-20+ years it'll be nothing like the size gained from your first 2-3 years of lifting correctly and sincerely.

What do I do? I'm old now so I'm an outlier doing squats, deadlift, overhead press and bench at all. The vast majority of gym goers don't do that shit. I'm like one of the 15% of people in the gym who even fuck with barbells. Those lifts are not optimal mass builders because they are compound exercises with many sticking points and they are extremely unsafe to take to failure. They have a purpose and if you enjoy them great, but don't do squats for sets of 15+ with the aim of hypertrophy. If you must squat do them, keep them heavy, leave 2-3 reps in reserve and then go max out on the leg curl, leg press, leg extension etc. There is no one single rep range, training style or exercise to rule them all you should develop the ability and the knowledge to cross over as needed to reach your goals. I do pause squats ascending rapidly in weight until I hit a 5rm then I do sets of 3 until I hit a 3rm then I do some singles to prove to myself I've still got it if squats are my focus at that time. I then go do leg curls and leg extensions, sets of 20 working up through the stack until I hit failure then I go for 3xF. Do weighted chins 3xF or 5xF three times a week but twice a week do single arm cable curls 5xF, like 15-25 rep range.

>>76343995
Volume works. You can work out with dumbells. You could also try things like blood flow restriction bands that'll help your work out.

>>76343995
No you don't have shit genetics for aesthetics since you never were even close to being at your maximum muscular potential, thus you don't really know.

If you don't have access to heavy weights, you can make do with just training to failure with the current ones you have since this is one of the things you need to do in order to grow muscle.

But the other one is progressive overload - the increase of weight overtime - which sadly you cannot do rn.

A big part of being fit in your scenario would come from your diet since the fact above cannot be implemented.

>But people online say, that anything that isn't lifting heavy is a waste of time.

Opinions are like buttholes, everbody has one.
Stop listening to everyone you hear online, most of them are wrong.

Also the definition of strength and endurance and how that defines training goals is quite conflicted and doesn't necessarily translate to weight training alone which is essentially strength training in itself. You want endurance? Go train for a marathon. You want endurance with a bit more strength focus? Go hiking and maybe take up climbing. You want strength? Hit the weights, that is what they are for.

As an example nobody is progressing a 30kg overhead press 3x30 and calling it endurance. You can make your arms burn like a motherfucker by just holding your arm in the air for long enough. Equally nobody is ever taking 3x30 to 100kg in any meaningful, real / realistic / natural training, but 100kg overhead is a significant indicator of strength. You get there by *gasp* working heavy triples and singles for strength. The fastest way to hit 100kg for a set of 10 would be to skip over 100kg as part of the warm up and get straight to 110 for 3, 120 for 3, 130 for 1 etc.

>>76343977
>The "suprising your muscles" is made up nonsense. Since when do they have brains to fathom a suprise
You're taking it too literally. By surprise it means hit them with something they haven't adapted to. Basically, introducing new stimulus.

>>76344004
Sounds great. If I can improve my fitness in some way by going that approach then I will.
>>76344010
Yes I do, I have horrible body composition and gyno.
>>76344018
>Just lift heavy bro lmao
Thanks for confirming.

you are all lost without any hope

>>76344037
It isn't just confirming just lift heavy bro. It is about understanding that each exercise and rep range has an optimal loading for optimal progression. If you don't have infinite equipment and time you have creative boundaries and constraints upon your methodology.

I started out working out at home with a set of dumbbells and 40kg of plates. I made decent progress with those, but it was maybe 6 months before I bought a barbell and some more plates. I made decent progress with those too, but it wasn't long, maybe three months after that I bought a half rack, adjustable bench, more plates, some bands and handles, a leg curl attachment, a dip belt etc. Additional equipment gives additional options for exercises and loading.

If your goal is the fasted path to the natty limit then you likely want all the gear. If your goal is to build a little strength and get a feel for things then yeah man get to it. Nothing is pointless, just various amounts of less optimal. I remember the 90's when every single 'jacked' guy just had a set of dumbbells from the argos catalogue and did some curls in their bedroom alongside some press ups and sit ups.

>>76344066
>dude le progressive overload lmaooooo *subscribes to 30 different youtubers in your path*
Well I do acknowledge that there are many routes to take, but right now I am very limited. Someone mentioned going to failure, yet all the "fitness science" youtubers say that won't build strength or muscle.
I would like to increase my capability and make some sort of progress, I guess the aesthetic stuff can come after even though my genetics are GARBAGE for that.
>I remember the 90's when every single 'jacked' guy just had a set of dumbbells from the argos catalogue and did some curls in their bedroom alongside some press ups and sit ups.
I remember that too, brings back memories. That's a good example to use because I wonder if those guys actually tangibly increased their strength, endurance, athletic function and so forth.

>>76343895 (OP)
it's the relativity. there are exercises you can do for only 3-8 reps like heavy pressing. think of cable tricep push down. you can do very heavy with a bar, but not with a rope in general (i think someone here said sam sulek goes max on rope push down and sometimes with an extra plate added, which seems ridiculous and even self destructing). and back exercises don't seem to respond well to 3-5 reps, aside from deadlift.

>>76344105
Great post. I also remember people saying that it's the intensity and how your body is challenged, and how your body adapts to the challenge.
But then people say that going to failure does nothing for function or aesthetics. So I'm not sure what the hell to believe here. Also challenging your body is hard and you run the risk of injuries or prolonged recovery times.

>>76343895 (OP)
Not really you'll have trouble gaining with higher reps because it's difficult to tell if that's the true atp failure or failing on some other metabolic threshold. It just dosent feel all that diffent because how can you perceive that shit? That said sets over 10 generally do not require a warmup because it warms up during the set before the harder reps where injuries tend to occur. So moderate weight, moderate reps is still top dog for time effeciency at least.

>>76344081
I don't think it matters what they increased, but I'm sure they got a bit of definition in their arms and felt a bit better about themselves. It sounds like you are suffering from decision paralysis and potentially have information overload. Just get on with something. When I started out I did glute bridges using the sofa, bodyweight squats, lying leg raises, press ups, planks, stomach vacuums and single leg calf raises on the staircase. If you get into the habit of moving and enjoy some workouts then you will increase your fitness, strength and endurance. If you've got some dumbbells then great, shoulder press, arnold press, thrusters, goblet squats, lunges, bulgarian split squats, weighted glute bridges, crunches holding a plate, calf raises while holding your dumbbell etc.

I did a dumbbell only full body workout for months and got way stronger and fitter compared to doing nothing.

Also on genetics. I've been lifting now for almost 20 years. I'm 6'2", have short legs and a long torso with long arms and a barrel chest. I've high calf insertions. I've one long and one short bicep insertion. I'm like a 6/10 in terms of facial aesthetics. My proportions are weight and I gain weight rapidly. I've always been strong so weight lifting came quite naturally to me. I hit dead/squat/bench/ohp 247/208/147/105 (kg) after 2.5 years of lifting. I'm in my 40's now and max out 220/180/130/100 although I alternate the squat and dead in my training and currently I'm squatting so it'd take me at least two weeks to get that dead back, but I'd happily pull 190 any day.

Anyway I still look like shit, but I'm doing a lot better than I would if I didn't work out. If I don't work out I immediately notice a dip in mood and I start to get some aches and pains. Don't let it hold you back, very few people have great genetics.

Also I recently had a physical testing testosterone and I'm like 690 ng/dL which is pretty much in the middle of normal.

>>76344148
>It sounds like you are suffering from decision paralysis and potentially have information overload
Good point you son of a bitch. But what I am suffering from even worse, is lack of amenities and a body that doesn't respond well to exercise. Oh well. My testosterone is definitely very low, my body sucks there is no hope. Goodbye anon.

>>76344170
The man is trying to help you with some good shit and you're acting entitled and snarky.

Everyone reading this thread thinks you are a fucking loser. Kill yourself.

>>76344245
Go fuck yourself you little piece of shit. I could be so much worse right now. You're clearly someone who can't handle the bants and always reacts this way when someone tries the bants.
As for my body, no, it's truly over. There is no hope. You wouldn't understand, but nobody cares what you do anyways.

I have found i can make steady gains into higher rep ranges. Imo high endurance is good so you can do more volume. I lile to go back and forth between lifting and calisthenics.

>>76343895 (OP)
look into DUP.
working at 2 different rep ranges on different days, at least 2 reps apart, will reduce if not totally remove the repeated bout effect.
If you're always doing the same lifts, eventually(when you can't increase the weight linearly anymore) the effect of each session will diminish, that's the repeated bout effect you want to avoid.
It doesn't take much tho, alternating days with sets of 5 and sets of 8 would be more than enough.

>>76343997
i would suggest going at a sustainable pace, if you know you are doing some retard gaauntlet you will not last long, its much more fulfilling to go in the gym everyday and get an hour of weights with some cardio everyday. There's no reason to really try to go beyond this, your natural progression and your bodys ability will determine when you increase your weight, i would try to go everyday make a routine that gives you the goals you want like the golden ratio and maintain stuff already there while prioritizing those lagging muscles

>lift heavy
>get big
many such cases

>>76343977
surprise your muscles was a poor choice by that anon. what he meant is: the grow muscles they have to be pushed to their limits. how does one go about that? well you start doing something that you can barely do. after you do this over and over your body delegates resources to go get more muscle because we clearly need it in order to do whatever the brain is wanting us to do right now

I just lift

>>76343960
Same here. Which is why I surprise my muscles with pizza & beer every once in a while.

>>76345432
Or you could just use pyramid or diamond sets and not alternate at all.
>20×1
>10×2
>5×4
50 reps. You can stop there or go for a full modified gvt diamond set going back up.
>10×2
>20×1
And there you're at 100.

>>76347536
Sorry stop at 2 sets of 5 for 50reps total

>>76343895 (OP)
for me personally what I find successful for increasing strength with different exercises is doing heavy weight and low reps (3 to 5 reps) one week and moderate weight for more reps (6 to 8) the next week

If its something Im really focusing on ill have two separate workouts a week with one heavy and one moderate, sometimes even a 3rd with even lighter weight for more reps (9 to 15)

I find training a moment often and/or in multiple rep ranges produces the most strength

>>76343895 (OP)
>Is there any point going with moderate weight and moderate to high reps for function?
Usually less damage to joints and tendons.

I seem to get bigger when trying to lift more weight than with high rep stuff

>>76344037
Diamond Dallas Page has blood flow restriction cuffs and he promotes them by having wrestlers and other buddies do his 'gauntlet' workout. You could watch a handful of the videos to see what he does and how much weight and how many reps etc to get an idea

>>76343997
>>76345471
To what fraction of original frequency and volume do you reduce exercise for a given muscle, to go from gaining to maintaining? If you don't mind answering.
Asking because i'm unsure if full body simultaneous gains can be sustained in the long run.

>>76343895 (OP)
Imo it's about figuring out what works for YOU. I can do like 2 really hard sets after that there is no point pushing for low rep strength gains, because your "all in strength" is gone. Usually I drop weight and go for more reps and get enough total volume for better gains.

>>76344113
you gotta try what works for you. pushing your set to failure is ok if it is do-able. drop it if you don't think you can do it. i usually start my set like nick walker, but end like sam sulek, lol.

as for your recovery, as long as ur nerves are intact, certain parts of your body recover more faster than others, like shoulders and arms. you can do them everyday with low volume or every other day without issues.

I'm surprised this is still up. One of the worries I have is doing something and getting poor results when I could have done it a different way and succeeded further. But maybe everyone here worries about that to a degree.