[Accumulator]

Woo-hoo, another of my super-long replies follows:

Originally Posted by hockeyplaya13

.. As far as calves go, how many reps of those? I always see people doing them really fast (and I'm talking about the big dudes) and a lot (as in like 30). That surprised me, but maybe they weren't bulking?

Heh heh- most important advice I can give, period: don't go by what other/big guys do Seriously. I've seen monsters doing such stupid stuff I wonder how they get anything out of it at all Just because a big guy does something, that doesn't mean that a) it's why he's big or b) it'll work for you. Do stuff the right way- physiology is physiology, and adjusting for individual differences isn't all *that* big a deal once you try doing stuff right.

I'd recommend you do calves this way: pause for a long stretch at the bottom, then without bouncing, flex up *hard* and quickly, then hold the peak at the top for a second, then lower under control (not just letting the weight slam you down but not fighting it for super-slow reps either...just under control). Those fast "pumping" movements aren't something I really do for *anything*.

As for the reps, even with calves, I just don't do super-high rep sets. I figure that calves get long-duration/ low-intensity work all day carrying you around; I want them to get a *shock* when I work them, so I do my calf raises with so much weight that I can't do more than 20. Doing them in a deliberate way (as described above) means a set of 20 takes a good long time anyhow.

Originally Posted by SamIam

I saw you had a serious back issue, do you have any issues these days?..What is your feeling on the whole SuperSlow methodology?

I'm happy to report my back is OK, 100%. It took quite a while though, and during that time I discovered hip-belt squats (check out that Ironmind link in my earlier post). Those let me do good squats with no pressure on my back at all...not as good a full-body exercise but still really, really good.

I do slow-rep (wouldn't call 'em the super slow stuff I'ver read about, but still...) work from time to time, but no, I don't do the *REALLY* slow work. I read studies (can't remember where or by whom though ) that said it just wasn't a good long-term approach for size/strength gains. I see it as a temporary thing, in the "best workout is the one you're not doing" vein.

Note that "explosive strength" is quite useful in the real world, and super-slow doesn't really address that. Ditto for endurance, e.g. when shoveling heavy snow/etc. where you do the same thing over and over without a break. As for size, I still believe that you need some reps, and need to get those reps done in the right amount of time.

IMO if your joints/etc. are sore or giving you problems, then *something* is wrong Probably a matter of form IMO. E.g., I've slowed my squats down just enough that I have complete conscious control, and that's been good for my knees (I also quit doing stuff like doubles, no longer care about setting personal best records). I also watch that I don't get muscular imbalance, the usual example being strong quads/weak hamstrings, which can wreak havoc on your knees. If something hurts, find out why and what you can do about it.

As I've gotten older, I've sorta distilled my workouts down to what really benefits me. I hardly *ever* do more than ~15 sets for any bodypart and usually a lot less. I'll often get *sore* (and make gains) with just three sets! Comes in handy with life being busy I've also learned to focus on recovery and to really plan out my workouts and study how I'm progressing/not.