[Doug8796]

I used to be one of the "ego lifters" but I dont care anymore i've started lifting 6-12 reps and I have experienced much better gains than before when i used to do 5-8 Here is a poll what do you guys think?

[Rodja]

TUT is more important than rep range

[Doug8796]

care to elaborate and assist me in my bulk?

[Rodja]

TUT=Time Under Tension

By focusing on the eccentric portion of the lift, more tension is placed on the muscle, which increases the amount of microtrauma to the muscle.

[OCCFan023]

Fully agree with Rodja. I started focusing on a TUT routine and experienced huge results. Personally I like incorporating TUT principles and mixing it up with more "athletic" type training to both keep the body guessing (more growth aand progression) and incorporate it with a lot of real life things.

[Rodja]

Originally Posted by OCCFan023

Fully agree with Rodja. I started focusing on a TUT routine and experienced huge results. Personally I like incorporating TUT principles and mixing it up with more "athletic" type training to both keep the body guessing (more growth aand progression) and incorporate it with a lot of real life things.

It also improves your technique throughout the lift. You can't have good TUT with ****ty form.

[Bunting]

I stick to 4-6 reps. I used to do 8-10 reps like you are talking about and made gains but very very slowly.
I started the Max 0T program and I put on 15 lbs and added alot of weight to my lifts in about 12 weeks.
and when I say 4-6 reps I mean that you are overloading your muscles by using a weight that is light enough to do atleast 4 reps but heavy enough that you CAN NOT do more than 6 reps.
Even if you are cutting you should still be lifting the same way. It's your deit that gets adjusted.
This is Max OT in a nutshell:
4-6 reps
2-3 minutes rest in between
6-9 heavy sets per muscle group
1-2 muscle groups trained a day
5-7 days rest between training a certain muscle part
8-9 weeks of training and then you take a week off
30-45 minute workouts. The idea is short but intense vs. long and drawn out.

alot of this goes against what you see most people doing in the gym...with supersetting and burnout sets etc.
But for a hardgainer like myself I found this program to be just what the doctor ordered.
and as for "ego lifters." I'm not really sure what that means. Sure there are guys who like to do low reps simply because they value the weight they can lift more than the shaping of their physique but that doesn't mean that everyone that sticks to this rep range is doing this so that they can pump their chest at how much weight they can put up.
I lift this way simply because I've found that for my body type it is the most efficient and productive way to slap on muscle mass.
Like my friend who's an absolute monster and who basically got me into "truly lifting" likes to say: "The weight you can put up is just a number. Sure it can tell you that you are making gains and you need to be increasing the weight you do periodically in order to make gains. But when it comes down to it, would you rather be the guy who can bench 400 lbs. or the guy who looks like he can bench 400 lbs.?"

[Powerhouse 48]

well said, but TUT is something you have to vary, and relenquish in cycles as it is hell on your joints, and can stagnate fast twitch muscle fiber

[Rodja]

Originally Posted by Bunting

I stick to 4-6 reps. I used to do 8-10 reps like you are talking about and made gains but very very slowly.
I started the Max 0T program and I put on 15 lbs and added alot of weight to my lifts in about 12 weeks.
and when I say 4-6 reps I mean that you are overloading your muscles by using a weight that is light enough to do atleast 4 reps but heavy enough that you CAN NOT do more than 6 reps.
Even if you are cutting you should still be lifting the same way. It's your deit that gets adjusted.
This is Max OT in a nutshell:
4-6 reps
2-3 minutes rest in between
6-9 heavy sets per muscle group
1-2 muscle groups trained a day
5-7 days rest between training a certain muscle part
8-9 weeks of training and then you take a week off
30-45 minute workouts. The idea is short but intense vs. long and drawn out.

alot of this goes against what you see most people doing in the gym...with supersetting and burnout sets etc.
But for a hardgainer like myself I found this program to be just what the doctor ordered.
and as for "ego lifters." I'm not really sure what that means. Sure there are guys who like to do low reps simply because they value the weight they can lift more than the shaping of their physique but that doesn't mean that everyone that sticks to this rep range is doing this so that they can pump their chest at how much weight they can put up.
I lift this way simply because I've found that for my body type it is the most efficient and productive weigh to slap on muscle mass.
Like my friend who's an absolute monster and who basically got me into "truly lifting" likes to say: "The weight you can put up is just a number. Sure it can tell you that you are making gains and you need to be increasing the weight you do periodically in order to make gains. But when it comes down to it, would you rather be the guy who can bench 400 lbs. or the guy who looks like he can bench 400 lbs.?"

I wouldn't start Max-OT during a cut, though. I am a big fan of the program, but it is not the type of lifting that you will want to begin while in a kcal deficit.

[Bunting]

and also. It really all depends on your body type and what works for you. I have friends that just look at a pair of dumbells and they pack on muscle. They simply have belly muscle and great genetics. It doesn't really matter a whole lot how they lift they will still make gains. So it's really pointless for me to listen to their pointers and programs for lifting because their methods usually never work for a hard gainer like myself.

[Bunting]

Originally Posted by Rodja

I wouldn't start Max-OT during a cut, though. I am a big fan of the program, but it is not the type of lifting that you will want to begin while in a kcal deficit.

really? I haven't really tried it on a cut yet. But in the program it clearly emphasizes that you should keep lifting heavy and "overloading" your muscles in order to keep strength and muscle mass while losing as much fat as possible.
Like I said I haven't tried it on a cut yet but I intend to. I've tried cutting before and doing the whole high rep thing and usually I just lose a ton of muscle along with the fat. So will see what happens.

[Rodja]

Originally Posted by Bunting

really? I haven't really tried it on a cut yet. But in the program it clearly emphasizes that you should keep lifting heavy and "overloading" your muscles in order to keep strength and muscle mass while losing as much fat as possible.
Like I said I haven't tried it on a cut yet but I intend to. I've tried cutting before and doing the whole high rep thing and usually I just lose a ton of muscle along with the fat. So will see what happens.

I agree that your training should not be altered too much while cutting, but you shouldn't try a physically and mentally demanding routine while cutting.

[Bunting]

Originally Posted by Rodja

I agree that your training should not be altered too much while cutting, but you shouldn't try a physically and mentally demanding routine while cutting.

So how would you change the program when cutting?

[OCCFan023]

Originally Posted by Bunting

really? I haven't really tried it on a cut yet. But in the program it clearly emphasizes that you should keep lifting heavy and "overloading" your muscles in order to keep strength and muscle mass while losing as much fat as possible.
Like I said I haven't tried it on a cut yet but I intend to. I've tried cutting before and doing the whole high rep thing and usually I just lose a ton of muscle along with the fat. So will see what happens.

A routine like 5x5 I feel like unless your mega dosing BCAAs or have a recovery agent/cortisol blocker in your arsenal that your body would really wear out/feel the effects of over training very quickly in a cal deficit. Cortisol would be in the back of my mind every day if I were to attempt something like that.