What Does Research Say? Strength Cycle, Then Mass Cycle, Then Toning Cycle?

[ucimigrate]

Hi Everyone,

1. I am doing my first four weeks of StrongLifts 5 * 5 and enjoy the results immensely.

Although I am very overweight, etc. I am getting that holy grail of gaining strength, gaining muscle mass, and losing fat, all while eating high calories.

I may even extend such a simple + effective program to 12 weeks.

2. I feel foolish for not doing this in decades past. I always wanted more, such as what I saw in Body for Life Transformation challenges.

3. Is it true that strength cycles should come before hypertrophy, which should come before toning?

4. I know people like Tom Venuto and Will Brink have made programs that do so withing the same week:

a. Venuto does a "Holy Grail"
b. Brink does a "Hybrid" (One day strength, next day mass, next day circuit)

I can see each of these programs cause more of the needed muscle confusion, but risk taking away the focus of a specific cycle.

5. What does the research say?

 

[SweetLou321]

My first suggestion to you based on your post history is to stop reading, start working, and let some time pass. There is no magic routine or diet. That said, some things may be more "optimal" then others based on data.

I would start thinking in terms of adaptations and outcomes and less about terms. Hypertrophy and strength are adaptations and outcomes. Fat loss is an outcome. Toning is just a word, you cannot train for toning in the strict sense.

Training for optimally for strength will have some carryover into hypertrophy, training optimally for hypertrophy will have some carryover to low rep strength. One can divide these goals up or combine them, the research suggests that for most, outside of the most advanced, either option is fine. I would pick whichever best meets your preferences and goals both in the short and long-term.

Circuits and cardio are for the adaptation of cardio improvements, do those if you want those adaptations.

To lose fat, eat in a caloric deficit. It is not usually ideal to exercise for weight loss unless doing a bbing show or something acute. Generally, long term, its best to exercise for the benefits outside of caloric burning. This helps set in behaviors that are sustainable long-term.