In support of my revisiting the 3x/2wk frequency: I posted this video over a year ago, in the same thread and on the same day that I also posted this: I am such a yoyo. In any event, as of Monday, I will be doing 10 compound sets to full concentric failure, with a few "myo-reps" thrown in for 3 of those exercises, 3 times every two weeks. For now.
I'm a weather pattern shy of 70 so I guess the once a month plan for me. Seriously, we have to mix it up every now and again just to keep things interesting, but the daily grind is for the young bucks.
I know you like to mix things up, but I’m perpetually on a quest to get it “right.” Seeking the optimal bang for the buck. To be clear, not necessarily to optimize growth/strength, but to get as close to it with as little as possible, while maintaining a decent level of conditioning. I may be way off, but that’s the objective. For better or worse, I don’t really like variety. I thrive on going to the limit using what I consider to be key exercises for the muscle groups in question.
MYO for compound lift = failure. So this morning I'm doing chest and back as usual for a Monday. No MYO planned, but I decide to try it with a Barbell bench press. I take a weight I know I can do several reps with, 135lbs., (impressive eh) and crank out 15, had one, maybe two left in the tank. Wait 15 seconds, push 5 reps. I knew right then and there 4 more sets of 5 were not going to happen. 15 seconds later I push 3 reps, all I had. Didn't bother to try a third set. Now this was at the end of my workout, but still gassed me out quick. Me thinks this is only for isolation type movements, at least for me.
How many sets of the same movement do you think you need? And, just out of curiosity, why do you avoid going to failure? After some fractured sleep, as I reported in my earlier post, I took a week off, and started again today with my 3x/2wk frequency. I decided to add supinated chin-ups again. They gave my compromised shoulder grief in the past, but I think that was because I would go to full extension at the bottom of the movement as I normally do for pronated pullups. So this time, I would stop a bit short of fully extending my elbow at the bottom, and my shoulder did not seem to be affected. Although I prefer full range of movement, this was close and didn't feel like much of a compromise. Plus I added a myo-rep set for it as well. And so, now I am doing a myo-rep set (only one) for each of the following exercises: pistols, pullups, chin-ups, dips, and calf raises. (I don't do them for my two sets of inverted rows, my pushups, or my two sets of pike presses. At least not for now.) Each such myo-rep set follows the principal set within no more than about 20 seconds, whereas rest between different exercises is in the range of 60-75 seconds. And since I can do 3 or more reps on the myos, I consider it to be another set (my party, my rules). I used to do this to a certain extent in the past, but I called the myo-reps rest-pause. After a while, It would become a bit much since every set was to full concentric failure to static hold, and I would need to pare it down, even at the reduced frequency. However, since I'm now doing my workout first thing in the morning, and with considerably shorter rest between sets, maybe “it'll be different this time" and I'll get all swole.
I recently spoke to the people who make this device: https://www.duonamic.com/ They will be adding an optional attachment with rings to allow for dips and rows. This will truly be an ideal travel companion. I wrote about this portable pullup device a while back: You people do realize that my birthday is coming up...
The way I understand MYO, or at least how I'm doing it, is the first set of 12 to 20 reps is taken to near failure. I suppose that is somewhat subjective, for me that's one, maybe two reps left in the tank. The next five sets are 5 reps each with the objective being the fifth rep being failure on the 4th and/or 5th set. On this particular movement the 5th rep on the first 15 second interval was failure, and the 3rd rep of the second was also failure. I completed the rep, but the next one was a no go. That's failure by my definition. The conclusion from this IMO was the weight used was too heavy for MYO, so should I try again it'll be with a lighter weight. Conversely, if I blasted through all 5 sets then I would add more weight. I'm sure this time will be different for you and jacked, tanned and juicy is right around the corner.
Clearly a man of impeccable judgment. Except for the “juicy” part; I don’t know where you’re going with the that.
That’s a bit too nuanced for me. I just go all out and basically feel like I’m fighting for my life during the workout, especially now with short rest intervals.