Hypertrophy question for Slizzardman

[CalisthenicGod]

Hello Slizzardman, how are ya lately? I haven't posted in this forum for quite awhile, but I have been lurking around from time to time.

I've got a question that I only think you can answer, after looking at a thread about hypertrophy (the one saying weight lifting is superior to bodyweight exercises for hypertrophy), I read some of your philosophies, and they are stunningly similar to a training philosophy I recently read.

Now, the book I recently read is "Power to the People" by Pavel Tsatsouline, and there is a section on "How to become a Bear" (Bears are huge ). The Bear routine is supposedly designed for hypertrophy, as it was used by a "beefy soviet commando", and here is how it goes: (Copy pasted from the book)

"1) reduce the reps to 4-6 per set to allow for heavy weights;

2) perform many, 10-20 on average, sets;

3) terminate all the sets a couple of reps before failure to avoid premature

fatigue which would force the reduction in weights or/and sets.

The basic Power to the People! program which develops strength without bulk

calls for one heavy set of five reps and one set with 90% of that weight, for example

100x5, 90x5. A little comrade who wants to become the Big Brother should

not stop there. Reduce the weight to 80% of the first ‘money’ set, and keep doing

sets of five reps with short, 30-90sec, rest periods. When you have had enough,

that is you cannot lift 80x5 in good form, call it a day. It might take five or twenty

five sets, everyone is different. Just do not call it quits too soon. The beefy commando

who shared this program with me lifted 40-50 tons every workout. He had

to if he wanted to remain a bear."

Now this is stunningly similar to your training philosophy (for hypertrophy), of high volume, heavy low-rep sets. However I am using this "Bear" routine and tweaking it towards calisthenics.

I will be using Dips and Chin-ups, and possibly weighting them after I reach 20 sets of 5 for them. However due to the nature of calisthenics and the difficulty of getting precise resistance, the first two "money sets" (in the beginning of the second paragraph quoted from the book) is difficult to gauge when it comes to calisthenics, so I'll just jump right into it.

-So what are your thoughts on this?

-Would this be truly effective for hypertrophy?

-Is this going to work with Chin-ups and Dips (I might add One-legged Squats a.k.a Pistol Squats in as well)?

-What are your thoughts on the optimal rest time between sets?

-How would you gauge the resistance to fit the 10-20 set range?

Thanks and I'll gladly appreciate your input, after all, you're a beefy commando yourself.

[Joshua Naterman]

Absolutely, that should work well. I didn't realize that was in Pavel's book! He's smart.

I personally have found HSPU, chins and dips to be the best upper body exercises in existence. They are the core of bent arm strength. Easy to load, relatively low skill to perform, and they hit enormous muscle groups.

In my opinion you should use weights to find out what your best 5 rep set with, add the weights to your bodyweight to find total load, and use THAT number to figure out your percentages. For example:

My best 5 rep set is with 135 lbs. That makes my total load 340 lbs. 205 lbs + 135 = 340. 80% of that would be around 270 lbs, so I should be doing my sets of 5 with 65 extra lbs according to this percentage and program that you refer to.

I would do that with all of your exercise. Obviously you'll be using your bodyweight if your 80% number falls below that.

[Rower]

Hey CalisthenicGod,

that's a an interesting Post, since lately I have been looking into Training fpr Hypertrophy myself.

Would you mind posting your entire routine?

[CalisthenicGod]

Thanks for the reply Slizzardman, as always your advice is as vast as the Atlantic seas and your knowledge as high as the Himalayan skies.

Also how many exercises would you incorporate in each session? I would think Dips and Chin-ups would be enough for a workout since I will be using many sets (10-20). How would I incorporate Handstand Push-ups and Pistol Squats? Should I do Chins/Dips one day and HSPU/Pistols the next?

Is there an effective way to add weight to Handstand Push-ups? Should I invest in a weighted vest?

Thanks for the feedback.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rower,

I'll gladly share my routine:

Monday and Wednesday:

Close Push-ups 2 x 13 ---> Goal is One Arm Push-up (with proper form, shoulder width leg stance bare minimum)

Close Squats 2 x 20 ---> Goal is Pistol Squat/One Legged Squat (I can already do a couple though)

Pullups 2 x 9 ---> Goal is One Arm Chin-up

Handstand 2 x 50 seconds ---> Goal is Handstand Push-up (Might go beyond depending on my ambition)

-3 Minute rest time between each set.

The workout above is based on Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade, however I modified it to fit my own personal goals.

Tuesday and Thursday (Pseudo-Rest days):

Frogstand 3 x 20 seconds (recently started it, aiming for Straddle Planche for my birthday next year)

Front Lever Tucked 3 x 20 seconds (going for Straddle FL for my birthday too)

A bit of Muscle-Up work (either jumping MU's or Single Bar Russian Dip practice by Slizzardman)

-2 minute rest.

Friday (Hypertrophy routine):

Dips 10 sets of 5 (aiming for 20 sets of 5 then adding weight)

Chin-ups 5 sets of 5 (same as Dips)

-1 minute rest

As you can see I'm not incredibly strong, however I am consistently plugging away and will eventually reach my goals and I will truly be amongst the strong .

[Joshua Naterman]

Yep, weighted vest or weighted belt. Those supersets look good to me, that's what I'd do.

I'd make sure to do at least 1-2 rounds of the WODs for GPP OR I would make sure you hit a few sets of foot supported rows and push ups for warm up, as well as core and lower back+hamstrings work. That's just my opinion, but at the very least you need that stuff to try and maintain structural balance.

[Blairbob]

Interesting, Sliz. I figured I would warmup weighted pullup and dip days with a few sets of inverted rows, rows similar to how I warm up bench and overhead press with pushups, PPPU or HeSPU.

[Rower]

Thanks for the reply CalisthenicGod!

Slizzardman, I hope you are not getting sick of answering questions, but I have another one. :oops:

CalisthenicGod has one hypertrophy oriented workout per week, while the rest seems to strenght based. If I wanted to do an entire hyperthrophy routine, how often can i train with this rep scheme? It seems to be very straining, so i thought about doing each muscle group once a week. For example:

Mo

Dips and Chins

Wed

HLL and Pistols

Fr

HSPU and weighted Bulgarian Rows

[Joshua Naterman]

I am going to come right out and let you know that you are almost certainly doing Bulgarian Rows incorrectly if you are weighting them. I am nowhere close to even doing them with a horizontal body, personally. They are HARD. Your upper arms have to be in the Cuban Press position at all times and the elbows must not lower towards the waist at all. Is this how you are performing them?

Having said that, you seem like you have a reasonable routine. There is no way for me to say more than that. You will simply have to experiment on your own now and see what you like and what works for you!

[CalisthenicGod]

Thanks for the feedback Sliz,

Sorry for the late reply, been busy lately 8) .

Question about Handstand Push-ups, is there any efficient way to add resistance? (Perhaps weighted vest?)

For Dips, you can strap a weighted belt or wear a weighted vest, same for chin-ups. For Pistol squats you can hold dumbbells or kettle bells, or a weighted vest.

The problem is Handstand push-ups, I honestly can't find a way to add weight safely.

Also Slizzardman, do you believe the One Arm Handstand Push-up is possible? :wink:

[Joshua Naterman]

Weighted vest if you have a decent one. You can also use heavy duty velcro from home depot and an old velcro weightlifting belt to make a really cool weighted belt that's cheap!

Edit: OAHSPU with no momentum? Not for most people. I think that it may be possible, but it's so far out there that I just don't even know what to say about that. You would need to be able to do a strict one hand military press with your bodyweight to even have a chance, and that's pretty darn heavy. You'd have to have the right body proportions AND extremely advantageous tendon attachments to even have a chance at that, but smaller guys with stick thin legs and relatively short arms will have the best chance.

[Rafael David]

OAHSPU with no momentum?

Easy, maybe Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta , who knows?!

[Joshua Naterman]

OAHSPU with no momentum?

Easy, maybe Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta , who knows?!

lol! Maybe. If only Dillon and I had potara...