FT Questions....

[Scott Stevenson]

Scott (also happy to hear anyone else's opinion),

Curious what your feelings / ideas are on adding different rep techniques to the Muscle Round system? For example, I've got really limited hamstring equipment at my gym (one machine basically). I did differently dumbbell hamstring curls (flat, incline, gironda style) for a time, but it got to the point where the weight I was able to move by my hamstrings was limited by my calves / feet keeping a firm grip on the DB. Felt like I was short changing the amount hamstring involvement. I made some changes to my programming to add in RDL in for hamstrings, but that still left me with a lot of MRs for hamstrings to fill. So I ended up one week doing 1½ reps for the MR set, just to get a different stimulus in there. It honestly felt like a combo of a pump set and a MR. It certainly throws off the 1:1 work rest ratio, and obviously lightened the load. Am I committing FT heresy here? Was just something thrown in for variety's sake, but I also thought it could be a good thing once and awhile one weaker body parts that have a bad mind muscle connection. (I am thinking biceps and triceps for myself, which just don't like to activate properly, miles better than where they were, but miles from where I'd like to be) Just want to make sure I'm not missing a bigger picture somewhere with this. Thanks!

No heresy whatsoever, my man! That's just a different Set Type.

(Do you need more Ham exercises?... )

-S

[Altamir]

No heresy whatsoever, my man! That's just a different Set Type.

(Do you need more Ham exercises?... )

-S

More can never hurt! (plus you always seem to come up with some wicked ideas) I'll let you know what I'm currently doing / or tried in the past as not to waste your time.

Currently I'm doing BB RDL, and DB RDLs, those are working great. A little burnt out on DB hamstring curl lifts at the moment (as mentioned above). I've given some thought to doing RDLs in the smith machine, but historically my low back does not recover very quickly, so not wanting to throw too many RDLs in. I did fetal hamstring curls for awhile, but found it hard to progress. Both pulldown machines where maybe I could do assisted nordic hamstring curls face a mirror, so I'd just do 6x4 of smacking my face into a wall. I may be able to position a band somewhere above, and wedge my feet in under something, have to scout my gym a bit better.

I have done sumo style leg press / squat stuff, but usually reserve those for Tier 1 stuff as there is some overlap there. My gym has a single good seated hamstring curl machine. It has two, but the second is designed so poorly I basically have to use it extremely light to get any feeling in my hamstrings.

[Scott Stevenson]

More can never hurt! (plus you always seem to come up with some wicked ideas) I'll let you know what I'm currently doing / or tried in the past as not to waste your time.

Currently I'm doing BB RDL, and DB RDLs, those are working great. A little burnt out on DB hamstring curl lifts at the moment (as mentioned above). I've given some thought to doing RDLs in the smith machine, but historically my low back does not recover very quickly, so not wanting to throw too many RDLs in. I did fetal hamstring curls for awhile, but found it hard to progress. Both pulldown machines where maybe I could do assisted nordic hamstring curls face a mirror, so I'd just do 6x4 of smacking my face into a wall. I may be able to position a band somewhere above, and wedge my feet in under something, have to scout my gym a bit better.

I have done sumo style leg press / squat stuff, but usually reserve those for Tier 1 stuff as there is some overlap there. My gym has a single good seated hamstring curl machine. It has two, but the second is designed so poorly I basically have to use it extremely light to get any feeling in my hamstrings.

Thanks for letting me know what you're already up to!

With ankle cuffs, you can lie face down on a decline bench (knees lower than head) and hook yourself up to a low cable to do prone ham curls.

You can also use the seated calf machine to do Nordic Ham curls. (With the right cable machine, you can use an overhead cable to provide upward lift.) Load it up so that the knee pad can't move with this (at least 4 x 45lb) and drop the pad to the lowest position (it will go over the back of your ankles / lower calf, of course).

On some knee extension machines, you can do a unilateral ham curl by standing on a step bench or whatever gets you into position and slip your ankle in front of the pad. (Most KE machines are padded well enough at the edge of he seat that this isn't uncomfortable.)

Of course, with DB ham curls, you can lie face down on a decline bench (so you can still lift the DB off the ground with your feel) and this will overload at the knee knee-flexed position, which may help with your calf issue.

-S

[mikeland91]

Hi Dr Scott

I remember reading or hearing you talk about (can't rember which )
The reason you can have trouble sleeping after a very tough Session ?
Think it was ephinephrin release ?? I could be totally wrong ?

But after my lower loading season this am , i feel totally drained , but also very jittery , is this best it ! As I'm off work today I thought , as my daughter is have her morning nap I'd have one to .. Impossible , I wanted to go to sleep , but I felt wired !
like I said I'm sure iv heard you mention somthing about this , so just thought it'd be intresting to know what's going on .
Also I have no appitite what so ever now , this is unusal for me , as post workout , I'm ready to eat usually

[Altamir]

Thanks for letting me know what you're already up to!

With ankle cuffs, you can lie face down on a decline bench (knees lower than head) and hook yourself up to a low cable to do prone ham curls.

You can also use the seated calf machine to do Nordic Ham curls. (With the right cable machine, you can use an overhead cable to provide upward lift.) Load it up so that the knee pad can't move with this (at least 4 x 45lb) and drop the pad to the lowest position (it will go over the back of your ankles / lower calf, of course).

On some knee extension machines, you can do a unilateral ham curl by standing on a step bench or whatever gets you into position and slip your ankle in front of the pad. (Most KE machines are padded well enough at the edge of he seat that this isn't uncomfortable.)

Of course, with DB ham curls, you can lie face down on a decline bench (so you can still lift the DB off the ground with your feel) and this will overload at the knee knee-flexed position, which may help with your calf issue.

-S

Thanks for this as always Scott! I'll play around and see if I can't get a few of these to work. The recent addition of more stretch hamstring movements got them growing pretty well, just always need a little extra ammo encase I hit a wall.

[Scott Stevenson]

Thanks for this as always Scott! I'll play around and see if I can't get a few of these to work. The recent addition of more stretch hamstring movements got them growing pretty well, just always need a little extra ammo encase I hit a wall.

Good deal, my man!

-S

[powerhouse_ad]

Hi Scott

For the last year or so I have been focusing on progressive overload using a push/pull/legs split and as a result there are quite a few exercises that I am keen to keep progressing. One of these exercises for me is dumbell floor press, which I have been using as one of my main tricep exercises.

I am planning on using Fortitude Training shortly and was wondering how you would suggest intergrating dumbell floor presses into the routine. Perhaps you wouldn't include them!

In my opinion it's the kind of exercise that is suited to a loading set, however there are no loading sets for triceps in the routine. It wouldn't really work for muscle rounds due to the aggrevation with getting them into place every set and it's not the kind of exercise I had in mind for pump sets.

Would you be tempted to use a load set of dumbell floor presses every now and then in place of the triceps muscle round? Perhaps you have another suggestion.

Cheers, Ad

[B_Forge]

Hey guys,

Starting back up on the fortitude train here after going to mountain dog training to diet down. I decided to use a fortitude style cruise period to transition back into fortitude training and starting to push kcals back up again.

Just have a question regarding muscle rounds on a cruise week. I did Lower MR day today (tier 1), and hit the leg press for my thigh MR. Reps were 4,4,4,4,4,1. The last rep of the 5th set was a bit of a grind, but I figured since I didn't hit complete failure I could try and do one more set, and only managed 1 rep.

In this sort of instance, is it alright that I pushed for that last rep? Or should I be dropping the weight down to continue to set to make sure I avoid a second failure point?

Thanks!

[Scott Stevenson]

Hi Scott

For the last year or so I have been focusing on progressive overload using a push/pull/legs split and as a result there are quite a few exercises that I am keen to keep progressing. One of these exercises for me is dumbell floor press, which I have been using as one of my main tricep exercises.

I am planning on using Fortitude Training shortly and was wondering how you would suggest intergrating dumbell floor presses into the routine. Perhaps you wouldn't include them!

In my opinion it's the kind of exercise that is suited to a loading set, however there are no loading sets for triceps in the routine. It wouldn't really work for muscle rounds due to the aggrevation with getting them into place every set and it's not the kind of exercise I had in mind for pump sets.

Would you be tempted to use a load set of dumbell floor presses every now and then in place of the triceps muscle round? Perhaps you have another suggestion.

Cheers, Ad

Hey Bud,

I would lie in a smith rack on the floor and use powerhooks to do them as a Muscle Round.

COUNTRY POWER INC. (If you dig around, you can sometimes find them cheaper at other places).

These are good investment IMO for DB pressing in general, as well as using DB's for doing dips and chins (see the site for pics, etc.).



-S

[Scott Stevenson]

Hey guys,

Starting back up on the fortitude train here after going to mountain dog training to diet down. I decided to use a fortitude style cruise period to transition back into fortitude training and starting to push kcals back up again.

Just have a question regarding muscle rounds on a cruise week. I did Lower MR day today (tier 1), and hit the leg press for my thigh MR. Reps were 4,4,4,4,4,1. The last rep of the 5th set was a bit of a grind, but I figured since I didn't hit complete failure I could try and do one more set, and only managed 1 rep.

In this sort of instance, is it alright that I pushed for that last rep? Or should I be dropping the weight down to continue to set to make sure I avoid a second failure point?

Thanks!

I think you simply need to clarify what is a failure point (see bolded above) for you. (Did you or did you not reach failure on the 5th set, i.e., were you able to complete that rep with normal form, or did you have to put your hands on your legs to move the weight or shimmy around in the seat to simply get the weight back to the normal starting position, meaning you didn't get the 4th rep?)



-S