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Training by feel

HDH

HDH

TID Board Of Directors
Sep 30, 2011
3,386
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Over the last few years I've had to move away from the heavy lifting and changed my training based on injury prevention. It's a lot of sets and reps as opposed to the 6 to 12 rep schemes a lot of guys use. It was really like undoing what I have done for years and starting over.

When I first started training like this I had to find a middle ground where I wasn't under or over training. It took a little time to be able to know when to stop or to keep going. Of course it will also depend on what's going on in our lives and supps we are taking. GH, insulin, aas, diet, rest and stresses so no different than lifting any other way.

After training for so long you know when you're doing too much or too little. It takes time to see how we respond and then we make the adjustments. As we do this we get a feel for things.

I found the best way for me was to slow everything down, keep everything controlled, use holds at the top and slow on the negatives. It's the easiest way to achieve and maintain a mind to muscle connection for me. Too heavy and too many of the surrounding muscles are used or too little and you don't feel the isolation of the particular muscle being trained.

My training consists of 3 days a week. I use opposite and same muscle super sets, tri sets and giant sets. I train 1 1/2 to 2 hours per session. I do up to 5 exercises at once consecutively.

Here is an example of a giant set consisting of 5 exercises-

Cable isolation delts w/biceps and triceps one arm at a time-

Rear delts / Side delts / Front delts / Biceps / Triceps

Example of 4 exercises-

Chest / Rows / Biceps / Triceps

Example of 3-

Dumbbell Deads / Leg Press / Calves on leg press

Example of 2-

Leg press / Leg extensions

Dumbbell dead / leg curls

Leg extensions / Leg curls

Every bit of my routine is like this. It took some time to get it dialed in but I can grow as much as I can eat. It's more of a technical approach rather than pushing the heavy ass weight. I'm becoming more and more brittle as the years pass and I have no intentions of sitting on the side because of nagging injuries. I've got some problems with back, neck, shoulders and knees and this type of training has been good to me.

I rarely count anything anymore, I don't really feel it's necessary for me. The count can be different each time anyways as I vary on speed with negatives, sometimes long holds sometimes short super hard squeezes, sometime repping it out and I will switch with each set in the same exercise. I do the same exercises but mix it up with everything else.

Moderate weight doesn't mean easy either, I train hard as fvck every session but the difference is I'm good to train hard the next session because I don't have any problems.

The biggest and hardest part for me was using the moderate weights in front of people. I had to put the ol ego in my back pocket for this but once I started getting the results, I didn't give 2 shits.

Anyone else training similar or may be interested in a different approach besides always heavy?
 
Mike_RN

Mike_RN

Senior Moderators
Staff Member
Aug 13, 2013
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I train in a similar fashion, preserving size and health over sheer workloads. I don't do a lot of "supersets" but I train backwards compared to traditional routines. I also was self conscious about how "little work and weight" the average Joe would see me using/doing. Even at 48 my ego is still a constant :) I also do an old style Upper/Lower Split 90% of the year (maybe Body part Splits around comp time if I'm doing a show)

Typical routines:

Lower PUSH/PULL: 20mins Arc or Lateral trainer for a light sweat
Leg Extensions 5 x 15
Leg Curls 5 x 15
Adduction Mach 5 x 15
Abduction Mach 5 x 15

Prime movers I'll vary between:
A) Ground-based Squat Machine 15/15 the 4sets of 10-12 360-410lb range. (This hurts the ego since I was mid 500s Back Squatter and could rep 350 Fronts)
45deg Leg Press 15/15 the 4sets of 10-12 Rarely go above 810lbs
B) Romanian DLs 4 x 10-12 max around 225lbs
SLDLs using the Hammer "Shrug Machine" 4 x 10-12 with 180lbs give or take 20.

Seated Straight Leg Calf Press 5 x 15
Seated Bent Knee Calf Press 5 x 15
100 x Leg Ext in as few sets as possible 125lbs or whatever I can barely get 10 of by then. Some days its 85lbs :)
100 x Leg Curl in as few sets as possible 125lbs "ditto"


Upper PUSH/PULL: 20mins Arc or Lateral trainer for a light sweat

Pec Deck Flyes 5 x 15 STRICT deep stretch for last 2 sets, pyramid up weights but never more than 120lbs
Rear Delt Flyes 5 x 15 Stay on Pec Deck move "arm" pins to Rev.

Vertical Pull: Hoist Wide Grip Pulldowns 5 x 15 Last set typically BW + 75lbs
Vertical Push: Seated Military Press Machine 5 x 15 Last bastion of my ego. 360-410 for my last set. Damn it feels good to be a gangster.

Incline Pull: Underhand Rows in Smith 5 x 15 45deg bend at waist vary hand width or overhand it sometimes.
Incline Push: Rev Grip on Smith hands full bar width apart. Press to the neck like Vince Gironda. No ego here! 180-230lbs max.

Flat/Decline Pull: Hollywood Seated Cable rows* 5 x 15 No swaying, full stretch pause at peak contraction. V-grip for variety.
Flat/Decline Push: Hammer Flat Bench or Chest Press Machine 5 x 15 Closer Grip Elbows in for triceps emphasis.

Whatever Bicep work I can access (basic bros monopolize it all) 5 x 10-15
Whatever Tricep work I can access (cable towers are mobbed...I live in fucking NJ)
f424190f-d2d4-4464-b654-89070793fb06_1.ae5c55db979cc1a70975994da927eb6f.jpeg
 
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CFM

CFM

National Breast Implant Awareness Month Squeezer
Mar 18, 2012
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The great thing about using 50-60% of weight I used to.................I train really fast hoping no one notices. The increase in intensity pays off and also saves joints and tendons for another day.
 
5.0

5.0

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Nov 3, 2012
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Great thread. My body aches more than my ego most days
 
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HDH

HDH

TID Board Of Directors
Sep 30, 2011
3,386
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I really like training like this. I wish I would have trained like this from the beginning. Most of my problems are from a couple car accidents except for shoulders. I tore those up all on my own training stupidly years back. Even though most problems were outside of bodybuilding, training like this would have made life and progress so much easier.
 
M

musto

Member
Oct 14, 2018
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Instinctive training can be fine for the advanced (though even then it seems to be only a very small percentage who train this way.) Those who haven't been at it for a pretty long time should generally avoid it.
 
Gms585

Gms585

VIP Member
Mar 17, 2017
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IMO
Training by feel is the best for body sculpting.
For strength n power no so much.
 
HDH

HDH

TID Board Of Directors
Sep 30, 2011
3,386
2,812
Instinctive training can be fine for the advanced (though even then it seems to be only a very small percentage who train this way.) Those who haven't been at it for a pretty long time should generally avoid it.
I would agree, this is something that takes time and effort. You can't get most guys to count their cals so you can forget about any advanced training.
 
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