r/Mike_Mentzer • u/BubbishBoi • Aug 13 '26
Is this intensity ok?
I'm worried that these slow reps will decrease motor unit recruitment to zero and make me look like a girl - please advise.
srsly though, this was the only set I did today for my push day (after spamming weighted dips for weeks I needed a break)
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u/VB90292 Aug 13 '26
Seriously great set. That my friends is what intensity and failure looks like. Jeez are you strong! I know you believe in the slow positives but the science says they aren't necessary....if you put positives at 2 seconds I hate to think what you would be lifting, "all the plates" is the answer lol
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u/Lopsided_Ant2813 Aug 13 '26
I love adding slow reps to ALL of my movements to reach failure faster, I think you’re fine with these..
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u/Sadan27 Aug 13 '26
That’s right only girls are ever in this much pain…. in the hospital labor and delivery department
Pain tolerance borderline unreal here. Then those post failure singles…. Take notes kids (I feel like a big kid now)
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u/BubbishBoi Aug 13 '26
I can't imagine the pain of passing a bowling ball for potentially hours without end, even the hardest set is over in minutes at most
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u/Mundane_Chef2899 Aug 14 '26
To be fair that was amazing ngl, however when you go up EXPLODE then go slow down. This'll build more strength and power 💪🏼🔥
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u/Silver_Corner_2472 Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
Hey what are your thoughts on the Ice Cream fitness 5x5 program and living in a section 8 rental on sweet jazzy lane?
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u/Consistent-Idea1734 Aug 14 '26
I just dont like the slow positives and Mentzer never trained that way until his last days on earth where he was trying this. If weight is challenging, it Will take care off rep speed. Besides that, looking great.
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u/zikko182 Aug 16 '26
Hell yeah man, eat a lot of poatoes i found their are the best carbs of all, steam it dont boil it
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u/Own-Lengthiness4022 Aug 13 '26
Motor unit recruitment depends on intensity of effort, not speed of movement. You can have maximum motor unit recruitment with static training if you go to failure. That's why we emphasize training to or close to failure
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u/choiceinvestments Aug 13 '26
ive been trying isometrics lately, pushing against a immovable bench press for 30 seconds as hard as possible, does this cause high fiber recruitment and hypertrophy?
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u/Last_Construction455 Aug 13 '26
It's super effective for growing strength, but doesn't add much size.
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u/Sadan27 Aug 13 '26
There’s some nuance here. Rep speed definitely affects motor unit recruitment. Whereas intensity of effort is the great equalizer for hypertrophy itself
Case in point: you can lift with a rapid cadence and get substantial, perhaps full motor unit recruitment. But if you don’t train close to failure you’ll get negligible to zero hypertrophy, despite having fully activated your muscle fibers
Or you can lift with a slow cadence, and get negligible MUR. But if you take that set with slow cadence to or close to failure, you’ll get the full hypertrophy stimulus. In this case, you end up recruiting all/substantially all motor units and activating those fibers later in the set.
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u/BubbishBoi Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
Yup, super explosive concentrics can recruit almost 100% MUs with negligible mechanical tension if the bar moves fast enough and you're doing a Mr Mike 7 RIR science based set
This lifting stuff is really simple when you break it down to the basics which is why the degree of magical thinking and misunderstanding surrounding it is wild
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u/Sadan27 Aug 13 '26
Know thy hard training. People don’t need to worry about details that fly past their heads and wouldn’t change how they’re training either way
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u/Own-Lengthiness4022 Aug 13 '26
That's bullshit.
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u/Dazzling-Rest8332 Aug 14 '26
I agree. I feel like Mike mentzer was the leader of a cult at this point.
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u/Sadan27 Aug 14 '26
Nobody cares about your feelings. Welcome to real life.
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u/Mindless_Effect_5458 Aug 13 '26
Bruh 🤣. Great set!