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  1. #1
    Registered User heathe's Avatar
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    Skinny noob - trying the "less is more", but don't feel the burn

    Short version: I used to feel like I was burning my muscles a lot more when I did more reps per set, versus the "less is more" plan. I've been doing the "less is more" workout for nearly a month now, but don't ever feel sore, so it feels like it's not very efficient. Should I stick with the "less is more," or revert back to working the crap out of my muscles until I could barely move?

    Long version:


    Hey all, this is my first post here, though I'm not new to forums. I did search this, and read quite a bit of info on the topic, but feel my question is more directed towards me than a general audience. If it gets asked here 2000 times a day, I apologize. I now have ample time to hit the gym like I've been wanting to for a while, so I'd like to make sure I'm on the right path. In high school I was an athlete and worked out 3-4 days a week, doing cardio in between. Since then, I've been working out off and on.

    While I was not a big guy, I was very fit. I'm 6'4 and around 170-175 lbs. last time I checked, so I'm rather skinny. I do have a little belly fat, but not enough that you can't see a six pack underneath. I'm not wanting to be huge, but I would like to bulk up a bit. I will definately need to work on my diet, though, because I've always had a low calorie intake since I left high school.

    Getting to the topic: When I used to work out, I did more reps - 3-4 sets of 8 or 10 on bench/squats/curls/etc. A few months ago I hit the gym for about a month to slim up for a vacation - without doing any research on the topic, I would work out 3 days, cardio 3 days, and rest 1 day. I would lift 12-15 reps until I couldn't lift any more, remove 10 lbs. and repeat process, and do 4-5 sets. I think you guys call this ramped weights? It seemed to work, as far as getting me into shape, and I always felt sore, so I felt like I was making progress. I love the feeling of a sore body, but since I started this new "less is more" thing for skinny guys (taken from several mens health / fitness articles), I don't get that sore feeling any more, so I hope I'm doing this right. I've been concentrating on weights that I can only do 5-6 reps per set. I'll go monday/tuesday - arms/legs, and repeat thursday/friday, with "no cardio on off days," which kind of sucks. It's been over 3 weeks since I've started hitting the gym, and although I'm really not expecting gains yet, I just don't really feel sore. My question is, would I be better off doing the ramped weights thing to completely burn out my muscles, versus the "less is more" workout? I've read ripptoe's guide, and since so many people say it's a good workout, I may switch over to that, but most of my workout includes his lifts anyways, with the exception of deadlifts (which I need to start doing).

    Thanks for reading, and with you that have experience with the "less is more," don't hesitate to chime in.
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  2. #2
    Registered User r_graz's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by heathe View Post
    Should I stick with the "less is more," or revert back to working the crap out of my muscles until I could barely move?
    You describe yourself as a skinny guy, and don't sound particularly strong.

    So let me ask you, how well was the "working the crap out of my muscles until I could barely move" thing working out for you? Doesn't sound like it was working very well.

    If you're using "burn" as the sole indicator for a good workout, you're on the wrong track. It definitely isn't.
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  3. #3
    Registered User heathe's Avatar
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    I remember back in high school, my bench max was almost 200 lbs, which was a bit above average for my tall/skinny/long limbs type. I really haven't worked out enough since then to compare any workout plans, but I definately don't "feel" strong doing this program. When I did the other routine earlier this year, I felt like I was stronger, but it could also a mental thing since I was always sore. I guess that brings me to a different question: am I supposed to feel sore doing the "less is more" program? I'll stick with this program even if it doesn't feel right to me, I'd just like to make sure I'm doing it correctly and not wasting my time.
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    Heartless Angel ZidaneValor's Avatar
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    The two biggest things I gathered from your post where:

    1) You've only been back in the gym 3 weeks, so that means you're not going to be experiencing "gains" yet.

    2) Soreness is not an indication of how good a workout was, it's an indication of how atrophied your muscles were. I've been on Starr's 5x5 for the past 10 weeks, and am putting up PRs every week now, and I don't get sore at all anymore (maybe some light hamstring soreness, but nothing noticeable.)
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  5. #5
    Registered User heathe's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by ZidaneValor View Post
    The two biggest things I gathered from your post where:

    1) You've only been back in the gym 3 weeks, so that means you're not going to be experiencing "gains" yet.

    As I stated in my first post, I'm not looking for gains right now - I know it's too early to be expecting any significant results :-)

    2) Soreness is not an indication of how good a workout was, it's an indication of how atrophied your muscles were. I've been on Starr's 5x5 for the past 10 weeks, and am putting up PRs every week now, and I don't get sore at all anymore (maybe some light hamstring soreness, but nothing noticeable.)

    This is type of answer I'm looking for, and I'll be sure to keep an eye on your PR
    Thanks!
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  6. #6
    Registered User heathe's Avatar
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    Bump, any other thougths / opinions / experiences on this?
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