MAX-OT too 20 reps...opinions plz

[British Beast]

I've been thinking for some while now about changing my routine to the 20 rep ideas. I've been doing MAX-OT for a while, and have had the best strength gains and muscle gains of my life (only been doing it for around 7 weeks now, training for over 3 years) and have gained over 35kg's to my dead lift 15 to my bench and around the same to my squat.

Thing is, im starting to get some big ass mass to my frame, and i dont want the 'bodybuilding look' - dont argue with me, or call me weak, cus i dont want this look - i'm a fighter and cant be weighed down with loads of mass.

My aim is brad pitts style of body, only with about 10 more lbs of muscle. maybe a little more. - kind of like sly.

I'm just wondering if chaning my style of training would allow me to get this smaller framed look, using the 20 reps idea.

Here's an example, of what i can lift. I can hammer curl the 55lbs DB's for 6 reps, would changing that weight too 40lb DB's and doing them for 20 reps be better? or would I just lose loads of mass, if I did this. As I'm happy with the current size of my arms.

any feedback welcomed.
Peace.

[Kane Fan]

sly has more then 10 lbs on pitt

it's hard to tell
if you want to stop getting bigger you have to stop progressing

[thx10050]

I'd maybe switch over to a strength training program, like Korte's 3x3, and lower your cals to just about 100-200 above maintenance.

[British Beast]

ok, thanks guys. lol, yeh sly has more than 10lbs on pitt, my mistake. just want something in between :>

I've lowered my cals so that I will be cut for when i go on my holiday, I train so much in martial arts that it's hard to find my mantainence, because it's always changing.

Thanks for the ideas, I'm not to keen on the idea of only training in the big 3 lifts, I do them as it is, but I think my arms, calves, shoulders, would lose some size if I didn't incorporate my other exercises.

I want to keep progressing, I need more strength. But I cannot attain too much muscle mass as I need to remain light and agile on my feet.

I tried the 20 rep idea today, wasn't to sure on what I would be able to lift for that many reps. So they ranged from 12-18 reps. My shoulders and traps felt great after the workout, such a burn. Just hope I wont lose any muscle mass.

peace.

[juicedgixxer]

I say stay with the Max OT but increase the number of reps to 8 or 9. Keep the cardio up and count your caloric intake, and make sure your getting enough protien.

Edit: Isnt Max OT basic principle is to keep low reps but hight weight. Doing 20 or so reps wouldnt be a Max Ot workout right? If you were to do 20 reps, I think you would induce muscle fatigue first before failure.

[British Beast]

Originally posted by juicedgixxer
I say stay with the Max OT but increase the number of reps to 8 or 9. Keep the cardio up and count your caloric intake, and make sure your getting enough protien.

Edit: Isnt Max OT basic principle is to keep low reps but hight weight. Doing 20 or so reps wouldnt be a Max Ot workout right? If you were to do 20 reps, I think you would induce muscle fatigue first before failure.

Yeh MAX-OT is 4-6 reps and 6-9 sets per muscle (not including warmup)

And yeh, I tried the 20 rep idea the other day, I was fatigued by the time I got to around the 12th rep. It was crazy, made me think how low my endurance with weights has fell since I've been doing MAX-OT.

I think I'm going to stick with the 20 rep idea, this is how my workout looked like yesterday for my shoulders and traps.

Military Press - 2 sets
DB Press - 2 sets
Front Lateral Raises - 1 set
Side Lateral Raises - 1 set
Bent Over Lateral Raises - 1 set
Shrugs - 2 sets
Upright Rows - 2 Sets

Some may say that DB Press and Military press in the same workout is pointless, but I find i grow in strength and size better when doing it this way.

I have quiet a short torso anyway, and I'm pretty damn wide cus my shoulders are like water melons - well slightly over the top. So I have more of a bodybuilder appearence, and I know longer want that. I'm not aiming to lose muscle mass, just change my shape - if possible. lol.

Peace.

[British Beast]

O yeh, and my logic in all of this.

The MAX-OT training was one of the best training programs I've ever did to pack on muscle, but it gave me more of a smooth look (bf% the same), so I'm now going to incorporate higher reps in the hope that it will let me gain mass still but let me attain a more harder look.

I'm worried about the 'fatigue' before muscle failure as I stand firm by going to failure on every exercise. But I read somewhere that doing 20 reps will bring more muscle fibres into action to help move the weight, unlike MAX-OT style training which just trains the 'fast twitch' muscle fibres....

Hit me if I'm wrong.

Peace.

[thx10050]

You can't obtain a 'harder' look unless you diet down or use 'supplementation.' However, I think that PLers/Oly lifters/strength trainers' muscles are denser, so to speak, than BBers because those training styles use more fast-twitch fibers than BBers and learn how to recruit more for all their lifts. As for muscle fatigue, that's all you'll really get with 20 rep sets. And I think you'll lose size and strength too, by doing these sets consistently with every workout.

[British Beast]

Originally posted by thx10050
You can't obtain a 'harder' look unless you diet down or use 'supplementation.' However, I think that PLers/Oly lifters/strength trainers' muscles are denser, so to speak, than BBers because those training styles use more fast-twitch fibers than BBers and learn how to recruit more for all their lifts. As for muscle fatigue, that's all you'll really get with 20 rep sets. And I think you'll lose size and strength too, by doing these sets consistently with every workout.

Hey, thanks for your reply. I understand I need to cut up to obtain a more harder look, I'm just trying to streer away from the bodybuilding look.

Thanks for the advice though, I'm going to try the 20 rep workout for a week or two and see how I progress from there. There is nothing better than trial and error, just hope my efforts are not wasted.

If I lose much strength, or size, then I will go back to MAX-OT style training, only I will change the rep range to 8-10 rather than 4-6.

Thanks again, peace.