# Yates/HIT!  Why am I alone???



## Gadawg (Dec 20, 2018)

Youve probably all seen me rave about this style of training ad nauseum, but Im gonna bring it up again.  

Ive been in the gym basically since I could walk and have done a little of everything. I have always done drop sets and forced reps and other such "past failure" stuff but it was always in conjunction with a bunch of volume stuff. Always way too much volume in fact.  But when I started believing in the program enough to do it 100 percent, I started making gains in areas where I had stagnated for years.  

During my first blast I returned to volume AND HIT training for the first 6-8 weeks thinking that I couldnt overtrain so more is better. Well I was wrong!

Once I returned to a yates style, my gains came back and increased exponentially.  (You can see the evidence in my logs).

So, why am I the only guy in the gym, and on the board for that matter, who is doing this stuff?  I think it comes down to a few things:

People dont believe it will work. Too few sets. (I did back traps and rear delts today in 7 sets)

People cant summon the intensity 
(It requires you leave absolutely nothing in the tank on those sets)

People think they will get hurt.  Definitely a somewhat increased risk of injury here. But I think that can be mitigated with perfect form

People dont have a training partner. This is helpful but not necessary. 

So, what is it?  Why is blood and guts dying in the gyms?  Anybody here tried it for 3 months or more?  

I cant hardly talk anybody in my gym to train with me this way, which is fine. But I watch them doing the same stuff day in and day out and going nowhere. 

What say ye?


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## Straight30weight (Dec 20, 2018)

You aren’t alone. I mix it up with that style here and there, just not exclusively. But remember, Yates, Mentzer and the other few that trained that way were in short supply. It’s not common and never has been.


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## PillarofBalance (Dec 20, 2018)

There is no such this as training past failure for starters...

I tried this years ago. Just wasn't enough volume for me.


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## rawdeal (Dec 20, 2018)

??? ...... how do you define "past failure"?  Isn't doing a set of *strict *barbell curls till you fail on the last attempted strict rep reaching failure, then without pausing, resuming by heaving the BB up and doing agonizing negative reps going beyond failure?  Standing OH press to failure, then push press up, slowly lowering down for a few more reps ...... isn't that beyond failure?


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## Gadawg (Dec 20, 2018)

Yes. I was referring to pushing as absolutely hard as you can until another rep cannot be acheived and then having the spotter help with forced reps or (and I think a better way to go) dropping the weight 2-4 times to continue the set.  

That was how I defined "past failure".  

I have found that I dont like it for large compound leg exercises like leg press and hack squats bc I feel like a vessel is going to rupture in my brain but for everything else it is a game changer for me.  

The initial weight is also heavy. 6-8 reps being the goal. 

Everyone responds to different training but Ive yet to lift with someone who couldnt get anything from this.


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## Gadawg (Dec 20, 2018)

Straight30weight said:


> You aren’t alone. I mix it up with that style here and there, just not exclusively. But remember, Yates, Mentzer and the other few that trained that way were in short supply. It’s not common and never has been.



You used to see it a lot more though. Especially heavy weights.  I see a lot of really big guys around still and theyre often doing 30 plus sets per bodypart with lighter weights basically "pump chasing".  Maybe that works for guys and maybe it just requires a lot more PEDS but it does very little for me. And I find it boring.


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## Viduus (Dec 20, 2018)

I don’t know who these new Dorian Yates or Mentzer guys are... but they must have taken a page from this guys book...

https://www.ugbodybuilding.com/threads/28332-Arther-Jones-HIT-What-happened

In all seriousness, DC training is directly based on the stuff Aurther Jones, Mike(?) Mentzer, and Yates were doing.

I’ve also suggested checking out Ron Parlows training style in the Mutant on Mission series. He definitely falls into the HIT camp even though he’s not known for it.

Dusty Henshaw also has some great DC style videos.


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## Straight30weight (Dec 20, 2018)

Gadawg said:


> You used to see it a lot more though. Especially heavy weights.  I see a lot of really big guys around still and theyre often doing 30 plus sets per bodypart with lighter weights basically "pump chasing".  Maybe that works for guys and maybe it just requires a lot more PEDS but it does very little for me. And I find it boring.


I enjoy drop sets, pushing yourself hard. Once I’m done cutting I’m going to incorporate it a lot more. But guys that aren’t in it to move weight are thinking about time under tension. They just want hypertrohy.


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## Gadawg (Dec 20, 2018)

Hmmm. I dont recall that thread but my memory has turned to shit since I quit boozing. I get lost driving sometimes even. Lol


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## snake (Dec 20, 2018)

You found what works for you and over the years so have I. It does change over time to address different factors but it does work for me.

Never lose sight of the fact that everyone is different with different goals. You may want to look good at the next Mr. Universe while some guys just trying to look good this summer in a bathing suit.


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## November Ajax (Dec 21, 2018)

Isn't that what you are supposed to do? When you get stuck with a certain program or method you just mix things up? Maybe it's not the method itself, maybe it's the fact that you changed methods?


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## DieYoungStrong (Dec 21, 2018)

When I started that’s how I trained. Worked well. Hard and heavy, drop sets, negatives, all that stuff. Dorian was also hurt a lot. This style of training lends itself to injuries.


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## Gadawg (Dec 21, 2018)

November Ajax said:


> Isn't that what you are supposed to do? When you get stuck with a certain program or method you just mix things up? Maybe it's not the method itself, maybe it's the fact that you changed methods?



It's the method itself. Ive spent enough time doing various different things to know what works for me. I also dont think that the body can really "get used to" training that intensely. There is stimulus to grow in every set.


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## Gadawg (Dec 21, 2018)

DieYoungStrong said:


> When I started that’s how I trained. Worked well. Hard and heavy, drop sets, negatives, all that stuff. Dorian was also hurt a lot. This style of training lends itself to injuries.




As far as I know, he wasnt hurt much until near the end of his career and the weights he used were getting so damn heavy. Maybe Im wrong on that but Ive only ever seen him speak of his late injuries. Got his book coming in the mail soon.


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## Elivo (Dec 21, 2018)

To each his own, i personally like hitting each muscle group twice a week. I feel its a better option than the bro type split of each once a week no matter how hard you train them that one day.

Its a personal choice is all it comes down to. What feels good and works for you isnt always what will feel good and work for others.


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## November Ajax (Dec 21, 2018)

It's also that you should find a program/method/etc. that you (kinda) enjoy doing. Part of enjoying the routine is feeling that it works.

If you don't enjoy it at least a little, you are not going to train as hard or as long as you would if you did.

I only came to understand this not so long ago. Since then, I have never done something I didn't truly like and believed that works. That's one of the reasons why you should do as much research as you can before diving into a routine. It'll give you a good base to be able to decide if you trust (or not) what you are doing. If you don't trust, you find something else. If you do trust in it, you'll have way more fun doing it.

Kind of a long post but I felt it was important to mention.


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## MonkeyBusiness (Dec 21, 2018)

Need to read about the Yates method...haven't heard of it before.
Can anyone post some links to good literature on it? Anything you'd recommend?


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## Gadawg (Dec 21, 2018)

MonkeyBusiness said:


> Need to read about the Yates method...haven't heard of it before.
> Can anyone post some links to good literature on it? Anything you'd recommend?



Google blood and guts.  In fact the entire blood and guts videos are on youtube


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## Jada (Dec 22, 2018)

I like yates style but i add my own flavor with drop sets , forced reps and static hold.


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