Strategic Deconditioning

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(electric @ Apr. 15 2008,7:19)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(Bryan Haycock @ Apr. 15 2008,1:08)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">...HST has always been a method for people who are life time lifters. After all, if you only intend on lifting for 6 months or a year, just push through to the end…don’t worry about deconditioning.
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Wouldn't this probably mean that it is best to use SD every 3 continuous HST cycles instead of 1?</div>
Hi electric,

Well, the problem is that the growth stagnating effects of the Repeated Bout Effect have both short term and long term effects.

In the short term, the RBE can reduce the damage seen with heavy loads. This is one reason why in HST I suggest that you increase the load each workout (there are well known exceptions). The RBE reduces the anabolic potential of a given load even after 1 workout.

Keep in mind that if you are new to lifting, the anabolic potential of an adequate load is MUCH higher than the same relative load in an chronic lifter. So the RBE, although still occuring, is not going to show so much in a new lifter because the growth potential and sensitivity of the tissue is so high. But like I said, the same physiological adaptations involved in the RBE are still occuring.

The long term effects of the RBE also reduce muscle damage, but through different proposed mechanisms. In the short term, the central an peripheral nervous system is probably responsible for the acute &quot;protection&quot; from damage. In the long term however, there is a significantly reduce anabolic response to the training stimulus. This is more of a metabolic issue than a nervous system phenomena.

So, when I talk about someone who is only goiung to lift for a short time, I'm talking about a high school student who is lifting for football or what-have-you. They are unlikely to experience any significant drop in anabolic response to lifting even when it is consistent over many months.

If however you are older and have been lifitng for several years (past puberty) you are likely not making much progress by following a consistant lifting approach (i.e. same wieght loads, same reps, same boring workout different day).

Does this make more sense?
 
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