Q: First I want to thank you for Old Man Young Muscle. I’ve made spectacular gains in my meager home gym similar to what you did. My problem now is that I’m getting 25 reps on my first set of dumbbell decline presses with my 50s, and I have no more weight to increase resistance. Should I just keep going till I get 30? Then what?
A: The late Doug Brignole, friend, biomechanics genius, and Mr. America winner, did 30 reps on his first set. So, yes, you could just keep trying to add reps to your decline presses until you get there…
For me, 30 is too monotonous; 25 is about the limit on that first STX set. What I would do in your case is use pre-exhaustion, as shown in the alternate workout in Chapter 9 of Old Man, Young Muscle (pages 71-72).
Some “expert” trainers have crapped on pre-ex lately, but it was the cornerstone method used by pro bodybuilder Mike Mentzer back in the ‘70s…
I’d say it worked pretty well for him—and a recent study confirms its muscle-building power: Effects of Pre-Exhaustion Versus Traditional Resistance Training on Training Volume, Maximal Strength and Quadriceps Hypertrophy (Front Physiol. Trinidade, et al, 2019).
Group 1 performed leg presses, 3 x max at 75 percent 1RM twice a week
Group 2 performed one set of leg extensions prior to their leg presses (lighter weight on the leg presses due to fatigue)
Both groups got significant muscle growth of all quad muscles with no notable difference in gains…
That’s despite the fact that Group 2 had to use less weight on their leg presses due to fatigue from the extensions.
The researchers concluded that pre-exhaustion training allows the trainee to use lighter loads or to perform fewer repetitions without compromising muscle growth.
So in your case, a high-rep set of dumbbell flyes before your dumbbell decline presses will solve your problem. Just remember to take only a 20-second rest between those chest-mass moves.
Sculpt your perfect physique: Get the ideal exercise for each muscle, the best add-on moves for ultimate mass, complete 35-minute workouts, exercise start/finish photos, and details on building muscle fast and efficiently in Old Man, Young Muscle.
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Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
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