Mr. America Doug Brignole’s Training, Part 15

Over the past multi-part series, you’ve seen biomechanics expert and Drug-Free Mr. Universe Doug Brignole “think out loud,” so to speak, on hypertrophy training through my correspondence with him…

In addition, I’ve added my analysis and two cents regarding how best to achieve optimal growth with the most efficient workouts possible.

Before his death in 2021, Doug had come to some very solid conclusions regarding bodybuilding training. Here are a few of those:

1) I believe the real key [to optimal muscle growth] is exercise selection—using only the most precise, most efficient and most biomechanically efficacacious exercises. I think it’s good to avoid the majority of traditional mostly compound exercises because they lack precision, mechanical efficiency and optimal benefit.

2) “Muscle fatigue” is a two-edged sword, it seems. It provides benefits, but—in the extreme—produces damage and compromises the potential benefits. Chris Beardsley (and also Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.) talks about “stimulating reps.” Obviously those are not the early reps when there is little fatigue. A bit later [in the set], when fatigue starts to set it, the reps are more stimulating. But then, suddenly, you reach a point (2 reps before total failure) where, if you continue, it works against you.

3) I believe twice per week is the ideal frequency, assuming each muscle is worked with the “ideal” intensity (which I believe is 3 sets performed at 95% maximum effort, regardless of whether it’s a 30 rep set, a 20 rep set, or a 12 rep set). More frequency would require a compromised intensity effort, per muscle, per workout….and that would not be better.

Doug had evolved his workouts to train each muscle twice a week, using 30, 20 and 12 reps on the ideal exercise. He stopped short of failure on all sets and supersetted with an opposing muscle group. For example, alternating the ideal chest exercise with an ideal back exercise.

Some of Doug’s conclusions go against much of the research—such as that 10 to 20 sets per week per muscle is best for hypertrophy and double-digit-rep sets are inferior to heavier lower-rep sets.

My training is now very similar to Doug’s. And I’ve made some impressive results with 35-minute workouts three to four times a week emphasizing the ideal exercises with the Old Man Young Muscle workouts (see the ebooks below).

More on why Doug and myself produced outstanding results, especially impressive in our 60s, with contrarian training methods.

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.