Mesocycle Progressions for Hypertrophy | Dr. Mike Israetel

[@johnnykarate_SweepLeg]

This is what KZbin fitness SHOULD be. Straight up education.

[@readyfuels17]

Erik Tobin Then go to Greg Doucettes channel

[@johnnykarate_SweepLeg]

@@readyfuels17 No thank you. I'm 41 years old. Been lifting for 18 years. I'm too old for that "responds to..." type content. I'm also not here for the lifters who bicker at each other and use dramatic titles to lure clicks. Thanks though.

[@Junotekh]

I prefer Mike's Instagram PoV angle though.

[@TunnelVisionAthletic]

Instead we get 4 yr old girls telling how to get slim thic.....

[@readyfuels17]

Erik Tobin Niether am I, I’m looking for lifters who have proven results

[@iRickcast1]

I can't believe Mike regularly drops free phd level knowledge/content while there are "fitness influencers" out there selling expensive cookie cutter programs while also not even knowing what the word "periodization" means.

[@Wuddigot]

Wait so... Thanos.. Does that mean youd make sure hes on the not-erased side?

[@rando9574]

in my country, several of the fitness influencers actually sell cookies. its true. welcome to norway

[@originalruckuscrew]

Thanks mike Ive been doing the volume landmarks to apply to my wife. First two weeks start off with 4 inches in reserve before slowly increasing to 0 inches in reserve, also helped with my stamina

[@loljk9443]

originalruckuscrew this is the kind of testimony needed at the top of their website

[@stefanmartinez7747]

dang dude. brilliant.

[@Wuddigot]

dont forget to really go all out before you deload

[@saviourr69]

@@Wuddigothope you know your comment still puts a smile on peoples faces 2 years after posting it thats fucking perfect

[@gasres2778]

What if 4 inches is your max rep range?

[@Wowed45]

Legit had to rewind a couple of times Dr.Mike is an absolute unit!

[@johnwig285]

Such a detailed explanation for free? im calling the cops

[@arielbonifacio982]

This man is a master at his craft. Amazing explanation

[@lfreeden9006]

Literally the only man I can still respect after wearing crocs in the gym...

[@Monster-hx8qx]

Post Malone is his brother

[@PaytonDowns]

@@Monster-hx8qx good point

[@frdz0]

What's with the crocs nowadays? I've seen Jared and Matt Wenning wearing them as well..

[@xavierxavier166]

Even if he wore a pink tutu Very good information, and very helpful to plan my training.. The secret to sucessfuly train is to tweek and organize the workout and keep this planned and simple And ajust accordingly. Our bodied are alive and always changing, everyone is diferent so every body reacts differently to stimulus and volume And this guide emcompases every one Very good video

[@bcraiders11]

100%

[@nikolidus]

You’re the only person I’ve seen that explains it all in so much detail but keeps it short at the same time. Keep them up please you’re my favourite to watch

[@cdrtej]

I gotta watch at 0.75 speed to keep up

[@danielhewitt8]

Already Bought Scientific Principles of Strength Training from Juggernaut years ago and it's my training Bible. Can't wait for the Hypertrophy book.

[@Kavriel]

You're really removing confusion out of training. It's not : "do this because it works" It's a method that you can adapt. And it just makes complete sense once it's explained like that. Amazing content.

[@amcbee28]

Shout out to Dr. Israetel training in the black crocs. I do this at work all the time and catch heat. The real guys get it. Go blue

[@kylesunfit]

golden info ! nobody talks about this stuff. It's always "just do my premade programs that I never used myself"

[@NorthernSpartan]

Can´t thank you guys enough. This is GOLD!

[@PaytonDowns]

Nay...tis Platinum

[@NorthernSpartan]

Tbh more like challenger

[@sebastianbeckett-holck9099]

Mikes form on side raises is impeccable. Very impressive especially considering the heavy weight.

[@approximately27goats]

In all the Q&A's I've seen Mike do, I've never heard a question like this asked, but it's a huge elephant in the room for me that I don't see any attention paid to. Maybe it's a stupid question and there's a simple answer that someone here can answer in one sentence. I'm hoping that's the case, here we go. So I'm a beginner lifter and am transitioning from just walking into the gym and going "harder than last time" to at least familiarizing myself with the mesocycle strategy. I am confident I understand a good amount of the basics: 10-30 exercises per body part per week, 3-4 RIR first week, 2-3 second, 1-2 third, 0-1 fourth, deload. My problem is that let's say I want to do 4 sets of 10 per exercise and I pick a given weight. Doing straight sets like that gives me an RIR of like 15 the first set, 10 the second set, THEN I get that 3-4 RIR for the third set, then the fourth turns out to be either 0 or all the way to failure. The point is, if I do all the same weight at the same reps, each set gets a wildly varying range of RIR from one another. A possible fix might be to compensate with weight and reps to get consistent RIR. How on earth am I supposed to be able to accurately anticipate how many reps of what load is going to give me RIR? Plus, that is going to be really weird to track if I look at my log and see: Ok I did 15 reps with 50kg, then 14 reps with 50, then 12 with 45, then 12 with 40, all at 3-4 RIR. Like what do I shoot for that day? That's problem number one, which leads me to the second problem. Not only does your strength go down and fatigue go up between sets, making straight sets feel either too easy or too hard, but each successive exercise you runs you out of gas, especially when you are targeting the same muscle groups (in my case Push Pull Legs). If you start with exercise A, then go to B, your performance on A is going to be fantastic, but is going to take away from exercise B's performance, and this effect compounds into each successive exercise. Great, I got 4 sets of 10 at 50kg with exercise A last time, but this time it's my 3rd workout of the day, so I only managed 2 sets of 10 at 50kg, then had to drop to 40 to get 8, then to 30, etc. It just goes all over the place. I know you should start your exercise with heavy compound lifts, but this effect still happens regardless. Yesterday I tried the numbers approach and recorded everything I did on my Pull day. I can't call it a bad workout, only because it spawned this question, which I'll hopefully learn something from, but other than that, in my effort to keep all sets nice and even at sets of 12 with the same weight, and to save gas for later sets, I ended up having a lackluster, let's be honest, complete pussy ass workout, except for the end during barbell curls, which I actually went to failure ONLY on the last set. P.S. I am resting 2 minutes between every set. Perhaps I could rest longer as I get more tired, but I don't think this alone could solve the issue, as my resting periods would get exponentially longer with each set and exercise. Again, the the beginning of the workout, I'm Superman, and at the end, I'm a limp noodle. How are we supposed to consistently hit the same RIR each set using the same weight and reps within and between exercises? Thanks a lot in advance, fellas.

[@14SoccerLee]

This needs to be the only fitness video anyone should watch to actually learn how to progress.

[@anderslarson3595]

This is most likely the best informational video on youtube regarding volym and fatigu. Much appriciated

[@nickbyrd1027]

This should become the gold standard of KZbin education for hypertrophy progressions. Great stuff, Dr. Mike!

[@cheriemaceachern9746]

This is Gold!, I probably watched a 100 videos on this one is the best

[@pablotapia8237]

This is amazing, ive been training for almost 10 years, and have never found such good content summarized in a single video, in my experience ive only learned half of what's in this video through trial and error, i gave up searching for info and watching videos that have the same content each time, and decided to try stuff up myself, ive come a long way as a natty, i only clicked on this video because i remember watching renaissance training videos with some crazy amount of weight in the past, and i found myself with plenty of useful info to start applying to my training for the first time in years, and this is only 7 months old, can't believe it has only 60k views. Thank you so much for this

[@catsteinhilb2880]

This is so incredibly helpful! Thank you. I’ve needed this answer for a year!

[@Ericwseed]

Why are there not more views on these videos? Seriously; great job Mike!

[@mccallcarlson3580]

I'm taking detailed notes because this is GOLD.

[@kinginthenorth1437]

These videos are awesome! Thanks for making them. Discovered your hypertrophy guides about a month back and got myself off a 20 year old bro split and just getting myself off a 20 year old bro split has been amazing. Growing my biceps again and my elbow tendons haven't felt this good for a long time. Wouldn't have guessed the solution for tendinitis was more frequent bicep and tricep training.

[@gracefool]

We need one of these on deloads.

[@gracefool]

@Alex Hansen I've also heard Mike say to halve the weights in the second half of the week.

[@meatmilkeggfruits9117]

Just reduce volume and maintain intensity

[@ironknightzero]

@Alex Hansen And keep the weights the same as the last week of the cycle?

[@PsychItsMike]

This is why I got RPs template and diet app. Worth every penny

[@mattiaderobertis1069]

this is the best video on this topic no doubt

[@LikeCarvingACake]

Probably the only full depth leg press I've seen on KZbin.

[@nilo7727]

Dr Mike excellent content once again simple straight to the point clearly explained this video and the last video were so spot on thank you for sharing your expert knowledge and putting it in such a practical easy to follow format all your videos have helped so much your hypertrophy guide especially such a great tool love your videos much love and respect!!!👏👌👍✊😎

[@billycarlile6378]

Thank you. These videos are a great compliment to the Strength Training Principles. I'm not getting sore with the upper body and have been adding a set a week. I'll try going up two sets

[@jimmingle4963]

Thanks Dr. Mike. Incredible amount of information and knowledge. Determining autoregulation is worth its weight in gold. Blessings!!

[@1bigimpact]

I would just like to say that I appreciate your videos I'm a personal trainer and I get a lot of very useful content from you thank you for all your hard work and sharing with us

[@cloystreng]

Looking forward to that book!

[@SuperIbrahimovic8]

Can’t wait for the hypertrophy book!!

[@prabhukarthik03]

This is absolutely fantastic! Learnt a lot. Thanks!

[@sdjgpsijag]

I am loving this series!!!

[@espejokeith]

You guys offering all of this knowledge for free has got me VERY intrigued on what I can learn if I pay for a coach...

[@thebanaap]

Dr. Mike Israetel. God.

[@MD-zq3yo]

Best KZbin channel Great information , thanks so much

[@JuggernautTrainingSystems]

Thanks for the support

[@kramerdashwood]

Take away: keep within your rep range during your progressive overload and add sets if you have no soreness.

[@Half-code]

I like this guy. He should make an app.

[@tahoe250]

I love this guy. Makes everything harder then it should be. I didn’t understand a word he said. lol

[@coachdetofitness6601]

Best Content on the net

[@luisarce6234]

Thanks for squatting with your arms straight. It's much more comfortable for me to do than the traditional arm position.

[@nick_420]

Thank you very much doc 🙏🏼

[@abikhan]

Thank you for putting the science and practicality back into fitness education Mike and JTS team!

[@3rd_iimpact]

This is gold, Jerry! Gold!

[@BAILEYHULLFC]

Great series.

[@MS-Holding]

Amazingly Helpful

[@awreckingball]

If A and B then C, but if C and not D, then back to A plus B and C, but only if D. However, in the case of C and D, then E plus A, except in cases where B and E are indistinguishable, in that case back to A.

[@abhishekbandal3156]

Great info i feel enlightened

[@junnunaumanen6672]

Subscribed. Explained so well.

[@jmichel70]

Thanks for the videos

[@dontreadmyname4396]

fantastic video

[@11eitor]

Great video, tks.

[@Indxstrious]

Great content. Quick question. Are we adding sets while adding reps and or weight?

[@JustinHSV17]

9:31 but should i start at my MEV and 3 RIR again after i did so or Just continue?

[@mati2912]

thats what i was waiting for

[@Harpersmaximumfitness]

Love the videos Dr. Mike!Learning so much from you!

[@boxerfencer]

Mike, why wouldn't you prefer to use fatigue and performance, as opposed to your suggested soreness and performance? Seems like soreness is such an arbitrary metric, as opposed to fatigue which can be quantified against the very same trusted metric, performance?

[@jamesjacob9632]

how are you measuring fatigue?

[@boxerfencer]

@@jamesjacob9632 fatigue can be measured in various ways, RPE rating for instance. Each RPE increase accounts for a % of fatigue accumulation. Also, reps droping can also be used similarly to RPE, but can also be quantified in relation to your RM with any given weight.

[@jamesjacob9632]

@@boxerfencer I don't think RPE is exactly the same thing as fatigue though. RPE is a subjective measure of how hard the set was. There are many factors that could go into how hard the set felt besides fatigue. Emotional arousal, sleep, diet, warmup, etc. If you are really consistent and can judge RPE well I supposed you could isolate it to RPE. I agree that it's probably better than soreness though as that is influenced by a number of factors besides fatigue.

[@boxerfencer]

@@jamesjacob9632 by RPE I mean the the change of RPE that ocurrs during various sets of an exercise. You may start with 100 lbs at a RPE of 6, a measure of how hard 100 lbs was at the first work set, and by 4 sets it may increase to an RPE of 9, a measure of hard the set was by the 4th set. You can can measure the difference between RPE 6 and RPE 9, and come quite confidently conclude,--yes, given your sleep, stress, and diet-- that you've accumulated a certain amount of fatigue as quantified per the RPE increase. This example is only one way to measure fatigue buildup. There are easier methods to track, as mentioned in my previous comment. For the record, seeing you bring up sleep, diet, etc, influencing fatigue ... im fully aware these influence chronic fatigue. Using fatigue as a proxy to stimulation concerns itself with in session acute fatigue buildup, not chronic, so unless you're over training or perhaps over reaching I dont see the benefit of introducing chronic fatigue. It's not like we dont strive to keep recuperation in line.

[@bmstylee]

Possibly one of the most useful fitness channels here. Now days no excuse for poor technique.

[@nickcustodi592]

Mikes strict ass form though hahahaha love this guy. Freaking Machine

[@joeschmo2693]

RIR is like giving directions based on what comes after the turns.

[@timmiet47321]

Is it a mistake to go 0-1 RIR each set of each workout for a 6-8 week mesocycle?

[@ziahreid9269]

So overload with intensity and auto regulate with volume?

[@Livefree432Livewhole]

ziah Reid I started with that for 3 complete macro cycles with 4 mesocycles and a de-load week per macro and now I do week one 3 sets per exercise 2.5kg less than my rep range. Week two 4 sets p/e 2.5kg less than my rep range. Week three 3 sets p/e at rep range. Week four 4 sets p/e at rep range then I de-load for a week. And increase the weights and start again. It’s what has worked for me and got me through my platos

[@odsstv4750]

can you do pilars for inclined press? i've watched your pilars of bench press and i learned a lot and now my shoulder doesn't hurt anymore when im performing bench press. thanks

[@kiddfamilyfarmllc9962]

I like them, much to digest.

[@SFSBuster]

i love how Mike can explain so simple things

[@Neofolis]

I have major difficulty getting anything to be sore other than legs. Even if I train virtually to failure every set, nothing. I'm still getting stronger and still gaining mass. I've experimented with different rep ranges up to 20. I don't really want to go above 20, because I'm very fast twitch dominant and, if I go above 20, fatigue rather than muscles tend to be my limiting factor. The only way I tend to get any soreness is if I reduce training frequency to once per week, which would obviously be counter productive. I should add that I'm 50 years old, which I would have thought would make my recovery much slower than when I was younger and, thus, increase soreness, but I used to get sore all the time when I was younger. I also generally only manage to get 5-6 hours sleep per night, sometimes less, which again should hamper recovery. I don't know whether this would have any bearing, but I was out of the gym for 18 months and have only been training again for 3 months, so the weights I'm lifting are well below what I have lifted in the past, currently bench 100kg (220lb) x5, squat 140kg (308lb) x5, deadlift 185kg (407lb) x 5 and adding 2.5kg - 5 kg per week. Is it likely to be the light weight that is the issue?

[@samirifai2891]

This is gold

[@piotrmilewski8456]

Im about 8 months into training, wil "volume progression" during mesocycles be beneficial for me as a begginer/low intermidiate or should i just add weight and reps + deload every once in a while? I would be thankful for an anwser from someone more educated.

[@Jdario134]

My question is let's say I do back/bis Monday, Tuesday morning can I do chest and tris? Even tho I'm a little sore from back and bis? Or should I stick to every other day

[@sirwalksoftly]

Regarding adding sets depending on soreness recovery, would you advise to add sets if one wants to increase the weight? Say I did squat for 250 the week prior at 3x8 RPE 7.5, would it make sense to do 255 aiming for 3x8 @ RPE 7-8 plus adding 1 set on the current week?

[@jacketsgeek]

When you say 'Week one, lifts should go to 3-4 RIR', does that mean to stop at 3 RIR, no matter how many reps I actually perform?

[@Luke-do1ek]

I’ve made my mind up Damn it Im buying the men’s physique template. Take my money mike lol you are the best

[@readyfuels17]

Luke Mantini Don’t look into Greg Doucette. Mike got exposed by Greg Doucette.

[@Luke-do1ek]

Slick I am a fan of them both

[@topi5212]

@@readyfuels17 How did he get exposed?

[@olelaukeland9424]

@@Luke-do1ek One of the RP workers actually said that Juggernauts A.I program might be better. Just a tip :)

[@neotradnous]

Luke Mantini I bought it last week and finished the first week of meso 1 and fucking love it so far

[@brucejones7565]

I'm so confused. So each week we should be training with reps in reserve, progressively getting heavier with less reps in reserve till we reach the end of the meso cycle? So the final week or two would be the only weeks that we would train to failure and beyond? That doesn't seem like enough stimulus at all... unless I'm not understanding this correctly. I could see how this would apply to powerlifting, but not bodybuilding.

[@JuggernautTrainingSystems]

This will help clarify for you but yes you're understanding it correctly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKbMpGOdZ65patk

[@sergiotl7378]

Man, this guy talks faster than Ben Shapiro...

[@turinho]

Should i Add Sets to my main lift or to the secondary lift? Lets say i do bench and flys. In first week i hit 3x7 with 90kg @7RPE Than in week two i did 3x8 with 90kg @8RPE and my soreness heals on time. I fulfilled all requirements so do i add one set to the bench and do 4 sets next time or should i keep the bench at 3 sets but add one set to the flys?

[@michaelbirnie2186]

In the last week of a mesocycle, if you choose to do 0 RIR (failure), do you perform every set to failure on every exercise? Also, say you started your first week doing 10 reps each set for an exercise leaving 3 RIR, by the last week should you still be able to complete 10 reps but with a RIR of 0?? Thank you for the informative content

[@michaelbirnie2186]

@Alex Hansen thank you for your response, that completely explains what I wanted to know 👍

[@sammmmmmmm4347]

Would you decrease weight set by set if you’re aiming to shoot for RIR in a given exercise? Eg on bench press doing 3x10 for RIR 2. Would you decrease weight across the sets? Typically when the i leave the weight the same on all sets, the first set of 10 for me is easier than the last

[@HeavyDude3000]

Thanks a lot for this! ❤️ I got a problem with the soreness-factor. I don't get sore too often after training. Sure, if I'll do a new exercise which I haven't done for a while, I will get sore. But when I'm in a circle and do the same exersice for a few weeks, just adding a set or even a few reps from session to session won't often get me sore at all. Even though the excersise feels really hard and I push it to a RIR 1. How to I proceed with that?

[@christianv4576]

If you do a deload on a muscle group and have recovered, should you continue from the deload week volume? or the volume before you hit under-recovery?

[@fakecreatinerm9948]

i do upper lower splits. Should i do hypertrophy/volume work every time i train or should i focus on volume the first half of the week and focus on strength/intensity the other half?? Im looking to get jacked but have somewhat decent strength as well

[@denisnako811]

So I have one question When I train I never take it to failure or close to failure on my first set I like to keep it at an RPE of 8 Then by the last set im usually at an RPE of 9-10 How do i implement this into my training exactly If I do 1 set of 10 the first set rpe 10 Then next set im gonna do 8 reps rpe 10 Then 7 then 6 This would be week 4-8 If im getting this right, if i follow ur method of training then i never really care about reps but about how close i get to failure

[@pelley6874]

Does this style of training work if you’re going gym 4 times a week?

[@Proteinhead92]

Do a video on how to proper deload!

[@danielbatho1126]

How do you know how long of a mesocycle you should use? Is 4 weeks using this method of RIR too short for some people before a deload? Specifically referring to the idea of staying at RIR 3 for a few more weeks doesn't that mean you're not progressing?

[@fakecreatinerm9948]

should i switch up movements the same week? or should i do the same chest movements i did monday on thursday?

[@rodlaz1984]

Legend!

[@McAppleJuice]

Yes the crocs stay on during lateral raises 🙌

[@quinnburke5642]

Mans is wearing crocs at the gym and still looking like an absolute unit

[@Zillamp3z]

What about for intermediate/advanced lifters that don't get sore? What do we do then?

[@samueldahl9790]

Amazing

[@witcherpie]

i didnt understand what to do on the next mesocycle after deload week. Use the same sets again as in the 1st week of 1st meso?

[@braylbrayl]

Is this applicable for training by just using bodyweight?

[@hariszukic5910]

Bro is wearing crocs for the workouts! Legend

[@hotramen5952]

where im confused, if i do 3 sets of 10 on say bench, my reps in reserve for each set is going to be different. my typical 3 sets of dumbbell bench are say 15/12/6-8. when you say reps in reserve, are you only talking about the last set?

[@gatozilla2607]

This channel don't have podcast about this on spotify or something?

[@tomr164]

My muscles almost never get sore anymore? Is this bad?

[@truthseeker3412]

How do you know what your RIR are without going to failure?