Science Of Lifting

Question 1

What are 3 features of a good model

Answer 1

1. Captures enough complexity
2. Accounts for enough factors to still be user friendly
3. Actually works

Question 2

How do models help us?

Answer 2

Models help us work with a lot of information while making useful predictions

Question 3

What is the power law distribution?

Answer 3

Majority of your results come from a small number of inputs, with further inputs producing less improvements

Question 4

How does the power law distribution apply to meal, training, and sleep?

Answer 4

Meals: 1 meal/week < 1 meal/day < 3 meals/day
Training: 1 workout/month < 1 workout/week
Sleep: 2 hours/day < 6 hours/day < 8 hours/day

Question 5

Does your body differentiate between different types of stress?

Answer 5

No, it has a single pool of adaptive reserves.

Question 6

What training intensity do you need to get robust hypertrophy gains?

Answer 6

You must lift at least 60% of your 1RM.

Question 7

What should be your #1 priority in training?

Answer 7

Volume

Question 8

What is the problem with lifting 90-100% of your 1RM?

Answer 8

It reduces the volume you are capable of lifting

Question 9

Can you build cardiovascular fitness and strength simultaneously?

Answer 9

No, it’s best to structure your workouts to improve one or the other.

Question 10

What is the effect of training on the response curve?

Answer 10

It shifts the curve so the y-intercept is farther from 0. Implications are that a reduction of stress will result in losses.

Question 11

What is the effect of life stresses on the response curve?

Answer 11

• Shift the curve down
• More training is required for gains
• Possible magnitude of adaptations decreases
• Risk of overtraining increases

Question 12

What is the effect of recovery modalities (i.e., sleep and meditation)?

Answer 12

Shifts the response curve up

Question 13

What is the effect of calorie deficits on the response curve?

Answer 13

Shifts the curve down

Question 14

What happens when you have a calorie surplus?

Answer 14

Stress is reduced, the response curve shifts up, and more muscle can be built

Question 15

Why doesn’t 1+1=2 when executing your training plans?

Answer 15

• There are billions of reactions in your body
• You can only influence your body

Question 16

Due to the complexity of your biology, what is the best you can do when planning training?

Answer 16

Get a sense of how your body response via trial and error

Question 17

What is general adaptation syndrome?

Answer 17

The response of your body to stressors of all kinds and how it dips into a pool of adaptation reserves

Question 18

What is the compensation phase?

Answer 18

The initial drop in performance after a stressor presents itself.

Question 19

What is the resistance phase?

Answer 19

Adaptive mechanisms adapt and overshoot their response so you are better equipped to deal with a threat next time.

Question 20

What is the exhaustion (or decompensation) phase?

Answer 20

Occurs when cumulative stress is too much for your body to deal with

Question 21

What does the Impulse-Response Model track?

Answer 21

2 factors: fatigue and fitness

Question 22

What is the effect of too much fatigue?

Answer 22

Prevents you from maintaining volume and intensity in your training

Question 23

Why are deloads important?

Answer 23

Under the I-R Model, fatigue diminishes faster than fitness, so deloads return you to baseline while fitness is preserved

Question 24

Why can equivalent levels of training not have equivalent fatigue effects?

Answer 24

Higher relative intensity is more fatiguing. You can lift more volume at 60 than 90%

Question 25

Why is it beneficial to train close to failure?

Answer 25

Helps you learn how to grind out loads with good technique

Question 26

What is work capacity?

Answer 26

Total amount of training stress you can handle and response to

Question 27

What factors are involved in work capacity?

Answer 27

1. Structural factors (muscles & tendons) 2. Metabolic factors 3. Nervous system factors

Question 28

How are structural factors improved?

Answer 28

Muscles and tendons improve with increased training volume.

Question 29

How do you improve metabolic and nervous system factors?

Answer 29

Through cardiovascular conditioning, which increases speed of energy production and shifts the autonomic nervous system towards more parasympathetic dominance

Question 30

What are 2 purposes for deloading?

Answer 30

1. Decreased injury risk 2. Increased responsiveness

Question 31

What are two ways you can deload?

Answer 31

1. Take a week or two off of hard training 2. Decrease volume for a few weeks/months

Question 32

Why do muscles have a memory?

Answer 32

They retain the nuclei build from larger mass. Protein synthesis is faster than nucleation, so muscles bounce back faster.

Question 33

Why does strength improve faster initially?

Answer 33

You muscles already can move more than your nervous system factors can. After learning how to lift, you can then use your muscles to their full potential

Question 34

What are the six factors that affect lift capacity?

Answer 34

- Muscle size - Muscle fiber types - Segment lengths - Motor learning factors - Motivation/arousal/fatigue - Muscle origins and insertions

Question 35

What are features of the muscle fiber types?

Answer 35

Type I: less fatiguable, take longer to reach maximal force Type II: more fatiguable, reach maximal force much faster

Question 36

Does fiber-type distribution influence how much you can lift?

Answer 36

Not really. Both have approximately the same maximal force production in a given area

Question 37

What is the impact on muscle origins, insertions, and limb length on force?

Answer 37

Smaller origins and insertions and long limb length produce less torque

Question 38

What is the only factor you can really change?

Answer 38

Muscle size: big is strong and predicts powerlifting success

Question 39

How do powerlifters usually structure their workouts?

Answer 39

Main lifts are focused on strength and technical proficiency (i.e., 80-100% 1RM). Accessory lifts are used to build mass (i.e., 60-75% 1RM)

Question 40

What is the pyramid of nutrition priorities?

Answer 40

Supplement Timing/frequency Micros/fiber/water Macros Calories

Question 41

What creates slow body recomposition?

Answer 41

Good training, solid diet, and a small deficit/surplus

Question 42

What is the effect of being near maintenance?

Answer 42

Not many weight changes occur; your body automatically adapts to the small deficits and surpluses.

Question 43

What is the effect of body composition on the building/preservation/loss of fat/muscle?

Answer 43

Lean: harder to lose fat & preserve muscle in a deficit. Easier to gain muscle with little fat gain Fat: easier to lose fat w/o losing muscle. Harder to gain muscle in a surplus

Question 44

What is the best way to gain muscle?

Answer 44

With a caloric surplus

Question 45

What is the minimum effective dose?

Answer 45

The minimum input necessary to attain a desired result.

Question 46

What is the maximum tolerable dose?

Answer 46

Max input a system can handle before negative consequences occur

Question 47

How does MTD effect differ between training and drugs?

Answer 47

- Benefits accrue up to the MTD in training - Not the case with drugs

Question 48

How should you work to get the minimum effective dose?

Answer 48

- Identify direction to move in and find least amount of work necessary - Increase effort only when necessary - Focus on high ROI movements - 6-7 hours of sleep/night - Good diet 80% of the time

Question 49

How should you work to get the maximum tolerable dose?

Answer 49

- Everything matters - Near the edge of overreach - Maximal sleep - Additional recovery (i.e., massage) - Diet dialed in