The use of VRT workout for arms?

[Focus]

Hi, everyone,

I often do VRT chest fly. During such an exercise, my arms are fully contracted. I would consider this as isometry.

This is why I don't train my arms very much (one out of two or three workouts).

Should I do my chest and lats exercises with various arm positions (arms curled or extended) and consider this as a complete isometric arm workout?

Focus

[VRT Man]

Focus, I believe no one knows your body, and the full extent of any exercise you want to give it, but you alone. That's why I feel that the isometry will do for you. By the fact that you question if you should take it any further is proof that what you already do as an exercise, you feel is enough to do.

With the VRT system, I want to fully encourage people to judge for themselves, not use a standard that someone else puts in front of them. For too many years trainers (and I want to include myself) have said "do two sets of 12 reps" or something along that line of each and every exercise posted in a book or manual. But now I feel the best trainer is you. Conversations with people and experience have taught me this. The isometry is enough; if you decide to do more, than try it.

Greg Mangan

[THESUPERBEAST]

I believe the old time reconmendation for doing a movement till tired is the most closest method to acheive total muscle stimulation. And that would include what ever level your contracting at do it till tired or muscle ache. so it could be a few to a dozen reps but the point is you go to muscle ache and stop..a infalliable method to know muscle has been throughly worked. I think this ideaology could serve as a all around method for acheiveing proper muscle stimuli its fool proof....work till tired and stop and rest then maybe for insurance repeat. Its kinda like doing physical labour you dont count reps or movements you go till you need rest or finshed. So its basically excerciseing by instinct and the instinct is never really to off. just my laymens view on simplifying how much is enuff.

[Focus]

Thank you, both,

I have indeed started working out according to what I feel while starting VRT.

And I must admit that within a few weeks, I have gained more muscle mass than with any other method.

Even my wife told me this morning while I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom : "Your muscles are too big. You have a body builder's back." She exaggerates a little bit ; in fact, she is not in favour of huge muscles... And she immediately linked my "new" body with my new way of training (using VRT).

Focus

[douglis]

My back now is bigger than ever too.I don't know but I think in the past my biceps were the weak link in all back exercises either it was pullups or barbell rows.

[Royce]

I will take a bit of a different stance. Unlike my good friend, Greg, I will suggest that you limit the number of sets and reps that you do. I suggest that you do one set of ten repetitions at maximum tension. I'm talking about VRT exercises, of course.

Most people don’t get very far with progressive resistance training. That is a fact that I have seen demonstrated over and over again.

When I was an “iron head”—that is, a weightlifter—I saw people train for years without gaining very much in the way of muscle size or strength. The same was true with other forms of training, such as cables, isokinetic machines, etc.

And as I have said many times over the years, most of these people trained too much-- not too hard, but too much.

Now if you have a very good constitution, you will gain no matter what sort of exercise you do. Alas ……………most of us aren’t so fortunate. Generally speaking, brief, intense and infrequent workouts build the most muscular size and strength for the person of average ability.

I don’t think many people here want to be build like marathon runners. If you want to train great endurance, you will sacrifice size and strength That’s what I have concluded. So I will reiterate: you can never workout too hard, but you can work out too much. That’s a message that I never get tired of repeating.

You don’t need to train for strength everyday. Two full bodied workouts per week are enough for most people. Do other things on your off days: walk, play ball or do Qi Gong. Obviously, there are lots of other things that you can add to the short list I have given you.

I just read an old post on another by a fellow who used to do progressive resistance exercises for 1 ½ hours a day. He says he didn’t gain much in the way of strength—not much wonder.

But do a you please. But if you don’t make the progress you want by training with a lot of volume, give my approach a try. I think you will find that high intensity training—can produce remarkable gains.