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Ideas
Add strength phase followed by a hypertrophy phase
Instead of the traditional settings option for "what do you want to do" I've love to start off with a strength phase.. your heavy lower rep ranges, then transition to a hypertrophy phase. I've done this with other programs like Max Muscle and it worked very well.
You get stronger initially so that when you are in that 8-10 rep range, you are using more weight.
Would like Dr Muscle to have this option to move me thru phases vs sticking to a single goal range that I need to manually change.
Maybe 1 week of each phase? Including higher reps and a 5th weed deload?
Answer
Before I found Dr. Muscle, I used an app to track a 5x5 program. I had to go to the gym for that so I could do back squats and deadlifts with proper equipment and proper form. It worked up to a point where I just could not add another five pounds to the bar. I also felt like I wanted to work more directly on my biceps, triceps, etc. Now that I've been working from home for almost a year, I prefer the Dr. Muscle workout. I have a Universal weight set (all-in-one, pulley based weight stack up to 160 pounds) and dumbbells adjustable from 10 to 50 pounds. If you incorporated this, I would take the two weeks and go back to the gym so I could lift with barbells. I really hate trying to do deadlifts and squats with dumbbells. My question would be how would I use my current 1RM to estimate what I would lift in the strength phase. I think that's where the algorithm of Dr. Muscle would shine.
Thanks for voting for this feature -- it's in beta! From the announcement:
To get the body of a greek god, should you aim to get stronger? Many coaches would tell you so, based on the hypothesis that over time, lifting heavier makes you more muscular. But thanks to a new study, you don’t have to rely on hypotheses anymore. Carvalho et al. (2020) investigated muscle thickness and maximum strength in 26 resistance-trained men. They found that lifters who trained for strength for 3 weeks and hypertrophy for 5 weeks gained more muscle and strength than those who just trained for hypertrophy for 8 weeks. The authors concluded: “Our results support the use of a period to increase muscle strength prior to hypertrophy training.” Not sure how to apply that to your own training? We got you covered. When you follow one of the default programs inside Dr. Muscle, you’ll know do a 3-week strength phase automatically before each new program. Not into it? No problem. You can toggle that off under Settings.
If you're in the beta:
On Android, you can already download the update. On iPhone? You'll have to wait 2-3 days for Apple to approve it. To update:
- Open the store app on your phone
- Search for Dr. Muscle
- Tap update
Not in the beta? Write back if you'd like to get in. Otherwise, you'll see a notification to update inside the app in 7-10 days when the public version comes out.
Now would be a great time to suggest and vote for our next feature. If you'd like to do that, please visit: https://muscle.userecho.com/communities/1-submit-your-feedback/topics#.
Really appreciate your support and advice. Thanks!
Carl Juneau, PhD
Founder of Dr. Muscle
Customer support service by UserEcho
Thanks for voting for this feature -- it's in beta! From the announcement:
To get the body of a greek god, should you aim to get stronger? Many coaches would tell you so, based on the hypothesis that over time, lifting heavier makes you more muscular. But thanks to a new study, you don’t have to rely on hypotheses anymore. Carvalho et al. (2020) investigated muscle thickness and maximum strength in 26 resistance-trained men. They found that lifters who trained for strength for 3 weeks and hypertrophy for 5 weeks gained more muscle and strength than those who just trained for hypertrophy for 8 weeks. The authors concluded: “Our results support the use of a period to increase muscle strength prior to hypertrophy training.” Not sure how to apply that to your own training? We got you covered. When you follow one of the default programs inside Dr. Muscle, you’ll know do a 3-week strength phase automatically before each new program. Not into it? No problem. You can toggle that off under Settings.
If you're in the beta:
On Android, you can already download the update. On iPhone? You'll have to wait 2-3 days for Apple to approve it. To update:
- Open the store app on your phone
- Search for Dr. Muscle
- Tap update
Not in the beta? Write back if you'd like to get in. Otherwise, you'll see a notification to update inside the app in 7-10 days when the public version comes out.
Now would be a great time to suggest and vote for our next feature. If you'd like to do that, please visit: https://muscle.userecho.com/communities/1-submit-your-feedback/topics#.
Really appreciate your support and advice. Thanks!
Carl Juneau, PhD
Founder of Dr. Muscle