Pumping imaginary iron

[douglis]

Hi all,

It 's been almost two years(April 2007) since i discovered VRT and i'd like to make a review to all the routines and experiments i did.Not that i believe i have done something great that is worth written but i want to remember anytime the results each routine gave me and also to answer to same mails i received.Also i think it's the right time to start a training log since i want to experiment on something new.
First of all my stats:i'm 6'3" and two years ago i was 202 lbs with 16%BF.Now i'm 220lbs with 11%BF.

This was my routine for my first VRT year(April 2007-Feb 2008):
Day 1:wide grip pullups 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2:bench press 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3:squats 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps
All exercises(VRT style of course) done positive only with maximum tension.I know it's a minimalist approach but if i applied max tension i didn't feel the need and couldn't do more.On day 4 i started the cycle again.

From March 2008 to August 2008 i changed the things a little:
Day 1:bent over rows and triceps push downs each from 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2:military press and stiff legged dead lifts each from 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3:squats 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 4:chest flies 3 sets of 10-12 reps

From September 2008 to November 2008:
Day 1:wide grip pullups,bent over rows and triceps push downs each from 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2:chest flies and stiff legged dead lifts each from 3 sets of 10-12 reps,pushups with DVR tension 2 sets to failure
Day 3:leg presses iso power flexes
I had to give up squats because of terrible knee pain.

From December 2008 to January 2009:
Day 1:wide grip pullups and stiff legged dead lifts iso power flexes
Day 2:chest flies iso power flexes and DVR pushups
Day 3:leg presses iso power flexes
My iso power flexes are one set of 10-12 six seconds maximum isometric contractions at various angles of ROM.

From February 2009 to yesterday:
Day 1:wide grip pullups and triceps push downs each from 2 sets of 20reps(the first) and 15 reps(the second)
Day 2:chest flies from 2 sets of 20reps(the first) and 15 reps(the second)
Day 3:leg presses iso power flexes

If i remember well this is what i've done the last two years.Now i want to try a new routine because,after all,experimentation is what i enjoy most.

[douglis]

Yesterday was the first day of my new experiment which is pre-exhaustion VRT supersets.
I did 3 supersets of chest crossovers/chest flies.
Each superset consists 6 reps from the first exercises followed immediately from 6 reps of the second.
I take 30 secs rest between supersets.The burning sensation and the pump is incredible.I consider it a perfect workout for both chest and delts(antagonist muscle).

Today is my leg day and i did my usual leg presses iso power flexes.My bad knees don't give me chance for experiments for my leg training.

Tomorrow i'll do my back pre-exhaustion VRT supersets and i'll explain better the how's and why's of this method.

[douglis]

I just completed my back,deltoids(antagonists) and arms workout.
3 supersets of wide grip pullups/bent over rows.
Each superset was 6 max tension reps(positive only) of the first exercise followed immediately by 6 reps of the second.30 secs rest between supersets.Very good pump and i'm sure my delts tomorrow will be sore.
3 sets of 10 reps triceps push downs.

With VRT supersets and VRT in general i rarely do and i don't suggest any direct shoulder workout.Deltoids are the antagonists muscles at both the chest and back workouts so they get a pretty tough workout already.Also delts are not a very big muscle group and any additional direct training i think it will lead to overtraining.
For more details of pre-exhaustion VRT supersets you can take a look at the related thread at Greg's place.

[douglis]

Today my shoulders are sore and i'll take a rest.Delts contract eccentrically(as antagonists muscles) in back and chest workouts so DOMS are very common the next day.
I'd like to say a few words about the rest between sets.I try to keep rest as short as possible (less than 30 sec) because this way i believe i get better hormonal response from the exercises and also get a cardio effect at the same time.In simple words with short rest the exercises become much more intense.If someone's goal though is strength i'd suggest longer rest.
This way my workouts rarely last more than 10 min.But even if i wanted i don't think i could train more with max tension.In fact i believe that anyone who trains more than 15 min he doesn't train hard enough.

[douglis]

I just completed my chest/shoulders and leg workout.
For the chest/shoulders i did my 3 supersets of VRT chest crossovers/VRT chest flies.
6 reps of the first followed immediately by 6 reps of the second.I only take five deep breaths(~30sec) between supersets.
It felt much better than the last time.That's something very common with VRT.The eccentric contraction of the antagonists muscles(the resistance in simple terms) gets stronger very fast and the exercise "feels" better workout by workout.That's why some say that you have to "believe" in VRT in order to make it work.I prefer to understand the mechanism rather than believe in anything but whatever works for everyone is fine.
For my legs i did my usual leg presses iso power flexes.I really miss my VRT squats.My goal is to reach 230lbs till summer but without VRT squats and VRT deadlifts i think is very hard.

[douglis]

Today i'll take a rest to get ready for tomorrow's back/delts routine.
A few words for VRT exercise selection.I post them here and not at Greg's place because i don't want to tire viewers with so many details.
When we select exercises we must choose those that cause the best anabolic response and are more productive for us.This depends on the number of muscles each exercise engages and the degree of activation of those muscles.With VRT the most exercises engage many muscle groups(agonosts+antagonists) so the key element is to find the exercises that cause the highest degree of activation.
For example VRT wide grip pullups and VRT shoulder press(positive only of course) engage exactly the same muscle groups but the first activates both the back and the shoulders at a very high degree while in the second only the shoulders contract maximally.
The same for VRT chest crossovers and VRT side leterals.The first activates chest and side delts very good while the second only the side delts.
Generally the rule for exercise selection must be the big muscle groups to contract positve as agonists and the small to contract negative as antagonists.This way both agonists and antagonists contract at maximum degree with all the related anabolic benefits.
It's not wrong if you don't follow that rule but i think it makes the workouts more productive.

[douglis]

Today i did:

3 wide grip pullups/bent over rows supersets (6+6 reps with 30 sec rest between supersets).
Felt nice.The braking force of the delts gets stronger workout by workout.

2 sets of 12 reps triceps pushdowns.

A few words for the one directional-bi directional debate.
For me one directional or positive only is clearly superior.Since VRT works muscle groups in pairs going bi-directional fatigues the smaller muscle first leaving the bigger unexercised.
To take things one step further i believe that we only have to go positive only for the big muscle groups and leave the braking force do the job for the small ones.

[douglis]

Today was my legs workout:

1 set VRT terminal knee extensions(TKE).Reps till muscle burning.

2 sets VRT leg presses (in pain free zone only) till muscle burning.

I found that is better for leg exercises not to count reps but to keep doing them till the muscle burning sensation.Maybe i'll try that for the upper body too.

The last 4 years i've been giving a battle with knee pain and VRT has helped me a lot.With VRT TKE for the vastus medialis and VRT straight leg raises for my hip flexors(iliopsoas) i managed to reduce the pain to a high degree but still VRT squats hurt and i had to stop doing them.But VRT leg presses either as isos or with movement in pain free zone can offer a pretty good alternative.Prior it's wise to do VRT TKE to get blood flowing in the knee area.

[douglis]

Today i did:
3 supersets VRT chest crossovers/VRT chest flies (6+6 reps)

There's something i don't like at my current workout.I think it's too taxing for the CNS and leaves me exhausted after training.I think i'll return to a more simplistic approach.I'll choose 4-5 exercises that hit the whole body (something like my big 3 of VRT) and i'll do them in brief and intense split routine.Instead of counting on supersets to elevate intensity i'll try to make every rep count by applying maximum effort rep after rep.
In other words back to basics!!!

[douglis]

I returned to a more simple routine and today i did:

VRT pec dec 2X10

DVR push-ups 1 set to failure

I started doing DVR push-ups again.I believe that is by far the most effective way to perform push-ups.In fact are so effective that my chest grew overproportionally and i had to replace them with VRT flies for my chest workout so my middle back and rear delts catch the progress.

[douglis]

I just did:

VRT wide grip pull-ups 2X12

VRT triceps pushdowns 2X12

Yesterday i talked about DVR push-ups which i consider them as the best exercise if you want to emphasize to your chest.But i believe the best exercise for overall upper body development is VRT wide grip pull-ups.The resistance that is provided by the shoulders fits perfectly to the strength of the back and both muscle groups can have an excellent workout.

[douglis]

Today i did:
leg press iso power flexes:1X12 iso stops
VRT leg press(limited ROM): 1X muscle burning

Someone asked me why i prefer split routines.He said that,since my workouts are so brief,it would be better to do full body workouts.I answered him that i tried in the past but it's too hard for me.For example yesterday after my 2 sets of VRT wide grip pull-ups i couldn't even raise my arms.It would have been impossible to continue with,lets say,a chest workout.So i stick with my brief and intense split workout.

[douglis]

Today i did:

VRT pec dec:2X12

DVR push-ups 2Xfailure

A few words for expectations from VRT.
VRT can give you excellent size gains and very good strength gains.
Just don't have the wrong expectations.I consider it more of a bodybuilding method.Although you'll get stronger don't expect to squat 500lbs or be able to do 30 pullups with VRT alone.These moves require other things,beside strength,like technique,taking advantage of the momentum,synergistic muscles etc.Those other things are needless in bodybuilding.That's why i consider it more of a bodybuilding method.
Anyway i think it's a great method and everyone should try it alone or not.
My kind of vanity is size and VRT is perfect for me.If my kind of vanity was to do 30 pull-ups i would do a combination of real and imaginary pull-ups.

[douglis]

I did my back/shoulders and triceps/biceps workout:

VRT wide grip pull-ups 3X10

VRT triceps pushdowns 2X12

[douglis]

Today i did:

leg press iso power flexes:1X12 iso stops

VRT leg press(limited ROM): 1X till muscle burning

All VRT exercises are much better to be performed positive only.One of the arguments of those who want to criticize VRT is that the negative part of the rep is essential for size/strength gains.
The last twenty years studies in isokinetics machines have showed clearly that concentric,eccentric and isometric contractions are equally effective for hypertrophy and strength.The only difference is that eccentric contractions require around 40% greater load than concentric and 20% than isometric.This fact finds a perfect application in VRT where we can have small muscle groups contract eccentrically(as antagonists) and big muscle groups concentrically(as agonists).

[douglis]

Today i did:

VRT pec dec:2X12

DVR push-ups 2Xfailure

The beginners of VRT often wonder how do they know if they contract their muscles strong enough to have strength/size gains.The answer is really simple.If your muscles are pumped after training your contractions were strong enough.Not that increased blood flow(pump) plays a role by itself.in fact the exact opposite is true but that's another subject.I'll try to explain.
In our training we need contractions stronger than 60% of our maximum with ideal at around 75%.When a muscle is pumped means that prior the blood has been occluded.Only contractions stronger than 60% of your max have the ability to occlude the blood.So it's safe to say that if you're pumped you have worked hard enough.

[douglis]

I did my back/shoulders and triceps/biceps workout:

VRT wide grip pull-ups 3X10

VRT triceps pushdowns 2X12

Three max tension VRT sets are too exhaustive but seem to work.I gain steadily 2lbs a month.I'm sure if i could do VRT squats or deadlifts the results would come much faster.

[douglis]

Today i did:

leg press iso power flexes:1X12 iso stops

VRT leg press(limited ROM): 1X till muscle burning

This leg routine seems very good for the knee pain.I'm now pain free in my every day activities.Of course playing basketball again is out of question.

[douglis]

Yesterday i did:

VRT pec dec:2X12

DVR push-ups 2Xfailure

and today:

VRT wide grip pull-ups 3X10

VRT triceps pushdowns 2X15

leg press iso power flexes:1X12 iso stops

VRT leg press(limited ROM): 1X till muscle burning

I think i'm going to bring back VRT nautilus pull-over to the game.I want to emphasize a little at my back.

[douglis]

Yesterday i did:

VRT dips:2X12

VRT pec dec:2X12

and today:

VRT wide grip pull-ups: 2X12

VRT rows: 2X12

VRT triceps pushdowns: 2X15

[douglis]

I did my chest/shoulders and triceps/biceps workout:

VRT cable cross over:2X12

VRT pec dec:2X12

VRT triceps pushdowns: 2X15

[douglis]

Today i did:

VRT bent over rows:3X10

VRT biceps curls:2X15

Leg presses iso power flex:1X8 ten sec iso stops

[douglis]

VRT pec-dec:3X10

VRT military press:3X10

VRT shrugs:2X15

I rarely do any direct shoulders workout but now i want to empasize on delts a little so i plan to to stick with VRT military press for the next couple of months.That means that i have to drop VRT wide grip pull-ups from my back workout or else the delts will overtrain for sure.I'll replace them with VRT bent over rows.

[douglis]

Today i did:

VRT bent over rows:3X10

VRT biceps curls:2X15

Leg presses iso power flex:1X8 ten sec iso stops

[douglis]

Today i did:

VRT pec-dec:3X10

VRT military press:3X10

VRT shrugs:2X15

I plan to perform last week's routine,since it seems to work very good,for the next couple of months so i'll stop posting for a while to avoid monotony.

[douglis]

I'd like to make an update.
I still follow the same routine and works extremely well.I gain steadily 2lbs every month.If i continue this way i'll reach my goal of 230lbs much sooner than i thought.Needless to say that my progression is much faster than my weight lifting days.
I plan to add a fourth set to all my exercises next week.I've always been a HIT fan probably because when i was training with weights anything more than 1-2 sets would lead to overtraining.Now with VRT i think i can tolerate more volume and to my surprise i get better results.

[douglis]

The last months for my leg workouts I was doing leg presses iso powerflexes.In this exercise one of the antagonist muscles is iliopsoas.It's the muscle at the top part of the quads and is primarily responsible for the hip flexing.A secondary job of this powerful muscle is to re-align the femor bone.So it's very beneficial for those who suffer from patelofemoral syndrome to strengthen this muscle.
But if you won't keep the balance between iliopsoas and glutieus maximus is a very common reason for low back pain.That's what happened to me since leg presses iso powerflexes don't engage glutieus maximus very much.
I replaced leg presses iso powerflexes with squat iso powerflexes(much greater glute activation) and I already feel better.

My workout is now like this:
Day one:VRT bent over rows:4X12,10,8,6
VRT biceps curls:2X20,15

Day two:VRT chest flies:4X12,10,8,6
squat iso powerflexes 12X6sec iso stops

Day three:VRT military press:4X12,10,8,6
VRT shrugs:2X20,15

[vegetus25]

douglis,

I really like some of your ideas on how to structure a workout. They make a lot of sense.

Out of all the different VRT workouts you have listed which do you think gave you the best gains? I guess if you are gaining 2 pounds a month they all are pretty good.

Thanks for posting your workouts. I learned a lot looking through them.

God bless,

Veg

[douglis]

Hi Veg,thanks for stopping by.
You must have heard it a thousand times but I really believe that there's no perfect workout.After 2-3 months all workouts will lead to a plateau.This is when you must make a change to your workout to prevent plateaus and avoid boredom.
In fact next week I plan to bring VRT supersets and DVR push-ups back.

[vegetus25]

I know what you mean about changing sometimes, but I found it interesting looking through your log that your gains (measured in weight gained) were as good w/ one or two sets a day as they were w/ more sets per day. Now maybe there were other benefits from performing more sets a day I did not see in your logs.

God bless,

Veg

[douglis]

You're right Veg.
I believe that 90% of the gains can be achieved with only one max tension set.I don't think that the rest 10% worth the effort of doing many more sets.The need of "doing more" is more of psychological need than a real one.

[douglis]

Time for a change.For the next couple of months my training will be:
Day 1:VRT wide grip pull-ups 2X12-10
VRT bicep curls 1X20
Day 2:DVR push-ups 1or 2Xfailure followed immediately by normal push-ups to failure(just like drop sets-chest fried!)
VRT shrugs 1X20
Day 3:VRT squats 2X8

A few observations:
My training moves in circles.My current routine is almost identical with my first VRT year routine.
I'm doing again VRT squats!Iso power flexes almost eliminated my knee pain(but caused me lower back pain).
VRT wide grip pull-ups are the best allaround upper body exercise by far.

I always do VRT exercises positive only(otherwise the smaller muscle fatigues first) but when I combine VRT with BW(DVR push-ups,VRT squats etc) is an exception.I keep the tension both ways to prevent the blood flow.Contrary to what most people believe it's not the blood that transfers nutrients but the absence of the blood that creates the anabolic enviroment.

[Focus]

It is always a great pleasure and very instructive to read about your workouts.
Thanks for these observations and to give us the results of your experience.

I have started working out with the VRT package (which gives a good starting point in VR Training) but I realize some changes are needed to better fit my needs and my tastes. So, it is good to check other experienced people's choices.

[douglis]

Thanks Focus.I'm glad I helped you a little.

I changed rep speed.Now I'm doing only one set of 10-12 max tension reps for each exercise and every rep lasts six seconds.I really missed the intense feeling of slower reps.The only downside is that the next day the antagonist muscles are very sore.For example yesterday I did VRT wide grip pull-ups and today my delts are super sore.But I think I'll get used to it.

[Focus]

I prefer slower reps, too.

Yesterday, I did 1X10 at "standard" speed and 2x5 at very slow speed for each movement.
I cannot do numerous reps with max tension at slow motion.

When I was in bodyweight training, I used to workout in dynamic movements. And these slower movements are close to isometry.

[douglis]

The only downside is that the next day the antagonist muscles are very sore.For example yesterday I did VRT wide grip pull-ups and today my delts are super sore.But I think I'll get used to it.

No,I didn't get used to it.I faced some problems with my recovery time.I think I'll get back to faster reps(~2sec).My routine for the next couple of months will be:
Day 1:VRT rows 3X10
VRT bicep curls 2X15

Day 2:DVR push-ups to failure followed immediately by normal push-ups to failure(just one set)
VRT shrugs 2X15

Day 3:VRT military press 3X10
VRT squats 3X10

The good news are that I still can do VRT squats pain free.Those of you who have knee problems,strenthening the hip flexors(iliopsoas) can do miracles.

[douglis]

Time for a little change:
Day 1:superset VRT wide grip pull-ups+VRT bent over rows:3X6+6
VRT triceps push downs:2X15

Day 2:VRT pec dec:3X10
VRT shrugs:2X15

Day 3:VRT squats:3X10

I stopped direct delts training since they're engaged very much to all back and chest exercises as antagonists muscles.This way I can hit my back and chest hard without the risk of overtraining my delts while even without direct training they still get enough stimulus.

[douglis]

After more than 2 years of VRT only I want to start an isometric experiment so I'll give VRT a break for three months.
I had many discussions at various forums and when I mention isos I always get the question "Do they build muscles?".I really can't understand the question so I ask "why not?".I get some irrelevant answers like "they don't allow blood flow" or "they don't produce mechanical work".My personal belief is that muscles understand only Tension and Time Under Tension.Tension can optionaly be maximum with isos and of course we can choose the ideal TUT.So I'll start my iso experiment to prove my claims although it won't be easy since I'm at my all time high of 226 pounds with 11% BF after 2 years of VRT only.
In the next weeks I'll try to describe my new routine and the iso exercises I'll use.

Since I haven't performed any weight lifting exercise for the last three years I thought it's the right time to test my strenght and the VRT carryover.Here are the results:
Military press:176 pounds:2006-8 reps...today-12 reps!!!
Dumbell rows:90 pounds:2006-8 reps...today-10 reps.
Squats(ass to grass):286 pounds:2006-10 reps...today-9 reps
BW pull-ups:2006-20 reps...today-19 reps (but I'm also heavier)

As you can see the more complex the move the less the carryover since specificity and technique play a bigger role.But I'm really surprised how much stronger I got at military press and rows without performing these exercises for three years.

[douglis]

I already started my iso experiment and so far I'm surprised by how intense an isometric workout can be.At this age I can't change my old habits so I kept my workouts brief and intense.In general my training never lasts more than 10 minutes and sometimes only 5 minutes.
First of all I'll try to describe the method I use.As I said before I believe that muscles understand only Tension and Time Under Tension.
Tension is the number one stimulus for strength/size gains.Isometrics contractions can offer the unique benefit of above maximum contractions(comparing to concentrics) and also can engage more muscle fibers than any other contraction type.This way you can be sure that you've engaged the fast fibers that have the greatest potential for growth.So when it comes to isometric training I'm a believer of maximum contractions.
The other important factor is the TUT.At most studies I read most gains came from total TUT between 50-70 seconds.
Since maximum contractions can only be held for 6 seconds I believe that a set of 10-12 maximum six seconds contractions can be ideal for both the Tension and the TUT.
Later I'll try to describe the routine and the exercises I perform.

[douglis]

Hi all,
My iso workouts were really intense but I have some problems at finding the right recovery time with max tension isos.I'll have to experiment a little on this.
But I made some new discoveries.My plan was to use only a common broomstick for my iso training.This helped me to discover many new,as far as I know,DSR exercises that seem to be really effective judging from the soreness(at the right places).
I was never a fan of DSR exercises because most of them offer limited ROM and number of exercises.But a broomstick can elevate the DSR training(mostly for the upper body) to a new dimension offering much greater ROM and stronger contractions.
Another common mistake in DSR(in contrast with VRT) is to try mimic weight lifting moves.It's much more effective to watch the arcs that the limbs follow during weight lifting moves and try mimic those arcs with straight arms if possible.
I want to work a little on these exercises but so far I'm really surprised from their effectiveness.In the next weeks I'll try to describe them.

[douglis]

I'll try to describe the best,in my opinion,DSR back exercise and one of the best back exercises.I discovered this exercise(excuse me if someone has mentioned it before) by using a broomstick but a towel will do exactly the same job.
Lift the broomstick above your head with straight arms with a grip a little wider than shoulders width.Now try with full effort to "stretch" the broomstick and then (while keeping the effort) move your arms,as straight as possible, in arcs right and left of you head.The upper arms follow the same arcs as in wide grip pull-ups but the stretch is greater and judging for the next day soreness the activation of the lats is better.
This is the basic back exercise I perform these days.Later I'll try to describe the chest and shoulders exercises I use with the help of a broomstick.

[douglis]

Here's the shoulders DSR exercise with the help of a broomstick I use these days:
The position of the arms is exactly the same as the back DSR exercise I described earlier but instead of trying to "stretch" the broomstick now I try to "compress" it so the tension goes directly to the delts instead of the lats.I still move the arms(straight as possible) in archs left and right and the wider the grip the greater the ROM.

The chest DSR exercise is almost the same as the one for the shoulders but instead of holding the broomstick above my head I hold it in front of my chest.You can focus at different parts of your chest by holding the broomstick at different heights.The higher you hold it the more the upper chest is engaged while by holding it low the lower chest is engaged more.The execution of the exercise is almost the same.You still try to "compress" the broomstick and move it in archs left and right while keeping the arms as straight as possible.
Although I perform all exercises with full tension for this chest exercise I suggest not to use full tension for the first two weeks.It places tremendous stress on the biceps so it's better to give them some time to grow stronger.

That's the three main exercises I use these days for my upper body and I really love them so far.I also don't think I need any direct arms workout because both triceps and biceps are worked really hard by these exercises.

I don't know if I managed to explain the exercises well but I did my best.If anyone wants to ask something I'll be glad to answer.Later I'll try to describe the sets and reps I use and also my legs workout.

[douglis]

A few words for the exercises.

The chest exercise I described looks very alike with liederman chest press.I tried in the past liederman chest press and didn't like it very much.But the use of a broomstick elevates the exercise to another dimension.The leverage that the broomstick creates allows you to exert much more tension and the ROM is also much wider.You get the same benefits at the other exercises too.

The resistance at these exercises comes from the eccentric contraction of the same but opposite muscle.So it's guaranteed that you'll have enough resistance for even maximum contractions.So you don't have to rely on the eccentric contraction of the antagonist muscle which (if the antagonist is smaller) most beginners have it underdeveloped.This makes these exercises ideal even for beginners and they don't require "learning" phase as in VRT.On the other hand you lose the benefit of VRT to work opposing muscles in one exercise.

The tension at these exercises is constant and if it's maximum(my choice) the blood is occluded for the whole set.That means that you won't be able to exert max tension for more than 5-6 reps for each arm.So I prefer to do multiple low rep sets to complete enough TUT.

[douglis]

For the legs,I discovered that pistols when done unassisted have a totally different effect.Due to the effort to balance your body the vastus medialis oblique(teardrop in the quads) is engaged to a very higher degree.This muscle is very important for knee health so I think I'm going to stick with pistols for awhile.
I feel pain in my knees at the bottom of the ROM and 15 degrees before the standing position so I do them at the pain free zone.

I know that I didn't keep my promise and stopped my iso experiment but I really loved these exercises so the experiment goes for some time in the future.

[douglis]

So here's my routine(a minimalist approach as you can see) these days:

Day 1:chest DSR 3x6 reps
Day 2:back DSR 3x6 reps
Day 3:delts DSR 3x6 reps
Day 4:pistols 3 sets on each leg to failure

At the DSR exercises I consider a rep when both arms complete a full rep and I apply always maximum effort.
The rest between sets lasts only 30 seconds(5 deep breaths).So my workout never lasts more than 5 minutes.It's not that I'm lazy but after,for example,3 max effort sets of delts DSR I can't even raise my arms.It's impossible to do another exercise.
As you can see I don't do any direct arms exercise.Training with straight arms puts a tremendous stress(isometrically) at both biceps and triceps so I don't think any extra work is required.
At the chest DSR sometimes I hold the broomstick at different heights to hit different parts of the chest.
After the Day 4 I repeat the cycle without rest day most of the times.

[douglis]

Unfortunately these DSR exercises caused me a pain in the right wrist.I must have used too much intensity.So I'll get back for a while to my VRT routines.To be honest I really missed VRT.

So here're my two favourite VRT routines.I plan to alternate between them every two months.I haven't decided yet with which one I'll start:

Routine 1
Day 1:DVR push-ups 2Xfailure, VRT triceps push-downs 2X10

Day 2:VRT wide grip pull-ups 2X10, VRT rows 2X10

Day 3:VRT squats 3x10

Routine 2
Day 1:VRT rows 3X10

Day 2:VRT shoulder press 3X10

Day 3:VRT flies 3x10,VRT biceps curls 2X10

Day 4: pistols 3Xfailure,VRT straight leg raises 3x10

Rubberbus performs VRT with loose fists.I tried it and I really liked it.I had a better focus on the muscle worked and felt more intense.It really surprises me that after 2.5 years I still discover new things.

[douglis]

I already started seeing results with my VRT routine but I also came across a problem I forgot.I had to increase the volume of my training sets in order to continue seeing results but this also increased my recovery time especially for my delts.
Delts are always a problem in VRT because you use them at all pulling moves as antagonists and also at all pressing moves as agonists.So it's very easy to overtrain them.I believe I have to make a sacrifice and quit the VRT back exercises(since I don't want to give up my favourite DVR push-ups and VRT shoulder press) to give delts the recovery time they need.
From now I'll use for my back training a new isometric exercise I invented which can be described as iso pull-over(that's how I'm going to call it).This will also give me the chance to continue my iso experiment at least for my back.

My new routine will be:
Day 1:VRT shoulder press 3X10
VRT biceps curls 2X15
VRT straight leg raises 2X15

Day 2:Iso pull-over 10-12 six seconds maximum contractions

Day 3:DVR push-ups 3Xfailure(~8-10reps)
pistols 3Xfailure or pistol iso holds (depending on my knee pain)

Day 4:rest

Later I'll try to describe how I perform the iso pull-overs.Without any equipment of course.

[douglis]

So far the iso pull-overs are pleasant surprise for me since they seem to work very well.This makes me want to continue my iso experiment.The last time I had some problems with the recovery time so now I have to be careful with my routine which basically will include by 6-7 iso exercises that hit the whole body(I'll try to describe them later).

There's a big misconception about isometrics since most people believe that are only good for "muscle toning".In my opinion isometrics should be treated like any other form of resistance training in terms of Time Under Tension.That means you can't expect to build muscles by simply doing only one 6 seconds contraction at three angles(TUT=18sec.)It's like doing only one set of 3 reps at,let's say,bench press and expect to grow.It's true that with max isos you bring the last rep first but it's also true that many last reps are required.

A perfect example of the effectiveness of isometrics,that most people ignore,are barbel deadlifts.Deadlifts are considered a back exercise and maybe the most effective overall strength/size builder.The truth is that deadlifts are a pure isometric exercise for the back(lower back,the whole trapezius group,rhomboids,rear delts contract only isometrically) and only the legs contract dynamically if your form is good.

I plan to follow an iso only workout for at least until christmas although for a month I'll have to experiment until I'll find a split routine that allows enough recovery time.

[douglis]

From the time I stopped my VRT routines to experiment with something else always something goes wrong.First was the wrist pain from my DSR exercises and now the max iso contractions seem to cause me elbow pain.Gradually I became very strong at the iso exercises I use and I think my elbows can handle the stress.I don't want to push it further since this might lead to elbow tendonitis.I'm a little frustrated since this is the second time I stop my iso experiment although the results in terms of strength/size seemed to be very encouraging.

Now before I return to my VRT routines(I'm pretty sure that's what I'm going to do at the end) I want to give my DSR exercises another try since I really believe in them.I'll just have to change a little my grip to hopefully avoid the pain in the wrists.

[douglis]

My training these days is like this:

Day 1:chest DSR 4x6 reps
Day 2:iso pullover 10-12 six seconds reps on each arm, back DSR 3x6 reps
Day 3:delts DSR 3x6 reps
Day 4:pistols 3 sets on each leg to failure
Day 5:same as Day 1...

So far I feel absolutely no pain at my wrists from the DSR exercises.Also I changed my grip a little at the iso pullover and I was able to keep this amazing exercise since I don't feel pain at my elbows this way.

I'll try to describe the iso pullovers.In general the exercise looks very alike with the Milo but instead of using the opposite limb for resistance I hold the edge of a broomstick and I place the other edge on the ground.This way I try to push the floor with the broomstick while I keep my arm straight.I prefer to perform this exercise unilaterally and I use maximal effort.By changing the grip height(or bending my back) I hit different angles of ROM.
It's an amazing exercise and although it primarly targets the lats hits also very hard the chest,the traps and the triceps.In my opinion it's the best isometric back exercise and by far better than iso rowing exercises where the biceps are always the weak link.

[douglis]

Pain in wrists,elbows and everywhere.Back to VRT(as I had predicted).

[Goro]

How is it going, my friend?