Rest-pausing "problem"

[KillerStack]

Say I'm doing incline dumbell curls with by current weight of 70lbs. dumbells,get 6,7 or 8 reps then rest for 15 seconds then attempt another rep and I can't even get one more!
That's pretty much the trend for any other excercise as well.After the first heavy set I'm totally spent and I can't use the rest/pause formats others here use.Anyone else here like that?

I've been training for about 13 years,have benched about 500 and deadlifted about 700 so I'm not a beginner.

[USMuscle9403]

Ok you say you rested 15 seconds. You don't count the seconds, you take 15 deep breaths. The seconds are not going to get those extra reps, the breaths are.

[KillerStack]

Originally posted by USMuscle9403
Ok you say you rested 15 seconds. You don't count the seconds, you take 15 deep breaths. The seconds are not going to get those extra reps, the breaths are.

Yes,of course I'm breathing.I have tried resting longer like up to 30 seconds as well but usually if I'm lucky I can only get one more rep.Usually I just do a static hold or a few negatives to finish the set.I have quite a bit of eccentric strength left usually.

[In-Human]

KillerStack, If you are just starting this program lets go with BBs, Smythe or machines, just control that weight down, explode to the top of the movement, and when you fail you must rack that weight, take 5-15 deep breaths unrack it and go at it again, if you are doing a chest exercise for instance you should be able to go 8x3x2 or something to that affect.

If you are lifting those kinds of lbs I do not see why you cannot do this procedure...

[sammysdad]

Killer Stack,
I have a theory for you: Judging by how strong you are I am assuming you have spent a lot of time powerlifting. I would say that your nervous system is so efficient at firing all it's fibers at once (like for a max single) that you probably recruit and destroy almost all of the high threshold fibers in the initial part of the set and have none left to continue with. I bet if you started training in a higher rep range you would be able to get a few reps after the pause because the weight wouldn't be so heavy that only the high threshold fibers could lift it. For example a weight that would allow at least say 12 before the first pause should be light enough to be able to get a few more out of. Just a theory though...........

[rugbythug]

My rest pauses look like 13-1-1 for chest frequently. Sometimes 13-2-1.

[Blade]

I have the same problem but only with DB Incline curls, I its one of the best exercises for bis but rp/s are hard especially in the third 'mini-set', last time I could only get 8-2-1

[Doggcrapp]

Im not trying to put anyone down here but Ive seen for the most part that there is a certain "hardcore-I will not be beaten" mentality with rest pauses and the most brutal driven people are the ones who knock out failure on each one handidly. Blade that 8+2+1 is along the lines of where your supposed to be. Rugby - hate to single you out but that 13+1+1 is a mental barrier. If you can get 13 to failure with a weight, you can get 2-3 out on your second rest pause if you get pissed off enough. This is brutal training and unless there is a health issue or ATP issue going on, its not for everyone.....it takes a certain mentality. Silverback has it, Inhuman has it, Raul has it, FH and others on this board. Ive had some trainees who didnt have that extra gear though when the going got tough and instead of having that uncanny inner anger build up that drives that rep up, they gave up on it. You got to be kind of a nut job (in a good way)

[Doublemonk]

I had (and still have it) the same problem. Before I started DC I was mainly training in the 1-3 rep range and without a slow negative.
So at least in my case sammysdad's theory could be right. I was able to partly solve the problem by dramatically lowering my working weights and really concentrating on an explosive positive and a controlled negative. Now I am at least able to perform all the three rp sets. Hopefully my body will adapt to this new training very fast, and I can push through my old working weights in a few month.

[Massive G]

DC's right of course and though perhaps an arguement could be made for having a different ratio of muscle fibers (type 1, type 2 etc..) I think the bottom line is having that drive...For me the lowest I'll go (and this is only when I get a little ambitious with my weight jumps) is 6+2+1-2.....No matter what exercise I'm doing I know that if I knocked out 6 on that first rest pause set that after 15 deep breaths I have to/will/can get 2 preferably 3 on the next round... And that's including chest exercise which I do for the most part without a spotter....
Perhaps the problem for those geting 13+1+1 is not muscular endurance but cardiovascular...I know that for me when I started doing the 20rep's plus on legs at first I felt my lungs were failing me before my quads....Rugbythug, how's your cardio program?

[Massive G]

Originally posted by Doggcrapp
You got to be kind of a nut job (in a good way)

Hehe

[rugbythug]

Well I went back and checked my Log Book. I have only done 13-1-1 twice and it was one smith machine bench. When I switched over to free weight bench. I am getting - 8-2-1 or there abouts. I also don't count halfs-If I don't fully extend it is not a rep. So on failure looks like. I go down and come up to about half way. I hit my sticking point and just pause there. After I know I cant force it through I lower the wieght slowly to my chest and then get it racked. On other exercises I definetly get more of a 10-4-4 or something. But chest only on the smith I have a hard time- I either hit it or I don't.

[rugbythug]

My cardio is playing basket ball once a week and 15 minutes on the elipticle once. Then we try and hike a couple times a month-for a few miles.

[nemo]

i think it could be mental or physical depending on the circumstances. for me certain bodyparts just seem to suck at high reps/rest pausing while i have no problem with others. for example my quads and calves have always been capable of doing higher reps with heavy weights despite the fact that it is excruciating while my chest and bi's suck at it. this leads me to believe that rather than being a pussy, because i do better with the harder exercises, i probably just have different fiber ratios in those particular muscles.

whereas if you just generally suck at higher rep/rest pausing stuff on all bodyparts it could just be a mental thing

[KillerStack]

DC,I know what you mean about being a kind of a "nut job".There are people who are never able to hit true failure no matter what because they lack the inner aggression that is necessary.When people ask me why I'm relatively strong I always say it's about "aggression" in the gym.But really,I think it's something almost genetic,some people even if they had a shotgun up their ass,cannot max out their true capabilities while for some it's second nature.

These days I do have to pace myself somewhat so I don't do something entirely reckless.Like right now I'm up to almost 800 for a set of 4 on the rack pulls(absolutely my favorite excercise) and I'm starting to feel it in my upper back so I'm sort of debating If I'll do a rack pull session tomorrow.I feel stronger than ever but I don't know if it's worth it to risk a herniated spine.Probably not.Too many torn muscle already even in my young age.

Still it's weird that I have problem recovering enough for a few rest pauses on even the "safe" excercises.It is easier to get a few rest pauses if I do a set of 12 (instead of a lower rep range) on the smith machine for example.