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Cheat and Recovery

Link doesn't work for explaining cheat and recovery?

Tyler_Murphy
Tyler_Murphy g Tyler Murphy
1 Post(s)
1 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: May 5, 2018
Posted

I'm new to the site, and a beginner at the gym, so I'm trying to read and watch any helpful material before beginning the cheat and recover program, but I cannot find the video explaining how cheat and recover works. I cannot find it on this website, app, or Youtube. I know as a beginner I'm supposed to skip the cheat reps during the first month, but I'd still like to be able to watch it and understand the process. 

jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Tyler_Murphy

I'm new to the site, and a beginner at the gym, so I'm trying to read and watch any helpful material before beginning the cheat and recover program, but I cannot find the video explaining how cheat and recover works. I cannot find it on this website, app, or Youtube. I know as a beginner I'm supposed to skip the cheat reps during the first month, but I'd still like to be able to watch it and understand the process. 

My interpretation of the program is the following:

 

The "cheat and recover" routine combines 8-10 "cheat" reps where form is not 100% followed but rather as heavy a weight that can be done safely for 8-10 reps for the first set of an exercise is employed. This is followed immediately by a "recover" set for 8-10 reps where strict form is used and the weight is lowered accordingly. This strategy hits the Type IIb white muscle fibers predominately in the first "cheat" set and the Type I and Type IIa fibers in the following "recovery" set leading to total muscle fiber training and exhaustion. By hitting all 3 muscle fiber types, you maximize both size and strength potential gains.

 

While you may be a beginner, this type of training would be a good option to take advantage of the "newbie gains" you will experience with proper training, rest, and nutrition. This method employs the 3 key components for muscular growth: 1) Mechanical stress, 2) Metabolic stress, and 3) Progressive overload. Cheat reps in and of themselves are not advised for beginners as you don't learn the fundamentals of proper form. Scott's program, however, still uses proper form and compound movements and only employs a cheat rep component to add an additional overload (mechanical stress and progressive overload) to the muscle. The super-set style (cheat reps followed immediately by recover reps) and the low inter-set rest periods add the metabolic stress component.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Tyler_Murphy

I'm new to the site, and a beginner at the gym, so I'm trying to read and watch any helpful material before beginning the cheat and recover program, but I cannot find the video explaining how cheat and recover works. I cannot find it on this website, app, or Youtube. I know as a beginner I'm supposed to skip the cheat reps during the first month, but I'd still like to be able to watch it and understand the process. 

John has given you spot on advice Tyler!

 

So there will be a video explaining the Cheat & Recover method when the app releases, so you will be able to see the video soon. But until then, as you already figured out and as John explained, as a beginner, you don't need to do the Cheat reps. So instead of each set having 16 total reps (of cheat AND recover reps), you will only need to be doing 8 reps with good form per set for the first month as you work your way into the cheat reps later on.

 

So for example, with the dumbbell chest press on the PUSH workout, you will do 5 sets of 8 reps with good form. Then when you get to the supersets, you still do the exercises back to back as a superset, but only 2 sets of 8 reps per exercise.

 

Does that all make sense?

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Hmen
Hmen g Henry Mendez
4 Post(s)
4 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: March 3, 2018
Posted

Hello everyone,

 

I am on month 1, week 2, of the cheat and recover. I must say this routine is freaking challenging on my nervous system. The first week I was so drained that I needed those 3 off days. On week 2 I said to myself this intensity is way too much for me so I skipped on the cheat reps this time BUT I still feel that my nervous system cannot catch up. I sleep 8 hours but i feel that I need 10 to 12 hours to fully recovered. With this being said I have a question. On week one, month 1, I hit chest/tris/delts/abs 2x that week, monday and sunday. If I counted correctly I performed 32 sets for chest on monday and 32 sets for chest on sunday. Which is a total of 64 sets per week. Isn't this too much volume per week? I am a high volume guy based on genetics report and I already had an idea that I was so I don't want this to sound like i am complaining. I just want to make sure I am doing this correctly. Because that intensity along with the giant sets....wow it is something else. No need for cardio at all doing this awesome craziness lol :) Any feedback from ya'll will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Henry

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Hmen

Hello everyone,

 

I am on month 1, week 2, of the cheat and recover. I must say this routine is freaking challenging on my nervous system. The first week I was so drained that I needed those 3 off days. On week 2 I said to myself this intensity is way too much for me so I skipped on the cheat reps this time BUT I still feel that my nervous system cannot catch up. I sleep 8 hours but i feel that I need 10 to 12 hours to fully recovered. With this being said I have a question. On week one, month 1, I hit chest/tris/delts/abs 2x that week, monday and sunday. If I counted correctly I performed 32 sets for chest on monday and 32 sets for chest on sunday. Which is a total of 64 sets per week. Isn't this too much volume per week? I am a high volume guy based on genetics report and I already had an idea that I was so I don't want this to sound like i am complaining. I just want to make sure I am doing this correctly. Because that intensity along with the giant sets....wow it is something else. No need for cardio at all doing this awesome craziness lol :) Any feedback from ya'll will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Henry

@Hmen I replied on your other @forum thread with this same question 😁 

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