Debunking the Natty vs. Enhanced Training Myth

Dr. Mike Israetel from Renaissance Periodization addresses the common fitness myth that natural (natty) trainees should focus on strength training, while enhanced individuals should prioritize pump and metabolite work. This article will summarize the key takeaways and explain why this bifurcation between natty and enhanced training is mostly incorrect.

Important Takeaways

• Research on metabolite and high rep training (pump work) for hypertrophy is mostly conducted on natty individuals, showing that it works effectively for them.
• There is limited research on what works best for enhanced individuals, so most knowledge about their training comes from observing professional athletes.
• Many natural pros train in a similar way to enhanced pros, using a mix of compound and isolation exercises, and not solely focusing on strength training.
• The difference in training approaches might be more related to the level of experience (beginner vs. advanced) rather than being natty or enhanced.
• Progressive overload is still necessary for both natty and enhanced trainees to progress.
• Best practices for training involve a combination of rep ranges, compound and isolation movements, and progressive overload.

Beginner vs. Advanced Training Approaches

Beginners might benefit more from compounds and lower reps due to the need to establish proper technique and the higher raw stimulus magnitudes they provide. Advanced trainees might incorporate more pump and metabolite work to accommodate their bigger muscles, avoid joint and axial fatigue, and prevent injuries.

Speculations on Enhanced Training

While there is some speculation that drugs might preferentially hypertrophy slower twitch fibers and thus benefit from higher rep training, there is not enough research to conclusively support this idea.

Best Practices for Training

Regardless of being natty or enhanced, trainees should focus on:

• Combining rep ranges
• Incorporating compound and isolation movements
• Intelligently using progressive overload

Resources such as the Hypertrophy Made Simple YouTube series and the Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy Training book can provide further guidance on effective training strategies.

Conclusion

Instead of focusing on the supposed differences between natty and enhanced training, individuals should prioritize proper training techniques, a mix of rep ranges, and progressive overload. Recognizing that the distinction between natty and enhanced training is largely a myth, trainees can focus on what truly works for them and make progress in their fitness journeys.