I started the MAX OT workout method last week and I am having some problems.

I have heard people saying that it has cut their workouts to around 40 mintues, but for me it seems to have doubled them from 1 hour to 2 hours. I am obviously doing something wrong.

I did a workout yesterday and it took almost 2 hours and I couldn't even finish it. This is what I did

Straight Bar Curls/Alt. Dumbell Curls/Straight Bar Cable Curls with the following format

1x12 (2 minute rest)
1x10 (2 minute rest)
1x6 (2 minute rest) Acclimation Set
1x3 (2 minute rest) Acclimation Set
1x1(2 minute rest) Acclimation Set
MAX OT set 1 (2 minute rest)
MAX OT set 2 (2 minute rest)
MAX OT set 3 (2 minute rest)

That's 16 minutes for each exercise, multiplied by 3 is 48 minutes just for Bi-ceps.

I then did

Lying Tricep Press/Tricep Cable Press Downs with the same format as above...there's another 32 minutes

...what the heck am I doing wrong. I know you shouldn't exercise more than 2 muscle groups at a time. Am I doing to many exercises per muscle group? Should I just be doing 1 exercise per muscle group?

Any help would be great...I'm about to throw this exercise method in the garbage if it's taking this long to workout.

thanks
Jay

Personally, I don't find it necessary or useful to rest even close to a full 2 minutes after the 12- and 10-rep warmup sets. Play around with these rest times a bit till you find what works for you. And keep in mind your rest times may vary depending on the bodypart being worked (i.e., legs vs. bis).

Second, and more importantly, once you've worked the first exercise for a muscle group, you don't need to do any more warmup sets for that muscle group on the following exercises -- the muscle is plenty warmed up. So in the example you gave, after doing your straight bar curls, you would move directly (after the 2 min rest) to your work sets of alternating db curls, then to your work sets of straight bar cable curls.

These should both cut down your work time significantly.

Finally, what kind of split are you using? A three-day split will take longer than a four- or five-day split, as you're forced to work more muscle groups per day.

:gl:

Danny,

Thanks for the information, I never even thought to cut out the warm up set after the initial exercise.

When you refer to work sets do you mean the MAX OT sets or the Acclimation sets (sorry new guy here).

I am starting with a 5 day split as I will be plenty sore for the first while.

Thanks again!!

When I was doing Max-OT, I would not do the full amount of acclimation sets. I would do 12, 8 and 3 or 4. Also, what Danny said...don't do warm ups for each exercise, just for each body part.

Jason

Danny,

Thanks for the information, I never even thought to cut out the warm up set after the initial exercise.

When you refer to work sets do you mean the MAX OT sets or the Acclimation sets (sorry new guy here).

I am starting with a 5 day split as I will be plenty sore for the first while.

Thanks again!! Yeah, when I said work sets I meant the Max-OT sets. Sorry for the confusion. :p

Since you're using a 5-day split, your workouts should be relatively brief (compared to the 3- or 4-day splits).

Let us know how it goes reducing your workout time. :tu:

Thanks Danny...I'm sure my times will be much better now...they couldn't have gotten worse :lol:

thanks again
Jay
:tu:

Personally, I don't find it necessary or useful to rest even close to a full 2 minutes after the 12- and 10-rep warmup sets. Play around with these rest times a bit till you find what works for you. And keep in mind your rest times may vary depending on the bodypart being worked (i.e., legs vs. bis).

Second, and more importantly, once you've worked the first exercise for a muscle group, you don't need to do any more warmup sets for that muscle group on the following exercises -- the muscle is plenty warmed up. So in the example you gave, after doing your straight bar curls, you would move directly (after the 2 min rest) to your work sets of alternating db curls, then to your work sets of straight bar cable curls.

:gl:

Agreed. You don't need a full 2 minutes between warmup sets, and you don't necessarily have to warm up before every exercise.

For example, let's say you are doing Quads and Hamstrings. Well your hams are pretty warm after doing squats and leg presses, so you don't really need all those warmup sets before hamstrings.

You definitely don't need to warm up on Leg Presses if you have already done squats.

For example, here's my leg day:

Squats:
-3 Warmup Sets, rest about a minute in between sets (maybe less)
-2-3 Acclimation sets
-3 Working sets ("Maxot Sets")

Leg Press:
-2 Acclimation Sets
-2 Working Sets

Stiff-Leg Deadlift:
-2 Acclimation Sets
-2 Working Sets

Lying Leg Curl:
-2 Acclimation Sets
-2 Working Sets

(Leg Curls are optional for me now, as my squats, leg presses, and deadlifts are REALLY heavy and intense. On Monday, for example, I did not do leg curls because I really was wiped after the deadlifts - I actually couldn't stand for a few minutes, lol.)

So anyway, you don't need to warm up before every exercise. :)

Good luck!

If you look at Jeff Willet's training journal who trains 100% Max-OT, you'll see that he does only 1 acclimation set at the start of each new exercise. When I do this, my workouts are 30-40 minutes tops on a 5 day split.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I did my workout yesterday and I was able to put in 20 mintues on a bike as well as weights and kept it within on hour...that rocks.

Thanks again!!