# Dorian Yates HIT training natty and without partner



## kmax (Feb 21, 2008)

As it says on the tin. Do people think it's possible to do well on HIT while natty and without a training partner. Do you need both to be able to do one set to proper failure?


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

kmax said:


> As it says on the tin. Do people think it's possible to do well on HIT while natty and without a training partner. Do you need both to be able to do one set to proper failure?


You need to improvise when training alone. I used to use drop sets in place of forced reps for example. It's perfectly possible to train this way natty.


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## essexboy (Sep 7, 2008)

kmax said:


> As it says on the tin. Do people think it's possible to do well on HIT while natty and without a training partner. Do you need both to be able to do one set to proper failure?


I use an abbreviated training regime.I also train alone, in a empty gym.You have to select movements that wont be dangerous,if you fail.Squats,in a proper rack, deadlifts chins dips etc.I dont use free weights but rely on hammer/Nautilus machines.

Im then able to "walk away" after failure.If you can generate the required motivation its possible to give 100% alone.

However, a clued up partner who can coax, inspire you and provide safety is a definite advantage.


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## Jamieson (Jul 11, 2014)

I've trained HIT without a training partner for over 15 years now and it's perfectly fine. Bare in mind that as a natty you will NOT require the forced reps and negatives that Dorian uses in the vids every time you train, as these 'set extending' techniques are better suited to assisted guys as they can recover from them more readily. Adding them in once a month or so will be fine as the key to HIT is intensity of effort, but once you're working at 100% effort you don't want to do it for too long, i.e., you don't want to add in 3/4 negatives in every set every time you train, and by taking each work set to MMF this will be sufficient to trigger the growth response.

As Mingster said you do need to improvise if you do want to add in negatives but it is doable, i.e.Yates rows can be done by deadlifting the weight in to the starting position, Laterals by leveraging the weight to shoulder height or lifting it with both hands, Leg press by putting your hands on your knees/thighs and pushing the weight up.

If you want to stick to the exact exercises Dorian uses then it will be slightly trickier but if not you could swap exercises and do ones that you can easily perform negatives in, i.e., do chins instead of pull downs and weighted dips instead of decline press. You could also do DB declines so you can finish the set on the final negative and simply drop the DBs as opposed to having to rack the weight if using a Barbell.

Anyway, good luck.


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## theBEAST2002 (Oct 16, 2011)

You will do well. Just consider the safety aspects.


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

I did well using HIT training alone for my last 6 months as a natty, gained a great amount of strength and size. You can either use safety bars/pins in place of a spotter, or use alternative exercises (for example, dumbbell bench press rather than barbell). Obviously forced reps won't be an option, but it's all about reaching true positive failure and then finishing the set with an intensity technique to take the muscle beyond failure. You can use dropsets, rest-pause, cheat reps, partials etc.

An excerpt from Dorian's old Blood & Guts book on using intensity techniques:



Dorian Yates said:


> *The Intensity Factors For Growth*
> 
> After I've done two or three warm up sets, I'll go right up to the heaviest set. Keeping the reps in the 6 to 10 range for the upper body works well. For lower body, I'll do anywhere from 8 to 20 reps. The lower body responds excellently to higher reps.
> 
> ...


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## Major Eyeswater (Nov 2, 2013)

If anything, HIT is probably better suited to the natural trainer than high volume, because high volume done with a reasonable degree of intensity requires more recovery.


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## kmax (Feb 21, 2008)

Cheers for the input guys. Been doing HIT a few weeks and have gone up a good amount on accessory lifts, but not the big compounds, especially bench press and shoulder press.


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