How many sets?

[HD7]

Ive started at the gym again. Yesterday was working chest and was thinking about the amount of sets. I was doing drop sets, 12-10-8 of a weight that I had to really gun for on the last couple of reps. So was doing 3 sets. But after that, I found that I could easily do more. So can you do 3 sets, twice? Or is it better just to train a different area? Been years since I was last at the gym and I can't really remember what we used to do!

[Carlvtr88]

Ive started at the gym again. Yesterday was working chest and was thinking about the amount of sets. I was doing drop sets, 12-10-8 of a weight that I had to really gun for on the last couple of reps. So was doing 3 sets. But after that, I found that I could easily do more. So can you do 3 sets, twice? Or is it better just to train a different area? Been years since I was last at the gym and I can't really remember what we used to do!

Try four sets mate..... Try using a weight that, on the last rep you have to push fairly hard but NOT fail..... AND on your last set you really have to go for it.

6 - 8 reps...I usually either fail on the last few reps of the end set or get close to failure. Depending on how I feel at the time, sometimes on the last set I go over 6 - 8 and deliberately fail.
But doing that the first set is pointless because you're zapping yourself for the rest of your workout. ( Not saying you're doing this, just some people do )

[HD7]

I'm doing exactly what you're saying but a couple minutes later, I feel like I could go again. And I did yesterday, or is that just stupid?

[Gashman]

I aim 4-5 sets with rep ranges of 6-8. If I feel I have more in the tank I'll up the reps or work to failure, then up the weight slightly on the next set.

My chest workout is,

Bent over cable rows 2 warm up 3/4 working sets, 6-8 reps.
Incline db press 4x6-8
Flat db bench 4x6-8
Decline db bench 4x6-8
db flyes 3x12-15 ( rep range alot higher as I use this to really force the blood into the muscles) I alternate this weekly between incline/decline

[Gashman]

If I feel stronger after the 4 set exercises ill will try a 5th

[HD7]

Okay cool, think I know what I'm working towards now, ish haha!

[Carlvtr88]

If I feel stronger after the 4 set exercises ill will try a 5th

Use the energy you have left for other works outs mate.

Your muscles will keep recuperating after 5 mins or so even if you fail, fail and fail again.

For example, Say if i started of with a shoulder press, 4 sets of 6 on a fairly heavy weight. Last few reps on set 4, I will either fail or get close.

I could then move on to other arms / chest exercises for half an hour, but still have enough energy to do more shoulder presses.

In fact, increased blood flow to your muscles mid - end of exercise will actually slightly enhance your strength / endurance. I feel my weakest when i do my first set. Blood flow increases and my arms puff out and i get more resilient.

I tested this. I did my regular 4 sets on shoulder press. 6 reps was fairly strenuous, at end end of my gym session i jumped back on the shoulder press when my body was puffed. I managed 12 reps till burnout.

Just because you feel like you can go again doesn't mean you're not stimulating the muscle enough to promote growth. Push yourself, but don't overdo it or you will release Cortisol lol.

[HD7]

See I've been denoting a specific day to a specific body group instead of doing several in one day. Arms/chest fucking kill me but legs aren't too bad. I think its cos my legs are still strong from rugby.

So 4 sets of 8ish reps is enough to grow over time? Part of me wants to target each muscle group twice a week, I just kind of feel once a week isn't enough for some reason?

[Carlvtr88]

I do full body 3 times a week. I feel its best for me. Do what you feel works for you mate. People are different.

[HD7]

Hmm, gives me something to think about. I'm trying to lose a bit of weight while building muscle to push through at the same time so I may go 3 days full body and 3 days cardio. Hmmm

[McGuire86]

3-4 sets, switch it up now and again. I usually do 3 sets, with compounds I do 2 warm ups and 3 working sets. Muscles like calf's I will do 4-5 sets for obvious reasons.

As for reps, general rule upper body 10-12. Lower body 12 +. Anything less you aren't stimulating your muscle fibers enough.

[Carlvtr88]

Hmm, gives me something to think about. I'm trying to lose a bit of weight while building muscle to push through at the same time so I may go 3 days full body and 3 days cardio. Hmmm

Drink coffee before workout. You will extend your work out as it triggers your body to use fat stores as energy rather than glycogen.

Many studies show this to be true.

I don't like coffee much, nor do I drink it often, but I always have one before a session. So one coffee a day 3 times a week.

[Carlvtr88]

3-4 sets, switch it up now and again. I usually do 3 sets, with compounds I do 2 warm ups and 3 working sets. Muscles like calf's I will do 4-5 sets for obvious reasons.

As for reps, general rule upper body 10-12. Lower body 12 +. Anything less you aren't stimulating your muscle fibers enough.

Id say 6 - 8 depending on weight. ( If it was 4 sets and a heavy weight ) id say this is adequate.

Perhaps 6 - 12 aswell but as i say its all dependent on each person and their goals.

When you go in the gym and bang out 2 reps of a weight far too heavy, i'd say this is and example of an ineffective session .

[McGuire86]

Id say 6 - 8 depending on weight. ( If it was 4 sets and a heavy weight ) id say this is adequate.

Perhaps 6 - 12 aswell but as i say its all dependent on each person and their goals.

When you go in the gym and bang out 2 reps of a weight far too heavy, i'd say this is and example of an ineffective session .

For what ?? 6-8 deadlifting is fine, but 6-8 on calfs, chest, delts etc will do fuck all apart from strength.

The whole point of bodybuilding is to break down the muscle fibers and injure the muscle tissues during workouts. You will not get this by doing small rep range.

[Carlvtr88]

For what ?? 6-8 deadlifting is fine, but 6-8 on calfs, chest, delts etc will do fuck all apart from strength.

The whole point of bodybuilding is to break down the muscle fibers and injure the muscle tissues during workouts. You will not get this by doing small rep range.

6 - 8 on a weight that is heavy will stimulate the muscle tissue enough. I'm not saying lift baby weights, I'm just saying you don't need to be in there tearing muscle off the bone, doing 12 reps of a weight that you can barely manage one set with.

[McGuire86]

6 - 8 on a weight that is heavy will stimulate the muscle tissue enough. I'm not saying lift baby weights, I'm just saying you don't need to be in there tearing muscle off the bone, doing 12 reps of a weight that you can barely manage one set with.

Depends what muscle like i previously stated. Would you use 8 reps for calfs, abdominals, viceps of isolating the 3 heads of the deltoids??
Lower body general rule is 12 reps but 10 is fine for a compound such as squats. And when did i mention one set??

[Carlvtr88]

Depends what muscle like i previously stated. Would you use 8 reps for calfs, abdominals, viceps of isolating the 3 heads of the deltoids??
Lower body general rule is 12 reps but 10 is fine for a compound such as squats. And when did i mention one set??

I wasn't saying you mentioned one set i'm juts saying, some people think that unless they're shitting their own colon out, their muscles are not being worked.

Again, chillout man, you seem uptight.

Not saying your wrong, all I was saying is i usually do around 6 - 8 reps ( sometimes hit 12 on certain workouts, upper body ).

Then on lower body I aim for higher reps of course, because your legs are obviously much stronger. I usually do 4 sets of 20.

Come at me bro :D

[b0t13]

dont agree with the 12rep rule,

i do 6-8 and still grow in size and strength

and thats on most things such as chest, shoulders etc..

[Carlvtr88]

dont agree with the 12rep rule,

i do 6-8 and still grow in size and strength

and thats on most things such as chest, shoulders etc..

Mcguire86 .... see him dere ^^^ .

Lol, bite go on !

[HD7]

:boxing: :homme:

[Gashman]

I can see a pose off coming on, whoever is in the best shape must know what they are saying hahahaha

[McGuire86]

I wasn't saying you mentioned one set i'm juts saying, some people think that unless they're shitting their own colon out, their muscles are not being worked.

Again, chillout man, you seem uptight.

Not saying your wrong, all I was saying is i usually do around 6 - 8 reps ( sometimes hit 12 on certain workouts, upper body ).

Then on lower body I aim for higher reps of course, because your legs are obviously much stronger. I usually do 4 sets of 20.


Come at me bro :D

Then if I didn't mention it and you're replying to what I said then saying it is irrelevant.

The general rule is upper body 10-12 (compounds 8 is fine) lower body 12 (again compounds such as squats/hack squats 10 is fine) but endurance muscles like the calfs need very high volume to grow.

Come at you bro? Why are you being childish lol? But if you insist here is some more reasons to support the theory ;

Back to basics for you ;) Weight training causes tiny tears in the muscles (microtrauma) The muscles responds and heals itself by increasing protein entering the muscles, for a few days after. The repair is helped by testosterone and increases the release of muscle building hormones. The rate of hypertophy that happens during this process depends on the muscle you're training. As fast twitch fibres respond better, the more fast twitch fibers allow you to grow bigger and quicker.

When training low volume and typically for strength (6 reps) you become stronger but your muscles recruit less fibers and slow twitch fibers, so you will not grow bigger, or not much anyway. Why do you think olympian weight lifters always stay the same size even though they typically use 4-8 reps ?

High volume training (8-12 reps or more) create greater hypertrophy. he higher workload is more effective at creating microtrauma because of the extra time under tension and extra number of fibres recruited (fast twitch) and this will increase protein synthesis which will build more muscle, get it carl ?
Also high volume, multiple set programs are more effective at increasing the body's production of testosterone and growth hormone.
But I don't mean high volume as in training everyday stupid amount of sets and exercises etc, you have to find the balance.

I don't know why I'm writing all this as I doubt you will take it all on but maybe someone else may find it useful.

I can see a pose off coming on, whoever is in the best shape must know what they are saying hahahaha

You just want to see me in my undies :homme: But there are pics of me on here from a few years ago if you really want to dig them up.

[Carlvtr88]

Then if I didn't mention it and you're replying to what I said then saying it is irrelevant.

The general rule is upper body 10-12 (compounds 8 is fine) lower body 12 (again compounds such as squats/hack squats 10 is fine) but endurance muscles like the calfs need very high volume to grow.

Come at you bro? Why are you being childish lol? But if you insist here is some more reasons to support the theory ;

Back to basics for you ;) Weight training causes tiny tears in the muscles (microtrauma) The muscles responds and heals itself by increasing protein entering the muscles, for a few days after. The repair is helped by testosterone and increases the release of muscle building hormones. The rate of hypertophy that happens during this process depends on the muscle you're training. As fast twitch fibres respond better, the more fast twitch fibers allow you to grow bigger and quicker.

When training low volume and typically for strength (6 reps) you become stronger but your muscles recruit less fibers and slow twitch fibers, so you will not grow bigger, or not much anyway. Why do you think olympian weight lifters always stay the same size even though they typically use 4-8 reps ?

High volume training (8-12 reps or more) create greater hypertrophy. he higher workload is more effective at creating microtrauma because of the extra time under tension and extra number of fibres recruited (fast twitch) and this will increase protein synthesis which will build more muscle, get it carl ?
Also high volume, multiple set programs are more effective at increasing the body's production of testosterone and growth hormone.
But I don't mean high volume as in training everyday stupid amount of sets and exercises etc, you have to find the balance.

I don't know why I'm writing all this as I doubt you will take it all on but maybe someone else may find it useful.



You just want to see me in my undies :homme: But there are pics of me on here from a few years ago if you really want to dig them up.



I do know all this, now your just being condescending. But hey ho.

Come at me bro..... joke..... no ? Really that wound up ?

I was talking about 6 - 8 reps compound movments which i probably should have specified.

You really do seem wound up tight and need to chill out dude. Put it this way. I've done 6 - 8 ( on some occasions 12 reps upper body compound movements ) and I have gotten bigger. Not just stronger.

AGAIN, as I said before, not Disagreeing with you, before your next post teaches me another lesson about protein synthesis or something. I just said some peeps are different and what works for one doesn't work for another.

[McGuire86]

Two edits, did you post that so fast out of anger :P

I'm perfectly calm thanks, I just like to back up what I'm saying. I'm not trying to preach anything to you, just giving out some knowledge and pre-experience. Some people may appreciate that but I guess you see it as me trying to speak down to you ?

Anyway, I've tried to help the OP but thought I'd give you some info aswell, but seeing as you already know everything just ignore what I said.

'Come at me bro' ;)

[Carlvtr88]

Ok dude for 1. I Dont know everything and never claimed to either.... And 2. " back to basics for you " was a condescending comment. But never mind. I was trying to contribute to the guy myself telling him what works for me but yeah bored now anyway.

[McGuire86]

http://www.angelfire.com/home/lake/images/troutnet8.gif

[Bordtea]

:homme: