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Pirate
02-09-07, 12:48 am
I have been reading a lot about lower reps for small muscles and higher reps for larger muscles (i think thats the right way around) and im getting confused. I used to think I should do around 8 reps at heavy weight for size gains.

I am currently doing a routine with a light walm up (7 reps), moderate walm up(6 reps) and then a dropset(8 reps to failure) for most exercises.

would I be better off doing say a light walm up and then 3 sets of 8.

Is there a benefit doing more sets?

Sorry if thats all over the place.

karmazon
02-09-07, 1:41 am
I have been reading a lot about lower reps for small muscles and higher reps for larger muscles (i think thats the right way around) and im getting confused. I used to think I should do around 8 reps at heavy weight for size gains.

I am currently doing a routine with a light walm up (7 reps), moderate walm up(6 reps) and then a dropset(8 reps to failure) for most exercises.

would I be better off doing say a light walm up and then 3 sets of 8.

Is there a benefit doing more sets?

Sorry if thats all over the place.

Different people respond to different set and rep ranges. No one here can tell you how you will respond to more sets. You have to find out yourself.

Pirate
02-09-07, 2:09 am
guess i just gotta keep experimenting, thanks karmazon.

mike138
06-05-07, 11:33 pm
ok this is something ive wondered for a while and this im sure is the best place to ask. when im working out any bodypart, lets say chest. lets say im doing 4 sets of 10. should every set be done to near failure? because the problem ive had is that if i do 4 sets of 10, on my first set i can do more then 10 reps, but if i do by the time i get to sets 3 and 4 its hard for me to get near 10. so i normaly just do 10 reps on every set even if on the first 2 or so i can actually do more. is this the right idea? or should i fix something?

18-Delta
06-06-07, 12:35 am
ok this is something ive wondered for a while and this im sure is the best place to ask. when im working out any bodypart, lets say chest. lets say im doing 4 sets of 10. should every set be done to near failure? because the problem ive had is that if i do 4 sets of 10, on my first set i can do more then 10 reps, but if i do by the time i get to sets 3 and 4 its hard for me to get near 10. so i normaly just do 10 reps on every set even if on the first 2 or so i can actually do more. is this the right idea? or should i fix something?

Ok.........I have no doubt these guys here will try and point you in the right direction with some good advice. Problem, however, is that everyone here doesn't have the exact same workout. Why? A lot are at different stages or are trying to accomplish varied things; beginners, pros, powerlifters, bodybuilders, cutting, gaining, etc.

Post your specific goals. Tell these guys EXACTLY what it is you are trying to achieve when you go into the gym. For example, are you trying to lose fat and slim down, are you already slim and want to put on mass, you don't want to get huge but have great definition, so on..... and so on....

By doing this you will receive a more defined response that will help you decide what direction to gravitate towards.

Kiwi129
06-06-07, 11:24 am
Go heavier on the first set... not so that 10 reps is hard... but at least a challenging set. This should lead you to finish your next three in the 6-8 range, which is good. Going for all your sets to the same amount of reps leads to, well, the problem you have. Move more weight on the FIRST set, keep the same weight, and let the reps come naturally on the last three.

ironshaolin
06-06-07, 11:36 am
I will usually only ever take the last 2 sets to failure. I wouldn't stay at the same weight for 4 sets. Example on squats, I might start with 95lbs and do 20 reps. I can probably do a whole lot more, but I'm just getting into the groove. Then I'd go to 135 for 15 reps, still not that difficult. 185 for 12 reps, this set is a bit harder but I can still give it more. Then for the last 2 sets I load it up. 250lbs for as many reps as I can get. might be 8 on the first and 6 on the second. I like the pyramid tho, it helps break your muscles in and get them ready for your heavy working sets.

Milestone
06-06-07, 12:23 pm
As Delta already put. It all depends upon your goals. If this is for mass gain, 5x5 is very popular method, especially for bench presses. You start with 75-80% of you max or with such a weight that only the last set should be burning your b@lls.
I like the pyramid training for all my exercises. Increasing weight, decreasing reps.
Cheers.

Gainer65
06-06-07, 4:49 pm
I don't use a static rep number like 4 sets of 10.After my warm-up set,I always go to failure.On heavy days,I shoot for 6-8 reps and on light days 10-15.If you're not going to go to failure,why bother? Just my 2 cents worth.

NickSP
06-07-07, 5:09 pm
Don't get so caught up in numbers. Pick a range you like (8-10, 6-8, etc.) and just try to stay in there. Typically you'll start with your heaviest set, and then you'll probably have to drop the weight a bit as the sets go on to stay in your range. Or, hell, you could just start real heavy and then lower it each set and see how many you get. You really don't have to hold yourself to exact numbers

the-craig
06-08-07, 8:36 am
why not up the weight for your 1st set then do drop sets?

afshin
06-08-07, 8:51 pm
I was searching different work outs on this site andsaw some split that had 5 sets with high rep,(10-12).Would you recomend to do this to all your works some or none?

Riesjs
06-08-07, 8:56 pm
It depends on what your goal is. Really depends on what works best for you... give it a shot. I like to do 5 sets for my major/starting lifts to the workout chest day - barbell bench 5 sets , leg day - squats 5 sets etc.... If you do sets of 5's and dont start to see/feel results head for 4 sets.........

k1usa
06-08-07, 8:56 pm
bro.....there are lots of great rutiens...on this site...more to pick from than you can imagin....you have to look at your goals...what you are wanting to do..and get to reading....its all there bro....what works for you..may not work for me...

ironshaolin
06-08-07, 8:59 pm
Personally, I've found legs respond best to higher reps. If you read Arnold's enyclopedia of bodybuilding, he says the same thing. However, I like to utilize all rep ranges. For major bodyparts, I will pick one excersise to be the staple and bust out about 5 sets. Then I'll do 3-4 sets of the rest of my excersises. If I do 5, I might start with 20 reps, then do 15, 12, 8, 5, then back up to 12 for failure. Everything works, just not all the time. Here's an example of a chest workout using all rep ranges. Bench press for 5 sets: 15 reps warmup, then go to 4 sets of 1-5 reps. Followed by incline dumbell presses for 8-12 reps, 3 sets, followed by flat dumbell flyes for 15-25 reps. Maximum growth requires maximum stimulation.

Riesjs
06-08-07, 9:02 pm
True, you don't have to get totally caught up in numbers....make sure however to keep a log of them. Making sure you are moving forward and not back

Kiwi129
06-09-07, 12:18 pm
DO NOT take Gainer65's advice and go to failure on every set. That's a surefire recipe for overtraining, and an incredibly burdening load on your CNS. Tons of studies have shown that lifting with a heavy load and stopping one rep short of failure is only 3-5% less effective at stimulating fibers than going to failure is, and over extended periods of time the recovery is like 75% likely and quick. Don't go to failure on every set.

Mizzarler
06-09-07, 3:34 pm
There are diff aspects of training as someone alrerady said... If your trying to get stronger right now.. like me... I went to failure for 3 sets of Bench , 6-4-2 and lifted 4-5 times a week and I was fine. I wouldnt however go to failure on all my other sets for Legs, Back etc except for maybe one..What I'm sayin is choose one muscle you want to drastically improve and go to failure, Thats what I did and my bench went up 50 pounds in about 9 weeks.

sully
06-09-07, 5:01 pm
try it out and see if you gt a good pump, but there's deff no perfect rep/set scheme that everyone uses. You gotta switch things up to keep the body guessing

monkster
07-13-08, 10:25 am
I am getting many different answers when I read around the boards for an correct number of reps and sets (for gaining muscle). I usually try and do 3 sets of 4-8 reps. Advice please.

thanks alot

mikejones1
07-13-08, 10:30 am
man people will tell you low reps 6-8 with heavy weight to gain muscle or moderate weight with 10-12 reps. you just have to experiment with your own body and find what works for you. if youre not growing, change it up. when you start to grow, you know youre doing something right

simpleguy
07-13-08, 10:50 am
I am getting many different answers when I read around the boards for an correct number of reps and setst

you're getting different answers because there's no such thing as a 'correct number of sets and reps'

Maccabee
07-13-08, 11:12 am
I do anything from 20-1 reps. Some times if i feel like going heavier i will do 8-1 reps. You got to go with what you feel. But by doing 20-1 i think you get the best of both worlds.

shizz702
07-13-08, 4:39 pm
It depends on your goal.

For just gaining mass I'd stay in the 8-12 range.

If you desire strength as well sets of 8 reps is a nice happy medium cause it will produce mass gains and you can get decently strong that way too.

redskin 344
12-04-08, 12:07 pm
Ive been confused about what exactly are sets in a workout? When doing 3x8 does that necessarily mean that i do my 8 rep man or my 10 rep max. Which will produce better results in mass and power? Ive known about the 5x5 program for a while but is it actually doing 5 sets of your 5RM?

Also would doing sets where u constantly add weight after each set (progressive overload i think) be considered a good way of doing sets for squats or any other big compound movement for size and strength? Ive seen frank doing that on a youtube video when incline benching, first set is 135x8..then 225x8..315x10..405x8. Is this a regular routine for bodybuilders or is this what you would do when you max out for a lift and work up to it.

Aggression
12-04-08, 12:13 pm
Ive been confused about what exactly are sets in a workout? When doing 3x8 does that necessarily mean that i do my 8 rep man or my 10 rep max. Which will produce better results in mass and power? Ive known about the 5x5 program for a while but is it actually doing 5 sets of your 5RM?

Also would doing sets where u constantly add weight after each set (progressive overload i think) be considered a good way of doing sets for squats or any other big compound movement for size and strength? Ive seen frank doing that on a youtube video when incline benching, first set is 135x8..then 225x8..315x10..405x8. Is this a regular routine for bodybuilders or is this what you would do when you max out for a lift and work up to it.

A typical 3x8 set for me personally means 3 sets of 8 reps. I bodybuild so I don't necessarily train with a '8 rep max' per say. I do something along the lines of the video you are talking about. As I increase weight, my reps decrease. It's more a bodybuilder routine I guess you can say. I do the same with all exercises, including squats. Powerlifting might be different, but I can't say for sure. I'm not too knowledgeable in powerlifting.

shizz702
12-04-08, 12:21 pm
5x5 and 3x8 could mean several things. First off some people write 3x8 meaning 8 sets of 3, whereas I look at it as 3 sets of 8. Just wanted to point out some people interpret it differently.

There are two different kinds of sets, sets across, meaning all done with the same weight, and ramped sets, meaning progressively heavier sets.

When a routine is written out with a certain amount of sets and reps usually the listed sets and reps will be sets across unless specified otherwise.

My advice is to experiment and find what works best. I think both sets across and ramped sets work well and it's best to cycle them both from time to time.

redskin 344
12-04-08, 12:22 pm
A typical 3x8 set for me personally means 3 sets of 8 reps. I bodybuild so I don't necessarily train with a '8 rep max' per say. I do something along the lines of the video you are talking about. As I increase weight, my reps decrease. It's more a bodybuilder routine I guess you can say. I do the same with all exercises, including squats. Powerlifting might be different, but I can't say for sure. I'm not too knowledgeable in powerlifting.

So its better to do the progressive overload thing in a routine. Start off with a light weight like a 10 rep max and do it for 6 reps or something, then do a heavier set for 6 reps.. and keep going until u reach a set and do 6 reps with your 6RM?

Aggression
12-04-08, 12:37 pm
So its better to do the progressive overload thing in a routine. Start off with a light weight like a 10 rep max and do it for 6 reps or something, then do a heavier set for 6 reps.. and keep going until u reach a set and do 6 reps with your 6RM?

It's hard to really explain. I'll just give you a run down of how I set up my incline bench press.

135 x 15 - real easy for a warm up
135 x 10 - real easy again, just to get the blood working
185 x 10 - strong set, but could have gotten another rep or 2
205 x 7 - strong, all out, with a bit of a spot of #7.

The way I run my workouts is that if I am doing 4 sets, I train with weight that allows me to get 8-10 reps on sets 1-3. On set 4, for an exercise such as incline bench press, I'd pretty much go to failure on that set. I got 205 for 7 and need a slight spot with the 7th. On exercises such as flyes, I don't go to failure.

Try out different things bro and see what works best for you.

redskin 344
12-04-08, 3:35 pm
It's hard to really explain. I'll just give you a run down of how I set up my incline bench press.

135 x 15 - real easy for a warm up
135 x 10 - real easy again, just to get the blood working
185 x 10 - strong set, but could have gotten another rep or 2
205 x 7 - strong, all out, with a bit of a spot of #7.

The way I run my workouts is that if I am doing 4 sets, I train with weight that allows me to get 8-10 reps on sets 1-3. On set 4, for an exercise such as incline bench press, I'd pretty much go to failure on that set. I got 205 for 7 and need a slight spot with the 7th. On exercises such as flyes, I don't go to failure.

Try out different things bro and see what works best for you.


I tried ramped sets a few days ago with one arm DB seated shoulder presses and I felt really comfortable with it. I started off with 5 reps with 50 lbs with my right arm and a few sets later progressed to 7 reps with 70 lbs.

If I want to receive all the overall benefits of mass and power from BB squats, does it matter which types of sets I choose to do..ramped or set across.

Aggression
12-04-08, 3:46 pm
I tried ramped sets a few days ago with one arm DB seated shoulder presses and I felt really comfortable with it. I started off with 5 reps with 50 lbs with my right arm and a few sets later progressed to 7 reps with 70 lbs.

If I want to receive all the overall benefits of mass and power from BB squats, does it matter which types of sets I choose to do..ramped or set across.

Whatever works for u brotha. Feel both out.

redskin 344
12-04-08, 4:19 pm
Whatever works for u brotha. Feel both out.

So both will provide the same gains in total body mass and power right? Im more comfortable with ramped sets.



I just saw some youtube vids of HOUSE and he trully is an animal. He looks so much older than 26 at first with the beard and moustache.

Aggression
12-04-08, 4:24 pm
So both will provide the same gains in total body mass and power right? Im more comfortable with ramped sets.
.

Every1 responds different bro. If you're more comfortable with ramped sets, then go for it and see what happens. If you're not progressing, then switch it up.

redskin 344
12-04-08, 4:29 pm
Every1 responds different bro. If you're more comfortable with ramped sets, then go for it and see what happens. If you're not progressing, then switch it up.

Alright sounds good. Thanks.

redskin 344
12-04-08, 8:33 pm
But for a program such as the 5x5 program, does it require ur actual 5RM for each set?

shizz702
12-04-08, 8:54 pm
But for a program such as the 5x5 program, does it require ur actual 5RM for each set?

It depends, typically the 5x5 calls for 5 sets of 5 ramped to your 5RM for the top set.

Read this, it will explain everything:http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/table_of_contents_thread.htm#PART%20I:%20The%20Pro gram

Pantera52
01-27-09, 10:37 am
Hey dudes,

So basically I follow the bigger, faster, stronger program. It consists of changing the amount of reps and sets each week. it looks like this

First week- 10-8-6
Second- 3-3-3
Third- 5-5-5-5-5
Fourth 5-4-3-2-1
and then starts over again at 10-8-6. and so on.

They say it's suppose to help you not get caught in a platue, and hopefully get some size.

Do you think this routine would be good and or effective??? If not whats something good, I'm in a bulking phase I'd say. I'm 200 pounds I wanna get to 220 and start cutting by end of march. I'm eating like a machine, I'm taking PAK, m-STAK- nitro right now. let me know what you guys think on the routine and if you have any better ones. Thanks brothers.

Little Houghton
01-27-09, 11:57 am
we used it back when i was in high school, i would imagine it could be effective since it does all your percentages and stuff for you, but our coach was a moron and had us benching every day, so needless to say there were nearly 0 results from it except for those of us that were smart enough not to follow what it said, but the program in itself seems smart to me

Pantera52
01-27-09, 12:24 pm
yeah, I do it a little differently i used it when i played football. But now i jsut do monday legs weds chest fri shoulders sat arms.. I jsut dot do the cleans anymore, or the towel bench or box squat. It's goo and all but i wasnt sure if i was going to see gains because the reps go from high to low week after week...

C.Coronato
01-27-09, 12:44 pm
Hey bro, when you hit the 3-3-3-3 day, is that like super super heavy? Or is it the same weights your doing the 10-8-6?

Little Houghton
01-27-09, 1:17 pm
yeah, I do it a little differently i used it when i played football. But now i jsut do monday legs weds chest fri shoulders sat arms.. I jsut dot do the cleans anymore, or the towel bench or box squat. It's goo and all but i wasnt sure if i was going to see gains because the reps go from high to low week after week...

no they shouldnt be a problem, up untill starting westside i almost never followed the same rep scheme week to week and it was never the same workout two weeks in a row and i had a lot of good results, but i wouldnt completely rule out any exercises, particularly not box squats, those are great for hip strength and just overall squatting strength, every exercise has a place in your workouts, just not necessarily as a staple

Barker
01-27-09, 1:31 pm
Do you guess or just pick a weight that you think is good for each set that week, or is already structured out based on percentages? If so, what are they?

Pantera52
01-27-09, 2:30 pm
Each weeks different records such as The first week of benching i did 10 reps of 170 8 of 175 and 6 of 180. and today happened to be chest in my next 10-8-6 and i did 10 reps 175, 8- 180- 6- 185.

I stared off doing this whole thing at weight i could handle, and each week i try to rbeak the records. So in 3 weeks when it's 10-8-6 again I'll do 10 reps of 180- 8 of 185, and 6 of 190. we'll i'll attempt it i'll bust my ass to break the records. but reps are way more important then numbers.

as for 3-3-3 yeah man, it's heavy weight for me right now i think last 3-3-3 i did 200, 205, 210. I'll try to break those records next week.

Pantera52
01-27-09, 2:32 pm
no they shouldnt be a problem, up untill starting westside i almost never followed the same rep scheme week to week and it was never the same workout two weeks in a row and i had a lot of good results, but i wouldnt completely rule out any exercises, particularly not box squats, those are great for hip strength and just overall squatting strength, every exercise has a place in your workouts, just not necessarily as a staple


So do you think i should put the box squat into my workout. I liked it when i did it, I put up nice wait around 500 pounds, but would i lift it the same day as my regular squats.. or another day?

Little Houghton
01-27-09, 3:20 pm
So do you think i should put the box squat into my workout. I liked it when i did it, I put up nice wait around 500 pounds, but would i lift it the same day as my regular squats.. or another day?

wow, thats a good weight man, but what i do is box squat almost exclusively, we only squat without a box to get a feel for parallel just feeling it in your hips and stuff when we have a meet coming up, but just make sure your box is parallel or just below, sit on the box and explode off, and this should be fine as far as your squatting for the workout, unless you're lifting more for bodybuilding, in which case you can just use box squats every couple weeks for variation, or do them to a lower box and not sitting down, just using it to ensure you reach depth on each rep. let me know if i didn't explain that clearly

Pantera52
01-27-09, 3:53 pm
wow, thats a good weight man, but what i do is box squat almost exclusively, we only squat without a box to get a feel for parallel just feeling it in your hips and stuff when we have a meet coming up, but just make sure your box is parallel or just below, sit on the box and explode off, and this should be fine as far as your squatting for the workout, unless you're lifting more for bodybuilding, in which case you can just use box squats every couple weeks for variation, or do them to a lower box and not sitting down, just using it to ensure you reach depth on each rep. let me know if i didn't explain that clearly


Thanks man. Yeah when i was training in the offseason for football we did a bock squat on fridays along with a towel bench. but yeah. I Get a box thats parell and I sit on that and explode up on the toes. I think I'm gonna throw in the box squat every other week, along with a towel bench instead of a flat bench every other week.

ncsu06
01-27-09, 4:09 pm
its def. something that is different to try out.. that program is usually implemented to build power and strength. But everyone's body is different...i would say try it out...there is a reason why you do that in highschool to build power and strength...give it a good shot for about 3-4 cycles and see how you like it...all we have it time and might as well exhaust all your options on getting bigger, faster, stronger!

Little Houghton
01-27-09, 4:33 pm
Thanks man. Yeah when i was training in the offseason for football we did a bock squat on fridays along with a towel bench. but yeah. I Get a box thats parell and I sit on that and explode up on the toes. I think I'm gonna throw in the box squat every other week, along with a towel bench instead of a flat bench every other week.

well i'm not real sure on the exploding onto your toes thing, do you know the reasoning behind it or is it just what they told you to do? at least for my application (that being to squat as much as possible) i'm always told to push through the heels on both squat and deadlift, but who knows there may be something to it, i'd be interested in hearing it if there were

Pantera52
01-27-09, 5:06 pm
well i'm not real sure on the exploding onto your toes thing, do you know the reasoning behind it or is it just what they told you to do? at least for my application (that being to squat as much as possible) i'm always told to push through the heels on both squat and deadlift, but who knows there may be something to it, i'd be interested in hearing it if there were

I was always told to explode up onto my toes on a box squat, but who knows. I took the lifting into my own hands, because i didnt agree with most of the concepts my coach used to tell us to do. I wasnt big on squatting with 5 pound plates under my heels either. But 'm considering the BFS program and I'm checking some out on the site. I just wanna build up some size so i can eventually cut, and get to the point where i wanna look good and feel good about how i'm ddoing in my lifts!

Little Houghton
01-27-09, 5:25 pm
I was always told to explode up onto my toes on a box squat, but who knows. I took the lifting into my own hands, because i didnt agree with most of the concepts my coach used to tell us to do. I wasnt big on squatting with 5 pound plates under my heels either. But 'm considering the BFS program and I'm checking some out on the site. I just wanna build up some size so i can eventually cut, and get to the point where i wanna look good and feel good about how i'm ddoing in my lifts!

yea, if your coach was anything like mine he probably didnt know shit, ideas like that are thrown around a lot by people in high school, and they wonder why everybody is weak/injured. This is just my opinion, but any program can build plenty of size when done right, personally i would recommend a basic westside style split, ive put on huge amounts of size and strength since starting back in october. Its not exactly known for bodybuilding or whatever, but covering a large amount of lifts with very heavy weights is gonna make somethin happen for sure

Pantera52
01-27-09, 6:38 pm
yea, if your coach was anything like mine he probably didnt know shit, ideas like that are thrown around a lot by people in high school, and they wonder why everybody is weak/injured. This is just my opinion, but any program can build plenty of size when done right, personally i would recommend a basic westside style split, ive put on huge amounts of size and strength since starting back in october. Its not exactly known for bodybuilding or whatever, but covering a large amount of lifts with very heavy weights is gonna make somethin happen for sure

True, whats your split look like??? and what are the reps you do per set?

Little Houghton
01-27-09, 7:34 pm
its fairly complicated and i didnt really design it at all myself, but ill try and break it down
monday- lower back max effort (max single, double or triple on deadlifts, rack pulls of varying heights, various types of good mornings, deadlifts off a platform, etc)
reverse hyper if available to you, if not just regular hyper extensions, heavy abs, and lat work, all 4-6 sets of 10-15 reps

tuesday- max effort bench day max single double or triple on bench, boardpress, bench with chains, board press w/ chains etc
heavy tricep work-close grip, rack lockouts, skullcrushers 4 sets 6-8 reps
lighter tricep stuff-pressdowns, bands pressdowns, kickbacks 4 sets 10-15 reps
heavy abs- 4 sets 10-15 reps
rotator cuffs-dumbell and band internal and external rotation, untill it feels warm/good again

wednesday is an off day, but you can go in and do some abs, triceps, rotator cuffs, curls or somethin if you want or you're just fiendin to lift

thursday- "dynamic" (repitition method, as louie calls it) squat and deads
parallel box squats-8 sets of 2 at 50-60% max, add bands or chains when you want, use different bars sometimes (safety, buffalo, cambered etc)-put a huge emphasis on being as quick and explosive as possible here, a lot of times your best set wont be the 6th, 7th or 8th one
deadlifts 4-8 singles at one weight, for me i do about 70-80% of my max, again focusing on perfecting your form and being explosive
reverse hyper (or again normal hyperextensions if you dont have one) and heavy abs
4 sets 10-15

friday-dynamic bench- 6 triples with 50-60% max- add bands or chains and adjust weight as necessary-the point of these is to build your "speed strength" so you dont get sucked into slowly pushin on the weight, this is a huge factor in benching
heavy tricep work-close grip, rack lockouts, skullcrushers 4 sets 6-8 reps
lighter tricep stuff-pressdowns, bands pressdowns, kickbacks 4 sets 10-15 reps
shoulders-military (barbell or military), lat raises, shrugs, seated db clean and press-pyramid reps, but stop at 4-6

that is essentially what we do,hope its clear, probly not haha, but i mean tailor it to yourself wherever necessary, for instance my traps and lats are strong points, so ill generally replace those with extra shoulder work because my shoulders are shit, or if im not really feelin speed bench ill do a bodybuilding style chest/back/shoulders workout, maybe on the weekends ill come in and drag a sled or flip the tire for some cardio in the summer, i've essentially just provided you with a very basic starting point that you should mold to your own personal needs, yet keep in mind before you change it drastically that it was designed for us by tim harold, the all time highest deadlifter at westside, who deadlifted 855 and squatted 1005 at like 22-23 years old, so its safe to assume he knows his stuff!

hope this helps!

Pantera52
01-27-09, 8:07 pm
Thanks alot man. I'll def look into some of these things. These lifts look really fucking intense and i'm looking forward to potentially adding them to my routine when i change it up in the comin weeks, thanks again for all your help bro. I really appreciate it man. Hopfully i'll find a routine that really appeals right now i'm looking at 3 sets of 10 on everythng besides bench i'll do a weekk of 6-6-6 and then 8-8-8 10-10-10. Once again brother thanks alot

Little Houghton
01-27-09, 8:46 pm
Thanks alot man. I'll def look into some of these things. These lifts look really fucking intense and i'm looking forward to potentially adding them to my routine when i change it up in the comin weeks, thanks again for all your help bro. I really appreciate it man. Hopfully i'll find a routine that really appeals right now i'm looking at 3 sets of 10 on everythng besides bench i'll do a weekk of 6-6-6 and then 8-8-8 10-10-10. Once again brother thanks alot

no problem man, and its definitely intense! but if you want intense results you need intense training! so far i've added 100+ pounds to my squat and deadlift, and 25 to my bench, which when your bench sucks as hard as mine thats exciting lol, ive also gained 10 pounds and look way bigger, keep in mind this is since october, and i had been stuck where i was for about 6 months, ive also fixed the pinched nerve in my back and got to witness some of the craziest lifts ever haha. at this point i just sound like a westside fanboy though, but i definitely recommend you try it if theres even a little bit of interest, and another thing is read and watch everything you can. www.elitefts.com has tons of great articles, and find people with good form on youtube and watch away, particularly matt kroc.

farmstrength
08-09-09, 12:44 pm
how many sets and reps should i perform for major muscles and smaller muscles for mass gaining.

Ady
08-10-09, 11:18 am
i would go for 4 sets 8-12 reps for all. But people advocate that calfs, biceps and abs need to be worked differently with higher rep ranges 12-15. But that is just opinion. I use 4 sets 8-12 reps for everything unless i platau then i drop it down to 5 sets of 4-6 for a few weeks.

Fury317
08-10-09, 11:39 am
For building mass, you have to consistently increase your strength. To do this I would say shoot for the 6-8 rep range on heavy days, and 8-12 reps on lighter (hypertrophy) days. I usually stick with 3-4 sets per exercise, but that changes depending on how I feel on that particular day. There is no set guideline- you have to experiment and find what works best for you. Right now Im changing things up and working up to just one heavy set on each of my exercises. If that doesnt help me build some thickness, Ill change it. Stick with Bench press, squats, and deadlifts and youll see your weight and muscle thickness go through the roof. The basics work bro.

ScottishLad
05-25-10, 12:51 pm
Okay so pretty much as the title suggests. Im looking for what peoples opinions are on how many sets, how many reps, % of 1RepMax and rest times for an ideal mass programme.

Here in the UK i've mainly stuck with 4 sets of 6 reps 85% 1rpm. But obviously looking to shake things up and with M Stak & Pump ready and diet in check im looking to see what people have found to work best for them rep range wise etc.

Any opinions/advice would be appreciated

p.s Typical ectomorph so looking for rep/set ranges that will achieve greatest muscle mass increase, not worried about BF increase etc.

Aggression
05-25-10, 1:11 pm
A typical high volume training session for me would be 8-12 reps per set, with about ~15 sets for something like chest/back/quads. Arms/shoulders/hamstrings would be in the ball park of 12. However, I've also toiled with Yate's style of HIT, where its a few warm ups followed by one real set per exercise. I saw results with that style as well. Now I'm running a 5/3/1 more geared towards strength increases. Again, I'm seeing results.

In the end, you have to figure out what you respond to the best. I realized for my biceps that if I kept the reps up at around 10+, I saw better gains then if I stayed lower. Same for quads. Aside from squatting, I stay high rep for legs.

ScottishLad
05-25-10, 1:25 pm
excellent thanks for the reply. I saw good results with the simple 4sets x 6reps but I feel like my body has got used to the heavy loading exercises. So im thinking small drop on weights but aiming for 8-12 rep range like you say.

In the end for mass muscle growth your looking for total muscular failure at the end of the latter sets for that specific muscle yeh?

etank
05-25-10, 1:53 pm
For hypertrophy emphasis aim for 4-6 sets per exercise, 8-12 reps per set, rest about 30-90 seconds between sets, and an intensity of 65-80 % 1RM. That's a good base i feel to start at. As stated above, feel it out for yourself and experiment. Every individual responds a little different to different stimuli. Hope this helps.

Peace

Aggression
05-25-10, 2:19 pm
In the end for mass muscle growth your looking for total muscular failure at the end of the latter sets for that specific muscle yeh?

When I train, I typically take my final set of the big power exercise (say, flat bench press) to failure. For the rest of the workout, I'm just hitting the reps and stopping before failure.

ontheEDGE
05-25-10, 4:08 pm
When I train, I typically take my final set of the big power exercise (say, flat bench press) to failure. For the rest of the workout, I'm just hitting the reps and stopping before failure.

this is a great point I think many new to the game don't know. I was killing myself going to failure every set seeing little results. Soon as I changed to what aggression mentioned my workouts were way better and got more results

ScottishLad
05-25-10, 7:02 pm
When I train, I typically take my final set of the big power exercise (say, flat bench press) to failure. For the rest of the workout, I'm just hitting the reps and stopping before failure.

Interesting point, think I ll def give this a go at some point throughout the next 8 weeks and see what kind of response I get.

Thanks for the replies guys always interesting to get others ppls experiences/perspectives.

AntoineV
05-25-10, 7:08 pm
Okay so pretty much as the title suggests. Im looking for what peoples opinions are on how many sets, how many reps, % of 1RepMax and rest times for an ideal mass programme.

Here in the UK i've mainly stuck with 4 sets of 6 reps 85% 1rpm. But obviously looking to shake things up and with M Stak & Pump ready and diet in check im looking to see what people have found to work best for them rep range wise etc.

Any opinions/advice would be appreciated

p.s Typical ectomorph so looking for rep/set ranges that will achieve greatest muscle mass increase, not worried about BF increase etc.





You should Try HRT! http://www.animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?section=training&id=455

Usually my training volume is between 20 and 30 sets!

Legacy
05-25-10, 7:24 pm
For my routine that has given me the best mass was when I did power movements followed by a feel type workout. For example a typical back day for me would be deadlifts first (usually do about 5 sets using percentages), bb row, db row, and pull-ups. After the deadlifts I usually hit each other exercise with about 3 sets rep range from 7-11. Chest would start with bench, delts with power cleans, tris with CGB.

Starting with a power move or olympic move first got me going and then I was able to push through the rest of the workout pretty good. I really got good results from this routine, got a lot stronger and put on some good mass.

Big Wides
05-25-10, 10:41 pm
To me and my opinion on this topic there is no "set" number of reps that will tell your muscles that its time to grow or "oh shit he only did three sets, let's stay the same size." For each person it is different, you can get mass by doing anything from 0-100 reps for an exercise. Yes in my book 0 counts as a rep since it was a weight that could not be accomplished but you struggled like hell to get it done...something was recruited.

There are a ton of ideas out there as well to get mass, some people go to natural muscle faliure, others will do 4 sets of 8 for like 15-20 sets per bodypart, others impliment strategies like Doggcrap Training, Dropsets, HRT, ect.

The best advice would be try a program with sets and reps for about 3 months to see if it is working. If it works, then stick to it if not, then change something up. One constant though increase the weights with each set, you will not get big by doing the same fucking weight for each set.

ScottishLad
05-26-10, 5:07 am
You should Try HRT! http://www.animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?section=training&id=455

Usually my training volume is between 20 and 30 sets!

Excellent Antoine V, thanks for the link. I have just read up on HRT, looks hardcore. Will definitely be using this for an 8-12 week stretch. Only ever tried negatives on the bench press before and got some very good results.

Fricano
05-31-10, 5:23 pm
What is the best rep and set scheme for hypertrophy? I pick a weight and keep it constant through 3-4 sets for about 8-12 reps. Is there a better method and if so could you point me to any scientific articles backing another method. What is better to work up to say your max 10 rep weight or to use that weight over 3-4 sets?

ontheEDGE
06-01-10, 12:41 am
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa74.htm
Not the best article but check it out. Also mix it up, sometimes keep the same weight, sometimes pyramid, other times do drop sets. It all will help in the end just focus while you train and get your diet right.