I like doing squats and deads but I usually lift 6 reps of 3 sets.
Should I fix that?
Goal = hypertrophy + strength
I ask this because I thought I need to do 8-12 reps for hypertrophy and 4-6 for strength.And in the case of deads,I read that doing heavier but FEWER reps seems to be the norm.
Which is it? Thanks in advance T-nation.
Hi, kazuma! Read some of Chad Waterbury’s articles on building size and strength.
For size & strength, try 8x3 or 10x3. 8x3 and 10x3 for hypertrophy are highly overrated.
http://www.t-nation.com/ALSAuthor.do?p=Chad%20Waterbury&pageNo=1
That’s great advice from TT. However, don’t forget that if you want a mix of strength and hypertrophy, you should work in a variety of rep ranges! 3x10, 5x5, 8x3, etc. can all help you in achieving your goals. If you are constantly switching up your set/rep schemes you help ensure balanced development. This article I wrote a while back should help:
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do;?article=299prog2
Go for 3-4 weeks and then switch it up. Hope this helps!
Stay strong
MR
I think of the wisest things to do in your training, regardless of your “specialty” is to do a wide variety of rep schemes in your program. When I was competing in both OL and PL, I often did sets of 20-30 reps in squats and deadlifts, which was un-heard of back then. Not only does it allow for more consisten gains over the long run, but I think it lessens the chance of injury and mirco-traumas
I’m in week 5 of TBT and decided to throw in deads during the higher rep weeks just to see what would happen. Doing sets of 12 or 18 reps for deads is different to say the least. I’ve never done sets of more than 5 or 6 reps in this exercise, but the change is pretty amazing. I wouldn’t recommend it very often, but my glutes and erectors have been screaming since Monday. Just make sure that you dont loosen up on your form too much in the higher rep ranges.
I have recently switched my reps from 6, to 8. I will definitely start changing number of reps every 3-4 weeks.