^^ That’s awesome, and thanks for responding. I got one question though. Don’t you have trouble staying in the rep range after you hit failure for the first set? Do you just take really long rest breaks or something?
I think 2 sets would actually be the maximum you could do training to failure actually, anything more than that and you would be doing triples and singles.
You are welcome.
Yes, you are right. Most people could not duplicate more than 2 sets at a constant weight if they are in the upper intermediate or advanced class. This is why trainers and bodybuilders like Alwyn Cosgrove, Dorian Yates, Dante Trudel, Skip La Cour, Ian King, and Jason Ferrugia suggest no more than two sets at a constant weight.
I have done and do 1 set for exercises. It depends on what kind of exercise. Squats, deadlifts, and chinups, I can only last 1 set at a limit weight. If I hit 10 reps on chins with some added bodyweight - that’s it!
My limit reps will fall dramatically if I were to do another set. This alone tells me the exercise is DONE for the workout! Then I move on to another exercise. But this is because I am at a point where I have enough muscle and put up some decent numbers. Am I the biggest, baddest BBer on here? No. But I think I am pretty good.
When I was a beginner, I could easily stay at a constant weight over the course of 3 sets and actually not have a huge rep drop off from set to set. It used to look like 10, 8 - 9, 7 - 8; something of that sort.
I do take long rest breaks for big compound exercises, in the range of 2 to 3 minutes for upper body and 3 to 5 for lower body. It depends on how taxing the exercise is too.
I am a fan of quality and limit weight. This is why I don’t do high volume training or take short rest periods. Is this the best way to train? I don’t know. Some guys do better with lower weights, more sets, and and less weight.
They also seem to be the guys who stay the same year after year if they keep that training up for long. However, I have never seen a low volume guy who trains like a demon stay the same year after year.
Again, the aforemention toners and pumpers are the ones who stayed the same and didn’t become what they could have been!
There are trainers - like CT - that encourage varying training up. I am sure there are benefits to that. But I am too fond of my training system to change and am making progress steadily as the months go by.
So, I see no reason to change. On that note -taking part in a routine that you don’t enjoy WILL make progress go down the tubes!
Yeah, hey man actually I’ve been training pretty much the same way as you for the past couple weeks. The first thing that happens is you hit weights that you previously thought you could get for 3 reps for like 6 or 8 reps.
For stuff like rows and chins, I am fond of working up to one or two heavy sets to failure and then doing a burnout set or two. Like I would do 135x12, 150x10, 200x8, 200x6, 150x13 (hitting failure). That way I can get another quality set in without reducing intensity.
See - that’s the thing - quality! You can now hit bigger weights since you increased the quality of the workout!