In my program, my heavy work set is supposed to be 6-8 reps. If I can do 8 reps with good technique at a certain weight, then I am supposed to increase weight next time. This is for my heaviest work set. For leg curls, we have a machine that increases in 20lb increments. I can do 8-10 reps at 130. So I increased to 150. When doing that, I got 3 solid reps, maybe 4, and failed number 5. I then jumped back down to 130 really quick and got 4-5 more reps in. My question is:
If I can do more than the top of my range with one weight but I can’t do the bottom of my target range with the next weight increment, should I:
Stick with the heavy weight and keep trying until I increase through the top of my range
Go back to 130 and try to get to 10-12 reps and then try again at 150.
Do a hybrid and get as many as I can at 150 and jump down to 130 and go to failure
Another approach I don’t know about that you know about
Is there no way to stick some smaller plate on/in the machine?
I like small increases on cables, so i just hang a small plate on the pin. I have seen people put dumbbells on weight stacks in other machines etc. Just use your imagination.
I really like a rep goal method in these situations. This means you only ever move up when you’re really ready to move up.
Take each set as far as you can, only increase the weight when you hit a certain rep goal. Say 40 in 3 sets.
So you could do something like:
15
13
12
Total reps = 40, so up the weight.
You might then get
9
8
8
Total reps = 25, keep adding reps every week until you get to 40, then increase the weight again. Doesn’t matter how you get there.
It’s rarely a good path with compounds but can work surprisingly well with isolation movements. If the weight still feels too heavy, up the rep goal with the original weight, try again when you reach it.
You could (depending on the machine used) go with 150lbs and use smallish wrist or ankle weights (or something that works effectively like such a tool) wrapped around your ankles to make curling 150 a fair bit easier.
@hankthetank89@GorillaMon I have never thought of that. I’m very much an inside the box thinker so this would have never dawned on me. Thanks.
@Andrewgen_Receptors@cdep89 These might be some good approaches, no doubt. However, since this is my very first program, I’m trying to stick to it in a strict manner so I can really gauge the effectiveness of the program as is (unless there is injury or pain). I am not really comfortable in my ability to mod my program effectively at this point. However, I’m not opposed to these ideas if I can’t use smaller increments via what was suggested with adding smaller weights to the machine, but I think adding weights is manageable. Plus, after re-reading my program description, there are recommendations to use heavier washers, clips, etc. to increase the weight even a little bit at a time for progressing so I think that could apply here too with adding free weights.
You chose your exercise example leg curls. It is the only exercise that I believe must be done with heavy weight and relatively low reps. IMO, the hamstrings have the greatest percentage of fast twitch muscle fiber. They are the sprinter’s leg muscles. They don’t respond well to higher reps.
I would think you would better results doing 4 reps than 12 reps. I target the heavy sets for 5 to 6 reps, and rarely do any sets more than 8 reps.
What do you mean by “respond well”? Are you saying it is prone to injury or fatigue or that it won’t build as fast under a high rep set? Also, would this be different for the parts of the hamstring that are involved with hip flexion and knee flexion versus the parts involved solely in knee flexion?
Most of my thoughts on working hamstrings is rather short on science, but more bro-science. I only apply my low rep philosophy for leg curls, which is an isolation exercise. (Injury did not factor in the rep range.)
Other leg exercises involve hamstrings, but I never applied lower reps them, though you must consider that most of my leg exercise reps were 10 reps.
It means one does not achieve the desired results for the legs from weight lifting.
I apply the stress of squeezing your hand while shaking, you respond with a tighter grip.
To respond…to do something because of a motivating factor based on logical reasoning. Throw a brick at my head, I duck.