Searched… didn’t see specifics to my question, so here it is… Sorry if it has been covered eleventybilion times-
I lift early am, have No Explode before the gym. Lift to failure on last rep of every set (unless they are warm ups.)
I also supp. with BCAA, Fish Oil, Sesamin, Multi, and Protein (of Course!) Diet is in good shape and I’m putting on some LMM.
Here’s my ?- My sets are generally 5x5 with failure on the last rep of every set. Lately, I’ve been able to run to failure on the last rep every set, but do sets of 8.
Is this over training, is this my body’s response to the new supps, is this even good for me, should I focus more on bumping up the weight and running failurs on the last two reps?
I’m concerned that by doing more sets, I will be killing my growth.
I’d be more concerned with injury than growth if you are lifting to absolute failure on all your sets. You can’t grow if you can’t lift and you can’t lift if you get a conncective or soft tissue injury.
As for overtraining, it is pretty hard to do and I have never really seen an uninjured person actually acheive a state of overtraining and stymie growth. You certainly can, and most people actually do, lift many more sets than is needed to acheive maximum hypertrophy or strength but that is another topic.
If you are progressing, you likely are not overtraining…but you can become overtrained quickly. With experience you can learn to sense that.
In my experience, a key to avoid overtraining (and more importantly, maintain progress) is to vary your set/rep/time schemes. Your post suggests you just do 5x5, with some extra reps thrown in when you can do it.
Also, what do you mean by failure? Technical failure or absolute failure. They cause different physiologic responses, and contribute differently to “overtraining.”
I hear you about injury. I am very aware of what my body is doing and saying to me as I lift… I don’t try to Top Gun it for the KK’s (Krispy Kreamers, or overweight housewives) in the balcony.
I want to pack on the mass without doing damage. So far, I feel that I am doing good and making gains. I didn’t want to adopt a strategy of lifting with gains in mind, if this was going to set me back.
Thanks for the response!!!
As for Failure- I mean when I can’t lift the weight past say 10% of the rep. When you either have to bump yourself, or wiggle to make the rep final. The quiver of your arm/leg/etc. on that rep… that’s how I define failure. Always shooting for that feeling on the last rep of all sets.
Yes, I aim for 5x5- more often than not I get more reps than that in. I vary my reps according to how my body responds. One set might get me eight, the next might be five, next ten, etc. If I go above ten at any point, the weight goes up…
and Thank you for the response~!
For one thing, you can’t go to failure on the last two reps.
For another thing, if you’re doing 5x5, then do 5x5. Don’t do 5x5-10. A good way of progressing is to do all 5 sets with the same weight. 5 reps (and no more) per set. If you get them all, increase the weight next time. If you get fewer than 20 total reps, decrease it. Otherwise, keep it the same next time and strive for at least one more rep.
Don’t seek failure. Seek success. If you make all your reps on the last set of 5, rack the bar (don’t keep repping out) and increase the weight next week.
You’ll get stronger in a hurry by training this way as a beginner, if you’re eating enough. Don’t worry about overtraining. If you’re getting weaker, then worry about it. But if your lifts are increasing fairly regularly, you’re doing fine.
^ good to know! Since I’m fairly new to lifting for mass, I figured more is better- not so. 5x5 with the same weight it is! Failure is not needed on the sets then to be effective?
Like so many newbs I just want my results no matter what the cost… ok not like so many… but there are a few.
Thanks for the reply!!!
[quote]advanracing62 wrote:
^ good to know! Since I’m fairly new to lifting for mass, I figured more is better- not so. 5x5 with the same weight it is! Failure is not needed on the sets then to be effective? [/quote]
It’s ok once in awhile to stress your muscles and central nervous system with that much work to failure, but not all the time. Read up on some of the authors on this site (left column of page).
Most of them advise to switch up the load weekly, or even within the week. Some workouts heavy and taxing, some pretty easy, the rest in between. Best to get into a groove now of switching up the intensity, because if you don’t you’ll eventually plateau and be wondering why you aren’t going anywhere?