Stupid rookie question
As far as building strength, mass, and looking good. what type of rep and set range should i be working within. As Chris was kind enough to re vamp my work out most exercises are done with in max rep per set is 12 and minimum reps per set is 4…
Cheers fellas
Maybe you just don’t understand how to read the program he laid out.
B) Back squat 10-8-6-6-4
This means, do one set with 10 reps. Do another with 8. Do another with 6. Another with 6, and the last set with 4.
I’m not certain, but it MAY also mean add weight between each set. Usually that’s what it would mean, but in this case, I’m not certain.
C1) Stiff Leg dead lifts 10-10-10
C2) Leg extensions 10-10-10
This means… do one set of SLDLs for 10 reps, immediately followed by one set of leg extensions for 10 reps… repeat for 3 times total.
The (1,2) is super set/giant set notation. You’d do everything with the same letter… A1, A2, A3 all in one big set.
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
As far as building strength, mass, and looking good. what type of rep and set range should i be working within.[/quote]
For size and strength, reps anywhere from 2 to 15, sometimes more, sometimes less. The sets will depend on the reps you’re using, because total volume has a very big influence over size gains.
However, at your current level, you don’t need to spend too much time at either extreme (very high rep or very low rep).
The tweaks I made in that thread was were based on improving what needed the most attention, and I kept the same general format you already had in place. I do generally prefer to use a rep range for each set. So, ideally, I would’ve written something like “Back squat 10-8-6-6-4” as “Back squat 2x8-10, 3x4-6” or along those lines.
When I write a program and recommend a rep range, I literally mean for all work sets to be within that range. So if I write 4x4-6, I’m expecting you to sort of “autoregulate” and use whatever weight you can handle for at least 4 good reps and no more than 6. Preferably without hitting muscular failure or grinding/barely getting any of those reps. The last set of an exercise is usually the only exception, where I can see it being fine to grind the last rep and end that lift on a high note, though I’d still avoid hitting failure or failing mid-rep.
Every rep should have solid form and feel solid. That’s probably, but not necessarily, going to mean you’ll adjust the weight used each set based on how you just performed and how you’re feeling.
As an example, here’s how I’ve been working my dumbbell shoulder press. My plan calls for 4x2-4.
3 Sessions Ago
60x4 -Every rep felt smooth, I could’ve squeezed out one more good rep before form got ugly, so I bumped up the weight.
65x3 - Felt good and solid. Stayed in the target rep range, so kept the weight.
65x2 - Glad I got at least two and hit my “minimum”, but it shouldn’t have been this hard. I made sure to rest a little bit longer, then attacked it again.
65x3 - Suck it, 65’ers.
2 Sessions Ago
65x3 - Based on the last workout’s last set, I should be good for 3, but a 4th would be gravy.
65x3 - Felt fine, still in target range. Continue.
65x3 - Same as last set. Felt good, carry on.
65x2 +1 push press - First rep felt good, second hit me hard for some reason. I got dumb and greedy and intentionally “cheated” an extra rep with leg drive.
Hope that helped a little without adding confusion.
Okay great, now my pals at school are so convinced that they will grow bigger AND stronger then me with this rep scheme 10,12,15,20
or drop sets like 15,10,15,10
i my self enjoy lifting with the peramiters you layer out for me. with that plus running, sprinting and plyos i should be well on my way to building lean muscle…
what are your thoughts on my pals rep scheme?
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
As far as building strength, mass, and looking good. what type of rep and set range should i be working within.[/quote]
For size and strength, reps anywhere from 2 to 15, sometimes more, sometimes less. The sets will depend on the reps you’re using, because total volume has a very big influence over size gains.
However, at your current level, you don’t need to spend too much time at either extreme (very high rep or very low rep).
The tweaks I made in that thread was were based on improving what needed the most attention, and I kept the same general format you already had in place. I do generally prefer to use a rep range for each set. So, ideally, I would’ve written something like “Back squat 10-8-6-6-4” as “Back squat 2x8-10, 3x4-6” or along those lines.
When I write a program and recommend a rep range, I literally mean for all work sets to be within that range. So if I write 4x4-6, I’m expecting you to sort of “autoregulate” and use whatever weight you can handle for at least 4 good reps and no more than 6. Preferably without hitting muscular failure or grinding/barely getting any of those reps. The last set of an exercise is usually the only exception, where I can see it being fine to grind the last rep and end that lift on a high note, though I’d still avoid hitting failure or failing mid-rep.
Every rep should have solid form and feel solid. That’s probably, but not necessarily, going to mean you’ll adjust the weight used each set based on how you just performed and how you’re feeling.
As an example, here’s how I’ve been working my dumbbell shoulder press. My plan calls for 4x2-4.
3 Sessions Ago
60x4 -Every rep felt smooth, I could’ve squeezed out one more good rep before form got ugly, so I bumped up the weight.
65x3 - Felt good and solid. Stayed in the target rep range, so kept the weight.
65x2 - Glad I got at least two and hit my “minimum”, but it shouldn’t have been this hard. I made sure to rest a little bit longer, then attacked it again.
65x3 - Suck it, 65’ers.
2 Sessions Ago
65x3 - Based on the last workout’s last set, I should be good for 3, but a 4th would be gravy.
65x3 - Felt fine, still in target range. Continue.
65x3 - Same as last set. Felt good, carry on.
65x2 +1 push press - First rep felt good, second hit me hard for some reason. I got dumb and greedy and intentionally “cheated” an extra rep with leg drive.
Hope that helped a little without adding confusion.[/quote]
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
Okay great, now my pals at school are so convinced that they will grow bigger AND stronger then me with this rep scheme 10,12,15,20
or drop sets like 15,10,15,10
i my self enjoy lifting with the peramiters you layer out for me. with that plus running, sprinting and plyos i should be well on my way to building lean muscle…
what are your thoughts on my pals rep scheme?
[/quote]
Well, I’m not Chris, but I’ll weigh in on this:
For the first set/rep scheme, it’s fine for a finisher exercise that I’m using solely to get a pump (this is under the assumption that there’s a drop in weight after each set). Not really a fan of that kind of approach for one of my bread-and-butter exercises (e.g. squats) though. You will most likely see better results from CC’s program or just about any beginner program.
I like dropsets and other intensity boosting techniques but ONLY when used sparingly. They’re really good for getting a pump, so that’s when I’ll use them. If I do dropsets, I will only use 1 dropset (the last set) and only on the last exercise of the day for that body part (generally an isolation exercise that you cannot get hurt if form breaks down because form WILL break down). I think a lot of people overuse dropsets and forced negatives and those kinds of things. Coincidentally, they also seem to be the same people who don’t see much progress.
Where you’re at, I wouldn’t worry about it too much yet. Just pick a decent beginner program, eat like a horse, sleep lots, and most of all have faith in the process, and you’ll do great.
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
Okay great, now my pals at school are so convinced that they will grow bigger AND stronger then me with this rep scheme 10,12,15,20
or drop sets like 15,10,15,10
i my self enjoy lifting with the peramiters you layer out for me. with that plus running, sprinting and plyos i should be well on my way to building lean muscle…
what are your thoughts on my pals rep scheme?
[/quote]
It’s possible that they may grow bigger AND stronger then you.
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
i my self enjoy lifting with the peramiters you layer out for me. with that plus running, sprinting and plyos i should be well on my way to building lean muscle… [/quote]
You didn’t mention one very, very big part of the equation that will absolutely decide how much or how little muscle you gain.
Training plus what equals muscle?
I think that just seeing a few reps written down, entirely out of context (sets, exercises, days, etc), tells me nothing about how effective a program may or may not be.
[quote]dt79 wrote:
It’s possible that they may grow bigger AND stronger then you.[/quote]
^ This.
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
i my self enjoy lifting with the peramiters you layer out for me. with that plus running, sprinting and plyos i should be well on my way to building lean muscle… [/quote]
You didn’t mention one very, very big part of the equation that will absolutely decide how much or how little muscle you gain.
Diet?
Training plus what equals muscle?
I think that just seeing a few reps written down, entirely out of context (sets, exercises, days, etc), tells me nothing about how effective a program may or may not be.
[quote]dt79 wrote:
It’s possible that they may grow bigger AND stronger then you.[/quote]
^ This.[/quote]
OP, the thing is, you have FRIENDS who workout too. Why not train with them instead of doing stuff on your own and writing their training methods off as if you are somehow going to outdo them with a different rep scheme?
You are a beginner. You can grow off any workout as long as you progress in strength and bodyweight. Even if one program is more well written than another, nothing is more important than the INTENSITY you bring forth in the gym. This is the benefit of having friends with common goals to work out with so you can push and motivate one another.
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
[quote]jake_richardson wrote:
i my self enjoy lifting with the peramiters you layer out for me. with that plus running, sprinting and plyos i should be well on my way to building lean muscle… [/quote]
You didn’t mention one very, very big part of the equation that will absolutely decide how much or how little muscle you gain.
Training plus what equals muscle?[/quote]
Diet?[/quote]
Yessir.
Even though it can be a boring pain in the ass, or it might seem too easy (“Eh, I’ll just eat a bunch, that’ll do.”), nutrition deserves at least as much attention as the training plan.
If there’s one place where guys screw up, either skinny guys trying to gain muscle or fat guys trying to get cut, it’s underappreciating the role of nutrition.