Every human body is different, which means we all react differently to particular training systems.
But we can all learn from each other’s experiences.
What are your favorite set-rep schemes for hypertrophy (muscle growth)?
Personally, I love:
a) 5 sets of 8
b) 10 sets of 6
The best results for
a) two (small bodyparts) or three (large bodyparts) exercises with about 120 seconds of rest between sets.
b) one (small bodyparts) or two (large bodyparts) exercises with about 90 seconds of rest between sets.
I have not made any good experiences with supersets. For some bizarre reason I always seem to tire out quicker than when performing straight sets.
[quote]Bull-chacha wrote:
Every human body is different, which means we all react differently to particular training systems.
But we can all learn from each other’s experiences.
What are your favorite set-rep schemes for hypertrophy (muscle growth)?
Personally, I love:
a) 5 sets of 8
b) 10 sets of 6
The best results for
a) two (small bodyparts) or three (large bodyparts) exercises with about 120 seconds of rest between sets.
b) one (small bodyparts) or two (large bodyparts) exercises with about 90 seconds of rest between sets.
I have not made any good experiences with supersets. For some bizarre reason I always seem to tire out quicker than when performing straight sets.[/quote]
Do you use those two set/rep schemes on a split or what?
In other words, how often do you train a muscle group with that kind of volume (frequency etc)?
For five sets of eight, I got the best result working out four to six times a week with a three-day split:
chest and back
shoulders and arms
legs, calves and abs
For option b), I have not experimented enough with it to comment on it in this very context.
On day 1, I do usually five exercises (it varies, sometimes I add flyes or shrugs):
barbell benchpress
dumbbell incline benchpress
pullups
barbell rows
deadlift
day 2 consists of four exercises plus supplementary rotator cuff work:
shoulder press
side lateral raises
weighted dips
barbell curls
day 5 consists of four exercises:
squats
leg curls (up to 20 reps, though)
leg extensions (up to 20 reps, though)
calf raise (up to 30 reps, though)
Crunches (up to 25 reps, though)
By the way, the same weight on all sets (except for the 1 to 3 warm-up sets per exercise of course)
between legs and chest/back, there should always be at least one rest day because it’s not the best way doing deadlifts after squats.
I’ve become a big fan of incorporating the Max Effort Method. Let’s say my movement is Incline Barbell Bench Presses with a Thick Bar, working up to a PR 1 Rep Max of 255 for a single. Then I drop the weight down and before I move onto my next movement, I completel 5-7 total reps with at least 90% of my 1 RM for that movement. I find this makes me stronger on my assistance movements that are in the more traditional set/rep ranges of 3-4 sets for 6-10 reps.
ive always had great success dong a 4 day a week (2 UB/ 2 LB) consisting of a heavy lifting day for the UB and the LB and a volume, more repetition day for the UB and LB.
I just do whatever enables me to add weight to the bar for months on end. That’s usually 1-3 sets and 5-8 reps, training each muscle group every 7 days. I’ve gained nearly 40lb in 18 months from this.