How many sets do you for each muscles ? Say bye to Overtraining

[Markusrulezzz]

Okay this is what I do and it's the best to not overtrain for me

Chest 9 - 12max
Back 9 - 12max
Thighs 6
Hams 4
Traps 3
Biceps 6
Triceps 6
Deltoids 6

I used to do 8 for delts but I thought I could overtrain them

 

[schwellington]

for my body i find all that to work great for me except a couple things

quads grow best at 6 sets(my legs r my genetic strong point)
tri's are huge at 12 sets
delts(front) i do 6 and rear 6

but basically same here

 

[Markusrulezzz]

I was actually wrong, I do 6 for quads too.. 3 sets of squats and 3 sets of the machines

But looks like you are overtraining your triceps, have you tried 6 sets for a couple weeks ? maybe you will see better results

 

[schwellington]

maybe i will i dunno, my triceps are way bigger than my bi's so i dont see how i could be, but then again they are a bigger muscle group, i will kick it back a notch and see, cant hurt to try it out

 

[R1balla]

12.

 

[ZiR RED]

Before you guys go any further, we need to distinguish between systemic over training and local over working.

Over training is a systemic issue - it effects the whole body - while over working is a local issue - it effects that muscle group.

Over training is an altercation of the bodily processes, especially neurohormonal regulation and the immune system. It is marked by symptoms of (in the resistance/anaerobic athlete):
anxiety, depression, insomnia
loss of apetite
loss of strength, speed, power
loss of desire to train
fatigue, weakness, and aches
increased resting heart rate and metabolic rate

The likelyhood of reaching this state from doing sets of bicep curls and tricep extensions is nearly null.

Over working, such as doing too much work for the triceps or calves, is what we are talking about in this thread. Over working is either excess volume or not enough recovery time, and leads to a reduction or standstill in gains in one area. And it is probably marked by weakness or aches localized to that body part, and especially increases the risk of injuries due to over use.

The true state of over training will require anywhere from 1-4 weeks of complete rest to recover from. Its a nasty physiological state.

Br

 

[Matthersby]

I apologize for jumpin in to this thread but my recent overtraining thread got almost no responses. I have an issue that doesnt exactly fit into Zir Red's always very thorough and informative posts. Heres the scenario: I personally have used twice the amount of sets that have been discussed in this thread for about 2 years, however I have a 6 day split so I dont see that specific muscle group for a while. I have increased in strength but because of my work schedule and my longer workouts I cannot physically eat enough to gain weight, and trust me the diet part is on point. I am starting to second-guess my routine, its exhausting and I am starting to think unnecesary. I dont have ridiculous aches but I have noticed lethargy and DOMS up to 4 days later. My main concern is weight gain and size, but does anyone think dropping down to just 3 sets for traps or 6 for biceps is too low? Unless I do 1 warm up(doesnt count) I can only do 2 ex. for bis, unless I do just 2 sets per ex. Doesnt seem like enough to my warped, overtrained mind.. Ive already dropped my sets down a bit but not quite this low yet. Anybody with some years think this will help my halted weight gain?????

 

[RickRock13]

I don't think there is a magic number of sets to stick to, because it depends on so many factors. Intensity, volume, form, speed, etc. All can change the amount of sets that will give a good workout to the targeted muscle.

I generally on average will do 6-9 sets for small muscle groups like bis and Tris, and do 12-15 sets for larger muscle groups like chest, back, and legs. All that can change depending on how heavy I am going, how many reps i am doing, or doing super sets or drop sets

 

[ZiR RED]

Matthersby:

Resistance training 6 days a week is a large load on the CNS, especially if you are training higher volume with failure sets.

It's likely that you are very close to the state of over training (termed over reaching).

I would suggest taking a week (or two) to unload. 3 days of training, 2-3 sets per exercise, 2 exercises for major muscle groups, 1 for minor groups, 10 reps. Use a relative intensity of about 60% (ie: if you can bench press 100 lbs for a 10 rep max, then use 60 lbs).
This will allow you to recover while still maintaining movement patterns (ie: muscle memory).

When you get back, I highly suggest cutting down on the volume. Lifting weights is the stimulus, but recovery is when your muscles actually hypertrophy.

Now, in order to stimulate hypertrophy, the stimulus (training sessions) must over load the muscles. Too much overload and you will not gain. Too little, and there will be no stimulus present. This is why progressive overload is so important in resistance training. Over the course of a period of time (i suggest 6-10 week blocks between unloading weeks) the resistance, sets, or intensity must slowly increase. The rest, however, is outside of the gym.

I suggest an upper/lower body split, training each twice a week.
If you have a lagging body part on the upper body...say deltoids for example train them on your lower body day.
Keep in mind, focus on compound movements. Your biceps are going to get a substantial amount of work with big pulling movements (rows, chins, etc.) that you may not need more than a few sets to overload them. Any more is just wasting energy.

Br

 

[bigshoulders]

I usually do about 5-7 sets per bodypart per week.

Apparently that is pretty low volume, but it feels plenty to me (intensity) and I've made consistent gains over the years.

For about two years up until this year, I was only doing 4-5 sets per bodypart, but now I'm trying to push it up a bit!

 

[R1balla]

i have to do 12 or more do see any results or even get sore

visit some articles on the home page of www.collegeswole.com

 

[Torobestia]

Yeah, I'm not going to lie but 6 sets for triceps seems utterly minimalist to me. I mean, I don't know exactly how your set goes, and maybe you're doing some rest-pause thing and counting it all as one or two sets. But even on a bench day I'd do about 9-12 sets for tris. Also remember that triceps are directly worked with any barbell bench work, though they're less emphasized (not eliminated) the wider your grip is.

 

[Resolve]

I do 40-50 sets per bodypart a week. Overtraining? Pfft.

 

[GeekPoop]

I do 40-50 sets per bodypart a week. Overtraining? Pfft.

jus under eating yeahhh!

 

[Markusrulezzz]

i have to do 12 or more do see any results or even get sore

visit some articles on the home page of www.collegeswole.com

sore doesn't mean crap tho

 

[Rodja]

sore doesn't mean crap tho

Not 100% true. It is an indicator, but does not necessarily equate to hypertrophy.

You know, for someone with as much anabolic and peptide curiosity as you have, you sure do ask a lot of questions about basic things.

 

[Markusrulezzz]

Not 100% true. It is an indicator, but does not necessarily equate to hypertrophy.

You know, for someone with as much anabolic and peptide curiosity as you have, you sure do ask a lot of questions about basic things.

Well I say it because I have huge legs and they don't even get sore :0 ! 28inches

bodyfat around 10 11, I see 3 abs

 

[Rodja]

Well I say it because I have huge legs and they don't even get sore :0 ! 28inches

bodyfat around 10 11, I see 3 abs

There is not an even muscle fiber type distribution in each person.

 

[Resolve]

Well I say it because I have huge legs and they don't even get sore :0 ! 28inches

bodyfat around 10 11, I see 3 abs

Lol, I'm an inch taller than you and have 29" thighs and they look tiny on me.

 

[R1balla]

Well I say it because I have huge legs and they don't even get sore :0 ! 28inches

bodyfat around 10 11, I see 3 abs

ive tried lower sets and i dont grow nor do i get sore

when i do high volume i grow and i get sore.

 

[R1balla]

Yeah, I'm not going to lie but 6 sets for triceps seems utterly minimalist to me. I mean, I don't know exactly how your set goes, and maybe you're doing some rest-pause thing and counting it all as one or two sets. But even on a bench day I'd do about 9-12 sets for tris. Also remember that triceps are directly worked with any barbell bench work, though they're less emphasized (not eliminated) the wider your grip is.

i do a three week split based on reps
week one reps 3 to 6
week two reps 8 to 12
week three reps 15 to 20

This was my exact workout for today


Monday workout (week 2)

Chest

1. DB Incline - 1 warm up set, 3 working sets sets reps 8 through 12
2. BB Bench - 4 working sets reps 8 through 12
3. Hammer Strength Machine Incline Press - 3 working sets 8 through 12
4. Incline Flys - 4 sets reps 8 through 12

I dont care about strength because I do not play sports for college. I go for the bodybuilder look so i hit alot of upper chest DURING MY WEEK 2. My power week, i go mostly flat bench stuff. my high rep week i do a mixture of both. i just LOVE high volume.

I take about two to five minutes off between each set. on my high rep week, i do lots of super sets. this is not the case for my week two as well as my heavy week. this may not work for everybody, but it does for me. off this routine i have made the most growth body composition wise and strength.


Mon - chest
Tues - back
Wed - OFF
Thurs - Legs/Shoulders
Friday - Arms
Weekend - OFF

 

[ambulldog]

i train dc. low vol high int. moderate to high volume kills certain joints

 

[Markusrulezzz]

yeap ^ Intensity > Volume for sure !! If you are not sweating then you are not working out lol

 

[RedneckDB]

I apologize for jumpin in to this thread but my recent overtraining thread got almost no responses. I have an issue that doesnt exactly fit into Zir Red's always very thorough and informative posts. Heres the scenario: I personally have used twice the amount of sets that have been discussed in this thread for about 2 years, however I have a 6 day split so I dont see that specific muscle group for a while. I have increased in strength but because of my work schedule and my longer workouts I cannot physically eat enough to gain weight, and trust me the diet part is on point. I am starting to second-guess my routine, its exhausting and I am starting to think unnecesary. I dont have ridiculous aches but I have noticed lethargy and DOMS up to 4 days later. My main concern is weight gain and size, but does anyone think dropping down to just 3 sets for traps or 6 for biceps is too low? Unless I do 1 warm up(doesnt count) I can only do 2 ex. for bis, unless I do just 2 sets per ex. Doesnt seem like enough to my warped, overtrained mind.. Ive already dropped my sets down a bit but not quite this low yet. Anybody with some years think this will help my halted weight gain?????

3 sets for traps should be fine.
Could get away with 2 heavy sets of 5-6 reps on a barbell smith shrug then 1 heavy set of 20 at the end and if your lifting heavy enough that should be felt for a day or 2!
I haven't done shrugs lately but have worked on my lockout on deadlifts and they seem to be doing fine from that.

 

[ZiR RED]

Here's one of what I think are the greatest mistakes made in the bodybuilding/gym enthusiast world.. the grouping of the entire back musculature into ONE.

The typical bodybuilding split divides the anterior primary movers into two (pecs and delts), and dedicates a crazy amount of work to these two muscles. Yet, the primary movers of the upper back (lats/teres and traps/rhomboids) are grouped into one. Which is a major downfall to bodypart division based splits - lack of pulling.
The results from doing such are disgustingly clear, from many angles (pun intended):
Under development of upper back musculature, especially the middle and lower traps
Protracted shoulders and other postural deviations
Imbalance between anterior/posterior delt development
And of course, increased likelyhood of shoulder injuries: impingement, tendonitis of RC tendons and biceps tendon, RC tears, etc.

Here we can see the trapezius is a very large muscle, and underlying it and with similar functions lies the rhomboids. A major function of the trapezuis is retract and depress the shoulder blades. You can see there is much more to the trapezius than just the upper fibers we work with shrugs.

And here you can see the lats and teres major with the arm raised. The function of these two muscles is to adduct (as in a lat pull down) the shoulder, and (mostly just the lats) to extend the shoulder (as in a close grip pull down or dumbbell row). You can also see (while I'm ranting) that there is no upper or lower head of the lats.

And therefore, its suggested to divide the upper back into two distinctive primary movements: horizontal pulling (scapula retraction - traps and rhomboids) and vertical pulling (shoulder extension/addunction - lats and teres major).

Br

 

[R1balla]

i train dc. low vol high int. moderate to high volume kills certain joints

not when u take osteosport :nana: you may be right, but i have been doing high volume since i started to train about 5 years ago and all of my gym friends do all high volume and we have no problems. now maybe down the road when im older will i have to switch up my routine? sure. but right now my body feels great, i give it plenty of rest and i kick its butt in the gym.

 

[Matthersby]

OK, Here is my new split:
1: Chest/triceps (just 4 working sets for tris)
2: off
3: Lower/mid back and bis(4 working sets for bis)
4: off
5: bis/tris
6: legs
7: traps/delts
8: off

Yesterday I tapered down my total sets. Heres how chest/tri day went:

Incline bench 135/185/205/215 @ 10/10/7/5
Slight incline DB press 55/95/85 @ 12/7/8
Dip machine 180/270/290 @ 15/13/11
Close grip decline bench 155/155 @ 12/11

is this enough to stimulate hypertrophy? Every set after the first is to failure. This is roughly 65% of my typical chest/tri day and I am just as sore and was just as pumped. I think Ive been overdoing it for a few years now and Im hoping these shorter workouts yield more gains and help w my energy levels outside of the gym.

 

[EasyEJL]

I don't think there is a magic number of sets to stick to, because it depends on so many factors. Intensity, volume, form, speed, etc. All can change the amount of sets that will give a good workout to the targeted muscle.

really this is it here, plus adding in "time under tension".

If your 1rm on flat bench press is 275, and you do 20 normal sets of 8 with 135, you aren't going to overtrain, just be bored. Add in specific timing, and static pauses to it though, and that might hit overtraining.