one working set, 2 prior warm ups

[hvactech]

I'm seeing a lot of this lately reading different training methods... do people feel a benefit from one working set for hypertrophy? I'm used to 3 working sets...

 

[kisaj]

I cannot see being able to benefit much from one set. Nor would I want to really because I actually like lifting things.

 

[HIT4ME]

The majority of my training is based on 1-2 working sets per exercise, about 3 exercises/bodypart. I typically warm up with a compound lift for my first set, but after that I don't do a warm up for each exercise.

I've actually had harder workouts when doing just 3 sets than when I do 6 sets per bodypart. Dorian Yates always used to point out that no matter who you are, you hold a little back if you are doing multiple sets. When it becomes THE set, you will put a bit more into it. I think he was 100% right. I've had 3 sets of quad training leave me unable to stand. If you are holding back, however, you won't see much from 1 set.

 

[hvactech]

The majority of my training is based on 1-2 working sets per exercise, about 3 exercises/bodypart. I typically warm up with a compound lift for my first set, but after that I don't do a warm up for each exercise.

I've actually had harder workouts when doing just 3 sets than when I do 6 sets per bodypart. Dorian Yates always used to point out that no matter who you are, you hold a little back if you are doing multiple sets. When it becomes THE set, you will put a bit more into it. I think he was 100% right. I've had 3 sets of quad training leave me unable to stand. If you are holding back, however, you won't see much from 1 set.

What rep range do you use for working sets? Do you a % based off of 1rm?

 

[HIT4ME]

So, my strategy is to use a relatively wide rep range. I go as low as 3 reps per set sometimes and as high as 10 reps sometimes...maybe even 12 on some exercises. I don't focus so much on the % of my 1RM because...I often don't know what that is. My goal is to just keep improving every week. 1 more rep, 5 more pounds, etc. If I'm at 3 reps, I will try to add reps until I'm in the 8-10 range and then bump the weight up a bit. Normally I am in the 5-8 rep range on most exercises.

I'm not saying this is the perfect way to do it, but it works for me...maybe something else would be better, but I've tried adding sets and quite frankly I don't always see better results. Sometimes I feel like I need to do 2 sets per exercise but after a couple weeks of all-out effort on that, I have to drop back again.

A lot of people on here will disagree with me, and some of them know what they're talking about, which leads to interesting discussions.

 

[napalm]

What you're doing will prolly work for the short term. Long term, you're going to need better programming than just adding 5 lbs a week or whatever...

 

[Sean1332]

What rep range do you use for working sets? Do you a % based off of 1rm?

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4677737

 

[LeanEngineer]

Yea like said above Dorian Yates did this. I'd like to give this a try for a month or two. ha

 

[kisaj]

I call BS regardless of what Dorian Yates says and I personally think that it is a ****ty mentality towards what people do in the gym.

 

[HIT4ME]

I call BS regardless of what Dorian Yates says and I personally think that it is a ****ty mentality towards what people do in the gym.

Not really, you can work hard or you can work long, but you can't do both. How long can you sprint at your fastest pace? Not very long, and you will be slower at the end of a 100 yard sprint than you were at the beginning, no matter how hard you try.

 

[kisaj]

Say what? You can actually do both, but that is not the point here. This is the same as saying you only benefit when you are at 100% of your strength and when you are 90,80, etc that those don't matter. So drop sets are worthless, rest pause doesn't matter, interval training is pointless....

BTW- sprinting more than once is going to make you a stronger sprinter. You don't walk off after one pass because you just gave 100% and assume there is no improvement to make from continuing.

I could just see me telling my coaches or instructor- sorry, I am not going to get any stronger by continuing training because I simply already gave 100%. Time to wrap it up.

 

[HIT4ME]

These are good points, but it comes down to the question of what is the actual "trigger" for growth?

I'm not saying drop sets are worthless, or that multiple sets are worthless - what I'm saying is that you can't work as hard on the second set as you did on the first, and if you know that second set is coming ....you will hold back just a little. Maybe you are more hardcore than I am. Most people who see me train walk away shaking their head and think I'm crazy...but most people who get that opportunity aren't hardcore...you may push me to work harder...I just don't know.

What I do know is that when I train legs, for instance, I have done 2 sets/exercise to failure for 3 exercises and I've done the same exercises for 1 set. The idea in both situations is to go "all out"...but for some reason, I always put just a little more into it when it is my only chance on 1 set. It is just human nature.

But keep in mind - I'm not saying 2 sets isn't more or less useful. The white lab coats have lots of studies showing multiple sets is optimal, and even I'm not doing just 1 set per body part, just 1 set per exercise...I'm just saying that you can't work hard AND long. And your example of drop sets is the perfect example to support that statement - if you could do both, why drop the weight? Because you can't work as hard anymore.

 

[kisaj]

Rather than go through pointing what I do not agree with, I'll just leave it that if it works for you, then that is great.

 

[HIT4ME]

Rather than go through pointing what I do not agree with, I'll just leave it that if it works for you, then that is great.

That's too bad, I appreciate your thoughts on it...even if we don't agree 100%.....everyone needs to make adjustments at some point, and having an experienced opinion in something you haven't tried yet is useful.

 

[kisaj]

Oh, I have no problem discussing with you, I just didn't want you to feel like I was attacking.

 

[HIT4ME]

Oh, I have no problem discussing with you, I just didn't want you to feel like I was attacking.

Nah, I know how it is...I'm not attacking either...I think both sides have interesting points and it is better to understand both sides...because like I said, we all have to adjust at some point and if we only understand one way, we limit our response.