Reps and Sets

Sauce

Hello.

Ive been reading here for a while but this is my first time to post.
Can someone tell me why a person would do 2 sets of 15 rather than 3 sets of 10, or 4 sets of 8. I have read a little about this and as far as I understand is that if you can do more than 15 reps the weights are too light for you.

Also what kind of gains would you expect from lower sets with higher reps and vice vesra

Cravez

To be honest even if you can do more than 8 reps i think its too light. After reading books on different reps and sets doing high reps with low sets builds muscular endurance but not strength or size. One book i read (cant remember the name but it was endorsed by arnie) showed this table:

1) 80-100% rpm 1-3 reps X 5 sets = strength gains

2) 50-70% rpm 4-8 reps X 4 sets = A combination of both strength and size gains

3) 40-60% rpm 10-15 reps X 3 sets = Size gains

4) 30% rpm 15 or over reps X 2 sets = Muscular Endurance

5) 30-100% rpm with any reps or sets with explosive speed = power gains

But i agree that doing 15 reps is way too light, i would do both number 1 and 2 for my training, i would find the rest useless except number 5 which would what i would imagine to be Olympic Lifting.

Sauce

Thanks Michael

Just one other thing. Should you be maxed out on your last rep of each set or just on the last rep of the last set?

I find when i'm doing 3 sets of 10 that I do be maxed out on the last rep of the last set but not on the last rep of the first 2 sets

Also, What does 'rpm' stand for?

Cravez

Sauce wrote:

Just one other thing. Should You be maxed out on your last rep of each set or just on the last rep of the last set.

I find when i'm doing 3 sets of 10 that I do be maxed out on the last rep of the last set but not on the last rep of the first 2 sets

Yeah you should be maxed out on the last rep of the last set you shouldnt even be able to reach 10 reps, or just perform the last set with as many reps as possible till failure.

Also, What does 'rpm' stand for?

Rpm essentially means "One rep max" so just say if your 100% rpm lift on a deadlift is 100kg, then 50% of your rpm would be 50kg

For example using the above as a deadlift exercise: 80% rpm 3 reps X 5 sets = 80kg deadlift

Sauce

Thanks, that has cleared up alot

Cravez

No problem, oh and by the way....Welcome to the Forum

We have another forum at http://teamtest.freeforumsite.com/ that some of the boardsters here set up which would be very helpful on anything to do with bodybuilding, powerlifting, olympic lifting, practical lifting and also advice on cutting and bulking etc. Head on over if you want more info

Sauce

Michael Cravez wrote:

No problem, oh and by the way....Welcome to the Forum

We have another forum at http://teamtest.freeforumsite.com/ that some of the boardsters here set up which would be very helpful on anything to do with bodybuilding, powerlifting, olympic lifting, practical lifting and also advice on cutting and bulking etc. Head on over if you want more info

Cool, i'll check it out

Hermione*

Thanks for that link, Michael! I love your sigline: If you stand still too long we'll lift you too ... brilliant!

Mr E

Michael... some great stuff posted on this thread. I've added it to the tips thread at the top of this forum, and credited it to you.