Working out with long periods between sets.

rubadub

Most recommend getting an entire workout done in around 1 hour. Supposed to help with hormones etc.
But if I workout like that I cannot do as many reps since I am tired. So would be extra reps offset the negative side of working out in one session?

e.g. doing bench presses, I can do 12 reps first, but by my 3rd set with 2-3min rests I am down to about 9-10 reps. If I leave 30mins between sets I can do 12 reps each time. Also I usually start out with benching and then military presses, if I start on military presses I can do 10 reps and then fewer bench reps. And vice versa, if I bench first I can only manage about 8-9 military press reps.

I have only noticed this when working out on saturdays, I sit around watching TV and during ad breaks I run off and get a set in of something. TBH I am usually a little hung over and not in the mood for a 80min workout all in one go (and no I will not simply give up the booze). And when I talk about dropping reps that is on normal weekdays, not hungover.

amazingemmet

For your rep range those 2-3min rests aren't the best at most i'd be looking at 1min max for hypertrophy rest range and using 2+ mins for low rep work.

To me seems like you need to work on your endurance. How many consecutive push ups can you do?

Also the drop off from military pressing then benching or vice versa is due to your triceps fatiguing

Reyman

Interesting point - there's not a lot of information around about benching every 30 mins or so instead of the usual 1-5 mins rest periods.
As a rule 1 min rest favours hypertrophy. 3-5 mins rest favours strength.

I'm only guessing, but long rest periods could be very good for building strength!

rubadub

amazingemmet wrote:

For your rep range those 2-3min rests aren't the best at most i'd be looking at 1min max for hypertrophy rest range and

I am still pretty tired after 1min no matter what day I do it on. That is what I am getting at, last night I upped the bench weight, now 62kg, I could do 9, 8 and then barely 8 again. Now if I waited 20mins between each I would probably be 9reps each time, 1 min it would be probably 9,7,6.
Hypertrophy is my main goal so is the shorter rest time better than the extra reps.

amazingemmet wrote:

How many consecutive push ups can you do?

Up to about 38 now. I started doing more about a week ago, recommended by Boru I think. I am starting to do them on my off days now, about 200 a day.

amazingemmet wrote:

Also the drop off from military pressing then benching or vice versa is due to your triceps fatiguing

Yeah I figured something like that. No matter what exercise I do if I have a good rest I can usually squeeze out a few more reps.

I cycle about 10 miles per day at a fairly fast pace. I have also got back into doing squats, relatively low weights at high reps. I did one set of 20 last week going lower than ever before and my legs were sore 4 days after! did 2 sets of 20 last night, legs were sore after but fine now.

Transform

Lay out your whole program

rubadub

Lay out your whole program

Well my main goal is to loose fat an maintain a lower level of fat. I do not really care about strength or size, but aim for hypertrophy since the muscle mass will increase my metabolism, and like the look of it.
I am 5' 11' 78kg and about 14% BF. Still have a belly.

Cycle 9miles per day weekdays, probably 30miles over the whole weekend. Weight train 2 or 3 times a week, at least 5 times per fortnight.

Squats 2 sets 20 reps (only restarted doing these recently but will continue)
Flat bench press 3sets 8-12reps
Military press 3 sets 8-10reps (I usually squat a little on the last 2 and thrust the bar up for a slow negative.)
Pull ups 3 sets 10 reps
Chin ups 1 set 10 reps (I usually do a knee raise to my chest at the same time)
Bicep curl 1 set 6 reps
Upright row 1 set 8 reps
Bent over row 1 set 8 reps
"heavy grippers" 1 set 10 reps (only about once a week now)
Standing tricep extension 2 sets 10-12 reps

I am now doing about 200 pushups on my off days too. No deadlifts since I do not like them and am too lazy about adding weight to the bar. I can deadlift about 110kg for a few reps, my bar for benching is now about 62kg, would there be benefit in doing high reps with that low a weight, or would my squats be enough?

Eating about average 2500kcal per day, less on off days more on training days. Mostly an ok diet, but drink about 5-7 pints on both friday & saturday.

rubadub

Well I tried the 1 minute rest. Benching I started on 9 reps, then 6 then only 4. What is the average persons reduction in reps? mine seems a lot.

Leon11

could just be that your lifting to high a % of your 1rm, just a guess

I_and_I

rubadub wrote:

Well my main goal is to loose fat an maintain a lower level of fat.

I would say that shorter resting periods would be better, though without cardio you really aren't going to lose fat just lifting weights. Why not up the amount of cycling you do?

brianthebard

Do you feel as if your muscles have been worked to failure on the first set? If so then you may be using too heavy a weight. Also would you say it is your chest or your triceps that are stopping you in the benchpress? That could be another sign that you are using weights that are too heavy to complete your sets.

rubadub

I_and_I wrote:

though without cardio you really aren't going to lose fat just lifting weights. Why not up the amount of cycling you do?

I get in at least 45mins of cardio per day. I did lose a lot of fat while lifting weights where I had plateaued in weight loss from the cycling. Problem is when I started cycling I was carrying around 20kg extra! so the same trip 2 years ago was burning more calories. I will start more cardio now that the nights will be getting brighter and warmer.

rubadub

brianthebard wrote:

Do you feel as if your muscles have been worked to failure on the first set?

Pretty much, I workout on my own so never go to total failure on the bench but do struggle with the last rep, sometimes have to just get it to the bar rest height.

brianthebard wrote:

Also would you say it is your chest or your triceps that are stopping you in the benchpress? That could be another sign that you are using weights that are too heavy to complete your sets.

Probably the tricep a little more, but fairly equal. I had upped my weight and got 9,6,4. Then last night I was able to do 10 reps, 1 workout later, it usually takes me about 3 workouts to get in an extra rep on my first set so short breaks was working well. My usual progress is and increase in reps in my subsequent sets, usually 1 rep increase per workout on one particular set.

rubadub

rubadub wrote:

I had upped my weight and got 9,6,4. Then last night I was able to do 10 reps,

I was doing this again with 1 min breaks between sets and got 10,7,5. So I am now thinking I should lower the weight so I am getting say 12,10,8- thereby having each set in the hypertrophy range with breaks suited to hypertrophy too.

But what about breaks in between exercises? have these got to be 1min too? if I do that I am down again, I was taking breaks of maybe 5mins between exercises and could get similar results, a good first set, and drop offs in subsequent ones due to the short rest time.

BTW I also found a place I can do dips, on my stairs holding onto the landing in the corner, also a good spot for finger pull ups, would handle all the weight you can throw at it if you are worried about a weak chinning bar.

davyjose

Now and again, if i've been working an area, for instance legs, I'll come back to it after about half an hour and finish it off - just really hurt it, like. Maybe on the leg press machine. I don't know if it does much good, but I always notice a little bit more strength in them the following week, and they are absolutely torn up the next day.

Dragan

I_and_I wrote:

though without cardio you really aren't going to lose fat just lifting weights. Why not up the amount of cycling you do?

Actually, last year i lost 60 pounds and the closest i got to a threadmill was really just walking past one in the grand scheme of things.

If your going to say something like you can't lose body fat without cardio then at least have something to back it up?

Dragan

bumping for an answer from I and I

TerrorFirmer

I_and_I wrote:

I would say that shorter resting periods would be better, though without cardio you really aren't going to lose fat just lifting weights. Why not up the amount of cycling you do?

I do absolutely zero cardio , just weights, and am in pretty decent shape including loosing a lot of body fat a relatively short time ago. In fact the most cardio I get is probably rushing from my computer to the fridge...:eek:

although that said I've gotten brutal lately, hitting the gym only once a week and I can feel the fat creeping back on...

rubadub

On my last workout I did an easy 10 first reps, then a medium 10 then a difficult last 10, so that is 30 reps. But I reckon I could have done 12, 10, 8 and have gone "all out" on each of them. In each case with a 1min break.

So which do you reckon would be better for hypertrophy?

Also what is the story with breaks between exercises (rather than sets). I still take about 4-5mins before going onto my next exercises of 3 sets with 1min breaks.

Dragan

**** it