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2004/05/31, 04:27 PM
I have been told by a trainer that when weight lifting, you should handle a weight that you can complete your goal amount of reps with while maintaining form and stop when you still have enough power to comlete one last rep. I've also read that you don't want to lift to muscle failure.
For example, if Im bench pressing 100 pounds 6 times, I should be able to do it 7 times, just stop at 6.
Now, I've also read that you should barely be able to complete your last rep.
Which is it?
I have no spotter, so I know which is safer, but I don't know which is more effective.
Also, Ive been lifting a weight I can do 4X, but no more (maybe a fifth sometimes, but with strain) and I don't know if this is good or if I should go for something I can lift 6X relatively comfortably.
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2004/05/31, 07:56 PM
it depends what ur goals are...like u said ur not working wtih a spotter so dont risk saftey for that one last rep...
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2004/06/01, 07:44 AM
Lifting 4X will mostly build strength, not really size or endurance.
Use failure once a aweek and the other style once a week and a little lighter with more reps once a week - it keeps you from overtraining and it works you in deifferent rep ranges.
But, as detox said, it does depend on your goals.
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If you fall down seven times, get up eight.
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2004/06/03, 05:49 PM
My goal is a cut, muscular look. To buil up some muscle, but no plans on going Schwartznnegger size or anything. Just build up some more muscle, but maintaining a lean physique...
If I only work a body part once a week, which I do, (i.e. chest on Monday etc.), should I take weekly turns, like doing it to failure for all body parts one week, then the other style the next week and lighter weights the following week after that then repeat?
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2004/06/03, 06:16 PM
The more reps, in other words the longer the set the more muscle fibers you will recruit. Of course, this means the more fibers you recruit, the more chance at hypertrophy you have. The fast twitch type 2b fibers will not even be called into play if you stop short. All muscle fibers are recruited in the same pattern. This is why it is quite possible to get stronger without getting bigger.:dumbbell:
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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2004/06/07, 05:53 PM
So, your saying that you need to work all fibers, including the 2b fibers (I assume those are the last to be utilized)in order to gain muscle? Does that mean lifting heavy is best or lifting high reps is best? Or should I mix it up on a 3 week cycle like the scenario I stated above? This is all very scientific, so it's hard to know what's best, which is why I appreciate asking the experts.
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2004/06/07, 07:35 PM
For the largest potential for growth, the more fibers you get to twitch(they are called slow twitch, fast twitch,etc.), the more growth can occur. The fast twitch type 2b fibers will not even come into play until overload is reached. The more often you can bring them into play, the more trained they will be to twitch, making them easier to bring into play, thus easier to train. If you quit before failure, you will rarely recruit these, and lose much potential for growth. (these fibers, fast twitch 2a and b have the largest potential for growth). Large amounts of reps will stimulate the slow twitch, even though they are the first recruited, they do not have much strength capacity, and as you lift increasingly heavier loads, the fast twitch start to come into play. The more fibers you can get twitching in unison, the more potential for growth.
Have you ever had to hold something for a very long time, with fear if you let go you will get hurt or someone else may for example. As you hold that object, slow twitch fibers come into play. As you hold it longer, some fast twitch type 2 fibers will start to be recruited. As the load gets heavier, and you strain to hold it, more and more fibers are being recruited. As you are at the end where you think it is going to drop for sure but you hold it yet longer, this is when the fast twitch type 2b start to come into play. The more often you take a load to this point, the more "trained" those fibers will be to be used, thus come into play easier.
Long answer, but hope it makes some sense. This is why failure is best if you are serious about maximum growth.
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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2004/06/08, 09:30 AM
Wow that was great.. thanks for the excellent question frosh, and answer bb1.
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2004/06/08, 06:03 PM
Yeah, thanks for expounding, BB1!
Now, how many reps should I aim to do than? I've heard everything from 4-6 to 6-8 to 8-12.
Also, is there a way to overload safely when lacking a spotter? For example, If I go to lift the last rep, do I want to barely be able to lift it? And if so, does lifting your lower back off the bench to lift it better than not doing the rep at all?
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2004/06/08, 07:00 PM
Hypertrophy in most of us can normally occur in the 9-12 rep range. Though the idea is to keep progressively pushing the muscle to more and more work, the more fibers you can recruit, the more potential for growth.
As far as working out by yourself, this can become very hard to push to that limit without without a spot. Never jeapordize saftey by any means. If training alone, a good way to do this is do drop sets. By this I mean say you normally fail at 8 with 185 on the bench. So, when you load up the bench with that weight, use smaller plates to make that amount of weight, and immediately upon failing, (and this is key, true failure, not just tired), rack the bar, strip off about 20-30% of the wieght plates and jump right back under there and pound out reps till you fail again, and do this again. You can use this techinque with any exercise. But failure is key, because when you fail and even though you are dropping to lighter weights, more fibers will have to be recruited to keep going, your body will not know it is lighter. There can be no rest between these drop sets now. Rest after you finish your drop set, whether you do a double or triple drop, whatever. This will burn it up!
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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2004/06/10, 10:13 PM
Cool. Since there is no break between sets, does that mean each set counts as a "set"?... what I mean is, if I am aiming to do 3 sets, and I typically do 3 sets of 185, but decide to do drop sets, and wind up doing 185 for a set then immediately dropping to 150 to do some more (*how many more, by the way?) and then drop to 100 to do even more, all without a break, do those three weights count as 3 different sets, or all as 1 huge drop set?
*what I mean is, if I can do 8 and need to do 9-12, should I drop after 8 and just do 1 more or keep going? Also, should I look for a weight that I can do 1 more of or a weight I can do a whole subsequent 8 with?
(I hope this post makes sense. Thanks BB1.)
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2004/06/10, 10:37 PM
Nope, that is one set. I would suggest this..if you do 185, load up the bar with 7 10's if you have them, so it will be easy to strip. No collars, they slow you down. Go to failure. Jump up, rack off 2 10's on each side as fast as you can, and jump right back under there and go again to failure. Do this each drop. Rack off another 2 10's, and hit it again. It will feel like a ton! You can go all the way to the bar, this may sound light, but wait till you get there! Do this drop set 3 times if you dare!
Do not stop on any drop set until failure. Do not "save" anything for the next set! This is key to overloading the muscle and bringing into play as many fibers as possible.
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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2004/06/13, 03:27 PM
This is intimidation yet exciting. im gonna do it, but if thats one set, how long should I eait to do the next set? And, if I work my way down to the bar, on my next set, I can't imagine being able to lift that much. Will it still be effective if on my 2nd set Im only lifting like 50 pounds?
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2004/06/13, 07:26 PM
It will be effective on each set you do. Rest about 2 min. between sets if you need to. You will have to guage your rest periods. Give yourself enough time to recover, but do not overdo it.
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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