• FreeTrainers.com Forums
• Beginners to Exercise
• Muscle failure question

Group: Beginners to Exercise

Muscle failure question

theboowahs Posts: 21 Joined: 2001/08/02	2001/08/09, 10:03 PM OK - I have decided to scrap my Men's Fitness 2001 - Body Odyssey workout program for the FT.com program. I entered my information for the fat loss program. Most of my new program consist of 4 sets around the 10-18 reps per set. My question is - Should my lifting weight be set for muscle failure at the end of each set? Or, at the end of all 4 sets?? Any input is appreciated!!
tt_rocker Posts: 389 Joined: 2001/01/25	2001/08/09, 11:57 PM you should reach failure on all sets except the 1st 1.. I mean if you can do 20 reps with a load tha chances are you can do a lot more...that's why I consider it a warm-up set, in which I care less about the amount of weight I use and try to get the form perfected especially if its a new exercise for me.
erin4ever1990 Posts: 266 Joined: 2001/06/25	2001/08/13, 08:18 PM So what you are saying rocker is that: your first set is the warm up set (with any amount of weight), then the next three sets you should increase the weight with each set as to have muscle failure after each set. So, on the last set, one would be really be hurtin to get the weight lifted. Is this accurate?
nclarsen Posts: 6 Joined: 2001/09/04	2001/08/30, 10:34 AM Erin, I'm new here, but I'd answer your question with a "yes." You don't need to increase weight necessarily if the target reps are reached without having anything left, but if you see yourself exceeding by one or two reps, you should probably increase the weight. Don't stop because you got to 8, increase to work to get eight. Then you'll get stronger because you're making the muscles do more than they really want to do.
ThunderMan Posts: 35 Joined: 2001/09/21	2001/10/17, 12:49 AM I would go easy on the first 2 sets and get it right. Then go for more weight.
theboowahs Posts: 21 Joined: 2001/08/02	2001/08/30, 12:43 PM Thanks for all of your responses and input. I decided to stick with my year long plan after all. Thanks.