What is a good number of lifts in a weight lifting set?

[Scrapster]

Regardless of what lifting exercise I do, I usually follow the 10-7-5-3 regimen. Is this pretty standard or is there a better sequence you can recommend?

 

[purplecow]

Looks fine to me, but if you're not being challenged, either increase the weight or double the reps keeping the weight the same. That should be fun =)

 

[Pyxis]

Well it depends on what your goal is. If you want to tone up do more reps with lower weight. But if you want to bulk up, put on more weight and do less reps.

 

[ace31216]

Pyxis is right. If you want to tone and get cut... you do less weights and more reps. Its called a burn set. I you want to get big in size, increase the weight and do a heavy set. It all depends on your goal.

 

[Scrapster]

WHen you say "double the reps" do you mean 10-10-7-7-5-5-3-3? I will usually increase weight when the routine becomes easy.

 

[Scrapster]

Yes, I want to increase my size.

 

[vash]

I tend to do my sets in 15-12-9, increasing as I go. Works well for me and after the last set, I'm pretty burned.

vash

 

[kag]

I used to do 12-10-8 or 15-12-10, depending on the exercice, always increasing weight.

 

[kami]

personally i like high intensity stuff (really heavy weight, very few reps)..builds the muscles quicker it's all useless unless you work your muscles until total failure anyway.. at least IMO.

 

[Pyxis]

<< personally i like high intensity stuff (really heavy weight, very few reps)..builds the muscles quicker it's all useless unless you work your muscles until total failure anyway.. at least IMO. >>



Exactly, I like to work out until my arms feel like they're going to fall off. I also like the soreness that I get in the muscles the next day Let's you know you're doing something right.

 

[StormRider]

<<Yes, I want to increase my size.>>

Don't we all, don't we all.

 

[Infidelity]

I do 3 sets of 10 reps usually. I do some supersets where I would do in a conintuos work out very heavy 7 reps and drop weight until I hit a fairly light weight without taking a break. Heavy 3 sets of 7 reps. Normal 10 reps of 3 or 4 sets. Tone, light weight 25-50 reps 2 sets.

 

[StormRider]

I used to do 12-10-8 or 15-12-10, depending on the exercice, always increasing weight.

Wait a minute. Does this mean you do something like 10 reps of 98 pounds, then 10 reps of 108 pounds, and finally 8 reps of 118 pounds? Is this what you mean by &quot;always increasing weight&quot;?

 

[Scrapster]

What is the definition of a rep? Is one rep the same as 1 lift?

 

[StormRider]

What is the definition of a rep? Is one rep the same as 1 lift?

I think so....

 

[darkshadow1]

If you want to try something new, try the same weight that you've been using for multiple sets, and do just one set. But, make the positive/concentric/lift part 2 seconds long and make the negative/eccentric/release part 4 seconds. Just count one-one thousand, two-one thousand, then one-one thousand, two-one thousand...etc. Try 10-12 reps. Your arms/shoulders/etc. just may fall off.

Hehe...HIT (High Intensity Training) is fun...you can get a full body workout in about an hour...now if I could just keep doing it regularly.

 

[Looney]

I do 15-10-10-10-12

for the first set i do 70% of the weight, just to get the blood flowing.

Then for the next 3 sets i do to failure, which is 10 reps. Then on the last set, i drop some weights and do to failure to 12.

 

[Looney]

And yes, 1 rep is 1 lift, or 1 press, or one squat, etc.



<< Hehe...HIT (High Intensity Training) is fun...you can get a full body workout in about an hour...now if I could just keep doing it regularly. >>



Bah, HIT is BORING. It's intense, and normally after the workout i'm dizzy from how intense it was, but it's boring. I could probably do a week of it before reverting back to my normal set workouts. I use to have a cycle of 3 weeks of normal workout, then 1 week of HIT, and then 1 week off. But now i just workout casually.

 

[Jorrit]

to tone up do sets of 15-20 reps, to increase muscle volume/weight do 8-15 reps and to increase your strength do 3-8 reps; and of course you can combine them to increase muscle volume and strength as well. however make sure you have at least 48 hours or more rest between training the same muscles; perhaps do some running to tone up, instead of lifting weights (it works much faster).