Post: #1

I've been reading online and i'm struggling to find an answer to some weight lifting questions.

My biggest question is, reps, how many for what purpose, and the like.

Lets say i have a routine that calls for 15 warm up reps, two sets of 8, and finally the last one for strength at 6.

Why do they arbitrarily pick 15 and then even numbers after that?

Also, where do i start my weight at on the first set and how much do i increase it by?

Any guidance and explanations are highly appreciated!

Post: #2

This might be better suited for the lifestyle forum.

Post: #3

Weightlifting knowledge is a matter of some debate but...

Generally low reps are considered to build strength, higher reps for size and endurance. The idea is that sarcoplasmic fluid (which makes your muscles look bigger) builds up more when you have more reps, but myofibrillar growth happens at low reps with heavy weight.

You might do 15 reps in a warm up, but there's nothing special about that number. It's just a high enough number to where you won't hurt yourself with the weight, but you'll get your blood pumping. Warmups can ward off injury. Generally you want to do a warm up with light, easy weight, and lots of reps. Then, you might go to 8 because it's a good all-around number of reps, then maybe 6 because it's low enough to build some strength but not low enough to lose the intensity of the workout.

If you're working small muscle, there's not much point in doing low reps. Stay above 5 for most things. Exceptions would be bench press, squat, deadlift, and other big lifts.

You could just as easily do 20, 5, 5, 5, 5, 3, which would be more strength-focused. There's no meaning to even vs odd, it's just that the weight you can do for higher reps tends to be lighter.

A lot of people like to lift just short of failure. This means that you pick a weight that you can just barely do for all the reps you are doing. If you're doing 8 reps, you pick a weight that you can only do 8 reps with. If you're doing 5 reps, you pick a weight that is too heavy for 6 but just barely doable for 5. That's how you pick the right weight. It comes with experience, you'll get to know your own body pretty quick.

You can increase the weight every time, or you can just leave it the same. It depends in part on the exercise, and on what works for you. For example, if I'm deadlifting I might do 1x10 (one set of ten reps) at 225lb, then 5x5 at 355lb. But if I'm doing dumbell presses, I might increase the weight every time. People have different opinions on what's best and it's not really a set in stone kind of thing.

Post: #4

Try to stick between 6-14. Use higher reps for smaller muscles(biceps, front delts) and lower reps for bigger(quads). You could look into pyramid sets, where you increase or decrease the load while advancing in sets. Don't get too caught up in details, they matter less than you think if you train naturally and are a beginner. Make sure you don't slack off and a lot to put on mass.

Post: #5

Lately ive been trying to push it, and hitting failure before im done really. For isnstance, doing 5x5, i hit failure on my se ond or third set of benching, then have to lower the weight a bit to complete the 5 sets. Does that matter?

Post: #6

Post: #7

Get a copy of Practical Programming for Strength Training, 2nd edition

He spends chapters 1-5 on this.

Post: #8

Thanks for that. I always forget about this forum.


Thanks for the reading materials gents. Now my last question is warm up weight. How do i determine what's a good weight to start at versus the actual strength training one?

I found a routine i like for compound lifts. I'm a tall skinny guy and i've had the best success with compound lifts.

The entire routine calls for the 15, 8,8, 6 reps. I like the spread, but what's a good weight to start with and then finally build strength?

Better yet, what's a good process for figuring out my strength in that particular exercise?

Post: #9

(05-23-2013 10:57 AM)frenchie Wrote:  Thanks for the reading materials gents. Now my last question is warm up weight. How do i determine what's a good weight to start at versus the actual strength training one?

It 'warms up' your muscles without exerting any real fatigue. It's purpose it to increase flow through your muscles. By the sounds of it, you aren't in a position where you have to worriy about warming up your target areas by the way.

it sounds like you're just starting, and things like star-jumps, burpies and/or body weight exercises will be enough for you.

Warming up is about getting blood flow your your muscles and heart rate up, as well as identifying any tightness that may affect your form.

Quote:I found a routine i like for compound lifts. I'm a tall skinny guy and i've had the best success with compound lifts.

Well I'd say you should only be doing compounds right now.

Until you're on your way to squating 150% of your weight and benching 80% of your weight, stick ONLY to compound lifts. You don't need isolation exercises unless you're lifting for vanity.

I'd never recommend vanity as the prime motive for lifting.

Do these 4

Squat
Deadlift
Bench
Overhead pres

if you have to add a 5th, make it a bent over barbell row.
if you have to add a 6th, make it a barbell curl.
if you have to add a 7th, make it a calf raise.

Quote:The entire routine calls for the 15, 8,8, 6 reps. I like the spread, but what's a good weight to start with and then finally build strength?

Find out the weight where you can do 15 reps, and are too tired to do a 16th.

Find out a weight where you then do 8 reps, and are too tired to do a 9th

Find out a weight where you do 6 reps, and are too tired to do a 7th.

Those are the right weights.

Log them, then gradually improve on them.

Quote:Better yet, what's a good process for figuring out my strength in that particular exercise?

Lift it. You're best starting off small and moving up, it can be dangerous doing it the other way rround.

If you can manage do do 24 reps in a particulalr movement, you know that is too light for your 15 reps exercise, and you know next time you have to up the weight.

Your 15,8,8,6 weights do not have to be exact your first day of lifting. part of finding out, especially when starting off is that your muscles are actually stroger than you give them credit for. it's just without training and conditioning, your neural connectors are not firing like they should.

Lifting, even below optimal, will fire them up. So even sub-par weights the first couple of times are doing you good.

Post: #10

Thanks T and A man.

I had a trainer a few months ago set me up with a routine and helped me get the form right on those major lifts you mentioned.

The tips in this thread are gold. Thanks!

Post: #11

As a beginner I'd recommend, say for a sets of 6, that you pick a weight you can comfortably do for 10-12 and do that. And then the next week add a little bit of weight (5-10lbs). And then the next week add a little bit of weight. And keep going. Leave yourself room for success.

Post: #12

I agree that warming up is generally literally about warming up your body. But it is also a good chance to practice form. Try to do your warm-up sets on things like bench, deadlifts, and squats with as much precision and intensity as you would your working sets. By intensity, I don't mean pumping yourself up, I mean making sure the stuff that is supposed to be tight is tight. On bench for instance, pull your shoulder blades together and down, get some tension in your butt, pull the weight down to your chest under control keeping tension in your lats and not letting your elbows flare out, then press up with good explosion.

The point is, don't mindlessly walk through your warmup sets (or any sets). Think of lifting weights as practicing a skill, not just throwing iron around.

Post: #13

success leaves clues

Post: #14

Always start with an empty bar. The only exception is deadlift because you need the bar at mid-shin level.

Add 5lb (two 2.5lb plates) every set or every workout. Tiny increments will keep you from snapping shit up.

Post: #15

(05-23-2013 10:16 AM)Sonsowey Wrote:  Lately ive been trying to push it, and hitting failure before im done really. For isnstance, doing 5x5, i hit failure on my se ond or third set of benching, then have to lower the weight a bit to complete the 5 sets. Does that matter?

Absolutely lower the weight. That's part of the 5x5 program. If you can't finish all five sets, your weight is too high.

Post: #16

I'll try to give a different perspective from what's already been said.

Skeletal muscle fibres (that is, muscles that are attached and move bones) are generally split into two main types: Slow twitch and Fast twitch.

Slow twitch uses fat for energy. It's very efficient in that its resistant to fatigue. Slow twitch fibres in your muscle are always active. These keep your posture as you stand or sit, move you when you walk, among other minor things.

Fast twitch fibres use carbohydrates for energy. It's very efficient in that these are explosive fibres that produce extreme amounts of force, as opposed to ST. There are not always active, and cost tons of energy and are not resistant to fatigue. Think sprints, weight lifting, sport movement.

These fibres work together. They do not take turns being active.

Now, to make this relevant to reps and weight..

The greater the weight and hence the lower amount of reps, the greater the reliance on FT fibres. The lower the weight and higher the reps, the more ST fibres will aid the movement. This is because FT fibres get fatigued very easily and in most cases can only produce maximum force for ~12 seconds. ST fibres are largely endurance.

FT fibres are LARGE. ST fibres are small, but more abundant.

Train lower rep ranges, and it's mostly FT fibre work (specifically type I, which is what I have discussed here). Therefore the reasoning for why lower rep ranges increase strength more.

People that do more endurance training will have a larger abundance of ST fibres, and people that do more explosive activities will have a greater abundance of FT fibres. In my neuromuscular physiology class last year in our labs we did an experiment that estimated with great accuracy our muscle fibre makeup. Girls generally had an average of 60% ST fibres and 40% FT (main factors in my mind being that girls do more cardio, and girls also have less FT than guys). Most guys averaged 50-60% fast twitch. Personally at the time I averaged 70% fast twitch, and that was because of my training at the time which was largely strength with little to no cardio. It meant I was very strong in the 5 rep range, but anything close to 8-10 reps and my strength would greatly decrease after 5 reps with little to no endurance to maintain the weight.

I ended up ranting as I got into what I was saying.. Just looking to add a new perspective on this. Hopefully its not hard to understand.

The higher the weight is to your 1RM, and furthermore the lower the amount of reps, the great