Three rep scheme questions

3 questions fellas:

1) Has anyone ever tried reps like this: 5 sets, 1st set 6 reps, 2nd set 8 reps, 3rd set 10 reps, 4th set 12 reps, 5th set 15 reps all while DECERASING the weight each set.

2) Has anyone ever tried this: 1 set of 25-30 reps for each exercise. Once you get to 30 or more reps, next time you do that exercise INCREASE weight. If you can't do atleast 25 reps, next time you do that exercise DECREASE weight.

3) Has anyone ever tried reps like this: 5 sets, 1st set 10 reps, 2nd set 8 reps, 3rd set 6 reps, 4th set 4 reps, 5th set as many reps as you can get all while INCREASING the weight each set.

What results did you see? What are the differences between the three? Does one help muscular endurance more than the others? Does one help power more than the others?

Which one would you guys recommend to someone who is just coming back from a 3 year layoff?

Which one would you guys recommend to someone who is a begginer?

Also, if none of these are good, could you recommend a good rep scheme.

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Originally Posted by Aggression

3 questions fellas:

1) Has anyone ever tried reps like this: 5 sets, 1st set 6 reps, 2nd set 8 reps, 3rd set 10 reps, 4th set 12 reps, 5th set 15 reps all while DECERASING the weight each set.

2) Has anyone ever tried this: 1 set of 25-30 reps for each exercise. Once you get to 30 reps, next time you do that exercise INCREASE weight. If you can't do atleast 25 reps, next time you do that exercise DECREASE weight.

3) Has anyone ever tried reps like this: 5 sets, 1st set 10 reps, 2nd set 8 reps, 3rd set 6 reps, 4th set 4 reps, 5th set as many reps as you can get all while INCREASING the weight each set.

What results did you see? What are the differences between the three? Does one help muscular endurance more than the others? Does one help power more than the others?

Which one would you guys recommend to someone who is just coming back from a 3 year layoff?

Which one would you guys recommend to someone who is a begginer?

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I personally have used all three .. in order of beginner to advanced I would say heavy to lighter weights and lighter to heavier weights is about the same .. leaning more to lighter to heavier as a harder routine.

more effective .. well that is up to you and you alone.

the 25 rep plus routine is FRIGGEN HARD... it is painful.

you dont want to go over 4 or 5 sets of that type of workout ... the total amount of reps is much more stress than a regular workout.. IMO that is advanced and to be used sparingly .. you can easily overtrain on that, and its not necessarily a very good mass builder for the larger parts IMO.

for shoulders and arms it works great for me.. for chest... well not if I want more immediate size.

ALL of the techniques are GREAT.. I USE ALL OF THEM, at different times, the key to muscle growth is to shock the muscle just enough past what you did last time.

So, if you keep a training log .. do the first tech, and get your weight and reps down... next time for the same muscle do the next tech.. get numbers down and shock with the next tech next time... and then go back to beat the first numbers.. YOU'LL GROW.

actually, thanks.. thats WHAT I am gonna do.

THANKS AGAIN :D

Thanks Dally.

A couple things,

If I was going to do the 25-30 rep method I would only do ONE set for each exercise.

Also, did you say in order from beginner to advanced you would do 1. Heavy to light(drop set) 2. Light to heavy (pyramiding or running the racks I heard it's called) 3. 1 set 25-30 reps.

Is that correct?

Why would you reccomend in that order?

And one last thing it looks like you said that you should change the rep scheme everytime you do that exercise to shock the muscle. Is that true? You want to change the rep scheme everytime?

I agree with Dalley as I have used all schemes its called peroidization for more advance persons. Coming back from a long layoff I would suggest this: 1. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) no pun intended. Stick to the most basic exercises forget all the rep,weight,paramid,drops ect. Just use light weight to warm up 1-2 sets then pick a heavier weight that you can lift for 12-15resps. Keep the weight the same. The last set if you cannot complete the 15th rep then you have been successful. Your CNS & muscle are not prepared to do complicated sets. Get your body condition for the stress. IF you everytime do advance schemes how are you going to know what is really working for you? You cannot come back after 3 yrs and expect dramatic gains overnight. On the flip side if you were very experienced before the layoff then the comeback will be much shorter.