Sets With Low Reps

**El Jugo Buen0** · 07-11-2004, 04:41 AM

I just started to go real heavy on all my exercises, most people and books feel an ectomorph only will respond to that. Anyway my past two Arm workouts, 3 sets each, 4-5 exercises, doesn't get me sore at all. I'm so pissed because I'm going heavy but, not feeling sore the day after. Start off with 8 reps, then 6-8, then 4-6 on almost everything. Can I increase the amounts of sets per exercise to 4 without sacrificing size?

**Hypertrophy** · 07-12-2004, 02:38 PM

What book cited that first statement you made??
Basically, you want to get sore?? Do a bunch of negatives and that should do the trick.
No, I wouldn't increase your volume any more. You are already training 12 - 15 sets for two of your smaller muscle groups!!
Don't be mad, just because you are not sore!!!

**doby48** · 07-12-2004, 02:44 PM

Sore doesnt necessarily mean muscle gain and lack of soreness doesn't necessarily mean no muscle gain. You don't mention anything other than arms, how are your other muscles after workouts (back, chest, shoulders, quads, hams, calves)? What is your routine like now? How many days a week are you working your arms and do you work them together or with other body parts of give them their own day?

**ImmmtheIceman** · 07-12-2004, 03:13 PM

I only get sore every now and then from my arm exercises, my chest is always sore, shoulders never, back most of the time, legs almost always. Just got hard, and close to failure every set and you'll grow.

**Latimus** · 07-13-2004, 12:56 PM

time to shock bro...drop sets work well...or rest pause...intensity is what builds muscles and makes them sore...if you put the weight down when it starts to hurt...you wont grow...push it...but only do 6 sets...or even 9...but each one counts

and i mean counts!

**brian11** · 07-13-2004, 01:42 PM

If you are doing sets with only 4 reps for your arms then thats not enough. IMO you cant treat all muscles the same. For chest a 4 rep set might be ok, but for biceps it wont help as much. Granted, not being sore does not indicate that your muscles arent growing, a certain amount of soreness does at least let you know you are getting the muscles worked. Kick up the reps to 8-10. You will feel the difference.

-B-

LM1332 · 07-13-2004, 02:18 PM

I dont think treating your bis to a 4 rep routine would work. Like the post above said maybe for chest but not bis. i personaly dont see any benefit from doing that so i would recommend to bump it up to a regular 8 to 12 for 4 sets to 3 excersises. Just a regular incline curlz, standing barbell or dumbell curlz plus hammer curlz and you should feel the burn. For legs i find 5x5 works the best i dont do squats personaly but even when done on leg press hella a lot of burning.
But like just wanna say dont treat every muscle the same way different muscle reacting differently to different things. Aight peace bro

-LM1332-

**Quake** · 07-13-2004, 03:04 PM

You may be lifting heavier, but what sort of form are you using. Strict form will get you sore. Swinging your body too much to get the weight up takes the strain away from the muscle, hence why you may not be feeling sore. If you've lifted with strict form for 6 reps and cheat rep to get another 2 out, that's fair. But if you're cheating all the reps just to get the weight up then you're workouts are less effective and you may as well go back to the weights you were using before.

This is basic stuff I know, but you didn't post your the amount of experience you have. If you already know all this, then I apologise for wasting your time.

LM1332 · 07-13-2004, 05:55 PM

Hey i started bashing on Ronnie for using the ****tiest form and i got sorta flamed for it so if it works for you use it.

Originally Posted by Quake

You may be lifting heavier, but what sort of form are you using. Strict form will get you sore. Swinging your body too much to get the weight up takes the strain away from the muscle, hence why you may not be feeling sore. If you've lifted with strict form for 6 reps and cheat rep to get another 2 out, that's fair. But if you're cheating all the reps just to get the weight up then you're workouts are less effective and you may as well go back to the weights you were using before.

This is basic stuff I know, but you didn't post your the amount of experience you have. If you already know all this, then I apologise for wasting your time.

**DBarcelo** · 07-13-2004, 06:57 PM

Not everyone gets sore. You may continue to make gains without getting sore.

**63190** · 07-14-2004, 01:48 AM

Originally Posted by Quake

You may be lifting heavier, but what sort of form are you using. Strict form will get you sore. Swinging your body too much to get the weight up takes the strain away from the muscle, hence why you may not be feeling sore. If you've lifted with strict form for 6 reps and cheat rep to get another 2 out, that's fair. But if you're cheating all the reps just to get the weight up then you're workouts are less effective and you may as well go back to the weights you were using before.

This is basic stuff I know, but you didn't post your the amount of experience you have. If you already know all this, then I apologise for wasting your time.

I was going to say something similar. I can do sets of 8 6 4 on the preacher curl and use slow strict motion and get a helluva burn. Last time I did three warm up sets with 15 12 and 10 reps then went heavy. On that last set after the 4 reps I only got 2 with the same weight as the third working set. I was sore for the next three days.

**bermich** · 07-14-2004, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by El Jugo Buen0

I just started to go real heavy on all my exercises, most people and books feel an ectomorph only will respond to that. Anyway my past two Arm workouts, 3 sets each, 4-5 exercises, doesn't get me sore at all. I'm so pissed because I'm going heavy but, not feeling sore the day after. Start off with 8 reps, then 6-8, then 4-6 on almost everything. Can I increase the amounts of sets per exercise to 4 without sacrificing size?

Ive found that 6-8 SETS of 6-8 reps works best for me. That heavy four rep thing doesnt work. Some people need different things. In order for me to feel it the next day, I need to do maximum sets.