Fatiguing fast during weight training:

[J-Dogg]

For some reason the weight I work with drops pretty fast. For example:

-I’ll do 245 on flat 10 times on my first set.
-My second set I’m lucky to get 4.
-I have to go down to 185 by the 4th set.

Most of my muscle groups, but my legs seem to work this way. I take a normal break between sets, between 1-2 minutes.
I’ve always been like this, and have been training on and off for 10 years, some of the years pretty serious.
As far as Cardio, I’m ahead of anyone I work out with but behind everyone on keeping the weight consistent.
Should I take longer breaks? Or just drop the weight and keep going?
Thanks in advance!

[manwitplans]

Longer break.
2-3 minutes, not under, not over.

If you get more reps, and weight, you will get more tissue broken down. So take longer breakes.

The strength decreases your showing here, are inzane, take the rest you need to put up another.

You should get a bit fatigued, but not as much as you do

[green22]

It sounds to me like you a starting out to heavy. And are you getting all 10 with 245 by yourself or a spotter helping. you may try to take more rest but still the strenght drop souldnt be so damatic. I see cats in the gym do this all the time. They come in warm up with 135 then slap 225 on the bar and go at it. Get 6-10 sloppy reps and they are completely drained cause the weight is to heavy. Its like they do it for show. Im not saying thats what you do cause I dont know how you train but I bet if you benching and start with say 205 for 10-12 and work your way up in weight you wont have the problem. and increase in small incriments like 10lbs. Or just do 5 sets of 10 with 185, you may be shocked to fined it give you more trouble than you'd like to admit.

[J-Dogg]

245 really is not a problem for me, I could probably do 15 but I like to go slower and keep things under control.

I like to go until ultimate failure, but it sounds like I just have to take a longer break between sets. I work out alone and I have nothing to do between sets....I don't want to get stuck talking to anyone when I'm in the zone chief!

I just got off a program doing higher reps, but it just did not suit me. It seemed like I got a better pump some times, but I did not feel like I was putting on any size either.

[green22]

Maybe its just a mental thing. you think your just subcontiously worried about getting suck. I know when Im working with a challenging weight ill grab a spotter and I train alone too. But just knowing I got somebody back there is huge.

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

I like to go until ultimate failure, but it sounds like I just have to take a longer break between sets. I work out alone and I have nothing to do between sets....I don't want to get stuck talking to anyone when I'm in the zone chief!

That could be the culprit.... absolute failure like the one you are describing is burning out your CNS. I bet if you lower the set by 1-2 reps (or one rep shy of failure rep) AND take more rest between sets (up to 3 mins), you will find your other sets go better with more reps. You may be lowering your reps in the first set but it'll be a net gain of total reps when you add the extra ones you get from the second and third set....overall, you get more volume.

[manwitplans]

That could be the culprit.... absolute failure like the one you are describing is burning out your CNS. I bet if you lower the set by 1-2 reps (or one rep shy of failure rep) AND take more rest between sets (up to 3 mins), you will find your other sets go better with more reps. You may be lowering your reps in the first set but it'll be a net gain of total reps when you add the extra ones you get from the second and third set....overall, you get more volume.

Totally agree.

The post starter: You should have stated that you went to total failure.
I ALWAYS went to total failure.

Past 6 months i've never went there, and gotten a hell of a lot bigger and stronger compared to last year.

Last year my bench went up a wopping 0 pounds (Bodyweight gained like crazy and shit)..

You'll fry your CNS by going balls to walls each and every set, and your strength and size gains will be totally crap, thats my opinion.

So stop before failure, its okey to go failure once per month, but not more.



I've learned that less is more, the hard way.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Listen to these guys! Stop 1 rep shy of absolute gut bursting failure on every set and wait 3 minutes between sets when doing compound exercises and 2 minutes with isolation.

Stop 2 reps shy of absolute failure on your first work set for each muscle group and do your heaviest-low rep set for the second set before the CNS gets tired. Creatine can also help.