Interesting read..

[Ronnie Rowland]

All to often I see people thinking they need to do 20-25 work sets per muscle group. Now I want to drive this point home-If you cannot break down your muscles to the max with 6-12 intense work sets total for the week (warm up sets not included) whether you train them once a week or twice a week you have a serious problem! I also want to say I do not agree with everything written in the article below I found on the net but I hope it will bring forth some positive discussion and help those in need.


"To Gain Muscle Weight, All Pros Do Only 1 Set Per Exercise

Every pro bodybuilder does only 1 set per exercise to failure to gain muscle mass.....whether they say so or not.

I'm going to answer one of the most asked, most contradicted questions about how to train to gain weight around:

"How many sets does it take to gain muscular size and development?"

Now, I'm referring to sets per exercise.

When you perform a set in a "certain" manner, with the correct amount of weight and for a very "specific" rep range, you will have induced the maximum growth in that muscle.

Anything above and beyond that is just a waste.

The problem today is that when you pick up any bodybuilding or weight gain magazine / book, they all recommend several sets per exercise.

Not only is this very misleading to us average, skinny "hardgainers", but when you see every top pro doing set after set after set, it's no wonder that 99.9% of the average weight training population feels that it takes many sets to get the job done.

Well, to get straight to my point, look very closely at how the pros train, not what they say.

An excellent example is Jay Cutler.

If you ever read his articles, Muscle-Tech ads, or watch his training dvds, you see he follows a very high volume, high set training routine.

He does anywhere from 15-25 sets per muscle!

So, anyone looking at that might say, "Jay's a beast. If he does a ton of sets, then so will I!".

Well, I want you to go and read for yourself an ad that's running in some of the mags, the one titled "A Legacy In The Making".

In there he discusses his training routine.

In there he says, quote, ".....Obviously, you can't train to failure on every set.

I try to put in 100% effort on the last set of each exercise.

For example, if I'm doing chest, I usually do a weight I can handle for 8 to 10 repetitions for 3 sets and maybe a forth set where I go all out........the fourth set is the only set where I go to failure."

So, if he is doing 4 sets for an exercise, the first 3 are pretty much a bunch of warm-ups.

Only the fourth and last set is the one where he goes all-out, 100%, to failure.

As a matter of fact, I remember reading in Muscular Development that he calls these first sets "feeler" sets.

Well, "feeler" sets have got nothing to do with gaining muscle mass, it just serves as a warm-up.

This is the same case with every other pro.

They may say they do 3, 4, 5 sets per exercise, but they only go all-out, to failure on the last set.

In other words...............1 set per exercise to failure.......the one and only set that puts the muscle weight gain wheels into motion.

Observe, my friend, real closely what people do, not what they say, because it can be very misleading.

You may read in an article in a mag and see an individual's training routine, usually inside of a box, containing the name of the exercise, the number of sets and reps.

Well, if you didn't know any better, you would assume that these guys are going all-out, to the max on each and every one of these sets.

That only leads to over-exhaustion, over-fatigue, and overtraining for you and I."


Sincerely,

Jonathan Perez
Cleveland Firefighter
Certified ACE / IAFF / IAFC Firefighter Peer Fitness Trainer

[MuscleScience]

Hmm, interesting I have been posting a study with 170 references that said basically same thing for 2 plus years now. Now one listens to me though...LOL

[FireGuy]

Mike Mentzer is smiling in his grave.

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

it's funny... I can say I do 3 sets for this and 4 for that but my training has evolved that it's only one of those sets that I go heavy and all out to failure

I think anyone that trains seriously eventually comes to that conclusion eventually as they mature in bbing ... If don't realize that with common sense, then they'll learn that through injury!

[MuscleScience]

it's funny... I can say I do 3 sets for this and 4 for that but my training has evolved that it's only one of those sets that I go heavy and all out to failure

I think anyone that trains seriously eventually comes to that conclusion eventually as they mature in bbing ... If don't realize that with common sense, then they'll learn that through injury!

Good Point!!!

[Deltasaurus]

Mike Mentzer is smiling in his grave.

x2 yes he is

[F4iGuy]

Different strokes for different folks. How many people do you know who could train at Mentzers level of intesity on a cosistent monthly basis? I think (not sure) most people need more sets (within reason) because they can't mentally hit that intensity level? I dunno, mixing it up works for me.

[energizer bunny]

i allways have my last set on each exercise to failure.......

[ted666]

ahh man now all these gguys that are stuggling might catch up to me........idont think so! GREAT POST RONNIE good knowledge there for these guys that train foir 4 hours and wonder why they dont grow fast or even lose strength . i train like your post and throw in a few things but i finally learned but the hard way by trial and error i was hard headed .

[jfalco]

Isn't this the way almost everyone works out?

Are there people out there doing severals sets to true failure on each exercise?

Personally, if I go to failure, I can't even do another decent set afterwards.

[inheritmylife]

I never go to failure. Unnecessarily stressful.

I agree that 6-12 intense work sets per week is plenty.

[eatrainrest]

and you have to remember that peoples "failure" usually isnt failure

[t-gunz]

nice post!

[VASCULAR VINCE]

Ronnie do you feel the more advanced you get... the less volume... you can get by with doing???

[Ronnie Rowland]

Ronnie do you feel the more advanced you get... the less volume... you can get by with doing???

In many cases-yes! It all depends on how much volume you were doing to begin with. For instance, I find I can get by with only 8 intense work sets taken to good failure sets for quads but I use to do 12 sets to good failure. As one advances, their mind-muscle link improves, they get stronger and thay are able to put more intensity within each work set.

[trulbfan3]

i dont follow that...i decide how many reps i want to do and use a weight to wear at the last rep for each set im bustin my ass...example for bech press i do for sets 8 reps i try to use as much weight as i can for 8 reps...the first two sets i might b able to press 9 reps out but by the time i do set 3 and 4 im bustin ass and hurtin like hell but it makes my strength go through the rough and i grow...then again i only do like 3 exercises for each muscle group

[trulbfan3]

i think u just have to experiment and find out what works for you...some muscles i do very little so i dont evertrain and other muscles i gotta do a lot more for other msucles to make em grow.

[Deltasaurus]

Ron, u dont like low volume i thought?

so how would a lower volume trainer use this to his benefit? or are u changing your mind a little

[Ronnie Rowland]

Ron, u dont like low volume i thought?

so how would a lower volume trainer use this to his benefit? or are u changing your mind a little

My point in pasting this was to keep people from over-training. I train like Branch Warren. I'll do a few warm up sets then hit every work set to good failure. Branch does 8 sets for chest and I do 9.

It all depends in your defintion of low volume? What's considered low volume for one is not low volume for another. I believe in 6-12 work sets per week during reloads and 3-6 during deloads.