Rep Scheme debate

[Lugar]

I go heavy each week and have a goal in my head to either increase a rep or increase 5lbs.....but now I am confused.  Let's say last week I benched 225 for 10 and this week I do it for 9, does this mean I am not going to build mass, have not goten stronger, etc.?


Reason I ask.........I typically go as heavy as I can each week.  Chest for example, I'll go to 4-5 reps on my final set and usually never more than 8 reps.....now, what if 1 session I did four sets of 10-12.......will I build mass this way or is it just endurance, i.e. cardio and doing nothing?  I know the joints need a break, but is this rep schema correct?

[Hedgehog]

Try do 4-5 reps on ALL sets, ALL excersises for 4-5 weeks.

Then evaluate.

-Hedge

[Lugar]

LOL.......

[Rimbaud]

LOL.......

Why is that funny? It makes a lot of sense.

[Lugar]

this whole point was for MASS..not strength......mass bro...6-10 range...

[Hedgehog]

Ok then.

Try do 10 reps on all excersises for 5-6 weeks.

Then evaluate, come back to the board and give us your thoughts.

-Hedge

[Rimbaud]

this whole point was for MASS..not strength......mass bro...6-10 range...

Doing any type of weight lifting will build muscle (i.e. almost any rep scheme). Sometimes when doing Triceps I'll do 25-50 rep sets.

[Lugar]

if that held any water.....there would be many more big bodybuilders

[Rimbaud]

if that held any water.....there would be many more big bodybuilders

What the hell are you talking about?

BTW - you're up early for a Saturday.

[Mike]

Ok then.

Try do 10 reps on all excersises for 5-6 weeks.

Then evaluate, come back to the board and give us your thoughts.

-Hedge

Please listen to Hedge, try it, for 6 weeks.  That means that you shouldn't have a question about this topic until May 19th.  Agreed?

[BigAlski]

Well I am 6ft4in so I do lots of supersets seeing as I have a shallower muscle belly in comparison to the length of the bone (as compared to shorter people).  The goal of drop sets to me is to hit the first set for power (4-9 reps) then the second set for burn (8-20 reps).  I vary form on the second set but usually save drops for isolation motions as composed to compound.

So bench would be:
2 sets feet up but pigeon chest a little, thumbs behind bar...10-15 reps.
2 sets "                                                                   " 4-6 reps.
2 sets feet down pigeon chest, thumbs over bar....4-6 reps.
2 sets feet up back flat against bench, narrower grip, 8-10 reps.

Then likewise for incline db press, flyes, decline flyes, smith incline, etc.

Variation is really the best to move around the sticking point during a bodypart IMO, not just workout to workout but WITHIN the same workout.

Also something like incline bench alternated DB curls superseted with standing wide hammer curls would really tear em up.  You get the idea.