going to 20 sets

[NoCalBbEr]

hey guys

can i no-gear user grow with 20sets  per bodypart?? (not couting arms) or is that just too much volume??

im thinking about changing to a five day split but i dont wanna just go all the way to the gym to do a 20 workout

[pumpster]

I've noticed that you don't listen to opinions anyway, so who cares? 

[NoCalBbEr]

i take it into account

[Geo]

you've been asking basically the same questions for the last 2 years here bud

[BigAlski]

Ya sure you should be able to handle 20 sets per bodypart or more.  No problem.  I think the volume issue has to do with recovery problems and supplementation can overcome that hurdle. 

[L.T.]

I have been doing 20sets a bodypart for the last five years.   just train each bodypart once per week.  Ive had steady gains of 5-10lb per year of contest lean.

[trulytoned]

i do 20 hard sets everytime sometimes more, gauge it on how the bodypart feels

[Jr. Yates]

just pic up any Flex magazine from about 1998 till today they got nothing else to write about so its filled with eat your carrots and broccoli and all the training articles *cough* repeats you can get!

[Arnold jr]

hey guys

can i no-gear user grow with 20sets  per bodypart?? (not couting arms) or is that just too much volume??

im thinking about changing to a five day split but i dont wanna just go all the way to the gym to do a 20 workout

No gear, and 20+ sets equals bad news. You can blast a muscle with this amount of sets from time to time, but I wouldn't make it a habit. With that said, I do advocate high volume training, but I think it should be kept within reason. For example, for large body parts 12-16 sets is plenty and 6-9 for smaller body parts. This is where I typically keep my set range, but if on cycle I will bump it up a little by means of a few more sets, and periods of hitting everything 2xwk for 6-8wks. You have to remember though, that on or off gear your body needs adequate recovery, not just your muscles but your CNS as well. I suggest you could play around with some higher volume, but don't get stupid with it or your progress will halt.

[spidey007]

i've done the three day split for a few years, and noticed no improvements..Now, and for the past 10 or so years have relied on the one major muscle group a day per week routine.  The only caveat is that you REALLY need to blast that muscle group.  20-25 sets is good.  Looks a bit like this:

Mon.--Chest, forarms, abs
Tues--Back, traps
Weds--Legs
Thurs--Shoulders, traps
Fri--Arms, forarms, abs.
Sat--lazy ass
Sun--lazy ass

[pumpster]

you REALLY need to blast that muscle group.  20-25 sets is good

20-25 sets aren't needed to blast a muscle if you're working.

8-12 sets is more than enough if training to failure and sometimes beyond using partials, cheats, negatives, etc.

[JPM]

If you consider doing 20 sets, than give it a try and than learn by that experience.  If you make gains or perhaps lose a little muscle size in the process can only be determined by the results you get. Might want to do the one body part a workout theme though. Set aside a 6-8 week period to have a true test run on high set's. We all have to give just about any workout system a true try to see if it's for us. Reading about some of those 60's-70's BB'ers who do 20 set's plus, three time a week is amazing. Dave Drapper comes to mind. They did use a lot of SS's, Tri set's, Giant set's, etc.  The 'roids use was not that extreme in those day's, I've been told. As mentioned before, a very popular method was 15 sets a muscle group a day on the lower level of the extreme.

Of course in the real world of training (for most normal guy's), if you can't train a muscle group to respond and become larger and stronger, progressing each workout, with between 4 to 9 sets max than you may want to see what your doing wrong. Of course this is all without going to the state of failure at any time during a workout. And as we all know, using gear does not always give magical results for everyone. That word again, genetic's has a lot to do with how each one of us responds to a shot in the butt of that joy juice. Good Luck.

[spidey007]

20-25 sets aren't needed to blast a muscle if you're working.

8-12 sets is more than enough if training to failure and sometimes beyond using partials, cheats, negatives, etc.

With all due respect Pumpster, i personally disagree that low volume will work for a non-steriod lifter.  Volume is needed..partials, negatives are definitely key, but you NEED to hit that muscle area with many sets if you are to work it just once a week.  See what works best for you

[pumpster]

No problem, but moderate volume as suggested, is not low volume. Plus, i'd never suggest once a week training. Moderate volume with greater intensity's easily the same as high volume, and doesn't take as long-i've done both.

[brianX]

There is no such thing as "too much" training.

[pumpster]

Really? Get back to us after you run a marathon.

[Arnold jr]

With all due respect Pumpster, i personally disagree that low volume will work for a non-steriod lifter.  Volume is needed..partials, negatives are definitely key, but you NEED to hit that muscle area with many sets if you are to work it just once a week.  See what works best for you

I don't care for low volume myself, but there is no way on this earth that a natural trainer can get by with as many sets as someone on gear. I've done it both ways, and there is no comparison.

[Cavalier22]

is goin to failure on a third of your sets gion to kill you?

[Bear03]

20-25 sets aren't needed to blast a muscle if you're working.

8-12 sets is more than enough if training to failure and sometimes beyond using partials, cheats, negatives, etc.

I agree.  However, I have found that (for me, anyway) you can get the best of both worlds.  What i mean is, Two 10-set workouts per week is like a 20 set workout on juice.  Most people lose intensity and strength and the body has trouble recovering.  But if you keep the workouts short and sweet, double up per week.  It's the same volume, but you get more out of it.

[BigIronMike25]

I don't care for low volume myself, but there is no way on this earth that a natural trainer can get by with as many sets as someone on gear. I've done it both ways, and there is no comparison.

YEP!!!!  thats the damn truth....while on i can do 20sets, while off i stick to around 12-14 for larger muscles and only about 8-10 for bi/tris