Well said oldtimer1. That is how the pros trained back in the day exactly. Only most of them did it in a pyramid type set. (Adding weight each set) When I was a kid I was so confused about training. Weiders mags were the only source of info. I heard all this shit about going to failure, the pain zone, adding weight each time you hit ten etc. I thought you had to hit failure on each set. lol. I wish people would just get the truth. Like oldtimer1 said . Only hit failure on last set. I learned the truth after going to Venice and seeing the truth. I actually got to know some pros over the years. They do not train like what the mags say. Smh. They try to portray them as almost "super human" lmao. I tried to train like I THOUGHT they did . Over trained after a few weeks lol. After I figured out the right way that's when I started making good progress and was never drained and hurting so much. Volume ( up to a point) is in fact the key to progress and adding weight accordingly . The biggest joke were the Mentzer's . Them and Arthur Jones. Jones was smart, his machines are awesome and on paper what him and Mentzer's said sounds right and makes sense. Fry the muscle and it will grow. That is true but only up to a point.
All this crap about counting macros, weighing food, the "anabolic window" and other stuff is basically more attempts to sell people supplements and other things. Look at the guys in the 70's and 80's. Did they do any of that? NO. They trained hard ( but not too hard) and often and ate when they could. Some only once a day. Most just 3 or 4 times. And they look miles and miles better than these bloated slobs now days. So much crazy wrong information out there on something that is so basic. Train hard. eat and rest. Gain weight lift heavier( each muscle group 2 times a week) and eat more. Lose weight train a bit lighter ( and up to 6 times a week) do some fat burning exercise ( slow and longer periods NOT cardio!! That burns a lot of muscle) and cut out carbs and keep calories low.
So true. 5 sets of 10 is how Arnold trained. This was confirmed by Frank Zane also. Arnold usually did 10 reps on each exercise. He would go up in weight on each set, the first set being the warm up and the last set the hardest. John Balik also trained with Arnold and said the same thing. Arnold would do a warm up set at 50 to 60 % of his top weight then go up in weight at 70% of top weight, the next set is at 80% of top weight, the next at 90% then the last set at 100% top weight. Trying to get 10 reps on each set. So the intensity gradually increases over 5 sets. That's how he did it and that's how most of the 70's era guys trained. Only the last set of an exercise is that hardest set. They did not go all out on every set of every exercise as some may have you believe. They trained hard but not that hard. This is how most should be training too. It works.
If you dont like pyramiding up in weight then use straight sets using the same weight across each set. Use a weight that you would fail at 15 reps then do the following
Set 1 10 reps could get 15 but stop at 10
Set 2 10 reps could get 13 or 14 reps but stop at 10
Set 3 10 reps could get 11 or 12 reps, fatigue is kicking in now
Set 4 just managed 10 reps close to failure
Set 5 as many reps as possible maybe 8, can finish off with a drop set if needed.
Rest should be 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
