Wes, any thoughts on this? When I train with little rest between sets and relatively high reps (8-12) I find I can only use moderate weights. As you know fast training limits the weight you can use.
Seems there are two schools of thought. Power building using low sets, to failure, and taking your time to recover between sets. The other extreme is training with little time between sets, high sets and maybe going to failure at the end of 4 to 6 sets per exercise. I call this muscular endurance training going for the burn and pump.
I guess the question is does it hurt your ego using lighter weight even though you are working hard as hell. I remember a guy in the gym saying he watched Chris Dickerson training and he used light weights but took it back when he trained with him. He said he trained so fast he couldn't keep up and the light weight got seriously heavy after grinding out one quick set after another.
Rich,to wear out the old standard cliche`that everyone always uses,..........."heavy is realative",I find that if I Super-Set Barbell Curls using 100 pounds as an example, with Skullcrushers using 90 pounds,say for 10 reps on curls and 12-15 reps on Skulls,no rest between exercises whatsoever,then 60 seconds rest between the Super-Sets,that 100 pounds and 90 pounds respectively becomes heavier than Hell really damn quick.
Doing the above scenario,one shouldn`t be able to get those reps after the second Super-Set is finished.....in other words,reps will naturally decrease due to the short rest period involved.
This is,like I have said for decades on here, and to paraphrase Vince Gironda,called "Intensity Of Effort"...............ie,most work done in the shortest amount of time possible for this particular scenario.
In essence,the "lighter" poundages" are not so light after a few rounds of this.
The muscles cannot see the numbers on the barbells.....they only know stress/intensity.
RESULT: less stress on joints,ligaments,and tendons,as well as great intenity,burn,pump,flushing of blood,and cardiovasculasr effect....again,in essence,it is more like what bodybuilding is supposed to be like as opposed to just moving heavt tonnage from "Point" "A",to "Point" "B".
Next I will draw up what I call "Ladder Sets".......probably like nothing most have seen here........not for the faint of heart.
I will add as an addendum that no matter what rep range a person is gunning for,weights should be heavy enough to always be a challenge though doubles and triples need not be included.
Which brings us back to the worn out cliche`........."heavy is realative"
