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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => Training Q&A => Topic started by: mass 04 on January 24, 2008, 12:13:30 PM

Title: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: mass 04 on January 24, 2008, 12:13:30 PM
for each bodypart
Quads-16
Chest-14-15
Hams-8
Back-16
Shoulders/Traps-15
Biceps-12
Triceps-12
Calves-8
I grow better with volume.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Redwingenator on January 24, 2008, 02:06:50 PM
If I do a drop set on my 3rd set I don't a 4th set, and I might drop an exercise depending on how things feel.  Monday Legs, Tuesday Upper body, Wed Deadlift, Thursday Legs, Friday Upper body. 

Upper body
Pushes 3-4 exercises @ 9-16 sets total
Pulls 3-4 exercises @ 9-16 sets total
Biceps 1-2 exercises @ 3-8 sets total
Triceps 1-2 exercises @ 3-8 sets total

Lower Body
Squats 6-8
Leg Press 3-4
Leg ext 3-4
Ham curls 3-4
Calves 8-16

Deadlift 6-12
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Rimbaud on January 24, 2008, 02:54:10 PM
Biceps - 10-15
Triceps - 10-15
Chest - 10-15
Back - 15-20
Shoulders 10-15
Legs - 15-30
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Bluto on January 24, 2008, 03:20:34 PM
lots.

i do 6x6 per exercise.

Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: The Squadfather on January 24, 2008, 04:17:36 PM
i did 20 today for back but i was in a weird mood, usually it's 15 or so for back, 15-16 for quads, 11-12 for chest, and 11-12 for anything on shoulders or arms not including warm ups.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: pumpster on January 24, 2008, 05:39:00 PM
The question is, is that much needed? I used to do that, now have cut the volume in half by keeping the intensity consistently good, getting to positive failure on all sets coupled with 1 minute rests max. between sets. Bottom line if i put intensity into 3-4 sets per exercise, keep total sets per muscle under 10 for smaller muscles and not much more for larger, does it matter?  Doing more than that you're pacing yourself, putting less intensity into each set, staying farther away from positive failure when you do higher volume.

There *is* an argument that the extra sets flushes/keeps blood in there longer, the theory being that this is responsible for part of tissue growth. On the other hand the main thing is progressive overload, which doesn't take high volume.

Mind-muscle's part of getting better intensity, as well as learning what exercises actually work best.

Not sure that higher volume's important, except for contest cutting. The only other advantage i think is psychological-some just prefer spreading the same intensity over more sets, which comes out to less work on average per set. Some just like this flow; me i like putting some real intensity in there; much more involving mentally, and more brutal demands on the muscles.
 
Relatively brief with good intensity = gains.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: triple_pickle on January 24, 2008, 07:07:51 PM
for each bodypart (all work sets)
Quads-10
Chest-7-8
Hams-8
Back (upper) - 10
Back (lower) - 9
Shoulders/Traps-12
Biceps-8
Triceps-9
Calves-10-12
Abs - 10-12
Forearms - 6
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: pumpster on January 24, 2008, 07:42:39 PM


Did you go to that after doing higher volume previously?
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: triple_pickle on January 24, 2008, 08:28:56 PM
Did you go to that after doing higher volume previously?

yes, i was overdoing myself previously.  now i do the first "staple" exercise with heavier weight and longer breaks, then follow up with 2 exercises with moderate weight and short breaks.  for example, a typical shoulder workout can be

bb front presses
45 x 20 x 2 (warmup)
95 x 15 x 2 (warmup)
135 x 12 (warmup)
185 x 8
205 x 5
225 x 2
then i drop to 135 and do 3 sets with a wide grip (just like for the snatch), short breaks, 45 secs max, i do as many as i can and then partials until my shoulders are fried, usually get around 15 reps or so on the first set.

i finish with 2-3 sets of seated side and rear laterals, sometimes do them separately, sometimes superset, in any case the breaks between the sets are short, around 60 secs, and again i go until failure and then do partial movements.

i leave "20 sets per bodypart" to high school kids....
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: wes on January 25, 2008, 03:44:23 AM
Quads-15 or 16
Hams-8-9
Chest-12-15
Back-12-15
Shoulders-12-15
Biceps-8-12
Triceps-8-12
Calves-12-15
Traps-3 (direct trap work)

It always varies a bit,but the above is about average.........never more than this,sometimes just a bit less.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: ngm21084 on January 25, 2008, 04:06:41 AM
tris and bis 16 sets each on the same day
chest 20
shoulders 15-20
quads 10
calves 15
hamstrings 10
back 35 but everything is supersetted except for deads and bentover rows...4 different pulldowns all ss (also my favorite workout day)
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: SF1900 on January 25, 2008, 10:39:56 AM
Back: 16-20
Biceps: 9-10
Triceps: 9-10
Shoulders-12...Traps: 6
Quads:12-15
Hams: 8
calves: train calves twice a week, 6-8 sets each day.
Chest: 12
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: The Ugly on January 25, 2008, 12:43:42 PM
tris and bis 16 sets each on the same day
chest 20
shoulders 15-20
quads 10
calves 15
hamstrings 10
back 35 but everything is supersetted except for deads and bentover rows...4 different pulldowns all ss (also my favorite workout day)

Think I overtrained just reading that.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: ngm21084 on January 25, 2008, 02:34:15 PM
Think I overtrained just reading that.

for back?  i just like to do alot of pulldowns with all different grips for different angles...
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: The Ugly on January 25, 2008, 02:47:30 PM
For everything, 'cept maybe quads. For me.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: NoCalBbEr on January 25, 2008, 03:30:50 PM
i do  4 movements, 3-4 working set each

abs, calves and traps are  2x 8 sets each

everything is once a week even abs
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: AVBG on January 25, 2008, 04:16:47 PM
approx...


Back: 15
Biceps: 8
Triceps: 8
Shoulders 12
Quads:15
Hams: 8
Chest: 15

Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Get Rowdy on January 25, 2008, 10:33:02 PM
Chest: 10
Back: 6
Biceps: 1 - 6  somtimes 10
Triceps: 1 - 6  sometimes 10
Delts: 6 - 10
Quads: 3 - 5
Hams: 10
Calves: 1
Forearms: 4 - 5
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: jorgen on January 26, 2008, 04:45:39 PM
If you do 20 sets per body part, why not do 75 to 100?  More is better seems to be your line of thinking.  You can't possibly be putting enough intensity into all of those sets.  Your reason for being in the gym should be for a growth stimulus.  Extra reps and sets will only make it harder for you to recover (grow).

I do one set to failure mike mentzer style on each exercise (yes, i warm up).  The above thoughts are from mentzer's book as well.
Those of you who think that is crazy should give this type of training a try and then tell me what you think.
Good luck
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: The Squadfather on January 26, 2008, 04:49:44 PM
If you do 20 sets per body part, why not do 75 to 100?  More is better seems to be your line of thinking.  You can't possibly be putting enough intensity into all of those sets.  Your reason for being in the gym should be for a growth stimulus.  Extra reps and sets will only make it harder for you to recover (grow).

I do one set to failure mike mentzer style on each exercise (yes, i warm up).  The above thoughts are from mentzer's book as well.
Those of you who think that is crazy should give this type of training a try and then tell me what you think.
Good luck
even Dorian Yates who claimed to do HIT still did 10-12 sets per bodypart on his video.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: powerpack on January 26, 2008, 10:48:27 PM
Excluding warm up sets.
Chest 6
Back 6
Legs 6
Bis 4
Tris 4
Delts 6
I warm up to 2 working sets per exercise.
My last set being an all out set to positive failure or with squats just before positive failure.
I tried more volume but my neural system overtrains very quickly.
It takes me a long time to recover with my body twitching all over the place.
This works for me.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Geo on January 26, 2008, 11:54:34 PM
for each bodypart
Quads-16
Chest-14-15
Hams-8
Back-16
Shoulders/Traps-15
Biceps-12
Triceps-12
Calves-8
I grow better with volume.


Quads-........5 or 6
Chest-.................10 if you inclue flys
Hams-.....................3 or 4
Back-...............normally 5 sets of deads and a handful of rows and pull downs
Shoulders/Traps  ............maybe 10 total
Biceps-..................3 or 4
Triceps-..........3 or 4
Calves-...........................3 or 4
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: The Ugly on January 27, 2008, 09:17:37 AM
Excluding warm up sets.
Chest 6
Back 6
Legs 6
Bis 4
Tris 4
Delts 6
I warm up to 2 working sets per exercise.
My last set being an all out set to positive failure or with squats just before positive failure.
I tried more volume but my neural system overtrains very quickly.
It takes me a long time to recover with my body twitching all over the place.
This works for me.

What he said.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Deadpool on January 27, 2008, 10:02:07 AM
I do all of them.  ;D
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Bluto on January 27, 2008, 02:48:11 PM
I do all of them.  ;D

 ;)
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: NATIVE ONE on January 30, 2008, 04:57:04 AM
Legs  5
back  7
chest 5 heavy on wed & 5 light on sat
not including all the warm ups to get to my heavy sets!
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: jpm101 on January 30, 2008, 08:37:18 AM
Usually 2 to 4-5 sets per body part (though I never work arms directly). Sometimes only 1 set per body part when on a program like high rep squats/DL's/cleans, etc and a Rest-Pause scheme. Only exception is doing  10X10's for a 6-8 week cycle when on GVT two or three times a year.

Actually it's not the sets but the total reps when working out. And the complete tonnage you have lifted in a given workout.  Set's just divide the reps, the main goal, with short breaks between. Good Luck.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: _bruce_ on February 19, 2008, 04:48:46 PM
2-4 warmup + 1 one workset.
I don't pyramid up in all exercises.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: pumpster on February 19, 2008, 05:56:19 PM
Actually it's not the sets but the total reps when working out. And the complete tonnage you have lifted in a given workout.  Set's just divide the reps, the main goal, with short breaks between. Good Luck.

Total reps is important, but it also matters the number of sets it takes to get there.
Title: Re: How Many Sets Do You Do???
Post by: Charlys69 on February 25, 2008, 02:11:09 PM
Right now, without "warm-up-sets" (but it`s very high reps with middle weigths)

Legs (4)
Chest (3)
Back (4)
Shoulder (3)
Trizeps (2)
Biceps (2)
Calves (2)

For these "stimulus-sets" i go hard,
example from Biceps-today 1. Hammer-Curls (warm up 12,5 kg  20 kg  27,5 kg, 32, 5 kg)
final set 24 reps with 37,5 kg (about 80 lbs.) right arm, 23 x 37,5 left arm

2. SZ-Barbell-Curls Pitt-Set (warm-up 40 kg)
Pitt-Set with 52,5 kg for 50 reps  2 controlled reps, 4-5 seconds rest. 2 reps 4-5 Seconds Rest, after 10 reps 6-7 seconds rest, after 20 reps 8-9 seconds, after 30 reps 10-12 econds, after 40 reps up to the end
(12-15 seconds rest).
it do it in a powerrack, so after every 2 reps i can replace the barbell (only 1-2 inches under my hands, that way it`s easy and fast to replace the barbell and shortly after this grip again...and do another 2 reps)

Try 1 pitt-Set. With a weight you normally can get 8-10 reps, you will be able to do 15-20 reps