[heydespo5269]

I currently training a 5 day cycle:

Chest/Tris
Back/Bis
Legs (with calfs)
Shoulders/Traps
Chest/Tris

Back/Bis
Legs
Shoulders/Traps
Chest/Trips
Back/Bis

ETC.

the idea being that at the end of the month, every body part will have a week where it has been worked twice.

My question is how many sets do my

chest:
tris:
back:
bis:
shoulders:
traps:
upper legs: calfs:

.... you get the idea. I realize every person is different, so these suggestions are not "set in stone". but a general guideline would be nice. I usually end up doing about 16 sets per body part, except for bis/tris/traps are aroud 12. I do 10=12 reps on everything, except my deadlifts and occasionaly my squats. I found that I grow the most with the 10-12 range.

thanks.

[Mygeeto]

if you grow the most in that set range then why not stick with it??

[heydespo5269]

Originally Posted by Mygeeto

if you grow the most in that set range then why not stick with it??

Good point, can't argue with that.....but what if i can grow MORE with another set range. always look to improve

[lil_big_junior]

ive always stuck to 4X6 on each of the movements per exercise on heavys plus 1 warm up set of 15 reps moderate weight, then followed by pyramid sets of 2-12 on a fairly light weights for the pump & fatigue to finish off...

pyramids
2 with 3 sec break, then;
3 with 3 sec break, then;
4 with 3 sec
5........
6........
7........
8 with a 5 sec break & so on up to 12 reps with a 5-8 sec break

[heydespo5269]

Originally Posted by lil_big_junior

ive always stuck to 4X6 on each of the movements per exercise on heavys plus 1 warm up set of 15 reps moderate weight, then followed by pyramid sets of 2-12 on a fairly light weights for the pump & fatigue to finish off...

pyramids
2 with 3 sec break, then;
3 with 3 sec break, then;
4 with 3 sec
5........
6........
7........
8 with a 5 sec break & so on up to 12 reps with a 5-8 sec break

that's a really unique way of training actually. i like that idea for legs the most.

[TylerDurden389]

I can definitely put my two cents here coming from my own personal experiences. When I was younger I used to be very confused about sets as well. I figured that "More sets mean more muscle growth", so I did anywhere from 35-45 sets for each muscle. Yes, 45 sets. I'd do 8-9 exercises for each muscle, 5 sets for each exercise. I don't want to provide examples of what my old routines looked like because it makes me feel like an idiot.

I think the reason I lived through it was because as hard as I was training, I wasn't training nearly hard enough. Thankfully, as I got older, I gradually reduced sets over the years when I realized I wasn't lose size or strength. 35-45 sets became 30-40 sets, 25-35 sets, etc...

Now I do only do 16 sets for the big muscles (Chest, Back, Shoulders, and Thighs) and 12 sets for the smaller ones (Biceps, Triceps, Forearms, Hamstrings, and Calves) and I have even better results then I did when I was doing those ridiculous routines. Hell, I'd like to do even less than that but if I do I honestly don't feel like I'm getting a "complete" workout.

As far as the split, I'll always suggest the old fashioned "push, pull, legs" routine which is Back, Bis and Forearms one day, Quads, Hams and Calves on another day, and Chest, Shoulders and Tris the other day. However if you find a different routine works for you, by all means do it. As far as abs go, I do them 3 days a week so I end up doing them on all 3 splits throughout the week.

Bottom line, from my own experience and from what I've read in dozens of books and magazines for the past 9 years, anything more than 20 sets for a muscle is overkill, and you should only do 20 sets for a muscle when you feel it's lagging behind.

Oh and any more than 25 reps on a set is overkill as well. 15-25 reps is enough to stimulate the fast twitch muscle fibers. That took me a long time to learn as well.

[heydespo5269]

i usually hang out in the 10-15 rep range, with deads/squats sometimes being the exception to the rule. I usually do 16 sets on my bigger bodyparts and about 12 on the smaller, so I'm on the right track.

Just curious, how does your leg workouts look. Cause i do 16 sets for the whole thigh, quad/ham included, and then about 9 sest for calfs.

and do you do 12 sets for your traps?

everyone is different...some peoples chest fatigues quicker and such. I do about 16-18 sets for chest and shoulder and legs. 9 sets for bis and tris=18 total for the day

the only extreme one i do is back...20 sets sometimes

but everyone is different despo...some people think overtraining is 16 sets let alone 20. some don't.

[lil_big_junior]

Originally Posted by heydespo5269

that's a really unique way of training actually. i like that idea for legs the most.

this is how i grew mostly bro, give it a try & see if it works for u...

[Mygeeto]

Personally bro, i rekon your calves should be totally anihilated within 6 sets, not including warm ups.

[TylerDurden389]

My leg work out is as follows:

Thighs - 16 sets

1. Leg extensions - 4 sets - 20,16,15,12
2. Squats - 4 sets - 15, 10-12, 8-10, 6-8
3.Front Squats or Hack squats - 4 sets - 16, 12,10,8
4. Lunges - 4 sets - 16, 12, 10, 6-8

Hamstrings - 12 sets

1. Stiffed leg deadlifts - 4 sets - 25,20,15,12
2. Standing leg curls - 4 sets - 20,16,12,8-10
3.Lying leg curls - 4 sets - 15,10-12, 8-10, 6-8

Calves - 16 sets

1. Standing calf raises - 4 sets - 25,20,15,10-12
2. Seated calf raises - 4 sets - 20, 16, 10-12, 8-10
3. One legged calf raises or leg press calf raises - 15,10-12,8-10,6-8
4. Reverse calf raises - 4 sets of 25

I'm thinking of putting leg presses into my thigh routine but I gotta get my leg press machine fixed first. The machine is weird and I can only do quarter reps.