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3 x 8 or 5 x 5?
- Thread starter Headley
- Start date
spartacus
Well-known member
either.
For exercises where some skill is involved, like your three exercises, perhaps 5 x 5 is better.
What matters through is pushing, and backing off to recover.
This is the key rather than a magical set of numbers. In reality, 5x5 is little different from 4x6, or 3x8.
For exercises where some skill is involved, like your three exercises, perhaps 5 x 5 is better.
What matters through is pushing, and backing off to recover.
This is the key rather than a magical set of numbers. In reality, 5x5 is little different from 4x6, or 3x8.
Last edited:
Goosey
.
good post spart, you stimulate thought.
low reps are safer for dead's.
but now and again adding higher reps benefit the body.
it would be difficult to do a one rep style template for 12 months.
jj80
Member
Start with 5x5 adding weight and increasing rep times till you fail at 5x5. Record your PB for 5x5.
Then reset 5x5 weight and add 1x8 of a similar exercise (front squats, incline bench, dips, etc.). Keep adding weight to 5x5 till (hopefully) bypass your previous PB for 5x5. Make the early light sets of 5x5 harder by exploding on the concentric and taking short breaks between sets.
When you hit a barrier add another set or two so now you're doing 5x5 and 2x8 to 3x8 every workout.
Increase volume gradually over time and eat well = results. Volume seems especially important for the upper body.
One day of my current upper body workout looks like this (I do another similar one, later in the week):
Day 1:
5 sets of bench
60 chins over 10-12 sets
5x5 close grip bench
3x6 heavy weighted dips
5x5 shoulder assistance
I would never grow from 5x5 alone.
Then reset 5x5 weight and add 1x8 of a similar exercise (front squats, incline bench, dips, etc.). Keep adding weight to 5x5 till (hopefully) bypass your previous PB for 5x5. Make the early light sets of 5x5 harder by exploding on the concentric and taking short breaks between sets.
When you hit a barrier add another set or two so now you're doing 5x5 and 2x8 to 3x8 every workout.
Increase volume gradually over time and eat well = results. Volume seems especially important for the upper body.
One day of my current upper body workout looks like this (I do another similar one, later in the week):
Day 1:
5 sets of bench
60 chins over 10-12 sets
5x5 close grip bench
3x6 heavy weighted dips
5x5 shoulder assistance
I would never grow from 5x5 alone.
Timeah
Captain Kunce
Yep. Volume is key. You could do the three main lifts with 5x5. Then the accessory work 3x8. Front squats, leg press etc. Bent rows, db rows, chinups etc.
Incline press, db press, overhead presses etc. Would provide ample volume for growth, and good practice for strength.
Tim.
Incline press, db press, overhead presses etc. Would provide ample volume for growth, and good practice for strength.
Tim.
Goosey
.
IMO, it's safety that is key to lifting longevity and mobility, not so much "volume" which, in itself is a tad nebulus at best, there is a difference between that and TUL.
that and ones recovery between workouts.
bigruff
New member
Silver do you mind elaborating a bit on this?
Do you simply mean do more reps/sets or make each rep longer in duration?
Sorry for missing the point here lol
jj80
Member
Good video alpha.
@bigruff ; Sheiko works on adding volume, arguably the most succesful powerlifting routine (one used by massive bastards and the same bodybuilder in the above video). The old adage 'to bench more bench more' means do more volume per week. Many bodybuilders will cite increased volume as a good thing to do. PTC routines I've seen people do (including one I'm doing now) progressively adds volume and it delivers results.
I believe adding volume is a very foolproof way to get results. It's hard manipulating intensity and other factors (forced reps, slow eccentrics, etc.). If you do these things, I would say that's fine but keep them constant and add volume.
I just spent a long time trying this and that, and didn't keep stuff constant.
e.g. one week 10 sets of 6-8 reps on incline bench, all to failure
another week 8 sets, a bit heavier weight, every set after 2nd to failure.
another week 7 sets, pausing at the chest, slightly heavier again, only last 2 to failure.
Was never sure I was doing more, and the results I got were haphazard - ups and downs. if I'd done something like the following results would have improved
5 sets of incline with pauses, 80kgx5
5 sets of incline with pauses, 80kgx5 + 2 sets of 65kgx8
5 sets of incline with pauses, 80kgx5 + 3 sets of 65kgx8.
Reset to 5 sets of incline with 82.5kg + 1 set of incline 70x8.
@bigruff ; Sheiko works on adding volume, arguably the most succesful powerlifting routine (one used by massive bastards and the same bodybuilder in the above video). The old adage 'to bench more bench more' means do more volume per week. Many bodybuilders will cite increased volume as a good thing to do. PTC routines I've seen people do (including one I'm doing now) progressively adds volume and it delivers results.
I believe adding volume is a very foolproof way to get results. It's hard manipulating intensity and other factors (forced reps, slow eccentrics, etc.). If you do these things, I would say that's fine but keep them constant and add volume.
I just spent a long time trying this and that, and didn't keep stuff constant.
e.g. one week 10 sets of 6-8 reps on incline bench, all to failure
another week 8 sets, a bit heavier weight, every set after 2nd to failure.
another week 7 sets, pausing at the chest, slightly heavier again, only last 2 to failure.
Was never sure I was doing more, and the results I got were haphazard - ups and downs. if I'd done something like the following results would have improved
5 sets of incline with pauses, 80kgx5
5 sets of incline with pauses, 80kgx5 + 2 sets of 65kgx8
5 sets of incline with pauses, 80kgx5 + 3 sets of 65kgx8.
Reset to 5 sets of incline with 82.5kg + 1 set of incline 70x8.
White_Lie
Look at Moi, I'm a Kunce
Was watching a few young guys training today and it got me thinking about this thread. For the real beginner, classic ectomorph that can't lift their body weight, is it better to train low reps with minimal assistance to build up the strength to be able to do unassisted pullups, pushups etc or do you stick with higher reps even though you require more assistance?
I have no doubt over a small time frame, with the right diet, either will achieve the result but from seeing guys that can't do 10 pushups or 2 unassisted pullups it just got me thinking which would get you there faster.
I have no doubt over a small time frame, with the right diet, either will achieve the result but from seeing guys that can't do 10 pushups or 2 unassisted pullups it just got me thinking which would get you there faster.
Rugby88
I have Ep1c Calendar kunce
From a beginner point of view its all about volume - does not matter the type of sets reps really - training as much as possible hitting each bodypart 2,3,4 times a week - be it 5 x 5 or 5 x 10 etc
It regards to what is better for building mass - who knows? I use a mix and it works well - I also sometimes stick to a set set/rep program and it works well - I do believe keeping reps under 10 is best though....
It regards to what is better for building mass - who knows? I use a mix and it works well - I also sometimes stick to a set set/rep program and it works well - I do believe keeping reps under 10 is best though....