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Are back-off sets useful after a strength workout?

Most new trainees are lifting so "inefficiently"; as they're still learning the correct way to do movements and they're building up their endurance in movements.
So they can lift practically everyday (volume) because their effort (lack of intensity) allows for it.
As their efficiency (and thus intensity) increases over time, they start needing to cut back at their volume.

but over the same period they build up endurance in the movements and thus can increase volume?
 
Most new trainees are lifting so "inefficiently"; as they're still learning the correct way to do movements and they're building up their endurance in movements.
So they can lift practically everyday (volume) because their effort (lack of intensity) allows for it.
As their efficiency (and thus intensity) increases over time, they start needing to cut back at their volume.

For me anyway dropping volume only works for a few weeks then need to go back to higher volume.
 
Paul Carter wrote, and I like;


There are several factors that contribute to strength.

There are motor skills, e.g. timing and proper form.

Then there are nervous system adaptations, for example, recruiting as many fibers as possible, and being able to activate them all in milliseconds.

Then there's the simple issue of muscle. Mass moves mass. Once you maximize your neural adaptations and motor skills, to get stronger you need to have more muscle.

Reps in the 5 to 8 range are best for building the right kind of muscle.

Low reps are not as good for this purpose.

Different lifts involve these factors to different degrees.

A guy who does the clean and jerk may never need to put on more muscle, because the task of maximizing motor skills will be a lifetime endeavor for him.

But for something like a bench press, you quickly reach a point of diminishing returns. It's just not a complicated movement.

So for bench press, the way to get stronger is to build more muscle. And, as expected, the consensus for bench training is that volume and bodybuilding are where it's at.
 
I don't think you'd need to drop your volume but it certainly has to drop relative to an increase in intensity when you get diminishing returns.

Volume is workload done in a week or month and is independent of frequency
 
Does the 1x8 on squats and deads in Bill Starrs 5x5 count as a back off set? Or does this imply more than one set.
 
When I was doing 5x5 or 10,8,6 which I'm doing know for the squat I always finish with a back-off set of 20, this was a favourite of Dr Ken liestner.
 
I think the "back off" set should be considerably higher reps than the low rep stuff in a typical strength training program. My set last night was 15 reps after doing triples.
 
Does the 1x8 on squats and deads in Bill Starrs 5x5 count as a back off set? Or does this imply more than one set.
Yep. Although when I did the 1x8 back-off set as is, I didn't get much out of the program. When I treated it as 1x8+, and found myself doing 20-rep squats in that set, I found the program more effective. This was coupled with doing 2 top sets on Monday instead of 1 top set (making it 6x5 instead of 5x5). I couldn't tell you if I got more out of doing it this way because of the extra set on Monday, the extra reps on Friday, or both.
 
Nothing ignorant about that Ryan, I reckon you're spot on.

But you know what all these programs have in common?
They get you to lift weights
That's a relief.

And you're right. The top factor is that weight is being moved.
 
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