# how many WORKING SETS per bodypart?



## gold95 (May 23, 2009)

i'v been following many of the journals & there is a huge difference in the number of working sets. i know there are too many training programmes to mention & people are at different levels but just wondered the number of working sets that you feel works best for YOU?

i'm a fan of many of the HIT theories so i like to keep things to a minimum.


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## hilly (Jan 19, 2008)

im making very good progress at the minute using 3 working sets per bodypart only twice over 8 days


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Am following a somewhat unconventional split atm where I'm hitting each major bodypart five times a week but for very low volume - just one intense, but non failure working set, each workout... so one set per workout, five sets per week total per bodypart.


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## Cheese (Jul 7, 2009)

I am currently following HIT so 1 workset for each excersice and 2 or 3 excerisces per body part.

I'll write my routine if you like?

I'd be interested to see yours.


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## Dsahna (May 25, 2009)

5 or 6,all to failure,every nine days


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## gold95 (May 23, 2009)

Cheese said:


> I am currently following HIT so 1 workset for each excersice and 2 or 3 excerisces per body part.
> 
> *I'll write my routine if you like?*
> 
> I'd be interested to see yours.


yes that sounds good, mine is;

1 day on 1 day off, each bodypart once every 10 days (chest & tri's weaker so do an extra exercise during the 10 days)

workout 1- back & rear delts (1) chin ups, (2) t bar rows, (3) barbell rows, (4) deadlifts & (5) bent over DB raises....

workout 2- chest & triceps (1) inc DB bench press (2) DB flyes, (3) 1 arm overhead DB exts (not to failure just 2 warm up sets), (4) standing EZ bar exts, (5) CGB...

workout 3- legs (1) leg exts, (2) back squats feet about shoulder width apart, (3) front squats feet closer just over hip width apart, (4) lying leg curls (5) SLDL...

workout 4- chest, traps & biceps (1) DB Bench press, (2) DB shrugs, (3) concentration curls (not to failure just 2 warm up sets), (4) bar curls, (5) hammer curls

workout 5- shoulders & triceps (1) seated military press, (2) DB front raise (3) standing DB lateral raises 1 arm at a time, (4) seated DB laterals, (5) skullcrushers

-train to (positive) failure reps between 7-10 & 8-12 for legs (DLs not to failure but try to do more each workout even if its just a single rep) dont do low reps coz had an op on my back.

-will do drop sets on some of them, & partial reps when can't do anymore full 1s on some exercises,

-training at home so thats why so many freeweights exercises. (& reason i don't train calves, they aren't too bad & wont take much to catch up) try to keep form as strict as pos & use full ROM & lately been more strict with negative part of lifts. will be joining a gym before end of year.

-many HIT fans might say doing too much (i did say i was fan of many of the theories not all of them) & others say not enough but working for me atleast for now so don't see a need to change it.


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## Cheese (Jul 7, 2009)

Cheers Gold,

Here's mine, I train Monday and Thursday only and do a 3 routine split.

For example

Moday - Chest and Back

BB Flat Bench, BB Incline Bench, T-bar rows, Close Grip Lat Pulldown (palms inwards), Deadlift

Thurs - Legs and Stomach

Leg Press, Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Calf Raises, Various ab work (10 minutes not HIT)

Monday - Shoulders, Bi's and Tri's

BB Shoulder Press, Lateral Raises, Shrugs, BB curls, Tricep Extensions, Tricep Pushdowns or Dips

Thurs - Repeat Routine.

I have only been doing this for a few weeks and am really enjoying it, it has put some fire back into my training. I think it was stagnating a bit before i started the new routine.

I train to Negative failure on Flat/incline bench press and shoulder press, everything else is to positive failure. My rep ranges are pretty much the same as yours.

I do 1 warm up set for each new muscle group ie i warm up on flat bench but not for incline as i'm already warm then i warm up for T-bar rows but not for CG lat pull downs.

I don't do a set routine for abs as i don't feel it is needed i just get them working for 5/10 minutes.


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## essexboy (Sep 7, 2008)

just the one.Just the one w/o a week.


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## Cheese (Jul 7, 2009)

essexboy said:


> just the one.Just the one w/o a week.


What do you mean by this?

One workout each week during which you do one set per body part and do a full body workout?


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## Will101 (Apr 14, 2009)

5 working sets of 6 reps for me.

Start heavy (on working sets) and then drop weight each time I cant finish set.


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## Wee G1436114539 (Oct 6, 2007)

Between 6 and 40+ depending on what phase I'm in.


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## Jux (Jul 23, 2008)

Whatever you feel makes you train as intense as you can. Just make sure you rest longer if you're going to obliterate the muscles concerned. Did "how many reps you can do in one minute of bicep cable curls supersetted with tricep pushdowns" with a few guys in the gym yesterday. And i ain't gonna be training my biceps for another 2 weeks at least lol.


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## chucknorris666 (Jul 20, 2009)

i do 4 sets on 1 body part each day

mon/ arms

tue/ back

wed/ chest

thu/ shoulders

fri/ legs

sat/ rest day

sun/ rest day


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## godsgifttoearth (Jul 28, 2009)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16287373?ordinalpos=8&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

*For untrained individuals, maximal strength gains are elicited at a mean training intensity of 60% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM), 3 days per week, and with a mean training volume of 4 sets per muscle group. Recreationally trained nonathletes exhibit maximal strength gains with a mean training intensity of 80% of 1RM, 2 days per week, and a mean volume of 4 sets. For athlete populations, maximal strength gains are elicited at a mean training intensity of 85% of 1RM, 2 days per week, and with a mean training volume of 8 sets per muscle group.*

these numbers include overlap.


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

train eod lots of sets just go by feel but 3-4 working sets max


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Cheese said:


> I am currently following HIT so 1 workset for each excersice and 2 or 3 excerisces per body part.
> 
> I'll write my routine if you like?
> 
> I'd be interested to see yours.


Ditto.

Makes no sense hammering the muscle any more after failure.

This game is all about recovery.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

godsgifttoearth said:


> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16287373?ordinalpos=8&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
> 
> *For untrained individuals, maximal strength gains are elicited at a mean training intensity of 60% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM), 3 days per week, and with a mean training volume of 4 sets per muscle group. Recreationally trained nonathletes exhibit maximal strength gains with a mean training intensity of 80% of 1RM, 2 days per week, and a mean volume of 4 sets. For athlete populations, maximal strength gains are elicited at a mean training intensity of 85% of 1RM, 2 days per week, and with a mean training volume of 8 sets per muscle group.*
> 
> these numbers include overlap.


Interesting meta-study... and sounds about right as an average template to work from. I guess the study conclusions would put most of us on this forum in the "*Recreationally trained nonathletes exhibit maximal strength gains with a mean training intensity of 80% of 1RM, 2 days per week, and a mean volume of 4 sets" *group.

Is important to recognise though that this meta-study looks at strength and not muscular hypertrophy, two things that are linked but different enough to be unable to conclude that this way of training is also optimum for bodybuilding.


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

godsgifttoearth said:


> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16287373?ordinalpos=8&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
> 
> *For untrained individuals, maximal strength gains are elicited at a mean training intensity of 60% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM), 3 days per week, and with a mean training volume of 4 sets per muscle group. Recreationally trained nonathletes exhibit maximal strength gains with a mean training intensity of 80% of 1RM, 2 days per week, and a mean volume of 4 sets. For athlete populations, maximal strength gains are elicited at a mean training intensity of 85% of 1RM, 2 days per week, and with a mean training volume of 8 sets per muscle group.*
> 
> these numbers include overlap.


Interesting.

So, what about the guy that has trained for 30 years, would these %'s of one rep max work for him at his genetic potential?

What if the guy's were older or younger than the selected group they used?

Define athlete populations?

Pro athletes, power lifters, bodybuilders?

What if one's perception of 1 rep max had more intensity than anothers?

Of course the untrained guys faired better with less intensity and more frequency, they have not even got the motion of the lift down.

Looking at the study the longer the guys lifted the more intensity was needed for more strength gains.

So, back to the guy that has lifted for over 30 years (like myself), would more intensity above 85% of my one rep max be more welcome?

But in the end I am not a power lifter, just a guy that wants to keep his size he developed over the years and keep the injuries down to a minimum.


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