Volume-how many sets?

[cinch]

I was just reading a training log by Rich + it was mentioned a couple of times about him doing too many sets during a workout.
How many sets per bodypart (major + minor) or per workout would you guys recommend?

[James Copping]

Depends on frequency, intensity and rep range.

[Tom_4000]

It really does depend mate, on the rest of your workout.

The two most differing schools of thought on the issue are "high frequency training" and "high intensity training".

HFT requires lower poundages, more sets, more frequent often full body workouts. Here's a link:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler75.htm

HIT requires heavier weights, fewer sets, and less frequent workouts. Here's a link:

http://www.naturalstrength.com/resea...?ArticleID=207

Both are good, and have their place. In my opinion, a balanced weights program should be somewhere between these ideas; say 3 sets per exercise, two exercises for a large muscle group, one for a smaller isolation.

[cinch]

For Chest I do two pressing exercises, 4 working sets in the rep range of 5-8. For bis or tris, just one exercise 4 working sets, again 5-8 reps. Usually going to failure on the last two sets.


I didnt get anything from those links, dunno if its just my computer.

[Tom_4000]

Just checked... links work for me.

Yeah that sounds alright, would drop the sets to two for bi's and tri's and work harder on the bench. IMO if you're gonna go to failure, better to do it benching than to do it isolating your arms!

Depends really though, what's your workout like?

[cinch]

When training chest, I do incline d bell press then decline d bell press. Then a shoulder press and lat raise, finally a triceps exercise. 4 sets for each chest exercise, 3 for the shoulders and 4 for the tris. Although really my tris are pretty knackered by then+the last set really aint up to much.