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Anonymous
It is the overload that causes the muscle to grow, not the amount of sets you do. There is no “universal law” which states that if you double the amount of sets you perform you also double the results.

The key is to stimulate, not annihilate, the muscle into responding and growing. You do this with two very intense sets of four to six repetitions. This will efficiently stimulate the muscles more than doing more sets with more reps at a lighter weight.

If we were doing bicep curls, we would do our warm-ups and then two heavy, intense sets of four to six repetitions. This exercise is now done. You have effectively overloaded the bicep muscles and will then proceed to the next exercise, if there is one.
What do you guys think? 2 sets or 3?
>> Anonymous
You're partially right.

Volume is an important part of training. There is no magical button you push with one or two "hard enough" sets. The key word here is SAID: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands.

I grew best on moderate volume as done by many powerlifters. Beginners do well on less, experienced trainees know enough about themselves to make their own minds up.
>> Rochambeau !Eu5BrP0pAY
It's always going to be different because everyone's physiology is different. Some adapt with doing 5 sets of 50% of max x 8-12 while others adapt to 3 sets of 85% x 4-6. You just have to study yourself and see what routine gives you the BEST results. Not necessarily the fastest, but the best.
>> Anonymous
>>38620

couldn't agree with you more. I get a great pump and am seeing good results with 4 sets at 12 reps
>> Anonymous
My arms didn't blow up until I went lower weight more reps but to each his own
>> Anonymous
i got fantastic gains doing 5x5
>> Anonymous
After lots of testing, I think that for me my gains have always equated to my tenacity and resolve, more than sets and reps. I know this sounds ignorant, but most of my blocks have been mental in the past. Pushing myself to that last rep, challenging my own intensity level.

What i can say about higher reps and lower weight is this: Its easier to get that last rep done. its simple mathematics. You are more likely to finish that last rep if each one is a lower weight. However, if you can kill 5 reps with a high weight, I think you will see more consistent gains.
>> Anonymous
wait so what you're saying is 2-3 sets of intense heavy lifting per muscle? with just one exercise? and that's it? is that really enough stimulation?
>> Anonymous
>>38581
>>You do this with two very intense sets of four to six repetitions. This will efficiently stimulate the muscles more than doing more sets with more reps at a lighter weight.

that's an over-generalisation. 1, optimum set/rep loading will depend on fibre compostion of the individual. 2, what is the goal of the individual, some sports orietated performance criteria or just general hypertrophy? 3, what muscles are being exercised? for example, overloading spinal flexion at 2-3 reps will cause serious injury, while 12-15 reps will cause adaptations useful for the prevention of injury.

it's a little more involved than that.
>> Anonymous
>>38964
hell, i even forgot 4, what is the training age of the individual?
>> Anonymous
3 sets, 6-8 reps.
>> Guil
>>39933
:D

That's what I do anyway, then increase the weight and do it again. Then the next exercise
>> Anonymous
to overcome plateaus you need to do high weight low reps.

But staying at 8-10 reps for maximum gains is the best.