gruntjc

G'day fellow Iron Warriors,

Over the last couple of years, I have come to appreciate the benefits associated with an abbreaviated routine.

To give you an example, my leg workout for god knows how long now has been a staple of squats and stiff leg deadlifts, with some calf raises thrown in for good measure.

My workout may go something like this...

Set 1: 60K x 10
Set 2: 100K x 5
Set 3: 120 x 3-4
Set 4: 140 x 2
Set 5: 150 x 1
Set 6: 160 x 12
Set 7: 165 x 8-9

That's it for quads. 2 very hard, balls to the wall sets.

* Bear in mind that I am JUST WARMING UP in those first 5 sets. I would refer to them as assimilation sets, as I'm merely allowing my body to get used to the heavy weight.

I then move on to a couple sets of stiff leg deads and same for calves, but obviously those bodyparts require fewer warm up sets than quads.

So..... when I read about guys doing 10 or more (supposedly) all out sets just for quads.. it raises an eyebrow.

Can someone please explain, as after my 2 'work' sets of squats.. I am f***d and cant possibly imagine doing another 2 sets, let alone 8!!

DJSTARER

i agree with you to some extent. You have to realize there are many scientific principles which exist, and many different genetic schemes. Everyone is different. Some people respond well to intensity, others, volume.

__________________
My philosophies on training:

"Extreme training yields extreme results"

"Just because you can, does not mean you should"

"The best program is the one you are not doing"





Penn State Powerlifting-181 lb weightclass

PGA Professional of America


Current Stats:
474 Squat
601 Deadlift
320 Bench


Goals for next training cycle:

500lbs squat and a total over 1400 in competition

A_N_91

when im in the off-season or not training for a sport, i do 5-8 working sets...during season or when im training for a sport, i do only 2-4 sets

powerman2000

I don't think I've read anyone saying they do 10 all out sets of any exercise, particularly when referring to squats. The possible exception is 10x3 workouts, but the weight used is supposed to be a weight that you can stay with through all 10 sets, which means the first several sets should be rather easy compared to your last set. Even GVT (german volume training) uses this same principle. Going "balls to the wall" for 10 sets of a major compound exercise is suicide. I could see getting away with that on a small muscle, but never on a large muscle group. Besides, increased frequency with fewer sets is much more effective than totally destroying a muscle 1x per week.

__________________
Don't forget to periodize
Best BP 507 lbs *competitive*
Best Squat 705 lbs *competitive*
Best DL 650 lbs *competitive*


Guns don't kill people, men who come home early do.

My workout log http://www.ironmass.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6247