Sets, Reps and Progression for Dinosaurs!

Hail to the Dinosaurs!

Here's a sets and reps question for
you.

How do you move from 5 x 2 to 5 x 3?

In other words, if you do a series of
progressively heavier warm-up sets,
followed by 5 sets of 2 reps with your
working weight, how do you progress to
5 working sets of 3 reps?

The best way to do it is the Doug
Hepburn way -- by adding one rep
per workout. That's best because
it's slow cooking -- and your body
can adapt to the new stress.

For example, you might do 1 x 3,
followed by 4 x 2.

In the next workout, you might do
2 x 3, followed by 3 x 2.

And so on, until you hit 5 x 3.

But you can change things up a bit
by adding that extra rep to your
final set. That makes it tougher,
because you're already tired from
the previous sets. So making that
extra rep becomes more of a
challenge. It makes you focus,
concentrate and dig deep into
your reserves.

Doing it that way, you would try
4 x 2, followed by 1 x 3.

In your next session, you would do
3 x 2, followed by 2 x 4.

And so on.

And then, there's another way --
one that I've never seen anyone do.
But it works well.

Add the extra rep to the middle
set!

In other words, do 2 x 2, followed
by 1 x 3, followed by 2 x 2.

In the next workout, do 2 x 2,
2 x 3 and 1 x 2.

After that, do 1 x 2, 3 x 3, and
1 x 2.

That's nice, because you tire
your muscles with the three rep set
and then the challenge is to do the
remaining 2 rep set(s) in perfect
form, with speed and aggression.

It gives you an idea of how much
variety you can work into a very
basic system of progression --
without doing crazy stuff and
without making radical changes.

And of course, you can do similar
things with different sets and reps.
The point is, think about where to
add weight -- or where to add a
rep -- or a set -- or to perform
a compound exercise -- or to adjust
the height of the pins in the power
rack.

Look for challenge points. They're
what transforms an ordinary workout
into an awesome one!

As always, thanks for reading and have
a great day. If you train today, make
it a good one.

Yours in strength,

Brooks Kubik

P.S. For more ways to challenge your
muscles, grab these:

http://www.brookskubik.com/dinosaur_training.html

http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html

P.S. 2. To learn more about Doug Hepburn
and his training methods, grab this:

http://www.brookskubik.com/doug_hepburn.html

P.S. 3. My other books and courses are right
here at Dino Headquarters:

http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html

P.S. 4. Thought for the Day: "Slow but
steady progress adds up to lifelong training
success." -- Brooks Kubik