Hail to the Dinosaurs!
Ever since I wrote about the 5 x 5 system in
Dinosaur Training -- which was way back in 1996 --
I've gotten questions about it.
And the questions are always the same.
They go something like this:
"Which is better?
1. TWO progressively heavier warmup sets and THREE
work sets?
2. THREE progressively heavier warmup sets and TWO
work sets?
3. FOUR progressively heavier warmup sets and ONE
work set?"
So here's the answer: They all work. They're all good.
They all build strength and muscle. BUT -- they are
different, and what works best for one lifter may not
work best for another lifter.
The benefit of doing three work sets is that it forces
you to stay at the same weight until you have fully
mastered it before you add more plates to the bar.
That can be a very good thing, especially for the
impatient types who try to force progress by adding
weight before they're really ready for it. Then they
end up gutting the weight up in lousy form, cutting
depth on squats, bouncing their deadlifts, arching
on their bench presses, swinging their curls, etc.
If you catch yourself doing that, you're a good
candidate for doing three work sets.
Older lifters with stiffer joints and lower recovery
ability often do best by performing five progressively
heavier sets and a single work set.
Also note that there's no magic about 5 x 5. If you need
to start really light and do more warmup sets, then feel
free to do 6 x 5 or 7 x 5. That's what I do -- and it's
what many older lifters NEED to do.
Two more quick points -- and again, these are in
response to common questions.
First, don't get hung up on percentages. There's no magic
number to use to determine the "best" weight on each set
in the series.
Second, 5 rep sets WILL build muscle mass. Don't ever listen
to anyone who says you need to do "high reps for muscle mass."
You can get seriously big and strong and thick with low rep
training.
By the way, did you know that Reg Park built up on five rep
sets?
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. You can learn more about effective training for strength and
mass in any of my books and courses:
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
