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| Like all old-time champions, John Grimek used a variety of set/rep systems - but over time, he found what worked best for him on any given exercise. |
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
For some reason, I've been getting a
lot of questions about sets and reps.
Here are some of the most common
questions -- and my answers to them.
Q. How do I build up to doing heavy
singles?
A. Do 5 x 5 for three months, and then
do 5/4/3/2/1 for three months.
Or do 5 x 5 for three months, followed
by three months of 5 x 5, 1 x 3 and
1 x 1.
Q. You always talk about 5 x 5 -- but
what if I need to do more warm-up
sets?
A. Go ahead and do them. If it turns
out to be 6 x 5 or 7 x 5, that's fine.
Q. Does 5 x 5 mean you do five sets
with your heaviest possible weight?
A. No, it means you do a series of
progressively heavier warm-up sets
followed by 3 working sets with your
top weight -- or 2 working sets -- or
one working set.
Some related points:
Over the course of a training cycle,
you can move from 3 x 5 working
sets to 1 x 5. (This can be very
effective, especially for advanced
Dinos.)
You can do 3 x 5 in light weeks, 2 x 5
in medium weeks, and 1 x 5 in heavy
weeks. (In other words, vary the
number of work sets depending on
whether you are in a light week, a
medium week or a heavy week.)
The stronger you are, and the heavier
you train, the fewer work sets you
need (or can stand).
Older trainees usually do better on
one working set in any exercise.
Squats and deadlifts usually work
best with one working set.
Working sets are heavy sets but
not necessarily maximum effort
sets.
Q. Do heavy singles work well for
all exercises?
A. They work best for squats, front
squats, deadlifts, Trap Bar deadlifts,
bottom position bench press, bottom
position squats, push presses, military
presses, cleans, snatches and the
clean and press or the clean and
jerk.
Curls, shrugs, and lat exercises
usually work better with sets of
five or six reps.
Gut work and neck work is best if
you do sets of 8 to 15 reps. Ditto
for calf work.
Grip work varies depending on what
you do.
Q. When you do heavy singles, do
you lift your maximum possible weight
in your top set?
A. No, you do a series of progressively
heavier sets and work up to a weight
that is heavy, demanding and makes
you focus and work -- but it's not
your absolute max.
Q. Can I skip the warm-up sets to
save time?
A. No, warm-up sets are important.
If you don't have time to do warm-up
sets, you don't have time to train.
Q. What's the best system of sets
and reps?
A. There isn't one. The best system
of sets and reps for YOU will depend
on a variety of factors, and it will
change over time. It also will vary
from exercise to exercise.
Don't agonize over finding "the best"
way to train. Find a GOOD way, and
work it hard. You'll do just fine.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. For more details on effective
strength training and muscle building
workouts, grab these:
a. Strength, Muscle and Power
http://www.brookskubik.com/strength_muscle_power.html
b. Chalk and Sweat
http://www.brookskubik.com/chalk_and_sweat.html
c. The Dinosaur Training Military
Press and Shoulder Power Course
http://www.brookskubik.com/militarypress_course.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses are
right here at Dino Headquarters:
Hard-copy and PDF
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Kindle
http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day:
"If you sweat more planning
your workouts than when you
train, there's a problem."
-- Brooks Kubik
BEFORE YOU LEAVE . . .
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