Strength Training- Reps 12-10-8- until failure question

Options
2»

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Options
    You don't have to keep your body guessing. Your body only has one brain and if you are thinking about changing your exercise plan, it already knows it.

    Unless I really hate a new program, I like to stick with a program for at least 3 months. That gives me time to see some progress/improvement. Changing it every two weeks wouldn't give me time to memorize what comes next and I'd spend every workout looking at my notes every two minutes.
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    Options
    gotcha... thats good to know...
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
    Options
    All of this is dependent on your diet too. You need to make sure your calories correspond to your goals.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    Options
    Tdstrength wrote: »
    Higher reps builds muscle, 8/12, strength 3-5, don't over think it, use compound movements, bench, squat, OHP, deadlift, depending on your goal, go for strength one week, then next time do more of a bodybuilding rep range 8-12, build that foundation, use high *kitten* reps in the accessory work lifts, keep it up man!

    This is good advice. Depending on what I'm going for (strength vs hypertrophy), I'll spend more time on the heavy compound lifts or more time on the higher rep accessory lifts.
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    Options
    kami3006 wrote: »
    All of this is dependent on your diet too. You need to make sure your calories correspond to your goals.

    how do i determine this?
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    raven56706 wrote: »
    kami3006 wrote: »
    All of this is dependent on your diet too. You need to make sure your calories correspond to your goals.

    how do i determine this?

    You must eat enough to gain weight. Get around 1 gram of protein/lb of lean body weight and the rest of your calories from carbs and fats. If you are gaining weight, then you have what is needed in place to gain fat and muscle (notice I put fat first as you put more fat on than muscle regardless, unless you have some "medicated help" or the genetics of a god) if you are lifting systematically to increase weight and/or volume (as properly designed programs do). If you don't offer stimulus for your muscles to grow, then you will end up just putting on fat.
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    Options
    you guys are offering great advice and i appreciate it.

    the reasoning behind my questions is my dilemma. Im trying to burn fat and get strong at the same time. Which i think is doable. The problem is im on anti depressant medicine for which its making me gain weight. Im not letting that stop me from trying to beat that wall but i might be fighting super brick wall. Exercise obviously helps big time so i want to try everything to burn fat.

    so im trying everything my peeps...
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    double post meh
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
    Options
    kami3006 wrote: »
    Eat at a deficit and follow a strength program. You'll lose fat and gain strength even if not building muscle. Basically, you're training your muscles/nerves to work more efficiently. Once you're happy with your fat loss you can decide if body recomposition (eating at maintenance or close to and lifting to build muscle) or a bulk (eat over maintenance and put on muscle) is right for you.

    I also take antidepressants that have a possible weight gain as a side effect. As long as I weighed and logged my food and kept a deficit, I had no issues losing what I wanted. I countered the increased appetite with filling foods (fat, protein, fiber).

    ETA: Pick a program like strong lifts, starting strength, ice cream fitness, etc and stick with it. They're all progressive programs what will have you increasing weight at regular intervals and are ones that you can stick with long term. No need to keep switching programs if you're regularly upping your weights. As for medical issues making lifts difficult, most programs have alternative lifts but you may need the advice of a physical therapist too.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    Options
    kami3006 wrote: »
    kami3006 wrote: »
    Eat at a deficit and follow a strength program. You'll lose fat and gain strength even if not building muscle. Basically, you're training your muscles/nerves to work more efficiently. Once you're happy with your fat loss you can decide if body recomposition (eating at maintenance or close to and lifting to build muscle) or a bulk (eat over maintenance and put on muscle) is right for you.

    I also take antidepressants that have a possible weight gain as a side effect. As long as I weighed and logged my food and kept a deficit, I had no issues losing what I wanted. I countered the increased appetite with filling foods (fat, protein, fiber).

    ETA: Pick a program like strong lifts, starting strength, ice cream fitness, etc and stick with it. They're all progressive programs what will have you increasing weight at regular intervals and are ones that you can stick with long term. No need to keep switching programs if you're regularly upping your weights. As for medical issues making lifts difficult, most programs have alternative lifts but you may need the advice of a physical therapist too.

    ^^ What she said. :D

    Was typing something up and noticed this was pretty much in line with what I was typing, so nothing more to add.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    OP, I just realized I never offered an answer to your primary question about training to muscular failure. I'm of the opinion that it's sub-optimal for long term. What I mean is, while it technically causes the most muscular disruption (which is what you want), the time it takes to recover from this is time you could have been recovered and training again. I like it akin to trying to get a deep tan. Can you go an get blistered, recover, get blistered, recover, and so on till you get that tan you want? Probably. But it will take much longer to recover between each tanning session before you would attempt it again. The better approach would be to start off with minimal exposure and increase that exposure time little by little each session. Recovery will be far easier and the time to get to that goal will be shorter as well.

    You will see this methodology in programming called auto-regulation where depending on the phase you are in, might have you stop short of failure by 3 reps or 2 reps or 1 rep. You might also see it shown as @7 (for three reps "left in the tank"), @8 (2 reps left), @9 (you get the my point). Then of course performing a max attempt would be @10.
    If you don't see this in some of the programs, it just means the percentages are already calculated for you as what is expected for you to do (not what you might actually be able to do that day... You might have had a bad night's sleep, or not eating properly, stresses of life, etc... Which might affect training that day and you don't feel as strong).
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
    Options
    good info. thanks. Im gonna stick to my 12-10-8 and until failure... see how it takes me for 3 months. if its not good or no progress , i will switch

Categories