Recommendations for sets/reps and/or exercises?

caseythirteen

I've been doing a lot of reading today about sets/reps for stength versus hypertrophy and I feel like my head is spinning. It seems like the general idea is to do 3-5 reps for strength, 8-10 for hypertrophy and 12+ for endurance. I also read that it could be good to do the basic compound movements in the strength range and then the isolation type stuff in the hypertrophy range. And then I kept reading about all other kinds of suggestions of mixing the two. I don't typically like asking questions but I would really appreciate the opinion of people who know a heck of a lot more about this than I do.

About me: I've just started lifting in the last 3 months so relatively new to it. I'm not looking to lose pounds but would like to drop BF%. I'm estimating it's around 24% and would like to get down to at least 21-22%. I'm 5'4", 38 and 117 pounds. I estimated my TDEE to be in the 1950-2050 range and aim to eat around 1800 a day with protein coming in around 115. I would like to get stronger with some good muscle definition but not too much mass. My current lifting routine, that I just recently switched to, is an upper/lower split 4 days a week so doing each twice. When I was doing full body I was doing 3 sets of 6-8 (moving up weight when I hit 8 reps) but switched to 4 sets of 6 (and I don't recall why). I add in 20 minutes of cardio after the weight sessions and then another day or two of cardio only.

I do squats (105 lbs) and deadlifts (105 lbs) on the lower body days and chest press (70 lbs.), OHP (55 lbs) and seated dual cable row (75 lbs) on the upper days. In addition to those I do lunges, single leg squats, standing calf raises, kneeling leg curl and leg press on lower days and assisted chin-ups, lat pull downs, tricep push down, lateral raises and bicep curls (plus ab work) on upper days.

Based on my goals, what would your recommendation be for sets/reps? Would keeping one weight the whole time be better or doing some kind of pyramid? Would different moves be better also?

Thanks!

Sarauk2sf

Why did you switch from a full body work out to a split?

caseythirteen

A few reasons, the first being because I felt like I could do higher weights on the body parts if I seperated them. For instance, holding 30 lb. dumbbells in each arm to do my lunges made my arms more tired when I went over to do chin-ups or lat pull downs. I also wanted to add in some more ab work and isolation type movements. Lastly because I was getting bored with the routine so I wanted to change it up.

jacksonpt

Based on your goals, I'd setup your routine in such a way that you are most likely to kick *kitten*. You can argue about splits vs full body... iso vs full body.... strength vs hyper vs endurance... periodization, etc etc. At the end of the day, the single greatest factor in your success will be your effort, not the program/routine.

As long as your are working more or less your full body, lifting heavy, and putting in the work you'll be fine. Exactly HOW you do all that doesn't matter, as long as you do it.

Sarauk2sf

A few reasons, the first being because I felt like I could do higher weights on the body parts if I seperated them. For instance, holding 30 lb. dumbbells in each arm to do my lunges made my arms more tired when I went over to do chin-ups or lat pull downs. I also wanted to add in some more ab work and isolation type movements. Lastly because I was getting bored with the routine so I wanted to change it up.

Generally a 3 x full body workout is preferential for newer lifters, especially those on a caloric deficit in terms of preserving LBM. However, it should not be a chore and as @jacksonpt inferred, a slightly less optimal workout that you enjoy and will do is better than one that you do not.

If you do want to keep the split, my recommendation is to keep the compounds at the higher end of the strength range - 5 reps and the iso work more in the in the hyper range 8 - 12. You do not need to mess around with pyramids or chopping and changing the rep ranges at this stage, just make sure that you hit each muscle group at least twice a week and have some linear progression included in the programming.

The one thing to consider though is if you do a full body workout using compounds and a few iso lifts - you will get all of your muscles worked, including abs. It is more efficient. Also, for example, back squats work your legs and core - but do not tire your arms out like lunges might do when holding dumbbells do so it is important to pick the right combination of lifts within a routine. This is one of the reasons I usually recommend someone following the 'tried and trusted' routines until they are experienced enough to program themselves.

caseythirteen

Thanks both of you for the replies.

Maybe it would be best if I go back to the basics and give it a while to see the results. I wasn't unhappy with my results before but was just looking for a change. So if I go back to full body with a few added isolation things, would you still recommend doing the 5 reps for the compounds and higher for the other stuff? How many sets? Also, how would I know when a good time to move on would be? I guess my question is, when am I no longer a beginner? Are there certain bench marks? Time frame? Sorry for so many questions. I have learned so much in the last few month but I know it's just the tip of the iceberg and I would like to be on the right path.

Oh, one more question. I have a few arm things I enjoy adding but if I wanted to add in some extra legs above squats and deads, what would you recommend? I ask that because it seemed like you were saying I didn't really need the lunges (which is fine by me, I hate them).

Thanks again! I really appreciate all the feedback.

Sarauk2sf

I would recommend the lower reps for compounds and slightly higher for iso work.

A good strength training program is Stronglifts 5 x 5. You can get more details here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

There are a bunch of assistance work you can do on legs including:

Quad dominant
leg press
leg extensions
variations of squats such as bulgarian split squats and pistol squats

Hamstring dominant:
lying ball curls
good mornings
glute ham raises
seated leg curls

Glute dominant:
single leg glute bridges
plus squats

I would add these to the end of you want to include so you focus on the main lifts.


A beginner can be anywhere between 6 months and 18 months, depending on your progression. Here is a good site to use to see where you are in terms of progression:

http://www.strstd.com/

Oh, and I do not do lunges because I hate them (not saying they are not useful, but I just do not do them)

amonkey794

I would recommend the lower reps for compounds and slightly higher for iso work.

A good strength training program is Stronglifts 5 x 5. You can get more details here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

There are a bunch of assistance work you can do on legs including:

Quad dominant
leg press
leg extensions
variations of squats such as bulgarian split squats and pistol squats

Hamstring dominant:
lying ball curls
good mornings
glute ham raises
seated leg curls

Glute dominant:
single leg glute bridges
plus squats

I would add these to the end of you want to include so you focus on the main lifts.


A beginner can be anywhere between 6 months and 18 months, depending on your progression. Here is a good site to use to see where you are in terms of progression:

http://www.strstd.com/

Oh, and I do not do lunges because I hate them (not saying they are not useful, but I just do not do them)

Bumping for this post!

caseythirteen

Thanks again for the great information. I think you're right that it might be best to go back to 3 days full body for now and stick to it for a while. Between staying with that and keeping my eating right I will hopefully get a better idea of what I can do or change in the figure. I have trouble with sticking with anything long enough.

psuLemon

I am always a huge fan of endurance sets as well as iso and hyper sets. This way you ensure you work the slow and fast twitch muscle fibers. This can ensure not only power but the ability to sustain the power. But regardless of the type of lifts or quantity fat loss will not be different between the two types of workouts pending calories are equivalent.