5x5, 3x10 or other?

bex1086
bex1086 Posts: 87 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For weight training (usual stuff) 3 days a week alongside 4 days of running training for a marathon?

I've flip flopped between the above 2, 3x10 gets me done quicker which is preferable as I'm pushed for time. 5x5 starts to push into the 2 hour mark which with a busy life isn't ideal.

Replies

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 12,747 Member
    edited January 22
    All depends on your goals. The 5x5 protocol works great towards increasing strength, while the 3x10 method increases strength at a slower clip while also helping to stimulate muscle growth and brain-muscle connection.

    Since your goal is a marathon, you probably are worried more about functional strength in your legs that translates to running, and not so much becoming a monster who can pick up a ton of iron at once. With that in mind, you are probably better off sticking with 3x10.

    Realize, though, that there are dozens of set/rep schemes available. Early in your marathon training a 3x10 may be great, but as your weekly mileage increases and race day nears, you may want to start transitioning to 2x12-15 using lighter weights to reduce muscle fatigue on muscles already getting taxed, maybe even stopping lifting completely in the weeks leading up to the big day.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,945 Member
    In addition to the info above, I'd question why your lifting workout needs to be 2 hours long. You should be able to get a lot done in 60-75 mins, with probably diminishing returns after that.
  • bex1086
    bex1086 Posts: 87 Member
    It ends up being 2 hours long because of the quantity of exercises and the 1.30 rest in between the 5 sets. If it's 3x10 I get it done in an hour.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,945 Member
    bex1086 wrote: »
    It ends up being 2 hours long because of the quantity of exercises and the 1.30 rest in between the 5 sets. If it's 3x10 I get it done in an hour.
    It sounds like you're doing about 120+ working sets per week, 40+ per workout. You're almost certainly doing too many sets. If you're a Novice, 10 working sets per muscle group per week, not to failure, is a good target. Intermediate, 15 and going to failure some times. Advanced, 20+ (not necessarily all muscle groups at that volume). Note that secondary muscles in a compound lift can be counted as 0.5 sets, e.g. triceps in bench press, biceps in row, glutes in squat, etc.

    Also, 3x10 doesn't mean you do fewer sets. It's not the rep count that matters. For example, 5x5 with high intensity is fewer reps than 1x30, but it's a hell of a lot more useful for you.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,303 Member
    An hour is more than plenty of time to be spending in the gym at one time as far as the rep ranges. It’s a really good idea to mix those up and not stick to just one all the time. Look at doing between 12 and 16 sets per week per muscle group.

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