I went over to the Training Board.... and I learned...

[sconoscuito]

12 should be minimum


make this post a sticky in training board please

 

[Taps]

What about intensity? I occasionally use HIT training, 4-5 sets -- all beyond failure to the point of agony. There's no way I could do more than that. Heck, after going to failure a few times I'm lucky if I can even contract the muscle.

 

[crew9]

Bah I should've clarified. My fault on that. Everyone is different this is true. Some of you may grow great off of 20 sets for biceps, that's awesome. For me personally I've found ways to get growth from simply doing a few sets for arms. This being the case I see no need to lengthen my recovery time, which would be needed if I added unnecessary sets or lifts.

 

[SoreArms]

maybe some of you people with supreme knowledge should actually post on the training board, then?

Word.

A lot of yappin', but no helpin'

 

[SlavikHavik]

I average 4-5 sets / body part and ive gotten to 215 @ 12% bodyfat 6'0 20 years old. Natural. Up from 170 a year ago.

Multiple sets dosent do shit, except increase your recovery time.

however if you look at the number of sets i preform in a week its probably similar to what you guys are doing.

More frequent workouts with less volume

 

[canadianhitman]

More than 6-8 all-out sets for biceps (excluding warm-up) would definately be overtraining for me. I have done higher volume training before, and didn't get nearly the results that I do now. Odds are, if you're doing 15 sets for biceps and you know it, you're gonna hold something back on the early sets (subconsciously) knowing what lies ahead.

 

[pitbullstl]

More than 6-8 all-out sets for biceps (excluding warm-up) would definately be overtraining for me. I have done higher volume training before, and didn't get nearly the results that I do now. Odds are, if you're doing 15 sets for biceps and you know it, you're gonna hold something back on the early sets (subconsciously) knowing what lies ahead.

15 sets of biceps........
DB's
warm-up: 35's x 20
warm-up: 50's x 12
Working Set 1: 65's x 12-10
Working Set 2: 75's x 10
Working Set 3: 85's x 10-8

Widegrip Barbell

Working Set 4: 115 x 12
Working Set 5: 135 x 12
Working Set 6: 165 x 10
Working Set 7: 185 x 10-8

Alternate Preacher's or Concentration DB's

Working Set's 8-10

Rope Hammer Curl or Cambered Bar (pulley)

Working Set's 11-13

For a grand total of 15 sets.......

Guess what??? IT WORKS.

 

[canadianhitman]

For you it works...but my bis were plateaued for a couple of years until I dropped the sets and upped the intensity. Kudos to you for being able to generate intensity beyond 10 sets.

 

[AAP]

Re: Re: Re: I went over to the Training Board.... and I learned...

If you honestly think that 5 sets is enough to grow, you are either dillusional or superhuman.......take your pick...... shit my chest and legs aren't even warm until the 5-6 set......

Take this with a grain of salt.......I mean I sure don't look like I know what I am talking about.

THAT'S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!

If someone only did 5 sets for biceps or triceps, they would have to generate enough intensity and incorporate severe drop sets and forced reps / negatives.

Now THAT kind of training, I don't see on the training board. I see shit like :

Barbell curls
3 x 10-8-6
Preacher curls
2 x 8
wrist curls (forearms)
3 x 10

etc....

Someone garnering enough intensity to hit those arms to growth stimulating heights with only 5 sets WON'T be posting about it. Hell, they would be sitting home icing their arms down.

 

[canadianhitman]

My current arm routine encorporates a triple drop on barbell curls, a double drop on standing alternating dumbell curls, and a triple drop on overhead cable curls. But I have made nice gains doing something similar to what you outlined above...except for an extra burn-out set with close-grip cable curls added in at the end.