sets

[Mike_83]

how many set (including warmups) is the most that you should do per workout?

 

[BiggT]

That question has no answer. I'm not saying this to be an ass, but there is honestly no answer.

For training, sets/reps are constants used to measure progress and control workload. Well, thats what they should be used as, bodybuilding/fitness will have you believe there is a voodoo element.

There is no general rule where X is the number of sets you shouldn't go over or under. Look at weightxrepsxsets as workload and think in those terms. There are routines where squatting 10x10 is very beneficial to reaching a certain goal, there are routines where 10 sets is overkill.

 

[cyrex]

don't listen to biggt, he is being an ass

the answer to life is:

42

 

[Mike_83]

doesn´t it become catabolism if you do too many sets per workout?

 

[cyrex]

not if you have sufficient rest times in between sets

 

[cyrex]

For the record.. my post above (42) was a joke (reference to hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy) and biggt is spot on. It all depends on your goals.
there are 2 continuums to look at here:

Intensity (weight/controlled speed)
low |----------med----------| high
Volume (reps & sets)
low |----------med----------| high

Depending on your goals you will determine where on those continuums your sets and reps fall. I personally am shooting for a mix of strength and muscle mass gain so I'm doing low to medium volume with very high intensity.
This means my bench is something like this:
3 sets for 4 reps (low volume only 12 total reps)
@ 260 lbs (high intensity this is about 90% effort)

Now if I wanted more of a pump and to really shape those muscles i'd go with medium intensity and high volume:
5 sets of 12 reps (high intensity as this is 60 total reps)
@ 225 lbs taking off weight as needed to keep the volume up (medium intensity)

Now depending on your goals you will do one of these things or maybe something more extreme. However I can promise you that low intensity low volume will do very little for you:
1 set 1 rep
@ 135 lbs (putting the 45lb plates on and taking them off might do more for me than the actual rep did)

 

[cyrex]

It also depends on what muscles and what kind of recovery you have. For example, I have monsterously strong, quick recovering calves so on my calf workouts I'll do a set of 50-150 reps @ 225 lbs and keep doing sets of 50-150 reps lowering the weight until I can barely walk. The next day I MAY be sore but 2 days later i'm fully recovered.

 

[djeclipse]

don't listen to biggt, he is being an ass

the answer to life is:

42

You forgot to cairy the 4... the correct answer is 35

 

[cyrex]

oops i didn't mean to press enter.. hehe

anyways I'd NEVER think of doing that with a bench press or deadlifts..

 

[AEKDB]

Since Cyrex started it:

Using game theory - The correct number is infinite (assuming the goal is to be stronger/bigger than somebody else). If you stop at 42 then your opponent will stop at 43 and be stronger and/or bigger.

But this runs contrary to utility of reps theory.