SublimeZM said:
k i think im severely overtraining then.
Its true. There are MANY variables. But Ill put your overtraining worries to rest!! I started with a minimum of 12 sets for the small body parts and 15 for larger ones, but often exceeded it. These days my training is a fucking disease! My breakdown differs alot, and its never the same. Lots of instinctual training in my routines, though there are underlying principles I adhere too, for the most part. Heres a typical week for me. The breakdown:
Biceps: Often 15 sets,then another 12-15 sets when I hit em again later in the week. There are times I exceed 20 sets, even with brutal dropsets and beyond failure sets.
Triceps: 12-15 sets (sometimes more)
Chest: Often 40+ sets for the week. Thursday may be flat bench and speed bench day. Thats 11-14 sets just of flat bench, then another 10 sets of light speed benching. This is followed by 5 sets of cable flies, and often push-ups to failure after that. Most all of the actual flat bench sets, aside from speed bench, are heavy and to failure sets. The reps range from 1-30+ to failure.
Then Sunday is incline work. I will hit 11-14 sets of incline bench (mostly to failure as well) and then do 5 sets of flies followed by some push-ups, or something similiar to that. Somtimes I skip the flies and push-ups. Ill post up a week of chest training from my journal if you want a sample. So I may hit 20-30 sets on one chest day, depending when I do the speed bench. Which is very easy and very light. But thats only 10 sets. The rest is heavy benching and heavy flies. I wouldnt be surprised if I exceed 50 sets for chest on some weeks. Dont really add them up.
Shoulders: 12-15 sets. I just started direct work for my shoulders again. Id say I hit around 12-15 sets for them directly. I usually hit them after inclines on sundays.
Back: 25-30+ sets. When Im deadlifting on my back days, which I was doing every week for the last 2 years or so, (recently switched things up) my sets often broke 30 on back day alone. Feel free to check my journal, since they wont be hard to find, or I can post some samples up on here. I would hit many sets of deadlifts with different variations, bar behind the legs in the rack, bar behind the legs off the floor, deadlifts off the rack, deadlifts off the floor. Often including 3 of these variations each back workout. Not to mention the additional 15 or more sets of rows and upper back work. Different days vary, but this was the norm for me. Its something Ive worked up to though. Just as one increases weight and reps, I beleive you can train for the ability to take more abuse in the gym, muscle endurance. It wasnt really intentional, but just a result of the way Ive trained.
Legs: 15 sets typically. I just started training them directly again. I stopped for a while since deadlifting was taking over in my routines. Didnt want to interfere with the deadlifting strength. Now I have to change things up though, so I dont rip my spine out! My leg routines are much less volume then everything else. Each set is usually pretty brutal though. The presses mainly. I used to rep 800x52, with a number of other high rep brutal sets until the point of vomitting weekly. And it didnt do much for me. I did this for years. So now Im looking to make some changes in my leg routine as well.
Abs: 4 sets 4X a week. Atleast I try to get them in atleast 4X. Just heavy weighted work in the 15 rep range usually. This is to prevent a tear in my stomache during deadlifts. Once I started heavy ab work the sharp pain in my abs while pulling, went away.
Rear delts: 4 sets 1X-2X a week.
Forearms: No real direct work these days. I use the COC grippers in my down time.
Calves: 4 sets 1X a week.
Traps: Varies. I stopped doing trap work when I was deadlifting and my traps got much denser and larger. Thats cuz I was deadlifting like a maniac and didnt need direct trap work. Now that Im deadlifting less frequently (or atleast thats the plan) I may include 4+ sets of direct trap work in my back routines. There was a time when Id hit 12 sets for traps alone and this also worked great. Traps is not a weak point for me however, and is probabally my most stand out bodypart, and the quickest to respond to training.
Lower Back: I get enough of that deadlifting, but I will hit 3 sets maybe 3-4X a week on the hyper extentions to keep the area strong. Ill often add some 45's by hanging 2 45's at arms length and do 15 reps.
Hope that helps!