When Should You Increase Load for Hypertrophy Training?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:18 Load & Hypertrophy
01:26 Progressive Overload
04:20 Factors Influencing Load
07:52 When to Increase Load?
09:27 When Not to Increase Load?
10:54 How to Increase Load?
13:07 Strength Goals
14:03 Practical Recommendations
STUDIES
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33433...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36199...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28641...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35703...
ONLINE COACHING & CONSULTING
www.flowhighperformance.com/s...
BOOKS & TRAINING TEMPLATES
www.flowhighperformance.com/p...
COURSES
www.flowhighperformance.com/c...
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook - / flowhighperformance
Instagram - / flow.high.performance
When I increase load is determined by when I can afford a new dumbbell
the stagnant income method
🤣
The load gets heavier as the wallet gets lighter.
@@johnlesoudeur3653evens out😂
You'll be the first homeless bodybuilder on stage during Mr Olympia
My way: when I can do 3x12 reps with good technique and not going balls to the wall, I add a set. When I can do 4x12 I increase the weight.
8-10 for me....I get so bored with high reps lol
6-8 here. Quality reps over quantity.
Would make more sense to add weight, do less reps and the same amount of sets than to increase sets/reps by 33% and do the same weight. Better for stimulus and fatigue and you’ll likely get stronger faster
If you get 12 reps the first sets, u aint doing your hardest. I would do something like 12 reps 10 reps 8 reps. If u drop below the 8 reps then drop weight only in that set. This way you always hit (almost) failure every set.
@@lothar654this is what I do, if you can do the same number of reps in each set, you’re probably not going close to failure of the first few sets.
Was expecting some gym bro knowledge but I'm pleasantly surprised. This is my experience too. I stopped chasing higher numbers and just went for hypertrophy with lower weight and slower, more controlled reps. Never had an injury since, never feel over the top sore and I'm still getting bigger.
Nice work 💪
May be so but you're losing out on strength gains. And higher weights are necessary for bone health and other benefits.
@@nvmffs The video discusses specifically hypertrophy. So yes, your strength will progress slower if you focus on building muscle. We still apply progressive overload but it will be at a slower pace as our focus isn't lifting as much weight as possible as efficiently as possible but rather stressing the muscle as much as possible with leighter weight, slower and more controlled.
@@nvmffsdude, you adjust get that benefit from lifting. You don't need 200lb bench press to get that....
😂😂😂
@@nvmffsyou don’t need to work out like a powerlifter to maintain bone density….
For me, the simplest way to approach resistance training is this. All the training variables (like number of sets and reps, weight, set duration, rest duration...) are there for you to test and play with. Similar results can be achieved with many different styles of training, so pick one and stick with it for a while. What you should do is the type of training that makes you happy, because that will keep you in the gym in the long run, and consistency is the key here. The only thing you should worry about, whatever you chose to do, is to find the way to challenge yourself in every training session, and you will see progress.
Agreed 👍
any reps is better then no reps
So… be consistent, while swapping up your style as it pleases you. Got it
Stellar content as always. You have a method of comprehensively synthesizing and distilling all important training principals. Your channel is the first one I recommend.
Glad to hear it 👍
This has got to be one of (if not) THE BEST breakdowns of hypertrophy training basics there is. I've watched a lot of videos and read a lot of forums and studies and none of the info I've seen has been so all-inclusive while also being well informed, backed by science/data, as well as easily understandable.
Very well done!
glad to hear it 💪
every upload is always a question i've thought about and never found any sort of video on. Truly from the bottom of my heart, thank you FHP. You are helping many like me who struggle with hypertrophy 😅😂
No problem
Incredibly helpful, straightforward, intuitive, but most importantly, practical advice here. Thanks a lot for this!
no problem 👍
I like to do a 3x8 range and I’ll lift that until I do 3x12 at that weight than I’ll increase weight to a 3x8 range again. Iv done a couple variations of progressive overload but doing this way I’ve experienced no injuries while still being challenged. I think controlling the weight is the most important part for muscle growth. If you do what I say without controlling the path and using a slow speed you won’t see the results you want
This has worked really well for me in the past. Need to figure out why I changed it 😂
Edit: JM Blakeley used to do something very similar for powerlifting. He would do something like an 8RM with a goal of 6x6. When could do that he would add 5-10 lbs and just try to add 1 rep per week until he got back to 6x6 and then add weight again.
Your channel is an overthinker's heaven. I'm subscribed!
🤣
This is an awesome compilation of information for body builders. Thank you for making this video.
no problem 👍
Love this...confirms much of my intuitive approach to lifting.
Thanks for addressing this topic.
No problem 👍
This channel is the best out there related to fitness practical tools and science based backed-up exercises. Thanks for spreading so much knowledge. I've started resistance training 3 months ago and all natural, without supplementation and just by following these guidelines and techniques, not trying to ego-lift, going slow and steady i've been growing so much muscle so fast.
Thanks. It means a lot!
A fan from Brazil.
no problem, glad you enjoy the content 💪
An Excellent step by step logical presentation
Great videos put out by this channel.
Sir, appreciate all of your lessons. Very educational and informative. God bless.
Glad to hear it 👍
Appreciate you making these science based videos, thank you truly
No problem
Fantastic content! Best breakdown of hypertrophy training I’ve seen yet.
Great to hear 💪
Personally this is how I train. If I can hit 12 reps on a given exercise, I’ll increase the weight.
For example, for bench press I’ll get 12 reps the first set, 11 reps for the second set and finally 10 reps for the third set then I’ll add no more than 10% weight increase to next weeks bench press. Each set I’m working within 1-2 reps in reserve and rep ranges are between 6-12 reps.
It’s actually been working so well for me and almost every week I’m adding weight to each exercise.
So, if you’re benching 225 and add 10%, that’s 22.5 lbs, the next week you’re at 247, then 272, then in 4 weeks you’re at 299? 10% increase is unsustainable, even if you start with just the Olympic bar and go from there, in 6 months your bench would go from 45lbs to 400lbs. A great accomplishment but you probably couldn’t even do that with steroids.
Only 10%?????I increase by 100%
@@giziemcbarnsthats awesome, for me, 1000% increase works best
Thanks for saying this. I've never been sure if I'm supposed to hit 12 reps on all 4 sets and thought I was lifting too heavy by not hitting 12 on sets 3 and 4. Thanks. I will proceed without worry.
Personally I go to 16, to me 12 is comfortable with a weight, but not ready to progress yet. That being said, to each their own as well as I don't bench press so it's probably different once you get to things like that. Given bench presses are more commonly used in the lower rep range and you don't see people pushing 30 on one.
Thanks for answering one question I'd always wondered!
No problem 👍
I switch it up depending on my overall fatigue & how long it was from my last workout. I'll use a warmup set and gauge if I need a more cardio oriented or strength max lift. Theres so many variables to play with and it's important to know each study has different individuals to test. They could be undertrained and may have not given their all.
👍
I have a plan where I calculate 6RMs based on the previous session's lift. My final set of any major exercise (not accessory) uses that 6RM for maximum reps, which I record.
Load increases and deloading happen naturally using this method.
This channel is so underrated
Excellent video.
I also do monthly cycles. One month with heavy weight 3-4x8 reps 2 min rest. The second month 3-4x15 with 1.5 min rest.
Thank you for these insights.
No worries 👍
Great video. Subbed
Excellent video!
Glad you liked it
Thanks for your advice.. 4 months update.. lost 55 pounds 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Nice work 👍
Nice... Appreciate the info (y)
Amazing !!
I used to increase the weight way too early. Ripped a couple of ligaments apart in the process over the last 2 years. My recommendation higher rep ranges and Slow weight increases
I came across an interesting loading technique (forget from where), which gave me good results. Pick any weight and do your exercise in good form to failure on first set. Take note of the number of reps that you got in before failure (let's say you got 20 reps in). Multiply that number of reps by a particular number, like 3 or 5 (so 60 or 100). That becomes your target number of reps to achieve. Start doing sets to achieve that target number, each time getting as many reps in the set as you can (i.e. each set to failure). Break for 60-90 seconds between the sets. It's a very intense but also very quick routine. I think it probably becomes independent of the actual weight that's being lifted because it takes advantage of the inverse relationship between load and reps with the multiplier and gives you the same target time under tension while ensuring hypertrophy through a safe number of train to failure sets.
I like these sort of approaches. they allow you to hit failure multiple times in a very time-efficient way 👍
Thank u, you’re research is spot on, plus i have learnt so much from your powerpoints no gimmicks luv it !
No problem
the best channel on this subject ❤
Increases sets. Helps more.
What I typically do is this: If I return after a break (e.g. sickness) I select a weight for an exercise that I know I can lift for about 15 reps (except for exercises like squats or deadlifts. For these I aim for 12 reps). I then perform three sets, taking each set 1 to 2 reps close to failure. The result can look something like this: 16, 14, 11. Next workout I aim for the average of the 3 sets. In this case 3 sets of 14 reps. I try to increase reps on every set by 1 each training thereby getting closer to failure on the last set and taking the other two sets reasonably close to failure. When I’m able to get 3x15 I increase the load and do the same thing over again. This works well for me, because taking every set to failure I can feel the systemic and nervous fatigue quite a lot. Also it allows for not being crippled by DOMS for days and being able to train the same muscle group after 1-2 rest days again thereby allowing for a 3x/week training frequency.
nice, sounds like a solid system 💪
I've been wondering this.
Just started again 3 months ago, i have been doing a 3 split this time.
I have been gaining the strength i had 5 years ago when i worked out 5 days per week, in these months when adding more rest and sleep.
I didnt think like that back then and that burned me out completely, now im stronger then ever.
To everyone reading this: dont take the gym to seriously, you wont loose 2kg muscles if you wait 48h between workouts, less is more (unless you're on roids)
I believe that the most critical factor to take into account is the *subjectivity* on what constitutes the ideal conditions to generate muscle growth, which means that there’s no precise correlation between loads and hypertrophy. Muscle growth is generally less related to “how much you can lift” and more related to “how challenged your muscle (or muscle group) is when lifting a certain weight with a correct form”. That’s why the best analysis will ultimately always include variables like “number of reps in reserve” and “proximity to failure”, as general indicators.
Exactly right. Increasing load is just a way to ensure you are continuing to stress the musculature 👍
@@FlowHighPerformance1thank you! Great video, amazing channel… keep up the good work 💪🏻
i think the most important stat for all excercises is how much willpower dose it drain, or even replenish. Both how much will you have for the gym, and how different aspects effect your willpower is different for everyone. If you get bored by resting 5 minutes between sets, you shouldnt do it. You will clearly be just fine with 1 minutes and 4x3 instead in half the total time. If you enjoy your breaks, maybe you even find it calming, and preffer it to finishing faster, or if the thougth if starting another set before you are ready is horrifying. You are just fine doing 7 minutes between sets aswell. Within the bounds of effective training, its all about finding what requires the least amount of willpower, while giving you the results you desire aswel. I belive most people would have the will to workout consistently if they stopped doing stuff other people want them to do when the stuff that is easy and natural for them is almost as effective. The range is realy that big. So many different ways to lift heavy things somewhat close to failure.
This is a great message, I completely agree. The range of effective training is very large, and the differences between 'optimal' versus adequate training isn't all that significant. You are usually better off training in a way that you prefer for long-term adherence & consistency 👍
It has been touted that shorter rest times allows you to bring your muscle to or near failure with less reps on the next set, thus giving you a greater hypertrophic response on less volume of training.
kind of like the 'effective reps' concept. Although we generally find that longer rest periods produce greater muscle growth in most cases
@@FlowHighPerformance1 why is that? Should I stop doing myo reps for smaller muscles like my arms and shoulders?
Also slight cheating on reps can increase strength at a significantly faster rate. I’m talking about maybe only 10-20% momentum, maximal power on eccentric and slow concentric. First time doing this with hammer curls I got the greatest bicep and forearm pump of my life despite only doing 4-5 rep sets. I’d recommend doing this only after your technique becomes proficient at a lighter weight and you need to break a plateau.
If you're lifting high intensity to failure form breakdown is expected those are good hard sets.
I personally increase weight when I am able to do 4 reps at max weight, then those 4 reps should move to 8 reps if I want to continue increase. This also affect on the muscle groups, as for example on back I go the calisthenics way and do pull up variations meanwhile in chest and shoulders I train the powerlifter way. Because of my body type it works perfectly
I just do 10x3 for pretty much evey exercise, sometimes going to 6x3 if I'm stuck. If I feel like I can increase the load, I do it in my next workout for that muscle group.
Regarding bench press, I would start off with a weight I could do maybe 3-5 reps with at least, and get my first set of the day (so it approximates my 1RM closely) up to about 13-14 reps, at that weight. I believe in the 5-12 so I think that 13-14 “overkills” it just slightly for some added confidence. Then after hitting 14 reps I would, on bench, add another 20 or do pounds which would put me starting at about 6-8 reps at the new weight. Get that one up to 14 or do reps, and then add another 20. I experimented along my journey by adding more weight now and then, and I believe I found some success in doing so. By this technique I got my bench to 315 1RM from about 155 1RM in about 3-4 months with training 5 or so days a week.
I was over focusing on bench however. I am back in the gym for the first time in about 8 years now and I want to apply roughly the same philosophy towards all of my workouts, focusing on the whole body this time.
I also want to note that I go close to failure on my first set, and then drop the weight down significantly and do a mid weight mid reps until failure, then drop the weight down again and do high reps low weight until failure. For example, after maybe going 285x5, to failure, then I’ll drop the weight down to 185 and rep until failure which would be around 12-15 reps. Then for the third set, drop down to 135 and rep until failure which might be like 30 reps.
All three sets to failure. So, by doing this I am getting BOTH the max weight low rep until failure AND low weight heigh rep until failure. As I said I got my 1RM bench up from about a plate to three plates in just a few months. High protein diet as well, of course.
The best advice ive heard is use a weight that is heavy enough so that by rep 8 the exercise is hard and you struggle to get to 12.
New year, new max.
I go to the gym and have fun. Performance over image for me. End all my intense workouts with a nice run also. The Army could take me back anytime and I'll be ready.
nice
When I can do more than 5 reps I increase load lol compound or isolation. I always do backup up sets after the strength sets so I can get 8-15 reps for more accurate form and volume. Occasionally Ill start off with a 20 rep set as a warmup and to not hinder strength too much. Every strength set is around 8-9RPE, might turn it into a superset with a slightly lower weight on curls for example as they curls seem to respond best to a moderate rep range. At the same time I won’t see any further gains if I don’t increase strength with isolations once I adapt to a moderate range.
Have achieved both excellent strength and muscle gains. Even as an intermediate I’m making PR’s every session rep or strength. Still gaining muscle at a noticeable rate. After 2 years of training I went from 75kg to 98kg. About half of it is muscle. There was about 6 months before that where I was 85 but had no muscle and was fat and maybe gained 5kg muscle while losing 15kg fat.
This is the best way to do it naturally imo. You end up getting less volume but as your strength increases so will volume and so will hypertrophy. Volume will increase in a linear fashion instead of repeating a similar amount of volume most of the time.
Once you become very strong and switch to mainly hypertrophy the increased strength will allow you to far surpass the amount of volume everyone else you see in the gym do.
Nice work, sounds like a solid routine 👍
Usually try to maximize my reps on a certain weight. Starting with 8 reps x 3 and then building up 10x 3, 12x 3 then switching over to heavier weights starting back at 8 x 3
Just keep upping the reps from 6 reps to 10 reps per set. I usually do 4 sets. If I can do the exercise for 10 reps x4 sets, I’ll up the weight.
For compounds, I train up to 6-7 reps for 4 sets before I up the weight by 2.5 kg.
When you can.
🎶tara ram taram pam🎶
i do 3x10. And if every Set hits 10 reps (10 reps is meant as my maximum, not just stopping there) ill put on a plate on 5 kilos. And so on. Thats how i increased Lat Pulldown from 50 to 90 Kilos in half a year
When I move up in weight lately, I do two sets at the new weight, then rest and drop the weight to previous, then do one or two more sets depending on feel, and do that until my new weight set hits 15 reps.
Nice, I also like to increase load for the first 1-2 sets, then reduce load for the subsequent sets when going up in weight
I found it a lot easier to increase the weight by sometimes doing 1-3 reps set, once you lift that heavy shit your normal weight's 6-12 rep feel so much easier for some reason
While a large rep range might work, it is rarely mentioned the time it takes to do a set of 20 plus reps and how easy those initial reps are. Also, data shows that the more reps you do the closer you need to go to failure since the stimulus is much less. I’ve found that mixing reps ranges from all the way down to 3, up to about 15 creates a great base of strength, and also variety.
Definitely agree. Practically, more people don't train with very high rep ranges anyway, because it just takes more time and is probably less enjoyable
Most research suggests that between 5 to 30 or even 5 to 35 reps is the effective hypertrophy range. 20 is surely too low a number.
As far as doing more sets with short rests, the key here is that you NEED to do those extra sets to get the same results in the same amount of time as doing fewer sets with longer rests. If you do the same number of sets, comparing a shorter short rest workout with a longer long rest workout, you will see more hypertrophy with the long rests. This is easy to understand as each individual set will allow higher loads / rep numbers before reaching failure.
The most important thing is to go to failure or very close to it on every set. Research says within 3 reps of failure, although it can be very difficult to reliably do so.
1. yes, up to 30-35 is still effective for muscle growth. However, I generally recommend 5-20 rep range, as going above 20 reps is just impractical, and I don't see much of a need for it
2. yes, resting longer will usually result in greater hypertrophy if sets are equated. However, I would argue that doing more sets with shorter rest is probably going to produce a slightly superior stimulus in most cases compared with fewer sets using longer rest periods. Although the details matter here
3. yep, take each set close to failure, and progressive overload will kind-of take care of itself
IT would be interesting to see how changes in weights/loads affect recovery time and probability of injury.
yes, very interesting. In my experience, increasing load rapidly tends usually results in injury or high 'systemic fatigue'
I do 5x12 for bodybuilding. If I can do set 1 and set 2 for 12 reps each, I increase next session. Set 3,4,5 is just determined by the previous set. I estimate what weight I would need to hit the rep range of 8-12 for set 3,4,5.
If I can make 8 reps twice(on different days) I take a new set with a higher weight.
If I can make 9-10 reps 1x I take a higher weight at the same day...benchpress +5kg ,legpress +10kg, everything else 2,5kg free-weights or the next higher dumbbell or 1 plate in any cable pull...
I do 2 sets to failure and resting. Been going up crazy amounts
depending on the exercise, i like to do 5 reps heavy where 5-6 is max, 5 reps at my current 8~12 rep range, then 5 reps light (20+ reps) and do those 3 X 5 reps for 1 set, 4 times. i find myself training to failure more consistently with this set up. of course, i make sure my form and technique are correct for every rep.
Huh?
You do 5 reps with a weight you can do for 20+ reps? Or you do 5 reps with a weight you can do only 5 reps, then you immediately do 5 reps with a weight you can do 8-12 reps, and then 5 reps at a weight you can do 20+ reps with. So that's a giant set consisting of 3 mini-sets of 5reps each?.
@@lzak3865exactly, I'm utterly confused about this.
@@Paul-Weston the latter so the 3 mini sets of 5 (heavy, then moderate, then light) are a full set. I go directly from heavy to moderate to light, no rest. Also change up tempo as I go lighter so I slow down as my weights decrease
@@beckyboo6166 ahh OK, I'll have to give it a try. Sounds quite painful, I like pain though 🫡🫡
I go in 3 stages:
1) 5 sets of 8 reps for a new weight
2) 4 sets of 10 reps
3) 4 sets of 12 reps.
Been doing this for about 5 years and it seems to work well. Not sure if it's optimal though.
I don’t really even keep track of how much weight I use for the exercises. I do a few test reps to gauge if I’m able to do 3-5 sets to failure and roll with it. Keeping track of all that stuff is too much work
For me this is simple, im training from 8-12 reps most of the time, and when exercise with same weight gor higher 18 reps, then i increase the weight.
It’s a tricky one because say I’ve got a rep range for 8-10 reps on bench press. And I am pressing 80kg. I hit that 10 number and out the weight up to say 82.5kg. I then do a set and I only hit 5. I would then have to lower the weight back down to 80 but push the rep range up to 12-15. And also you should use higher rep ranges for isolation exercises like lateral raises. 6-30 reps. Back is a funny one as well. Lat pull downs. You do say 6-15. Say you lift 60kg and you can feel the cramp in your lats and have good mind muscle connection. You hit 15 reps. Put the weight up. But then you begin lifting but can’t feel the connection in your lats. To me if you can’t feel some sort of connection with the muscle your meant to be working then your lifting to heavy. You would get better results dropping the weight back down and increasing the reps. It’s actually from 5-30 which is effective at building muscle.
Yes, some good points here. I would generally recommend going with what gives you the best 'perceived stimulus'. You can also perform your first 1-2 sets with a heavier load, and reduce load for the last 1-2 sets 👍
I do 6-10reps
The moment i can do 10 reps i increase the weight and bring reps down to 6 and slowly work my way up again
What do you do if you train, but amount of reps is not imcreasing?
@@letmeregisterbitch take a deload. Recover and eat well and then push again. Weight or reps should increase. Progressive overload
I sticked too long with the same weight. My way to go rn is to pick the weight that i can do 10 or 11 Reps in the first set and in the third set i go down in weight as soon as i cant lift it anymore
I usually do the first set of 12, then increase the weight and do 10, then increase and do 8. If I find that I can do 12 reps of any of the increased weights then that becomes my new starting point.
But that is considered strength training and not hypertrophy correct?
as soon as you manage to lift the weight properly and can easily make 10 reps i increase the weight untill i get the reps out of the next weight. aslong as its controlled and feels right you`re fine
What is the appropriate way to rest while doing a single leg or single arm exercise?
Option A: 10 reps on the right leg, no rest, then 10 reps on the left leg?
Option B: 10 reps on the right leg, 1-3 min of rest, then 10 reps on the left leg?
Option C: Just enough time in between legs to catch my breath (20 seconds)?
I reach failure on the second leg a few reps earlier than the first leg and I'm curious if this is an indication that I'm doing it wrong.
I assume the answer involves something with aerobic/anaerobic. What actually causes a muscle to reach failure?
Depends on the exercise. Options A or C are most appropriate in most cases. There will usually be a little 'carry-over fatigue' when training one limb before the other. This might be due to the other limb being used as a stabiliser, or it might be due to cardiorespiratory fatigue (eg. split squats). In either case, it isn't really an issue. Just take each limb close to failure, making sure the target muscle is the factor limiting performance. If cardiorespiratory fatigue causes you to stop a set before muscular fatigue, give yourself a bit more rest
If you prefer getting stronger, opposed to bigger, check out Andy Gaplin.
If you have a well structured program, youll usually test your max at the start, stick to the plan for 6 to 10 weeks, repasses your max and start over.
Your tendons won’t agree with increasing the weight everytime you can hit a weight for 3 sets of 12.
Especially for hypertrophy, I don’t think it’s the way to go.
Heck look at Frank Zane physique, he was notable for training with light weights and he had achieved what is in my book a top 3 physique ever.
Great discussion. It reinforces the idea that strength building must come before body building. A lifter's strength increases over time, which means the lifter will be able to do more reps over time. If someone starts with 12 reps to reach failure, it will eventually take 25 reps to reach failure, and that's because of increases in strength. Unfortunately, this can get very boring. The fact that someone can do more reps is a signal that the weight needs to be increased. That way, failure can be reached again with fewer reps, and the workouts will once again be less boring. That's what progressive resistance entails -- increasing the weight in order to reach failure at fewer reps -- and it starts with strength building first. I agree that injury is an exception and might dictate greater reps vs. heavier weight, plus strength-training follows a different path from strength building for hypertrophy.
Well said 👏
What ever the range is be it 5-8 with heavy compounds or 8-12 with mid range stuff or 10-20 with lighter pump stuff when i reach the prescribed mad rep number on atleast most of the sets so on bench 8/8/7 is enough to go up and then i start over
Depends what you are training for but in my case, whenever I get to the point where I reach failure by the 10th rep, I add some weight. Or I do a harder variation.
Amazing video as always. So, if training is on point, you should see progressive overload naturally, correct? In your next session, you will just "magically" become physically able to execute an extra rep which is proof that muscle has been being built since your previous session? In my case I feel like my training is on point, however I am not progressing in terms of weight or reps and I am not sure why. And if I do progress, I sacrifice form, does that still count as overload (is muscle still being built)?
Thank you
Sounds like you are an intermediate/advanced lifter at this point - meaning you aren't going to increase reps/load every week. It might take multiple weeks/months to see progressive overload. Also, you can adjust other variables like volume and frequency to see if they produce a faster rate of progression 👍
Doing the same weight with the same rep after a session with better tempo is also a progression.
This video is extremely helpful! Quick question i havent really been able to get answered. What about the number of sets, when (if ever) should those increase? If I can do say 3 sets of 10 bicept curls with 25 lbs ending a week what makes more sense, to increase the reps, the weight or the number of sets? Is there a benefit to more sets at lower reps vs more sets with higher reps?
Good question. Number of sets is more about how much time/effort are you willing to put in the gym. You don't need to increase sets, but if you have the time and willingness, you will probably see a faster rate of muscle growth by doing so.
The number of reps and the load you use isn't that important - as long as you are taking each set close to failure. So it is more about the total number of set you perform close to failure that will influence muscle growth
I find it very hard to track load on rep ranges. Going from 8-12 to 15 is really hard once you're past the beginner stages. Hell, increasing even one repetition is hard, plus, it's not a really efficient way of tracking anyway. With weight increase you don't have all of these issues. You can increase from as low 2.75 pounds and it's something really eaylsy to track and be consistent with.
For sure 👍
This was a great insightful video. But there's a topic that wasn't discussed that made me wonder if this is the reason of why I can't progress só much on my trainings of full body workout. The composition and % of type of fivers. Would this afect this type of training?
Good question. Your fibre type probably doesnt influence how you should train regarding hypertrophy. Check out this video for more info th-cam.com/video/-IwUjXaEPek/w-d-xo.html
11:15 I have 250g plates. I can add just 0.5kg per dumbbell
That helps for short-term progression 👍
I usually stay on the 12-15 rep range and even go up to 20 for isolation exercises cuz I like to feel the "pump" after and its safer since lighter weights are used and for compounds I usually do sets of 6-8 and even 10 for higher volume days and with lighter loads means my joints will get rest from the heavy weights
I am close to what you are doing with 12-16 reps per set. I'm resting for 2 minutes between sets.
For hypertrophy nanoscience levels of knowledge
For strength go nuts my brother
🤣
So do you recommend the use of a spotter to try lifting a wright you cant lift on your own...😮....?...
It might be useful if you are attempting a new load for a potentially dangerous exercise - such as a bench press or squat, but in most cases it isn't really necessary
When ever i want to push through a plateau I do drop sets.... I lift a new weight never lifted before until failure (usualy 2 to 3 reps) and then drop set down to failure... by the next time i hit the gym im pushing that new weight like its nothing.
nice 👍
1:45 what are these “many other practical issues” that you speak of?
doing sets of >20 reps is often difficult to gauge proximity to failure. It is likely to fatigue the cardio-respiratory system to a greater extent.
I move up weight depending on how many reps I can perform. I categorize all my rep ranges in increments of 4 reps...
1-4 reps = my strength/ heavy compound lift range. I usually don't touch this range without a spot.
5-8 reps = strength / hypertrophy hybrid range. Usually the range I use for moderate heavy compounds when I dont have a spot or experiencing joint pain. (If im having join pain I aim more towards 8 reps)
9-12 reps= my favorite Hypertrophy rep range.
13-16 reps = A less favorite hypertrophy rep range but very effective
17-20+ reps = only when all I have is lighter weights at my disposal.
i am 70 years old, and start bench press 6 months ago( first time in my life that do any training). i was doing 5 set x 6 reps with 35 kilos. now i do 5 sets 15 reps 65 kilos, 5x15 70 kilos, 10x15 75 kilos 10x15 80 kilos and 3-4 x15 85 kilos. i live and train alone, my bar have no place for more weights. what i can do to continue getting better using the same weights? i practice every second day and relax 2-3 minutes between sets
Probably need to get a longer barbell or thinner weights
If the bar is your limiter then do more reps, slower lift and descend. It will add volume to the training without adding weight.
You can also focus more on the lower part of the lift. I remember that my coach told me to hold the bar for 2-3 sec as close to the chest as possible before lifting it up.
That was the most sore session I had in my life.
@@hebasedd thanks. all my tools are handmade, no money or space to do bigger so i will try alone as you said. already i went to 95 kilos 10 sets 15 reps, but i train alone and if i fail i will die there. even my kids live miles away🤣
Any thoughts on ramp sets? Increase load every set?
I think it is fine as long as you take each set close to failure within an effective hypertrophy range. It can be useful to 'pre-fatigue' a muscle group to limit loads, while still training close to failure - if you are trying to minimise joint stress 💪
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
When should you change your training program / exercises?
I plan on making a video on this topic at some point 👍
Move heavy stuff, get muscles.
What should i do if my 3 sets look something like 16-11-8. Should i stop at 12 the first sets? Then only go to failure on the last set? I dont get how people can naturally reach 12-12-12
take each set close to failure and allow reps to naturally drop
So do 8-12 reps, and if you can go beyond that with the weight you're using without hitting the wall then you should increase the weight.
Pretty much. Although you can go up to 20 reps if you like
Is there any research for comparing time under tension? Not all reps are created equal and one can perform a rep at various cadences.
There is. Time under tension is essentially a by-product of the rep ranges you train with + tempo. If you train within the 5-20 rep range, with a somewhat controlled eccentric tempo, and take each set close to failure, hypertrophy tends to be similar, regardless of the exact time under tension 💪
@@FlowHighPerformance1 So, if I do a 3x10 which takes me 20 seconds total or 40s has no effect on hypertrophy as long as in each case I reach failure? Is this really the case?
Yes. But eccentric tempo still need to be somewhat controlled. Make sure your muscles are actively working to lower the load, not falling under the forces of gravity. Around 2-3 second eccentric tempo is usually appropriate for most exercises 👍
@@FlowHighPerformance1 Cool
To be honest i prefer light and moderate weights heavy dont even work except boosting strength...for example my first set light weight 20pounds dumbell curl 25reps...2nd set 25 pounds dumbbells curls 25 reps.. and last set 25 pounds agian but doing it 30 reps......30 pound dumbbell dont work....what i mean...i dont feel it with 30 pounds dumbells not at all just fatigue me and hurting my joints..
Not sure if I missed it but one thing I’ve never really quite understood is how does progressive overload apply to subsequent sets for that exercise? Using weight increase as an example within 8-12 reps, if I’m able to hit 12 reps on the first set and 7-8 on the second and third sets, should I at least try to hit 12 on the second set next time? I’ve just never really understood how to program anything other than the initial set, because at a certain point, the first set will become too easy when working with the same weight, but if I can’t even hit the rep floor on the following sets, should I keep working with the same weight?
Like should I try for 8-12 on the first set, then just use the following sets until failure until I hit my desired rep floor, which would be 8?
How much do you rest between sets?
Good question. If you drop below the rep target range, you can decrease load for subsequent sets. Then when you increase load, you might just increase it for the first 1-2 sets, and use a lighter load for the following 1-2 sets 👍
@@nikola.despotovic about 90-120 seconds when not lifting super heavy.
@@FlowHighPerformance1 gotcha. I’ll give it a shot. Thanks!
@@dthomas7931 A drop from 12 reps to 7-8 reps is a 35-40% drop which is not ideal (not too bad either). What I would do to tackle this, is one (or more) of these three things.
It's probably more of a cardiovascular issue than strength issue, so number one, I would try to improve my cardio. Second, try doubling your rest time between sets, see how this affects your reps, and adjust accordingly. And third, you can try to lower the weight of your working sets by something like 5%. Also, beta-alanine is used exactly for this purpose.
When you try this, if you're interested, send me another response, and I will help you with how to progress from there.
Sir what would be better to go with straight weights or Pyramid weights?
either is fine, as long as you take all sets close to failure