Down to the 5 rep per set question

[imported_frivolousz21]

I am not entering week 6..and I am down to 5 reps per set.

How many sets do I use for this?

each time I try to do 5 reps..I end up doing 6-8 because of strengh gains...I would like to take my weights to another level for this.

I was planning on doing this for it.


Legs:

leg press- 1 warmup, 3 sets
leg curls- 2 sets
calf press- 1 set
walking lunges- 1 set

upper body:
back- 1 warmup of pullup, 2 sets of lat pulldowns,
1 set of lower back cable rows
chest- 1 warmup, 3 sets of slight incline bench
shoulders- 3 sets of shoulder press
traps- 2 sets of shrugs
arms- 2 supersets for tris and bis each.
or 2 set of 5 reps each with heavy weights



this will take my workouts to 1 hour....but I want to be able to get my work in.

I am 25 and on a low carb diet...I think I may add 1 more week to the cycle at 5 reps as well.

so that would be 6 workouts like that at 5 reps....and just push and see how far I go before I pleatue, take a week off and start back at 12 reps

 

[QuantumPositron]

If I recall, the HST protocol calls for 1 to 2 sets per exercise. If you can do 6 - 8 reps then add weight until you can do only 5. A five rep max is the target, not six, seven, or eight rep max. If you are gaining strength every session then great! Keep adding weight! If you are keeping logs of your weight increments then you can predict what weight you will be using next workout.

 

[Lol]

If you have any zig-zag in your cycle then you will have several workouts where you could do more reps per set with the load you are using but the idea is not to increase fatigue build-up so you stop short of an all-out effort to failure. Multiple sets help to get the requisite work done.

As QP says, just keep incrementing the loads and eventually you will hit your 5RMs. Keep with these loads for another few weeks or increment further if you feel inclined to do so. Some of us here drop down to 3s once we reach our 5RM loads to help with fatigue management whilst continuing to keep strain on muscle tissue high. Determining the number of sets you do for a given exercise/bodypart is down to your level of conditioning, training frequency etc. Try to get around 15 to 20 total reps to be pretty sure you trigger a PS response.

Have a read of the 'Simplify & Win' thread too. I think you could improve on your routine but I'm not sure what your goals are?

 

[XFatMan]

And what do the additional reps look like? If they look like textbook form, then the previous advice is on spot. If they look like some hey-man-I'm-gonna-wing-it-anyway form, just stop and check your ego.

No matter what, I'd strive for less than 60 minutes in the gym. You should also visit the link in Lol's signature entitled Simplify and Win! because I just feel that your workout could use a tweak or two in terms of efficiency. With the info there, it is possible to get a better workout in half the time.