Ending early to prevent failure? Intensity?

[matt5892]

Hi everyone,

I have 2 questions. I think theyre somewhere in the FAQ but i cant seem to find them:

1. If my routine calls for 2 sets of exercise A for x number of reps, and on the second set, or even on the first one, i cant get the X reps, is it ok to stop, rest and just finish to x reps, or just end the set and move on?

2. How "intense" is it supposed to feel? sometimes the weights (especially during 15s and now 10s) feel light, and I understand that you DONT go to failure, but should you get close, meaning decrease speed of the movement enough to where you get close to failure, but not quite, or just accept that the weights seem to be light

I know the questions seem contradictory to each other, but some of my exercises are stronger than others where some feel too light and others are heavier than i expected.

 

[grunt11]

1. If my routine calls for 2 sets of exercise A for x number of reps, and on the second set, or even on the first one, i cant get the X reps, is it ok to stop, rest and just finish to x reps, or just end the set and move on?

You probably want to maintain a minimum amount of Time-Under-Tension (TUT) which depending on rep speed will likely workout to 20-30 total reps depending on the weight, though it could drop lower during the late 5s or post 5s. I would certainly try to get the target reps for the first set even if that means clustering like you describe. Depending on the weight and therefore rep speed you might want to try another set or just keep clustering reps until you get the desired total.

2. How "intense" is it supposed to feel? sometimes the weights (especially during 15s and now 10s) feel light, and I understand that you DONT go to failure, but should you get close, meaning decrease speed of the movement enough to where you get close to failure, but not quite, or just accept that the weights seem to be light

The intensity should ramp up as you add weight to the bar. Just because you don’t feel the intensity you may be accustomed to in other programs doesn’t mean you aren’t stimulating growth. If you properly deconditioned your muscles will respond even when stressed with much lighter loads than you would expect. However, from what I’ve read this is also relative to your overall level of conditioning. So I’ve you’ve been working out effectively for years and already put on a lot of muscle and gained strength then working for 2 weeks in the 15 rep range might not do much for you. So when it comes to intensity it’s sort of relative.

If you’re not happy about the feeling of intensity you’re getting in the 15s or even 10s you might consider trying Myo-Reps:

http://www.clutchfitness.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9363