Is one set really enough?

A

ar_chi

New Member
Hi,

I started my 1st HST cycle last week, and just finished the second train with 1x15 reps. I did 2x15 last week, and after the train and the day after I felt that I have actually done something at the gym.

But this weeks monday and today just made me wonder that how the heck can the 1x15, 1x10 or 1x5 be enough? It took 30 min to complete the train today.

Interestingly, when performing a set, it feels that I'm actually doing something, at least in most exercises. So the weights can't be totally wrong. Perhaps I estimated some weights too low, but honestly I measured the 15 rep maxes.

(Yes, I read the FAQ and tried to search.)

Thanks for comments,

-A-
 
if 1 set is not enough do 2 its not set in stone its just a guide..some guys who have been training for years might need 3 or 4 sets
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ar_chi: The FAQ is a good place to start but there is a ton of extra info in the forum. (About a years worth of reading
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).

You can pretty much forget about sets. Initially, just go for a consistent number of reps throughout the cycle. So that's 1x15, 1.5x10 and 3x5. However, during 15s when the loads are light do a load more reps if you feel like it. I often do 25 or so during the first week of 15s and 20 during the first week of 10s. You are after a burn during the 15s. Just avoid failure along the way.
 
Yeah, ok. Thanks
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Perhaps I'll do a couple of cycles and then see wether I should add more sets. It just feels so light compared to what I used to do. (Meaning the traditional no-pain-no-gain -method.)

And then there is this comment:

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Sets

Sets will be limited to one or two work sets per exercise. There's no problem with a single work set per body part as long as the frequency is sufficiently high and the progression in weight is consistent followed by an appropriate period of strategic deconditioning. There's nothing wrong with doing more than one or two sets, it's just more taxing on the central nervous system without significantly contributing to growth.</div>

from: http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info/cgi-bin....;t=4637
 
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(Lol @ Oct. 04 2006,08:36)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">ar_chi: The FAQ is a good place to start but there is a ton of extra info in the forum. (About a years worth of reading
smile.gif
).

You can pretty much forget about sets. Initially, just go for a consistent number of reps throughout the cycle. So that's 1x15, 1.5x10 and 3x5. However, during 15s when the loads are light do a load more reps if you feel like it. I often do 25 or so during the first week of 15s and 20 during the first week of 10s. You are after a burn during the 15s. Just avoid failure along the way.</div>
OK, I spent only a couple of days reading this forum, after I finished reading the FAQ.
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That burning feeling was my other issue... I understood that the 15s are for burn, but I could hardly get any of that. And yes, I remember that the feeling (or reduction of the repetition speed at the end of the set) should determine when to end the set. Just didn't believe that...
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And perhaps another factor on the not-burning of my muscles is the low carb diet I'm on. Perhaps I should add more carbs during the 15s and 10s.

Thanks for the tips. Anyway, this HST feels like a good idea and the science behind it really appeals.
 
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(ar_chi @ Oct. 04 2006,08:39)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Sets

Sets will be limited to one or two work sets per exercise. There's no problem with a single work set per body part as long as the frequency is sufficiently high and the progression in weight is consistent followed by an appropriate period of strategic deconditioning. There's nothing wrong with doing more than one or two sets, it's just more taxing on the central nervous system without significantly contributing to growth.</div>

from: http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info/cgi-bin....;t=4637</div>
This is the single most important concept that recent studies have proven to be true. Stay away from the M&amp;F 10 sets each of BP's, flyes, dips and cable crossovers, etc. Why do more if less is better.

Sometimes 1 set or even 2 sets just doesn't feel like enough. Then go to a third set. I never go more than the following:

15's 1 set
10's 2 sets
5's 3 sets

And then ONLY if one set doesn't feel like I have worked that muscle sufficiently.
 
Ar-chi, one of the things you can do to make the 15s burn more is to slow the repetition speed down. Use a 4-2-4 tempo and see if one set doesn't hit you fairly hard.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">But this weeks monday and today just made me wonder that how the heck can the 1x15, 1x10 or 1x5 be enough? It took 30 min to complete the train today.</div>

Although you may have found this somewhere? That is not what we recommend, but rather to keep your volume constant, 1 x 15/1.5 x 10/3 x 5.

However some may argue...and with reason that one work set is enough and may ramp up the weight to their target load and then do 1 set...perfectly acceptable!

If you are doing HST for the first time (I seem to recall you are) then follow the above recommendation and keep your volume constant, you won't be sorry!
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">It just feels so light compared to what I used to do. (Meaning the traditional no-pain-no-gain -method.)</div>

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Agreed...there is a world of difference between HST and no pain-no gain, HST is about working smart and getting the best of all methodologies available (within reason that is) so as to get the best hypertrophy with the least effort.

That obviously does not mean there is only little effort
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just check out Steve and Liegelord...they hoist some heavy stuff around, but rather controlled effort and efficacy supreme!
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Lately I've been thinking about Prilephin's Table. I'd say the comments that have been made would come pretty close to what the table would lead you to.

Some (including Dan Moore I believe) have said that keeping total work constant or progressing may be important, just not as important as progressing load. Following the table doesn't do that. However, generally, if you do one or more warm up sets working to the heavier (but lower rep) weights you'll probably still have progression in work as well as load.

Priliphin developed this, I believe, in studying successful training of Olympic lifters, not body builders. However, aside from the times of using very low reps to peak for contests, I think that a lot of the best practices from strength training has good general applicability for building both mass and strength, which is what I'm interested in.

Anyway, it's an interesting comparison.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Although you may have found this somewhere? That is not what we recommend, but rather to keep your volume constant, 1 x 15/1.5 x 10/3 x 5.</div>

Ok, well this was something new, so thank you. I'll do it like that. So the 1.5x10 means one set of 10 reps and one set of 5 reps with the same weight?

I got the idea for 1 set from the FAQ:

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info/cgi-bin....;t=4628

And yes, this is my first cycle. I don't expect to know it all after 2 weeks, but my thirst for information is inexhaustible
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Actually I tried slowing the movement today, and it worked somewhat. Have to remember that in the next cycle.

What comes to strenght gains, I think that strenght is a by-product of muscle size (a joke, at least partly
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)
 
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(ar_chi @ Oct. 04 2006,15:20)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">What comes to strenght gains, I think that strenght is a by-product of muscle size (a joke, at least partly  
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)</div>
There certainly is an inter-relationship.
 
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(ar_chi @ Oct. 04 2006,07:58)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Hi,

I started my 1st HST cycle last week, and just finished the second train with 1x15 reps. I did 2x15 last week, and after the train and the day after I felt that I have actually done something at the gym.

But this weeks monday and today just made me wonder that how the heck can the 1x15, 1x10 or 1x5 be enough? It took 30 min to complete the train today.

Interestingly, when performing a set, it feels that I'm actually doing something, at least in most exercises. So the weights can't be totally wrong. Perhaps I estimated some weights too low, but honestly I measured the 15 rep maxes.

(Yes, I read the FAQ and tried to search.)

Thanks for comments,

-A-</div>
1 set is more than enough for me. I do about 10-12 different exercises with 1 set each. As I get closer to my natural strength limit, it must take my cns longer to recuperate. When I was new to working out, I was only using a fraction of the weight I use now, doing multiple sets, etc. Even high volume didn't burn me out back then, but as I got considerably stronger my body began to become more sensitive even though I wasn't working out any harder than I did as a noobie.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I suggest you do 2 sets per exercise during the 15s. Then do 2 sets during the first week of 10s, and 1 set during the second week of 10s. Then do 2 sets during the first week of 5s, and finish doing one set (after warm ups of course) during the last week of 5s. Always warm up first regardless of how many work sets you are doing.

The volume isn't necessarily supposed to decrease each minicycle. It often does, simply as a result of the increasing poundages and cumulative damage. </div>

The above is from the FAQ if that helps.

I've seen people recommending 1x15 / 2 x 10 / 3 x 5, and also 1.5 x 10....and then there is the FAQ which seems to recommend 2 x15 / 2/1 x 10 / 2/1 x 5....

Is there any consensus on what is best or is it really something you have to tailor yourself?  

Personally I've just been doing 1 x15 and having great results, but I'm about to start 10's at the end of the week so any input on the different recommendations would be appreciated.
 
There is a long discussion in the sticky thread &quot;No. of Sets&quot; at the top of the page. You can probably find lots more opinions there. Most popular was 1x15, 2x10, 3x5 as I recall, so that might be a good starting point.

Whether that or something else is ideal for you is an individual matter. Also, as stevejones notes, this may change over time for an individual.
 
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(Lifting N Tx @ Oct. 04 2006,17:21)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">There is a long discussion in the sticky thread &quot;No. of Sets&quot; at the top of the page.  You can probably find lots more opinions there.  Most popular was 1x15, 2x10, 3x5 as I recall, so that might be a good starting point.

Whether that or something else is ideal for you is an individual matter.  Also, as stevejones notes, this may change over time for an individual.</div>

Got it, thank you! I saw the sticky earlier about no of sets, but didn't realize it was more than just a poll until I looked again after seeing your post.
 
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(ar_chi @ Oct. 04 2006,08:39)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Sets

Sets will be limited to one or two work sets per exercise. There's no problem with a single work set per body part as long as the frequency is sufficiently high and the progression in weight is consistent followed by an appropriate period of strategic deconditioning. There's nothing wrong with doing more than one or two sets, it's just more taxing on the central nervous system without significantly contributing to growth.</div>
Im unsure about this because i recently read this:

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">.....this study shows that one set three times per week is better than three sets once per week. However, three sets performed three times per week are even more effective.

Evidence for this comes from research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research [5]. Sixteen trained men were assigned to one of two groups, and trained with weights using either one set or three sets per muscle group three times each week for 12 weeks. Each session was separated by 48 hours.

Three sets per muscle group led to greater strength gains than one set (30% and 13% greater gains in the leg press and bench press, respectively). Gains in lean muscle were also 40-50% greater in the multiple-set group.

]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez....]</div>

So this would surely say the opposite...
 
Time Under Load and the summation effect, as teh research proved...semeeed to work better.

Why the recommendation of reducing to 1 set on the second week? It is a work set, you may ramp up to the working weight...in fact when doing heavier loads I almost always do this.

On the other hand...people react differently it is an individual thing...some guys just barely look at the weights and grow others need to work damn hard!

Life is unfair.
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(JonnyH @ Oct. 04 2006,17:42)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Im unsure about this because i recently read this:

So this would surely say the opposite...</div>
Yes, but that gain was measured by strength, not hypertrophy. And even though there naturally is a correlation between muscle size and strenght (up to a point, at least), that really doesn't say if it's better for hypertrophy to do three sets three times a week.

Have to read the sticky thread, thanks for the tip.
 
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(ar_chi @ Oct. 05 2006,04:54)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">that really doesn't say if it's better for hypertrophy to do three sets three times a week.
</div>


Actually, it says it was better for both strength and hypertrophy -  I think you overlooked the last line of the quote:

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Gains in lean muscle were also 40-50% greater in the multiple-set group.</div>

I don't have a pubmed membership so I can't see the whole thing, but this does seem to contradict the other study.
 
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