stevejones
Member
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(scientific muscle @ Nov. 26 2006,16:30)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Scientifically, there is enough evidence that more than one set may not produce significantly different results than multiple sets. Most of these studies looked at strength, some also at hypertrophy.
This study from 2000 used trained subjects and measured both muscle mass and strength increases, no difference was found between the one set group and the three sets group. So my original question which started this thread-"Is more than one set necessary?"
I think the answer is 'NO.'
This is based both on scientific studies and real life people like Steve Jones who is probably the most muscular person to respond to this thread and who does only one top work set per exercise and is training naturally.
Here is a link to the study:RE volume study, 2000
(*edit-this conclusion is based on high-frequency training like 3/week such as HST advocates, plus doing a decent variety of exercises. If you are only doing 4-5 different exercises and training only twice/week or less, then multiple sets will most likely be superior. Other studies have shown a benefit to mutiple sets, but these were usually based on only doing a very few basic exercises.)</div>
I think that guys really have to listen to their bodies, and, unfortunately, I don't see how that's possible unless you are taking your workouts very seriously. Guys who push their bodies to the limits notice the small subtle things like fatigue much better than guys who pursue this as a leisurely hobby.
I started doing one set because 2 or 3 sets would get me too fatigued to achieve my strength goals in HST. You also have to remember that I am cutting so am doing cardio twice per day on off days and once per day on lifting days. All I have been trying to do while cutting is to keep my strength, and it's a real b*tch.
If I don't meet my 'x rep maximum' at the end of a 2 week cycle, I'm crushed and feel very bad about it. So, I admit that I conserve my energy in workouts by doing only 1 set to achieve my goal. This kind of program might not work for other guys, ESPECIALLY if they aren't obsessed over the numbers they put up. I know it is working well for me. I'd also like to reiterate from other posts I've made that my sub max numbers are a high percentage of my max numbers.
Example: my FIRST 10 rep set (in a 2 week 10 rep cycle)for shoulder press is 50 lbs less than my max set, so that makes my first set 83% of my max set. If your max 10 rep set was only 100 lbs for shoulder press, and you started off with 50 lbs on your first day of the 2 week cycle, that's only 50% of your max set...big difference there.
I think O&G said it best--he basically said you make a lot of progress when your calories are inline with the work effort you put in the gym. I try to do a good job of that.
(scientific muscle @ Nov. 26 2006,16:30)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Scientifically, there is enough evidence that more than one set may not produce significantly different results than multiple sets. Most of these studies looked at strength, some also at hypertrophy.
This study from 2000 used trained subjects and measured both muscle mass and strength increases, no difference was found between the one set group and the three sets group. So my original question which started this thread-"Is more than one set necessary?"
I think the answer is 'NO.'
This is based both on scientific studies and real life people like Steve Jones who is probably the most muscular person to respond to this thread and who does only one top work set per exercise and is training naturally.
Here is a link to the study:RE volume study, 2000
(*edit-this conclusion is based on high-frequency training like 3/week such as HST advocates, plus doing a decent variety of exercises. If you are only doing 4-5 different exercises and training only twice/week or less, then multiple sets will most likely be superior. Other studies have shown a benefit to mutiple sets, but these were usually based on only doing a very few basic exercises.)</div>
I think that guys really have to listen to their bodies, and, unfortunately, I don't see how that's possible unless you are taking your workouts very seriously. Guys who push their bodies to the limits notice the small subtle things like fatigue much better than guys who pursue this as a leisurely hobby.
I started doing one set because 2 or 3 sets would get me too fatigued to achieve my strength goals in HST. You also have to remember that I am cutting so am doing cardio twice per day on off days and once per day on lifting days. All I have been trying to do while cutting is to keep my strength, and it's a real b*tch.
If I don't meet my 'x rep maximum' at the end of a 2 week cycle, I'm crushed and feel very bad about it. So, I admit that I conserve my energy in workouts by doing only 1 set to achieve my goal. This kind of program might not work for other guys, ESPECIALLY if they aren't obsessed over the numbers they put up. I know it is working well for me. I'd also like to reiterate from other posts I've made that my sub max numbers are a high percentage of my max numbers.
Example: my FIRST 10 rep set (in a 2 week 10 rep cycle)for shoulder press is 50 lbs less than my max set, so that makes my first set 83% of my max set. If your max 10 rep set was only 100 lbs for shoulder press, and you started off with 50 lbs on your first day of the 2 week cycle, that's only 50% of your max set...big difference there.
I think O&G said it best--he basically said you make a lot of progress when your calories are inline with the work effort you put in the gym. I try to do a good job of that.
