Will the science guys please stand up

Joe.Muscle

Active Member
OK guys I have a opened question for the guys who know the studies and research much better than I do.

This question is around sets and reps for any Full body routine and especially HSt.

Now I know the answer to this is always do as much as you can and recover. I agree, and I am one of the guys here who follows a higher volume HSt plan...or fullbody plan.

I know that a lot of guys keep there total work constant
2 sets of 15 3 sets of 10 4 to 5 sets of 5 reps.

But does research show us what the ideal amount of reps it takes for hypertrophy.

When does the excess sets become more a means of burning calories as bryan states.

I know load has a lot to do with this as does frequency as well as noobie training and veterans.

But if we had to say one size fits all and not for noobies.

What would idea volume of reps and sets look like on 3 days a week.

Do we have studies showing 15 reps is better than 10 or 25 is too much?

Just curious as to what the science says and what becomes of the extra sets if we are able to do them and recover?
 
the only thing i can say is it really does come down to the individual,i mean gains are hard to "see" over short periods so trying different approaches and see which one works best,over a long period.

but if i had to say : 2 sets minimum 4 sets max.and as for reps,after spending many years doing 6-10 reps i can say that the 15's i use now helped me grow alot.

i cant find the link but ive read that significant hypertrophy can take place in the 10-15 rep range.
 
From what I've read (I'm not a science guy, or a very experienced lifter, so take this for what it's worth -- a recollection) Time Under Tension, or Time Under Load are the terms researchers use and it's what they study. I've seen 60 to 90 seconds under load quoted frequently as being ideal. This does not mean super slow reps, but normal sets and rep speed that accumulates to 60 to 90 seconds.
 
There are lots of variables here. It might even be affected by how many warm ups you do if some warm up sets are close enough to your final weight to really be like a lighter work set. Also drop sets if done would affect things. Some programs pyramid or ramp up in weight, etc. So you might have to have studies structured like HST to tell you much.

More than this, I think it may vary by individual...as I recall we all have varying ratios of the different muscle fiber types. Also, the ideal can change over time. I've been reading some things written by Glenn Pendlay, who is probably the original source of most of the 5x5 routine variants around the 'net. He has complained that a 5x5 routine will be presented as "the" routine to follow. What he says is that the various versions (linear, periodized, ramp up vs. all 5 work sets at same weight, etc) are all part of the same program. As a lifter progresses he changes some of these details over time. The point being that what is best for someone today when they have 1 year of training experience won't work well for them when they have 3 years of training experience.

Conclusion: I'd like to see more studies and someone may come along and cite something helpful here. However, I suspect that for one individual the best you can do is have a range something like what lcars stated. Then you have to find by experience what works for you at this point in time.

I wish it were easier.
 
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(Joe.Muscle @ Oct. 19 2006,10:36)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">But does research show us what the ideal amount of reps it takes for hypertrophy.

Do we have studies showing 15 reps is better than 10 or 25 is too much?</div>
No, not directly

No, not directly

I hoped that helped
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">No, not directly

No, not directly

I hoped that helped</div>

Dan, you're the pit
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Okay, no scientist either (are you frustrated yet?) but I think that most of the experienced BB'ers just know that the answer is impossible to a moot question.

What works is what works for you at what time in your overall progression. Not your increasing weights, but what you've done progressively for the last, say a year. If you just finished 5x5 or MuscleNow, or Dc, then your best gains will be with something else. Nothing works forever...although it seems like HST will.
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Its ok I know the answer, Bryan came to me in a dream and told me, he said;

The number of reps thou shalt do shalt be 17.4, 15 shalt not be done, unless to be passed on route to 17.4, 18 shalt not be done, 27 is definitely out! Once the holy number of reps has been reached, thou shalt have most muscular muscles and many children
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(style @ Oct. 20 2006,09:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Its ok I know the answer, Bryan came to me in a dream and told me, he said;

The number of reps thou shalt do shalt be 17.4, 15 shalt not be done, unless to be passed on route to 17.4, 18 shalt not be done, 27 is definitely out! Once the holy number of reps has been reached, thou shalt have most muscular muscles and many children  
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</div>
Holy hand grenade Batman......................
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