How do you train?

Benji

Right, training in the gym today ...well yesterday...and this guy watches what im doing and comes over and tells me im training wrong! He then told me what I should be doing. Now Im kinda confused, he said not to go to failure on each set and was talking about this 12 reps 7 reps 5 reps then a max out 3 reps or something, he did seem to know what he was on about, so im just wondering how you all train, just as a comparison.

For example how would a typical bench press sesh go, sets reps weight and what sets are to failure and what sets stop at a certain no. reps etc.

Cheers

zx9rjas

This is a matter of opinion question, and for some one to come over and tell you are traning wrong is out of order mate and tell him where to go. If he was advising you on bad posture or form this is a different matter.

I'm sure that even the top pro's train differently and have different ideas on sets,reps,failure and rest periods. Ronnie coleman probably trains totally different to Jay Cutler but they both get the same results.

I know some people go to failure on every set and some dont. What he was talking about with the 12 reps 7 reps 5 reps 3 reps were drop sets, these should really be only used occasionally if you are a really experienced bodybuilder. I do this sometimes when I am pushing myself
I put a warm up weight on a bar for 12-15 reps and do this set not to failure then add weight and do 10 reps to near failure then usually add more weight and aim for 10 reps but may get 9, then add more weight and probably only get 7 reps. I then for my lasty set remove a bit of weight and go for failure at around 10-12 reps.

You can either do a a flat set like this

12 10 10 (10) 12 or with lower reps 10 8 8 8 10, 10 6 6 6 10

or drop sets

12 10 8 6 12

or pyramiding

10 8 6 8 10

Ignore people in the gym telling you how to train, advice is great but unwanted instruction is rude. If you are growing o.k. and are following correct form you are doing what is best for you. Its always great to get new routines to follow but you usually look for these yourself or ask on here for different training.

My chest routine is this at the moment@15 -15.5 stone

Incline bench 12 10 8 8 10-12

Dumbell flat press 12 10 8 6 10

Pec deck 12 10 10 8 10

I usually get closer to failure in the last 3 sets of each exercise and use the first couple of sets to warm and stretch my chest and get them used to handling increasing weight to prevent injury.

These are loose number of reps as somedays I push myself a bit more if i'm feeling really up for it.

J

Tunafish

If you're getting bigger and/or stronger Benji it can't be wrong.
My training is based on overall volume for an exercise, the volume is increased every workout.
Example: (warmups not included)
Bench Press
Mon: 5 sets * 5 reps @ 100kg = 2500kg
Fri: 4 sets * 8 reps @ 85kg = 2720kg
Tue: 3 sets * 12 reps @ 80kg = 2880kg
Sat: 4 sets * 7 reps @ 105kg = 2940kg

Once I fail to complete an exercise I change it.
I've been on this method for about 1 month, results are showing, so I'm told

Benji

Cheers for the replys lets me see that everone trains differently! Was a bit annoyed with this guy, he cracked me up tho, I was on the chest press machine (bad i know) and he said he was going to spot for me!! :?

tom84

wel technically he can spot u on chest press ie help u pull it forward when u cant quite get there on last rep to make sure u go to failure but complete the rep. He sounds like a **** thou . He obviously doesnt know wat hes talking about if he said u were training WRONG advice is great but as J said b4 because there are so many different ways to train that saying somebody is training wrong is a very difficult statement to make in this way just wat works 4 u bcoz evry1 is different. I train alot more than most ppl 4 example 5/6 times a week and do alot more sets than most. Just works 4 me and id be able to tell if i overtrain because wouldnt make any gains but 8 pounds last month so seems to be working.

GTForce

zx9rjas, great advice (as usual) but I don't think the guy at the gym was talking about drop sets because he said to not go to failure until the last heavy set (3 reps). At least that is how I read it. He seemed to be describing a basic pyramid, starting at 12 reps and eventually working down to 3 reps. True drop sets (as I'm sure you know) involve taking each set to failure without rest. For example, one way to thrash your delts is to go "down the rack" on lateral raises. Grab the 40 lb. dumbellls and rep out until failure, immediately put them down and grab the 30's and go to failure, do the same with the 20's, the 15's and the 10's. At the end, I like to go into a doorway and press my arms outwards, pushing them hard in an isometric contraction. When I step out of the doorway, my arms almost feel like floating upwards on their own, but at the same time they are so pumped and heavy that i can barely move them.

There is no "right" way to train. The key is variation, especially as you advance. A beginner can make great progress following the same program for months, but a more advanced lifter must tweak his program fairly frequently in order to continue responding.

I have learned that, for me, I need to follow a 2-on, 1-off protocol to be successful. I have tried other splits but I found that I either felt too rested and anxious to hit the gym if I trained less, and I always had horrible workouts when I tried to go 3 days in a row. Within that split I follow many different programs, I usually change my routine every 6 weeks or so. Presently, I am following a program that some may see as either inadequate (in terms of volume per workout) or overkill (in terms of how many times I hit a bodypart per week).

Check this out: (all sets are listed are working sets, after I am warm)
Day 1) Squat 5 sets of 3 reps (very heavy, ass-to-the-platform, wider stance)
Standing unilateral leg curl 5 sets of 3 reps (powerful contraction, slow neg)
Machine chest press 5 sets of 3 reps
Barbell row 5 sets of 3 reps
Standing barbell curl 5 sets of 3 reps
Reverse grip triceps pressdowns 5 sets of 3 reps

Day 2) Standing alternate overhead dumbell presses 2 sets of 25 reps (per arm)
* note - these are not light nor easy. I am using 50 lb dumbells, it's hard.
Wide grip lat pulldowns 2 sets of 25 reps
Squats 2 sets of 25 reps (heels on 25 lb. plates, close stance, no lockout)
Seated leg curl 2 sets of 25 reps
Crunches 2 sets of 25 reps (on Swiss ball)

Day 3) Off

Day 4) Stiff-legged deadlift 3 sets of 8
Hanging leg raise 3 sets of 8
Incline dumbell press 3 sets of 8
Shrugs 3 sets of 8
Standing dumbell hammer curls 3 sets of 8
Overhead dumbell tricep extensions 3 sets of 8

Day 5) Walking lunges (w/dumbells) 3 sets of 12 per leg, 24 strides in total per set.
Kneeling rope crunches 3 sets of 12
Dips (w/added weight) 3 sets of 12
Chins 3 sets of 12 (should be with added weight ops
(seeing as how it is December, I am about 200 lbs.)

Day 6) Off

Day 7) Repeat (i.e. back to day one)

Now I'm sure many people would tell me this is not the "right" way of training, but I am getting awesome results.
My chest is being trained 3 times over 6 days BUT I am hitting middle (machine press), upper (incline press) and lower (dips). I am also hitting various fibres as my reps range from 3 to 8 to 12. I feel very "fit" following this program. I am always a little sore but not super-sore. I will follow this program until the new year then switch it up again.

I think the suggestions given by zx9rjas are excellent. My personal favourite for chest is as follows : Incline (low, about 30 degress) dumbell press

1 x 20 w/25 lb. dumbells (warm-up, get blood in there)
1 x 12 w/60 lb. dumbells (preparation for heavier weight)

Working sets

1 x 10 w/100 lb. dumbells (stop at 10, could have got 12)
1 x 10 w/100 lb. dumbells (10 is right around max on 2nd set)
1 x 8-9 w/100 lb. dumbells (sometimes I get 10 again)
1 x 5-6 w/100 lb. dumbells (I always drop off on the 4th set)

I will only use a spot on the final set, but sometimes I go without one. If I get a spot, I can usually get 7 reps.
In this case I am formulating my workout around weight, not reps. I choose a weight that would represent failure at about 12 reps and I do 4 sets of 10 reps or failure (whichever comes first). I chose 4 sets because I found that to be ideal, I really drop off on that last set which tells me I've done enough.

I like the approach of using total workload (like tunafish described) as well.

Unless the guy was a rude I would thank him for the advice and say, "I'll give that a try next time I change up my program." Later on, you can let him know, "Hey, that appproach worked out well" or "I gave it a go but it really didn't work for me"

GTF