Re: Another Workout Thread (5 questions) Help me out
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can i please throw in a random question... for squats i can do like 3 sets of 13 reps with 115 pounds, today i did the same but on a machine/rack 135 pounds. thoughts on using the rack for squats (and also bench presses) vs. no machine... and the question i care more about is
should i be doing like 4 or 5 sets since I have done squats and leg stuff for a while, just not with weights and my legs dont even feel sore or tired after workout. or just up the weight a lot so i have to struggle to do 3 sets of 10. so this is a question on quantity of reps vs. weight? i'm a newbie at the gym. help please.
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Brooser,
You need to think about what your fitness goal is when you're weighing the issue of reps vs weight. Do you want to gain strength and mass? Focus on mass only? Endurance and lactic acid tolerance?
A lower rep count (and heavier the weight) will focus more on strength gains with the benefit of increased muscle mass. This is the 4-6 rep range. A higher rep count (10-15) will focus more on sheer muscle gain, and there should be some strength increases with this approach as well. Going to the 20 rep range will really test your endurance and improve your muscular lactic acid tolerance, perfect for endurance reasons.
3 sets is more than enough for you at this point, but only if these are your "working sets", aka the non-warmup sets. You should be warming up with 3-4 warmup sets btw. One or two with the empty bar, 1 with more weight, etc. As long as the warmup sets do not interfere with your working set, you are gold.
BTW if this is sounds a bit like rambling, I'm sorry. I drank too much scotch too quickly after work.
Also, dude, you need to get off of the machines! Really now. Give it a shot with some lighter weights over a couple of weeks, and make sure you're doing it with good form. There are some good videos on youtube of people squatting with good form.
I guarantee that the day after a good workout with deep, ass to ground squats will cause you to hurt in places you didn't know existed.
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