changing up reps and sets: must volume remain constant?

[Clever Name]

To cut to the chase: my question is whether it's actually necessary to keep the total # of reps the same throughout a training cycle—i.e., when one is systematically varying the # of reps per set and the # of sets per exercise. I have tried to include as much info as necessary to give an informed answer to this question but not so much as to overwhelm.

 

I'm currently in the middle of a 10-week training cycle (just finished week 5). My goals are to build muscle, especially in my upper body, calves, and butt, while also getting rid of a bit of extra body fat. I’m a 31 year old female, ~125-130 lbs, 5’5”. I keep my calories to an average of about 1875. I always follow lifting with cardio—currently, 25 minutes, with intervals on upper body days and steady state on lower body days.

 

First week was high reps (3 sets of 17...more on why this bizarre number in a bit)

 

Weeks 2-4 were a warm up set of 15, then 3x12 (for a total of 51 reps...same as 3x17! I’m kind of OCD about numbers of reps and keeping volume the same since I read about this concept in descriptions of HST, but perhaps I’m taking it too far.)

 

Weeks 5-7 are warm up of 15, then 4x9 (again, 51 total)

 

and weeks 8-10 are going to be warm upx15, then 6x6 (same total reps--51).

 

The exceptions to this rule are lower body except for calves (my thighs are BIG with muscle and don't need any more bulk, so 3 sets of 20) and abs (which I train to failure for 3-4 sets).

 

The 3x12, 4x9, and 6x6 workouts all add up to 36 reps per exercise (or 51 if you include the warm up of 15) , but the 4 and 6 set workouts take longer, owing to walking around between stations (I superset) and, if using barbells, adjusting weights between sets. I do 7 exercises per workout, 4 workouts per week. And I don’t want to spend more than about 90 minutes on the whole thing, but whenever I transition to lower reps and more sets, it takes longer.

 

Which I guess brings me to another question: I've read that the total workout shouldn't take more than an hour. Could this be overdoing it? If it helps, here's my split.

 

Monday

butt, thighs, rear delts, calves

 

Tuesday

chest, biceps, abs

 

Thursday

butt, thighs, abs, calves

 

Friday

back, triceps, shoulders

 

On Saturdays, I usually attend a yoga class that provides another opportunity for some light core and leg work.

 

I give 4 exercises per week to my back and chest, 8 per week to my butt and thighs (spread over 2 workouts), 2 per week to my shoulders (divided between 2 workouts—1 for rear delts, 1 shoulder press—dealing with shoulder injuries, so trying not to overdo), 2 per week to biceps, 2 to triceps, 3 per week to calves (over 2 workouts), and 3 per week to abs (over 2 workouts).

 

Any and all help appreciated! I don’t want to overtrain, especially since I am experiencing a “cranky” shoulder, knee, hip, and foot; I faithfully do my physical therapy stuff on the foam roller after cardio, but I want to be sure I’m staying injury free and being sensible. At the same time, I want vicious guns, a butt that looks like I’m trying to shoplift 2 personal watermelons, and calves that look like I’m wearing stripper shoes even when I’m in flip flops. (Not that I can wear either for long with my plantar fasciitis!) Oh, and I don’t want to spend crazy amounts of time in the gym.

 

Again, to bottom line the question: total number of reps—must they remain constant throughout periodization cycles? And any other tips to streamline workouts?

[Guest]

I don't think its necessary. Total intensity is what matters not simply reps.

[DV]

Hi Clevername!

 

I am currenlty 2 weeks into a bulking phase and am noticing a nice increase in strength - measurements will come later this week. I can tell you what I'm doing and the theory behind it. Maybe you can use some of the information.

 

My rep range is 6-12, no more or less, going to failure with every set. If you want to see the best increase in mass then you need to recruit Type 2b Fast Twitch fibers. The only way to do this is to take your sets to failure (absolute must) in the 6-12 range with heavy weights. You will also recruit Type 2a Fast Twitch fibers in this range (if you don't go to failure and/or if you go beyond 12 reps) but they don't add as much bulk as the 2b. (Just in case you're wondering, the Slow Twitch fibers are recruited during endurance/aerobic exercises and do not add mass).

 

Compound movements seem to be best for building mass (squats, dead lifts, bench press, etc.) Resting between sets is a must if you're going to get your muscle to go to failure. You need 1-2 minutes (or more for some of the really heavy exercises) for your ATP to replenish. If you don't rest long enough then you're essentially doing an aerobic routine - which won't build muscle. I'm currently doing 3-4 different excercises for larger muscle groups and 2-3 for smaller muscles. With rest in between, a 5-10 minute warm-up and stretching - my workouts take approximately 40 to 60 minutes, and I'm exhausted by the end.

 

Additionally, I'm eating about 1-1.5 grams per lean body mass of protein per day, spread out over 5 meals and adding an additional 200-300 calories per day. Also getting 8 hours of sleep to keep my cortisol levels in check (cortisol is catabolic and levels increase with lack of adequate sleep). I'm not doing any cardio exercise at this time. When I go to a fat loss phase then I'll add cardio with a moderate calorie decrease.

 

I hope that helped!

[scrodhi]

The idea of the total body workout is to do high intensity (as much weight as you can handle) for low reps, one set to failure and work every body part each workout. Most people can do this in 90 minutes or so. The thing about this type of training is that for it to be effective (and it can be very effective if you don't want to spend 15 hours a week in the gym), you have to do three things.#1 train to absolute muscle failure (or beyond) so you really neeed someone to spot you because the idea is that you go to complete muscle failure. #2 you need to give yourself sufficient recovery time between workouts (this can be up to 72 hours), and #3 you need to slightly increase your calorie intake to get the best results........you also want to try and get as much sleep as possible because this is when your body repairs the broken down muscle tissue and when you grow leaner adn stronger muscles.

 

Good luck........BTW high volume training is every bit as effective, but it is more time consuming, and you would want to split the routine like you have been doing....but if you do it right high intensity training can get you the same results with less time spent in the gym......the only downside is that you get a lot more muscle soreness when you train this way, and you should always do a warmup set with very light weights until you feel a good pump in the muscle, this helps to prevent injuries, because that way you can do one set to failure with the high intensity low rep set using a lighter weight so it reduces the risk of injury while training.

 

Good luck

[bronco]

Again, to bottom line the question: total number of reps—must they remain constant throughout periodization cycles? And any other tips to streamline workouts?

No, there is no reason at all why the total number of reps should remain constant. Quite commonly the total number of reps goes down as the weight increases.

[xveganjoshx]

Great response DV! Just the kind of response a bodybuilding forum needs!

[crashnburn]

Gold! insights. thanks.

[DV]

Thanks Josh! (I've been doing my homework). I'm no expert bodybuilder but I'm looking to compete in the next year or two, depending on how much mass I can gain. I finally came to the realization that I needed to approach bodybuilding the same way I approach nutrition and medicine - so I've tried to research the science behind it. If something is working for me and the science appears sound, then I'm more likely to share.

[xveganjoshx]

Science is good. Science + personal results is great!

[Clever Name]

WOW! Thanks, all, for the responses. They do all make sense. I think that at this point what I need to do is make a decision, and then a commitment, to focus on either bulking or cutting. I know from Daywalker's posts on the subject that the two approaches do not need to be as far apart as many BB folks believe...however, it sounds like I do need to make one a priority/primary focus, and THEN to decide on whether to try HST or HIT training (or something else entirely, like a plyo circuit, as my understanding is HST and HIT apply to bulking but not cutting).

 

I'm toying with the idea of posting pics here to get the forum members' opinions on whether a fat-dropping focus or a bulking focus would be a better place to start. If I do this, I'll be sure to indicate my goals and timeline.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a gym partner, so the spotting can't reliably happen. However, my gym does have machines aplenty, which I know don't give the same results as free weights but would certainly allow me to go to failure on heavy sets of compound lifts without risking death and dismemberment.

 

My other consideration is injury prevention--particularly for my knees, hips, and shoulders.

 

I hope everyone has a fantastic day, and thanks again for all the help. I'll be looking for more guidance, I'm sure!

[the Asocial Ape]

DV- so are you saying for large muscles, you are doing how many sets of 6-12 reps to failure, with 3-4 exercises?

 

could you fill in the missing piece in the equation?

 

X sets * 6-12 reps * 3-4 exercises.

 

 

i'm getting stronger with high weight (high for me anyway) * 6 reps * 6-8 total sets.

 

anything would make me stronger though, as i'm a total novice. i like gaining strength, but wouldn't mind getting bigger too. i am gaining weight, about 10 lbs in a month, but can't really see a difference.

 

as you've made more of a study of it, i'd appreciate your, or anyone else's, input.