Quote:
Originally Posted by Kane
Doing singles, imho, are much safer injury wise. Yes you're going for a max, but the key is that (like Eric said) you're not going for a PR. Quality over quantity, so form is very high on the pecking order. Whereas a PR can be downright dirty sometimes, busting a nut to move the weight at all costs.
In this case you're executing very intense single reps (or doubles, triples) while maintaining near perfect (or at least very good) form. You're prepared for the rep and you're focused on that rep, whereas you'd normally focus on the set.
More than likely your chance for injury is higher with a 5x5 than with this type of scheme.
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I see your point... I don't think it applies to me right now though. Here is an example:
My lower back is very weak. I have been doing 3X12 at around 245 with squats. My lower back is not strong enough to allow me to do +300, I don't think. Maybe I could do 275 for a few singles..
maybe. But I am focusing so much on form with all of my lifts that it is a non-issue, I think. And I think a lot of it has to do with how I have been doing rehab, with a focus on volume and form. I don't think I can do enough weight for singles to outweigh the benefits of doing a 3X12. The same is especially true for deadlifts. I could go pull 350 off of the floor with perfect form, but I wouldn't be able to walk the next day. The same goes for 315. But I think I can handle 250 or so very well...in which case singles won't do as much good as some volume might so long as I can maintain form. Deadlifts tend to be like a bunch of singles anyway, so maybe that's not a good example. But my lower back is the reason I've been looking at the higher volume stuff.
EDIT: As soon as the lower back gets strong enough, I might switch back to doing the higher intensity like you suggested. I guess I'm just not at that stage yet. There just hasn't been a day that I haven't been aching since I hurt it again...although it is becoming more and more mild.