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I was talking to a guy at the gym today, and we were talking about chin-ups..

I mentioned how I could do 10, but then my next ones were 5, then 3, basically doing it to exhaustion on each set (sometimes I feel like I could do 11 on my first one, but then my successive ones suffer).

I do this every workout where I'm doing chin-ups (other days I'll do barbell rows), same number of reps every time..

He was saying how it might be better to do more sets of lower reps, like 5 sets of 5, as that way I'm doing 50 instead of just 18..

He mentioned that it's recommended in Ahnuld's ABC's of Bodybuilding..

I'm plateauing on push-ups as well.. I'll do 26, then 10, then 8..

Thoughts?

I would vote for doing more small sets rather than a big one and a couple small ones.

But rather than talk about, why not just try it and see where it takes you?

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5 sets of 5 is 25 not 50. lol

Cause I thought I'd put it out there, in case I'm just plain wrong..

So that's a vote for higher reps over higher intensity?

Keep the comments coming, so I can get a consensus..

LOL

My bad.. Long day..

Thats not what I voted for.

I voted for more reps at the same intensity. There's no change in intensity unless you're doing weighted chinups and pushups.

Intensity isn't a measure of how much sweat is on your shirt, its how close you are to your 1RM. Doing 1 rep with bodyweight or 8 reps with bodyweight is the same intensity.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying..

I've been doing chin-ups balls out, and can manage 10, then 5, then 3-4 (so, high intensity/exhaustion)..

If I were to go down to 5 a set there'd be less intensity, but more reps over all..

Maybe just add weights to the chin-ups, try to keep to or work up to 10?

Do bosu push-ups with less reps?

^^

"^^" Means I'm referring to the post above mine.

I read your posts, I understand what you're getting at. But I don't think you understand what I'm getting at.

The phrase "Intensity fatigue" is wrong in soo many ways. This has nothing to do with intensity and everything to do with density.

Whether you do 1 set of 12 or 4 sets of 3 the intensity is the same. However the density is greater for the former and lesser for the latter, but the volume remains the same (12 reps).

But if you can only do 1 set of 12 but you can do 5 sets of 3, obviously you've got more volume with the 5 sets.

Ah, but what makes for the best muscle growth?

Volume or density?

This is what I'm trying to get straight..

Like I say, I'll try the 5 sets of 5, see how I feel as far as fatigue goes, but I have a feeling it won't be as "intense" (ball busting).

It'll shake things up, if nothing else..

buy a belt that will let you add weight to it....or put on a weighted backpack and do chinups.