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Exhaustion vs. Less Reps, More Sets for Chin-Ups, Push-ups, etc.



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Old 02-23-2009, 06:28 PM
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Question Exhaustion vs. Less Reps, More Sets for Chin-Ups, Push-ups, etc.

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?
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Old 02-23-2009, 06:37 PM
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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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Old 02-23-2009, 07:27 PM
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5 sets of 5 is 25 not 50. lol
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Old 02-23-2009, 07:36 PM
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Quote:
But rather than talk about, why not just try it and see where it takes you?
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..

Quote:
5 sets of 5 is 25 not 50. lol
LOL

My bad.. Long day..
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Old 02-23-2009, 07:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dougz View Post
So that's a vote for higher reps over higher intensity?
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.
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Old 02-23-2009, 08:05 PM
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Quote:
There's no change in intensity unless you're doing weighted chinups and pushups.
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?
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Old 02-23-2009, 08:09 PM
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^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kane View Post
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.
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Old 02-23-2009, 08:22 PM
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What's "^^" mean?

I didn't get what you meant, so review what I said again?

Do you think I'd approach the intensity fatigue level of my usual first set of 10 by the last couple sets of 5 out of 5?

One way to find out, I suppose..
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Old 02-23-2009, 08:37 PM
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"^^" 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.
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Old 02-23-2009, 08:41 PM
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Quote:
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..
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