Go up five pounds per SET. If you dont feel like your form is terrible youre just wasting time IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
WWCD?
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Go up five pounds per SET. If you dont feel like your form is terrible youre just wasting time IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
WWCD?
He laughs at you...laughs from his mountain.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hubbitron
That's called the first day at the gym.Quote:
Originally Posted by Drewbacca
I don't understand, though. If you're not reaching failure, are you just stopping at some arbitrary number? Is it at least high? I guess you might be getting some cardio out of it.
I don't doubt you're right—but for me if I just jumped in to lifting weights 3 times a week with heavy sets I doubt I would have stuck with it this long. Because of the increase every week and mini-goals I've kept with it and maintained my diet (through weekdays anyway). I've seen great results already even though I'm not at/near max. I'm willing to waste a few lifts because I'm not in rush. The goal is for me to do this for years (maybe forever). Since I've formed a behaviour around this I just enjoy exercising now. I feel much better in general.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kidnemo
For squats in particular I'm to the point now where I know failure is coming in the next 2 weeks just by how tough it's getting. I honestly started week 1 with the 45 lbs bar. Now I'm at 215 lbs so I'm happy with that. I was hoping to get to 1.5 times my bodyweight before failure but thems the breaks.
Middle-aged dudes who practice their karate kicks in-between sets on the leg press.
Maybe the problem here is what is meant by "failure."
I don't think the unicorn has heard that word before.
215 is quite a bit to squat! You go down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, I assume? Going to failure means you're doing the full range of motion until you either can't complete it and you put the weights down on the squat rack or get help from your spotter. You rest for a minute or two, and recuperate enough that you can do another set of about the same number of reps. Probably a couple less, and usually go on for what, 4 sets of an exercise? Maybe alternate heavy and light weights or up the weights for MaxOT or less weight or whatever method you just read about and think is the way to go. Whatever. It could take 5 reps of a lot of weight or 20 reps of too little, but when you absolutely can't complete the next full motion, that's going to failure.
Not going to failure means you put 215 lbs, squat like what, 15-20 reps and are feeling just fine. You could do a bunch more or add more weight to get your Unbreakable ass to break a sweat, but fuck it! Or you're doing like 5 reps and saying fuck it right away, even though you could go to 10 or 15. Either way it doesn't make a lot of sense. It doesn't save you a lot of time and is actually the most important part of the exercise. That's not going to failure.
I think you are going to failure, but in your head maybe it means something else. That's my best guess that still lets me think you're not an idiot. Doing something is always better than doing nothing so it's not like the biggest waste of time in the universe, but it still doesn't make a lot of sense.
I started off struggling with the bar alone last year as well. Going to failure every set, I managed to add 5 pounds every workout pretty easily, much to my surprise, until my progress slowed down around the 150 lbs mark. It was fun! Then I lapsed since I took a two-week trip and only just recently started up the routine again. I lost a lot in the down time =[
Mental failure ≠ muscle failure.
Gotta agree with Mzo...Drew talks like he doesn't understand exactly what "going to failure" is in weightlifting terms.
Now THIS is going to failure on squats!
And re: my dog moz's post - failure for me, particularly on back squats is when i stand up from a rep and the room starts spinning and Im seeing spots.
You gotta do that little pelvic thrust when you come back up, lol.