FT Questions....

[Scott Stevenson]

Hi scott

in tier 3, day 2, upper body

where do i beat the log? set 1 or set 3 **

(set 1) bench press 7reps X 200pounds* beat it here*
1:30 rest
dumbelflyes 8reps 30pounds

(set 3) bench press 7 reps 180pounds failure. * beat it here*
dumbelflyes 8reps 30pounds

also
I hope this make sense to someone

Hey Brian,

You'd ideally beat the log book on every set, but only the last Loading set of compound exercises would be taken to failure.

If you are truly stopping the previous sets of bench press in your example 1-2 reps shy of failure and you go up in reps, that's great, too, but the last set would be more telling.

Still over time, if lets say you're added a rep or two total to the 2 sets of bench press each week, then that's progression.

Now, if you are simply add a rep to the 1st set of a given week and nothing to the other sets (hypothetically speaking), that would be a bit suspect, IMO, b/c you might have simply squeezed out another rep in that set by taking it a bit closer to failure. I'd still not give up on the exercise (and thus rotate in another compound on that week's set of chest exercises) just yet. Time will tell (over the next couple sessions when you use bench press - in your example - whether you're progressing there).

If, for example, the only difference comes in that first set, simply b/c you're coming closer to failure, then eventually this will peter out, as after 2 weeks, you would actually fail on the first set and simply this would tell you what's up. Also, in doing so, you'd see the ramifications in the next isolation set where your reps would drop, more than likely.

But some subtle differences would be possible, that would be progress. Heck, you might progress by a rep on just one chest exercise and even if, on those particular days, it seems iffy that whether it's due to some source of true progression or simply by taking a non-failure set closer to failure, if you can continue to add a rep for weeks on end, then this will add up and you'll move your weight up and continue to inch forward over time.

-S