01-07-2016, 09:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-07-2016, 10:01 PM by scousedave.)
(01-07-2016, 09:21 AM)Scott Stevenson Wrote: Very nice post!
[For folks confused about the term "pump," Dave (the OP) is not talking about doing Pump Sets interspersed with Loading sets. Dave, I think you mean shortened range of motion when you say "pump," eh?...]
I'll leave folks to discuss amongst yourselves, but I will say note that it's quite interesting that you're getting along best at the low end of the volume spectrum, choosing the exercises that are the hardest.
-S
Sorry, yes shortened range of motion to focus on a particular muscle group. I think mentally and physically I get a lot more from increasing the leg press by 20kg per rotation rather than 5kg or a couple of reps on the leg extension.
I think it comes from a basis of doing DC where I can really apply myself to a single loading set. On tire II, if I squatted for example, I'd get 210kg (about 460lb) for 9 reps on the first set and then 6 reps on the second but I'd always feel like I'm holding something back. If I dropped the weight on the second set (to get a higher number of reps) I felt like I was always 'guessing' at the load (e.g. do I drop by 10% or 20%?) and would end up with variable increases in my log book each time the exercise cam round, so my first set might jump up by 1-2 reps where my second set might jump by 5-10kg and 1-2 reps.
I think the tenancy is the further up the tiers that I go the more 'fluffy' exercises I tend to add, as I don't know how anyone could keep adding compounds and recover, which seem to impair recovery rather than create any additional benefit. For example, on Tier III my loading sets just seem to come to a grinding halt in terms on weight or rep increases. Perhaps I'm just getting close to my max strength levels and the loads are just hammering me into the ground so 8-10 years ago tier III might have been ideal.
(01-07-2016, 07:02 AM)Altamir Wrote: I couldn't agree more with your structure of Tier I for legs. It's pretty much how I run it. I try and place all my hardest lifts for MR and pump for tier one, and use compound movements for my quad and hamstring lifts. But exercise selection or intensity techniques on pump sets can make a Tier I more difficult than an "easy" Tier II.
I personally like to do (and have seen good results even before starting FT) from doing sort of wave volume. Progressing from Tier I to Tier III. Most of my blasts go I,II,II,II,II,II,III and then cruise. Tier I is hard, but for me, doesn't feel like the work load is challenging enough. I can certainly put more effort into each set at Tier I. Tier II seems to be my "sweet spot" where I can recover but still progress, the volume and the work load is challenging, but not crushing. Tier III for me is one week only. By then end I'm ready to tap out.
I settled on this, and what lifts, just by playing around with stuff. Looking at what others are doing, Very often I'll take something I'd like to try as a MR, and make it a pump set first. If I like it there it'll graduate up to a MR. As to what type of pump sets, rep ranges, techniques. I just went by what got me the sorest / most pumped. and tried to follow trends. Legs like super high reps, back thickness likes lowerish reps with negatives. Chest pressing likes high reps, shoulders high reps. Just lots of playing around.
Yeah I've also found the same with the pump sets and have a tendency to lean towards certain types rep ranges. For legs I go very high reps (30-50) and then still add partials.