Extra Working Sets

[Matthew Campbell]

My upper body is not very strong and as a result I’m building up to my working sets very quickly. For example, for dumbbell shoulder press my warm up starts with 17.5kg and work my way up to 30kg for my working sets. This similar for many other exercises and as a result I feel as if I haven’t done a lot of work. Should I add more working sets or just stick with what I’m doing.

[BryceBahm]

This is a good question. And, I’ll let Joe weigh in in this too with his own thoughts.

My first point, is that you don’t want the desire for “needing” more sets to take away from that 1 or 2 working sets you are doing. When it’s comes to shove, those sets HAVE to be good. They have to meet the standard of good mechanics matched with good effort.

But, if you are able to add more build up sets and want to then I think there are a few ways. First, is your first few sets, you can do a few sets at the same weight for more than just one time. What should change is your perceived effort or contraction.

Or, you can take the sets you already have and just find ways to make them feel like a little more “work,” if that is goal. Slower eccentrics, pauses in extremes, a few more reps than normal, isometric holds. Again just ideas, but all have their place.

The main goal still has to be to have top quality working sets

[Joe]

Matthew Campbell wrote:

My upper body is not very strong and as a result I’m building up to my working sets very quickly. For example, for dumbbell shoulder press my warm up starts with 17.5kg and work my way up to 30kg for my working sets. This similar for many other exercises and as a result I feel as if I haven’t done a lot of work. Should I add more working sets or just stick with what I’m doing.

Are you making progress? If so, change nothing.

[robert drury]

hello , if you stop progressing on a particular excercise should you continue to hammer thru it to see if you can progress or is it time to change excercise??

[BryceBahm]

Progressing how? Are you just tracking weight? There is far more to progressing your selections than just your load.

And if you’re still seeing physical progress you may be getting a good response from an exercise without even being aware of it.

[Joe]

robert drury wrote:

hello , if you stop progressing on a particular excercise should you continue to hammer thru it to see if you can progress or is it to change excercise??

Depends a lot on the exercise. “Smaller” exercises, the progression will be much less easy to see week to week, so you have to be very aware of “form progression” as well. On a single arm DB curls, you might only move up 5lbs every few months….if that. Big movements, like a leg press, you may be able to move up weekly between reps, or 5lbs. But if you have 6-8 weeks of NO progression, no weight, reps, or form…maybe address it then. I’ll answer this one in a longer video as well

[robert drury]

hello, are back off sets recommendationed or simply up to individual,,

[Joe]

Individual. But for most people,  1 top set and 1 back off set are a good place to start.

[Author]

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