Thread: How many excersises?

This is not rocket science, don't over think this crap......their is no perfect workout!!!

mine is perfect.... i don't even know what i'm doing but i know i'm not overtraining

Although there are too many variables too definitively give you a perfect number, check out my guide that gives some general ranges that I consider reasonable:

Designing a Split Routine

I always guage it by soreness. If I do a workout and I'm not sore the next day, then I increase either my intensity or volume, one or the other or both. Just a simpleton rule of thumb

Originally Posted by luke69duke69

I always guage it by soreness. If I do a workout and I'm not sore the next day, then I increase either my intensity or volume, one or the other or both. Just a simpleton rule of thumb

This is not good practice IMO, because before long youll be doing 48 sets for your upper body. I find it's better to gauge if a plan is working by how much strength you are gaining. So I'd say find a plan that someone else does, see how it works, maybe add or subtract a set here and there, but don't get into the habit of regularly adding sets. Your volume really should stay pretty constant thoughout a plan.

Originally Posted by kenwood

mine is perfect.... i don't even know what i'm doing but i know i'm not overtraining

I think you are the most clueless person on IMForums. You posted the most ridiculous routine ever. 48 SETS FOR UPPER BODY! You isolate every single piece of muscle tissue. Absurd.

9-12 total sets for chest, back, legs and shoulders 6-9 total sets for bi's, tri's, calves, abs work in the 6 to 12 rep range going to failure each set. Just change up the exercises every 4 to 6 weeks.

Originally Posted by GKJ

9-12 total sets for chest, back, legs and shoulders 6-9 total sets for bi's, tri's, calves, abs work in the 6 to 12 rep range going to failure each set. Just change up the exercises every 4 to 6 weeks.

I disagree. 12 sets for chest is to much.

even working out all the time, if you increase your intensity with the same number of sets or increase the weight, you SHOULD, still get sore, in theory. I've never had a problem working to soreness and having to do a ton of sets to get there. Bicepts sometimes give me fits and I wind up doing a lot of sets on those, but I think seriously that comes from being a waiter part time and having really good endurance in my bicepts. Would anyone agree on that with the bicepts? It's been my theory, but I didn't know if there was another reason it seems to take more to work my bi's to failure.

Originally Posted by luke69duke69

even working out all the time, if you increase your intensity with the same number of sets or increase the weight, you SHOULD, still get sore, in theory. I've never had a problem working to soreness and having to do a ton of sets to get there. Bicepts sometimes give me fits and I wind up doing a lot of sets on those, but I think seriously that comes from being a waiter part time and having really good endurance in my bicepts. Would anyone agree on that with the bicepts? It's been my theory, but I didn't know if there was another reason it seems to take more to work my bi's to failure.

Soreness means nothing. Don't think that if you don't get sore you didn't have a good workout. I never get sore from my workouts anymore but I continually move up in weight and strength. That's all that really matters to me. The only time I would disagree with what I just said is when I am just starting a new exercise. If it's really brand new, I should be getting sore; if not, I did something wrong or it wasn't intense enough.

Originally Posted by Doublebase

I disagree. 12 sets for chest is to much.

I agree, I never do more than 8 or 9.

the range was 9 to12 sets for chest which you fall into

I didnt realise 8 fell into that range.....

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

I agree, I never do more than 8 or 9.

So my range would be 6-9, seeing that 8 or 9 is the most I ever do ( most is not a term used for average number of sets but rather the top end of what I would do, certainty not the norm) ...

People amaze me.

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

I agree, I never do more than 8 or 9.

I lean towards 16-20 for chest

Are you working out to get sore, or to get stronger, or to gain mass? Personally, I am trying to get stronger and gain mass, so I try to gauge my workouts by that.

On the other hand, if you guys like to just get sore and look tough in the gym by doing 16-20 sets for your chest, go for it!

Thanks guys for your help

Originally Posted by squanto

Are you working out to get sore, or to get stronger, or to gain mass? Personally, I am trying to get stronger and gain mass, so I try to gauge my workouts by that.

On the other hand, if you guys like to just get sore and look tough in the gym by doing 16-20 sets for your chest, go for it!

Exactly. Why would you gauge the effectiveness of your workouts on anything except results in the areas of fitness you are looking to improve?

Also, volume questions are worthless without considering other variables. What is the intensity being used? What is the level of effort being exerted? How frequently are you working this body part?

On another note, soreness is not really an indicator of anything. Science does not even fully understand what happens at the cellular level to cause DOMS.