Failure and forced reps

[Rissole]

I have just recently been through a stint of training by myself and as we all know when you do that last rep, its the last rep!!

Now hooked up with a very good training partner my last rep dosent have to be the last rep.

My Question is, how many spotted reps are too many?? Can you do too many spotted reps??
I can do 2 extra reps, or if my TP's willing to carry extra load i can get to COMPLETE exhaustion, which could be anywhere from 2-6 extra.

What are your views on extra reps?

Thanks ya'll

 

[Mudge]

Hmm, good question, because while intensity is great there too can be a danger in pushing the body further than it wants to go.

 

[Rissole]

Well thats what we're all about, isn't it?? Pushing the body further than it wants to go....
What about getting into over training?

 

[Mudge]

My fear honestly is based on so many people who have strained and then tore muscles in the chest/back from benching. Also, heavy deadlifts has seperated one mans bicep that I've come across.

I think most of us work with the puny weights that this is not a concern if the form is good and the diet is there, but those that compete at the upper levels IMO are at some risk, or even the folks here benching into the 400s, it starts getting risky. So I hate to be the puzzy but I am undecided on this one, I normally feel quite good and would love to have at least one forced rep on my last set, if I had a training partner.

 

[gopro]

AS a natural trainee I suggest no more than 1-2 forced reps on each set. You may even want to save forced reps for only 1 set per exercise. You must reach failure on your own and your partner should apply only slight force to the bar to help you get 1-2 more. Any more than this and you will overtax your nervous system and quickly overtrain. You know the level I am at and I rarely go past failure myself, except on shock week where supersets and drop sets take place.

 

[ZECH]

What GP said! I think one forced rep is plenty. If your partner doesn't help enough on forced reps, it is a good way to pull something or get hurt.

 

[naturalguy]

I am not a big fan of forced reps. You should go to failure however you don't need to push beyond this for growth.

 

[CJB]

I think gopro's answer was perfect.

 

[Rissole]

Originally posted by gopro
AS a natural trainee I suggest no more than 1-2 forced reps on each set. You may even want to save forced reps for only 1 set per exercise. You must reach failure on your own and your partner should apply only slight force to the bar to help you get 1-2 more. Any more than this and you will overtax your nervous system and quickly overtrain. You know the level I am at and I rarely go past failure myself, except on shock week where supersets and drop sets take place.

Thanks big buddy!!

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Rissole
Thanks big buddy!!

Anytime buddy

 

[Mikes1]

How many negatives do you think i should do?
I work out alone so i can't do forced reps.

Mike

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Mikes1
How many negatives do you think i should do?
I work out alone so i can't do forced reps.

Mike

Well then, you can't do true negatives. True negatives are when you fail positively and then attempt to fail eccentrically by having a partner lift the bar for you so that you can lower it under control.

What you CAN do safely is drop sets...when you reach failure or close to, and the immediately reduce the weight by about 20% and continue the set.

 

[kdwa1]

Gopro called it right.What I would add is that always pushing to failure or beyond is the danger zone and shouldn't be the goal.I say load it,do 8-10 reps then drop it.Doesn't it make a bit more sense to do an extra set or two than push the line too hard which we all like to do.

 

[Mikes1]

Sorry, i didn't phrase that properly.
I do negatives for dips and chins only.
Usualy i do 5-6 negatives. Is that to much or to litle?

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Mikes1
Sorry, i didn't phrase that properly.
I do negatives for dips and chins only.
Usualy i do 5-6 negatives. Is that to much or to litle?

Depends on you overall volume. If you are only doing 1 all out set of dips, than you can push it that far...to eccentric failure. However, if you are doing multiple sets of dips or chins, than you are doing to much. Your muscles and/or nervous system will become overtax and hypertrophy will halt!

 

[Mikes1]

Thanks GP!
I'm always doing 1 set for each exercise so i guess i'm ok.

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Mikes1
Thanks GP!
I'm always doing 1 set for each exercise so i guess i'm ok.

Good man