i'm (once again) working through TAP and a question occurred to me. Let's say I'm supposed to be doing three sets of an exercise, working from 8 reps to 12 reps before adding more weight and going back to 8 reps. The way I've been doing it, I've been using the first set as a warm up, just doing a few reps at a marginal weight; then for the other two I've been using only the amount of weight that will allow me to get an equal number of reps from each set. So, the last two sets will either be 8/8, 10/10 or 12/12. And I'm always either moving up in reps for each workout or, after 12/12, adding weight.
Is that the way you guys do it? Or are you loading on weight such that maybe you can get, say, 10 reps on the first set but only 8 or 6 or whatever on the second? And, if that's the case, are you working from there up to 10/10, then moving on to 12 on the first set and some lower number on the second, and so on?
Am I being clear? Am I thinking too much? Should I go take a nap?
Do your warm-up sets before you start your 3 work sets. Do it the second way you talked about. Use as much a you can for the required rep range, if the reps drop off within that rep range for the 2nd and 3rd sets, fine. Work to increase the reps next time on the 2nd and/or 3rd sets.
For what it's worth I typically do a warm-up set or two with about half of what I will lift. Sometimes I ramp up the warmups.
Ie on my deadlifts I might do 5 or 6 with just the bar. Add some 45s pull those a few times and then slap on the rest of the weight.
I do my warm-ups independant of my work sets.
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My warmups are 6 reps @ 50% of workset weight followed by 4 reps @ 70% followed by 2 reps @ 90%. The only rest between those sets are to change the weights. The 6 reps gets the muscles and joints moving, the 4 reps add some weigth and the 2 rep set gets me used to the heavy weight. After the 2 rep set I give a full rest period before getting into the workset.
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If im doing say a 4 x 6 I pick a weight that I can do for about 8 reps.
I dont like to change the weight in the workset very much.
Doing what lisa mentioned is good, but it leaves you way more beat up since your training to failure (or at least pretty close).
What is it with this concept that overload is bad?? If you are doing 6 reps with you 8RM, you have not accomplished overload (the #1 principle in any physical improvement). Sure, your 4th set may be tough but sets 1 thru 3 were a piece of cake......uh, no overload. i think I talked about this on the fitcast or on the fitcast insider that I just did.
BTW, Lisa is money (as always...)
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thanks, all, for your suggestions. one thing is, the way i'm going now, i'm in and out of the gym in an hour, and an hour is all i've got; iow, i don't have the time to be adding additional warmup sets. plus, and correct me if i'm wrong, but i think i'm following the TAP protocol; ie, "after a brief general warmup ... use your first superset of each exercise as a more specific warmup."
so, i think that's what i'm going to keep doing: 1 warmup set, two work sets.
but as to the rest of it, i still have a ?. let's say on the first work set i can squeeze out 12 reps but on the second only get, say, 9. should i stay at this until i'm up to 12 & 12 or add weight the first time i hit 12 reps on that first set, no matter how i do on the 2nd set?
thanks!
Clean from above knee
Clean from knee level
Clean from below knee level
Military Press
Front squat
Front lunge (bar in across front of shoulders)
Push Press
Back squat
Lunge
Good Morning
Push Press behind neck-Snatch Grip
RDL
Bent-over Row
Muscle snatch
Snatch from above knee
Snatch from knee level
Snatch from Below knee level
This will warm you up nicely, and takes less tiime than a traditional cardio warmup.
actually, and i hate to admit this here, but, in fact, i haven't been doing any general warmup, brief or otherwise; instead, i've been hoping that the "more specific" warmups that i'm doing will suffice. i've been toying w/ the idea of doing some cardio to start with but as it is i've been doing the cardio last, as part of some TT-style interval work I've added on to the TAP framework.
maybe I should do the interval stuff first? somehow, i'm not in favor of that. but i guess i really should be doing something. how long does the rufus complex generally take?
Since you're familiar with TT, I'd say Craig's warmup is a good one. Two circuits of 10 BW squats, 10 rows of some type, 8 pushups, 10 second plank.
Re your other question, you should be able to complete all your sets of 12 reps before upping the weight.
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What RacerBill said. Great suggestion on the TT warm-up. I think that TT warm-up would take you about 5 minutes. Surely you can spare 5 minutes to warm up.
I like to use renegade rows in that warm-up instead of light db rows. I also use side planks since I've just done renegade rows and push-ups, both of which already work core stability.
I like the Rufus Complex a lot and it's quick too. If you already know how to clean and snatch, then it's a fun warm-up, but if not, then I'd probably go with the TT warm-up.
what a difference the weight/rep scheme makes!
before, when i was equalling out all the reps, i could get through the last exercise of the workout no problem.
but yesterday, lifting near to max on the first work set of every exercise, then being forced to back down on the second set's reps -- by the time i got to the last exercise o' the day, i was near to beat and was only capable of about half of what i was doing before.
hope i don't burn out, however. we'll see.
a novice's rep/set question ...
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