Have a question on reps

[bodyhard]

I see most here (who keep a journal) jot down reps. So the number of reps that you are using is that where you are failing or is that simply your target rep?

Now I am not trying to start a debate if going to failure is good or bad, just curious on how others use their rep system.

But I know some smartass will have to chime in and say I don't go to failure because blah bha blah, or not going to failure is blah blah blah, so let me put this to bed quick, STFU! I don't care, I am just curious as to what the people in the OV35 are doing not why they are doing it, pretty simple huh?

[NorwichGrad]

Target rep. My auxiliary exercises to help my main oly lifts, specifically back squats, front squats, chinups, benchpress, and overhead press, are based on a hybrid of 5x5 and Wendler 5-3-1.

[mslman71]

I see most here (who keep a journal) jot down reps. So the number of reps that you are using is that where you are failing or is that simply your target rep?

Now I am not trying to start a debate if going to failure is good or bad, just curious on how others use their rep system.

But I know some smartass will have to chime in and say I don't go to failure because blah bha blah, or not going to failure is blah blah blah, so let me put this to bed quick, STFU! I don't care, I am just curious as to what the people in the OV35 are doing not why they are doing it, pretty simple huh?

Both target reps and fails, I don't always make a note in the journal when the last rep is a fail and when it's target, though most of the time it's not hard to figure out in the series. I'm in a conservative mode right now (gun shy because of so many injuries) and lower weight endurance fatiguing feels better and more controlled, for now. If I can get healed up reasonably well I'll go back to lower rep to failure with the goal of pushing out my average and max working weight for most exercises.

[erinlee01]

Both. I note when it's failure. Usually if I hit my target rep range across all sets, I'll stop and up the weight the next week.

[nebnar]

before I started the 8x8 I would go to failure on every set.

on this routine I don't...only because I wouldn't be able to get 8 reps on last set if not.
when I go back to the other routine it'll be every set to failure once again.

I also jot down my reps, just for the purpose of knowing next time I do the routine if I have gotten more, also as a motivator to push myself to get at least 1 more rep than last workout.

[taylor9569]

I start at 8 reps per set. Once I can 10 across all the sets I bump the weight up and start form 8 again.

[NYkarate]

The bottom line is to make progress. I will typically train to form failure targeting 6 reps. If I can do more than 6, it is time to up the weight. If I can't do 6, I will drop down the weight just a little and bang out 8 reps immediately. My primary goal for lifting is gaining strength.

That said, I think one needs to target a number of reps based upon your goal and look to reach form failure on the last rep. If you can do more reps then you are too light with the weight and if you can't do your target, you have too much weight.

I record everything in my training log. If I feel lousy and can't lift like I want to, if I feel strong and bang things out, if I get a spot on a set, if I fail by form or anything else.

[broad.stance]

Target reps. And when to failure, I mean 'failure of form' because I do not count sloppy lifts.

[Marius_Ursus]

I train with heavy singles and triples and on rare occasion doubles or quintuples, and I'll only have a vague idea of where I want my working sets to fall during a session. I shoot for three triples at 30 pounds under my 1RM. Sometimes I can get more, and with short sets like that, it's easy to tell when I'm going to fail, and that's when I cut to a different exercise.

That probably didn't make much sense, but I wanted to make it as short as possible without all the in-depth thought processes that went into my training program.

[ironwill2008]

I use a combination of both target reps and "failure," failure being defined as not being able to perform one more rep while still maintaining good form.

For most exercises, I'll do 3 "sets-across," where I'll have a target of, say, 10 reps for each set. I'll get as many as I can (with good form) in each set, up to the 10-rep target. When I progress to a point where I'm able to complete all three sets of 10 reps with good form, I'll add weight the following week, busting my rep counts back down, and then begin the progression to 10 reps-across the 3 sets all over again.

[Meatpants]

Progressive warm ups, usually 5 reps, up to working weight. 3 sets of working weight to failure. Working weight usually is 8-12 rep range. Once 1 can do at least 10 reps of the first 2 working sets, I bump the weight up. I track the reps, so that I know were I was, and when I need to up th weights.

How are you doing yours John?

[litljay]

Both I guess. I hit failure multiple times.

My goal is always 10 reps. I push the weight way past my ability to get 10 reps though.

For Example, my last BP run: 10 reps @ 135, 185, 225, then got 6 @ 245 and 4 @ 265. The 225, 245, & 265 sets are all to failure and I only count the reps completed. I don't log the sets to failure in my journal.

I don't know how NOT to train to failure...

[IronCharles]

I go to form failure, within my targeted rep scheme. Which means, I know my body well enough to know how much weight I can get around 10 good, clean reps with. However, if I have an extra rep or two in me that day, I'm not going to stop at 10 (or whatever the target is) just because some "program" tells me to only do 10.

[bodyhard]

How are you doing yours John?

My reps are till concentric failure, once I can reach a rep that was once concentric failure (and beyond) without it being concentric failure, I up the weight.

[pastorgbc]

Most routines I do plan target reps and have a schedule of progressive resistance based upon % of one rep max. On any given phase, the first few workouts will target reps wihtout failure in mind, but once you start reaching 75% of one rep max, the target reps bring you to positive failure. An example would be Wendler's 5-3-1 program, of which I am a stron advocate.

Ray

[kneedragger85]

for me it's 8-12 at the moment.

I want to get to 8 but not past 12.

If I go past 12 I add weight

If I get stuck before 8, I drop weight.

I never stop at a number just because I got there. I'm constantly looking for progression whether it is pounds or reps...can't do that if you are a quitter.

[Brackneyc]

My journal reflects the reps I achieved using proper form. I am more concerned about consistency of form, but I use the reps and weights as a monitoring system to see what I did last time. Because my diet, sleep and training times are very consistent, I am able to eliminate certain variables which account for fluctuations in the reps/weights in many cases.

There are some days I feel like I wasn't really trying (very very rare), and do more reps than I thought could, and days where I "feel" like I am killing it, and don't do as well as I did the previous workout. The only thing I care about from workout to workout is intensity and form. The journal is just a blueprint for the next workout.

[DaddyR]

Target rep on all sets except for the heaviest on a particular exercise. Having no spotter/partner, my goal is for my reps on the heaviest set of each exercise to be (as closely as possible) only one rep shy of concentric failure.

Of course it is next to impossible to judge with certainty how close you really are to failure, so it's a bit of a guessing game.

[JerryB]

In my work out log the reps are the ranges to lift a target weight.

So if I fail to make the range of reps for the weight, I failed in doing the work (force x distance) which is approximated by (weight x reps) planned for weight in a given set.

Work estimated by weight x reps can be the same for a variety of weights and reps combinations. But the physiological impact will not be the same.

[bigtallox]

I am just curious as to what the people in the OV35 are doing not why they are doing it [/b]

I perform the number of sets specified in my training program that was designed by my pro strongman training buddy.

[GuyJin]

Target reps and fail reps. If I set out to do any number of reps on any given exercise, then I do my best to achieve that target. If I fail to get them in the first session, then I do my best next time to get them all in.

As for failure, that's when form breaks down and/or I know that the next rep is going to be a sloppy one. I don't see the point in doing an extra rep if you have to heave it up but that's just me.

[SoulCatcher78]

Looking to do the rep # I set for myself on the first two sets, failure on the third (increase weight if the first two sets can be finished without difficulty).

[Getsum]

I am just curious as to what the people in the OV35 are doing not why they are doing it, pretty simple huh?

Hmm, this is a tricky question for me because I do different things from week to week. I'll use by bench day as an example. If my son is coming over and I know I'll have a spot, then I probably stay with reps of 5, adding weight each set, until I reach failure. After reaching failure I normally take the weight back down and either do a couple of sets in the 10 rep range, or just bust out as many reps as possible, on a last set. Now if my son isn't coming over and I know I wont have a spot, then I'll probably start off with sets of 10 with reps dropping as I add weight each set until I get to a set of say 5 reps that my wife can assist me on the last rep if needed. I lift heavier weight with my son, but do increased volume with my wife spotting if that makes any sense.

The other thing I really enjoy doing is adding weight each set until I'm close to failure, like a final set of 2 or 3 reps, and then going back down the way I came up. This usually increases the overall volume and the time I spend lifting so it's not something I can do all the time. But this is my favorite way of lifting, climb the mountain, look at the view, then head back down.

I guess it's a pyramid type system I do it because I enjoy it.

[cowboybiker]

I usually stay in the 8-12 range. But somedays towards the end if I feel a little froggy I'll go to failure, just cause I can. Which makes up for those days when I cant seem to hit my target goal.
Somedays you eat the bear and somedays the bear eats you.

[djflex]

I always go target reps, although sometimes at the last set of a pyramid the final rep may end up being failure.

[desslok]

I go to form failure, within my targeted rep scheme. Which means, I know my body well enough to know how much weight I can get around 10 good, clean reps with. However, if I have an extra rep or two in me that day, I'm not going to stop at 10 (or whatever the target is) just because some "program" tells me to only do 10.

Pretty much what I do here.

[jtroster]

I have been using the Waterbury system. This is where you set the total reps for the exercise and then do as many sets as needed to reach that total. A set is stopped when either of these happens: your speed of action drops, your range of motion gets smaller, or your form starts to falter.

[drudixon]

I see most here (who keep a journal) jot down reps. So the number of reps that you are using is that where you are failing or is that simply your target rep?

Now I am not trying to start a debate if going to failure is good or bad, just curious on how others use their rep system.

But I know some smartass will have to chime in and say I don't go to failure because blah bha blah, or not going to failure is blah blah blah, so let me put this to bed quick, STFU! I don't care, I am just curious as to what the people in the OV35 are doing not why they are doing it, pretty simple huh?

I'm just following Bill Starr's program and doing what it says. The last week of my phase 1 I tried to do as many as I could knowing I was going to deload the following week.

The reps I post is the reps I did.

[drudixon]

Somedays you eat the bear and somedays the bear eats you.

I hate that f#$@ing bear!

[Iceman1800]

I do both. I go for a certain number like doubles or triples on my main lifts and try to go as high as I can on the assistance lifts.