How many sets per muscle group?

[Kevin M]

How many sets of lifts do you guys do per muscle group? I want to guage whether I should do more or less of certain muscle group lifts. Currently I am on

Chest 12-16 sets (flat DB, incline DB, flys, pullovers, cables etc)
Shoulders 16 sets (shruggs, shoulder press, lateral raises, upright rows etc)
Bi's Tri's 9-12 sets for each (I need bigger arms)
Back 12-16 (sitting rows, DB rows, hammer & wide grips pull ups, deadlifts etc
Legs 16 sets (leg press, squats, hamstring curls, calf raises)

I feel as if this is ideal given time contraints and how I feel after a workout, but wanted to think a bit outside my normal routine.

Thanks,

Kevin

Edit: I am currently bulking

[AU stu.]

Are you making progress on your routine?

[Frankenfield]

I am a firm believer that one set is all that is needed

[ThickAsABrick]

How many sets of lifts do you guys do per muscle group? I want to guage whether I should do more or less of certain muscle group lifts. Currently I am on

Chest 12-16 sets (flat DB, incline DB, flys, pullovers, cables etc)
Shoulders 16 sets (shruggs, shoulder press, lateral raises, upright rows etc)
Bi's Tri's 9-12 sets for each (I need bigger arms)
Back 12-16 (sitting rows, DB rows, hammer & wide grips pull ups, deadlifts etc
Legs 16 sets (leg press, squats, hamstring curls, calf raises)

I feel as if this is ideal given time contraints and how I feel after a workout, but wanted to think a bit outside my normal routine.

Thanks,

Kevin

I'm on a 5 day bodypart split and do a very similar volume. Not sure if what others do will necessarily give you a good gauge on what you should do, though.
Like AU mentioned, if you are getting good results, stay with what you are doing, if not, tweak some things until you are.

[:::JMANN:::]

Well everybody's gonna be different, but generally I think that 12 sets for larger muscle and 6-9 sets for smaller muscles work pretty good.

Day 1- Back
Shrugs x 4
BB Rows x 4
T-Rows x 4
Pulldowns x 4
Roman Deadlift x 4

Day 2- Chest/ Biceps/ Forearms
Bench Press x 4
Incline Press x 4
Decline Press x 4
BB Curl x 3
EZ Curl x 3
Reverse Curl x 3

Day 3- Legs
Squats x 6
Leg Press x 3
Leg Ext. x 3
Leg Curls x 3
Seated Curls x 3
Standing Calf Raises x 3


Day 4- Shoulders/ Triceps
Military Press x 4
Upright Rows x 4
Lateral Raises x 4
Close Grip Press x 3
Lying French Press x 3
Standing French Press x 3

I also train in the 6-8 rep range. Some people like yourself include traps with shoulders, some include it with back like me, I don't think it really matters, I do it with back cause it fits better in my routine.

[CHALKOUTLINE]

i hate when people say "are you making progress"... i use to have the ****yest workout you could have and i made progress... you will make progress if you go to the gym and bench the bar everyday but not the progress your going to make if you throw on something you struggle with... thats one of the worst lines in my opinion (are you making progress)... when people ask they want to know if their is something they can do to that will benifit them more or something that they are doing that is pointless...

the last post is what a poster is looking for from JMANN.. not "is it working"

[ThickAsABrick]

i hate when people say "are you making progress"... i use to have the ****yest workout you could have and i made progress... you will make progress if you go to the gym and bench the bar everyday but not the progress your going to make if you throw on something you struggle with... thats one of the worst lines in my opinion (are you making progress)... when people ask they want to know if their is something they can do to that will benifit them more or something that they are doing that is pointless...

the last post is what a poster is looking for from JMANN.. not "is it working"

Likely the "progress" you made was because you were new and anything you tried would have worked. As you become more experienced/advanced in your training, this will change.
There is no cut and dry answer (like the one you liked above).
The best answer for those who are more experienced really is "are you making progress." There are many people who respond very well to certain programs that might be crap for others.
I hope eventually you will see that.

[project2501]

there alot of key factors that need to be looked at like
goals
time
diet
rest

now the thing is to find the happy balance between all of those that leads to the most growth

good luck
_________________________________________
im guessing your workouts take like 2-3 hours and you dont use a whole lot of poundage.

[ScrillaKeith]

Likely the "progress" you made was because you were new and anything you tried would have worked. As you become more experienced/advanced in your training, this will change.
There is no cut and dry answer (like the one you liked above).
The best answer for those who are more experienced really is "are you making progress." There are many people who respond very well to certain programs that might be crap for others.
I hope eventually you will see that.

x2

[AU stu.]

i hate when people say "are you making progress"... i use to have the ****yest workout you could have and i made progress... you will make progress if you go to the gym and bench the bar everyday but not the progress your going to make if you throw on something you struggle with... thats one of the worst lines in my opinion (are you making progress)... when people ask they want to know if their is something they can do to that will benifit them more or something that they are doing that is pointless...

the last post is what a poster is looking for from JMANN.. not "is it working"

I was just asking for knowledge. Whether he said yes or no, I was going to ask what his routine was. If his full routine was good and he's making progress, why change until you stall.

[NAP_s_king]

If his full routine was good and he's making progress, why change until you stall.

Because there may be a better/more efficient way to make the same or even better results. That's like carrying 3 gallons of water with you each day so you don't get thirsty. While it is true, 1 gallon would suffice.

[AU stu.]

Because there may be a better/more efficient way to make the same or even better results. That's like carrying 3 gallons of water with you each day so you don't get thirsty. While it is true, 1 gallon would suffice.

Yea, but we would see his whole routine first so we would notice that.

[ThickAsABrick]

Because there may be a better/more efficient way to make the same or even better results.

Sure...but can any of us here really tell him what is best for HIM?
All we can offer is what worked the best for us (and some of us may still find that something else works better down the line, as this likely changes anyways at different points in your training), and I bet almost everyone in this thread alone would have a different program.

[Kevin M]

Are you making progress on your routine?

Recently, yes (hence the reason I'll probably stick with it, but want to open this for discuss....you can always make more progress)

Lying French Press x 3
Standing French Press x 3

I also train in the 6-8 rep range. Some people like yourself include traps with shoulders, some include it with back like me, I don't think it really matters, I do it with back cause it fits better in my routine.

I also shoot for the 6-8, every once in a while I'll throw in a high rep set to like 12-15. Whats a french press?

there alot of key factors that need to be looked at like
goals
time
diet
rest

now the thing is to find the happy balance between all of those that leads to the most growth

good luck
_________________________________________
im guessing your workouts take like 2-3 hours and you dont use a whole lot of poundage.

Goals...Big
Time....little
diet...as best as I can, its difficult for me to eat alot, but I try hard and eat all the right things
rest....8 hrs

work outs are 1-1:15 in time and I use poundage according to a 6-8 rep till failure methodology




Now if only I can get my arms to get bigger

[ThickAsABrick]

Now if only I can get my arms to get bigger

You might want to consider giving arms their own day. That helped mine grow.
You'd have to rework your split to give yourself time between this day and your chest + back days though.
Plus keep making an effort to eat enough so your body has something to build with.

[Kevin M]

You might want to consider giving arms their own day. That helped mine grow.
You'd have to rework your split to give yourself time between this day and your chest + back days though.
Plus keep making an effort to eat enough so your body has something to build with.

Just started that a month ago. I always give it 3 days between my chest/back day and bi/tris day.

[LSU1]

Because there may be a better/more efficient way to make the same or even better results. That's like carrying 3 gallons of water with you each day so you don't get thirsty. While it is true, 1 gallon would suffice.

yea and then you can spend all of your time swapping between routines till you try em all to see which one gives you the best progress. thats ridiculous. its very easy to gauge progress in a routine.

are your lifts going up? is the scale going up, assuming you have nutrition dialed in?

thats basically it unless you are really advanced and are focusing on bringing up weakpoints. and if thats the case, as long as your weakpoints are improving, your routine is working. if you arent a beginner and your routine is allowing those things to happen, why change it? until you stall in your progress, stick with the routine.

[:::JMANN:::]

I also shoot for the 6-8, every once in a while I'll throw in a high rep set to like 12-15. Whats a french press?

It's another name for lying tricep barbell extentions. You can also do them seated or standing. You might calls them "skulls" too. Lying on back, have the bar erect and then lower it until it is near your head and raise it again. Isolates the triceps, where as the close grip press uses help from the chest. Works the long head and the medial heads really good.

[7:360]

I typically stay in the range of 3 exercises with about 3 sets each. I feel that if I have the energy to keep on with any more exercises, I'm not working out with maximum intensity and I need to throw on some more weight. I only stick to basic and compound exercises, hardly any isolation work andI keep my reps low and heavy as I can handle. This is how I've attained results personally..

[project2501]

Goals...Big
Time....little
diet...as best as I can, its difficult for me to eat alot, but I try hard and eat all the right things
rest....8 hrs

work outs are 1-1:15 in time and I use poundage according to a 6-8 rep till failure methodology
Now if only I can get my arms to get bigger

getting big has alot to do with diet in order to gow you need to have your diet in check well all sacrifice alot of things for our diet and time in the gym.

i would say your working out too much if your goal is to get big you could do XXX routine. that would help you out alot.
if i were you i would switch to something that would allow me to be completely done within 3 days like that you could go thru the routine 2x a week. and get your diet in check

[Thewhite9t]

I typically stay in the range of 3 exercises with about 3 sets each...

This is right. More than 9 sets directly targeting a muscle group is just going to inhibit recovery.

[ThickAsABrick]

This is right. More than 9 sets directly targeting a muscle group is just going to inhibit recovery.

Yeah, because there's a magic number like that that is the same for everyone.

[Thewhite9t]

Okay then let me clarify what should have been infered-

AS A GENERAL RULE, more than 9 sets directly targeting a specific bodypart is just going to inhibit recovery.

[ThickAsABrick]

Okay then let me clarify what should have been infered-

AS A GENERAL RULE, more than 9 sets directly targeting a specific bodypart is just going to inhibit recovery.

And you arrived at 9 how?
Try thinking about the things you read and testing them in real life before spouting off this garbage as fact.

[AU stu.]

Okay then let me clarify what should have been infered-

AS A GENERAL RULE, more than 9 sets directly targeting a specific bodypart is just going to inhibit recovery.

Maybe for you, everyone's body is different. What works for you may not work for someone else.

[Kevin M]

getting big has alot to do with diet in order to gow you need to have your diet in check well all sacrifice alot of things for our diet and time in the gym.

i would say your working out too much if your goal is to get big you could do XXX routine. that would help you out alot.
if i were you i would switch to something that would allow me to be completely done within 3 days like that you could go thru the routine 2x a week. and get your diet in check

I understand. My diet is definitely in check and I try to eat as much as I can.

Why would you say I'm working out too much? Keep in mind I only get to the gym about 3-4 days a week. I just don't have time to go more than that, so I make do with what I can.

What kind of routine would you suggest?

[Thewhite9t]

You think I didn't test it in real life? Yea I am 17 w/ 17 inch arms (check the pics w/ measuring tape) and you think I have never tested to see how many exercises work for me? Wow

And btw I got that info from an interview I read w/ Dorain Yates. He is my idol, what Dorian Yates says > what you say.

I was trying to be nice, but don't tell me I've never tested what I say in the gym.

[ThickAsABrick]

And btw I got that info from an interview I read w/ Dorain Yates. He is my idol, what Dorian Yates says > what you say.

Dorian was a great bodybuilder, but it is highly unlikely that you are training at the same level of intensiveness he is/was (if you read a lot about him, you will learn he only worked up to this after YEARS of training), so it might not be wise to completely try to emulate everything he does. He also was chemically enhanced, which changes the rules for how things can be done, and the results that can be produced.
Do whatever you want and believe whatever you want. I still think making blanket statements is dumb, espcially when I know them to be in direct contradiction with results I have achieved personally.

[7:360]

What kind of routine would you suggest?

I personally got excellent gains incorporating Max-OT principles and concepts. The Max-OT program is definitely a good program IMO to bring forth some insight and general knowledge about lifting.

[AU stu.]

You think I didn't test it in real life? Yea I am 17 w/ 17 inch arms (check the pics w/ measuring tape) and you think I have never tested to see how many exercises work for me? Wow
.

Keep statement right there. Once again what works for you doesn't work for everyone. Some people can use 9 sets, some can use more, and some use less. Their are no absolutes in bodybuilding.