How Many Sets Of Squats do you Do?

[curling]

Man, i am confused on this. This one dude can't weigh over 175 at my gym and he squating 445 lbs for about 5 to 6 reps. Then he will do another NINETEEN sets of lsightly ligher weight. I would DIE if I did that many sets right there in the gym haul me to the morgue.

Anyway I do 3 to 4 heavy sets once a week is that not enough to grow size(I could give a rats ass about strength) or do I need to do more sets?

 

[gymtime]

I do 4-6 sets normally, once a week. I think if you do them right, that's all you need. However, once every month or so, I'll do up to ten sets. I think it's a good idea to go balls once in a while.

 

[curling]

Thanks gymtime.

 

[mekannik]

Curling,

What are you aiming for with your legs? (and don't answer with "any woman bending over" - because that's what we all do)

In my opinion, if you are aiming for size 4-6 sets with 60-85% for 6-20 reps of your max would suffice.

For endurance, add more sets, drop the weight, high reps (10-whatever).

For strength, a few more sets, low reps.

As for the #175 guy squatting 445 (which is pretty cool) - is he doing power lifting style (wide stance, low bar)? Or bodybuilding (shoulder width stance, high bar)?

 

[curling]

His stance is a little bit wider than shoulder width. Man but this guy is strong as an ox. Put it this way he can do TWO unassisted one arm pullups. He can do probably 100 + pull ups with both arms. But he just does ridiculous amount of reps and sets for everthing. He is not thick like a bodybuilder but still has decent size and he is cut like son of a gun.

 

[Burncycle360]

I can do 1 one armed pullup with two finger, 5 one armed pullups, and 8 pullups with two arms and two fingers, about 16 two armed pullups (all overhand)

I'm not all that great, 5'7", 140 pounds, never really used weights (just starting to now)

I guess I can do that because I'm pretty light, and I don't have so much to move around.

I was in JROTC, which I suppose could account for it. Spinning 16 pound rifles at 80 mph a few hundred times does wonders

It's great watching huge guys get beat by little ole me at arm wrestleing, lol ( and NO it's not because of that, that I am so strong, lol)

 

[110%]

i do two nice warmup sets with high reps, low weight, then three heavy sets to failure pyramiding weight up and reps down. i still dont think i have hit the ultimate failure mark though where i see ppl screaming and turning so red, haha, im working on it though!!

 

[Rémy!]

Until my quads/hams are exuasted or my 1 hour workout is over - I aim for exaustion but don't go over a hour, often.

 

[needsize]

I aim for 5 sets of 5 reps, ass to the floor as the core to my quad routine. After that, to hit the slower twitch fibers, I'll hack squat or leg press 2 sets of 10 with a drop set at the end., that's all.
This routine has worked well for me, i probably have the largest quads in my gym, definitely the strongest, and I probably have the shortest leg routine.

 

[110%]

hey needsize im looking for a new squat routine and yours looks pretty good and you say you have good size and strenght, so im wondering on your 5 X 5 squats, do you pyramid weight up, and how much each time if you do, and also are your like first 2-4 sets easy if your pyramiding up?

 

[needsize]

110, this program has worked wonders, strength and size wise for almost every body part for me.
The way I do it is that I warm up thoroughly, then go to working sets. The key is to make sure that you can do 5 sets of 5 reps, all in good form on a certain weight. Once you can do that, add 5-10lbs to the bar for the next week. You can generally keep this progression up for a while, adding all kinds of weight to your key exercises.
Here is an example of my quad routine:
5 minutes on treadmill to warm up knees
45lbs for 10 reps
135 for 8 reps
225 for 5 reps
315 for 5 reps
365 for 2-3 reps
405 for 5x5
The warm up can be changed to suit your individual needs. After the 5x5, pick 1-2 exercises, for 2 sets each of 8-10 reps. This is the cornerstone of my entire routine and has brought me up from 150lbs to 220lbs.

 

[curling]

needsize,

So you are saying you do 9 total sets of squats?

 

[needsize]

I don't count warm up sets as working sets as they are just to warm up my muscles and joints and only take minimal effort. I guess it depends how you look at it.

 

[Lord_Suston]

Warm-up 45lbs for 20and 155 for 15
Then to real deal
245 for 12
315 for 8
185 untill total failure I use safety bars for this one

3 sets of leg extension 140lbs all untill failure
3 sets of leg curls untill about 90 lbs failure

then calves three set till failure
total 30 minutes. all high bar squats and past parrallel

 

["OBESSED"]

I do the 5x5 also. I got it from football. That shit really works. I put on some serious mass on the quads quickly. I was trying a different routine but I am running back wit the quickness to the 5x5 because of the burn that I leave the gym with and the instanteous results. Its the shit , please believe me!!

I don't count warm-up sets either...I think that is cheating your body. You know that little bullshit doesn't effect you. "GO HEAVY" then start counting.

 

[needsize]

I do the 5x5 also. I got it from football. That shit really works. I put on some serious mass on the quads quickly. I was trying a different routine but I am running back wit the quickness to the 5x5 because of the burn that I leave the gym with and the instanteous results. Its the shit , please believe me!!

I don't count warm-up sets either...I think that is cheating your body. You know that little bullshit doesn't effect you. "GO HEAVY" then start counting.

Exactly, everyone that I've put on that program has made great gains in size and strength!

 

[curling]

Ok I'll try it next tuesday. Do you still do leg presses after that?

 

[needsize]

I switch between deep leg presses, or hack squats, depending on what I feel like doing, for 2 sets of 8-10reps, with a drop set after the last one, and that's it for quads. I then do a few sets of laying extensions for hams and I'm out.

 

[110%]

are you sore after this, today i did it and i never really get too sore on my quads for some reason, i need to go more intense i think, though newayz when i do like 15, 12, 10, 8 my legs still burn and i walk weird haha, but the 5 X 5 i didnt really feel as much.

 

[needsize]

I don't get crazy sore from the workout, if anything, maybe from the higher rep 2nd exercise, but the key to the program is the progressive adding of weight over time. If you only add 5 lbs to a bar every week, doesn't sound like much but that's 40lbs over 8 weeks, and your body will grow to compensate for the steadily increasing weight.
In the fall I finally decided to give gear a try, combined the 5x5 program with 2 VERY mild cyles, I've added almost 100lbs to my squat, 145lbs to my deadlift, and 90lbs to my bench.
But previously, just on creatine, if I timed everything right I could usually add at least 5lbs to the bar for all my major exercises for the 8 weeks at a time that I would use it

 

[Littlebit]

needsize- How much rest between the heavy work sets? Are you always able to get all five on the last set, or do you go up 5lbs. when you can?

 

[needsize]

For heavy squats, I'll rest anywhere between 3- 5minutes, depending on how I feel. but I"m also a big fan of supersetting to keep my heart rate up, it keeps me leaner year round, so in between squat sets I'll pick something light, like pushups, and do a quick set in between.
For me the key is making sure I can get all the reps on all the sets, I've always found that if I get all 5x5, then when I add my 5 or 10lbs, it's a guarantee that I'll get at least 3 sets of 5 on the increase the next workout, if not all 5. Sticking to this also keeps my form clean as I'm not trying to go too heavy.