The Best Rep Range and exercise to put on size

[spatts]

Yes, you can tell by past response to training. My biceps are strong as hell, but don't grow. My quads are huge, but not that strong. My traps grow just thinking about a shrug, while my shoulders just seem to overtrain. All these clue me in. Would be harder for someone new to lifting, I imagine. Unfortunately you'd have to go THROUGH the trial and error before you could learn the things you'd need to know to avoid the trial and error.

 

[RottenWillow]

An indirect method that can be used in the weight room to determine the fiber composition of a muscle group is to initially establish the 1RM (the greatest weight that they can lift just once) of your athletes. Then have them perform as many repetitions at 80% of 1RM as they can. If they do fewer than seven repetitions, then the muscle group is likely composed of more than 50% FT fibers.

If they can perform 12 or more repetitions, then the muscle group has more than 50% ST fibers. If the athlete can do between 7 and 12 repetitions, then the muscle group probably has an equal proportion of fibers (Pipes, 1994).

The article goes on to make a few general statements for training type based on the result of the estimate. If anyone is interested:
http://www.coachr.org/fiber.htm

 

[FatRat]

Anya, I like the sound of that and I think you are on to something.

For me, an easier method (if a little basic) is to remember back to athletics at school or my swimming days. Most people know if they are a sprinter, or better over the loinger distances, or if they didnt run, could they throw explosivly etc. etc.

Ok, very basic and not muscle specific, but an easy place to begin...

 

[spatts]

anya, I'm not so sure that jives for everyone; although, the majority could probably benefit. And it would be better than knowing nothing at all!

I have seen schemes like that before. According to that, I should have huge biceps.

 

[Thaibox]

...low rep....are substantially easier since they require me to focus for a much shorter amount of time.

This concept is one of the strangest things I've heard for a long time

 

[gymtime]

This concept is one of the strangest things I've heard for a long time

Agreed. If I thought I could put on size by doing 12 reps of lighter weights, I'd surely do it. But I've never found that to be the case. With the exception of course of doing high volume workouts as opposed to being sedentary.

 

[RottenWillow]

FatRat your post sums up my thinking exactly. This is just a place to begin. Every experiment must have an initial hypothesis; I'll test this one for now.

 

[RottenWillow]

gymtime, Thaibox:

I have had to make allowances throughout my life for my attention deficit. 100% focus for 60-70 seconds can be far more difficult for me than for 20 seconds. Sure I can go through a whole workout with longer sets and suceed in focusing effectively, but to do so for weeks, months, and years? No way. I'm sure everyone agrees that lifting heavy weight (often without a spotter) demands complete focus. Even a loss of concentration for a half a second can be big trouble on certain movements.

 

[gymtime]

gymtime, Thaibox:

I have had to make allowances throughout my life for my attention deficit. 100% focus for 60-70 seconds can be far more difficult for me than for 20 seconds. Sure I can go through a whole workout with longer sets and suceed in focusing effectively, but to do so for weeks, months, and years? No way. I'm sure everyone agrees that lifting heavy weight (often without a spotter) demands complete focus. Even a loss of concentration for a half a second can be big trouble on certain movements.

Then you should get along with Toybox just fine. My guess is that he's already forgotten about this thread.....as well as where he put his special hack squat leg warmers.

I know that the effectiveness of volume varies between the sexes as well, in addition to personal goals.

 

[overhead]

I do not like the idea of a biopsy, so on most compond movements I do a couple of warm ups, then a set of 4-8, bring the weight down and do a set of 20. Figure I have both covered that way. Sounds like a better idea to do it on different days, but that does not fit into my workout schedule right now.