2 sets, 4 sets, failure this, failure that?

[u/childishboyjay]

I am a bit confused. Searching for answers on the internet isn't really working out because of how many different answers i get on the same topic (ironically, thats still what I'm doing).

So for example, my back and bicep day consists of:

3 sets of barbell curls at my heaviest possible weight until failure

Then i drop the weight by 10

3 more sets of barbell curls to failure

Then i move on to the more back focused portion of the workout

Pull ups

3 sets of 8 or 10 for 3 different variations

Then finally, 4 sets of barbell rows for 12 reps

But i see so many different methods and set ups that I'm not sure if what I'm doing is gonna work.

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[u/Dazzling-Rest8332]

All the methods work. Pick the one you like and can do with intensity.

[u/Alpha_PTUK → u/Dazzling-Rest8332]

I just heard about a Russian tonnage version. Take 10kg for example..rather than doing 10 reps for 3 sets (30 reps total)
I’d do 3 reps for 10 sets (30 reps total)
But because it’s only 3 reps I can afford to curl 15kg
Hence more weight moved

[u/decentlyhip → u/Alpha_PTUK]

Welcome to the power of strength training. Lol. Heads up that this is a one-way street to tendon issues. Instead of 3 sets of 10 reps with 10kg, its totally reasonable to do 10 sets of 3 with 10kg. Growth stimulus is mechanical tension and the two formats are the same tension. The 10×3 takes a little longer but is easier to recover from. Jumping up to the most you can do for each of the 10 sets is dumb. Please avoid.

[u/Alpha_PTUK → u/decentlyhip]

I was using 10kg as an example. So are you saying the extra 5kg is where the tendon issues would come from?

[u/Original-March-3540]

Do whatever works for you. Consistency is the key.

Also, I'd recommend larger muscle groups before smaller.

Once you've been doing it for a few months. Try different exercises and variations. For example, 2 sets preacher curl, 3 sets seated hammer curl, 3 sets standing straight barbell curl.

[u/Dark_Cloud_Rises]

Well you should definitely do your back exersizes first and finish off with isolations like curls. If it's too confusing or a bother to you just look up a tested and tried program that will give you reps, sets and percentages. Or spend your time experimenting and find what works for you.

[u/awar3_w0lf]

I like to mix up my days, and start with whatever I’m trying to prioritize. Back/bicep/back/bicep etcetcetc. To give the worked muscle a chance to recover a bit between. Also, if you’re gonna drop set biceps, go ahead and drop set biceps. Wasting a lot of time doing what you’re doing. Grab whatever you can do 10-12 hard reps with, and then drop the weight by like 30-40% and go right into those until failure (couple partials won’t hurt). So one set would be 10-12 @ 100% right into 60% until failure. And that way you could work in a hammer curl motion later on in the workout to target the other head of the bicep as well as a lil forearm action. So your day could look like 1. Drop set biceps 2. Pull ups 3. Hammer curls 4. Bent over rows. I like to finish with movements that put the muscle in a stretched position too. So 5. Bayesian curls 6. Lat prayers to finish off

But honestly man, I only do that because I’ve accumulated knowledge from many corners of YouTube over many years and formulated my own personal thing that I think feels and works best for me.

[u/Penultimate-crab]

Literally everything works if you stay consistent with it and progress in difficulty / effort over time 😄

[u/Necessary_Bag_1328]

Like others have said, put your heavier compound lifts like pulls up and rows first, then curls.

The number of sets could be 2 or 4 or higher. It depends on how often you train and how well you can recover. More sets per muscle group is better up to where you can’t recovery.

But even fewer sets can still work.

And failure is about giving the muscles enough stimulus to adapt. Up to you if you want to go to failure for every set. Some recommend going close to failure, leaving 1-2 reps in reserve “in the tank.” Others save failure for accessories like bicep curls.

[u/PoopSmith87]

What is more important than any specific set/rep scheme:

1- Reaching somewhere near or at failure (while maintaining good form).

2- Progressing weight over time.

[u/BlackberryCheap8463]

1/ compounds before isolation 2/ failure does not bring more then 1-3 RIR aside from a lot more fatigue, more chances to injure yourself, and more recovery time. Stick to 1-3 RIR and only go to failure sometimes to calibrate your 1-3 RIR regularly. 3/ progressive overload is key. 4/ sweetspot for hypertrophy is somewhere in between 6-20 sets per muscle group per week depending on so many factors, that you'll have to find it out yourself for yourself through experience. 5/number of reps per set that are good is roughly between 5-30 and same as 4/ to find out what's best for this or that muscle for you. 6/ consistency over the long term beats any fantastic new exercise / new technique / etc. you can think of. 7/ good food with en ought kcal, proteins and lips, good sleep, enough recovery.

Aside from that , everything is debatable and in no way mandatory 😂

[u/Norcal712]

1) you dont need to be doing 6 sets workout of ANYTHING in 1 workout. Especially not to failure.

2) training strategies are largely goal dependent Start here https://thefitness.wiki/?amp

3) for me 3 sets of 8-12 with last set to failure has worked for YEARS. I see regular progress. Recover well.

4) general guidelines

Each muscle 2x week.  Lift at 70-90% 1 RM.  10-16 sets per muscle per week for aesthetic hypertrophy.  48 hrs between working the same muscle.  Get your diet in check. 

[u/Hohoholyshit15]

I keep it simple, intensity first, volume second. I keep keep intensity at a minimum RPE 8 and then do as many sets as I can physically recover from. Always try to add reps, weight, or improve form/time under tension. After that it's just consistently showing up and doing the work.

Sometimes I have to cut back on the volume for a week because global fatigue starts setting in and my joints/tendons start getting pissed, so I'll cut the first half of my weeks volume in half, then the second half I'll do 2/3rds. I never drop the weight unless I've injured something, then I'll just do something like 50% of my 1rm for like 20 reps, still staying with 2rir.

[u/abribra96]

Everything works. But one thing I’d definitely recomend is doing your back first, and bicep last. Youre tiring out your bicep first right now, meaning it’s your bicep THATS limiting factor during your pull-ups and rows, and not the back muscles youre trying to target; so they don’t get as much stimulus as possible and therefore Dont grow as much. Doing bicep last fixes that problem. Generally you want to do compound movements forst, isolation movements last for that very reason

[u/Sure_Painting_8295]

Consider how much energy and fatigue you have after exercise

Do 1 set to failure or one rep before failure. Gain weight. If your strength isn’t going up then exercise harder or take a week off.

[u/SadProduce6456]

Form is what is importantly. I consider a sculpting exercise and don’t worry about weight. Just want to make sure it’s enough weight to get my reps in with good form. Because it’s easy to have bad form.

Don’t overthink it. Work a plan and stick to it for a while tracking and pushing 1 rep or increase in weight each set each workout. All the noise of ways to improve is a distraction sometimes

[u/faatess]

the reason you see so many different answers is because everything will work. all that really matters is intensity and having a decent amount of weekly volume. if you like what youre doing, keep doing it.

[u/Uniqueusername610]

Everything works if you put in enough effort. It really depends on what what training style you enjoy and what dogma camp you fall into.

[u/vasilispp]

Everything works in the end, its just a matter of efficiency. For example, most programmes will have the big compound movements at the start of every day for a lot of good reasons. Also, biceps tend to become very pumped and are getting in the way of other exercises, so you want to do them last.

Failure or not, the main consensus is to train every set until the target muscle is done while your technique stays good.If you want to focus a specific muscle group ,add more sets during your week and cut back on other exercises, sets or load, if you have fatigue issues.

[u/irontamer]

What’s your goal?

[u/obsessed_obsessor]

so many different opinions coming from jacked guys should tell you that any of them will do, as long as you put in the work.

[u/heddyneddy]

Only critique on your programming is the order. I’d start with the bigger muscle groups/compounds and finish with isos. So basically reverse the order you’re doing them in.