seeking advice re Slow & Heavy

workingToBeFit

workingToBeFit

Cathlete
To you experienced weight lifters out there - when you do a Slow and Heavy routine, e.g. 3 sets of 8 reps each with heavy weights, what "feeling" do you aim for on each set? For example should I be feeling like I am going to failure on every set? Or just the last set? I'm not really sure how to approach it. So far if I try to go to failure on set #1 I end up decreasing the weight amount on the later sets. Maybe that's ok, but I am wondering if I should be doing things differently.

My goal is to build strength.


~ Ann ~
Aim for nothing, and you'll hit it every time!
 
That's what I do. I go as heavy as I can for the first set, and if I can finish the set, I stay with the same weight for the next. If I can't finish the set, I lower the weight for the next. If I am able to finish all 3 sets, I make sure I increase the weights next time I do the workout.

I think that if you always pick a weight that you can lift for 3 sets, you might not gain strength as quickly, but I'd love to hear what Cathe has to say.

PennyLaney
 
According to "The Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength" by Jim Stoppani, PhD, which sets out exercise protocols for gaining strength or gaining size, going to failure on most sets is the way to approach building muscle (hypertrophy) (along with shorter rest periods between sets and a 10-12 rep scheme), while going to failure just on the last set of the last exercise for each muscle group is the way to approach increasing muscle strength (along with longer rest periods between sets and a lower rep count: 4-6 reps on most exercises).

Going to failure on more sets actually hindered strength gains, according to studies the author cites. On most sets, you should feel like you have one more rep in you (interestingly, this is how kettlebell training is approached, at least by Pavel Tsatsouline, who brought it to the US).

Also, going to failure on many sets can more easily lead to overtraining, because is is more stressful on the neuromuscular system, which impedes progress.

HTH
 
I know I aim for failure on the second or last set....I get a good judge of how I am feeling on the first and then go heavier or lighter accordingly....

I like the slow and heavy upper body segments but have never like the slow and heavy legs - it just doesn't get me there.....
 
Wow, thank you Kathryn and everyone. This is all so helpful.

BTW, I wasn't all that thrilled about the S&H legs either - as someone else wrote - but the S&H everything else, wow, I just love it. I can't wait until I do shoulders tomorrow, which is the only part I haven't done yet.

~ Ann ~
Aim for nothing, and you'll hit it every time!
 
I always aim to be pushing myself to the absolute limit to get the last rep on every set. If it means dropping the weight on the final set to get all the reps out, I do it. It takes some knowledge of your own body and trial and error before you get the correct weight.

I love S&H!

MuscleGuy
 
>I like the slow and heavy upper body segments but have never
>like the slow and heavy legs - it just doesn't get me
>there.....

I don't like S&H legs either (and my knees don't like the S&H lunges: at least they didn't when I tried it, which was once, and once was enough). When I do a S&H rotation, I always do a different lower body workout, like GSL.

I also like to sub S&H chest/back for P90X Chest/back sometimes, when I miss bench presses and want a break from pull-ups and push-ups!
 
I'm glad to hear you like GSL! I just got it via UPS yesterday - the whole GS series. I can't wait to try those too. Anyway I will try GSL next time. My knees were not so happy either with S&H legs.

~ Ann ~
Aim for nothing, and you'll hit it every time!
 
>I'm glad to hear you like GSL! I just got it via UPS
>yesterday - the whole GS series. I can't wait to try those
>too. Anyway I will try GSL next time. My knees were not so
>happy either with S&H legs.
>
>~ Ann ~
>Aim for nothing, and you'll hit it every time!

Hi Ann,

I LOVE the entire GS series! They are such fantastic workouts! I hope you really like them!

Leanne
 
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