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2004/02/26, 03:04 PM
The last set of your pyramid should be really hard to finish, needing a spot on the last few reps. That should be close enough to failure for you. Once and a while push the last set up a little and see how many reps you can get. If you get to 6 and your arms buckle(spotter there to catch it) you have hit failure. This is a useful technique, but can cause overtraining and stres injuries if used too often.
Mass building requires pushing the muscles harder than they want to work to convince the body that more muscle is necessary. If you are trying to build, yes, heavy weights, 6-10 reps. If you aren't as concerned with growth, but want strength, some growth and some endurance, 8-12 reps. But the last few reps of those sets should still be challenging. It should never be easy, no matter what you are training for, or you are just spinning your wheels. I think that is where many people fail in achieving their results, is that they think as long as they do their routine and lift a weight (any weight) fifteen times, three sets, whether it taxes them or not, it is a workout. When I worked at the gym that was the most common problem (especially with women).
Hop I cleared things up a little...:surprised:
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"To be able to go to the gym and train hard is a joy and a privelege, even though the hard work necessitates driving yourself through considerable discomfort. Savor this privelege and blessing, and revel in it."
Stuart McRobert, Beyond Brawn
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