With progressive overload, do you guys increase the reps on your last set or your first set?

[alexander5106954665]

For example, if you’re doing DB flys and set 1 is 8 x 16kg, 2nd is 10 x 14kg and the third is 8 x 14kg all to failure or 1-2 RIR, on your next session would you increase the last set to 10 x 14kg or the first set to 10 x 16kg?

When i first started the gym i’d work my way up to 3 x 12 and then increase the weight and do 1 x 8 on the higher weight, and 2 x 12 on the previous weight. I’ve realised that if i can do 3 x 12 for a certain weight, the first set and maybe the second wouldn’t be close to failure.

How do you guys progress the weight & reps? I’ve been looking at dynamic double progression

 

[tdidymas]

@alexander5106954665 It seems you adjust your weight across the three sets. That's unnecessary.

Don't think of it as a static rep range but rather an evolving rep range. Then you can hit failure on all three sets.

For flys, you could choose 8-12 as your target reps the target is for the 1st set). You go to failure at the same weight. Let's say you got 9, 8, 7. Next session you do the same weight and attempt to go up in reps. Maybe you get 10, 10, 8. When the 1st set gets to 12 go up the following session. You'll likely drop to the lower end of the range but that is fine. Start the process over.

Good rep ranges, depending on the exercise would be:
4-8 (strength work, compounds)
6-10
8-12
12-15
15-20

 

[alexander5106954665]

@tdidymas Yea when i first started i would only progres up a weight when I got to 3 x 12 but as i’ve learnt more and started training to failure or 1-2 RIR, i realised if i can do 3 x 12 for the same weight, the first and second set wouldn’t of been close to this, or most likely wouldn’t

I started training like this where I try to go up by a rep in each set and then increase when i get to 12 reps, but not by going to 3 x 12 for the same weight

E.G, if im doing flys and Week 1 is 1 x 11 16kg, 1 x 10 14kg and 1 x 8 14kg, week 2 would be 1 x 12 16 kg, 1 x 11 14kg (i’d push for 12) & 1 x 9 14kg (i’d push for 10). Then on week 3 id do 1 x 8 18kg & so on. I up the reps by 1-2 (however much i can push for to failure) and when i get to 12 reps on that set id up the weight and go back to 8 reps & so on

 

[mau]

@tdidymas I feel like if you did two consecutive sets of 10 reps, then you were nowhere near failure in that first set

 

[reece24]

@mau Depends on the exercise, the rest period, and the person.

 

[angelnumberthree]

@tdidymas This

 

[sashacat]

@alexander5106954665 Depends on the kind of progression I'm aiming for. I basically setup my exercises in 3 different ways:

• Top set + "back-off" set. Despite the name, both sets are supposed to be hard and quite near (or at) failure; just the first set I have a range of reps that's lower (e.g. 5-8) and the second set higher (e.g. 10-13). When I reach a rep count outside that range, I increase the weight (or decrease if I didn't make it to the lower limit). Progression is independent, meaning I rest enough so I can give my 100% in both sets and therefore sometimes I increase reps in the heavy one, sometimes in the light one (and sometimes both, sometimes none, sometimes I regress too). I know the second set technically I'm already fatigued and it's not a true 100% but close enough.
• Straight sets. Here I do typically 3 sets with the same target rep range, but honestly I tend to only care about the first set in terms of progression, e.g. I'm targetting 10-12 reps so if I hit 13 in my first set I increase weight for the next session (not the current one), even if in the other sets I got 10 or even less, I don't care.
• Sets with either myo reps or drop sets, here I typically do 1 "normal" set and then a couple of dropsets or myo rep sets. These are typically for smaller exercises where a weight jump is very difficult to do, so I aim to increase total reps done in the first set (which is already difficult), and mostly ignore what happens after, because I go to failure and beyond (partials mostly, or mechanical variations depending on the exercise). But as stated, here I can almost never progress because the weight used is very little and it burns like hell, jumping weight feels like a different exercise completely.

 

[singingmichelle74]

@sashacat +1 for back off sets. I use them, and I find they are extremely effective at targeting the muscle and provide a ton of stimulus. A very underrated technique.

 

[midwifeme]

@singingmichelle74 I mean it's just RPT, it's been around forever

 

[arianwen]

@alexander5106954665 It would make sense to be trying to get most out of your first sets since youre fresh and strongest

 

[apachedog]

@arianwen Especially since total reps is the most important metric rather than trying to grind for that last 12, 12, 12, 11.

Going for the 13, 12, 12, 11 is still progress.

 

[christianna]

@alexander5106954665 I try and do at least one rep more than the previous week, until I hit the cap of my rep range. Once I hit the cap, I add weight and as long as I'm able to still within the rep range, I consider it as progress. I treat each set individually and ensure I "progress" on most of my sets week to week. If ever I have some trouble progressing in both reps and weight I just add another set.

Example: 8-12 reps for two sets

Set 1: 30 kg for 12 reps , Set 2: 25 kg 10 reps.

The following week should look like this,

Set 1: 32.5 kg for 8-12 reps, Set 2: 25 kg for 11-12 reps

Assuming I fail to progress, I add another set the following session

Set 1: 32.5 kg 10 reps on week 1 -> 32.5 kg 9 reps on week 2, Set 2: 25kg 11 reps-> 25 kg 11 reps ( no progress)

Week 3 should be: 32.5kg x10-12 reps, 25kg x12 rep, Whatever weight below 25 kg x 8-12 reps. The weight doesn't really matter

Seems kinda complicated but all I do is beat the previous week

 

[alexander5106954665]

@christianna I see, i’ve never thought of it that way before. So in short if you can’t overload that week by adding 1/2 reps or weight, you’ll overload it by adding a third set?

 

[christianna]

@alexander5106954665 Yeah and a 4th set if i cant progress on 2/3 sets. So in effect, some muscle groups (typically the smaller ones like side delts) tend to have more sets.

 

[hopelessfool]

@alexander5106954665 I don’t choose or plan where to add the rep, my body does.

I’ll choose the scheme, say 4 sets of 8. Then I work my ass off to get as many reps (up to 8) as I can on each set. It’ll typically look something like this over time:

7,6,5,4

7,6,6,4

8,6,6,5

8,7,7,5

8,8,7,5

8,8,7,6,

8,8,8,7

8,8,8,8

When I can actually do 4x8, I’ll add weight. But again, I’m not choosing where to add the rep, I’m pushing to failure and my body chooses.

 

[seekeronsaltspring]

@hopelessfool You are not pushing all to failure tho if you keep hitting 8 on the first set for multiple weeks while getting stronger

 

[danny4mission]

@hopelessfool ok i was kinda with you until you said you were pushing to failure every set and still being able to match reps 8,8,8,8

ive never heard of that being possible. theres gotta be RIR somewhere in there

 

[hopelessfool]

@danny4mission Obviously I'm not going above my goal so some of those won't be to absolute failure, but it's heavy enough they're probably 0.5-2 RIR by the time you're hitting your goal on every set.

 

[maxmillianmichieli]

@hopelessfool That's the double progression. Somebody in this sub recommended me the DYNAMIC double progression (Sean Nalewanyj has a video on it), which I found leads to faster results.

Applying it to your scheme, it would consist on add weight once you reach the rep goal on a certain set, treating every set individually. It would imply add weight to the first set of the 4th day you got here, and to the second set of the 6th day, for example.

 

[confusedgirl98]

@alexander5106954665 Ideally add 1 rep to all sets. Otherwise add 1 to the first set.