Question about sets when lifting...

[Perfectionist]

I've read in the past that doing more than two sets for any exercise is a waste because supposedly after the second set, the muscles exercised are already torn. What do some of you think of this? I tried it for while and it seemed to be working, but at the time I was already at the size I wanted to be so it may have just been maintaining my size. I'm getting back into lifting after being off for a little over a year due to injury and I'm wondering if only two sets is enough to get back to where I want to be.

[khalid a.k.a Genocide]

I've read in the past that doing more than two sets for any exercise is a waste because supposedly after the second set, the muscles exercised are already torn. What do some of you think of this? I tried it for while and it seemed to be working, but at the time I was already at the size I wanted to be so it may have just been maintaining my size. I'm getting back into lifting after being off for a little over a year due to injury and I'm wondering if only two sets is enough to get back to where I want to be.

I don't think that doing more than two sets is a waste of time at all. I believe that for muscle growth, your muscles need to be continuously pressured and worked on. And that requires more than 2 sets per muscle, the major muscle group.

For example, on my leg day, I do 6-8 sets(4-12 reps each) for squats which I break it down to 4 warm up sets and 2 to 4 working out sets. Thats just how much pressure my quads need for optimum growth. And I basically found that out my trying different approaches to my workouts. As a rule of thumb I do about 3 to 5 sets for the other muscle groups. I also do alot of sets for deadlift(about 6-8 sets). See the pattern here, core/overall body strength exercises(squat and deadlift) require more sets than usual.

Again, If your goal is muscle growth, then you must do more than 2 sets per body part.

[Shaolin Temple]

Do you read it from the author who created HST, which I believe stands for "Hypertrophy Specific Training?"

If not, do you remember the source?

[Perfectionist]

Do you read it from the author who created HST, which I believe stands for "Hypertrophy Specific Training?"

If not, do you remember the source?

I read it on another weight lifting forum a couple years ago. What does the author of HST say about it?

[Shaolin Temple]

I do not know too much on it, except he uses a circuit training type of method. So, basically, by using the knowledge of hypertrophy and how skeletal muscles work and respond to stress and the different types of stress he believes that 1 set per exercise per day, three times a week is sufficient. According to him hypertrophy starts no more than 2 minutes after mechanically loading your body.

In other words the type of exercise on Monday is:

chest press 1X10
Dips 1X10
straight Leg DL 1X10
Leg Curls 1X10
Leg Press 1X10
Shrugs 1X10
DB shoulder Press 1X10
Front Delt Raises 1X10
Rear Delt Raises 1X10
Chin-up or lat pull downs 1X10
Rows 1X10
Crunches 2X10

Something to this effect. Three times a week Mon/Wed/Fri

I'm sure it works for some people. The interesting thing is that there are many trainers that study the science of the muscle and how each time of fiber reacts to certain loads (light anerobic versus heavy) and aerobic workouts, etc - and based on their knowledge and experience with exercises they come out with some radically different workout.

There is ICE, Max OT, HST, 5 by 5, pyramid, punishment (not sure of the name actually), etc.

Then there is a circuit training in which you do 1 set chest, 1 set shoulder, 1 set biceps 1 set abs and back to the chest and repeat. Some people find that to be far better. It's all in finding what works best for you. Excuse me for the cliche, but there is a lot of truth to that.

[Perfectionist]

I do not know too much on it, except he uses a circuit training type of method. So, basically, by using the knowledge of hypertrophy and how skeletal muscles work and respond to stress and the different types of stress he believes that 1 set per exercise per day, three times a week is sufficient. According to him hypertrophy starts no more than 2 minutes after mechanically loading your body.

In other words the type of exercise on Monday is:

chest press 1X10
Dips 1X10
straight Leg DL 1X10
Leg Curls 1X10
Leg Press 1X10
Shrugs 1X10
DB shoulder Press 1X10
Front Delt Raises 1X10
Rear Delt Raises 1X10
Chin-up or lat pull downs 1X10
Rows 1X10
Crunches 2X10

Something to this effect. Three times a week Mon/Wed/Fri

I'm sure it works for some people. The interesting thing is that there are many trainers that study the science of the muscle and how each time of fiber reacts to certain loads (light anerobic versus heavy) and aerobic workouts, etc - and based on their knowledge and experience with exercises they come out with some radically different workout.

There is ICE, Max OT, HST, 5 by 5, pyramid, punishment (not sure of the name actually), etc.

Then there is a circuit training in which you do 1 set chest, 1 set shoulder, 1 set biceps 1 set abs and back to the chest and repeat. Some people find that to be far better. It's all in finding what works best for you. Excuse me for the cliche, but there is a lot of truth to that.

Woah, only one set? What do they do to warmup for each particular exercise? Also does he specify whether the set should be heavy?

[Shaolin Temple]

Woah, only one set? What do they do to warmup for each particular exercise? Also does he specify whether the set should be heavy?

I'm sure you can do 1 or 2 real light warm up sets, if it's for major body parts. You repeat this same workout three times a week. So, if you do 3 sets per exercise per week.