HIT FAQs that are never answered.

Maj. TightAss

I thought this might merit a sticky (or alternatively a fee trip to the Recycle Bin ).
These are very general questions that a beginner might ask, but which never seem to get definitively answered.
Like I said, the questions are very general, so there may be more than one answer for each depending on what type of exercise the question could be referring to (e.g. squats versus bicep curls). Some of the questions are also very similar (e.g. 11 & 12) but have slightly different meanings.
Feel free to add your own questions that you've never got a definative answer for.

1) How long should I rest between sets?
2) How long should I rest between different exercises?
3) How often should I increase the weight I'm lifting?
4) How much weight should increase my lifts by?
5) How do I decide when it's time to increase the weight for a particular lift?
6) How many reps should I do?
7) Why pick pick 6 reps instead of 8 and vice versa?
8) Should I increase reps from 6 to 8 before increasing weight or just increase the weight keeping the same number of reps?
9) Should I lower the number of reps when increasing weight?
10) How many different exercises should I do per session?
11) How many exercises should I do per muscle group per session?
12) How many days should I rest before performing the same exercises?
13) How many days should I rest before working the same muscle groups?
14) Is there any benefit to combining heavy weight/low reps training with low weight/high reps training?
15) Should I warm up and/or warm down by performing an exercise at a lower weight, and if so, how many reps/sets should I perform and how much lighter should the weight be?

<edit> Just thought of some more:</edit>

16) How many sets should I do?
17) Why do 3 sets instead of 4 and vice versa?
18) Should I be struggling to do the last rep of every set or just the last rep of the last set?

Runfree

Ok I am going to base my anwsers on the way I work out so don't give out if you don't like this method



1) How long should I rest between sets?

I was told 1 minute to a minute and 30 seconds.
I rest about 1-2 minutes(depending on whether im getting a drink of water)

2) How long should I rest between different exercises?

I go straight to the next exercise but might do a small warm up with a small weight

3) How often should I increase the weight I'm lifting?

Well when I do weights I usually do 4 sets of 8 reps and I make sure that when I get to the 7th-8th rep I am struggling to lift the weight. Once it starts getting easier I do a 5th set with the next weight. Until I can complete this 1 set of 8 reps on the next weight I try 2 sets until I can do 8 reps on both sets then I do the same until I can do a full 4 sets of 8 reps on the increased weight. (note: I do 5 sets at this stage not 4, The sets I cannot complete will be done on the lower weight I was at)

4) How much weight should increase my lifts by?

I just go up the next weight on the machine I use. With D'bels I do the same which is usually a gap of 5lbs. Machines it varies from 5-10 lbs

5) How do I decide when it's time to increase the weight for a particular lift?

You will know this when your sets get really easy to do. I find I get a better workout when I do a set of 8 reps I want to be struggeling to lift the weight at the 7th-8th rep(getting to your 4th set you might find that you are struggeling at your 5th or 6th rep)

6) How many reps should I do?

I normally do 4 sets of 8 reps. Really heavy weight(when I test myself to see how I am getting on) I usually do 6 reps.But this is optional.

7) Why pick pick 6 reps instead of 8 and vice versa?

Just do this when you are doing really heavy weights. Set yourself a target before you do your set.

8) Should I increase reps from 6 to 8 before increasing weight or just increase the weight keeping the same number of reps?

Well I don't bother as I do 8 reps anyway. But just increase the weight and keep the number of reps the same. You might find you get a better workout if you increase your reps to 8(try it one day if your not happy go back to 6 reps)

9) Should I lower the number of reps when increasing weight?

NO, like i said in question 3, just do a 5th set until you can complete the weight and then just do as I told in question 3. I find this very effective,you may not, so if you don't then maybe you should see if there is any other methods

10) How many different exercises should I do per session?

Well tend to work 2 muscle groups really when Im at the gym.
They are Arms/Chest & Shoulders/Back. Then I do the legs on a day off perhaps or if I get fed up of my routine. I usually do stomach crunches after my exercise everytime I am in the gym( Bout 150 everytime).

11) How many exercises should I do per muscle group per session?

Well I do as many as I can do. Whatever I know I do. I can spend 1 hour 30 minutes - 2 hours just doing my chest if i want and same for shoulders. I usually work each muscle group for about an hour which means I am in the gym bout 2 hours everytime I am there.

12) How many days should I rest before performing the same exercises?

Depends on how many times you go to the Gym I Usually wait 2-3 days depending on my working hours and the time I can go to the gym at. What I tend to do is go to the gym 4 times a week on 2 of those days I do Chest/Arms and the other 2 days I do Shoulders/Back. I do them alternating though so the 1st day is chest/arms, 2nd day shoulders/back, 3rd day is chest/arms & 4th day shoulders/back. I find that this works the best for me.

13) How many days should I rest before working the same muscle groups?

See question 12 for this one as it has the same answer.

14) Is there any benefit to combining heavy weight/low reps training with low weight/high reps training?

I find that Heavy weight training/low reps gets the muscle whereas when you have low weight/high reps it tones the muscle and not making them bigger(this is usually what you get from an instructor in the gym for beginners that just want to get into shape not make muscle). I could be wrong on this though.

15) Should I warm up and/or warm down by performing an exercise at a lower weight, and if so, how many reps/sets should I perform and how much lighter should the weight be?

I usually tend to do a little warm-up before I start a machine yes.
I would usually do a 3rd to half the weight as a warm-up(just enough so I can feel the muscle stretch). I don't always do is but always do it on the first exercise I do. I just do 1 set of about 15-20 reps.

[edit]

16) How many sets should I do?

I usually do 4 sets. when I increase my weights I do 1 set of the increased weight and 4 of the lower untill I can complete one full set.

17) Why do 3 sets instead of 4 and vice versa?

Cause I get lazy sometimes??? I sometimes only do 3 sets for lateral raises as I find them alot of pressure on my shoulders and I know my shoulders aren't in the best condition so I only do 3 sets if I feel pain setting in.

18) Should I be struggling to do the last rep of every set or just the last rep of the last set?

When you get to your 3rd set you should be struggling on the last 2-3 reps. On your first set you might do it with ease as your muscle is still flexible and you didn't put any stress on it yet.

[/edit]

Well hope that solves all your questions? Anymore just ask I'll see if I can anwser them. You might get some better anwsers as I only based these on what I do.

Musashi

Just a few random thoughts and personal preferences.
The rep range depends on the weight and what u hope to achieve.Low reps,like heavy singles are the domain of powerlifters!Immensely strong but usually not cut or concerned with shapeing, just lifting.6-8 reps is apparently ideal for hypertrophy of muscles and bulking of the fast twitch muscle fibres.12-15 is heading for stamina and endurance,the white ,slow twitch fibres.Think sprinter versus Marathon Man!
Muscle groups to train,I like to take one large and one small each workout.Monday say chest and biceps.Complementary exercises as your tris are involved in benching so you work opposing groups as well as not killing yourself,or being too tired to properly stress,two large muscle groups. e.g. back and chest.
Wednsday is legs and shoulders as leg day is the big lifts!
Friday is Back and tris, so thre days between your upper body workouts and legs only hit once a week.
I like Mike Mentzers Heavy Duty ideas and find this works better for me than two hour marathon four set,six exercise days,which I also tried!Only you can feel how your body responds and how you prefer to train,mentally as much as anything.I found the thought of a two hour session was daunting and easier to justify crying off due to time.Also anything much over an hour and you've probably used up your glycogen and testosterone supplies and are in danger of going catabolic and indeed over-training!
Hope this helps!

The'real'Guvnor

Slow twitch fibres are red not white.

Mike Mentzer and his brother Ray have recently passed away. Mike was robbed of an Olympia in 1981.

In terms of Mike's theories relating to BB a lot of them were half baked - the guy used to drink his own urine!

Low reps are not just for powerlifters and in fact all of this years top 6 in the Olympia regularly go as low as 2-3 reps in their weekly training.

In terms of training in the gym don't complicate it - just train as hard and heavy as you can using good form.