Increasing sets but not reps: bad idea? good idea? Inconsequential?

[_MementoMori_]

Just wondering.

I don't know about you guys, but I find it much easier to tack on extra sets than to push out those last few reps to failure. Am I short-changing myself by doing this?

[professorchaos]

As long as you are working almost to failure, I don't think so. I tend to estimate the weight I use by the number of reps and aim for approximately 25 reps per excercise. 5 sets of 5 reps gets a weight closer (95%) of my one rep max than 3 sets of 8 (85% 1RM). With the correct weigh, each is challenging.

[The Nid Hog]

As long as you are working almost to failure, I don't think so. I tend to estimate the weight I use by the number of reps and aim for approximately 25 reps per excercise. 5 sets of 5 reps gets a weight closer (95%) of my one rep max than 3 sets of 8 (85% 1RM). With the correct weigh, each is challenging.

My current lifting is 5x5 too (with a little variation one day a week). I think that's a great recipe for building strength. If you have different objectives, there are other ways to organize your workout that might be better.

[Sal]

This is a fairly good explanation

[blary54]

Dont think it matters much. Just mix it up a bit though. Each week I change my reps and sets. (example this is what im doing this month 3X8, 4X6, 2X20, 5X5)

[Go West Young Man]

The key is to mix it up - 5x5 sometimes, 6x3 or 12x2 or 3x8 other times.
Your body loves routine, keep it guessing and it'll keep growing.

[Badger & Bengall]

It all depends on what you're training for. More sets and more reps builds endurance and lean muscle, less sets and less reps builds strength. Power and bulk are somewhere in between.

I always used to train for endurance but with a knee injury, I had to stop running so I moved to strength. I had my best results with 5 sets of decreasing reps (10/8/6/4/2) while increasing weight. Week one I'd work at 80% and week two would be 100%. By the 2nd 100%, I found I was able to increase weight quite easily. With a mix of isolation and compound exercises, days 1/3 were triceps, chest, abs and legs, and days 1/3 were biceps, shoulders, back, abs, and day 5 was all legs and cardio. Finally, add to that 6 days of working the heavy bag and floor-to-ceiling bag with 16s.

I am naturally 60kg and could never break 65kg no matter how much I trained and ate. Using that routine, I was able to break my weight plateau and hit a very solid 77kg in a only a few months.

Talking about it makes me want to get back into it. I stopped after the birth of my son about 2 years ago.

[_MementoMori_]

Thanks for your input, all. It's appreciated.

[Devilpup]

My best workouts in highschool were low rep high set. We used to start at 2-3 sets at 10-12 reps and each week you go up 10%, adjust the reps accordingly and up the sets by 1-2. In 3-5 weeks you were ready to max out again and start over. Never liked that workout but it worked wonders for some people. I always gained more by adding 5-10 % a week and adding another set under 5 reps.

[litespeedone]

I'm pretty old-fashioned and usually increase weight every set. The first two or three sets are relative warmups--no more than 8 reps--then as the weight goes up, the reps go down. I usually go up to where I can only do 1-3 reps, then lower the weight to where I can finish with an 8-rep set. Total sets per exercise usually is 6-8.
For example, bench: 8x135, 8x155, 8x185, 6-8x205, 3-4x225, 1x245, 8x205.
But, as has been noted, mixing it up is really beneficial. Your body gets used to whatever you're doing. Throw something new in there periodically and you'll see results.

[Stubblefield]

If lifting to failure it won't matter that much--that would be your standard hypertrophy program, and one more burn out set won't have much of an effect either way (unless you are not getting enough rest, in which case it might push you toward adrenal fatigue).

If lifting for max strength (where you will hardly ever lift to failure) it would matter a bit.

[Captain Pete]

I think everyone has their own plan, and it probably works for each individual. No reason lifting shouldn't be individually tailored to meet the needs/requirements for your body. I got started lifting because I have arthritis, and need to keep the muscles around the joints strong. So I'm not interested in looking like a body builder (those big, slow, useless muscles ;). My wife also bench presses. She's 4'10" tall, and under my tutelage she was benching 170 lbs. last summer. My program (and my wife's) has always focused on high weight, low reps; 5-7 reps at 85% of your max weight, times 3 sets, three times a week. This has always helped to build real strength, but not those bulging pecs and biceps that a lot of guys want. If you want to look big, do less weight, more reps, more sets. I do this myself three times a week, but I do it as cardio.

[litespeedone]

This thread got me thinking after I originally read it, so I came back and now see that (unfortunately) my previous post went off on a tangent that had little to do with the OP's question.
There are some good answers here. As others have noted, all the variables of sets, reps, time between sets, speed of reps, weight, etc., really depend on what you're trying to accomplish--strength, size, endurance.
I agree with OP David that it is easier to do more sets at a lower intensity than going to near failure. If strength is your primary goal, lower-rep sets with heavier weights (and approx. three minutes between sets) should be your focus. You don't have to go to failure--85-90% is a good amount.

What are some sources of credible information on this that you guys have found?

[JLuger]

I recently switched to 5x5, and man, did I get results. Within a week or two of 2-3 workouts a week, I had noticeably more muscle. I had no idea my body could do that!