Diminishing sets and 6X6 sets for strength

[rjc]

I've been reading a book, and I'm interested in two of the strength trainging setups. I'm starting with the 6 sets of 6 reps for 6 weeks plan at the moment.

Just wondering if anyone has and experience with these two plans.

ITs tricky to get your starting weight. I hit the bench with 35KG and did it too comfortably, then blasted my triceps then went back to decline bench at 30KG and again was too easy. The idea is to blow out on your last set.

I like the idea of mixing it up. My muscles have never been sorer, I sort of cheated and kept going on the last set till I failed.

The Diminishing set, involves hitting 70 reps in 4 sets. When you reach it in 4 sets you increase the weight. So you might get say 20 reps to failure, then 16, then 10, then 6, 4 etc, until you reach 70. I have done this with tricep dips before but I kept going for about 20 sets, and it hurt so much.

Just wondering on peoples thoughts on this. Its all in some strength training book I bought.

 

[Goldfish]

I don't know what the book says, but I'm not sure either of these protocols are a good idea, at least not the way you're describing it. I would be more inclined towards 6x6 than diminishing sets...but you probably only need 2-3 work sets. Here's what I would advise:

Instead of 6x6, do the following:

- 3 warm up sets followed by 3 work sets.
- Warm up set weights should be relative to work set weights. Once you can lift 80kg or more, the first warm up set should be 1/4 of the working weight. The second warm up set should be 1/2 of the working weight. The third warm up set should be 3/4 of the working weight.
- Until you can lift 80kg, start witht he empty barbell (20kg) and evenly space the weight between sets. If work sets are 20kg, there's no need for warm ups. If they are 22.5kg, only the first warm up. If 25kg, only the first and third warm up. If 27.5kg or higher, all warm ups will be included.
- The warm up sets, as they get heavier, will have fewer reps. The first warm up will be 6 reps, the second 4 reps, and the third will be 2 reps.
- The work sets should all be performed at the same weight. The starting weight should be well-below your 6RM. In your first session, you should feel some ballast in the barbell, but that'll be about it.
- Focus on correct technique. Any rep performed with bad technique is a rep not to be counted as part of the set.
- When you complete all 6 reps on all 3 work sets, increase the weight next time you train. For the first couple weeks at least, you should be increasing the weight on squats, bench press and deadlift every single time you train.

Here's an example of what your first session might look like:

Squats: 6x20kg, 4x27.5kg, 2x35kg, 3x6x40kg
Bench Press: 6x20, 4x25kg, 2x30, 3x6x35kg
Deadlifts: 6x20kg, 4x30kg, 2x40kg, 1x6x50kg

In the next session, the work sets for squats might be 45kg, the work sets for bench press 37.5kg, and the work sets for deadlift 55kg. Try to increase the big 3 by even just 2.5kg/session 1-2 times a week, and in 6 weeks (assuming you don't run into any trouble ongoing progression, which you probably will, and bench press will probably be the first of those 3 exercises to suffer) that'll be an extra 22.5kg on each lift. 3x6x62.5kg squats, 3x6x57.5kg bench press, 1x6x72.5kg deadlifts. Do some split squats or lunges, overhead press, and pull ups or rows on an alternating training day aiming to improve each of them slightly every week, and you'll make some great gains.