Which is more important....?

S

Shane_mc_esq

0
Hi All,

Complete Noob here. Set myself up with a couple of hours with the personal trainer at my local gym over the past few weeks. Got started with some cardio stuff, which is fine, and moved on to weight machines in the second session.

During our initial session, I felt truely pushed to finish the sets we covered, but, in my program, he set me up to do weights even heavier again. For example (and I don't remember exactly what the weights were on each machine) in our first session we may have done 12 reps of each of 30kg, 40kg and 45kg, but he has put into my program 12 reps of each of 40kg, 50kg and 55kg. I would have struggled on the first day to complete the 12 reps of the two lighter sets and maybe hit 6/7 reps of the heavier set.

My question is which approach is better, stick with the lighter sets till I can manage 12 of each or work with the heavier ones in the program, but only get 12, 9, 5reps in that order?

Like I say, a complete noob here, so any pointers / comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
S
 
Experience and ability level

How long have you been working with weights?

How old are you?

What are your specific goals in training?

There are a lot of factors that will determine the correct path you need to take. Get back to me and I will be happy to help you out.

Corey
Director, OC Physique

ocphysique.com
 
Hi Corey,

Thanks for the reply.

Firstly, the easy questions, 25 years of age, 240lbs, 6'3".

Only working with weights a couple of weeks now. Complete first timer.

My goals are really to get some bit fit and put some kind of "shape" on myself. Don't want to be huge, but just get some way toned....if that makes sense?

I used to be very fit.....played alot of sport/martial arts, and had a very physically demanding job. But I haven't had so much of that for the past 3 or so years.

Have you enough info there, or do you need me to elaborate more?

Thanks,
S
 
Why on Machines?

I guess, I don't know that. Completely new to all this and I had presumed that that was the norm? He did mention about possibly getting hurt with Free Weights cause they can go anywhere???
 
the maximum weight you can lift for 1 repetition, 1 Repetition Maximum. It's better to estimate it though, to avoid injury. For bench press for example, use a weight that you can't do more than 12 repetitions and then use the following formula: Weight × ( 1 + ( 0.033 × Number of repetitions ) ) you can do the same for all your exercises
 
fit4life1976 said:
the maximum weight you can lift for 1 repetition, 1 Repetition Maximum. It's better to estimate it though, to avoid injury. For bench press for example, use a weight that you can't do more than 12 repetitions and then use the following formula: Weight × ( 1 + ( 0.033 × Number of repetitions ) ) you can do the same for all your exercises
Click to expand...

Why do you feel it's important for people just coming into weight training to know their 1RM?
 
So that they can hit the weights properly, without fear, knowing that the weight they r lifting is the correct one, the weight that will challenge them, and the weight that will not push them over their limits. How else do you want them to start? By saying "ok, i feel lucky tonight, let's go for 220 on the Bench Press, no spotter needed" ?! It's better to build a strong foundation of knowledge, to now exactly what they r doing and why they r doing it, don't you think :)?
 
fit4life1976 said:
So that they can hit the weights properly, without fear, knowing that the weight they r lifting is the correct one, the weight that will challenge them, and the weight that will not push them over their limits. How else do you want them to start? By saying "ok, i feel lucky tonight, let's go for 220 on the Bench Press, no spotter needed" ?! It's better to build a strong foundation of knowledge, to now exactly what they r doing and why they r doing it, don't you think :)?
Click to expand...

Sure it's important to build that foundation. However, a person very new to weight training has no foundation to build upon. There's no point in starting a person off with finding their 1 rep max...'specially with machines.

What they need is anatomical adaptation to start off with. They start with a light weight that they can get for around 15ish reps and do a few sets with.

As an example, when I started training my volleyball players this year, we walked into the weightroom and started with the bar and started adding bits of weight. I had them talk themself through it as far as was that weight hard for 15 reps or was it easy? As the weeks passed, we moved into lower rep ranges and some explosive movements particular to volleyball.

A person new to training has very little strength and as they continue training on a regular basis, their CNS is going to kick in and their strength will increase semi-rapidly.

Besides, unless you're really under the bar getting your TRUE 1RM, everything else is inaccurate.
 
That's why i say to estimate; this is good foundation knowledge for everybody, especially for people who will not have a personal trainer, you or me to guide them, people that go to the gym and want to know whether they are lifting what they r supposed to b lifting. U r telling me that u r not working with ur athletes according to their 1RM? And the reason behind estimating 1RM and not "going for the real 1RM is to avoid injuries, that's all. Why would you want to risk the health of your athlete when you can have a pretty decent estimate with this formula?
 
fit4life1976 said:
That's why i say to estimate; this is good foundation knowledge for everybody, especially for people who will not have a personal trainer, you or me to guide them, people that go to the gym and want to know whether they are lifting what they r supposed to b lifting. U r telling me that u r not working with ur athletes according to their 1RM? And the reason behind estimating 1RM and not "going for the real 1RM is to avoid injuries, that's all. Why would you want to risk the health of your athlete when you can have a pretty decent estimate with this formula?
Click to expand...

Okay, the first thing I'll ask you to do is to type out your words rather than using letter abbreviations; it drives me nuts to have to read paragraphs constructed as such.

No I don't work my volleyball girls around their 1RM. They know what they can do for most lifts in the 8-12 rep range. Once they progress past this, they simply move the intensity up accordingly. One girl of mine started benching 65lbs for around 10 reps. She soon increased her strength level in this lift, but I have no idea what her 1RM is.

I think certain athletes should go to a high intensity percentage such as my football players because in their combine test, they have a squat test. However, their bench test is a rep test with 185 and 225. So we do lactic acid work with 185 and 225 much more often than ramping up the intensity. Once a week or every other week I'll have them work up to a heavy triple. There's no 1RM estimate that I/we work off of. As an example, C. did 275 for 3. His speed was pretty good on the bar and I believe he could have gotten the same amount of reps with 280-285, so we'll up it to that level next time. If he really would have struggled with the 275, we'd go just down slightly on the intensity for a couple training sessions and then ramp it up for another heavy triple.


What I'm saying is there's really not a lot of reason to care where someone has their 1RM most of the time. When a certain rep range at a certain weight gets easier, increase intensity or volume.
 
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