Athensgym's Journal, 02 May 2018

How are your injuries doing? 

Hey Tom, haven't checked FAT Secret for a while for a while. Did a light day at the gym today which felt okay but still feel the twinge when I stress the muscle. Tomorrow is chest day but I will add some light deadlifts and power cleans for rehab. Hope all is well with you. I would be interested to know what kind of set and rep program you follow.  

Hey Athensgym- My body seems to be primarily slow twitch fibers, and I usually stay in the 8-12 rep range. 3-4 sets. I tried and liked 5x5 for its simplicity (and its app), but lower reps did not seem to stimulate a response for me. I pyramid squats, behind neck press, and bench press. Other exercises I just try to increase to 12 reps with a constant weight, then raise the working weight next workout if all three sets were twelve reps. Or if I just feel strong that night, which happens occasionally. Still recovering from last fall's debacle when I tried full body three times a week. Like it or not, my recuperation from a hard workout takes a full week for each muscle group (except abs, which irritate my acid reflux and I do not enjoy training). 

Hey Tom, thanks for the info. I think your approach makes good sense. I started off doing low weight high rep full body workouts for but have since transitioned into a more traditional 5 x 10 routine for most exercises. I am experimenting with sets of 5 and 3 for some exercises like bench and shoulder press.I progress to a heavy weight quickly using 4 sets of 5 to 3 reps and then back off and finish at a lower weight with 3 sets of 10 to 15. The issue for me is acclimatizing to the feel of heavier weights and pushing myself a bit. I also do some single sets of 50 just to burn out the muscle group. Not sure if this approach is wise but I am having fun short term. 

Enjoyment is an important part. Otherwise inconsistent or completely quit.