Staying with the same weight until you can rep it 15 times

Biggerp73 · May 1, 2019

Lately I've been thinking we would all make much better progress if, on every lift, we stuck with the same amount of weight until we could rep it ~15 times.

Start with say 50lb dumbbells for curls . Maybe you only get it a few times. Stick with that weight every workout until eventually you rep it ~15 times. Then go up in weight to maybe 65lbs, or whatever size dumbbell you can only do a few times. Then stick with that weight until you can get it ~15 times. Then repeat.

I think if we all followed a regimen like this it would ensure progress overload, make progress/gains inevitable and essentially unending to a point, and we would all probably be much stronger at this point.

johnjuanb1 · May 1, 2019

I found for myself the heavier lower reps are necessary in addition to high reps to build the strength that allowed me to get higher reps at a certain weights.
Military Press was my best exercise before injuries occurred.
I used to do
15 reps
12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps
5 reps
I would go up in weight on all of the sets.
At the 5 rep weight i did 4 sets. When i could get 7 reps at that weight I would add 2.5Lb to each side. This brought my strength up consistently.

brutus69 · May 1, 2019

im at planet fitness. the coolest place to lift.
so i gotta do the whole stack on the machines. i load up the extra weights on the cables, and i got pins i use to hang weights off the machines,
so if i can rep a machine 8 times im just gonna keep it up til i hit 15.
if i get caught hangin plates off the stacks idk if they'd like that.

johnjuanb1 · May 1, 2019

brutus69 said:
im at planet fitness. the coolest place to lift.
so i gotta do the whole stack on the machines. i load up the extra weights on the cables, and i got pins i use to hang weights off the machines,
so if i can rep a machine 8 times im just gonna keep it up til i hit 15.
if i get caught hangin plates off the stacks idk if they'd like that.

The ANTIFA cucks will come out and slap you limp wristed style.

danieltx · May 1, 2019

We wouldn't.

Whether you're after pure strength or pure size, varying your rep ranges is essential for maximum progress.

maldorf · May 1, 2019

danieltx said:
We wouldn't.

Whether you're after pure strength or pure size, varying your rep ranges is essential for maximum progress.

Yes, I think most experienced lifters will concur. Not only do you vary the rep ranges during one session, you actually use periodization to vary it from week to week too. Muscle seems to responds better from different loads.

Flex500 · May 1, 2019

johnjuanb1 said:
I found for myself the heavier lower reps are necessary in addition to high reps to build the strength that allowed me to get higher reps at a certain weights.
Military Press was my best exercise before injuries occurred.
I used to do
15 reps
12 reps
10 reps
8 reps
6 reps
5 reps
I would go up in weight on all of the sets.
At the 5 rep weight i did 4 sets. When i could get 7 reps at that weight I would add 2.5Lb to each side. This brought my strength up consistently.

Agree, and from a practical standpoint I'm with you that "lift X weight until you get X reps then move up" never really allowed me to progress fast enough I would always get stuck much longer trying to do that.

I also believe the science backs it up that is not generally the most effective way to progress.

lookslikesausage · May 2, 2019

Take this for what it's worth (maybe not much LOL). It's going to be very difficult to build your strength using sets of 15.

You want volume but at the proper intensities/percentages of a one rep max (if the discussion is about strength). In the strength sports, most of that community trains their competitive lifts based upon two variables (percentage of one rep max and the volume which would be reps & sets). Typically, they are working with many sets at anywhere from 70 all the way up to 100%. These is the best strength athletes in the world. The higher rep work (over 6 reps) would be better off saved for hypertrophy/pump/assistance/auxiliary work or whatever you want to call it.

If you only are concerned with hypertrophy then that's a different story and a much more flexible approach can be used IMO.

TLDR, building up a one rep max will also increase your ability to use heavier weight for rep work (to a point) & also familiarize yourself with Prilepin's Table.

If nothing else have a look at this link:

https://thepinnacleselfdotcom.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/poliquins-chart/

xpoc · May 2, 2019

I think this is good for newer to intermediate guys. And generally speaking, I like it, unless you are an advanced lifter. Here is why: When you set an arbitrary number like 15 you don't take into account the actually range of motion, muscle being trained and technical skill of the lift.

For example. 15 could be too low of a rep number for wrist curls, seated calf raises, ab roll outs, rear delt machine "laterals", or cable crossovers. But 15 would be way to many for clean & press, deficit deadlifts, snatches, or bent rows.

Mr OZ · May 2, 2019

its a very "DC" way of doing things - picking a rep range, beating it, adding more weight next time, repeat.

it will work no doubt.

Dancho · May 2, 2019

I do something similar but with less reps. Here is how it works for me(my formula for my body) - whenever i can do 8-9 reps with 220 on a particular exercise if i increase weight with 10lb i will be able to do about 6 reps with 230lb next time. then i keep staying at 230lb, next week i am at 7 reps, the week after 8 reps, now you can increase again with 10lb etc.

Elvia1023 · May 2, 2019

Surely it's what everyone has been doing since people starting lifting weights? You try to get stronger over time... of course it will work. As others have stated you may stall quicker doing it the way you outline though. I would play about with things but have your system as a rough guildline.

I don't think 15 reps should be a whole body rule as someone mentioned above. Every bodypart tends to respond differently but sure your system will work. I would personally have it more individualized to what you feel will work best. Meaning for most pressing movements perhaps closer to 12 reps and move the weight up slowly as you get stronger. Don't put it up 20kg so you struggle to get 4 reps and go from there. Up it by 5-10kg. Your strength progression should be smoother doing it like this.

I would also mix up rep schemes for certain movements. An example chest press would be lower than db chest flyes in regards to max reps. I don't think big jumps in weight are very smart meaning going from 15 reps to a few reps as you posted. I would recommend something closer to what Dancho posted so smaller jumps in weight. But you could still do your 15 rep rule for many movements. I wouldn't go below 6 reps for most movements though.

buck · May 2, 2019

That was a fairly standard way to train many decades ago. It may not be the best way. But I haven't seen any information that the best way has been discovered yet. If you keep adding reps you will probably get better results then people that are always searching for that secret method that will suddenly change them.

Fit2Serve · May 2, 2019

only works if you go to 16 reps
-F

Kaladryn · May 2, 2019

By this logic, time under tension is what is going to stimulate an adaptive response, however, research has shown that increased mechanical tension is the primary neurological stimulus that promotes adaptation. You need progressive resistance, or at least progressive mechanical tension, to achieve this.

i.e. You can't just "make" yourself do more reps, and you won't get stronger from trying to do more reps, if you are indeed doing more reps each workout, it's from something else, not that exercise. If you removed the exercise that you can do more reps on each workout, you would still get stronger each workout, because *generally* doing same weight won't make you stronger.

Of course, there are probably a million exceptions that affect the short term, but in the long term, these rules generally apply.

Biggerp73 · May 2, 2019

Fit2Serve said:
only works if you go to 16 reps
-F

Indubitably

I appreciate the feedback so far.

Yes, I thought about the fact that incorporating various rep ranges would be advantageous. My only problem with that is that in my own personal experience, especially not utilizing a log book, using different weights doesn't lend itself towards this kind of progressive overload.

Someone above said that using the same weight would not cause an increase in strength. Yet the real world shows this false. Take a guy who begins working at a lumber yard. Day one he cannot lift the wood on his own. By the end of the month he can. In 5 years he can lift two pieces and do it all day long.

Same with lifting. If all you have is a 75lb dumbbell in the garage. You will struggle at first to get reps on most exercises. But if you stay consistent eventually you will be able to workout with that weight. And eventually it will be light, and you will be able to rep it 20-30 times, etc.

danieltx · May 2, 2019

Biggerp73 said:
Indubitably

I appreciate the feedback so far.

Yes, I thought about the fact that incorporating various rep ranges would be advantageous. My only problem with that is that in my own personal experience, especially not utilizing a log book, using different weights doesn't lend itself towards this kind of progressive overload.

Someone above said that using the same weight would not cause an increase in strength. Yet the real world shows this false. Take a guy who begins working at a lumber yard. Day one he cannot lift the wood on his own. By the end of the month he can. In 5 years he can lift two pieces and do it all day long.

Same with lifting. If all you have is a 75lb dumbbell in the garage. You will struggle at first to get reps on most exercises. But if you stay consistent eventually you will be able to workout with that weight. And eventually it will be light, and you will be able to rep it 20-30 times, etc.

That's your problem and why your personal experience doesn't match the majority of us.

You're never going to maximize your development of strength or muscularity without using a log book. If you're logging everything, you can always look back and see what weight you used on a given rep range for a given exercise and improve on it.

Lilleo187 · May 2, 2019

danieltx said:
That's your problem and why your personal experience doesn't match the majority of us.

You're never going to maximize your development of strength or muscularity without using a log book. If you're logging everything, you can always look back and see what weight you used on a given rep range for a given exercise and improve on it.

Nobody got time for a log book. Thats some geek shit.

maldorf · May 2, 2019

The Wheel of Pain!

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Just found this, they did it in a strongman contest!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqW0QAN38ag"]WHEEL OF PAIN STRONGMAN HIGHLIGHTS - ARNOLD CLASSIC 2019 - YouTube[/ame]