5 vs 3 Reps for Powerlifting?

[Guest guest]

It's possible but my guess is that it has more to do with muscular

endurance. If you train with low reps, you will never be able to do the

" correct " percentages that are used in the athletic world. In theory,

your 5 rep max dictates a max of 543 lbs (Bompa). I know guys with over

400 raw benches and they can only do mid 20s 225 reps - while they

should be able to do about 40. It works the other way around too. When I

first started lifting, I could squat with 225 all day but it took time

before I could squat 315. Now I squat mid 6's but by the second or third

rep with 500, I can't see anything. :-) Muscular endurance can be

trained as well. Poliquin has a few ways to make football players train

for the 225 test. I think percentages are useful as a starting base but

they should never be used to normalize people because...who's normal

around here???

Use what does work, not what should work.

Dmitry Voronov,

Ontario, Canada

Dennis Schar wrote:

> I am looking for opinions on 5 reps vs 3 reps on the big three lifts

> for powerlifting. I have used the Westside system for the past three

> years with less than stellar results on the squat. I've returned to a

> more traditional periodization routine using 5's at the beginning of

> the cycle. Here is what is making me wonder if 5 reps are too many

> for me to promote gains. Yesterday was a set of 5 with 475, I squat

> low 600's. The first 3 reps were very, very easy, 4th was hard, 5th

> very nearly 'killed' me. Since powerlifting is a one rep max this makes

> me think that the weight was too light to have the desired effect on

> a one rep max since the first 3 were easy.

>

> To pre-counter any suggestions, I'm 37 years old, been lifting hard

> and heavy since I

> was 14 and competing for 10 years. The difference in effort between

> reps 3 and 5 was beyond what just tiring over the course of a set. Is

> it possible that my muscle make-up is such that I need to concentrate

> more towards lower reps to get the desired effect

>

> Dennis Schar,

> ....Gobi Desert

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Since I couldn't care less about what my 5 rep max is, should I just

use 3's to build my 1 rep max or will the 5 rep sets still have a

positive effect on my 1 rep max? It feels like, and my gut instinct

is, that since the first 3 reps are so easy compared with my last 2

that the weight is too light to have as much effect on my true max.

But at the same time I don't want to get into over training by

working too much with higher percentages/lower reps.

Dennis Schar,

......City?

-----------------

> From: Dmitry Voronov <dvoronov@...>

>Subject: Re: 5 vs 3 Reps for Powerlifting?

>

>It's possible but my guess is that it has more to do with muscular

>endurance. If you train with low reps, you will never be able to do the

> " correct " percentages that are used in the athletic world. In theory,

>your 5 rep max dictates a max of 543 lbs (Bompa). I know guys with over

>400 raw benches and they can only do mid 20s 225 reps - while they

>should be able to do about 40. It works the other way around too.

>When I first started lifting, I could squat with 225 all day but it tooktime

>before I could squat 315. Now I squat mid 6's but by the second or third

>rep with 500, I can't see anything. :-) Muscular endurance can be

>trained as well. Poliquin has a few ways to make football players

>train for the 225 test. I think percentages are useful as a starting base but

>they should never be used to normalize people because...who's normal around

here???

>

>Use what does work, not what should work.

[Guest guest]

Dmitry Voronov wrote:

<Use what does work, not what should work.>

Perfect. Great test for slicing through the gobs of

useless data posing as training information. Not a

bad dictum to follow for other parts of life as well.

[One problem - this does not distinguish between some

very dubious methods that work because of placebo effects.

While such things may work, they bind us to staying where

we are and do not lead to much progress. Use anything, but

try other things, analyse them all very thoroughly and then move on

to the future. Mel Siff]

Bill Keyes

San Ramon, CA

[Guest guest]

Dennis,

Are you step loading workout to workout (ie-

increasing weight as reps go down)? If you are, your

sets of five might be too heavy early on ( the weights

might be too close to your max single). This is just

a guess but I might try a lighter weight during the

sets of five while moving the bar faster.

Pete Arroyo

Chicago, IL

--- Dennis Schar <dens228@...> wrote:

> Since I couldn't care less about what my 5 rep max

> is, should I just

> use 3's to build my 1 rep max or will the 5 rep sets

> still have a

> positive effect on my 1 rep max? It feels like, and

> my gut instinct

> is, that since the first 3 reps are so easy compared

> with my last 2

> that the weight is too light to have as much effect

> on my true max.

> But at the same time I don't want to get into over

> training by

> working too much with higher percentages/lower reps.

>

> Dennis Schar,

> .....City?

>

> -----------------

>

> > From: Dmitry Voronov <dvoronov@...>

> >Subject: Re: 5 vs 3 Reps for Powerlifting?

> >

> >It's possible but my guess is that it has more to

> do with muscular

> >endurance. If you train with low reps, you will

> never be able to do the

> > " correct " percentages that are used in the athletic

> world. In theory,

> >your 5 rep max dictates a max of 543 lbs (Bompa). I

> know guys with over

> >400 raw benches and they can only do mid 20s 225

> reps - while they

> >should be able to do about 40. It works the other

> way around too.

> >When I first started lifting, I could squat with

> 225 all day but it tooktime

> >before I could squat 315. Now I squat mid 6's but

> by the second or third

> >rep with 500, I can't see anything. :-) Muscular

> endurance can be

> >trained as well. Poliquin has a few ways to make

> football players

> >train for the 225 test. I think percentages are

> useful as a starting base but

> >they should never be used to normalize people

> because...who's normal around here???

> >

> >Use what does work, not what should work.

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

You missed my point Dr Siff. I didn't say it in terms of use what " people

say " works and don't use what " people say " should work. I said use what

works! I didn't say don't try new things. I said don't boneheadedly keep

doing things that aren't working for you but So and SO PhD says they should

be working. Find out what does the trick for you and DO IT! The last part

sounds obvious but a lot of people know that they should do something but

for whatever reason, don't.

Dmitry Voronov

Ontario Canada

>From: Bill Keyes <bilkyes@...>

>Reply-Supertraining

>Supertraining

>Subject: Re: 5 vs 3 Reps for Powerlifting?

>Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 08:41:02 -0800 (PST)

>

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