Help with Strength Building, please...
I want to build strength on deadlifts, squats and bench. I've only been back to lifting for 2 weeks, after a 6 week layup for my arm injury. I started really light with one 10 rep set and have been working weights and sets up very slowly from there. Thinking ahead, I'd like to have a plan for building strength in these lifts. Previously I've only done high rep sets for these, and frankly, even if illogically, I'm burned out on the high volume stuff, and just need to do something different.
So, my question is, coming from my current 3 sets of 10-12, plus coming off this injured arm, would it best (safe for my arm, but still working to best advantage for strength gains) to go straight to 5x5 when I am up to bar weight for each lift, or would it be more prudent to ease up on it, maybe 3x8 for a couple workouts, 4x8 for a couple, then 5x5? I was planning to start with bar weight and just go up 5 lbs or so each workout till I get to some real working weights, by which time I think I'll be safe to push a little harder without worrying about the arm.
I'm thinking I'll try using one weight for all sets, just for these exercises, because I want to try that out and see how it feels. I figure by the time I get to working weights, I'll know if I want to keep doing it this way, or go back to adding weight each set.
Last edited by jamsk8r; 12-28-2008 at 06:21 PM.
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