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20 rep sets

harry1970

harry1970

Elegantly Wasted
I've read many times about the benefits of 20 rep squat sets, and I've started adding a set of 20 reppers at around 60% of my 1RM at the end of my squat session. Needless to say they are fucking hard and get a bit messy. Oh well, no pain no gain.

Anyway, is it smart/sensible/advised/beneficial to add 20 rep sets of any lift I want? Deads, OHP, BPress, Tricep, Bicep or any lift I want?

Note - I posted this in the power lifting section because I'm training for strength, I don't want a pissing match about how BBer's do it compared to PL's. I'm strictly asking in reference to PL/strength and increasing my lifts.
 
I made a thread about this before. Ive started doing all my support work with ultra high reps and i like it as my recovery isnt impacted
 
Any weight work that also stimulates the the heart and lungs as well as muscle growth will not only make you stronger but also improve your fitness ie your recovery.

I would only limit high rep work to multi joint movements only like.
Squat
Dead-lift
Leg-press
Any type of pull or push
 
i like to throw odd 20 rep set in. I normally get about 20 reps on 70% of max, so i find some correlation for myself.
 
Goosey said:
Any weight work that also stimulates the the heart and lungs as well as muscle growth will not only make you stronger but also improve your fitness ie your recovery.

I would only limit high rep work to multi joint movements only like.
Squat
Dead-lift
Leg-press
Any type of pull or push
Click to expand...


damn, now I have to tell all the bros in my gym they can't do anymore 100 rep bicep curls...
 
70% seems really high Chris.

What was your 1 rep max at the time?

I just did 160kg x20 and that's 60%
 
Sticky, i have always been able to get about 20 reps on 70%, but i have always preffered reps rather than heavier weights.

Bench 130kg, 20 on 90kg (roughly 70%).

Last year did 16 strict reps on 100kg bench, got 137.5kg for single.
70% of 137.5kg is 95kg, would have gone close to 20 reps for sure given 16 on 100kg.

As i mention, really depends on how you train. i have always been good on reps.

Fred Hatfield says it means you have slow twitch fibres. Maybe he is right but did read Arcidi doing 20 reps on 495 pounds not long away from his 700 pound bench (70%).


Your 20 reps on 150kg powerlifting squat is pretty good (no wraps i take from video).

Again, does not matter for stenght sports, matters more what you get for low reps (6 and less).

I normally know what form i am in from 10 on 80%, 20 on 70%, and 4 on 90%, but for me i find some correlation (for myself only).

when i did 120kg for single bench first time (early 1980s), I could get 35 reps on 70kg (about 60%).

Could also be I am not well trained at low reps, since i rarely do them. Just dont like training with heavy weights and long rests. Bores me to death.
 
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Yeah Im the opposite... I love 2's, 3's and 5's with 10-15min breaks. And am really good at repping large percentage in that range.

my best so far is 160x20, 70% would be 180x20..... No way in hell.

Im doing that tom platz 140kgx50 challange next......
 
Sticky said:
Yeah Im the opposite... I love 2's, 3's and 5's with 10-15min breaks. And am really good at repping large percentage in that range.

my best so far is 160x20, 70% would be 180x20..... No way in hell.

Im doing that tom platz 140kgx50 challange next......
Click to expand...

How many rep's do you think you could push out with 180kg sticky?
 
That is why you are on way to be a champion powerlifter, although you are already a world champ in GPC, and why I have only been a B grade athlete in many sports.

Sports specificity is what it is all about. For weightlifting and powerlifting, low reps speak for themselves.

At my age, i just want to enjoy myself now. Hence, i train at 60%, short rests, and only once every 2-3 weeks to go to failure.

I still hope toget 135kg at 90kg bench sometime in 2013, but am a long way off at moment.
 
I'm terrible at reps too. I could barely manage 90x10 (~70%) on bench and my 1 rep max is 125. I like my low reps and tv shows / coffees between sets too much :P
 
I did a stint of high rep training a little while ago, starting with 20reps of each exercise with a weight that I was just able to get 20 reps, then add 5 reps every week till you get to 50 reps with the same weight.

Works a treat, and as soon as I went back to strength training I got new PB's, there are a few varieties of this training about, I sort of worked along the lines of this:

http://ausbb.com/bodybuilding-training-discussions/9219-lose-fat-maintain-muscle.html


Currently doing a 20 rep routine alternated with cardio training for fat loss, but doing it a bit differently, been doing 20 reps of each exercise for the past two weeks, next week (Monday) it will be time to add weights to all exercises, and continue with 20 reps for another week or two, then add more weight, once I get sick of adding weight, might add 5 reps to make it 25 and just play it by ear:)

I enjoy that sort of training, as I tend to get injured if I push low rep training, probably due to overdoing it and may be adding weight too quickly, it's hard to over do things with high rep training.

To answer the original question, yes I believe high rep training is beneficial for all lifts
 
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Focus on what you "suck at"
I just think that with "exercise" you've got to find ways of making yourself most uncomfortable, not the opposite.
 
Not a fan of high volume sets, but it can be fun sometimes to test out endurance.

A week ago I did 100kg x 15 speed reps on the bench touch n go @ 73kg bw for shits and giggles. Bench has never felt so strong before.
 
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