Getting to a Working Set on Bench

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

I’ve always worked my way up to a working set on bench as follows:

bar=10-15 reps
95=10 reps
135= 5 reps
185= 5 reps
205= 3 reps
225= 2 reps
Whatever I’m doing for my working set= as many as I can usually 5-7 reps

Last time I was in the gym I decided to do the following:
95=10 reps
135= 5 reps
185= 5 reps
205= 3 reps
225= 2 reps
250= 2 reps
300= 1 rep [went up fast not too taxing or too close to a 1 rep max]
Went down to whatever I’m doing for my working set=I got two more reps than I usually do with at least one more rep left in the tank]

I will be continuing this experiment but wanted insight into whether I was just having a good day or does anyone think after doing the heavy [but not too heavy 1 rep] the working set was easier and that’s why I got more reps than usual?

Oh, and no I don’t train like a PL I get plenty of volume in afterwards.

-thefreshmanverve

2

[quote]thefreshmanverve wrote:
Oh, and no I don’t train like a PL I get plenty of volume in afterwards.

-thefreshmanverve
[/quote]

I feel like your notion of how powerlifters do and do not train is fundamentally flawed.

That said, I don’t really see much difference between the two warm ups that you posted. It seems like in the case of the first one you were working in the 5-7 rep range whereas in the second one it was for a heavy single, so it’s hard to even say which method created more success.

EDIT: After reading the reply below, I realize I misread your original post.

3

This is generally referred to as an over-warm up. Essentially, you hit a heavy single, which really activates your nervous system and then lets you get more reps on your actual work sets with a lower weight. It works very well because neuroscience.

4

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:

[quote]thefreshmanverve wrote:
Oh, and no I don’t train like a PL I get plenty of volume in afterwards.

-thefreshmanverve
[/quote]

That said, I don’t really see much difference between the two warm ups that you posted. It seems like in the case of the first one you were working in the 5-7 rep range whereas in the second one it was for a heavy single, so it’s hard to even say which method created more success.[/quote]

Classic.

OP: Yeah, pretty common approach. Works decently well usually, but won’t make much of a difference at the end of the day.

5

[quote]infinite_shore wrote:

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:

[quote]thefreshmanverve wrote:
Oh, and no I don’t train like a PL I get plenty of volume in afterwards.

-thefreshmanverve
[/quote]

That said, I don’t really see much difference between the two warm ups that you posted. It seems like in the case of the first one you were working in the 5-7 rep range whereas in the second one it was for a heavy single, so it’s hard to even say which method created more success.[/quote]

Classic.

[/quote]

Tell me about it, haha. Slept on the floor last night and got woken up every 20 minutes to take care of a sick person, it’s a miracle I’m even forming words.

6

"I feel like your notion of how powerlifters do and do not train is fundamentally flawed. "

What I mean is that I don’t really care about numbers, with exception of bench all of my working sets
on main exercises are 9 reps +. I don’t use a belt anymore, and gauge effectiveness of workouts with
how good of a pump I get.

7

Tried it again, the “over warm-up” works.

8

I do a supramaximal warm-up for my sets of 8, but I don’t for my lower rep sets.

9

Charles Poliquin wrote about this method on his site in April. He doesn’t go into much detail on his articles now but you may find it worth a read.

10

“Charles Poliquin wrote about this method on his site in April. He doesn’t go into much detail on his articles now but you may find it worth a read.”

The effect is known as post-tetanic potentiation.

I’ve tried it out a couple more times with surprisingly good results; increasing weight and getting same reps on each working set.

11

I used the post-tetanic potentiation concept again today.

I warmed up for a Close Grip Decline working set by doing Close Grip Floor Presses similar as described in my original post.

Difference of 3 reps or 33.333% with same weight from the previous work out.

Next step=try it with squats.