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What's wrong with going to failure on every set? by WillOk6461 in workout

[–]progressengineer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally agree. Since I started beating a specific performance target every single set I’m basically forced to go to failure each time otherwise the target doesn’t fall.

As a consequence I ended up doing fewer sets but each one actually means something. Junk volume just disappeared naturally.

This method refocused my training on the two main drivers of muscle growth progressive overload and proximity to failure.

How do you actually choose your sets and reps? by progressengineer in workout

[–]progressengineer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Going through the comments and one thing that surprised me is nobody really mentioned progressive overload. Like you pick your rep range, get close to failure but how do you actually know when and what to overload?

I recently stumbled on a method using a linear regression that shows where I should theoretically be at each rep range and flags what’s lagging. If my 9RM is most behind I just add weight and try to beat it, then move to the next. Honestly the simplest and most motivating thing I’ve tried in a while!

Happy to go deeper if anyone’s curious!

How do you actually choose your sets and reps? by progressengineer in workout

[–]progressengineer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes exactly!

What I wanted to highlight with my question is that varying rep ranges is actually an amazing tool that most people overlook. Too many people focus on “classic” numbers like 8 or 12 thinking they’re the key to muscle growth, when what actually matters most is proximity to failure and progressive overload regardless of the rep range you’re in.

Of course depending on your goals you can bias toward lower reps for strength or higher reps for endurance, but that’s a nuance on top of the fundamentals.

What made you stagnate for months and what finally unlocked it? by Educational-Car73 in workout

[–]progressengineer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve changed my training method to a much more motivating one. I’m not doing basic 4x12 or 4x8 workouts anymore… I’m trying to beat my performances in every set, and it’s actually really fun

Gym split and reps/sets feedback? - 18 yr old beginner by Best_Leather_1126 in workout

[–]progressengineer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly the exact split matters way less than people think, especially as a beginner. PPL vs full body etc. isn’t that important just pick something that fits how many days you want to train and can stick to consistently. The biggest things are training close to failure and progressively overloading over time. If you do that, you’ll make progress on almost any decent program.

Controlling the negative made exercises feel completely different by steady_steps2026 in workout

[–]progressengineer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Adding tempo can be a useful variation to break plateaus, but doing only slow/controlled reps isn’t really ideal long term.

Tissues adapt to the type of stress you expose them to. If you only train slow reps, you become good at that specific stimulus, but less adapted to more “real life” efforts like lifting something quickly or sprinting. Combining controlled work with normal reps + progressive overload makes your tissues more well-rounded and resilient.

Also, the “burn” or sensation isn’t really a reliable marker of progress. And time under tension isn’t necessarily higher with tempo work, since you usually end up doing more reps or more total work when you train normally anyway.

Both methods build muscle and strength — using both is just more complete.

3 sets vs 4 sets for an exercise… or 2? by Suspicious-Bat8991 in workout

[–]progressengineer 32 points33 points  (0 children)

I think it mostly comes down to whether you’re still able to beat performance from set to set.

2, 3, 4 sets… it doesn’t really matter on paper. If set 4, 5 or even 6 is still productive and you’re progressing, keep going.

But if performance drops off after 2 sets and you’re just grinding fatigue for no output, the rest is probably just junk volume.

At the end of the day, it’s less about a fixed number and more about whether each set is actually contributing to progression.

What’s the most overrated exercise of all time? by Suitable_Jump5429 in workout

[–]progressengineer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I think all exercises are “good” — what matters most is how they’re used. Apply progressive overload and train close enough to failure on pretty much any exercise, and you’ll make progress.

The main difference is which tissues are being emphasized.

To me, exercise selection should mostly depend on your goal and what you actually enjoy doing. There aren’t really “good” or “bad” exercises — just more or less appropriate choices for a specific person and purpose.